What 5 famous Soviet stand-up artists remembered from the times when they did not even know the words of this

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

The place of the current stand-up in Soviet times was occupied by a separate genre of pop - humorous monologues. This genre enjoyed the success of the audience throughout the second half of the twentieth century. The USSR had its own stars of monologues, which are still fondly remembered by many.

Arkady Raikin

It is believed that it was Raikin (or, as they now say, Raikin Sr.) who made the genre of humorous monologue popular in the USSR. In 1939, the first Variety and Miniature Theater in Soviet history was opened in Leningrad. It was not easy to convince officials that the people needed such a frivolous genre - but the desire to regulate even the reasons for laughter outweighed, and the theater began to work. Soon Arkady Isaakovich entered the service there.

However, his pop comedian star really shone after the war. Then Raikin not only toured throughout the country and neighboring countries, but also starred in films consisting of humorous scenes connected with a frame plot. An instant hit was the concert film “We Met somewhere”, where Raikin played together with Lyudmila Tselikovskaya. Until now, the television movie "Yesterday, Today and Always" is shown on television, where Raikin was embodied at once in several comic characters.

Television recordings in pop performances made many phrases from Raikin's monologues popular, as they would say now, memes, for example: "You respect me, I respect you - we are dear people!" “I tried it - it melts in my mouth! The taste is special!"

Roman Kartsev

Roman Andreevich is one of those people who made Odessa legendary (or whom the legendary Odessa gave birth to). The comedian's native surname is Katz. In Odessa, this is a fairly popular surname, and Roman's brother, for example, having become a magician, decided to change it by adding one letter - Karts.

At twenty-two, Kartsev went to conquer Leningrad, and a year after that he began to work at the Theater of Miniature under the leadership of Raikin. It was Raikin who suggested that Roman take a pseudonym with a "more Russian" sound. On reflection, Roman modified his brother's pseudonym by adding an ending.

In parallel with his stage career, Roman Andreevich made a successful film career, but still stage remained his main profession. The most famous comic numbers of Kartsev are "Avas", "Cancers" and "Transport shop". The audience adored his duets with the Odessa comedian Ilchenko. As for the film roles, the most memorable of them are in "Heart of a Dog" in Soviet times and in "The Master and Margaret", "Old Nags" and, especially, in "Promised Heaven" after the collapse of the USSR.

Vladimir Vinokur

As a parodist and pop comedian, a native of Kursk, Vinokur became famous in the eighties. Like many Soviet performers of humorous monologues (including Raikin and Kartsev), Vladimir Natanovich was a Jew, but due to his appearance and name, this became much less often the subject of discussion. Unlike the previous two comedians, Vinokur came to the stage rather late. He studied initially at the editing college. After college he was drafted into the army, and only after the army he entered GITIS, linking his fate with the stage for the rest of his life.

The first famous humorous monologue performed by Vinokur was the story "Misfire", in which he showed his talent as a parodist. According to the plot, Vinokur's character invited a girl to his place and, in order to impress her and show her circle of friends, left the apartment and began to call home from a pay phone, speaking in the voices of famous artists. In the end, it turns out that the girl was impressed by Gennady Khazanov, parodied by Vinokur, and she married him.

During his career, Vinokur parodied such Soviet celebrities as Mikhail Boyarsky, Vladimir Vysotsky, Vakhtang Kikabidze, Muslim Magomayev, Andrei Mironov, Edita Piekha, Eduard Khil and many others. He hosted several issues of the legendary musical program "Morning Mail". As a performer of monologues, however, Vinokur became especially famous already in the nineties.

Clara Novikova

Klara Borisovna from Kiev immediately aimed at the stage - she graduated from the Kiev studio of variety and circus art, after which she already received a diploma from the State Institute of Theater Arts in Moscow. The start of a great career for her was work at the Mosconcert, but even before the Mosconcert, Novikova became a laureate of the All-Union contest of pop artists.

As a performer of comic monologues, Novikova had a difficult time: it turned out to be difficult to find an author capable of creating a character for a woman, because all the authors were men. It was not easy for them to guess with the themes for jokes, with the image, however, there were some talents with a fairly good imagination. Aunt Sonya became one of the most famous characters of Klara Borisovna. The first monologue on her behalf was written by Marian Belenky, who later, after moving to Israel, became a stand-up comedian. Like Vinokur, Novikova for some time hosted the "Morning Mail" program.

Mikhail Evdokimov

The father of the future famous comedian and politician was a Cossack by birth and a welder by profession, his mother was a miner of Polish origin. However, the mother had to leave the mine after she was crippled in an accident. Mikhail's family had six more children, besides him. This probably contributed to the ability not to be afraid of the public.

After school, Mikhail Sergeevich studied to be a balalaika player, but then he worked as a grinder, then as an administrator in the canteen, then as artistic director of the rural House of Culture. His fate was turned upside down by his studies at the institute, where Evdokimov began to participate in KVN and was the captain of the team. He liked the scene so much that he dropped out of school and went to Moscow to realize his talent.

His debut on television took place in 1984, and almost immediately Mikhail Sergeevich became famous. He spoke from the stage many comic dialogues about the life of ordinary Soviet citizens, but the most famous was his own composition - "Bath". He was literally taken away for quotes: "The muzzle is such a red", "The whole mood has fallen," and others.

Not only comedians became stars: Soviet celebrities in an informal setting in photographs of the 1970s.