Alexander Domogarov, a sex symbol of the 90s, always chose complex roles requiring full dedication, and in his personal life, he did not seek easy paths. The actor, who turns 63 on July 12, had to endure many tragedies.

Domogarov was born in 1963 into the family of Yuri Lvovich Domogarov, an artist and managing director of Mosconcert. His parents already had an older son, Andrey, but before Alexander, they lost a daughter who lived for only two months. "Her death was a great blow to my parents. And in 1963, I was born. My parents perceived it as a reward for their suffering. I grew up a rather spoiled child, getting everything I wanted, or so it seemed to me. I was such a grandma's boy. God, when I remember it now, it sends shivers down my spine. Was all that really me? Those long hair, a motorcycle, and pure infantilism. Poor parents, how much they suffered with me," the actor recalled.

Despite the difficulties in his childhood, Domogarov grew into a talented actor: he graduated from "Shchepka," received leading roles in the theater, and became a movie star.

Alexander Domogarov's Career

Even as a student, Viktor Korshunov, the course master, entrusted Domogarov with the role of Raskolnikov. The actor started at the Maly Theater, then stayed at TSATRA for 10 years. Disliking comfort, he moved to the Mossovet Theater, where he shone in productions such as "My Poor Marat," "Cyrano de Bergerac," "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," and "Richard III."

Domogarov debuted in cinema in the 80s, and gained his first fame after playing Pavel Gorin in "Gardemariny III." His recognition grew after the series "Countess de Monsoreau" and the role of Yurko Bogun in the Polish project "With Fire and Sword." The detective series "Marsh Turetskogo" and "Banditsky Peterburg" brought him widespread popularity. The actor easily handled both positive and negative roles, playing a district police officer in "Maryina Roshcha," the main character in "Zorge," Kachalov in "Ranevskaya," and Miloradovich in "Soyuz Spaseniya." Next year, viewers will see him in the film "Hotel 'At the Deceased Alpinist'."

For a long time, Domogarov remained a star of the Mossovet Theater. However, after the arrival of the new artistic director Evgeny Marchelli, the actor stated that the theater was being destroyed and the troupe was alienated. First, Domogarov took a creative leave, but then news emerged about his removal from the role in "Tartuffe" and his refusal to play in Marchelli's "Hamlet" due to disagreement with the artistic director's vision. The actor was particularly upset by the management's refusal to provide a stage for his anniversary. "This is not my form, not my existence on stage, not my theater. Everything there is different — from the buffet to the people. I don't know them. Nothing holds me there anymore," Domogarov admitted on the eve of his 60th birthday.

The actor did not remain without a stage: he performed in the Russian Army Theater's plays "Masquerade" and "Roman," and also toured with the musical production "Vertinsky." "We were interested in raising the topic of Vertinsky from the perspective of emigration, his feeling of being a truly Russian artist, standing as if above the situation and carrying this title with special pride," Domogarov noted. "And in all countries of the world, he sang only in Russian."

Heavy Losses

In 1991, Alexander Domogarov buried his father, and 10 years later, his mother. But these were not the only heavy losses. He met his first love, Natasha Sagoyan, in his youth. Their summer romance grew into a marriage that gave the actor his eldest son, Dima. "More precisely, they were twins. One did not survive after childbirth, and my grandmother then said a terrible thing, which I realized much later: 'Twins don't let each other go far.' And so it happened. And that was the most terrible moment after my parents' death!" the artist confessed.

23-year-old Dmitry worked as deputy head of the deposit department at a bank and was about to get married when his life was cut short: in June 2008, he and three colleagues were hit by an SUV on a slippery road. Alexander Domogarov found solace by immersing himself in religion and work, which not everyone understood. "I couldn't cancel the theater's international tour. I worked on the day of my son's funeral, I had performances, no, they weren't performances, but hellish torment! But the media wrote in their lampoons that Domogarov was a scoundrel who didn't come to his own son's funeral," the actor complained.

The actor's second wife was Irina Gunenkova, who gave him a son named after him. They lived together for 12 years, and after their divorce, they remained close. Domogarov explained to each subsequent woman that Irina and Sasha would always be a part of his life, which sometimes complicated romantic relationships. "Many don't understand the essence of our relationship. For me, these relationships are clear and understandable, moreover — they are the only correct ones in my life. To stop spending nights in the same place and to get a divorce stamp for me absolutely did not mean breaking off relations, not communicating, and living without them. Staying together was no longer possible, and we both understood that," Domogarov explained.

Irina supported the actor in difficult moments. In turn, Domogarov did not abandon his ex-wife when she was diagnosed with cancer in 2021. For more than two years, he tried to prolong Gunenkova's life, but in July 2023, she was given palliative status, and a month later, she passed away. "I am proud of my son, he endured, he bore it…. I don't know what it cost him — maybe he'll tell me someday. He endured, especially yesterday, with dignity, like a real man. Although the blow"