Valery Nikolaev, who was released from a mental hospital, named the person who pulled him out of the bottom.

For many years, only sad news appeared in the media about the actor. Some fans have lost hope that he will return to normal. However, fate decreed otherwise.

The name of Valery Nikolaev has been associated with high-profile scandals for many years. More than once, the talented and charismatic actor found himself in situations that could have put an end to his career. 

The bad streak started about 8 years ago. In 2014, his fourth wife was aerial gymnast and circus performer on Tsvetnoy Boulevard Elmira Zemskova. The family had plans for children and a happy future. However, the couple soon began a difficult period. There were rumors that the woman had filed for divorce. The TV star himself commented on this in two ways: he either hinted at his return to his bachelor status, or he denied everything. It was from then on that everything went downhill. 

In 2016, after a drunken accident, Valery was deprived of his license. Then Nikolaev hit a pedestrian, but got off with a light punishment. And immediately after, the actor began to become paranoid - it seemed to him that someone was watching his life. Because of this, he constantly wore dark glasses, changed phones for fear of wiretapping, and drowned out his anxiety with alcohol.

Soon this unhealthy state affected work. Binges, breakdowns and inappropriate behavior led to the fact that no one wanted to film Nikolaev. Emergency measures were needed - and Nikolaev went to a clinic for long-term rehabilitation. 

After some time, fans believed that their favorite actor would return to the screens again, because the past was over. Alas, in 2022 Nikolaev again found himself driving under the influence of drugs.

And even after his arrest, Valery did not calm down. First, he got into a fight with a cellmate, then he scared everyone with animal sounds, and then he even accused law enforcement officers of dousing him with boiling water. No evidence was found on the body, so the rowdy was sent to a psychiatric clinic. 

Having recovered from his illness and a series of failures, the actor returned to normal life. According to him, his mental problems began after the death of his parents, which was simply unbearable to cope with. However, Nikolaev was silent for a long time about who became his savior. 

Only in the program “Life and Fate” with Boris Korchevnikov did he admit that only one person helped him to push off and rise from the bottom for the sake of a bright future - his wife.

“As we all know, hardly anyone can defeat these devils [mental illness and alcohol addiction] fundamentally and forever. But it is possible and necessary to take strict control. I succeed together with Elmira, because it is difficult to overestimate the patience and perseverance with which she helped me in this sense. She managed to find the path that came to my heart, and this completely optimistic perception of the difficulties that existed and the opportunities that still exist was built. This is great, because there is a lot of work now,” Nikolaev said. 

Elmira not only helped her husband find his old self, but also made him even happier. At the end of 2021, the artist gave birth to a son from her husband.

Now Valery is full of strength and creative plans. For example, he is busy filming a documentary about fighters who took part in a special military operation, and is also gradually returning to social life. We recently met him at the 125th anniversary of the Moscow Art Theater. Chekhov in the company of his second wife Irina Apeksimova, with whom they raised their daughter-actress Daria Avratinskaya and have been at loggerheads in recent years.  

• Treatment in a mental hospital changed Nikolaev - he made peace with Apeksimova and looks 10 years younger

Photo: Persona Stars, stills from video