The popularity of television reality shows, which until recently so rapidly and seemed to break into our lives forever, is now falling just as rapidly. Already no one with the same passion follows the usually lazy life of those loitering "behind the glass", ...

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the popularity of television reality shows, which until recently so rapidly and, it seemed, burst into our lives forever, is now falling just as rapidly. No one with the same passion follows the usually lazy life of those loitering “behind the glass”, and the intrigues of the “Last Hero” are of interest only if they are started by stars. It is becoming more and more difficult for TV channels to fight for the “reality viewer”. Against this backdrop, REN TV has taken an unprecedented step: real-time coverage of the circumnavigation of the world.

On the most extreme sport on the seas - a solo non-stop circumnavigation - decided ... a pilot. Oleg Anisimov, Lieutenant General of Aviation in the reserve, Honored Military Pilot of the USSR, former commander of the USSR Air Defense Aviation, member of the Russian Ocean Sailing and Seychelles Yachting Clubs, turned 60 last November. Retirement age was marked on the new yacht Valentina. The newborn yacht has already received its baptism of fire, hit by a hurricane on December 11 last year in Novorossiysk. Now Valentina is raised, fully restored and is waiting for the first passage to the Seychelles, from where the start is scheduled for the beginning of April.

In total, such voyages in the world were made no more than dozens of times and never by Russian yachtsmen. In order for the circumnavigation to be credited, three conditions must be met: do not replenish supplies - do not take anything on board (except mail); do not stop - go around the world without entering any port; and most importantly, to reach the antipode, a point on the other hemisphere, opposite to the exit point. The last moment will be recorded by a representative of the Russian Olympic Committee, a trustee of the Guinness Book of Records. By the way, if successful, Oleg Anisimov will become the first person to circumnavigate the world at the age of over 60.

The information sponsor of the project is the REN TV channel. On the day of the start of TO "Military Secret" a documentary film "The Point of Separation" about the fate of Oleg Anisimov was prepared. According to the results of the voyage, the first "real" series will be filmed. However, REN TV does not intend to wait almost a year. The yacht is equipped with two stationary cameras and one portable one, which will be operated by Oleg Anisimov himself. Once a month, containers with video cassettes will be dropped from the yacht at designated places. As a result, the viewer will be able to see everything that happens on Valentina.

“What we want to do is “reality”, but not a show,” they say on REN TV. You can’t get off the yacht, and the “games” here are invented not by a specially hired psychologist, but by life itself. We cannot predict what our viewers will witness - the struggle with the elements, with pirates or with oneself. It is not in our power to write or change the script, we can only observe.

The journey will take 9 to 11 months. Stocks of food, vitamins and water are already on the yacht. Loneliness, as well as the fact that almost a year of his life will become the object of close observation of other people, Oleg Anisimov is not afraid. "Most fighters are single-seat, so I'm used to being alone, and if anyone is interested in what I'll do, well, I don't mind, let them watch." He believes in success at the first attempt by 90 percent. But “life is business. And the case must have a result. I used to be responsible for the result. And if I break loose, it means only one thing ... There will be a second attempt.

"Novaya Gazeta" №18