How a military doctor became the most famous traveler in the USSR: Another fate of Yuri Senkevich

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

For thirty years viewers gathered every Sunday in front of television screens to make another fascinating journey together with Yuri Senkevich, host of the "Travelers' Club". He himself never dreamed of fame, but was engaged in serious research, was a military doctor and even planned to fly into space. But he had a completely different fate.

Doctor, scientist, failed astronaut

He was born in Mongolia, where the parents of the future traveler served as military doctors. After the family returned to their homeland, Yuri studied at an ordinary Leningrad school, was preparing to become a military doctor, and wanted to follow in the footsteps of his parents. He also studied English diligently.

One winter Anna Kupriyanovna, Yuri Senkevich's mother, literally in her arms brought an elderly and very thin woman into the room, who had fainted from hunger on the street. For two months Anna Kupriyanovna nursed a stranger. And she, barely recovering, began to study English with the boy in gratitude. Later, when she moved to her own room, Yuri Senkevich went to study with her, and at the time of receiving the certificate of maturity, he was already fluent in English.

A graduate of the Military Medical Academy, Yuri Senkevich worked for two years as a chief medical officer in a military unit, and then was transferred to the Scientific Institute of Aviation and Space Medicine, where he was recommended as a promising young scientist. Later, the entire department where the future TV presenter worked was transferred to the subordination of the Institute of Medical and Biological Problems. The immediate head of the department was Boris Borisovich Egorov, the first doctor to visit space.

Yuri Alexandrovich himself had to visit space as a medical researcher in an experimental program. Unfortunately or fortunately, this project was never realized. If that space flight had happened, it is quite possible that Yuri Senkevich would never have become a traveler and presenter.

A lifelong journey

Even while preparing for the flight, the young scientist had a chance to spend almost a year in Antarctica as part of an experiment to study a person's ability to survive in harsh extreme conditions. In Antarctica, in addition to his main work, Yuri Senkevich kept a travel diary for the Druzhba Narodov magazine.

When Yuri Senkevich returned from Antarctica, Boris Egorov recommended a colleague to participate in the international expedition of the famous Norwegian traveler Thor Heyerdahl. The latter, inviting the USSR to take part in a unique expedition, where travelers had to go from Africa to South America on a papyrus ship, created according to the type of ancient Egyptian ships, set a condition: the candidate must be a doctor, fluent in English, have experience of expeditions, and also have sense of humor.

During the maiden voyage on the "Ra", Yuri Senkevich and Thor Heyerdahl became friends and kept their friendship for life. The first expedition almost ended tragically: due to design flaws, the Ra vessel almost sank, but the second one, on Ra-2, was very successful. Later, Yuri Senkevich took part in another expedition: on the "Tigris" across the Indian Ocean.

Already after the first trip, Yuri Senkevich became a frequent guest at the "Film Travel Club", which was hosted at that time by Vladimir Shneiderov. After the first participation of Yuri Alexandrovich in the program, the editorial board was simply inundated with requests to invite him more often. And at the entrance of the house where the traveler lived, fans settled for a long time. According to the recollections of Yuri Senkevich's second wife, they were all extremely nice and even offered their help with the housework.

When Vladimir Shneiderov passed away, Vladimir Ukhin, the well-known uncle Volodya from "Good night, kids", suggested trying Yuri Senkevich as the host of a popular program. For a long time Senkevich combined work on television and at IBMP, later he still gave preference to the "Film Travel Club".

For 30 years, he appeared on blue screens every Sunday, with the exception of the days when he went on expeditions. He talked about different countries and about his travels, talked with famous travelers and for many viewers became a real "window to the world."

Happiness is a sense of perspective

Yuri Senkevich often said: "Happiness is a sense of perspective!" And he always knew how to see prospects: at work, traveling, in his family. For the first time, Yuri Senkevich married Irma Pomchalova, a dancer of the legendary Birch ensemble, quite early on. Already in 1962, the couple had a daughter, Daria, who later became a completely successful cardiologist.

Due to the constant touring of his wife and the rather difficult work of her husband, the marriage broke up, having existed for five years. Then Yuri Senkevich decided that he did not need to get married at all, but once on the cover of a magazine brought by a colleague, he saw a photo of Ksenia Mikhailova. Her sister worked with Yuri Senkevich, and the TV presenter actually fell in love at first sight. He was handsome, charming and courted so well that it was impossible to resist him. With Ksenia, the TV presenter lived for almost 30 years, adopted Nikolai, the son of his wife from his first marriage, and raised him like his own.

Till the last breath

In 2002, after Yuri Senkevich learned about the death of his friend Thor Heyerdahl, he suffered a heart attack. The doctors then put the presenter on his feet, but insisted that Yuri Alexandrovich pay attention to his health, he had very serious heart problems. But Yuri Alexandrovich did not devote his life to endless treatment. He was a doctor himself, he knew perfectly well how everything could end, but even with close people he was not going to discuss his health problems. He continued to lead an active life, traveled to different countries and enjoyed every new day. Nothing could force Yuri Alexandrovich to give up his beloved work.

Even when he felt unwell on the way to work on September 25, 2003, he did not return home. I called an ambulance from the office, and even then apologized to the doctors for worrying. But after these words he lost consciousness and did not come to himself. Doctors failed to save the favorite of millions of viewers. After the death of Yuri Senkevich, his program was closed simply because no one could replace him in this place.

Thanks to the Norwegian Thor Heyerdahl, Yuri Senkevich took part in the transatlantic passage on a light reed boat, built according to the layout of the ancient Egyptians. However, there were others in history. travelers who embarked on rather extreme voyages around the world, risking their lives.