“For her, the person was most important”: how was the only visit of Princess Diana to Moscow

On June 15-16, 1995, the only visit of Diana, Princess of Wales, to Russia took place.

The main purpose of her stay in Moscow was charity.

At the Tushino Children's Hospital, where she previously sent medical equipment, Diana spent most of her time with the children and nurses.

In elementary school No. 751, the guest opened a branch of the Fund for Assistance to Disabled Children.

And the cultural program of the princess included a visit to the Bolshoi Theater, the Kremlin and the treasury of Russian tsars.

The trip ended at the British Embassy, ​​where the leader of the Russian Party of Social Democracy, Alexander Yakovlev, presented the Princess of Wales with the International Leonardo Prize, awarded to the most outstanding patrons of the arts.

"From Another Circle"

Yury Yarov, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, was appointed responsible for organizing the visit of Princess Diana from the Russian side.

According to him, he learned about this by phone from the government protocol service, which was contacted by the British Embassy to agree on the details of the arrival of the royal person.

Lady Dee knew exactly what she wanted to visit and who to meet.

How did you take this assignment?

Was it normal for you or did it excite you in some way?

“It was nice, but exciting.

It's one thing when I, as Deputy Prime Minister, led intergovernmental commissions: you follow the negotiations and protocols yourself, you come with a delegation to the country, then they come to you.

But here a person is from a completely different circle.

And you do not know how she will behave, how she will look from a high pedestal.

And if you remember what a difficult time it was from an economic, financial point of view ...

How was it when you met?

Which princess do you remember?

- It was an informal meeting that went beyond the protocol conversation and became friendly and kind.

Diana was a charming woman.

Very beautiful, from the royal family, but at the same time very simple, earthy, warm in communication.

Not once did she let her feel that the interlocutor had any difficulties with royal protocol or etiquette.

And it was a pleasure to talk to her.

What was her retinue like?

Who translated your conversation?

- The retinue was small, three or four people from their side and the same number from ours.

As far as I remember, she had her own interpreter, most likely from the British Embassy, ​​which supervised her stay.

• Ludmila Bezlepkina, Princess Diana and Yuri Yarov during a meeting at the Government House of Russia, June 15, 1995

• Gettyimages.ru

• © Tim Graham Photo Library

- What was the purpose of Diana's visit to Moscow?

- I was struck by the fact that she, in principle, flew to Russia.

It was a pleasant surprise.

She provided material support to children all over the world, including ours.

It would seem that our relationship with the British is not such that we support each other so much.

But Princess Diana paid a lot of attention to this noble cause, serving children.

I led the social bloc in the government.

These are orphanages, and education, and medicine, and pensions, and culture.

So I was instructed to meet with the princess.

There were many difficulties in this block at that time: there was not enough money for orphanages, for vocational schools, the scholarship was paid so much that you could only buy a tram ticket.

The budget for our bloc was accepted as scanty.

You sign with the Minister of Finance, you sign with Chernomyrdin to allocate money, but still there is no money.

A whole bunch of orders lie unsecured.

You come and say: “How so?

Viktor Stepanovich, you signed it, the Minister of Finance before that too, but they still don’t give money.

At least for an orphanage, the guys grow up, at least they need to be dressed, releasing them into life.

It was the most difficult period.

That is why it was so important that someone else abroad takes part in solving our problems.

What does Diana even know about this.

It was both unusual and very pleasant to see that there is a person who pays attention to children in social terms.

Most of the time she was accompanied by Lyudmila Bezlepkina, the Minister of Social Protection at that time.

They visited the hospital, school, theater together, and how women found a common language.

- Why did Diana refuse to communicate with the press during this visit?

It was her choice, her right.

She didn't give interviews to anyone.

There were no pitfalls in this.

Correspondents were accredited.

There were filming, photographs, the whole visit was covered.

But, as I think, Diana heard a lot of different things about Russia, from the series that we have bears walking here, and decided first to visit herself, talk, form her opinion, and only then, after a while, speak out about the impression that these meetings have on she was produced.

I think she did not want to give hasty and superficial conclusions.

But didn't have time.

• Princess Diana talking to nurses at the Tushino Children's Hospital, June 16, 1995

• AP

- When you learned that Diana had died, how did you feel?

- It is a pity that a person who treated us with a soul, with an open heart, who took an active part in our problems in the social sphere, died.

And, of course, it was painful that such a person was gone, especially if you know him personally.

"Something Angelic"

Lyudmila Bezlepkina was the second Minister of Social Protection of the Russian Federation.

In an interview with RT, she told how she reacted to the government's order to accompany Princess Diana in Moscow, and what this meeting was like.

- How did you react to the order of the Deputy Prime Minister?

- I performed it with pleasure, it was an honor for me.

I was already a fairly experienced person, I worked as an assistant to Chernomyrdin, I had a large life school behind me, so organizing a visit to the children's hospital and elementary school for Princess Diana was not difficult for me, but very responsible.

— And there was also the Bolshoi Theatre.

- Yes, on the first day we were with Diana at the Bolshoi Theater.

My granddaughter Dana was doing ballet at the time.

I saw how kind the princess treats people, so I took the girl with me.

Diana was very nice to Dana.

When the princess returned to Great Britain, I accidentally heard her answer on the radio to the question of what impression Moscow made on her and what she remembered.

Diana said she was impressed by the minister and her granddaughter.

I was very moved.

Then from the embassy they gave me a box from her.

• Princess Diana greets guests at the Bolshoi Theater before the performance of La Sylphide, June 15, 1995

• AFP

• © Vladimir Mashatin

- But in Moscow, Diana did not communicate with the press?

- When we were at the theater, she said that she would not give any interviews.

Even when we were sitting in the government box, and they began to ask her questions, she said: “Please, no questions.”

- How do you remember Lady Di and how did you perceive her death?

- For me, Princess Diana is a very bright person, just something angelic.

She always tried to do something good, for her the person was the most important thing.

For us, her death was a family loss.

And Dana was very worried, and so was I.

RT political commentator Alexander Gurnov was one of the journalists accredited to cover the visit of the Princess of Wales to Moscow.

From 1993 to 1996, he was the head of the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company in London and knew all the intricacies of the interaction of members of the British royal family with the press: “Queen Elizabeth, as far as I know, has not given a single interview in her life.

They generally do not accept this.

Diana, when she was a member of the family, gave only one big exclusive interview.

And it was a huge scandal.

The royal family has a well-established approach to the press.

“Gentlemen, thank you for being here.

I'm glad I came.

We are old friends with Russia.

Thank you, goodbye,” was all that could be heard from the princess.

In Moscow, I accompanied Diana during her school visits.

Journalists had no opportunity to approach her.

"Like under the gun"

“Grandmother was in a dress from Slava Zaitsev, and Diana was in a dress from Chanel,” are the details preserved in the memory of a girl who was lucky enough to talk with a real princess.

Dana Valitova is the granddaughter of Lyudmila Bezlepkina.

In 1995, she was ten years old.

Lyudmila Feodorovna decided to invite her granddaughter to the theater to introduce her to the Princess of Wales.

Dana shared with RT her impressions of the meeting and how her life and character had changed after that memorable day.

• The Princess of Wales talks to ballerinas backstage at the Bolshoi Theater after a performance, June 15, 1995

• AP

- How do you remember the evening with Princess Diana in the royal box of the Bolshoi Theater?

- That evening, in honor of the visit of the Princess of Wales, the Bolshoi Theater gave the La Sylphide, because the ballet takes place in Scotland.

We felt that this setting was the most appropriate.

My grandmother accompanied Diana to the theatre.

I was urgently called from Donetsk, where I spent my holidays.

My mother and I came especially to see the princess.

They bought me a dress and we went to this performance.

We were told to sit in the box next to the royal, saying that we would be invited.

Even before going to the theater, during a conversation, the grandmother told the princess that she had a granddaughter and asked permission to introduce me.

Diana said, "Yes, of course."

During the intermission, a security guard approached us and invited us to the royal box together with my mother.

It was very exciting.

I taught for a long time how to address her - "Your Royal Highness."

Not majesty, but highness,

— Did you study this appeal in English?

— No, I spoke Russian.

In the theater with Diana, there was an interpreter accompanying her.

I didn't know English at all.

But this was not required of me - here I would pronounce it in Russian.

I remember that when we entered the box, everyone turned to us.

And Diana, with her characteristic softness and sensitivity, understood that the child, that is, I, was standing neither alive nor dead, afraid, worried.

She got up and walked towards me.

She herself, without waiting, although according to the protocol it would be more appropriate for us to approach her.

She opened her hands to meet me with palms forward, made such a welcoming gesture.

Diana showed with her whole appearance that she was glad to see us, and immediately removed all nervousness from me.

We talked to her for a while.

Naturally, this was a somewhat superficial conversation.

The princess said that I have beautiful shoulders.

I immediately explained that I was doing ballet, so I have such a posture.

She replied: “I also did ballet in my youth, but I had to stop because all the partners were on my shoulders.”

She joked, and it was self-irony - after all, she really was tall.

And when her grandmother told her: “You know, Russian women consider you very beautiful,” Diana smiled and replied: “They should have seen me in the morning!”

She treated herself without too much pathos.

• Princess Diana is heading to the Bolshoi Theater for the performance of La Sylphide, June 15, 1995

• AP

• © Mikhail Japaridze

How was Lady Dee dressed?

“That day, she was wearing a beige cocktail dress, very simple, but all trimmed with pearls.

Jewelry was also made of pearls.

Her manner of slightly tilting her head to one side is characteristic of a person who is a little embarrassed by her tall stature.

But that only added to her charm.

There was no arrogance, she did us no favors with her attention.

On the contrary, I was left with the impression of a very open person.

— How was your ballet destiny?

- I am a professional, certified ballerina, I graduated from the Moscow Academy of Choreography at the Bolshoi Theater.

But I graduated, unfortunately, with injuries.

I entered the Faculty of Law and then followed in my grandmother's footsteps - I work in the field of social protection of the city of Moscow.

In general, thanks to my grandmother, childhood passed in interesting meetings.

Each of them gave me confidence in myself.

And the grandmother herself is a worthy example of a person and a leader.

- Lyudmila Fedorovna in a conversation mentioned the box, which was handed over to her from the embassy.

Did you save it?

- Yes.

Princess Diana sent it to her grandmother in gratitude for the meeting.

It's a personalized box that says it's a gift from Her Highness Princess Diana.

I do not know how many such boxes exist in the world, but for me it is a dear memory of that event.

Of course, I immediately laid eyes on her and kept begging my grandmother.

But she explained to me that all official gifts should be in the office out of respect for those who gave them - as long as the grandmother holds her post.

Then she handed the box to me.

I keep it very carefully.

• © Photo from the personal archive of Lyudmila Bezlepkina

How did that evening end?

- We left the 15th entrance, this is the service entrance to the Bolshoi Theater.

Journalists attacked us as soon as we appeared at the door: tell us what and how.

But it is difficult for a child to immediately think of something.

I managed only to say that it was all like in a fairy tale - to meet a real princess.

But I still have an impression of the end of that evening from the category of those that you later realize for a long time.

When I got out, I was almost blind from the flashlights.

Only later, having matured, I realized that for a second I found myself in the situation in which Diana lived all the time.

It is, to put it mildly, uncomfortable when microphones, voice recorders are aimed at you from all sides, questions fly at you when camera flashes shoot at you.

You always seem to be under the gun.

“When you learned of Lady Dee's death, you were just a child.

The same thing happened two years after you met.

How did you take it?

“Of course, I cried and worried.

It so happened that my mother and I then went to Paris.

I remember this tunnel

 I remembered for the rest of my life.

I was so impressed by all this that I began to be afraid to ride in the tunnels at all.

And I'm still afraid.

When I drive and enter a tunnel, every time I turn on the music and take a deep breath.

Apparently it's stuck in my head.

In general, Lady Dee left the impression of light and goodness, no matter how sugary it may sound.

You can't fool a child.

And I am very grateful to my grandmother for this meeting.

After that, I do not worry about any cabinets and positions.

• Dana Valitova and Lyudmila Bezlepkina, 2013

• © From the personal archive of Lyudmila Bezlepkina

— You mentioned that before Diana's visit, you were in Donetsk on vacation.

Visited with relatives?

- Yes, we were born there, both me and my grandmother.

Our ancestors worked in mines and factories, my father was a former miner, my grandmother went from a turner to a director at the plant, she was the secretary of the regional party committee.

On my mother's side - all metallurgists, up to my younger brother.

I still have a family there, both on my father's and on my mother's side.

In Budyonnovsky and Leninsky districts, this is closer to the center.

Shells fly right next to the house.

Before the start of the special operation, we called relatives from there to Moscow, but they refused to leave.