The Master and Margarita mystical facts. Mysteries of "The Master and Margarita"

1. Mysticism in Russian literature.
2. Images of God and the devil in the novel.
3. People and evil spirits.

Before turning to the consideration of mystical motifs in the works of M. A. Bulgakov, one should first more or less clearly define what is meant by the words “mysticism” and “mysticism”. Dictionary Russian language S.I. Ozhegov and N.Yu. Shvedova gives the following definitions:

“Mysticism - 1. Belief in the divine, in the mysterious, supernatural world and in the possibility of direct communication with it. 2. Something mysterious, inexplicable.”

“Mysticism is a mystical worldview, a tendency toward mysticism.”

As a religious and philosophical direction, mysticism is based on the conviction that the mind is not capable of objectively comprehending true reality - this is only possible thanks to intuitive sensory experience.

Before Bulgakov, Russian literature already had very rich traditions of mysticism - just remember N.V. Gogol and his “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka.” As in Gogol’s works, representatives of the other world walk freely among people, doing own activities: however, unlike Gogol’s characters of a similar order, Woland and his retinue are faced with the persistent disbelief of most people in the existence of heaven and hell, God and the devil. But if this surprises them, it is not so much as to prevent them from carrying out their plans.

In Bulgakov’s “The Master and Margarita,” however, a motif appears that Gogol did not have: this is the theme of the earthly life of God, Jesus Christ, or Yeshua Ha-Notsri, as he is called in the Master’s novel. But if the events in which Woland and his associates take part occur in the present tense, modern author works, then God’s visits to this sinful world from a chronological point of view belong to the past. At the same time, the story about Pontius Pilate and his meeting with wandering philosopher, in which at first glance it is difficult to discern the divine principle, appears in the reader’s imagination as if everything described by the Master happened recently or is happening now. Of course, this is how it should be in a historical novel - the era described should become close and understandable to the reader. But the novel about Pontius Pilate is not just historical novel. This is the peculiarity of the Gospel events, that they, having happened once, live in eternity - in the souls of people, in the symbols of worship.

We can say that the events began new era and the 20s of the 20th century occur in parallel - of course, not in a chronological, but in a philosophical dimension. It should be noted that the images of God and the devil in Bulgakov’s novel are very far from the traditional, textbook image of these transcendental figures.

Bulgakov preserved a number of canonical characteristics of Christ: his ability to heal people, his reasoning about the truth and the coming kingdom, about the fact that the procurator only seems to have power over his life. However, Bulgakov distorts many significant moments of the earthly life of the god-man. For example, in the Master's novel, Yeshua is the son of unknown parents; he did not have a ceremonial entry into Jerusalem. And his conversation with the procurator of Judea is far from the Gospel evidence: according to Matthew, Jesus did not say a word to Pilate, Mark and Luke indicate only that Christ answered affirmatively to Pilate’s question whether He is the King of the Jews, and only John gives a more extensive version conversation. Probably, it was John’s version that Bulgakov took as a basis. However, in the Gospel of John, Christ gives very laconic answers, while Yeshua Ha-Nozri answers in very detail. The tone is also different: the evangelists in their narrative sought to emphasize the divine greatness of Christ, and Bulgakov undoubtedly highlighted the human component of the Incarnate Word. Only at the end of the story - not the novel about Pilate, but the novel "The Master and Margarita" - does the divine omnipotence of Christ appear, when, from Woland's hints, it becomes clear who took part in the fate of the faithful lovers and the ill-fated procurator.

The image of Woland and his retinue is also very different from many other images evil spirits in literature. Perhaps most of all, Woland is similar to Goethe's Mephistopheles - the same ability to transform (he is either a professor or a knight with star spurs), wit, and peculiar humor. However, apparently, Woland does not have the textbook passion for collecting all kinds of devils. human souls who just happen to be nearby. At least this does not apply to the main characters of the novel. Oddly enough, Woland takes part in the fate of the Master and Margarita disinterestedly (which is unthinkable for ordinary, normal devils, as they are usually represented).

However, the hint that Yeshua and Woland discussed the fate of the Master and Margarita, as well as Pilate, again makes us recall “Faust” by J. V. Goethe, where in the prologue God and Mephistopheles talk. But if in “Faust” one gets the impression that both the forces of Light and the forces of Darkness consider the hero as a toy, in “The Master and Margarita,” on the contrary, both of them find themselves on the side of the faithful lovers.

But let's return to the definition of mysticism - knowledge of truth through communication with the supernatural... And here we are faced with the fact that for most people God and the devil remain unrecognized, even if a person has seen them with his own eyes. Moreover, quite often the problem lies in the person himself, who stubbornly denies the existence of otherworldly forces. And some people simply cannot stand the confrontation with a mystery that, by definition, is impossible to comprehend with the mind.

In our age high technology, when for a century now scientists and skeptics have been saying that man has power over nature and very little remains unexplained, almost every profession has its own superstitions. Theater and film actors have a lot of them. In the acting world, they believe that some works lead to unhappiness, troubles in life and career, and sometimes even to the death of everyone who is in any way connected with their film adaptation or production. The record holders in these statistics remain Shakespeare's play Macbeth and Mikhail Bulgakov's novel "The Master and Margarita".

Bulgakov's work "The Master and Margarita" the most mystical. It holds the record for “collecting souls,” troubles and problems in both theatrical productions and film adaptations. The most magnificent actor Viktor Avilov, who played Woland in theatrical production, before going on stage I wore two pectoral cross. But this did not save him either. The role of Woland was his last. During a tour in Germany, the actor’s heart stopped many times. In the summer of 2004, the actor died of cancer. In the production, Avilov was replaced by actor Valery Ivakin, but already during the second performance he had a heart attack.

Many directors not only dreamed, but also tried to film a great novel by Bulgakov. Almost all attempts ended in fatal cases for the actors and directors even before the start of production or filming. Only two directors succeeded: Yuri Kara and Vladimir Bortko. But these film adaptations were not without fatalities and consequences.

Anastasia Vertinskaya, who played the role of Margarita in Yuri Kara's film, I haven't received a single one since filming leading role. Valentin Gaft, who played the role of Woland, fell ill from a serious illness after filming. And director Kara himself barely escaped death during a trip to a meeting with a cameraman - he got into a car accident.

Before filming starts series "The Master and Margarita" Vladimir Bortko invited an Orthodox priest to perform the ritual of consecrating the pavilion and the entire project.
But this did not change the actors’ decisions. Many actors refused to star in the series immediately, some agreed, but soon refused.

Alexander Kalyagin, who agreed to play the role of Berlioz, was hospitalized with a heart attack even before filming began. After he underwent a full examination and treatment, he decided to return to filming, but due to a recurrence of a heart attack, he was forced to abandon the role and return to the hospital.

Actress, played the role of Margarita, Anna Kovalchuk, after the series was filmed, divorced her husband. And Oleg Basilashvili, who played the role of Woland himself, lost his voice right during filming due to hemorrhage of the vocal cords.

More huge amount minor incidents occurred during filming. The scenery fell a couple of times. The director himself says that from deaths during the filming of the series The only thing that saved me was that the script itself was slightly different from the work itself - there was a lot of improvisation. Nobody on film set and did not try to adhere to full compliance with the novel. And yet, the closest and most successful version of it turned out.

Sometimes fate throws up a huge number of surprises, and not always pleasant ones, but no matter how much we want it, we can’t do anything about it. And a huge number of films are being made on this topic, which convey all the experiences of the heroes, their struggle with their own self, and so on....

First of all, the topic is dedicated to a certain circle of people who lack some portion of adrenaline in their blood, who want to replenish it, but do not know how. Talks about contemporary art militants, famous actors and films....

VKontakte is not only well-known and very popular social network, VKontakte is also a huge video storage, which contains almost any films....

Every science fiction opus, be it a book or feature film, truly unique. It is the fantasy genre that allows you to experience a boundless flight of fantasy and enjoy the world of fabulousness, mysticism and a completely different reality....

Illustration: Slovik Alexandra

The work “The Master and Margarita” in the form in which we know it now has changed from its very beginning. Mikhail Bulgakov began working on the novel in 1928. The book was written in several versions. Each of the options was imbued with mysticism.

No. 1. Mysticism of Bulgakov

Many people know the fact that the writer was passionate occult sciences. He was particularly interested in 19th century German mysticism. It was during this period that the writer began to create his famous work.

In the first manuscript there was no trace of either our beloved Master or the beautiful Margarita. At the head of the narrative was the Devil himself, and the work was very reminiscent of Faust, only in the Russian way. Moreover, the description of the main character, that is, the Devil himself, was allocated 15 handwritten pages. It seemed that the author personally knew the character.

We will no longer know what was written on these 15 pages, since the first version of the novel was burned.

In the second version of the novel, which was called “Satan, or the Great Chancellor,” the main character is an angel whom God sent from himself to the sinful earth. In this version there is already a place for the Master, and the beautiful Margarita, and Woland with his mysterious retinue. But the reader will not see this novel either.

And finally, the work “The Master and Margarita” in the form in which the whole world knows it is only the third option. The writer never finished it.

No. 2. Woland in his many faces

Reading the novel, one can assume that Woland is not at all negative character, although he is a prototype of the Devil himself. In the novel he is the patron of creativity and love. But it's not that simple.

The writer embodied in his character the Tempter Satan, the Scandinavian Odin, and the ancient German god Wotan all rolled into one. Woland combines a multifaceted image, which in appearance is very similar to the powerful magician Count Cagliostro.

Another interesting point: in Germany the devil is called nothing less than Faland. Is it really close in sound to Woland?

No. 3. Woland's minions

In the work, Woland appears with his retinue. The most memorable for all readers were: bright characters like Azazello, Koroviev-Fagot and the cat Behemoth.

The image of Azazello was taken by the writer from the Bible, or rather from the Old Testament. That was the name of the angel who created such evil on the planet as weapons and jewelry. Azazello also taught the beautiful half of humanity the art of decorating the face, which is a sin of fornication according to the Bible. It was Azazello who became the tempter for Margarita. It was he who gave the magic cream and directed her along a dark path.

Woland's favorite jester is the cat Behemoth. The writer introduced the image of this character after reading the story of Anne Desanges, the abbess of the Loudun Monastery, who lived in the 17th century and was possessed by seven demons. One of them became the prototype of the character of the cat Behemoth. By the way, the writer also had his own Hippopotamus in his life. That was the name of the writer's dog.

The only one human image in the retinue given to Koroviev-Fagot. According to assumptions, this character is the prototype of the Aztec god of war Vitzliputzli.

No. 4. Magnificent Margarita

The image of Margarita is very reminiscent of Bulgakov’s third wife, Elena Sergeevna Shilovskaya. The novel also mentions a certain connection between Margarita and the French Queen Margot. If you remember history, Queen Margot favored writers and poets. And in the novel itself one can trace Margarita’s love for the Master.

No. 5. Mysterious time

The curious thing about the novel is that there is not a single mention of the time in which the events take place. It feels like we are flying from one century to another. Also, events move from one city to another - from the mysterious Yershalaim to Moscow.

No. 6. Bulgakov's death list


Elena Shilovskaya and Mikhail Bulgakov

The third wife of Mikhail Afanasyevich, Elena Sergeevna Shilovskaya, left a note in personal diary a few days before the writer’s death. The lines of that note said that the husband asked to make a certain list, a list of the things that he had done. Bulgakov asked about this so that people would know. Elena Sergeevna considered that this was a kind of delirium of a sick person, and it seemed to her that it was impossible to understand the writer. However, she made a promise to her husband that she would make changes to the novel and send the book to print.

Shilovskaya notices that her husband listened to her every word, and then uttered a rather meaningful phrase, “So that they know.”

Bulgakov’s biographers claim that they were talking about a list of the writer’s enemies – both literary and ideological. Nevertheless, Mikhail Afanasyevich passionately wanted to publish his novel. It is believed that last phrase in a conversation with his wife meant that readers would receive a certain warning from the writer through his work.


The novel "Master Margarita" became not only one of the most famous works Mikhail Bulgakov, but also one of the most mysterious books, over the interpretation of which researchers have been struggling for 75 years. Our review contains 7 keys that reveal some key points novel, lifting the veil of mystery and illustrations for different editions of Bulgakov’s novel.

1. Literary hoax



Scientists know for certain that Bulgakov enthusiastically studied German mysticism of the 19th century. It was after becoming acquainted with treatises on God, demonologies of the Christian and Jewish faith, and legends about the devil that the writer decided to create a book, and all this is mentioned in the work. The writer changed his novel several times.

The book was first written in 1928-1929. Several titles were invented for this novel: “The Juggler with a Hoof”, “The Black Magician” and no Master with Margarita. The central hero The first edition of the novel was The Devil and, in fact, the book was very reminiscent of Faust, only written by a Russian author. But his book never saw the light of day, and very little is known about it, since, having received a ban on a play called “The Cabal of the Holy One,” Bulgakov decided to burn the manuscript. The writer informed the government about his new novel about the Devil, who died in the flames.

The second novel was called "Satan, or the Great Chancellor." The main character of the work is a fallen angel. In this edition, Bulgakov had already invented the Master with Margarita, there was also a place for Woland and his retinue, but she also did not see the light of day.

The writer chose the title “The Master and Margarita” for the third manuscript, which was published by publishing houses; unfortunately, Bulgakov was unable to complete the work.

2. The Many Faces of Woland



If you read the novel without thinking too much, you get the impression that Woland is positive character, who became the patron of creativity and love, a hero who tries to fight the vices inherent in people. But Woland is the Tempter, and upon careful reading, his many faces become noticeable. In reality, Woland represents Satan, a reimagined Christ, a new Messiah, the kind of hero that Bulgakov described him as in his first unpublished manuscripts.

You can understand the many faces of Woland only by carefully reading The Master and Margarita. Only then can one notice the hero’s resemblance to the Scandinavian Odin, transformed into a devil by Christian traditions, or to the god Wotan, who was worshiped by ancient Germanic pagan tribes. Woland bears a portrait resemblance to the Freemason and great magician Count Cagliostro, who knew how to predict the future and remembered events a thousand years ago.

Attentive readers will definitely remember the moment when the employees remember the name of the magician and suggest that his name is Faland. Indeed, it is in tune with Woland, but that’s not the only interesting thing. Few people know that the devil is called Faland in Germany.

3. Satan's Retinue



Bright heroes with an ambiguous past in The Master and Margarita were Behemoth, Azazello and Karoviev-Fagot. The writer presented them as instruments of justice used by the devil.

The writer took the image of Azazello, the killer demon and the demon of the waterless desert, from the Old Testament. This was the name in these books called fallen angel, who taught people how to create jewelry and weapons. He also taught women to paint their faces, which according to biblical books is considered a lascivious art, and therefore it was this hero of Bulgakov who pushed Margarita onto a dark path by giving her cream. Azazello is an absolute evil who poisons lovers and kills Maigel.


Every reader of the novel remembers Behemoth for the rest of his life. This is a werecat, who is Woland’s favorite jester. The prototype of this character was the mythological beast described in Old Testament, the devil of gluttony from mystical legends. When creating the image of the cat Behemoth, the writer used information that he learned while studying the story of Anne Desanges. She lived in the 17th century and was possessed by seven devils at once. One of them was a demon from the rank of Thrones, named Behemoth. They depicted him as a monster with the head of an elephant and terrible fangs. The demon looked like a hippopotamus with its short tail, huge belly and thick hind legs, but its hands were human.

The only person in Woland's devilish retinue was Koroviev-Fagot. Researchers cannot determine exactly who the prototype of this Bulgakov character is, but they suggest that its roots go back to the god Vitsliputzli. This assumption is based on a conversation between Bezdomny and Berlioz, in which the name of this Aztec god of war, to whom he made sacrifices, is mentioned. If you believe the legends about Faust, then Vitzliputzli is not a simple spirit of hell, but the first assistant of Satan.

4. Queen Margot



This heroine is very similar to last wife Bulgakov. The writer also emphasized in the book “The Master and Margarita” the special connection of this heroine with the French Queen Margot, who was the wife of Henry IV. On the way to Satan's ball, the fat man recognizes Margarita and calls her the bright queen, then he mentions the wedding in Paris, which as a result became the bloody St. Bartholomew's Night. Bulgakov also writes about the Parisian publisher Hessar, who in the novel “The Master and Margarita” takes part in St. Bartholomew’s Night. The historical Queen Margarita was a patron of poets and writers. Bulgakov in his book spoke about Margarita’s love for to a brilliant writer To the master.

5. Moscow – Yershalaim



There are many mysteries in the novel, and one of them is the time in which the events of The Master and Margarita take place. It is impossible to find a single date from which it was possible to continue reporting. The actions are attributed to May 1-7, 1929, which occurred Holy Week. In parallel, in the “Pilate Chapters” the actions develop during the week of the 29th or 30th year in Yershalaim, where Holy Week is also described. In the first part of the novel, the actions in these stories develop in parallel; in the second part, they begin to intertwine with each other and then merge into a single story. At this time, history gains integrity and moves into other world. Yershalaim now goes to Moscow.

6. Kabbalistic roots



When studying the novel, experts came to the conclusion that when writing of this work Bulgakov was interested not only in Kabbalistic teachings. In the mouth of Woland one can sometimes hear the concepts of Jewish mysticism.

There is a moment in the book when Woland says that you should never ask for anything, especially from the strong. In his opinion, people themselves will give and offer. These cabalistic teachings prohibit accepting anything unless it is given by the creator. Christian faith also allows you to beg for alms. Hasidim believe that people are created in the image of God and therefore they are supposed to constantly work.

The concept of “light” can also be seen in the work. He accompanies Woland throughout the book. Moonlight disappears only after Satan and his retinue disappear. Light can be interpreted in different ways; for example, there are teachings about it in the Sermon on the Mount. If you look at everything a little differently, it becomes clear that this concept also coincides with the basic idea of ​​Kabbalistic teachings, according to which the Torah is light. The idea of ​​Kabbalah says that the achievement of the “light of life” depends only on a person’s desires, and this completely coincides with the main idea of ​​the novel about a person’s independent choice.

7. The last manuscript



Bulgakov began writing the latest edition of the book, which was eventually released by publishing houses. Until his death, the writer worked on the creation of this work. The novel took 12 years to complete, and yet it turned out to be unfinished. Scientists cannot figure out the reason. They suggest that the author himself felt little knowledgeable about early Christian texts and Jewish demonology, and an amateur in some matters. Bulgakov gave his last vital energy to his last novel. Last modified The novel was the introduction of Margarita's phrase about writers following the coffin. It was February 13, 1940, and a month later Mikhail Afanasyevich passed away. His last words to the novel were the phrase “So that they know, so that they know...”.

Continuing the theme of Elena Chernenko, who was able to convey not only deep images heroes, but also the mysterious atmosphere reigning in Bulgakov’s novel.

Why the actors refused to film at the last moment, and 13 deaths after the premiere.

The director of "Legend No. 17" and "Crew" Nikolai Lebedev will make a film based on the novel by Mikhail Bulgakov. The work has been filmed and staged in the theater more than once, but every time some kind of devilry happens on the set. And all the incidents with the actors who starred in the film are attributed to the action of a “demonic romance.”

"Nothing will work out"

In 2005, the series “The Master and Margarita” directed by Vladimir Bortko was released. He himself has said more than once that there is nothing mystical in the novel. But soon I remembered one story.

A few years ago, when I was preparing for filming, something happened to me at Patriarch’s Ponds. strange case. A man passing by suddenly turned to me: “You won’t succeed anyway!” - and moved on,” the director said in his interviews.

Bortko considers this a pure coincidence. Moreover, he did not listen to the pessimistic “forecast”.

Woland in the Bortko series was given to Oleg Basilashvili to play. Later, viewers will say hundreds of times that this is how they imagined the devil. For the actor himself, this role resulted, as TV Program writes, in the loss of his voice.

Basilashvili was delivering Woland’s monologue when he suddenly wheezed. A few moments later he completely lost his voice. Doctors said he had a hemorrhage on his right vocal cord.

The actor rehearsed the day before, there were no problems with the ligaments. The doctors prescribed him complete rest, injections and complete silence for a while.

Berlioz and surgery

Alexander Adabashyan, who played Mikhail Berlioz, was hospitalized with a heart attack shortly after filming. However, the actor himself did not connect his participation in the series, health problems and mysticism.

Adabashyan joked more than once in an interview about how members of the film crew used the “devilish train” of the work. For example, they said that the evil spirits themselves forced them to drink too much the day before filming.

Koroviev and Azazello

Alexander Filippenko played in two film adaptations of “The Master and Margarita” at once - by Vladimir Bortko and Yuri Kara. In Kara he played Koroviev.

Many years have passed since then. The actor walked with friends through the Patriarch's, showed them the scene of "The Master and Margarita". Filippenko himself says that at that moment he met with Bortko.

You've already played Koroviev. Will you play Azazello for me? - asked Bortko. The actor agreed, considering it a sign of fate.

Refused at the last minute

Woland in the series was supposed to be Oleg Yankovsky. However, at the last moment he refused to film, saying that he did not consider this role to be strong. And then he admitted that, in his opinion, the devil, like God, cannot be played.

Alexander Kalyagin refused the role of Berlioz, Vladimir Mashkov never became a Master. Alexander Pankratov-Cherny refused the role of Varenukha. But Bortko decided not to part with the actor, offering him the option of Stepan Likhodeev as a replacement. That's what we agreed on.

13 deaths in five years

Some call it a terrible coincidence, others call it mysticism, but the fact remains: in the year of the premiere and in the five years after the release of the first episode, 13 actors who participated in the filming died.

Actor Alexander Chaban died at the age of 47. His body was found on October 2, 2005 in his apartment. He played an investigator looking for Woland.

Almost a year later, in September 2006, Pavel Komarov, who played the thief who stole the clothes of the bathing poet Ivan Bezdomny on the pier, died. He was not even 40 years old.

Stanislav Landgraf (critic Latunsky), Kirill Lavrov (Pontius Pilate), Evgeny Merkuryev (accountant), Alexander Abdulov (Korovyov), Andrey Tolubeev (voiced by Aloisy Mogarych), Yuri Oskin (doorman Nikolai), Galina Barkova (fruit seller), Vladislav Galkin (Ivan Bezdomny), Valentina Egorenkova (nurse in the mental hospital), Stanislav Sokolov (secretary of Pontius Pilate), Mikhail Surov (extras). 13 people.

With the death of each actor, rumors about the curse of “The Master and Margarita” were circulated in the press again and again.

A pipe burst

Yuri Kara's film "The Master and Margarita" has been waiting in the wings for 14 years. It was filmed back in 1994, and presented only in 2008 at the film festival of the CIS and Baltic countries "New Cinema. XXI Century". It was released at the box office only in 2011.

Although at press conferences the actors shouted loudly that there was no mysticism, members of the film crew still remembered some episodes.

So, Yuri Kara said that the devilry began literally with the filming of the first scene in the Moscow Hermitage Garden.

They started filming the film in the Hermitage garden from the stage at a variety show, all TV channels gave reports about it. Suddenly Levitin (director of the Hermitage Theater Mikhail Levitin) came to the set and asked to stop filming, RIA Novosti quotes Kara as saying.

It later turned out that a hot heating pipe had burst in the place where the footage was stored. When Levitin was informed about this, he did not believe it at first. And as soon as he put the phone down, a pipe burst in his office.

They even called a priest to the set, who sprinkled holy water on the camera and film crew.

Cameramen refused to film

In total, during the work on Kara’s film, six cameramen changed: they either left or simply disappeared. So, when they were filming ancient Judea in Crimea, it suddenly began to snow, something that had not happened in October for a long time. In addition, for unknown reasons, the cameraman did not come to the shooting. And the film itself, as it turned out, was forgotten in Moscow.

When Kara went to the capital to get film and a cameraman, in front of Bulgakov’s house, already in Moscow, his new Volga broke down. Let us note that after some time a man named Koroviev crashed into his car.

The film was eventually directed by Evgeny Grebnev. He died shortly after filming: at 35, the day before his birthday.

Actors Bronislav Brondukov and Spartak Mishulin (Varenukha and Archibald Archibaldovich), Viktor Pavlov (Behemoth) and Mikhail Ulyanov (Pontius Pilate) and composer Alfred Schnittke also did not live to see the premiere.

Israel and "terrorist filmmakers"

A forgotten film, an accident, some kind of devilry... the film crew decided to move the filming to Israel. Yuri Kara was sure that nothing would happen in the Promised Land.

The film crew wanted to reflect a line from the book "The Darkness Came from Mediterranean Sea, covered the city hated by the procurator." For this, darkness itself was necessary.

By that time computer graphics there weren’t any, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky - how dark it was here. The pyrotechnician agreed to “do” it, but, as the media wrote, for $200 thousand. They found the money, organized the darkness, but then...

15 Israeli combat helicopters descended from the sky. Special forces with machine guns jumped out from there and attacked the film crew. They decided that we were Arab terrorists. Our producers were shocked because everyone had been warned about the filming. By the time we figured it out, the cloud had gone away,” the director later said.

Woland Victor Avilov and clinical death

The famous actor Viktor Avilov, whom many viewers remember from his roles as the Count of Monte Cristo in The Prisoner of Chateau d'If and Mordaunt in The Musketeers 20 Years Later, also played Woland. But in the theater.

On tour in 1995, less than an hour before the start of The Master and Margarita, the actor experienced clinical death: Avilov’s heart stopped twice. However, after this he began to recover, and his health seemed to be returning to normal.

But in the early 2000s, he again began to suffer from ulcers and back pain. Returning from a tour in Israel in June 2004, he decided to get examined. Doctors said he had an inoperable tumor. Foreign doctors refused to treat me over and over again. Last hope they gave it to him in Novosibirsk. The actor lived for two more months, after which he died in Akademgorodok at the age of 51.