Nikita Kasyanenko: “The most important thing in life is not to lose perspective”

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Nikita Kasyanenko Nikita, please tell us how you got the role of young Vyacheslav Tretyakov. What was your first reaction when you found out that you would be playing young Dmitry Nagiyev again?

Of course, I had to audition—you can't get anywhere without them. But, let's say, I had a slight advantage, since I had already played the young Nagiyev once before in the series “Akterishche.” What was the reaction? I laughed for a long time.

In the series, your character goes through a difficult journey — from rejection by his father to great fame. How close was this conflict to you?

In my opinion, a person consists of different and very contradictory personalities. Base desires go hand in hand with good intentions. It seems to me that creative professions, especially acting, are always about moral and ethical choices. My character in the series crosses that line. It was interesting to try it out.

My movie father, played by actor Alexander Baluyev, says after my character's despicable act: “Son, choose for yourself who you want to be — a good person or a good artist.”

True strength is not about always being on top, but about the ability to keep perspective, even when things don't go according to plan. Nikita Kasyanenko believes that the main thing is to see beyond today, to believe that every step, even an unsuccessful one, leads to something greater. And as long as you remember why you are going, the path remains meaningful.

What moment during filming do you remember most? Perhaps a scene that was particularly difficult or emotionally charged?

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Aishwarya Rai

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Enrolling in theater school is like gladiatorial combat. Especially here in St. Petersburg on Mokhovaya Street. There is a lot to tell, but I remember the most vivid moment. The last round, forty students left. The assistant comes out and takes out the list of applicants. Instead of just posting the list, she reads it aloud. In an instant, great sorrow and happiness coexist in one place. When they suddenly reach the letter “K” and my surname, “Kasyanenko,” sounds almost military-like, everything around me goes dark. It's not joy. It's a vacuum of shock. You climb the marble stairs, the graduates applaud you, and at the top stands the master of the course, like Zeus on Olympus. Life is divided into “before” and “after.” It was a great time.

In addition to Aktershcha, your filmography includes other interesting projects, such as the historical fantasy The Others and the detective drama Stranger. Which genre do you feel more comfortable working in and why?

I wouldn't single out a specific genre; it's more about the acting experience. As an actor, I always find it more interesting to be in a feature film than a documentary. By documentary, I mean dry, simple, unemotional in terms of both the story and the acting. For example, you are a detective. The main role. And you play it like this:

• Good afternoon.

• Did anyone see the attacker?

• Where did he run off to?

• We will call you.

That's a wrap. Let's move on.

There are characters where you can fool around, come up with ideas, and make suggestions. For example, the series Chistye. Working with Nikolai Khomeriki was a pleasure. It's about the director's trust in the actors. Nikolai gave me free rein, and I let myself go. During the entire filming period, I heard only one comment from him: “Nikita, add 150 grams of cognac to your performance. No more.” Everything genius is simple.

Nikita Kasyanenko

Where else will viewers see you in the near future?

Right now, I'm playing the lead role in a historical series. My character's name is Darius Potjus, he's a sniper. It's a role in the resistance. I say very little, and what I do say, I say with a Lithuanian accent. According to the script, my only true friend is my dog Ruta. By the way, her real name is Trisha, and she seems to be filming more than all of us put together. Sometimes she manages to be on three projects in one day! She's a real star. Jealousy and envy (laughs).

I also do a lot of directing. I invest almost all of my earnings in film. Over the past three years, I've shot a trilogy of mockumentary films called Samizdat on a VHS camera and a documentary called Dacha Kult. In March, I will be shooting a teaser for a feature film. The material is very cool, but I can't say more yet.

You are from St. Petersburg. Do you have a favorite story connected with the city? What are your favorite places in the northern capital?

St. Petersburg is a cruel joke. As they say nowadays, it's a toxic relationship. From November to April, it's pure madness, torture, torment. Petersburgers should be sent to a warm resort in winter, like in the movie “Shirley Myrtle.” And the toxicity lies in the fact that, lying on the sand somewhere on the shores of the Persian Gulf, you think about your beloved swamp. I want to go home. A cream bun from F. Volchek's bakery, a runny nose, and boots in reagent. I love it madly and hate it passionately. Petrograd. Leningrad. Petersburg. Sankt-Leningburg. Sankt-Petergrad.

In addition to acting, I have been painting graffiti for over 15 years. And every time I go out to paint, my work clothes get covered in paint. So one day, a friend and I went to paint on Telozhnaya Street. There are abandoned houses there. We arrived at the location, changed into our work clothes, and went to the wall. And there were some very strange “movements” going on there. There was a Gazelle van, and people who looked very much like zombies were walking around it. I thought maybe they were shooting a movie. But it turned out to be social services feeding the homeless oatmeal. How could we paint there? We stand there with our paint bags, hesitating. One of the homeless people sees us and approaches us with a very kind and gentle phrase: “Guys, why are you standing there shyly? Come and eat some porridge.” He took us for his own.

Nikita Kasyanenko

What are your favorite places in the northern capital?

Kanonersky Island, the Red Triangle, Mytninsky Baths, the Mayak café, Tavrichesky Park, and Leni Golikov Street—my father's house.

You have your own underwear brand—a completely unexpected direction! How did this idea come about?

It all started with graffiti. For many years, I just drew and did it for my soul. But suddenly I was invited to design the set for a play at the Maly Drama Theater. Wow! And now my name is on the stage of one of the coolest theaters in St. Petersburg. I did the set design for two plays, Romeo and Juliet in the Mist and Be Healthy, Schoolboy. I had the idea to develop my name further. And I immediately thought about branding. But what to do? Hoodies, shopping bags, T-shirts? There's plenty of that stuff around. I racked my brains, thinking, searching for what it could be. And then one day, my brother said at lunch, “I've lived to be thirty, and I've never had a good pair of underpants.” And that's how it all started!

What is it like to develop your own brand in an era of fierce competition? What were the main challenges you faced?

It's very difficult. Legal issues are especially complicated. We'd like to focus on creativity, but paperwork always brings you back down to earth.

As for competition, it's more about the giants that occupy almost the entire market. Why fight when you can collaborate? Our beautiful “debutant” lingerie is now sold at Zolotoe Yabloko. And everyone is happy.

Which of your Russian or foreign colleagues would you like to collaborate with?

I like the THAMES MMXX brand. Classic + street — a chic combination. Here, let them be. They're cool guys. The main thing is to stay in the premium goods segment. You pick it up, you feel the thing.

Do you have an idol/role model among designers or a brand that inspires you?

Massimo Osti. Creator of the Stone Island brand. Just as I fell in love with that compass rose on the left shoulder during my rebellious childhood, it still hasn't let go of me. And now, after each film project, I am faced with a specific question. Should I shoot my film for a fee, develop the brand, start learning another foreign language, or buy myself a stunning, expensive Stone Island raincoat, give everything else the finger, and go walk around my native swamp to the song “Sunny Days” by Vitya Tsoi from the album “45”?

Nikita Kasyanenko

The acting profession is often associated with transformation. Does this affect your personal style? For example, does your wardrobe change depending on your roles?

Being an actor means you have to take an extra suitcase with you. You're going to a premiere in Moscow, and in your suitcase you have a silk shirt, a jacket, and cowboy boots, but you're wearing a torn vest and old sneakers. It's just that I love vests, and I wear jackets for work. As for roles, they are projected onto my personal life rather than my wardrobe.

Nikita Kasyanenko's story and words remind us of a simple but important thing: the future is created today. It doesn't matter what difficulties you are facing right now — financial, creative, or personal. What matters is where you are looking.

“Keeping perspective” is not just thinking about tomorrow. It is the ability to see the path, not just the destination. It is the belief that small steps, even through failures, lead to a big goal.

This idea is universal. It will be useful for entrepreneurs, students, and anyone else going through a period of uncertainty. When it seems like everything has come to a standstill, ask yourself: what next? What is the smallest step I can take?

Ultimately, perspective is our main resource. It turns problems into tasks and dead ends into turning points. Keep it in focus, and you will always find something to move forward for.