Childhood and youth
The Katsev family spent the war years in Omsk evacuation. Father went to the front. Grandparents who remained in the occupation died. In 1945, the family returned to Odessa, and in 1946, the father, who had been demobilized from the army, was reunited with his relatives. Mom, Sura-Leya Ruvinovna Fuksman, known simply as Sonya to those close to her, worked in the technical control department at a shoe factory, then became a party organizer at the enterprise. Father, Anshel Zelmanovich, a former striker of the Tiraspol football team, after the war became a coach and sports referee for matches in the 2nd league of Ukraine, since he himself could no longer play sports due to injury.
At home, the parents spoke with their son exclusively in Yiddish. In addition to Roman, two children were growing up in the family: sister Lisa and brother Albert - he also chose a creative path and became a magician.
The boy's main hobbies were football, the sea and classical opera - the family lived next to the Opera House. He often climbed with friends to the second floor of the building and through the window of the women's toilet got to the evening performances. His courtyard comrades nicknamed him “Romka the Artist” - for his charisma and love of clowning around.
Love for life
The novel was amorous. Typically, he often chose girls who were beautiful and much taller than himself (his height is 160 cm), but he did not particularly look at their inner world. Often they came across dummies, but Kartsev, out of emotion, proposed to all of them to marry him. Luckily, they didn't agree.
Everything changed when in his native Odessa he met corps de ballet dancer Victoria Kassinskaya. Then, in the heat of the moment, he quit Raikin, returned home from Leningrad, there wasn’t really any work. The families of the young people were against their marriage - the Katzes wanted a Jewish woman to join the family, and the Kassinskys were worried about the “frivolity” of the groom’s profession. But they endured it and fell in love, after 3 years Roman and Victoria returned to Leningrad and got married there. Of course they were a funny couple.
Roman Kartsev and Victoria Kassinskaya
The couple first had a daughter, Elena, and then a son, Pavel. Both received pharmacist degrees, but Pavel ultimately followed in his father's footsteps. But in Elena’s family, acting genes showed up a generation later - her daughter Veronica from Doctor of Medical Sciences Vladimir Gurdus became an actress.
From left to right: Elena and Pavel Kassinsky - children, Roman Kartsev, grandson Leonid, wife Victoria Kassinskaya, granddaughter Veronika. Photo: eg.ru
The beginning of a creative journey
After school, Roman got a job as an apprentice equipment operator at a garment factory. There he achieved level 8 qualifications and earned good money, but theater remained his passion. Kartsev enthusiastically attended classes at the amateur drama club.
He made his debut on the stage of the Sailors' House of Culture, which turned out to be a failure. Roman managed to turn a tragic performance on a military theme into a farce. His character caused laughter in the audience and the director's anger.
He was finished with dramatic roles, but in 1960 the young actor was gladly received by the student theater of miniatures “Parnas-2”. Here Roman met Viktor Ilchenko and Mikhail Zhvanetsky. Their creative and friendly union lasted until the end of their lives.
In 1962, Arkady Raikin, who was vacationing in a sanatorium, went to Parnassus at the invitation of Zhvanetsky. There, a play by Mikhail, “I'm Walking Down the Street,” was staged, in which Katz played three roles at once, revealing his talent as a comedian. When the curtain fell, Raikin invited the artist to his Theater of Miniatures.
So Katz moved to Leningrad. Here he began performing under the pseudonym Kartsev. In 1963, with his suggestion and Raikin’s approval, three more Odessa residents joined the theater troupe: Zhvanetsky and Ilchenko, as well as Lyudmila Gvozdikova.
Biography
Roman Kartsev was born on May 20, 1939 in Odessa. Birth name Roman Anshelevich Kats.
Father - Anshel Zelmanovich Katz - football player, participant in the Great Patriotic War, after being wounded and demobilized in 1946 - referee of matches of the second league of the Ukrainian championships and coach. Mother - Sura-Leya (in everyday life Sonya) Ruvinovna Fuksman - was the secretary of the party organization of a shoe factory and the controller of the quality control department. The maternal grandfather, after whom the artist was named, was a synagogue cantor. The spoken language in the family was Yiddish. Before the war, he lived with his parents in Tiraspol, where his father in 1939-1941 was a striker for the Tiraspol team in the second league of the USSR football championship. During the Great Patriotic War - with his mother and brother in evacuation in Omsk; the grandparents who remained in Odessa died. After my father’s demobilization, the whole family returned to Odessa.
Roman Kartsev's brother became a magician, worked in the circus and on the stage in the USA under the pseudonym Karts.
In 1956, after school, he went to work as a service technician at the Avangard clothing factory. Then he began performing in the drama club of the Sailors’ House of Culture. In 1960, he received an invitation to the amateur student theater “Parnas-2” at the Odessa Institute of Marine Engineers, where he met his future permanent partner Viktor Ilchenko and lyricist Mikhail Zhvanetsky. In 1972 he graduated from the acting department of GITIS in absentia.
Education
Roman tried five times to get a specialized education, but invariably failed the exams. He read Zhvanetsky’s monologues, which the selection committee perceived with skepticism. An attempt to enter the capital's circus school also turned out to be a failure.
Finally, in 1962, Raikin personally wrote a covering letter to GITIS. It was impossible to ignore the petition of the people's idol. Kartsev became a part-time student at the acting department and graduated from the university in 1966.
Parting with Raikin and first success
Kartsev's character was explosive. One day he passionately objected to Raikin that he was better at humor and wrote a letter of resignation. Then I regretted it, but there was no turning back. In 1967, he returned to Odessa with his inseparable friends and got a job as an entertainer in a jazz orchestra.
It was a “setback” in his career, but it was during this period that he met his future wife and had his first significant victory. His joint number with Ilchenko (and Zhvanetsky wrote the text for them) became a laureate of a pop artist competition, and this was already a success on an all-Union scale.
Last years of life and cause of death
The famous comedian lived in Moscow for about 35 years, but he was never able to get used to this city and forget his native Odessa. He often came to his beloved city, where he walked along familiar streets and visited old acquaintances. On his 70th birthday, the city authorities of Odessa gave Kartsev a gorgeous gift, giving him the keys to a two-room apartment, from where the sea is clearly visible.
In recent years, the artist has not been feeling well due to heart problems. In 2014, he had to leave for Israel, where professional doctors performed a complex operation. After the recovery period, he felt a surge of strength, but had to give up sports. Roman Anshelevich spent a lot of time in his country house, where he enjoyed nature and silence. He also went to concerts and sometimes took part in his monologues.
Roman Kartsev died on October 2, 2020 from cardiac arrest
In 2020, Kartsev suffered a stroke, and then an inflammatory process began, which further complicated the course of the disease. His body could not resist: the famous satirist died on Tuesday, October 2. Natalya Zhvanetskaya spoke about his death and posted a message on her page. According to some reports, the stage star will be buried in Moscow at the Troekurovsky cemetery.
Moving to Moscow
The performances of Ilchenko and Kartsev in the genre of variety reprise were brilliant. There was always Homeric laughter in the hall. The duet, performing miniatures written by Zhvanetsky, was rapidly gaining popularity. Tours around the country, invitations to all significant TV concerts, the release of their miniatures as separate records and the love of the audience have become constant companions of the artists. The humorous dialogues “Raki” and “Avas” were recorded on tape and analyzed for quotes.
In 1979, the artists moved to Moscow at the invitation of Mikhail Levitin, who became the director of the Theater of Miniatures. Mark Zakharov once began his career on its stage. Kartsev’s colleagues were Lyubov Polishchuk and Mikhail Kokshenov, Anatoly Goryachev and Yuri Belyaev. Roman was involved in the plays “When We Were Resting”, “Kharms!” Charms! Shardam! or Clown School", "Midnight Cabaret", "Bird's Flight", "Selected Miniatures".
When Ilchenko passed away in 1992, Kartsev refused to use their common material. Since then, he has staged only one-man performances, including the production “My Odessa” dedicated to the memory of his former friend and colleague.
Film career
Kartsev did not play a single leading role, but was an unsurpassed master of the episode. His filmography is not too extensive - 16 roles. In 1988, he starred with Vladimir Bortko in “Heart of a Dog.” The chairman of the house committee, Shvonder, who entered into confrontation with the hero of Evgeny Evstigneev, was remembered by the audience. Kartsev played a fighter for the ideals of the revolution, but his character always brought a smile.
In 2005, Bortko again invited the actor to the film adaptation of Bulgakov - in the series “The Master and Margarita”. Uncle Berlioz from Kyiv, who came for the coveted meters of Moscow living space, was portrayed with the subtle humor characteristic of the actor. He was remembered no less than the heroes of Sergei Bezrukov, Oleg Basilashvili or Anna Kovalchuk.
Eldar Ryazanov also could not ignore Roman’s comedic talent. Kartsev starred in 3 films from the legendary director. Particularly touching was the violinist Solomon from “Promised Heaven” (1991), humbly accepting insults from the hero Vyacheslav the Innocent and giving his only suit to the President, played by Valentin Gaft. The theater administrator from “Old Nags” (2000), who is tenderly in love with the character of Svetlana Kryuchkova, also turned out to be sad and funny.
In 2010, Kartsev performed his last movie episode. He played a colorful taxi driver who gave Vera (Elena Yakovleva) a lift in the film “... in the style of JAZZ” by Stanislav Govorukhin.
Personal life of Roman Kartsev
From 1970 until the end of his life, Roman Kartsev was married to Victoria Kassinskaya. His chosen one, 10 years younger than the artist and 10 centimeters taller, worked in the corps de ballet; they met at a performance of a symphonic jazz orchestra in Odessa. “I am pleased that she endured so many years with me. I'm a difficult type. Jealous,” Kartsev recalled.
Daughter Elena (born 1971) did not choose acting - she works as a pharmacist. But the son, Pavel Kassinsky (born 1976), deliberately did not take the name of his famous father, because he wanted to become an actor, but was afraid of sidelong glances and accusations of “cronyism”. Viewers may know him as a performer of roguish, drinking heroes like Albert from the series “SashaTanya”. Pavel has two children.
The alleged illegitimate son of Roman Kartsev passed a lie detector test
Roman Kartsev passed away last year. He was married to his wife Victoria Pavlovna for 52 years. The artist raised his daughter Elena and son Pavel. He had a reputation as an ideal family man. However, recently a resident of the Moscow region, Vasily Seleznev, made a bold statement. He claims that Kartsev lived in two families and that he is the illegitimate son of a famous artist.
more on the topic The amount of Roman Kartsev's inheritance has been announced. The artist died at the age of 80. He is survived by his wife, son and daughter, who are about to enter into inheritance rights.
Kartsev’s own son Pavel appeared in the “Actually” program. He immediately stated that he did not believe his new brother.
“He is a deceiver, an impostor. This simply cannot happen,” the man assured. According to him, a few months ago he was relaxing at a friend’s birthday party. Vasily performed on stage, entertaining the guests. Then they exchanged contacts, and a few days later this man called and stated that he was the artist’s heir. Pavel noted that Vasily was denigrating the name of his father.
“Before his death, his mother told him the name of his real father. He was raised by his stepfather all his life,” the hero of the program shared Seleznev’s words.
He emphasized that Vasily refused to do a DNA test, as well as provide any other evidence of relationship with Roman Kartsev. Pavel admitted that he was worried about the health of his elderly mother, so he was hiding information from her about the artist’s alleged illegitimate son.
Pavel spoke about his meeting with his new brother. photo: frame from the program “Actually”
When Vasily appeared in the studio, he said that his mother died in 2012. Then he learned the name of his real dad. “Mom said that they met several times. She worked on Kutuzovsky Prospekt in a hair salon, and he went to see her,” the young man shared. “I don’t need anything from your family,” he turned to Pavel. As you know, after the actor’s death, his heirs received real estate: an apartment in Moscow and two country houses.
Vasily assured that he did not need the actor’s inheritance. photo: frame from the program “Actually”
However, a polygraph test showed that Vasily is still envious of Kartsev’s son and his wealth. After this, Pavel admitted that he secretly carried out a genetic examination, taking material for the test during a meeting with his alleged brother. “The likelihood that Pavel Kosinsky and Vasily Seleznev are brothers is practically excluded,” said presenter Dmitry Shepelev. The investigation showed that Vasily’s mother did not have an affair with the actor. He was born to a man who served time in a penal colony in Penza.
