MOSCOW, March 5, Svetlana Vovk. The series “Union of Salvation” is on Channel One. One of the characters, the demoted Major Sergei Baranov, is played by Igor Petrenko. The artist spoke in an interview about how the new project differs from the sensational full-length film of 2019, as well as about the role of an FSB colonel in “Sleepers,” about his colleagues who went abroad and his reaction to articles about his personal life.
— Channel One is showing the series «Union of Salvation» — one of the largest historical projects of recent times. There was a film of the same name in 2019…
— The story is the same, but here it is more developed. New lines appeared, many images were invented. Also, the multi-part version included scenes that were not included in the full length.
— Have you drawn parallels between the era of the Decembrists and today’s turning point?
— Of course, I did. And the main parallel for me is that the Decembrists were, one might say, the first to encroach on the way of life of the country and the life of the emperor. They started the work of all subsequent revolutions. But the Decembrists never managed to organize; they did not have a personality that could unite everyone. They snatched up their dream piece by piece and turned into terrorists. And, by the way, all this took place directly with the participation of Freemasonry — a foreign club. It didn’t work out then, but the road was paved. And now they are trying. But it won’t work out—the cleansing began in time.
— Was it interesting to return to the role of Sergei Baranov?
— Baranov is a fictional character. And judging by his actions, it can be assumed that he was demoted for a drunken fight with the commander. This is not stated anywhere, this is an assumption. This is such a person. He joined the Decembrists because he saw this as an opportunity to start a new life with a more promising future. In general, he lived by his ideals and went for them. But, I hope, it turned out, despite the contradictory nature of his image, to worry and hope for him in some way. At his core, he is a good person. I would like to reveal his fate even more. I'm sure there is life there.
— In the series “Sleepers” you played an FSB colonel — a man with a powerful inner core, the complete opposite of Baranov. The work patterns of the secret services shown in this series look very convincing. Perhaps we should reconsider it now?
— Schemes and moves are most likely created by enemies who understand that Russia cannot be broken on the battlefield. Our warriors are too strong, and, most importantly, not in physical strength, but in spirit and will. This is how our multinational mentality has developed. Therefore, they are trying to undermine it from the inside. Everyone is pushing Trojan horses. Look under a magnifying glass at the activities of Soros and others like him — what a powerful architecture he laid for the decomposition of our, and not only, state. These are the diagrams! But what doesn't kill us makes us stronger. 
— You said that you feel sorry for the artists who left Russia. Do you think a person has the right to change his mind and return?
—We know how to forgive. After the collapse of the USSR, troubled times came, as a result of which we practically lost several generations. Many got lost. But if the lost stood next to the enemy and began to hit us with their creative weapons, then this is already a conscious act, and once conscious, it means it is already an enemy. And the scale of atonement here is different.
— Igor, you have a very busy filming schedule—several projects are released a year. What is the most effective way for you to switch gears and unload your head?
— First of all, this is sleep — to restore physical strength. But work is connected with emotions, with the psyche, and, of course, it happens that devastation and apathy occur. But here, first of all, family and loved ones help. And, of course, walks. Happiness is when you have the opportunity to wander through the forest, listen to nature, and get nourished. I also like to wander around the center of Moscow. This is the best city on earth, and that's a fact.
— Will they find out?
— Yes, it happens in different ways. But I still walk freely. Every meeting with someone who sees a character from a memorable movie walking becomes a good exchange of energy. And so, everyone is busy with themselves, with their own lives, if you don’t specifically attract attention, then no one really needs you.
— Don’t you have such fans who rush backstage?
— There are no such obsessed ones. And here, like in show business, we don’t rock buses. Although, they said that when Smoktunovsky was playing on the theater stage, mounted police were on duty at that moment. I don’t know whether the game has become worse, or whether people simply don’t have time. Time has greatly compressed, and there is an oversaturation of information around. Or maybe values and priorities have changed. 
— Not only your work, but also your personal life is often discussed on the Internet and in the yellow press. How do you abstract yourself from hate? Are you worried?
— I’m worried, of course. But I try to internally close myself off from all this, one might say, I’ve already learned: I think everything passes, and this too will pass. You know, it's just the other side of fame. Unfortunately, there's nothing you can do about it. And the culture of making money from gossip, dirty articles and reports came to us from the West. Before this, we wrote about people who were worth writing about, about people who were real landmarks.
February 16, 08:00