Romantic conversation with Leonid Burshid under a bush

The other day, I had the honor to interview Leonid Davidovich Bershid, finalist of the Polit -Posvet Prize.

We met, as is customary in decent people, in the evening, which means - in a cafe, where, of course, it turned out to be too noisy for recording. But we drank a bottle of excellent wine, biting cheese, crushed before the conversation and in search of silence and rest wandered to the sports ground of a nearby school, where L. Bershidsky at the same time tried to practice rocking. But we were driven away, and as a result we conducted an impact round of an interview on a bench on Tver Boulevard.

Interview - here you will have to believe my word - it came out completely wonderful. L. Bershidsky was brilliant, accurate, rude, paradoxical, irresistible, even in places wise. You will have to believe me for the simple reason that the interview did not sign up. Not a single word. No sound. But the timing was recorded: 1 hour 47 minutes. And I recorded a rare, rare feeling. This, you know, when everything, absolutely everything as it should, is every detail of the world separately and all together, which is why it suddenly covers happiness.

Bershidsky in the darkness demonically shines with an eye and tells the interesting and close, and lilac hangs and smells drunk, beauties and monsters are ragged along the boulevard, neat old men are shuffling in the evening promenade, young creatures on the cosmic scooters, they fart from time to time of “Harlei”, and the sounds of the “Pushkin” are reported from time to time And the homon of an idle baby with a swing. Bershidsky says, smokes, I am irreplaceably fall in love with him, dozens of combed and elegant york, several familiar hipsters and non -huts, defiles the amazing articles of Ridzhbek with a group of walking, whisper, timid breathing, trill of the nightingale, a hand with a recorder froze.

Of course, it did not sign up. Could not sign up. Because without Ridzhbek, lilacs, gasoline and brilliant eye it would not be it. And happiness cannot be digitized, fortunately. In addition, my condition has become so deplorable during the interview, from a professional point of view, as much as possible. That is, in general, at a moment, I stopped by any critical perceiving the interviewee, no matter what a blizzard he was carried (he, however, did not carry a purple at all, but I was just lucky). In the end, a butterfly broke out from behind my ear and, wobbling, flew away towards Tass. How glorious that all this did not sign up.

Bershid, learning about the disappearance of audio, was not surprised. I have not to offer him to meet and talk everything again, given that he was already hidden from a formal interview. By heart, I did not remember so much, because I did not try, besides I was clearly not in myself. Therefore, I decided to try to turn this disaster. Let's consider it a modernist exercise. I will try to retell the lilacs heard under the bush.

So, “what Bershid said” (a very short presentation).

1. About the prize

L. Bershidsky expressed the deepest bewilderment in connection with the fact that he was among the nominees for the Polit -Svetvet Prize in principle, and even more perplexity about the fact that he was on the list of finalists. His comments were not the most friendly: from "What, there was no one at all?" Before "I was there?" L. Bershidsky expressed the conviction that he had nothing to do among the nominees of the award, which has a reputation as a “liberal” one. Firstly, because he is either a marginal or an outsider of modern Russian journalism: his own among strangers, a stranger among his own, is not enough liberal-appropriate for liberals and insufficiently proceeding for putinist loyalists.

Secondly, more importantly, from the point of view of L. Bershid, this prize certainly should be given to Ilya Azar. More precisely, the workshop of reporters in his face. Unlike the publicist workshop. Because, although “Azar is technically weak”, he is certainly the best that happened in the current political season on the journalism field.

2. About the profession

Recognizing that in the struggle for the same prize, tennis player and skier cannot compete, L. Bershidsky continues to regret that the jury of the prize did not go to the separation of reporter and columnist nominations initially, although such a decision was suggested. (I feel my personal guilt and responsibility for the fact that I did not take an active civil position in time as a jury member and did not propose this particular and really suggested decision. - T.M. )

Since there was no opportunity to compete on equal terms, all the same, according to L. Bershid, the organizers of the award should forget about those who write columns (the word “column” itself is always pronounced with some squeamishness), and focus on those who make reports. Because conscientious reporting - the ability to most fully and objectively convey to the reader information about what is happening - this is the pinnacle of the profession. Especially now. When, under the threat of disappearance, the best view of the reader is - a person who is important to see and hear, understand and understand, suffer from doubts and not find a way out. The reader and citizen who does not shy away from the complex and voluminous picture of the world, unlike the party, presented to him in the form of a semi -finished product. The reader, who, with the help of a reporter, serving him with remote eyes and ears, is ready to grow his own point of view, and not use someone else's. Azar (who, “yes, lacks school”) The only one turned out to be in the most necessary place at the very necessary time and tried, as he could, to be our eyes. Is this enough to receive a bonus? There are times such today that, perhaps, yes, sadly, but firmly concluded by L. Berschid

3. A little about myself (in my opinion)

L. Bershidsky said that although he was nominated for a prize for some columns (again speaks dismissively), published by him in the Russian media, he himself has not considered himself a Russian columnist for a long time. And the mentioned publications consider it more likely an accidental and by -product of his activity (“Once they willingly publish and pay, why not write when it is written?”).

The main activity of L. Bershid, strictly speaking, foreign - he works at Bloomberg. But there he does not write columns, but, according to him, “analyzes texts and facts”, then summarizing the results of the analysis and setting them out in the form, accessible and convenient for Bloomberg subscribers. In English, of course. And there - in Bloomberg - everything is very strict, understandable and transparent. Both in relation to the requirements presented to the texts, and in relation to the signs of their success, these are not likes in the FB, but only the fact of the recovery of subscribers in the media. When the article by L. Bershid publishes, for example, Atlantic Wire, he understands that he did his work damn well, and is overwhelmed with a sense of deep satisfaction. And he even ceases to ask a disturbing question whether he is worth the money that he is paid in Bloomberg. By the way, I specifically clarified what is the nature of this issue, and, to my amazement, L. Bershidsky - contrary to the reputation and the image of a cold and infinitely confident professional, replied that this question was completely not technical or material, but a purely existential property. (Then I finally lost my head.)

4. On propaganda and reasons

L. Bershidsky thinks about propaganda the same as every rational person. So you can omit the details by fixing the feeling of his deep aversion to what the Russian media are full of today, regardless of their political vector.

As for the causes of a disgusting phenomenon, L. Bershid, if we summarize about half an hour of conversation about this, sees them not so much in a fundamentally curve of human nature, but in the unhealthy economic structure of the Russian media. According to him, I in vain pushing for the natural lack of demand for the population for a quality product, an example of the same Bloomberg clearly demonstrates that with a reasonable and inventive scheme of investment, products and services, high -quality media may well exist and even flourish. Of course, Bloomberg is a special example, it is not the media at all, but a whole country.

However, the newspaper Vedomosti, quite high quality, allows itself to be a subscription. Although, L. Bershid, if we talk about the ancient way of existence - a circulation, is a conditional “life” with “Izvestia” (an excellent product in his segment, L. Bershidsky noted), of course, always have more chances for prosperity than their antipodes. But a good newspaper can not live in a single circulation, according to L. Bershid. However, no forecasts regarding the fact that new investors who are interested in creating a high -quality media product may appear on the Russian market, L. Berschidsky did not carefully do.

5. Who is to blame?

Here L. Bershidsky was not distracted by any subtle matters and complex patterns. He did not smear snot about the historical and cultural features of the titular nation, did not complain about the personal qualities of its leader, and in Liberian, he simply said that the state is always to blame, it is always one thing, “stsuko”. And in general, he said that all the good is still done in a merciless struggle with the state. Anyone, by the way.

6. About youth (I got carried away)

She was very interesting. “It turned out” that, living with pleasure youth, L. Bershid was not just involved in something, not just stood at the origins of something, but, what to hide, founded such media as “Vedomosti”, “Forbes”, Smartmoney (this is his beloved child), even Slon, not considering others. Not all of them survived, but some survived and perished. However, everyone is now working without L. Bershid (rumors about his bad character are in the city, but I did not notice). How did it happen that he founded so many things, and then it turned out that he left his grandmother and left his grandfather? L. Bershidsky does not have an exact answer to this question (or does not want), and he does not respect inaccurate.

According to him, all this he, then a young reporter with an excess of vital energy, fantasy and curiosity, did, because he was obsessed with something like a mania “to create as many sites as possible where you can work without cancer” (by the way, I still undergo censorship, do not hesitate). As much as possible - simply because the media sites and people frolic on them are a bizarre and not always amenable and planning. The more of them, the higher the likelihood that at least someone will not have to stand this same cancer.

The fact that L. Bershid did not establish, so he thoroughly bounced, little to do not have time to put his head and hands, including banking and investment business. It was truly a wonderful, enviable time, possibly just the youth of the spirit, multiplied by the youth of the body and the youth of the country (here is the exhaustive biography of L. Bershid, from which it is clearly follows that he is either an outstanding adventurer, or a genius, or all at once: http://lenta.ru/lib/14174386/ )

7. About Baunov

I asked L. Bershid (this was a custom question, of those who pressed the presidents give to loyal journalists ahead of time at annual press conferences), for which he tried to dismiss A. Baunov ten years ago. L. Bershidsky answered simply: for the fact that A. Baunov at that moment did not know anything and was absolutely unsuitable. According to him, A. Baunov is “a highly educated and introspective person”, burdened with knowledge of countless languages ​​and, in general, knowledge and has just left the diplomatic service, and then he has already gravitated to create exactly the texts that are glorified today.

Today, L. Bershidsky himself - not for work - reads almost the only A. Baunov and enjoys this reading even when he does not agree with the author on the merits at all. But in 2004, the Russian Newsweek, from which L. Bershid tried to dismiss A. Baunov, was conceived as a replacement for the TV (Ha, paper TV), and it was precisely reporting work, which A. Baunov did not only know how to do at that moment, but did not want to do it. But L. Bershidsky then failed to dismiss A. Baunov, because A. Gordeev (the accomplice of L.B. according to the project), who nevertheless either washed or with washing, gradually taught A. Baunov to the beginnings of the craft and raised him as an employee and even a reporter. For what, L. Bershidsky hopes, A. Baunov is experiencing enduring gratitude against A. Gordeev.

It is curious that the topic of ingratitude, which, according to many, should somehow feel in relation to himself the legendary founder of L. Burshid projects, I just could not promote at all. Even vice versa: he made it clear to me that satisfaction, excitement and pleasure he experienced in the process (always acceptable, and sometimes generously paid), were so full, and the factor of chance of many events and meetings, without which nothing would have happened, was so obvious that he did not think about any gratitude to him, from anyone else, because he was at all. And you know? I completely believe him because I understand.

Bottom line (without codes)

Those who win are impudent, who do not want to work in an uncomfortable pose, or the state of hostile to them, - L. Bershid, of course, does not know. The pendulum will inevitably continue to swing, but its amplitude is unknown even to Bershid. It seems to many that today the pendulum is almost at the peak, but no one will guarantee that he will have time to swing again (back) during our lifetime. There is always hope. Moreover, a lot of strokes has already got into our generation. Strictly speaking, we have already lived in three completely different countries, without changing their place of residence: in a scoop, in a conditionally “new Russia” and somewhere else, where we still live.

But no future is afraid of L. Bershid. “In any case,” he said, “I will not be lost, because I am a Soviet person.” In the sense that he can and can do everything that was supposed to be able to be able to normal Soviet man in the era of a deficit of goods and services, and even more: he is able to do full -scale repairs, establish an electrician, and he probably was able to remember a turning business, and he still worked with a turner. In addition, the wife “knows how to draw a still life with a candle”, which, coupled with his skills, promises the family a completely prosperous life, all newspapers-magazines-portals will close. However, L. Bershidsky believes that the ability to write smart texts in English will allow him not to refresh the factory everyday life for a long time. He, as it turned out, can write French, although not with the same ease as in English, but you can always fit if you wish. Here are those who have not learned in a timely manner of languages, with a catastrophic scenario will have to be tight. “But they, excuse me, will speak how completely liberal, they themselves are to blame, yeah,” L. Bershidsky said harshly and, having tightened, with M , Koy asked: “So, you can’t give an Azar?” No? .. This is wrong ... That's what: just give the Revzin award. He is exactly the best among all, and his language is beautiful, it is a lot and very important. ”

***

PS parting in the subway with Berschid and not yet knowing about the focus with the recorder, I chewed his finger with her finger and said that I did not intend to vizize anything. And he, of course, agreed. Still, he is too gullible, I think. Although he supplied his autobiography at Snob ( http://www.snob.ru/profile/25023 ) with a dietary epigraph “I Don 'Want to Belong to Any Club that Will Accept People Like Me AS AS AS”.