Evgeni Milayev was born on February 22, 1910. Place of birth - Tiflis (present-day Tbilisi). Russian nationality.
Childhood and youth
Childhood and youthful years passed in Rostov-on-Don, where the family moved after some time after his birth. It was in this city that his first steps in life were taken. There, Eugene went to study at school, there for the first time he visited a circus, which later became his life's work. The acquaintance with the circus was initiated by mother Yevgeny Timofeevich, who was a housekeeper in one of the shelters in Rostov-on-Don. She often took her son with her when she attended mass events with orphanages. The boy was delighted with the circus show sparkling and shimmering in all colors. It was then that he had a dream to become a circus artist.
Singer or circus artist …
Eugene is the eldest child in the family. He had two younger brothers and a sister. Father, being a soloist of the choir of railway workers, always dreamed that his eldest son would become a singer, and would achieve great success in this field. Therefore, Eugene from an early age went with his dad to do vocals, and gradually the teachers realized that the boy really has abilities. Eugene became the soloist of the choir, everyone prophesied to him a successful career as a singer. But one day he caught a bad cold and lost his voice. A month later, the vocal cords were restored, but not so much as to sing in full force again. So, by the will of fate, Evgeni Milayev lost the opportunity to build a vocalist career. He was not very upset about this, because it was more likely his father's desire, and not his own. Eugene still dreamed of a circus.
First performances
In his youth, he began to devote a lot of time to sports. Since 1928, Milaev has been attending a sports and circus studio in the Palace of Culture of Railway Workers, in which he subsequently worked in the Acrobatic Study. When the young man, along with his father, began to work at a shoe factory, he became the star of the acrobatic section of the Leatherworkers Club. He had his own group of three acrobats, with whom by the standards of that time they performed the most difficult tricks. Moreover, Evgeni Timofeevich, having a very strong physique, always stood in the bottom row, providing support for the rest.
Together with his partners, Evgeni Milaev participated in 1926 in a review of the best numbers that were created in work clubs. Not really hoping for success, the novice artists were extremely surprised when they received excellent marks from the jury. They were even offered to perform in the circus program, but three friends, believing that they still had insufficient experience, refused.
Having dispersed into different teams, partners temporarily stopped working together. Therefore, Milayev’s debut in the circus arena took place as part of a duet with Peter Mazanov. This happened in 1929. Artists performed the number on the rings. Already being married, Yevgeny Timofeevich “infected” his young wife, who had previously worked as a seamstress, with love for the circus. For the young slender Natalia, a circus also found work.
Success
After some time (about a year), Milayev again meets his former partners Minasov and Ozerov, with whom they subsequently created the 4-ZHAK acrobatic team. The numbers they showed were very bright, so the band became popular. However, it did not exist for too long, namely 4 years. Quarreling with each other, none of the partners wanted to give in, and the team broke up. With the departure of old friends, Eugene did not stop speaking. He recruited new partners with whom he worked together for another five years.
The next stage in the formation of Milaev as an artist was the creation of tricks with perks, which were shown as part of an already new collective from 1935 in many circuses. His wife also participated in his rooms.
Tragedy
Throughout the war, Evgeny Timofeevich Milaev and his group traveled around the country, raising the spirit of fighters in rare moments of calm on the battlefield. When the war ended, the Milaevs decided to abandon their nomadic life and settle in Moscow. They really wanted children, and when in 1947 they found out that Natalya was pregnant, and even twins, they were very happy. But childbirth turned into a tragedy. Mila’s wife, having given birth to a boy and a girl, could not survive herself. She died the next day after giving birth from blood poisoning.
A heartbroken widower gives her newborn son and daughter to her parents in Rostov-on-Don. He named the boy Alexander, and the girl in honor of his dead wife Natalia. To forget, Evgeni Milayev worked day and night. At that time, he performed in a circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard with the already well-known number “Equilibrists on Perks”. Within a short period of time, he, together with a group of five people, prepared a new issue of "Equilibrists on the Stairs", which was a stunning success with the audience. Also Eugene Timofeevich often went to the arena in the role of a clown.
Meeting with Galina Brezhneva
At the time of the meeting with Milayev, the daughter of Leonid Brezhnev was 22 years old, and Eugene himself was already 41. Having come once to the circus performance with her daughter, the powerful father could not imagine that it was there that Galya would meet the only true love of her life. Galina at that time studied in Chisinau as a philologist, but most of the time she devoted not to study, but to numerous parties with friends. Having received an invitation from her father to go to the circus, she agreed. On that very day, Milayev not only participated in his crown performances, but also performed with a clown program. During another joke, he blew up a cracker directly under the ear of Galina, who was sitting on the front row. She cried out loudly, which attracted the attention of the whole hall. But this did not bother her anymore: Gale at first sight liked the attractive and athletically built artist. Eugene also liked a beautiful and chicly dressed girl. Further, their relationship developed at lightning speed. They got married very quickly, and in 1952 they had a daughter, who was named after her grandmother, Victoria.
I must say that Leonid Ilyich was in a very good relationship with his son-in-law. He understood that the explosive character of his daughter could only be tamed by a strong-willed man with iron nerves and a steel character. And Evgeni Milayev, whose biography made a new round after meeting in Galina Brezhneva, turned out to be just that.
Family life
Father’s joy knew no bounds when Galya, with her difficult character for more than 10 years, became an ideal wife, a troublesome housewife and a caring mother for three children. Yes, exactly three, because Evgeny Timofeevich took away from his parents the children from his first marriage, who began to live with his new family. As Alexander and Natalya themselves admit, Galina Brezhneva became for them a wonderful mother, whom they still remember with warmth in their souls. Galina even began to go on tour with her husband. In the circus, she was accepted to the position of costume designer, and, I must say, she honestly performed all her duties, despite the presence of a powerful dad.
But happiness was not destined to last too long. Milaev Evgeny Timofeevich was a prominent man, and even the creative profession always disposed to flirt. He often flirted with young artists, and Galina, like any woman, was very unpleasant. And then one day, seeing her husband flirting with another young lady, she broke loose. There is not a drop left from humility. That Galina Brezhneva, who was before meeting with Milaev: frantic, rebellious, returned again. She made a terrible scandal. However, self-confident Milaev was in no hurry to fall to his knees and ask for forgiveness. This broke the fragile barrier that kept in check the crazy nature of Galina. She filed for divorce and drove off to the resort with a new lover, beginning illusionist Igor Kio. Milaev was in shock, he certainly did not expect such a turn of events. With the help of a father-in-law, the fugitives were found, Eugene even forgave the unfaithful wife, but there was no way to return the former Galina. After parting with Galina Brezhneva, Milayev no longer married.
Career
It should be noted that after marrying Galina Brezhneva, Evgeny Milayev (see photo in the article) became less likely to appear in the arena, often sought leadership positions. So, in 1977, he did not please many members of the Soyuzgoszirc circus director of the Bolshoi Moscow Circus on Vernadsky Avenue. However, no matter what anyone thought, it was Brezhnev’s former son-in-law, no one dared to contradict.
December 20, 1979 Milayev was awarded the title Hero of Socialist Labor. The next step in his career was to be the appointment of the director of the Soyuzgoszirk, but this did not happen. The tragedy that happened with the former father-in-law (despite the divorce, relations between Brezhnev and Milayev remained very warm) did not allow this to happen. During a visit to the Tashkent aviation plant, a beam fell on Brezhnev, he received serious injuries. Health was severely undermined, and soon the Secretary General died. Milaev lost a powerful patron.
