Lev Novikov - a famous domestic stylist, cultural figure, whose life was bright, but short. At the same time, almost everyone who worked with him remained a fond memory of him. And these are pop stars, filmmakers, theater directors. Those who knew Novikov personally note that, despite his natural talents, he, unlike many people gifted since childhood, did not stop developing. His skill is constantly gaining new facets.
Stylist biography
Lev Novikov was born in Saratov on February 7, 1958. He studied at the philological faculty of a local university, but quit, taking up drawing and painting. He received his only education in 1983. He became a hairdresser by profession and began to work in a beauty salon located in Moscow on Kotelnicheskaya Embankment.
Throughout his career, he had many famous clients for whom he created more than one memorable image. This is the famous Soviet ballerina Galina Ulanova, film star Diva Nonna Mordyukova and Marina Ladynina, the main director of the musical theater for children Natalia Sats.
On the international stage, Lev Novikov first declared himself publicly in 1985. Then perestroika was already beginning. Therefore, boring bureaucratic uniforms and similar hairstyles were replaced by fashionable outfits and the creation of individual and unique styles. That year, Lev Novikov took part in an Italian show in which he was lucky to work hand in hand with the stars of San Remo.
Since 1986, begins to be abroad. He attends the international television festival of vocals in Poland, creating stage images for Soviet artists.
Theatrical career
Lev Novikov is a stylist whose biography changes in 1988. He begins to seriously get involved in theater. His specialization is the development of makeup for premiere productions. In subsequent years, theatrical performances on which he worked, saw the audience of eleven countries.
The most successful is still considered his makeup, prepared for the play "The Handmaid" based on the play by Jean Genet, who successfully went to the theater "Satyricon". For this project, the hero of our article was awarded a special prize of the international theater festival, held in the capital of Venezuela - Caracas.
Success abroad
During the perestroika, building a career abroad became much easier than Novikov immediately took advantage of. In 1989, he was already an employee of the Italian beauty salon "Larry" in New York, where he serves as a hairstylist.
In the early 90s, he continues to actively cooperate with the theater, both in Russia and on foreign tours. Participates in the staging of the plays "Lady without Camellias", "Lolita" based on the novel by Vladimir Nabokov, another production of the play "The Handmaids", but already by Roman Viktyuk. On Broadway, works as a stylist in the play "M. Butterfly" by D. Juan. In the last production, I had to seriously study the Chinese traditional national make-up so that the actors on stage looked as organically as possible.
Star style creation
The hero of our article became famous for his skill in creating unforgettable images for famous people. The style with which a person looked in a new way, went to new horizons and achievements. In many ways, in the 90s, he decided how many TV presenters would look on domestic television.
It was Novikov in 1992 who created the image of Ivan Demidov, in the future the leading of the popular music program "Muzoboz". The stylist came up with the idea of hiding Demidov's expressionless eyes behind dark glasses, creating a self-confident, cheeky and knowledgeable expert. Now he could reason not only on the topics of show business, but on absolutely any occasion.
In 1993, Novikov worked closely with renowned television journalist Leonid Parfyonov, creating the style of the leading popular project “The Other Day”. As a result, thanks in large part to the hero of our article, Parfyonov will soon be recognized as the most elegant presenter of the year on the domestic screen.
Also among the stars with whom he regularly worked were Marina Neyolova, Julia Rutberg, Lyudmila Maksakova, Irina Metlitskaya. In show business, Zhanna Aguzarova, Sofia Rotaru, Larisa Dolina, Kristina Orbakaite, Valery Leontiev, Irina Ponarovskaya owe a lot to him.
Dozens of images he created in the framework of Miss Russia beauty contests. Novikov personally oversaw them for several years.
Collaboration with fashion houses
It was just the work at beauty contests that moved him to a new stage in his career - cooperation with the popular world Fashion houses. In 1995, even the president of the French Elegance Committee Roger Zeller noted the work of the stylist at a fashion show in Moscow.
However, he does not leave cooperation with theater directors. His makeup is well recognized in the play "Suicide of lovers on the island of air networks." The production was published at the Komissarzhevskaya Theater in the Northern Capital. As a result, she was recognized as the best theatrical work of the year.
Make-up artist Novikov works on the play "Face" based on the work of Ingmar Bergman. The performance is in yet another Petersburg theater - named after Lensovet.
In the late 90s, viewers and critics appreciated his make-up talent in the performance of the Mossovet Theater "Woe from Wit" based on the work of the same name by A. S. Griboedov. The director and performer of the main role in this production is Oleg Menshikov.
How Novikov donkey in Moscow
Novikov came to conquer Moscow when he was only 18 years old. He was a talented, handsome, and punchy young man. Soon he married for the first time. He himself admits that it was a fictitious marriage.
Lev Novikov, whose personal life was not asked right away, married a girl from an intelligent family, with whom he went to hairdresser courses. Moreover, she already had a higher education. So she paid attention to the courses and the hero of our article only for the sake of entertainment. At best, she had maternal feelings for him.
They lived in a communal apartment in the Taganka district, said stylist Lev Novikov. Birthday and other holidays were celebrated with neighbors. In general, the doors did not close. It was their inner protest during the time of stagnation. They contrasted him with sexual licentiousness. The newlyweds then plunged headlong into the abyss of entertainment. Love, short-term novels, a real reckless life …
The hero of our article recalls that at that time he often pretended to be a foreigner. With a craving for fashion and pretentiousness, he did it very well. Therefore, Novikov was allowed everywhere. And even if it was exposed, it was delayed for only a couple of hours. Not more.
Personal tragedy
Novikov soon broke up with his wife. To get settled in Moscow, I constantly had to look for where to spend the night, to have patrons in this life. These patrons usually demanded retribution by the body. Novikov embarked on this path.
And these were not only women, but also men. So soon in the USSR, in which officially there was no sex, and homosexuality was prosecuted by law, it became known that Lev Novikov was gay.
Over time, with a traditional sexual orientation, he finally said goodbye. Apparently, the failed marriage relationship affected. Moreover, the hero of our article did not have a permanent partner. But only random communications. With this development of events, Novikov automatically fell into the risk group of those who could become infected with AIDS. In the end, it happened.
Close friends
In the most difficult period, only his closest friends remained with him. The greatest help was provided by Kristina Orbakaite, Boris Moiseev and Alla Demidova. Everyone else turned away from him. It should be recognized that the stylist Lev Novikov, whose birth date did not even know most of his close friends, was himself a secretive person.
He did not like to ask anyone about someone else's life, but he preferred not to talk about his own. Starting to create an image, he always said that he does not care who this person was before. Indeed, from him - the stylist Lev Novikov, it will depend on what the client will be in the future.
Perhaps his closest friend, Alla Demidova, recalled that Novikov always liked the women who had taken place - who had seen a lot on their way, and had gone through a lot. He noted that one cannot live without compassion. Naked intellect or education does not form a person’s personality. Only after going through certain tests, a person becomes a person.
