How a cruel joke killed the famous comedian and host of "Around Laughter": Alexander Ivanov

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

This thin and tall man, a little like Don Quixote, was known by the whole vast country. The program "Around Laughter", of which he was the only and irreplaceable presenter, in the 70-80s remained practically the only humorous program on television. It is not surprising that San Sanych, as Ivanov was affectionately called, instantly became a star. Few people knew that until the age of 30 he was a simple drawing teacher.

Alexander Alexandrovich was born in Moscow in 1936. From his father, an artist, he inherited a penchant for painting, but became only a teacher of drawing. After graduating from the Moscow Pedagogical Institute in absentia, he worked in his specialty for several years, but in his free time he was engaged in what he really had a heart for - the young teacher secretly began to write. Moreover, he worked in a genre for which in those days it was possible to "get" the status of an oppositionist. It is precisely because of this attitude of the authorities towards satire that by the end of the Brezhnev era there were practically no humorous programs on television, and of the artists, the people knew only Arkady Raikin.

Alexander Ivanov sent his creative experiments to the Literaturnaya Gazeta. Surprisingly, his poetic parodies, pamphlets and notes immediately hit the press. The start of this unknown newcomer was very quick and successful. Friends recalled that in those years his entire small room in a communal apartment was littered with poetic "waste paper", as the regular poetry collections published under the trademark of the Writers' Union were then called. The young author even bought everything that was published in the "outback". Then, much later, this habit gave him the necessary material for new performances. Until now, many people recall with nostalgia how San Sanych could begin the transmission with the words: “Here I read from one Yakut author…”.

Although the career of the young satirist was progressing very successfully, on the personal front he was unlucky for a long time. In principle, acquaintances were not surprised: appearance is not Alain Delon, internal charisma is far from Vysotsky's, but after one whirlwind romance everyone had to reconsider their opinion on this matter. Once, from a summer vacation at a resort, Ivanov returned not only with his wife, but also with a child (not with his family, true, but he sincerely cared about the son of his beloved). After meeting on the beach and a whirlwind romance, the "young" married instantly, but, however, just as quickly and then parted. The satirist's wife, having arrived in Moscow, quickly found a more suitable party for herself, and San Sanych worried for a long time, having made a grandiose scandal and drove the unfaithful person out of the house.

His next marriage turned out to be much more successful. Ballerina and actress, soloist of the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater. Kirov (Mariinsky Theater), Olga Zabotkina at first simply amazed all friends, preferring the awkward satirist, and then she also put her career on the altar of the family. When Ivanov became the host of the TV show Around Laughter, Zabotkina had to leave the stage, move to Moscow and become her husband's secretary. She did not miss a single of his recordings on television, completely supervised the daily routine and took care of a hundred household trifles.

Ivanov's colleague in the satirical workshop, Arkady Arkanov, recalled:

At any feast, the faithful wife was also there, but, however, not only out of a desire to have fun. For a long time, Alexander Ivanov suffered from a disease that, unfortunately, was too common among the creative intelligentsia. His long drinking bouts sometimes even disrupted his work schedule, but, as his acquaintances recall, they never affected the publication of the next issue of Around Laughter. Unfortunately, it was this problem that caused his death.

After the difficult 90s, when the program was closed and the famous satirist even had to sell his books on the street at one time, the Ivanov couple were still able not only to stay afloat, but also to find a place in a new, completely changed world. His talent was appreciated by the politicians of the new formation, and thanks to political pamphlets and the famous name, San Sanych was able to straighten out his financial situation after a while. A small family, which, to the great regret of the spouses, never had children, went to live in Spain for a while.

Several opinions can be found today about the tragic accident that took the life of the favorite of the Soviet audience. Undoubtedly, the death of Alexander Ivanov occurred as a result of severe alcohol intoxication and an extensive heart attack, but the reason for the next "breakdown" was either participation in a violent political rally, or a stupid joke: allegedly, the artist was called to Spain and was told that he was promoted to State Prize. Having rushed to Moscow, Ivanov realized that it was a joke, but he could not take it with humor. He died on June 12, 1996, a little before his 60th birthday. Soon, moreover, it was discovered that a huge personal archive of the poet, which contained many unpublished works, had disappeared from the apartment. Olga Zabotkina survived her spouse by only five years.