Petrosyan and Stepanenko concealed a fortune. cheerful family
For about 30 years, Evgeny Petrosyan and Elena Stepanenko entertained fans with their jokes, successfully touring throughout the country. During this time, they managed to get the status of one of the strongest couples in domestic show business, along the way earning about 1.5 billion rubles from funny numbers and concerts. And now, when it seemed that no circumstances would violate their family well-being, the boat of love unexpectedly ran aground on mutual claims.
Of course, the fans immediately remembered the rumors about the betrayals of Yevgeny Vaganovich, as well as the fact that the artists began to suspiciously rarely appear together at social events. How did events actually develop, and why did the comedians decide to part with the scandal?
Decades of change
“Two creative people in one house is hard,” the humorist Sergei Drobotenko once noted, answering a question about the discord in the relationship between Petrosyan and Stepanenko. Indeed, on stage, the star couple looked much more harmonious than backstage. Rumors about their conflicts have been circulating for a long time, but the fans do not seem to attach any importance to them.
The first wake-up call in the family of Petrosyan and Stepanenko sounded in 2008. Then the public relished the details of Petrosyan's alleged betrayals, which were allegedly systematic.
The wife of Yevgeny Vaganovich stubbornly kept silent, only occasionally noting that everything was fine in their family. No wonder, because at that time they were married for more than twenty years, and creative success largely rested on their outwardly happy marriage. But Petrosyan was a little more verbose, and at that time he never tired of emphasizing how much he loved Stepanenko.
“These idiotic rumors were deliberately spread by someone - I don’t understand by whom and for what! Elena and I did not give any reason. It remains to be assumed that it was the purest paid order. Lena and I did not even quarrel. (…) I can only say one thing: lies! And today Lena is not here with us because tomorrow we are leaving and she needs to have time to get ready for the road, and even do a lot of important things that she cannot cancel, ”Petrosyan shared.
Perhaps the fans would have believed Petrosyan, but he was constantly seen with mysterious strangers, while the legal wife was on tour or at home. Fans also recalled that before meeting Elena, the comedian was married three times. Each time, his marriages fell apart suspiciously quickly, but Stepanenko preferred to ignore the rumors.
“The current artist does not particularly need PR. All the more so. Zhenya and I often perform on stage together. And the audience write notes to us, and sometimes they just shout out from the audience: is it true that you are getting a divorce? And, having received our negative answer, they sigh with relief and applaud gratefully. (...) We are happily married, and our viewer feels it, wants it to be like this forever. (…) I don’t understand why the truth must be destroyed by lies!” - said the wife of Evgeny Vaganovich.
1.5 billion rubles
“A certain stage of our life together has been completed, but mutual respect, correctness, mutual assistance and creative cooperation between me and Elena Grigoryevna, I really hope, will continue,” Petrosyan reacted to the news of the impending divorce.
The scandal that broke out in early August caught the artist on tour. Then Yevgeny Vaganovich found out that his wife not only wants to leave, but also wants to get most of the fabulous fortune. Luxury real estate, vehicles, huge sums in bank accounts - all this was estimated at a whopping 1.5 billion rubles.
The money issue turned out to be the most acute and urgent. Moreover, by the time of the divorce, Petrosyan and Stepanenko had long forgotten what spiritual closeness and family understanding are. Yevgeny Vaganovich's lawyer Sergei Zhorin confirmed to StarHit that the couple had long been moving towards a final break.
“They have not lived together for 15 years. My ward Evgeny Vaganovich suggested that Stepanenko share everything equally, despite the fact that Petrosyan has been and is the main source of income throughout their life together. But Elena Grigoryevna for some reason believes that she should get the most part. Our main goal is to ensure that the court divides the acquired property equally,” the lawyer said.
Yevgeny Vaganovich hoped that he would be able to maintain friendly relations with his wife, and Stepanenko insisted that not only the objects registered on both of them, but also those apartments that were bought for some third parties, should be subject to division. It was then that a certain Tatyana Brukhunova, who has been considered Petrosyan's new muse for many years, came to the fore.
Third wheel?
How could a 29-year-old girl from Tula become the owner of two elite apartments in Moscow? Many fans of Petrosyan and Stepanenko are sure that it was the answer to this question that was the main reason for the high-profile divorce proceedings.
Tatyana Brukhunova has been working as Evgeny Vaganovich's personal assistant for several years now. The girl goes on tour with the artist, helps him organize creative events and, according to rumors, is Petrosyan's new muse, which categorically does not suit his wife.
Perhaps her husband really was not faithful to Stepanenko, but she was ready to put up with this for the sake of a career and a calm future. But buying real estate for a secret mistress is another story. There is an opinion that, having learned about the elite apartments of Brukhunova, Petrosyan's wife flared up and filed an application for the division of property.
later, another important fact was revealed: Tatyana's Tula neighbors began to claim that the girl was allegedly pregnant. If this is so, then in a few months another heir may appear, claiming the same 1.5 billion rubles.
However, friends of the artists have a completely different opinion about the reasons for their separation. Allegedly, Petrosyan and Stepanenko were simply tired of each other, because work has always interfered with their personal lives.
“I once asked:“ Elena Grigoryevna, do you yourself want to make a number? “Oh, Natasha, so tired of touring. Now I take care of the house, I grow flowers, and I like it so much.” I understood the meaning of what was said only many years later - it is very difficult to be the wife of a creative person, not everyone will understand his quirks. There was no question of any normal family. Stepanenko endured to the last. I remember riding with concerts in the south, Petrosyan never even reached the sea - he wrote all the time, ”said a colleague of comedians Natalya Korysteleva, hinting that Elena Grigorievna constantly lived in the shadow of Yevgeny Vaganovich’s glory.
Cheating, mistresses and disputes over real estate - all this is still considered only possible reasons for perhaps the most high-profile divorce proceedings. The star couple only further creates intrigue by refusing to delve into the nuances of their breakup. One way or another, fans can be sure of one thing: one of the brightest duets in the domestic show business has broken up, leaving behind only memories and countless joint numbers.
They were considered one of the strongest and most harmonious pairs of domestic show business. Evgeny Petrosyan and Elena Stepanenko lived together for 33 years, giving no reason to doubt their feelings.
They were invariably there: at home, at work, during going out. However, recently it turned out that comedians are getting divorced. What could cause the collapse of the family and creative union?
How it all began
Evgeny Petrosyan in his youth.
In 1979, a fragile girl came to audition at the Variety Theater. Evgeny Petrosyan was just in search of an actress for his new play "A kind word and a cat is pleased." Slender and very artistic Elena Stepanenko fit the role perfectly: she could sing and dance, besides, she had an excellent sense of humor. 
Elena Stepanenko in the play "A kind word and a cat is pleased."
The actress was approved for the role and her work began at the Variety Theater. However, there was no mention of feelings at all. Each of them already had a family at that time. 
Evgeny Petrosyan with his daughter Quiz.
Yevgeny Petrosyan was married for the third time. Petrosyan's first marriage with the younger sister of the famous ballerina Quiz Krieger gave the artist a daughter, Quiz. But he was still very young at that time, and therefore he soon fell in love again and went to his new wife, Anna Kozlovskaya. However, six months later, Anna left her husband, falling in love with Kostas Varnalis. The third marriage of the artist with the St. Petersburg art critic Lyudmila ended due to his wife's dissatisfaction with the endless employment of the actor. 
Elena Stepanenko in her youth.
Elena Stepanenko was also married. The wife of the actress was a fairly well-known pianist Alexander Vasilyev, in whose pop ensemble Elena worked in the Mosconcert. However, soon after her transfer to the Variety Theater, the marriage broke up.
Nuclear bomb of love
Evgeny Petrosyan and Elena Stepanenko in their youth.
After they met, Elena Stepanenko and Evgeny Petrosyan did not think about feelings at all. Their joint work, of course, brought them together, but their relationship could be called more friendly. Until fate threw them on tour to Semipalatinsk. 
Evgeny Petrosyan with Elena Stepanenko and Vyacheslav Voinarovsky, 1980.
At that time, underground testing of new weapons took place at the test site, and subsequently the actors compared the appearance of their feelings with the explosion of a nuclear bomb. Of course, mutual sympathy and respect appeared much earlier, because six years had passed from the moment of their first meeting to the fateful tour. 
Evgeny Petrosyan, Elena Stepanenko and Galina Sazonova in the play "How are you?", 1986.
A little later, they, happy and in love, drove by car to the Crimea, where they were supposed to perform. Stopping, he got out of the car and returned with a huge bouquet of lilacs, which he bought from a woman standing on the side of the road. Since then, of all flowers, Elena Stepanenko preferred lilac, which she associated with spring, Crimea and, of course, love.
Family and creativity
Evgeny Petrosyan and Elena Stepanenko, 1997
After the wedding, they were everywhere together, trying never to part. At first, the actress decided to devote herself to the family. She tirelessly created comfort wherever she was: at home, on tour, during a joint vacation. Elena cooked beautifully, regaling her beloved with her culinary masterpieces. At the dacha, she personally grew vegetables, made preparations for the winter. 
Elena Stepanenko.
However, over time, she came to realize the growing need for creativity. During the housework, Elena got a little fat, but quickly got herself in shape, intending to go on stage again. She returned to the stage, began to perform at first only with her husband, and then with solo numbers. 
Evgeny Petrosyan and Elena Stepanenko, 1990s.
They did not get tired of each other, they were never bored together. Joint creativity was one of the components of their happy marriage. Her husband's passion for work never annoyed Elena Stepanenko, because she herself managed to achieve a high level of professional excellence. 
Evgeny Petrosyan with his wife, daughter and grandchildren Andrei and Mark, 2010.
Evgeny Petrosyan was brought closer to his wife by a common passion for antiquity. The couple often visited auctions together, where they often replenished their collection of antiques. 
Elena Stepanenko literally changed not so long ago, having lost a lot of weight.
Periodically, information appeared about the possible separation of the spouses, but the comedians called them ridiculous rumors and continued to work and live together.
Divorce or divorce?
However, this time the message about the divorce can hardly be called rumors. Elena Stepanenko's lawsuit on the division of jointly acquired property was registered in the Khamovnichesky Court of Moscow. 
Evgeny Petrosyan.
For colleagues and friends of the couple, this news came as a surprise. Evgeny Petrosyan and Elena Stepanenko never let strangers into the details of their personal lives. Even today they refuse to comment, rightly believing that everything that does not concern their professional activities is outside the interests of the public. 
Evgeny Petrosyan and Elena Stepanenko.
Yevgeny Vaganovich refuses to comment on the divorce, suggesting that journalists ask questions only about creative plans and upcoming performances. Elena Grigoryevna prefers to remain silent. However, information is actively spreading in the media about Petrosyan's affair with his director, 29-year-old Tatyana Brukhunova, who accompanies the comedian everywhere. Many fans note the amazing similarity of the girl with Elena Stepanenko in her youth. 
Tatiana Brukhunova. 
Evgeny Petrosyan and Elena Stepanenko.
But colleagues and friends of the spouses hope that their divorce is just another PR move designed to draw attention to the family duet and increase its fading popularity.
Just a few months ago, everyone was discussing extreme weight loss. Elena Stepanenko. The 65-year-old humorist dropped almost 50 kilograms. Of course, such a drastic change in appearance gave rise to a lot of rumors that the actress had health problems. However, the news about the upcoming divorce from a famous spouse Evgeny Petrosyan put everything in its place. Apparently, Stepanenko just decided to start a new life.
Not free
Almost a month ago, on July 4, the Khamovnichesky Court of Moscow was filed at first glance. However, its initiator was not quite an ordinary person: actress Elena Stepanenko. Upon learning of this, the media immediately turned to her husband Yevgeny Petrosyan for comments. He first stated that he knew nothing about what was happening, and later refused to communicate with journalists, and not professional activities.
The future spouses met back in 1979, when Elena Stepanenko came to audition at the Variety Miniature Theater directed by Petrosyan. Eugene was then looking for a universal actress for the play “A kind word and a cat is pleased,” who could not only play, but also sing. And he found a suitable candidate in the face of a young graduate of GITIS. A romantic relationship did not arise between them immediately, especially since by that time both were not free. The girl was married to a pianist Alexander Vasiliev, Eugene lived with his wife Lyudmila.
By the way, this was the third marriage of the comedian. Before that, he was first married to the sister of a ballerina Quiz Krieger(the only daughter of the artist was born in this marriage), and then - on Anna Kozlovskaya, opera singer's daughter Ivan Kozlovsky. It is noteworthy that before Stepanenko, all three unions of Petrosyan did not differ in durability. Allegedly, the wives did not share Eugene's passion for his work. Elena in this sense was the complete opposite, she was able to become for the humorist not only the second half, but a like-minded person and partner on stage. And even with all her busyness, she managed to keep an eye on the house and fed her beloved man exclusively with homemade food. The artist absolutely had no chance to resist her borscht with donuts.Posted by (@petrosyanevgeny) 5 Feb 2016 at 11:45 PST
When the lilac blossomed
The novel began during the next tour in Yalta. It took the future spouses 6 years to understand: they are connected by something more than just a professional relationship. The first declarations of love resembled a scene from a movie: a couple drove by car one of the markets in the Crimea, where they sold lilacs. Suddenly, the artist braked sharply, got out of the car and bought Elena a whole bucket of her favorite lilacs.
Their wedding was a real surprise for colleagues and friends, but they did not pay any attention to the conversations behind their backs. And later they even got married. The couple did not have common children, but many joint numbers were born. Thanks to the efforts of her husband, Elena became a recognizable and sought-after actress. Although it is believed that it is impossible to build a strong relationship by working together, Petrosyan and Stepanenko have refuted this stereotype for many years with their strong marriage. It is difficult to say what prompted the spouses to break up, and it is unlikely that they themselves will want to talk about this topic. Most likely, the 72-year-old artist and his wife, despite their age and prejudices, simply decided to start life from scratch.
It turned out that not all square meters of luxury housing belong to both humorous spouses, who recently announced a divorce and are dividing property. As realtors found out, some of the apartments are registered exclusively with Yevgeny Petrosyan, and Elena Stepanenko has housing only in a share with her husband.
According to the realtor Konstantin Ivanov, in the capital's house, in Sechenovsky Lane, Stepanenko and Petrosyan have not two, as previously reported, but three apartments. At the same time, they belong to the spouses in shared ownership - fifty-fifty.
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"The first has a total area of 138.7 square meters and can cost up to 65 million rubles. The second apartment of the couple covers an area of 92 square meters and can cost up to 36 million rubles. The third, with a total area of 64 square meters, is worth 28 million rubles," – quotes the expert site “Komsomolskaya Pravda”.
The rest of the Moscow square meters Petrosyan owns alone. These are two apartments on Plyushchikha Street, which he combined into one, housing on the Arbat and an apartment in Prechistensky Lane. By the way, the latter contains a collection of antiquities of a comedian, to which now his wife does not allow him.
Also, according to Konstantin Ivanov, the satirist also has housing on Oleko Dundich Street. As a result, if we calculate the cost of these square meters, then another 156 million rubles can be added to the one and a half billion fortune of Stepanenko and Petrosyan.
Recall that the first court hearing on the main divorce of the year is scheduled for September 6. It will be held behind closed doors to preserve the artists' right to "privacy of privacy."
On August 4, 2018, it became known that 65-year-old Elena Stepanenko filed for divorce from 72-year-old Yevgeny Petrosyan. They have been married since 1985, but lawyers say they have lived separately for the past 15 years. In this case, divorce seems like a logical outcome, but it will still be difficult for fans to perceive celebrities separately.
Not at first sight
In 1979, the already well-known humorist Yevgeny Petrosyan was looking for an actress who could sing in his play “A kind word is also pleasant for a cat.” Elena Stepanenko, a recent graduate of the GITIS music department, came to the audition. Then she had no idea that her future in the profession would be connected with humor, and the charming and cheerful Petrosyan would become her husband. 
By the beginning of the eighties, Petrosyan was married for the third time. The first attempt was to marry the younger sister of the famous ballerina Victorina Krieger. They had a daughter - also Quiz - but the relationship of the spouses still deteriorated. Divorce and separation from her daughter Petrosyan experienced a hard time: there was a period when Quiz did not communicate with her father for ten years, but in the end they still managed to make peace. The second wife of the artist was Anna Kozlovskaya, the daughter of the famous opera singer. The marriage lasted only a year and a half - the woman could not stand her husband's excessive enthusiasm for the profession and filed for divorce. For the same reason, Petrosyan's third marriage eventually broke up - with an art critic from Leningrad, Lyudmila. As a non-public person, her husband's lifestyle was alien to her - which cannot be said about Elena Stepanenko.
She owes her debut on the stage to her first husband, pianist Alexander Vasiliev. It was he who accompanied her during the first performances, introduced her to other artists and, as a result, indirectly influenced her acquaintance with Petrosyan. Elena went to him after her divorce from Vasiliev.
Sharing what we have together
In April 2018, Elena Stepanenko presented the Merry, Beautiful anniversary program on the occasion of her 65th birthday. Seeing the artist on stage, the fans gasped: Stepanenko, who was always distinguished by curvaceous forms, managed to lose almost 50 kg! Opinions were divided: someone thought that Elena’s new figure suited her, someone was worried about the artist’s health, someone decided that a fair amount of her charm had gone with extra pounds ... Behind these conversations, people did not pay attention to the main thing: Evgeny Petrosyan was not among the invited artists and spectators of the concert.
And four months later, the news appeared: Stepanenko files for divorce, while demanding 80% of the jointly acquired property. When journalists rushed to Petrosyan for comments, he first tried to laugh it off and call the incident a misunderstanding. But when the date of the court session became known, the artist was in no mood for jokes.
What was the main reason for the divorce - the resentment and jealousy of the deceived wife or the mutual desire to start a new chapter in life - is still unknown. However, the country's main comedians of recent decades are definitely not laughing now.
