Shabbat on the Herbert Samuel embankment or forced march to holy places.

Many people consider these babies to be children of God. They are completely dependent and defenseless in front of this cruel world. Will grow them with great difficulty, which requires enormous spiritual strength. In our selection, we talk about families who have come to terms with their fate, overstepped the evil intentions of society, rose above prejudice and are confident that their children are the same people as everyone else, only with a different set of chromosomes.

Son of Evelina Bledans and Alexander Semin

On April 1, 2012, Evelina Bledans gave birth to her second son, Semyon. After giving birth, the actress admitted that she knew about the illness of her unborn baby, but despite this, she and her husband, director and producer Alexander Semin wished for the baby to be born.

The doctors asked him to think about it, hinting at an abortion, but Alexander confidently declared that he didn’t want to hear about it.

“We will give birth anyway. Even if you now say that the child has begun to grow wings, nails, a beak and that he is generally a dragon, that means there will be a dragon. Leave us alone. We will give birth."

The birth process took place together with her husband, who tried his best to encourage Evelina. The child was born with an extra chromosome, as well as with two fingers on the left leg fused together. However, the parents in the delivery room were crying not from grief, but from happiness. And they already love him. And love, as you know, is not a test for the weak.

People today are intimidated by prejudices about down children. According to statistics, 85 percent are simply afraid of the additional difficulties of raising a child who is different from everyone else.

And only 15 percent of moms and dads, endowed with the gift of love, hope and faith, take the child, and perform their parental feat every day. Evelina and Alexander deserve great respect and admiration, because they not only accepted their son as God sent him to them, but also constantly prove to people that such children are also happiness.

Most mothers who were at a crossroads are grateful to Evelina and Alexander for an open conversation behind the scenes taboo topic, so painful for parents of sunny children.

Daughter of Lolita Milyavskaya

Lolita Milyavskaya did not give up on her daughter Eva when doctors told the singer that her child was born defective. According to the artist, doctors first said that the girl had Down syndrome, but later changed the diagnosis to autism - an innate psychological isolation. Lolita does not miss the opportunity to praise her daughter in every interview. But at the same time, he does not hide the fact that the child has health problems. Until the age of four, Eva could not speak, and she also had poor eyesight.

In many interviews, Lolita said that her daughter was born at six months old; the singer was then 35 years old. The baby weighed less than one and a half kilograms, and she was nursed for a long time in a pressure chamber.

No wonder they say that mother's love works wonders. Now 16-year-old Eva goes to school and practically keeps up with healthy peers. And her famous mother always supports other mothers raising children with genetic differences.

Daughter of Fyodor and Svetlana Bondarchuk

In 2001, Fyodor Bondarchuk’s wife gave birth to a girl. The baby was born prematurely, and doctors fought for her life for a long time, after which the girl began to have developmental problems. Varya - " sunny child", this is usually the name given to children born with Down syndrome. They live in their own special world and smile much more often than their healthy peers. In the Bondarchuk family, the word “illness” is not uttered - the spouses simply call Varya special.

Disease youngest daughter Barbarians not only did not destroy, but, on the contrary, strengthened the union of Fedor and Svetlana. As a rule, in such a situation, the husband and wife stop communicating very quickly, but, fortunately, this did not happen to them.

Varya mostly lives abroad, where she can get the treatment she needs and a decent education. Svetlana notes that Russia, unfortunately, is not suitable for such “special” children as her daughter.

“Fantastic, funny and much loved child! She instantly wins over all people. It is simply impossible not to love her. She is very bright. Varya, unfortunately, spends a lot of time outside of Russia; It’s easier for her to study there and easier for her to undergo rehabilitation. Why did I talk about this at the time of the adoption of the “Dima Yakovlev Law”? Because I know about this problem firsthand. Fortunately, we have the opportunity to send her to study and treatment,” Bondarchuk said in an interview with the magazine.

The woman is incredibly grateful to her husband Fyodor for the support he provides to her and her daughter. According to Svetlana, the birth of Varvara only brought their couple together.

There is no place for despondency or sadness in Bondarchuk’s life; the woman approaches all problems philosophically: “Yes, we have a child with certain problems, but something terrible can happen to anyone at any moment... No one is immune. Living in suffering and despondency is wrong.”

Daughter of Irina Khakamada

Irina Khakamada, talented business coach, designer, former politician and the head of the interregional social solidarity fund “Our Choice,” which she created in 2006 for people with disabilities of all ages, having become inspired by this topic after the birth of her daughter Maria in 1997, who was diagnosed with Down syndrome.

Irina is not only a strong-willed woman whose fortitude would be the envy of many male leaders, but also an amazing mother. At the age of 42, she decided to have a child. Not only was the baby born special, but also terrible disease overtook her.

In 2004, just when Irina was running for president of the Russian Federation, no one could have thought that she was going through a terrible family tragedy. Doctors diagnosed Mashenka with leukemia. The girl underwent chemotherapy. Fortunately, she overcame this illness. A few years later, Irina decided to show her daughter to people and came with her to the premiere of the blockbuster “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.” This appearance in the world was not easy even for the strong-willed Khakamada. Everyone saw that her daughter suffers from Down syndrome - and they were imbued with deep respect for this courageous and strong woman.

In an interview, Irina says that Masha loves to dance. She has artistic thinking, and here exact sciences It’s difficult for a girl. And everything that concerns the figurative vision of the world, drawing, dancing, singing, she succeeds.

Son of Konstantin Meladze

Producer Konstantin Meladze divorced his wife Yana in 2013 after 19 years life together, the couple has three children together - Alice, Leah and Valery. Konstantin did not immediately find out that his son was suffering rare disease– autism. It’s not easy to get used to this diagnosis, because it’s impossible to fight it. For a long time this information was hidden from the press. However, the mother of the boy Valera said that her son suffers from autism in the first interview after her divorce from Meladze.

“Doctors diagnosed Valera with autism. Treatment of this disease in all countries of the world is very expensive, including Ukraine. No, this is not a sentence, this is an execution, after which you were left to live. This is a serious disease that has no cure yet. It is being adjusted. I'm talking about severe autism. Such children can be taught. I think that parents who are faced with a similar problem are familiar with the feeling of fear, helplessness in the face of grief, and shame. Our society does not accept or recognize “others”. But when the child has his first successes, hope and faith awaken - and then the new point counting down genuine victories and bright pride for your child. And parents don’t need to be ashamed or blame themselves. Don't think that you might have done something wrong. When you understand what responsible mission you are performing in your child’s life, you will realize the value or even pricelessness of your role. And most importantly: autistic disorder must be diagnosed in the first year of a child’s life! The fatal mistake of doctors and parents is to wait up to three years. Children who begin correct correction before they are one year old show amazing results. And in the end, they are not much different from their peers.”

Valera is a completely normal child in appearance. His parents realized he was sick when he was three years old. He looks great, but lives in his own world. He hardly communicates with people, he has no need for it. The child looks like enchanted boy, who looks exactly the same as us.

Son of Anna Netrebko

In 2008, the famous Russian opera diva Anna Netrebko gave birth to her first child, whom she named Thiago. When the boy was three years old, he was diagnosed with autism. This news was like thunder among clear skies for his famous mother.

“I used to explain his silence by the fact that in our house they speak four languages, and it is difficult for the baby to adapt to this. He spoke only when he needed something. We raised the alarm only after noticing that the son did not react when spoken to. Then everything became clear,” she said.

According to the celebrity, in all other respects the child seemed absolutely normal. “Thiago is very neat and self-sufficient,” says the singer. Despite everything, the star does not lose heart and believes that the boy will overcome this terrible disease!

“He is, of course, a computer genius. I don’t have a computer, and I don’t know how to use it. And he already knows how to count and recognize numbers up to 1000 at the age of three. He really loves the zoo, watching penguins swim underwater,” the star mom says proudly.

Now her seven-year-old son is studying at an integrated school in New York. This educational institution Visited not only by sick, but also by completely healthy children. Doctors reassured the opera diva - her child has only light form autism, and if you work with a boy in a special way, deviations in his development will be practically invisible, which means that he will be able to study and communicate normally with other children.

“I'm not afraid to say that my son is autistic. “Alas, many mothers face this problem, and I want them to see from Thiago’s example that this illness is not a death sentence.”

Son of Sergei Belogolovtsev

The children of Sergei Belogolovtsev brought not only a lot happy moments the artist and his wife, but also became a real test for both of them. When their eldest son Nikita was not yet a year old, Sergei Belogolovtsev’s wife Natalya Barannik became pregnant again.

Sergei's wife had a very difficult time with her second pregnancy, and her birth occurred prematurely - Sergei Belogolovtsev's two youngest children were born at seven months.

But the problem was not only this, the fact is that one of the children was born very weak - doctors diagnosed him with four heart defects at once. The boys were named Sasha and Evgeny. When little Zhenya was nine months old and could be operated on, the parents hoped until the very end for a good outcome from the operation, which was successful, but difficulties began later.

The child’s heart was working very weakly, and Zhenya went into a coma and lay there for two whole months. During this period he experienced clinical death, due to which the baby developed cerebral palsy.

The eldest of the twins, Sasha, developed normally, but the younger, Zhenya, was far behind - he learned to talk only at the age of six. The child was on the verge of death until he was eight years old, and all this time his parents did not leave him around the clock, replacing each other.

After several years of terrible torment, they began to have hope and joy - the treatment of their sick son began to bring results. Today, the children of Sergei Belogolovtsev, and especially Evgeniy, are a great pride for their parents. He successfully graduated from a school for gifted children and entered the Institute theatrical arts, advertising and show business. Nikita graduated from the Faculty of International Journalism at MGIMO, works as a presenter on the Rossiya 2 and TV Center TV channels, and is a sports producer and political commentator on the Dozhd TV channel. Alexander Belogolovtsev - MGIMO student, presenter of the Karusel TV channel, executive producer TV company "MB-group".

And last year Zhenya became a TV presenter, despite a serious illness. The proud father shared this news on his social network page on March 17, 2014: “Zhenya Belogolovtsev recorded pilot broadcasts as the host of a section in the “DIFFERENT NEWS” program on the wonderful RazTV channel.”

“A week ago, my parents told me that I could become a TV presenter,” says 25-year-old Belogolovtsev Jr. - We dream that I would work in my specialty, because after graduation theater institute I'm probably the first professional actor with a diagnosis of cerebral palsy. I want guys like me to believe in themselves.”

Grandson of Boris Yeltsin

A child suffering from Down syndrome is growing up in the family of the first president Russian Federation- Boris Yeltsin. The boy was born in 1995 in the second marriage of his daughter Tatyana Yumasheva. The family hid the illness of the boy, who was named Gleb, for a long time. Even in family photographs it was impossible to see his face.

However, the day came when Tatyana broke the silence and told the whole truth on her microblog. The woman informed the press that Gleb was studying at a specialized school. Tutors come to his home. The boy loves swimming and chess.

“He remembers hundreds of classical musical works– Bach, Mozart, Beethoven... The chess coach is amazed at how extraordinary he thinks. Glebushka also swims amazingly in all styles, writes Tatyana. - It is believed that Down syndrome is a disease. But, in my opinion, children with Down syndrome are simply different. They are concerned about what we easily pass by without noticing.”

Tatyana Yumasheva, general director of the Boris Yeltsin Foundation, financed the creation of some educational methods for children with diabetes. And he is proud of his son, who is said to resemble Harry Potter in many ways.

Son of actress Iya Savvina

The only heir of Iya Savvina, son Sergei, was once awarded personal exhibition. And this was an incredible achievement for him. After all, the boy was born with the terrible diagnosis of Down syndrome, which in our country sounds like a death sentence.

Still its unusual, talented paintings destroyed stereotypes of perception of people suffering from Down syndrome. Despite his serious illness, Sergei received good home education: studied English language, plays the piano excellently, knows poetry and painting well. And he picked up a brush and paints as an adult.

Savvina learned about the diagnosis of her long-awaited son while still in the maternity hospital. She was offered to place the sick child in a special boarding school. But she categorically refused. Savvina accepted her boy, who was unlike others, as he was given to her from above. I studied with him, developed his abilities in every possible way, and hired teachers. What takes other children months to master, he took years to master. But the results later surprised prominent doctors. And those of them who once assured her of the uselessness of such activities admitted their mistake.

Iya managed to care for her son, act in films and theater, creating unforgettable images of selfless women.

Today Sergei Shestakov is 56. Although, in fact, he remains so big kid, however, amazes everyone with his many talents. Plays the piano and recites poetry. Well, he draws, of course. But he still can’t understand that his beloved mother will never look at him with pride and love: actress Iya Savvina passed away on August 27, 2011...

Sylvester Stallone's son

The statistics in the West are relentless: autism affects one in 88 children, Down syndrome affects every 700. Many star families faced developmental disorders using the example of their own children, but did not give up and, moreover, made a huge contribution to the research of these complex diseases.

Sergio, Sylvester Stallone's youngest son, was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. For the actor, this news was a real blow.

Little Sergio had difficulty adapting to the world around him: he could not establish contact even with his loved ones, not to mention the rest of those around him. The bitter irony is that as a child, Stallone himself was almost classified as autistic, but he turned out to be healthy. Sergio did not cause serious concern - and turned out to be ill.

In the first moments, he and Sasha were depressed, devastated and confused. But then the understanding returned that action is always better than inaction, and parents - best traditions Rocky - decided to fight.

“I understood that Sly would not be able to pay enough attention to this because of his work. And then I told him: provide me with the means, and I will take care of everything,” says Sasha Zak.

And so it happened: Stallone worked with such dedication as never before, and his wife devoted herself to fighting for her son. With Stallone's money, Sasha achieved the creation and opening of a research fund on autism.

However, very soon life made it clear that the seemingly ideal combination of talent, experience and desire to work does not always guarantee a successful result.

During the filming of the fourth "Rocky" the actor suffered a heart attack. Straight from film set he was taken to the hospital, where he spent several weeks.

Stallone's grueling, literally exhausting work and the no less difficult struggle waged by Sasha Zak separated the spouses. different worlds. The ten-year marriage, which had already experienced one breakup, had exhausted itself: Sylvester and Sasha talked about everything and signed divorce papers.

Sergio Stallone is now 35 years old. He is not public figure, does not maintain contact with journalists, does not attend social events, but lives calmly and quietly. His father helps him with medical care and visits him regularly. After Sylvester’s eldest son, Sage, died of a heart attack in 2012, the actor treats Sergio even more reverently.

“Yes, the son is always in his own world,” says Stallone, “and never leaves it. I have enough money, but for so many years now I have not been able to help him with anything. Nevertheless, the thought of abandoning my son never even occurred to me - even in my youth, when I was so busy with my career.”

Jenny McCarthy's son

In September 1999, Jenny married actor and director John Asher. In May 2002, she gave birth to her son, Evan. Everything seemed to be going great in her life. And suddenly, in August 2005, McCarthy and Usher divorced. The press gossiped about the mutual infidelities of the spouses, that Jenny preferred to share a bed with women.

It turned out that she little son suffers from autism. John did not have the patience or strength to raise a sick child. Doctors said it doesn't exist effective methods treatments for autism, but Jenny refused to believe them.

The cheerful, bright blonde never hid her son Evan's diagnosis. Jenny did not panic or despair, preferring to remain optimistic even in such a difficult time for her.

Having learned about her son’s diagnosis, the star, gathering all her will into a fist, began to fight her child’s terrible illness. McCarthy gave all her energy and time to Evan. And mother's love won! The boy's condition began to improve.

“Evan couldn't speak, wasn't able to make eye contact, was antisocial. And now he's making friends! It was amazing to see how certain types of therapy were successful for some children but failed completely for others.”

McCarthy works with Evan a lot, and as a result he attends his regular secondary school. In order to help other parents of children diagnosed with autism, she founded the charity Generation Rescue. In addition, the actress published the book Louder Than Words, in which she talked about how she managed to cure her son.

Dan Marino's son

American football player Dan Marino and his wife opened a center for children with autism spectrum disorders at a Miami hospital.

Their son Michael was diagnosed at age two. Like other parents, Dan and his wife took the boy to the doctor after noticing abnormalities and developmental delays. Michael is now 27 years old. Thanks to the successful implementation of intensive care in early age Currently, the young man lives an almost full life.

Toni Braxton's son

In October 2006 American singer Toni Braxton burst into tears at a concert at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, talking from the stage about how she younger son Diesel has autism, and also stated that if the diagnosis had been made earlier, the boy could have received much more help.

“Early diagnosis makes a life-changing difference... As a mother, I knew something was wrong with my baby even when he was about 9 months old. By the time he was a year and a half old, I said, “He's not developing like his big brother,” Tony recalls.

Currently, the artist actively funds research in the field of autism and is a representative of the organization Autism Speaks. And we can only be happy for 12-year-old Diesel: the boy was included in common system education, and now he goes to school with ordinary children.

There are battles that can neither be won nor finished; you have to fight constantly, day after day. They exhaust everyone equally: and ordinary person, and a Hollywood star. But even in these global battles, small but very important victories occur.

Olga Bekhtolt

Mother of four children, supermodel Natalia Vodianova knows firsthand about society’s attitude towards the disabled and people with special needs. Among the thousands of families where children with Down syndrome, autism, and cerebral palsy were born, there are also famous mothers and fathers.

, actress

One of the few star moms Evelina Bledans, who first challenged doctors who advised not to abandon the child, and then a society that had not yet learned to accept people with genomic pathologies, disorders and developmental disorders. Her son is already three years old - and he is a full-fledged member of society. Evelina and her producer husband Alexander Semin are convinced that their son should receive everything that children without special needs receive. The Bledans family inspires confidence and strength to thousands of mothers like her.

Sergei Belogolovtsev, actor

Another well-known father of a child with special needs in show business is actor Sergei Belogolovtsev (“Duhless”, “My Fair Nanny”).

He and his wife Natalya are raising three sons, the youngest of whom was born with cerebral palsy. 26-year-old Evgeniy Belogolovtsev did the almost impossible among people with developmental disabilities - he became a TV presenter (the “Miscellaneous News” program). Despite the fact that the TV project has already been completed, Zhenya does not despair and is ready to look for himself further. By the way, he is a professional actor.

, singer

Fyodor Bondarchuk, actor, director

A child with the same characteristics was born into the family famous director Fedor Bondarchuk. His eldest son Sergei has younger sister Varvara with cerebral palsy. Fedor and his wife are engaged in the social adaptation of the child in to a greater extent abroad. The girl's mother, the director's wife, actress Svetlana Bondarchuk, in an interview SNC magazine explained their decision by the fact that life in Russia “is completely unsuitable for people with disabilities"Today Varvara is 16 years old.

The daughter of singer Lolita from her marriage to showman Alexander Tsekalo is 14 years old today. Eva was born at five months old, and some time later the child was diagnosed with autism. Despite the doctors' persuasion, the singer did not give up on her daughter. Milyavskaya sincerely considers Eva ordinary. The girl speaks fluent English, swims well, reads poetry and goes to fashion shows with her mother.

, producer

Producer Konstantin Meladze and his already ex-wife Yan is raising three children: two daughters Alisa and Leah, 15 and 11 years old, respectively, and a 10-year-old son, Valery. Youngest child born with autism.

Here's what the boy's mother said about her son's diagnosis in an interview with KP:

“This is not a sentence, this is an execution, after which you were left to live. This is a serious disease that has no cure yet. It is being corrected. I am talking about a severe form of autism. Such children can be taught. I think that parents who are faced with a similar problem, familiar feeling of fear, helplessness in the face of grief, shame. Our society does not accept or recognize “others.” But when a child has his first successes, hope and faith awaken - and then a new starting point of genuine victories and bright pride for your child begins.

And parents don’t need to be ashamed or blame themselves. Don't think that you might have done something wrong. When you understand what important mission you are fulfilling in your child’s life, you will realize the value or even pricelessness of yours. And most importantly: autistic disorder must be diagnosed in the first year of a child’s life! The fatal mistake of doctors and parents is to wait up to three years. Children who begin correct correction before they are one year old show amazing results. And in the end, they are not much different from their peers.”

// Photo: Frame from the program “Alone with Everyone”

The famous artist and showman Sergei Belogolovtsev and his wife Natalya have three children. The youngest child was born with a terrible diagnosis - cerebral palsy. In Yulia Menshova’s program “Alone with Everyone,” he said that for the first time after the birth of the boy Zhenya, he and his wife tried not to tell others about their son’s problem.

“To be honest, we also hid it at first and for quite a long time. And Natasha didn’t take him to the shoot. Now I understand that there was such a sin that we were also embarrassed, and we also thought that we were somehow inferior, and somehow we were wrong, that we had such a child,” Belogolovtsev shared in a conversation with Menshova.

But Sergey and Natalya very quickly realized that they were doing the wrong thing towards their child. Belogolovtsev decided to reconsider his views on the boy’s illness. He realized that there was no need to hide the problem. Moreover, it is necessary to talk about this as often as possible.

“Then at some point we just said to ourselves: “This is disgusting, this is wrong, this is harmful for us, and for him, and for those other children who are the same, and for families. We need to talk about this, shout about it, and we need to help. No need to say: that’s it, life is over! Because you have no idea what an incredible mass of creepy scary questions arises in the minds of parents,” recalls the TV presenter and showman.

Belogolovtsev for a long time could not understand why his family had to endure such a test.

"For what? Why is this for me, why is this for him, after all, he didn’t have time to sin, he just appeared, why is this punishment? The most important thing is to stop asking yourself this at some point, otherwise you can go crazy,” said the showman.

Sergei admitted to Yulia that he only recently stopped asking this question. Now the showman is proud of Evgeniy, because now his heir is hosting a program on television, despite his diagnosis.

“We dream that I would work in my specialty - after all, after graduating from the theater institute, I am probably the first professional actor diagnosed with cerebral palsy,” Belogolovtsev’s son told StarHit about his work. - I want guys like me to believe in themselves! At first I was confused, before that I had only filmed with my dad in the O.S.P. studio, as a spectator. But when I arrived at the studio and talked with the channel’s management, I decided to take a risk and agreed. We rehearsed with my dad for three days, he helped me learn the text. Then my father went and bought me a suit for filming; I should look like Larry King: bow tie and pants with suspenders. Dad spent the whole day running around Moscow for these braces.”

(“Touch with hands”). In the center there is the theater "Na Lyagaat" - the only theater in the world with a troupe of deaf-blind actors, as well as the "Kapish" cafe with deaf service personnel and the BlackOut restaurant with blind waiters, where visitors eat in pitch darkness. Today, the center employs over 70 people, the vast majority of whom are deaf, blind or deaf-blind people.

There are 11 actors in the theater troupe - almost all of them are deaf-blind, most as a result of a genetic disease called Usher syndrome, in which a child is born deaf and gradually loses sight over the years. Such people can only communicate one-on-one, using tactile sign language. When they are in a group, communication without translators becomes impossible. However, for six years now this troupe has been performing performances that draw full houses not only in Israel, but also on tour abroad.

Five of the 11 members of the troupe come from former USSR. Translators work closely with the actors - some of them are professionals, others came to the theater as part of their voluntary service in the army.

The founder of the Na Lyagaat center, actress and director Adina Tal, says: “People come to our performances for the sake of art, and not to feel better and kinder. At first, the few spectators thought that they were doing us a big favor by buying tickets to the performance. Many people have asked me if the cost of the ticket will be taken into account when paying taxes. And then they even got angry, realizing during the performance that they were not the givers, but the recipients of the gift from blind and deaf people.”

Adina Tal herself was surprised to find herself involved in working with the deaf and blind. She says that she was only interested in theater, not social work or helping the disabled. In the late 90s, she was asked to teach classes at a club for deaf-blind people. “I refused for a long time, but then I realized that I had already made a career and raised children. I got bored... And I decided to work with people with disabilities,” says Tal.

“I came to the club. They gave me a glass of coffee. I put it on the floor, and someone immediately stepped on it. They also say that blind people are perfectly oriented in space. We sat in a circle, held hands, tried to knock our feet and somehow explain ourselves, but I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. After three months of this torment, one of the group members, Yuri Oshorov, said that he wanted to participate in Gorky's production. I said: “You don’t hear, you don’t see and you don’t talk. How will you play Gorky on stage? "It's your problem. “You are a director,” Yuri answered.”

Adina did not take on Gorky, but wrote a play called “The Light Is Heard in a Zigzag” - a play about people who do not see or hear, but which can touch any person, because, according to Adina, “in each of us there is some kind of that imperfection, and these people help us feel and understand it more acutely.”

“Gorky, Shakespeare and Chekhov can be played by others, and played better. And we must do what no one else can do. Each of our actors is unique, if only because he does not have the opportunity to imitate others and try to be like someone else,” she says.

The unexpected success of the production led to the fact that “Na Lyagaat” had its own home in Jaffa, and Adina Tal began rehearsals for the theater’s second production, the play “Not by Bread Alone.”

While the audience enters the hall and takes their seats, the actors are already kneading the dough on stage. This is not a metaphor. During the performance, very tasty bread is baked on stage, the aroma of which, at the end of the performance, overcomes all the smells in the hall, and the audience inevitably tunes in to the wave of the actors, who have a particularly developed sense of smell. And at the end of the performance, the audience is invited onto the stage to taste the bread and chat with the troupe - with the help of translators or simply by shaking the actors’ hands.

The performance “Not by Bread Alone” lasts exactly as long as the bread is baked. The actors tell the audience their story, share their dreams and experiences. And it turns out that their dreams and aspirations are not much different from the desires of the motley audience.

There are usually many teenagers in the audience. Tenth graders from the Ironi Gimel school in Haifa, Yoni, Dana, Carolina, Diana, Amit and their friends came to the performance on the recommendation of their class teacher. Having refreshed themselves with bread on stage, the schoolchildren leave the hall in delight. “They are deaf-blind! And they can do anything!” - they shout in response to the question of whether they liked the performance.

One of the troupe’s actors, blind and deaf Yuri Tvardovsky, who came to Israel 15 years ago from Ukraine and lives with his elderly mother in Tel Aviv, explains with the help of a translator: “My dream is to play on stage for many more years. Both in this performance and in new ones. This is my life. I don’t just live a full life, I help others live.”

When asked what the relationships within the troupe look like, Adina Tal says: “Oddly enough, this is an ordinary theater troupe, which is not without intrigue, romance and star fever.”

During the six years of the theater's existence, about 800 thousand people visited it.

The theater tours a lot. The troupe has already performed in the USA, Canada, Switzerland, Great Britain and South Korea, and in February the play “Not by Bread Alone” will open the Perth festival - the largest theater festival Australia. And this is the only performance that is advertised on the festival website under the heading Selling Fast (“tickets are selling out quickly”).

"Despite this creative success, we have to constantly fight for existence. 55% of the theater budget comes from ticket sales, restaurant and cafe sales. The theater receives another 15% from the state, and the rest is collected by the theater management from various funds. Israeli Consul General to the United States Ido Aharoni, having attended the performance, said that there is no better explanatory work in favor of Israel than our theater. Na Lyagaat does not fall under the definition of a community theater because it pays its actors salaries. But it also does not fall under the definition of a repertory theater, since it does not produce 4 performances a year (in “Na Lyagaat” only one production takes 4 years),” explains Adina.

Recently another troupe consisting of Jews and Arabs appeared in the theater. Adina Tal is rehearsing a play with them called “Is Anyone Here?!”

“My dream is to open a branch of the theater in Ramallah. Unfortunately, this will not be easy, since the Palestinian authorities do not yet want to cooperate with the Israelis,” admits Adina.

On the website of the Na Lyagaat center it is written: “A visit to our center will make you feel, think and live differently...”

Material prepared by Alla Gavrilova

The arrest of those suspected of bringing hard of hearing people into Israel, who were forced to collect alms, has been extended. It turned out that two of the suspects were also deaf. The police note that this is a particularly complex investigation, but are in a hurry to name the detainees.

The magistrate's court in Rishon Lezion extended the arrest of six suspects in bringing deaf and mute people from Ukraine to Israel, who were forced to collect alms. Three suspects will remain in custody for a week, and three more for three days.

One of the detainees, a resident of Netanya, is suspected of forced labor, unjustified imprisonment, assault, withholding of a foreign passport, and human trafficking. Police claim he was " one of the leaders of the group and instilled fear in the people who worked with him and in his competitors" Moreover, the man himself is deaf, as is his accomplice from Ashkelon, suspected of similar crimes. Among the detainees there are two fathers and their two sons, as well as one citizen of Ukraine.

The police said that " This is a particularly complex investigation due to the fact that we're talking about about deaf and mute people». « Most of The victims are deaf and mute people who speak Russian. Our ability to invite interpreters who speak Russian Sign Language is limited. In addition, an interrogation in Hebrew sign language is more complex and lengthy than a regular interrogation.", the statement notes.

The investigation into this case began with a joint action by inspectors from the Office of Population and Migration Affairs and employees of the Ministry of Internal Security and under the leadership of the police. During the secret investigation, it turned out that the persons involved in this case brought into the country and illegally employed deaf and mute people from of Eastern Europe, mainly from Ukraine. They arrived in Israel on tourist visas that had already expired.

The apartment in which the beggars were kept was discovered two weeks ago by inspectors from the Office of Population and Migration Affairs, who initially thought they were illegal workers. As the IzRus portal reported, the police released 10 Ukrainian citizens who were kept locked up in the Netanya area and subjected to violence. All discovered victims were transferred to a special hostel for victims of human trafficking.

According to the undercover investigation, the victims worked as beggars, begging for alms through notes describing their disabilities and handing out dolls. They were begging in various parts Israel, mainly in places of entertainment. At the end of the day, these people were required to share their proceeds with the suspects. At the same time, disabled people were subjected to blackmail and threats. There is also a suspicion that one of the victims was sexually assaulted.

Advocate Gil Gabay, a public defender for one of the suspects, stated: “ The suspect is a hard-of-hearing man who makes his living by begging. He denies all suspicions against him. It is already clear at this stage that allegations of human trafficking go too far" Let us note that the police hastened to publish some of the names of the suspects even before filing any charges.