During auditions for the film “Midshipmen, Forward!"(1987) was drafted into military service in the ranks of the Soviet army, and in order to stay on the set, he was enlisted and served in the 11th separate cavalry regiment, in Alabino, Moscow region. On the set of this picture, Zhigunov was seriously injured, as a result of which his role had to be voiced by Oleg Menshikov, since Zhigunov was in the hospital. The director of fencing battles on the "Midshipmen" Vladimir Balon told about this in one of his interviews: "Once I almost took Zhigunov's eye off.