"On my birthday, the country shuddered": Anna Shatilova about the age and intricacies of working on Soviet television

- You have told many times in an interview that, even as a little girl, they read poems from the stage, as if they were preparing themselves for her. And I wonder: is this deep velvety voice you have from nature? Or did you have to work on the timbre?

- I think I have no acting education. I have a pedagogical education - and four courses of physical and mathematical. Then there was the radio, the 1959th year, the competition ... I was taken to a beginning youth group, where my teachers were Olga Vysotskaya and Vladimir Borisovich Gertsik. And then began the penetration into the profession - what is a speaker.

At that time I was almost finishing my physics and mathematics. Olga Sergeevna says: “Well, something else is needed, philfak”. I had to go to the philological in absentia, again to the first course. And, as a result, a diploma of a philologist.

Of course, this is more suitable for the profession. A lot of actors finish theatrical, and not one. But they have no votes. I am convinced that the sooner you go on stage and read poetry ... and when you are at the hall, like Red Square, a little girl, you read - obviously, there is a natural voice cast. So it seems to me.

- At some point, around the 1990s, the old announcer's guard was replaced by journalists on television. Immediately began hesitancy, stuttering. How did you survive these times?

- Yes, you know, the department was already large - we started it on Shabolovka, when we were only ten speakers, black and white television, always live broadcasts.

Until now, I love only live broadcasts. Red Square - live, "Time" - live. "Lights" on Shabolovka - live broadcasts. Full is mobilization. And not only you. Everything, operators, sound engineers, illuminators are involved, and everything turns out well. “Full mobilization,” as I say.

• Announcer of the Central Television of the USSR State Television and Radio Committee Anna Shatilova
• RIA News
• © Vitaly Belousov

Some were very worried, gone ... Do you know what it means for me to find my own business, my profession? This is such a happiness, such a holiday! And still work as a teacher. I am still in demand in my profession as an announcer.

By the word "presenter" I am very cautious. I see a show on the canals, the girls are sitting there from the street, but they are signed as “Socialite and TV presenter”. Although she leads nothing! Maybe someone she leads somewhere, but in any case, she is not a TV presenter.

And, when my TV presenter is so very (called. - RT ), I say: “No-no-no, I have a rare beautiful profession - announcer. Which has its foundations, and I own it. "

- You said that the "souffleur" you could not read at one time.

- Yes, it was not possible.

- Now, of course, all the leading work on the "prompter". From my point of view, it is very cool, comfortable - wonderful.

- Technique came to the rescue. And before that — interrupt you — we all did the broadcasts. There was an installation: "The announcers are all broadcasts."

So "Musical kiosks" began to lead me. Two or four "Musical kiosk", probably. Imagine, Shabolovka. I work. The time is 11 o'clock in the evening. Tomorrow I have a “Music Kiosk” at 10 am. I have no text, nothing. And the beautiful Eleonora Belyaeva, editor, brings in the narration of the "Kiosk" - we had to learn everything word by word.

I say, "Eleanor, well, when is this the end?" You must lead them. You are a musician, you know everything. ” And so, I teach this text until night. On the air, the claviers are already showing that I am an expert.

When asked why the memory is so good. Yes, because we had to learn everything by heart. Not a word from myself.

- Previously, television was warm - even though you couldn’t say anything from yourself ...

- Russian speech is very melodic, smooth. Therefore, we even read the program “Time” very calmly. When the speakers were removed, I worked with the presenters in the “Time” program for a while.

• Announcer of the USSR Central Television Anna Shatilova
• RIA News
• © Igor Mikhalev

Here is Anya Prokhorova - she is now on TVC. We quickly revered and revered her, and Anya was on the air. I watch it. Call An elderly man calls: “My wife and I are watching the news. What does she tarator? We can not understand anything. Anka comes. I say: "An, call, outraged that you ...". She replies: “Anna Nikolaevna, and now it’s new — 168 words should be pronounced per minute.”

This influence, I think, is CNN. First of all, we got these screens in our announcer. Well, there is another speech, another pitch. She told me that.

- You told somewhere that it was impossible to say on the air: “Sorry, for technical reasons ...”.

- Yes of course. Here, there is a program "Time". Previously, we stood the lectern. And the poor helper, with headphones, and photos nearby. Photo black and white - there, let's say, Brezhnev. In another photo, something else ... The assistant says: “So, take pictures, go on the air. Now this ... ". And suddenly she had all these screensavers — the pictures fell! ... It was awful. Or something like that.

And that's all. We are on the air, 21 hours. People are watching. Now I would say something with humor: “Do not worry, comrades. In a minute we will continue, and that's it. ” And then we just sat there, holding us. Even the speakers themselves out of a sense of solidarity with the technicians did not speak.

If I say “technical”, then they will be punished, they will not be given a bonus. This feeling is such that we are in one, so to speak, bundle.

Therefore, we sat, although we know that for technical reasons - but did not break for anything.

- I remember you told about your first broadcast, which could be the last, because then there was no connection with the director ...

- You know, sometimes the viewer is confused now, my films are shown. This is Russia, male speakers are not working. The men have already been shot, and our good reporters have been put into the Vremya program: Volodya Molchanov, Sergey Medvedev, Krutov. We worked with them. That ill-starred broadcast could also be the last. But it is presented as if this was my first broadcast.

Exchange of 50 and cent notes. It was terrible for the people. Igor and I worked on the air to Siberia, to Central Asia - all is well. And 21 hours. We sit in the wording, so far there is no text. Five minutes remains, less. "Quickly, quickly, now you will read some text." - "About what?" - "We do not know." I say: "Let him read." - "No, you will read." We flew into the studio. Here, if they show me in a red jacket, and I'm in the studio with a tube, this is the air.

• November 17, 2011. Dmitry Medvedev presents the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, III degree, to Announcer Shivilova, Director of the Broadcasting Directorate of Channel One, at a ceremony in the State Kremlin Palace
• RIA News
• © Vladimir Rodionov

What to read - we do not know. Already there is a musical hat "Time - forward." The text is being passed to me - torn, from the teletype. I lower my eyes, I still do not know what. I turn on the microphone - but it does not turn on, I see. I start. He again: "Read, read." I am already in the inner room through the glass: "My microphone does not work, the microphone does not work." This is all very often now shown on the air as the first exit.

Indeed, they then found out: the wire of my microphone was torn off. And for the first time — they never wrote about us, the “yellow press”, apparently, was still ripe — it was written, I read it myself: (for some reason, eight), and she became ill. She fell and knocked the microphone down. ” Something like this.

And the first exit was completely different. This is on Shabolovka.

- In general, you have - and we have - an amazing profession. Wonderful people come to us, how many stories they tell!

- Yes, it is a fantasy that gave the profession, Shabolovka. Only Shabolovka. Ostankino also in the project, probably, was not. Space age All the astronauts come, we meet them, talk with them. Another "News Relay" was then, Yuli Valerianovich Fokin led. They are all there. And we, announcers, are obliged, so to speak, by status, to communicate with them. Or we have a year of the whole festival “Talents”. Chairman of the jury Lemeshev. Lemeshev!

Right now I am following this very much. All legends, all stars, all geniuses forget that a hundred years must pass - a century that will show who the legend is, who is the genius.

Now she is once on the air, and she is already a star. I sang to the soundtrack - already a star, already behaves as it is impossible to behave.

My beloved Levitan and Igor Aleksandrovich Moiseev - that’s who the real legends are, you know? What do you, the profession gave so many wonderful meetings! ..

- How did you manage to combine work and family?

- Even when I was already living on Argunovskaya, I moved to Ostankino, it was superimposed. New Year, “Time” I read. The first of January, eight in the morning, "News" - Shatilova, she lives next door!

My love for work is incredible, but the family has always been in the first place. Until I cooked dinner ... I even managed to make it: we had a stove in Ostankino. Barber and stove. I knew that now Kirill will come from school, there is no dinner. I brought semi-finished products to Ostankino, a saucepan. Cooked a quick lunch. Then the stove was removed.

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- You recently celebrated your birthday.

- This is a great sadness. I'll explain now.

For a whole year I was in a state of the worst. I say to Seva, my eldest grandson, my friend, so to speak, “Sevka, as I am afraid of approaching this date, that’s all!”. We go with him to the Pharmaceutical garden - we often go there - and I say: "Seva, is already approaching, they will start calling, congratulating." He says: "An, well, you say: thank you guys, well, sorry, it happened, they say, this and that."

Yes, the country has stirred up - calls and stuff. I know that women live in Europe who themselves do not know how old they are. They live, enjoy life, fall in love, travel ... We have people's control in action. Everyone should know, everyone is involved: channels, the Internet - everything. And this sadness is terrible! I am glad now that this is all over. Here, I will be back today - I will throw out more bouquets. The country stirred, shuddered even.

- You yourself answered my question about how old you feel. I realized that age does not exist for you.

- Yes Yes Yes. What age guys you what?

Watch the full interview at RTD.