"He joked under any circumstances and thus disarmed": Boris Grachevsky, artistic director of "Yeralash", died

In Moscow, at the age of 72, Boris Grachevsky, the artistic director of the Yeralash children's comic newsreel, who had previously been hospitalized with a diagnosis of COVID-19, has died.

This was reported to TASS by his wife Ekaterina Belotserkovskaya.

The discovery of a coronavirus in the director became known on December 21.

Then he said that he felt rather well and was undergoing treatment at home: “There is a smell, there is a taste.

The temperature is not high.

Jumps! ".

However, on December 28, Grachevsky said that he was placed in the City Clinical Hospital No. 52, where he will celebrate the New Year.

A few days later, the director was transferred to intensive care.

His wife said that he is in a consistently serious condition, and also asked the media not to spread rumors about his health, noting that the director is conscious and reads the press.

In early January, Grachevsky thanked his wife for their support, saying that she had helped him pass the "terrible peak" of the disease.

Later, a friend of Grachevsky, actor Vladimir Dolinsky, told RIA Novosti that the director's health had improved and that he had been taken out of medication sleep.

However, on Thursday, January 14, Dolinsky said that the state of the artistic director of Yeralash had worsened again.

“He is in drug-induced sleep, while his condition is stable.

This is an insidious disease, ”he said.

Condolences to the family of Boris Grachevsky were expressed by his colleagues and acquaintances.

So, music producer Joseph Prigogine, in a conversation with RT, called the director "a bright, deep, interesting person."

“The kingdom of heaven to him, the best are leaving us ... I was very upset by this news.

We knew each other very well.

A very good person, "- said Prigozhin.

The editor-in-chief of the Karusel TV channel, which has been broadcasting Yeralash in recent years, Vera Obolonkina, recalling Boris Grachevsky, noted that he joked “under any circumstances and thus disarmed”.

“It is not surprising that it was he who created one of the main family humorous projects - Yeralash, which has been loved and loved by adults and children for 46 years.

We are very glad that we had the opportunity to cooperate with him and communicate regularly, ”said the head of the TV channel.

People's Artist of Russia Edgard Zapashny, in a post on his Instagram account, said that just a few days ago he spoke with Grachevsky, who was in intensive care, who said that everything would be fine. 

“I never did Jumble.

But on the other hand, I had the honor and pleasure of communicating with you a lot!

You will be greatly missed, and most of all - your newborn son, ”wrote Zapashny.

In turn, the actor Leonid Yarmolnik noted that the name of Grachevsky became synonymous with "Yeralash", and the director himself was a person who was always ready to help.

“They know Borya like no one else.

He could have taken the pseudonym "Yeralash" for a long time.

Even in difficult times, in the 90s, when everything was dying, he still pulled out "Yeralash", he did not die and survived, this is a wonderful children's newsreel, and not only for children, "he told RIA Novosti.

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Chairman of the Moscow City Duma Commission on Culture and Mass Communications Yevgeny Gerasimov expressed hope that a commemorative plaque for Grachevsky would be installed in the capital.

“I think that Borya did a lot in his profession, at our Gorky studio.

And, of course, I think there will be a commemorative plaque, no doubt about it, ”he said.

Boris Grachevsky was born on March 18, 1949 in Moscow.

He graduated from the Kaliningrad Mechanical College (now - Technological University named after twice Hero of the Soviet Union, pilot-cosmonaut Leonov) in Korolev, Moscow Region, in 1969 he entered the correspondence department at VGIK with a degree in Organization of Film Production, which he graduated only 23 years later.

Since 1968 he worked at the Gorky Film Studio, including with directors Alexander Rowe, Mark Donskoy and Vasily Shukshin.

In 1974, together with the playwright Alexander Khmelik, he founded his main brainchild - the Yeralash newsreel; a few years later he created the film studio of the same name.

Grachevsky also directed the feature films "The Roof" and "Between the Notes, or the Tantric Symphony".

In 2000, he was awarded the title of Honored Artist of Russia.

Boris Grachevsky was married three times, he has four children.

The youngest son Philip was born on April 8, 2020.