Video: The great master of manipulation: how Hmayak Hakobyan's father stole a girl from Beria, and why the secretaries general loved him
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
April 26 marks the 99th anniversary of the birth of the famous Soviet pop artist, illusionist Harutyun Hakobyan … He devoted to training at least 4 hours a day and reached such a level of skill that at foreign competitions they did not believe that he did not use any additional devices. During the Second World War, the artist often performed on the front line, and the Germans watched his tricks through binoculars. Khrushchev asked him to show foreign delegations tricks with burning dollars, and Brezhnev demanded to teach him black magic.
Harutyun Hakobyan became a world-famous star only thanks to his own talent and perseverance. He was born into a poor Armenian family forced to flee from Turkey, where he was born, to Armenia. He graduated from the Civil Engineering College and continued his studies at the Moscow Institute of Land Management. One day he got to see an illusionist and was so impressed with the tricks that he made his way backstage and started exploring the "bottomless box." He was caught hot and mistaken for a thief. He had to explain to the police for a long time that he was actually a student at the institute.
Harutyun Hakobyan never became an engineer. He graduated from the institute, but immediately took up the independent study of the profession of an illusionist and began working at the Moscow State Establishment. He trained 18 hours a day to perfect his skill level.
During the Second World War, Harutyun Hakobyan, as part of the front-line concert brigades, often visited the front line and spoke to soldiers in hospitals. On the Belorussian front near Orsha, they happened to enter an impromptu stage in the immediate vicinity of enemy positions. The sniper, who followed the Germans through a telescopic sight, then told him that all this time the Nazis watched the magician through binoculars. Hakobyan reacted to this news with humor: “Let them watch! All the same, the secret of focus will not be noticed."
The magician had many female fans. With one of them, Margarita, he began an affair. But, as it turned out, the girl was Beria's mistress. To neutralize the opponent, he decided to expel him from Moscow to Armenia. Only after Stalin's death was Hakobyan able to return. But even in forced exile, the illusionist did not waste time in vain and continued to hone his skills. In 1957 he won first prize at the International Competition of Illusionists in Colombo, in 1959 he won the Grand Prix in Paris, and in 1977 in Karlovy Vary.
But Khrushchev and Brezhnev were very supportive of the magician. Khrushchev often invited him to government concerts, introduced him to foreign delegations as a "Russian miracle" and asked him to show them tricks with burning dollars, after which rubles appeared in the hands of the illusionist. Khrushchev said triumphantly at the same time: "Look what miracles our artists show: we burn your currency - and our Soviet ruble appears!" Once at a banquet, Khrushchev made a toast: "I want to drink to an international swindler - to Harutyun Hakobyan!" Both the guests and the "hero of the occasion" himself did not understand whether this was a compliment.
Brezhnev was sure that sleight of hand such tricks could not be explained and asked Akopyan to teach him black magic, which he, in his opinion, mastered perfectly. The illusionist's son Hmayak Hakobyan said that his father knew the technique of hypnosis, but no more. Harutyun stated: “Magic does not exist as such. Magic is knowledge and skill. The whole secret is in technique and wit."
Harutyun Hakobyan was the author of more than 500 tricks with playing cards, in his repertoire there were more than 1000 tricks, while during his performances he did not use any special equipment or additional props. Harutyun Hakobyan achieved such a manipulation technique that he did not need any props. Abroad he was called "the great master of manipulation."
He gave his last concert in 1995, and after that he could not perform due to serious health problems: the artist was diagnosed with blood cancer. Nevertheless, he lived for another 10 years and even bedridden would not let go of a deck of cards. His son Hmayak Hakobyan inherited all the secrets of the craft and for many years he also performed with tricks on the stage.
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