Ivan Abramov: “I am a man who does not cheat on his wife, although he wants to try”

Ivan Abramov

KVN 2013 Major League Final Captainsky - Ivan Abramov [2:48] Russian stand-up comedian Ivan Abramov in the program “Seven Days and Nights” #MIXTV // Mix TV, project of the portal Mixnews.lv [36:51]
Ivan Andreevich Abramov

(born 1986) - Russian humorous artist, presenter, captain of the KVN team Parapaparam, musical comedian Stand Up TNT.

[edit] Biography

Ivan was born on May 21, 1986 in Volgograd. In 1987, the Abramov family moved to the town of Odintsovo near Moscow. In Odintsovo, Ivan graduated from gymnasium No. 4, studied piano at a music school and took his first steps in KVN.[1].

In 2003, he became a student at the Faculty of Economics of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations[2]. Studying at MGIMO served not only for Ivan’s quality education, but also opened up new horizons of humorous creativity. Ivan, leading a team of cheerful and resourceful guys, repeatedly became the winner of interfaculty and interuniversity games. Having secured the support of the university leadership, the Parapaparam team continued to storm the leagues of the Cheerful and Resourceful Club. In 2009, Ivan Abramov’s team reached the television game and in the same year became the champion of the KVN Premier League. From 2009 to 2013, “Parapaparam” played in the KVN Major League.

The team with intelligent humor, dynamic presentation and acting talents fell in love with fans of the Fun and Resourceful Club. The main trump card of “Parapaparam” was the parody abilities of captain Ivan Abramov. Over the course of several years of participation in television leagues, he managed to make parodies of Dmitry Guberniev, Vladimir Pozner, Elena Malysheva, Konstantin Ernst, Alexander Maslyakov, Dmitry Nagiyev, Sergei Lavrov and other famous people.

After graduating from the institute, Ivan continued his postgraduate studies at MGIMO, but preferred to pursue his creative career as an economist.[3]

Why didn’t you go to work as an economist? Honestly, it's boring. No, I knew this from the very beginning, but, nevertheless, I purposefully entered MGIMO simply in order to receive a high-quality and prestigious higher education, with which I could then go to work in any field. Yes, I refused to work in my specialty, but I did not abandon the knowledge that I received. French, English, geography - everything is here in my head. The education I received helps me in everything, especially in my worldview. For example, I have a clear understanding of what is happening now in both the Russian and global economies.

Humor and television

Ivan came into contact with the world of humor back in high school, when he was offered to play for the school KVN team. At MGIMO, Abramov continued to do what he loved, leading the university team “Parapaparam”.

Ivan Abramov was the captain of the KVN team “Parapaparam”

In 2009, Ivan’s team became the champion of the KVN Premier League and a permanent participant in the Major League. The success of their performances was largely influenced by Abramov’s dynamic parodies (including those of Alexander Maslyakov, Yuri Luzhkov, Jennifer Psaki) and jokes in the spirit of “The director of a plant for the production of blinds can blink both horizontally and vertically.”

Ivan Abramov's parody of Moscow Mayor Luzhkov in 2010

In 2011, “Parapaparam” made it to the KVN finals, and in the 2013 season, young comedians took third place in a bitter struggle among the best comedians in the country. This was the last season of Abramov’s team in KVN, although the friends still participated in the club’s non-tournament competitions for some time.

Ivan Abramov parodies Jennifer Psaki at the 2014 Summer Cup

In 2014, Ivan appeared on the show “Stand Up,” thanks to which the “intelligent comedian,” as he calls himself, became famous throughout the country and beyond.

“Intelligent comedian” Ivan Abramov in the show “Stand Up”

Abramov’s “trick” was musical numbers, which included songs, parodies, and playing the synthesizer and guitar. This did not happen intentionally - colleague Yulia Akhmedova advised Ivan to try himself in this genre, and he liked it. In addition, it is quite difficult for him to stand on stage due to third-degree flat feet.

Ivan Abramov and Yulia Akhmedova

During his speeches, Ivan touched on a variety of topics: he recalled his childhood and his wife’s pregnancy, joked about friendship and driving a car, talked about his vacation in Turkey and his trip to the States. And, of course, he sang a lot, accompanying himself on a synthesizer. Ivan Abramov's playing on the synthesizer An absolute hit was his song about Alexander Kokorin (“Football Lounge”) - about how the Russian football player earns more than world-famous football players. Rap from Minister Lavrov performed by Ivan Abramov In his speeches, the comedian often walked around major political figures, for example, Elvira Nabiullina and Vladimir Putin. However, these numbers were not censored, and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov once praised his sense of humor and shook his hand. Participation in the popular program brought Abramov acquaintance with such now popular comedians as Slava Komissarenko, Yulia Akhmedova, Timur Karginov, Dmitry Romanov, Viktor Komarov.

Despite his experience of performing in KVN, Ivan still experiences jitters before each appearance on stage. At the same time, one can only envy the success of the stand-up comedian - he became the third (after Ruslan Bely and Stas Starovoitov) resident of the show with a large solo program.

Since 2014, Ivan Abramov has been a resident of the show “Stand Up”

A comedian watches the performances of his Western colleagues; Ivan’s sources of inspiration include Tim Michin and Bo Burnham, who work in a similar genre, as well as Mark Berbiglia.

[edit] Successes in KVN

• 2008 Champion of the Central League of Moscow and Moscow Region KVN
• 2009 Champion of the KVN Television Premier League
• 2011 Finalist of the television Major League KVN
• 2012 Winner of the “Big KiViN in Gold” at the music festival of KVN teams “Voting KiViN 2012”
• 2013 Bronze medalist of the KVN Major League
• 2014 Winner of the “Big KiViN in the Dark” at the music festival of KVN teams “Voting KiViN 2014”
• 2014 Winners of the KVN Summer Cup paired with the KVN team Gorod Pyatigorsk
• 2015 Winners of the “Big KiViN in Zolotoye” at the music festival of KVN teams “Voting KiViN 2015”[4].

I have a secret love for “Parapaparas”, since it was with them that my great career began, it was after seven minutes of performance in STEM that I started getting calls from Konstantin Lvovich. Before that, for seven years I walked along the corridors of Ostankino, occasionally going to the “Great Races”.

— Dmitry Nagiyev, on the jury of the KVN-2011 final[5]

I think Alexander Vasilyevich, and all the members of the jury, and I, felt today that we are your parents, Vanya.. And tens of millions of TV viewers of Channel One, on this day, feel you as their son..

— Yuliy Gusman, in the jury of the 1/4 Major League of KVN-2013, after the number “Parapaparam” “Appeal to the Father”[6]

[edit] Career

Since 2014, he has been the main resident of the Stand Up show on TNT, a Comedy Club Production project.

I like the fact that you can talk freely, not limited by the topic given by others, talk about what specifically concerns you. In addition, stand-up allows you to laugh and convey something reasonable, kind, and eternal. This is the coolest thing in the genre.

Ivan acts as an intelligent comedian, believing that rudeness does not need to be conveyed to the masses through television. He is the only musical comedian in the show - he supports his monologues by playing musical instruments.

— From an interview with Ivan Abramov[7]:

— What are the features of musical stand-up?

— You also need to joke, but at the same time you also need to reinforce the performance with music. I take a certain topic that I want to highlight to the viewer, and make a block related to music. If music adds sparkle to a number, I use it. Ideally, at the end of the monologue there should be a song in which the topic of the speech could be unobtrusively and funny.

Ivan Abramov, Stand Up on TNT: “The more political censorship in a country, the worse it is for politicians”

How did you feel when you went on stage?

It is very important to make the audience laugh in the first three minutes and gain some credibility from them. It’s clear that people applaud you when you first come out, because they came to see you, paid their own money, but you need to immediately justify their expectations with a reinforced concrete number. To hear them laugh and think, “Ugh! I heard good laughter three times, everything is fine, you can relax.” But it was still hard. I was able to calm down only at the fifteenth minute, so I ask the audience: be more lenient with my reservations and sweaty forehead at first. I’m generally a very worried person, I often get jittery, so, by the way, I don’t like to fight. One day I was so afraid for my brother that I became overwhelmed and almost killed a man by throwing a stone at him. I try not to bring myself to such a state.

How do you deal with aggression?

I go to the fitness club twice a week or listen to rock music loudly in the car. I put on a Marilyn Manson album, let off some steam, and then switch to Jazz FM to get away from Manson. The pectoral cross, of course, still stings for some time, but the aggression passes. I also love Guns N' Roses and Metallica. I even attended the latter’s concert in Moscow. Although, I admit, the Agatha Christie concert at the same Olympic Stadium hooked me more deeply. The problem is that the opening act for foreign stars in Russia is often not the best Russian artists. Metallica was then supported by the band Jack Action, it seems. And the artist Sia was recently supported by some strange folk musicians - it’s generally unclear where they came from and how they should be associated with Sia. I don’t want to offend anyone, but at some point I wanted to shout: “Stop it! It's horrible!"

Did anyone warm you up before the concert?

Yes. It is always difficult to go into an “empty” hall. Ruslan Bely is the most experienced of all, he can warm himself up, but I needed this... Therefore, immediately after Bely and Akhmedova’s proposal, I approached Vita Komarov and said: “Vitya, there is a conversation...”

Why did you decide to perform in the musical genre in the first place?

I just like music. I came to Stand Up without a specific desire to sit behind a synthesizer or perform with a guitar, but Yulia said: “Maybe you should try it.” I liked this format, besides I have third-degree flat feet, it’s hard for me to stand for a long time. And here I sit down and feel at ease, and the music adds its own atmosphere to the performance. To be honest, I admire guys who do pure stand-up. This is a completely different organic matter, a different pace, even the breathing and position of the bodies are different! By the way, in the new season of Stand Up, which will be released in the fall, I will have monologues without musical accompaniment. And this is great: what I love most about creativity is self-development. When you, through mistakes, through bad performances and negative reviews, reach the point where you want to experiment.

[edit] Miscellaneous

• Ivan is a baptized agnostic.
• He does not eat pork, as a sign of solidarity with the religion of his wife and daughter (Muslim).[10]
• The Abramovs organized their wedding in the style of the film “D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers.”
• Ivan Abramov’s first parodies as a child were vocal and facial imitations of the characters from the series “Santa Barbara” and relatives.[11].
• MGIMO graduate, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergei Lavrov, after the first performance of the Parapaparam team with him, shook hands with Ivan, noting the healthy skepticism in his eyes.[12].
• TV journalist Vladimir Pozner, preparing for a performance in KVN with the Parapaparam team, gave Ivan Abramov red socks so that in the parody number their clothes would be completely the same type.[13].
• After the final of KVN-2013, General Director of Channel One Konstantin Ernst mentioned a job offer for Ivan. This moment was not included in the broadcast.[14]
• The KVN team Parapaparam, led by captain Ivan Abramov, is the only team in the history of KVN that, without the “gold” of the Major League, lifted 2 Big KiViNs in gold and the Summer Champions Cup.

Personal life of Ivan Abramov

As a teenager, Ivan was not popular with the opposite sex, and even today he behaves quite modestly towards girls. However, the comedian’s heart has been occupied for a long time - Abramov met his future wife Elvira Gismatullina in 2008, at a KVN training camp: the girl played for the MESI “7 Hills” team (and before that for the Voronezh “25th” team).

Wedding of Ivan Abramov

The couple dated for several years, and in the spring of 2014 the lovers got married. The wedding was celebrated in France. The celebration was held in the style of the “Three Musketeers” era. That same year, a daughter was born into the family, and at the end of 2020, Ivan became a father for the second time.

Ivan Abramov with his wife Elvira

The comedian's wife is Muslim. Ivan does not share Elvira’s religious views (he considers himself more of an agnostic), but out of respect for his wife he stopped eating pork.

Ivan Abramov is an ardent fan of Spartak

Although Ivan often jokes about his wife and family life, his wife, who knows the whole “cuisine” of humor, is never offended by him.

Abramov is a fan of FC Spartak and even dedicated a performance to his favorite team when it won the Russian football championship for the first time in many years.

[edit] Sources

1. iabramov.ru
   Biography of Ivan Abramov (Russian). Childhood. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
2. Katya Latinova
   “When they played Gummi Bears in kindergarten, I was always Grumpy.” Interview with Ivan Abramov (Russian). MGIMO (16.08.11). Retrieved April 27, 2020.
3. South Ural Panorama
   “I will never say that my wife is a bad cook.” Interview with Ivan Abramov (Russian). Interview (27.11.14). Retrieved May 7, 2020.
4. Official website of the KVN team Parapaparam
   Team history (Russian). Achievements (2016). Retrieved May 7, 2016.
5. Official KVN channel
   “Final of the KVN Major League 2011” (Russian). Words of the jury. Dmitry Nagiyev (12/16/2011). Retrieved May 17, 2020.
6. KVN video channel
   “KVN 2013. Major League Third 1/4” (Russian). Words of the jury. Yuliy Gusman (05/19/2013). Retrieved May 17, 2020.
7. Vse42.ru
   “Humor should always be sharp and relevant” (Russian). Interview with Ivan Abramov (03/24/2016). Retrieved May 7, 2020.
8. Alexey Belov
   “I have an unrequited love for football.” Interview with Ivan Abramov (Russian). Interview. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
9. Tatyana Kheifets
   Ivan Abramov: “My girlfriend got an almost perfect groom!” (Russian). Retrieved April 21, 2014.
10. Tatiana Kheifets
    “Ivan Abramov: “In Russia, every city is a city of brides!” (Russian). Retrieved May 14, 2020.
11. Olesya Shpileva
    “Ivan Abramov: “I am a very bad parodist”” (Russian). Retrieved September 7, 2013.
12. Lyudmila Ponomareva
    Ivan Abramov: “The viewer demands spectacle” (Russian). Retrieved November 29, 2013.
13. Lyudmila Yaitskaya
    Ivan Abramov: “Being a KVN specialist is more economically profitable than a diplomat or economist” (Russian). Retrieved March 6, 2014.
14. Olga Gulyaeva
    “At that moment the emotion of farewell to KVN was more important” (Russian). Interview with Ivan Abramov (03/24/2016). Retrieved May 7, 2020.