The time of Zhvanetsky

Like any brilliant writer, who also turned out to be a real tuning fork, Mikhail Zhvanetsky will always be perceived by his contemporaries ambiguously. And above all, because the era, in which he had to serve even a searchlight, but a small flashlight, just a reminder that the light exists has long ended. And he tried to remain this flashlight, tried to blink in the world and, perhaps, did not even notice the moment when the darkness was thickened so much that no spotlights, not like lanterns.

The phenomenon of Zhvanetsky - like the phenomenon of every popular writer and actor - consists not only in undoubted giftedness, but also in the fact that this giftedness manifested itself on time when people longed for her. By the time of his arrival on the stage, not only satire was destroyed, there was no mention of any humor. All this was trampled by Stalinist boots, and Khrushchev’s shouting did not have to jokes. The then comedians baked America - however, like the current, pretending to be leading television shows. The then satirists were saved exclusively by the power of their own personality and charm. This is precisely the secret of the popularity of Arkady Raikin, and not at all in the texts that he read to Zhvanetsky.

His contribution to the collapse of authoritarianism is huge, even if he himself could not understand this

Zhvanetsky changed this situation beyond recognition. And by the power of his talent, and by the power of the Jewish tradition, who knew how to laugh at someone else's power so that this power, which had exclusively with its own national sense of humor, simply could not recognize the echo. As once Sholom Aleicham, he brought Russian and other peoples of an alien empire, Jewish humor. But Sholom Aleichem wrote for his own. Zhvanetsky made this alien humor the property of other peoples, forced them to believe that these were their jokes, their laughter, their mockery. And these peoples simply had no other way than to believe Zhvanetsky, because they also had no other opportunity to laugh at the stupid, but cruel power.

So another Raikin arose. Raikin, who had a mission. And so Zhvanetsky arose, who could say from the stage what his viewers were afraid to say to each other even in the kitchen. I can’t say that he taught these people not to be afraid-how can a Soviet Jew, trying to survive and make a career, teach someone not to be afraid? I can say that he taught these people to think and reflect - important qualities, almost atrophied by life in the Soviet environment. Indeed, among these people were by no means not only listeners of Western radio stations, but also spectators of Soviet television channels. They needed Zhvanetsky as air, was their "gray matter", their outlet. And his contribution to the collapse of authoritarianism is huge, even if he himself could not understand this.

Zhvanetsky knew how to resist stupidity, but never knew how to fight meanness

And then authoritarianism collapsed, and Zhvanetsky remained. And the most difficult era began in his life, the era, when everything seems to be possible, but nothing is needed. The era in which the democratic power looked like a party holder, and the authoritarian ruler pretended to be a democrat. If I say that this new government immediately fell in love with Zhvanetsky, then this will be not true. For a long time she simply did not notice him, she did not need him. Zhvanetsky became the national artist of his native Ukraine in the 20th century. He received all his Russian titles in XXI, already in old age. And the more cruel power became, the more diligent she awarded him. Because the rewarding of Zhvanetsky was one of the few ways to demonstrate its own favor to criticism - but one that itself did not threaten the regime itself. Because Zhvanetsky knew how to resist stupidity, but he never knew how to fight meanness.

And he longed for recognition, because he was always deprived of official veneration, almost his whole life. And therefore, until the last day, he was ready to be on the state television broadcast and accepted this damned order after the regime finally became cannibalic. But I will not allow myself to throw a stone at him for this - because I perfectly understand that he lived with a validol under his tongue all his life, with a heartbeat and a thirst for this recognition, albeit belated. Years will pass - and we will finally forget the XXI century Zhvanetsky, as I hope we forget about Putin. And the Zhvanetsky twentieth century will remain - in our memory, in our conscience, in our hope for the best. In the twentieth century, this bald man with a battered portfolio was our hero.

Mikhail Zhvanetsky - Guest Radio Liberty