In what troops did you serve?

Actor Andrei Petrov - on the service in the army, the fight against homophobia and the show "Comedy Battle"

The open gay and actor of Stand Up, the show Andrei Petrov went on February 23 on the central streets of St. Petersburg on the poster "I have been congratulating his boyfriend from February 23. We served two years. And you?" Thus, he spoke simultaneously against homophobia in the city where the "red -haired man" lives, and the holiday of the defender of the Fatherland.

Petrov told Radio Liberty that he was struggling with homophobia with the help of trolling and why, after serving in the army, on February 23, he turns off the mobile phone.

- Did you really serve in the army?

- Two years, and since then I am not afraid of anything.

- Have you tried to slope?

- Mom decided that I need to serve. My father was a military man, and my mother believed that the army would make me a man. She said they would give me a military ID, and then they would take me anywhere to work anywhere. She grew up in the village, and she has outdated ideas about life. I was very young then, I have not yet realized my homosexuality and felt very confused. Since my mother said in the army, then in the army. I served in the guards four times the banner artillery part of constant combat readiness in the city of Luga of the Leningrad Region. Imagine, a 19-year-old humanitarium (spent childhood in theatrical circles), a painful contradiction between the demand of society to marry and the attraction to men is ripening inside.

Some kind of nonsense occurred: officers beat soldiers, Russian soldiers beat Dagestan soldiers, Russian soldiers of Russian soldiers also beat

And in this state they put me in a very wild place called the Russian army. Some nonsense took place there: the officers beat soldiers, Russian soldiers beat Dagestan soldiers, Russian soldiers of Russian soldiers also beat.

The kidneys were beaten right away. I asked: for what? I was calmly explained, it should be done, I need to be patient and soon I myself will be able to beat people. After a year and a half, I became a "grandfather", and they told me that I was now obliged to beat "spirits". I refused because I managed to make friends with newcomers. They answered me: if I do not "grandfather", it will throw a shadow on all old -timers, pulls the system, a disaster will happen. Then I asked me to be transferred to a guard guard. I did not appear in the unit anymore, so I did not first hit anyone.

- Your colleagues realized that you are gay?

“I myself did not know that I was gay.” And that's good. If I accepted my homosexuality to the army, I would definitely tell someone about this.

- How could this end?

I believe that services in the modern Russian army should be avoided in any way

- The people with whom I served in the army were very limited. Almost none of these young men dreamed of creativity, interesting work, travel, passionate love, fascinating life, revealing their own individuality. My colleagues planned their future one template: find a woman, get a job, buy a car. In this scheme there was no place for something non-standard. They could beat me to death.

- How did you survive in such an atmosphere?

- I also plunged into the system. The essence of this system is to bend and stupidly comply with meaningless orders. For example, at the end of February, by the arrival of the army authorities, we painted last year's grass with green paint.

- This is a famous joke.

- But it was. I asked: "The general will see green grass at the end of winter and will be very delighted? Is the general a moron?" Or in a strong snowstorm, we cleaned the parade ground. You will free the meter from the snow, after five minutes it fell asleep again.

"The general will see green grass at the end of winter and will be very delighted? Is the general a moron?"

In Russia, the only result of the service in the army is spoiled health and shaken nerves. During the outfits in the kitchen, I saw that at the bottom of the boiler, where they cooked buckwheat soldiers for lunch, a centimeter layer of sand. And the bones were placed in the soup, because the meat on them was already rotten and green. I returned from the army and immediately asked: "Mom, am I a man now? Are you happy?" I believe that services in the modern Russian army should be avoided in any way. Remembering me about this experience is unpleasant and ashamed. I ask friends not to congratulate me on February 23.

- Why are you ashamed?

- I was in a system that teaches to kill other people. Recently, I walked and saw a woman showing a little son a weapon and explained that they were killed by bad uncles. I was wildly heard by these words.

- But it was on February 23 that you first went to a picket against homophobia. Why?

- Usually I turn off the phone on this day. But this year I decided to go out to people. There is a stereotype in society that gays are delicate, mannered boys in lipstick, but homosexuals serve in the army and police, at construction sites and factories. I wanted to show that gays are not a set of stamps, but different personalities.

- How did passersby react to your picket?

- Women aged and embarrassed, the girls wished good luck. One lady said that she did not believe written on the poster. I confirmed that everything was true (except that the guy is already a former), and advised her not to miss her chance to take a picture with a living gay. In the stable square, very cute girl and the guy read my poster, left, returned and presented the book by Oldos Huxley "On the wonderful new world." Then a huge formidable man came up to me and gloomily asked what troops I served. I decided, so my destruction came. Instead, we chatted a little on army topics. The man wished me good luck and left. He smiled, but I saw that his face is red and nodules play from conflicting feelings. Gay, who served in the army, stands on the street and congratulates his boyfriend, also a soldier. After the end of the military service, my former young man served two years on a contract. A formidable guy had a complete break in the template. It was this reaction that I achieved.

A formidable guy had a complete break in the template. It was this reaction that I achieved

“You talk about it so fun.” In St. Petersburg, gays are constantly beaten. For example, in October 2015, a passenger hit the LGBT activist Dante Theodori in the metro metro with a knitted scarf of the rainbow. And in November last year, LGBT activist Alexei Bestovynoy was beaten around the cinema, where a film was going on about gay persecution in Nazi Germany. Wasn't you scared?

- I had fun. I looked in the eyes of people and smiled. I have not seen enemies in them, maybe that's why most passers -by reacted either neutral or friendly. In addition, I'm used to being open. I performed in clubs in Moscow and St. Petersburg in the Stand Up genre. He went on stage in front of the heterosexual public and said: "My name is Andrey. I am an open gay." And then he told in a playful manner about his life, service in the army, relations with his mother.

- What clubs did you perform in?

- at different sites as part of the Open Microphone project, which organizes TNT channel. Any beginner actor can act and look at the reaction to the audience: funny or not.

- How did the public perceive you?

- First, shock and gobbled eyes. Some quickly sober, and then listened. Sometimes they laughed to tears, sometimes they reacted sluggishly. Individual people shouted: "Fu, fag, shut up!" The comedians showed a microphone defiantly wiped several times after me. The presenters explained to them that doing this ugly. After the show, the audience approached me and wondered: a gay-stand-up can openly talk about himself, and even in a positive way. They explained that it is difficult for them to understand some jokes, because they do not know anything about relationships in homosexual couples. But now they will think about how LGBT live in Russia.

The comedians protruding the microphone defiantly wiped several times after me

- For you, participation in the show is activism, hobbies or profession?

- All together. I have many different hobbies. Stand Up is one of them. But I achieved some success in this area. I took part in the selection of participants in the Comedy Battle program, the first stage was held. The editors of the project said that they had long been looking for a comedian-geya, because jokes on a homosexual topic from the mouth of heterosexuals sound disgustingly.

- Andrey, do not you think that LGBT is not up to jokes now?

- I do not want the inhabitants of Russia to create an image of a poor, oppressed, clogged gay. So far, we have the strength to joke over ourselves and all this crazy reality. There is strength to smile at people, tell them about themselves, conduct a dialogue with society. But I'm never joking on the topic of homophobia, it is too terrible. I finished my performance as a bike as they robbed me. "Real fagots stole a bag. In my life, I met a lot of fagots, but I doubt that they were all gays. Please do not confuse these concepts."

I do not want the inhabitants of Russia to create an image of a poor, oppressed, clogged gay

- On the air of the Comedy Battle program, you said to the whole country about your homosexuality. How did you decide on this?

- I decided that it was time to make a cangus. Many of my friends knew that I was gay, but not all. Why inform everyone individually, if you can say to everyone right away.

- And what happened next?

- I sat sad in the morning. In my hometown of the small city of Kandalaksha Murmansk region, a commotion began. In urban public "VKontakte" they wrote only about me. The Kandalaksha Pedica from the TV, Gee-Pomikadze-as commentators called me. The local Komsomolskaya Pravda reproached that I disgraced the whole northern edge. Outraged fellow countrymen threatened: "Do not walk in the dark corners, we will meet, kill." Easy: in Kandalaksha in June a polar day.

- Did you have a desire to leave the country?

- On the contrary, I immediately after the Kamangout came to Kandalaksha, because I was worried about my mother. And I spent it all summer there, went on campaigns, went in for sports. When the guys and I played badminton on the playground, a black car with tinted glasses drove up to us, like in a thriller. From there they began to shout: "Petrov, come out, a vile fagot!" I went to the car, but for some reason she quickly left. I did not understand what kind of performance it was ... On the beach, one drunken citizen tried to beat me, but could not resist his feet, fell and fell on his side. At the front door of my house they wrote: "Direct fag." The saddest thing is that they did not put a comma in this sentence. Homophobia, in my opinion, does not free from knowledge of punctuation.

At the front door of my house they wrote: "Direct fag"

- I saw a video with your performance on TNT. The jury members listened to you with stone persons and stated that they were not funny. I am not a big fan of Camedy Club, but you joked no worse than the finalists. Why did the jury have such a reaction?

- I was warned before the speech that, most likely, I would not go to the second round. The television company does not have experience working with comedians. After the end of the show, Pavel Volya said: the jury and the audience shocked my first words so that they could not laugh. This year I again wanted to take part in this show. The editors refused and advised them to leave the country rather. I was upset because I dream of being the first gay-stand-up in Russia. The first who does not live with Alla Pugacheva. I hope I will continue to perform in clubs.

- Do you have any problems with work after a camingout? Colleagues, friends how did you take the news of your homosexuality?

- I do not plan to make a career. I work as a hookah and a waiter, I write a book. I was fired from the St. Petersburg cafe. Three months after the device, the director said: "We do not need such people." I asked: "What kind of people you do not need?" He snapped: "Well, people like you yourself understand." I to him: "I don't understand what they are." Ten minutes later, the director squeezed out the word "gay" of such a meaningful dialogue. I answered him: “I hear badly, do not bite through your teeth. Loudly and clearly say:“ Gays we don’t need, ”and better say:“ I am a homophobic. Well, let's together, together: "I am a homophobic."

Say loudly and clearly: "We do not need gays." And better say: "I am a homophobic. Well, let's together, together:" I am a homophobic "

- Trollte homophobes, as I look.

- Talling is the best way to combat homophobia. I often resort to him. When I get acquainted with new people, I almost always say right away that gay. Once I was resting with a friend of Seryozha in Anticafa. Stranger guys approached us and offered to play the board game together. Among them was a pleasant couple: a girl and a guy, they constantly kissed passionately. I said: "Guys, Seryozha and I look at your love and also cannot restrain our feelings." And he began to hug Seryozha. Then the guy stopped kissing the girl and asked angrily: "Are you a fagot?" I made round eyes and answered: "Oh, God, am I really a fagot? Do not scream so loudly about it, Seryozha suddenly recognizes." My friend played along, made round eyes and asked: "Andrey, are you a fagot? This is a surprise! I am also a fagot." And we began to kiss. The guy got up and headed for the exit. “Where did you go and threw your girlfriend,” I shouted after him. “Although you go alone. Good girls do not go home with homophobes.”