Biography of Alexander Maslyakov Sr.
According to established family tradition, all men from the Maslyakov family bore the same name - Vasily. That was the name of the father of the future TV star, like all the Maslyakov fathers many generations before. However, his mother, Zinaida Alekseevna Maslyakova, unexpectedly named the boy Alexander, who was born on November 24, 1941. Father, Vasily Vasilyevich Maslyakov, being a rather reserved and serious person, did not interfere in this process. Alexander means Alexander. So, along with the birth of little Sasha, a new tradition appeared in the biography of Alexander Maslyakov Sr. - calling boys Alexandra.
The boy was born in the first months of the war in the city of Yekaterinburg, on the way to evacuation. The time was harsh, which left its mark on Sasha’s character, endowing this boy with a charming sunny smile with the strength and inflexibility that later made him a personality famous throughout the country.
His father served in aviation as a pilot and went through the entire Great Patriotic War, after which he continued to serve at the Air Force General Staff.
Mom was a housewife and devoted all her love, warmth and care to her family and raising her beloved son, who grew up very active, capable and artistic.
Education
The first diploma in the biography of Alexander Maslyakov Sr. was received quite late, in 1966, after graduating from the Moscow Institute of Transport Engineers, when he was already 25 years old.
Our hero did not connect his fate with the profession of an engineer. Alexander was attracted by a completely different life - bright, loud, filled with creativity. And just two years later, Maslyakov Sr. became a graduate of the Higher Courses for Television Workers. Thus began the career of, without a doubt, a great showman.
Far from television Maslyakov
Alexander was born on November 24, 1941 in Russian Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg). The boy's parents had nothing to do with television - his father was a military pilot, and his mother did household chores. As a child, Sasha and his parents changed their place of residence many times, which was associated with his father’s service. Maslyakov received his secondary school certificate in Moscow, after which he became a student at the capital’s Institute of Transport Engineers.
Alexander Maslyakov firmly intended to connect his destiny with a technical specialty and even completed an internship at a factory. His life changed completely in 1964, when Alexander was accidentally offered to try his hand as a TV presenter. For some time, Maslyakov combined his activities on television and work in his main specialty. In 1968, Alexander took courses for television workers, after which he focused on his career as a TV presenter.
"Club of the Cheerful and Resourceful"
Alexander made his debut on television while still a student at the Moscow Institute of Transport Engineers, where, along with most of his peers, he actively supported his team of the “Merry and Resourceful Club”.
“The Club of the Cheerful and Resourceful,” or KVN for short, appeared in 1961. The new initiative was quickly taken up by actively developing youth striving for self-expression. The popularity of KVN grew by leaps and bounds, and these steps spread almost throughout the vast country.
This youth program intervened in the biography of Alexander Maslyakov Sr. in 1964, when, by the will of fate, he became one of its presenters.
As Alexander Vasilyevich himself claims, this event happened by pure chance. One fine day, his classmate invited Maslyakov to become a member of the KVN team from the institute. Alexander agreed, but did not have time to play in KVN, because at the same time the editors of central television were looking for a suitable candidate for the role of host of this program. Maslyakov was active, cheerful and charismatic from birth. And his smile is still his calling card today. So the editors' choice settled on Alexander.
Who would have thought that this place would be fixed in the biography of Alexander Maslyakov Sr. for more than half a century.
At that wonderful time, Alexander hosted KVN in tandem with experienced TV presenter Svetlana Zhiltsova, from whom he learned a lot of knowledge and secrets of stagecraft.
Until 1970, the program was broadcast live. As usual, times were difficult in the country. The jokes heard in the program increasingly ran counter to party policy, as a result of which KVN began to be shown in recordings after strict censorship, including from the State Security Committee. Ultimately, the program was finally taken off the air in 1972.
Alexander Maslyakov: KVN
The humorous TV show “The Cheerful and Resourceful Club” appeared in 1961. Its prototype was Sergei Muratov’s program “Evening of Fun Questions” in 1957, which, in turn, was copied from the Czech analogue “Guess, Guess, Fortune Teller”. At the evening, questions were answered not by the teams, but by TV viewers. The creation of the program was carried out by the first television youth editorial office in the USSR, known as the “Festival edition of the Central Television”. On the third episode of the TV show, due to an unfortunate mistake by the host, the program and the entire editorial office had to be closed.
Four years later, the creators of the “Evening of Fun Questions” released a new humorous program called “KVN”. The decoding of this name was twofold: in addition to the traditional meaning of “The Club of the Cheerful and Resourceful”, the name hinted at the brand of TV - KVN-49, which was produced in those years.
The first host of the game was Albert Axelrod. Three years later he was replaced by Alexander Maslyakov. Svetlana Zhiltsova hosted the program with him . Subsequently, Alexander Vasilyevich became the sole presenter, which he remains to this day.
For the first seven years, KVN was broadcast exclusively live. But later, since the teams’ jokes sometimes touched on Soviet ideology and reality, the releases began to be recorded, having previously cut out from them all the points that were objectionable to the party leadership. The then head of Central Television, Sergei Lapin, did not like the club for its unpredictability and courage, and at some point the State Security Committee began to closely engage in censorship of the program. The KGB directives were sometimes simply absurd: for example, participants in the program were forbidden to wear beards, since this was a mockery of Karl Marx. And at the end of 1971, KVN was closed completely.
The creative biography of Alexander Maslyakov at one time gave rise to a lot of gossip. Thus, the most common rumor is that around the same time as the closure of KVN in 1971, Maslyakov was in prison for currency fraud for several months. The TV presenter himself refuses to comment on this fact, claiming that with a criminal record he would never be allowed on Soviet television again.
So, the break lasted for 15 years. But at the beginning of perestroika, in 1986, on the initiative of the captain of the MISI team of the 60s, Andrei Menshikov, KVN again appeared on the screens. Alexander Maslyakov remained the presenter.
In just a few episodes, the program has gained the same wide popularity as in the sixties. A whole movement of games arose, humorous competitions were held in schools, institutes and children's health camps. The geography of the “Merry and Resourceful Club” expanded noticeably: KVN began to be played in Western Europe and America, in 1992 the first international game between the CIS countries and Israel was held in Moscow, and two years later a world championship was organized in Israel, in which teams from the CIS, Israel, Germany and even the USA.
In 1990, Alexander Maslyakov founded the creative association “Alexander Maslyakov and Company” (abbreviated as “AMiK” ). This company is the official organizer of KVN games, as well as a number of related programs (First League, Outside the Game, Voicing KiViN, Sense of Humor, etc.). Alexander Vasilyevich is the presenter and director of all programs produced by AMiK.
In 2013, the only son of Alexander Vasilyevich, Alexander Aleksandrovich Maslyakov, became the general director of TTO AMiK LLC, replacing Naum Iosifovich Barulya, who previously held the post of director of the KVN television program, in this position.
Career
After completing his studies at the Higher Courses for Television Workers, Alexander got a job at the main editorial office of programs for youth, and after a short time took up the post of senior editor there. A few years later, Maslyakov Sr. was able to achieve the position of special correspondent, and since 1980 he devoted himself entirely to the profession of a commentator in the Experiment television studio.
Few people know, but the biography of Alexander Maslyakov Sr. is also marked by the fact that the first presenter of the then new program “What? Where? When?" in 1975, none other than Alexander Maslyakov became. However, its format was subsequently changed, and the presenter was replaced by a voice-over.
Despite the fact that KVN was closed, its presenters Alexander Maslyakov and Svetlana Zhiltsova remained extremely popular and in demand. Thus, the fame of this duo includes the famous programs of that time: “Come on, girls!”, “Come on, guys!”, “Hello! We are looking for talent! and others.
Also, for a long time, Maslyakov Sr. was the permanent presenter of various international song festivals for youth and students, and hosted various music and entertainment programs on central television.
KVN in the life of Alexander Maslyakov
The creative activity of Alexander Maslyakov is connected not only with the KVN program. He led many different projects, including “Hello, we are looking for talents!”, “Jolly guys”, “Come on, guys!” and “Sprint for everyone.” It was Maslyakov who hosted the very first episodes of the intellectual television game “What? Where? When?".
But, Alexander Vasilyevich’s main work is still connected with the Club of the Cheerful and Resourceful. Back in 1964, he first took the position of TV presenter of the game and has not left this position since then. For many years, Maslyakov has been the owner of a television association called AMiK, which produces the KVN program.
Alexander Vasilyevich is not only the presenter and director of this project, but also its director. Maslyakov could also be seen on the jury of a popular humorous TV game, but this happened only 2 times - in 1994 and 1996.
And again - KVN!
After 14 years, in 1986, on the initiative of the Ostankino youth editors, it was decided to revive KVN. As a symbol of the continuity of the traditions of the “Merry and Resourceful Club”, Alexander Maslyakov and Svetlana Zhiltsova were again invited as hosts. However, due to life and business circumstances, Svetlana refused this offer. So Alexander Vasilyevich began to host this program alone.
When KVN returned to the biography of Alexander Maslyakov Sr., he was able to create a real empire out of this television project, one might say, a comedy broadcast industry.
From a permanent presenter, leader and director, Maslyakov Sr. turned into the president of the “International KVN Union”, after which in 1990 he created the television creative association “Alexander Maslyakov and AMiK”), which, in fact, produced the KVN program in the future.
Many stars of modern television went through the school of Maslyakov and the “Club of the Cheerful and Resourceful”, becoming real professionals and the most popular and sought-after television stars.
“Today, more than half of entertainment television is created by guys who played in KVN, by authors who wrote jokes for KVN. But every person has the right to do what he considers necessary and possible: choose amateur performances or feel like an actor. You need to weigh your strengths and understand whether you can do it. If yes, then go..."
One of the key figures in KVN
Today Svetlana is one of the key figures in KVN, although she never appears on stage. Not without her direct participation, this program, revived in 1986, not only quickly regained its former popularity, but also surpassed its previous scale.
Today Svetlana Anatolyevna, as the director of KVN, participates in screenings, competitive selections, and makes her own adjustments to the programs presented by the teams. According to the participants of the game, after Alexander Vasilyevich she is actually the second person.
Children dreamed of a castle for princesses and dad built a play fortress in 3 days
Airy buns made from beer dough: inside there is a delicate filling with bacon and jalapenos
A woman feeds her family delicious dishes and finds food in the forest.
At the same time, the cooperation of the spouses cannot be called cloudless. Svetlana does not agree with her husband on everything. Once in an interview, he said that sometimes his wife rebels, more than once she threatened to leave the program. She complained that while working in other programs she was treated like a person, not like here.
Personal life
In the biography of Alexander Maslyakov Sr., his wife and children occupy a special place. It is them and his favorite work that he calls his main happiness and success. For him, his wife and son are not just family, but also his closest friends.
Alexander Vasilyevich, as expected, met his future wife, Svetlana Anatolyevna, during the filming of KVN. He immediately liked the girl, and he began to show all sorts of signs of attention. It was impossible to resist the charisma of young Maslyakov.
In 1971 they got married. In 1980, a son was born into the Maslyakov family, who was also named Alexander in honor of his father. Maslyakov Jr., having studied at MGIMO, joined his father’s business, becoming his closest assistant and general director.
Alexander Maslyakov Jr. is married to Angelina Marmeladova, a famous writer and journalist. In 2006, Maslyakov Sr. gave birth to his granddaughter Taisiya, who can be seen in the photo.
The biographies of the wife and children of Alexander Maslyakov Sr. are little known to the public. Photos are also quite rare. However, they are all filled with smiles and some special warmth, light and happiness.
Of course, Alexander Vasilyevich is far from young, but constant communication with young people, careful attention to his own health, proper nutrition and moderation allow him to still remain in good shape, remain cheerful and energetic.
“I was lucky: for more than forty years of my career, all the programs were connected with young people. Therefore, purely psychologically, I cannot allow myself to shrink, cover myself with a blanket and lie down somewhere in the corner of the stage. I don’t have the right to do this..."
Difficulties and ups of KVN
Few people know that there was a rather long break in the history of the KVN program. The debut episode of the program appeared on the screen in 1964, after which the program was regularly broadcast live for 7 long years.
In the early 70s, the project was closed because many of the participants’ jokes were objectionable to the strict Soviet dictatorship. The project was revived only 15 years later - in 1986. The place of presenter was undoubtedly assigned to Alexander Maslyakov. Since then, the humorous television game “KVN” has become very popular and still attracts a huge audience of television viewers in front of the screens.
Thanks to this project, Russian show business was replenished with a large army of talented artists who began their path to success by participating in KVN.
Beloved wife
The biography of Alexander Maslyakov Sr.’s wife, Svetlana, began in 1947 in post-war Moscow.
The very active girl was always the ringleader and the inventor of various pranks, which was later reflected in her high organizational abilities. After graduating from Moscow secondary school No. 519, Svetlana entered the All-Union Correspondence Institute of Law, where she had to combine her studies with work as an assistant director of KVN in the Youth Editorial Office of Central Television. Having received her diploma, the future wife of Maslyakov Sr. successfully completed training in directing at the Higher Courses for Creative Television Workers.
In addition to romantic and family relationships, Alexander Vasilyevich and his wife Svetlana were able to carry through their entire lives serving their common cause - the “Club of the Cheerful and Resourceful.” Maslyakov Sr. hosted this TV show, and his Svetlana was its director.
There was always a lot in common between them. Both he and she are cheerful, resourceful and bright people, enthusiastic, responsible people who bring any task they start to completion.
Until the 1990s, Svetlana held the post of director of the Main Propaganda Editorial Office of Central Television, from where she later left for her husband’s company, the AMiK association.
In the Maslyakovs' house, filled with an atmosphere of harmless humor and practical jokes, you can always meet famous artists, stars and other prominent personalities.
Alexander Vasilyevich’s wife became for him not only a loved one, but also his closest friend, assistant and like-minded person.
Zhiltsova was considered Maslyakov’s wife
Interestingly, many of the TV viewers in the Soviet Union were sure that Maslyakov married Svetlana Zhiltsova, his co-host on KVN, a very popular program in the 1960s and 70s.
In one of her interviews on this matter, Zhiltsova said that, in her opinion, TV viewers married her and Alexander from the first minutes of the broadcast. Just as they once married Igor Kirillov and Anna Shatilova.
Actor Viktor Rakov and his wife are raising an adopted son: he even looks like them
Go to permitted places: how else can you safely be outdoors during COVID-19
COVID-19: The day before symptoms appear a person is most contagious
I know Maslyakov’s wife Svetlana Zhiltsova closely from her work in the program. When Semenova and Maslyakov got married, her last name in the credits was changed, and therefore Svetlana Maslyakova appeared in them as an assistant director. And everyone became confident that it was Svetlana Zhiltsova who became Maslyakova.
