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The most popular blunders and slips of sports commentators (8 photos). Our sports commentators

A sports commentator is a journalist who covers sporting events in real time.

Features of the profession

Commentators, as a rule, are professional journalists who have excellent knowledge in a particular sport; Vasily Vyacheslavovich Utkin is a prime example of this. He completed four courses at the philological faculty of the Moscow Pedagogical University state university them. V.I. Lenin. Never played football at any serious level. Since 1992, he got a job on television - as an editor, and hosted the TV show “ Football club", he became a football commentator since 1996, and in 2004 and 2005 he was a winner of the TEFI Award in the category "Best Sports Commentator of the Year". The profession is suitable for those who are interested in foreign languages ​​and Russian language and literature (see choosing a profession based on interest in school subjects).

And the great Ozerov! Honored Master of Sports, 24-time USSR tennis champion, People's Artist of Russia, famous sports commentator, many of his sayings went to the people. Ozerov was not a journalist, he studied at the acting department of GITIS, then worked at the Moscow Art Theater as an actor. And already at 28, he conducted his first independent report on the Dynamo-CDKA football match.

Nikolai Ozerov reported from fifteen Olympic Games, thirty World Hockey Championships, eight World Football Championships and six European Football Championships! He worked in forty-nine countries around the world as a sports commentator!

Only the great Kote Makharadze could compare with Nikolai Ozerov! Kote received a theater education at the Tbilisi Institute of Arts, then worked in the theater as a director and actor, and became famous in Georgia. We visited Kote and sporting achievements. Makharadze won the USSR Cup three times as part of the basketball Dynamo, in which he played from 1944 to 1948.

Kote Ivanovich was loved by the entire Soviet Union, because Kote Makharadze had incredible charm and kindness. His remarks were often funny. Here are some of them: “And I say that Lipko could not see anything between Filimonov’s legs!!!”, “The referee gives a warning: do not take the ball away from the Colombians, they also want to play”, “The referee took the penalty out of his pants”, “Moscow army men play in red shorts with blue sleeves”, “Here... a blow! I noticed him back at the hotel.”

In general, if you want to become a commentator and don't have charm, it will probably not work out or it will turn out poorly.

But if you want to know what advantages there are in this profession, then keep in mind: the profession of a commentator is diverse, multifaceted and interesting. A commentator can comment on a competition, conduct discussions on sports topics on television/radio, work as a columnist, host television shows, write articles, and conduct his own columns in sports publications.

A lively and active young man will envy a sports commentator also because you won’t get bored with her - this is a “complex profession”: it includes writing from texts, analytics, hosting television and radio programs, and direct live participation in a sporting event (not one cannot do without a commentator). The profession requires a person to be collected and react with lightning speed to what has just happened.

Let's quote from the book by Kote Ivanovich Makharadze: “You must always remember that millions of “abnormals” are watching the report and listening to you, ready to tear you to pieces if you say something wrong or wrong about their favorites. But we give our all, giving our all, not in order to please anyone. But because we serve our favorite business, which gives us great joy and pleasure. And we are not chasing a long ruble: the commentary profession is the lowest paid among journalists. Despite the fact that in terms of nervous tension, degree of dedication, intensity of emotions, in general, in terms of the costs of the entire psychophysical apparatus of a person, this is the hardest work. This requires a special gift, the ability not only to think with lightning speed, but also to instantly splash out thoughts and words directly into the air.”

Workplace

The place of work of a sports commentator is television and radio studios, stadiums.

Important qualities

Any profession forces you to a certain way of life. A person who dreams of becoming a commentator works endlessly, travels everywhere, flies, changes time zones, constantly communicates with people, very different people. This means that a sports commentator must passionately love sports, he must remember a million names, facts, little things, he must be talkative and positive, have a rich vocabulary, be able to speak emotionally, artistically, excitingly. And again from Kote Makharadze’s book: “I was often asked what is special about my reporting. Why are they acceptable and interesting to everyone? social groups, including housewives and pensioners? I've been thinking about this and I think I've found the right answers. One of the reasons, I think, is that I never lied, or tried my best not to lie. Everyone is well aware that there was an era in our lives when it was necessary to lie, to introduce elements of ideology even into sports reporting. I tried my best not to do this, using moments of silence, subtext, humor, and finally. Another reason is the emotional intensity of the reporting. I always worried myself and tried to convey my feelings to the fans. Emotional restraint in our profession is very often not beneficial. And one more thing: I never slandered in my reports, did not allow myself caustic remarks or harsh assessments. He always left his grievances and bad mood behind the door of the commentator’s booth, trying to be friendly and objective.”

Where do they teach

As a rule, people who want to become commentators receive higher education by profession of journalism, they go to work for one or another sports newspaper, TV or radio program to practice, gain skills and gain experience and knowledge in one or another area. It happens that a sports commentator himself was an athlete. And the examples of Nikolai Ozerov and Kote Makharadze tell us another way.

Many sports fans sometimes have the feeling that the commentator is broadcasting incorrectly, and there is a desire to correct it. What is a sports commentator, how to become one?

Where to go to study

Most easy way becoming a commentator means graduating from the Faculty of Journalism with a specialization in sports activities. They can also help resolve this issue special schools. But they won't teach you everything.

It is impossible to designate a specific time during which one can become a commentator; experience comes with practice. Educational institutions cannot provide practical experience; they only cover the basics of this profession.

Among other things, there are commentator courses. They are most often used by former athletes or coaches who later become excellent sports commentators. It should be noted that this requires a love of sports. Without this, you won't be a good commentator.

Professional and personal qualities

The profession of a commentator is an art, because you need to captivate the viewer, and in most cases the latter does not even see the commentator’s face. Each game for a commentator should be a role, and the broadcast should be a stage.

This profession belongs to the public category. That's why professional qualities A sports commentator is well-read, educated and, necessarily, proficient in the literary language.

As for personal qualities, the commentator is a bright, optimistic person with powerful energy.

Professionalism in this job is achieved by the amount of reporting you do. Educational institutions have a self-training program for reporting; this is also a very important skill.

The secret of the profession

But not everything is taught in educational institutions. Much needs to be achieved through your own efforts. You need to read a lot of literature, get acquainted with world sports news, and know history.

When reporting, you must always remain objective. The commentator is the link between the viewer and the players, so it is better not to voice your personal preferences. A good one must objectively cover the entire game, convey everything as much as possible important information to the viewer.

Sports commentator - very interesting profession, which requires the ability to describe events from the world of sports in an interesting and lively language and the readiness to react with lightning speed to any change in circumstances. The ideal sports commentator is a mega-erudite person with a huge vocabulary, excellent diction and the presence of what is commonly called “charisma”.

Instructions

In order to have an idea of ​​whether you will be able to commentate on a match or race, during the broadcast, turn off the sound on the TV, turn on the voice recorder and try to cover what you see on the screen yourself. After listening to the recorded commentary, you will be able to say with a high degree of confidence whether you will turn out to be a good one.

Remember that the main quality that a sportsman should have is selfless devotion to the sport in which he covers the events. Naturally a person is always eager to gain new knowledge in an area of ​​interest to him, so a commentator who endlessly loves, for example, football, will talk about it in an incredibly interesting and vivid way. You have to act as a transmission link between what is happening on the field and the viewer, and this is a big responsibility. The latter will definitely feel the falsehood if for the commentator this is not a lifelong endeavor, but just a means of making money.

If you have any problems with diction, be sure to get rid of them, because clear speech is very important for a person who tells thousands of people about what is happening in the world of sports. Most of the successful ones at one time worked with speech technique teachers. In addition, in such a profession you cannot do without the ability to structure your thoughts and express them competently. In most cases, an outgoing extrovert who also reads a lot will have no problems with this.

As a rule, a sought-after sports commentator has a university degree. educational institution majoring in Journalism. Some of the commentators known today once came to practice on a sports channel or in the editorial office of a publication of a similar profile, and remained to work in this field. Sometimes former athletes make success in this profession, and this is not difficult to explain. They know well all the subtleties and nuances hidden from the eyes of the common man in the sport in which they themselves have competed for some time. It is the ex-athlete, who, in addition to his glorious past, also has the gift of eloquence, who can tell any interesting facts related to sports in a form understandable to the average viewer.

Keep in mind that it is unlikely that anyone will come to your home and call you to one of the TV channels as a... To get a job in one of the sports media outlets, you can send out a resume, go through interviews or, finally, try yourself as a volunteer at a major sporting event. If you are determined and have enough potential to work as a sports commentator, sooner or later your dream will definitely come true.

Useful advice

If you do not have the talent to hold the attention of a multimillion-dollar television audience for a long time or you are unable to react with lightning speed to changes during, for example, a football match, do not despair. Working as a sports commentator includes writing texts on a given topic, discussions on the results of a particular sporting event, and interviewing athletes. Thus, the commentator can retrain as a sports commentator or a representative of some other related specialty.

Sources:

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Tip 3: Which Olympic awards were a pleasant surprise?

The results of the Olympic Games in London, which ended on August 12, should be considered very successful for the Russian team. Having won a total of 82 medals, including 24 gold, 26 silver and 32 bronze, the Russian team confidently took 4th place. And in terms of the total number of medals, the Russians were far ahead of the hosts of the Olympics - the British athletes, who took 3rd place only thanks to more awards of the highest standard.

Of course, any award at the Olympic Games is very honorable for both the athlete and the country he represents. But even among them there are some that came as a pleasant surprise and are therefore especially valuable. For example, in the very first days of the Olympics, when our team as a whole did not perform very well, Russian male judokas showed excellent results. Without exaggeration, we can say that our athletes literally shocked judo experts and especially the Japanese, who are traditionally very strong in this sport. A particularly pleasant surprise was the gold medals of Arsen Galstyan, Mansur Isaev and Tagir Khaibulaev.

An undeniable surprise was Elena Lashmanova’s gold, won in the race walking competition at a distance of 20 kilometers. As she herself admitted, she never even dreamed of such success. After all, all sports commentators and experts in this sport believed that the main contender for first place was another Russian woman, Olga Kaniskina. Nevertheless, in the final stretch of this most difficult distance, Lashmanova was able to beat Kaniskina and win the Olympic gold medal.

And, of course, we can’t help but mention the gold of the Russian pair of kayakers Alexander Dyachenko/Yuriy Postrigay at a distance of 200 meters. The British, traditionally strong in rowing, were considered the undisputed favorites in this discipline, especially since Russian athletes began training together quite recently. Nevertheless, it was the Russians who got the gold, and the hosts of the Olympics were ultimately content with only third place.

The bronze medal received by the Russian pair of badminton players Valeria Sorokina and Nina Vislova, who defeated the experienced Canadian duo Alex Bruce/Michelle Lee in the match for third place, was also a pleasant surprise. And exactly the same impression was made by the bronze award of runner Ekaterina Poistogova, who took third place at a distance of 800 meters. Talking about this race, the athlete did not hide the fact that it was very difficult for her. “But I was able to reach bronze, I won literally a few hundredths of a second at the finish,” Ekaterina smiled.

Video on the topic

In the days when Moscow Spartak is trying to protect itself from Alexei Andronov, the Prevention blog has calculated which of the sports commentators and presenters is most popular on the Internet. The number of subscribers on Twitter, the most popular social network among Russian commentators, was taken as a metric.

15. , “NTV-Plus”

Number of subscribers: 12073

14. , “NTV-Plus”

Number of subscribers: 12836

13. , “Eurosport Russia”

Number of subscribers: 13524

12. , VGTRK

Number of subscribers: 16734

11. Yuri Dud, VGTRK

Number of subscribers: 16918

10. , “NTV-Plus”

Number of subscribers: 17055

9. Nikita Kovalchuk, VGTRK

Number of subscribers: 17482

8. , “NTV-Plus”

Number of subscribers: 19716

Fans know the names of football players and head coaches by heart. But the main viewing assistants - commentators - remain without due attention.

Today we decided to compare the work of professionals in their field, some of whom will forever be remembered for their catchphrases.

Vadim Sinyavsky

Years of active career: 1935-1965

Vadim Sinyavsky is considered the founder of the commentator profession in domestic football. There have always been many rumors around Sinyavsky. The most important of them, the commentator, liked to come up with ideas at the microphone during his radio broadcasts. These rumors were partly confirmed in the era of emerging television. On screen, viewers began to hear Sinyavsky noticeably less often. When the fans had a picture before their eyes, it was impossible to come up with anything from the confines of the commentary booth.

It would be naive to argue that Sinyavsky gained his fame solely thanks to his ability to invent. His “inventions” were, rather, a highlight of the broadcasts, but not a basis or a superstructure. During the reign of radio, millions of football fans gathered at large speakers hung on poles, from which one could learn about the events of games with the participation of Soviet squads.

The unique timbre of Sinyavsky’s voice allowed him to decorate the airwaves with various aphorisms. In 1939, the commentator reported from the stadium in Sokolniki. Sinyavsky did not find one for himself best place than on a high branch, from which there was an excellent view of the football field. In the middle of the first half, Sinyavsky, as expected, fell off a branch and flew down. The commentator covered the path to the top of the live broadcast in just ten seconds. Finding himself at the microphone again, Vadim Svyatoslavovich immediately declared: “Dear friends! Don’t worry! It seems that you and I have fallen from the tree!”

In Gosteleradio, Sinyavsky’s opinion for a long time was the only measure of honesty and justice. The most popular commentator of the war and post-war era Soviet Union was considered the main mouthpiece of an apolitical nature. There was no need to expect patriotic speeches or reviews from Sinyavsky: he tried to comment without reference to the tension of the match. The division into “strangers” and “us” is a line that Sinyavsky also did not adhere to. Even in international matches, Sinyavsky tried to show his neutrality and strengthen friendship between peoples.

At the same time, there was one extremely unpleasant moment in his career that could have affected his work in front of millions of compatriots. In one of his reports, Sinyavsky took the following liberties: “The flags of fifteen so-called friendly republics of the Soviet Union are flying at the stadium.” This was said during the time of Joseph Stalin. Such sayings would lead to arrest, however, Vadim Sinyavsky was then able to get away with it.

The king of football radio broadcasts carried out his most famous work in 1945. The British tour of Dynamo Moscow was presented by Sinyavsky with such fervor and appetite that even the most banal moments became dangerous situations for the listeners. Sinyavsky made Khomich the main character of his broadcasts. Sinyavsky’s speech was heard in England, where almost all the country’s leading teams were ready to accept the goalkeeper of the capital’s club.

In the 50s, Sinyavsky began to give up. During the war, the commentator lost one eye, and as he grew older, it was difficult for him to see current events on the field. The love of alcohol also played a negative role in Sinyavsky’s gradual withdrawal to secondary roles. He was given commentary on wrestling and chess, but he considered football exclusively to be his life’s work. Sinyavsky passed the baton on air to Nikolai Ozerov.

Broadcast segments:“In an unusually beautiful acrobatic throw, Alexey Khomich parries a strong blow and saves our goal from a sure goal!”;

"Blow, another blow!";

“Kopeikin is Kopeikin, but the blow is in rubles!”

Nikolay Ozerov

Years of active career: 1950-1988

The most popular Soviet commentator, who remained in the memory of millions of football and hockey fans with his indelible phrases. Ozerov’s career began during a difficult political situation in the world. era cold war between the USSR and the USA left its mark: in his broadcasts, the Soviet commentator had to not only admire domestic football players, but also draw a thick, bold line between “us” and “strangers”.

In an era of intense political confrontation between two world empires in the Soviet Union and the United States, every effort was made to hush up the achievements of some and highlight the victories of others. What is even worth the “exchange of pleasantries” between the two countries during the 1980 and 1984 Olympic Games?! This has never happened before in world sports history.

Nikolai Ozerov was respected and loved not only among ordinary fans. A public person always knew that his words could cause serious professional problems, and for the sake of certain interests, Ozerov did not try to resort to a pessimistic analysis of the failures of Soviet football, which, in addition to victories, were enough during his years of activity at the microphone.

The famous writer Alexander Nilin loved Nikolai Ozerov very much, but this circumstance did not prevent him from seriously criticizing the popular commentator: “Only on July 10, 1960, Ozerov was who he really is. While commentating on the European Cup final, the outstanding athlete gave himself will. In the first and in last time. Later, according to Stanislavsky’s system, he played friendly officialdom, which responded to him in full.”

Ozerov was very lucky with the global events that befell him. Victory at the European Championship, constant performances of the national team at the World Championships, victories of Dynamo Kyiv in the European Cup, intense domestic matches. True, Ozerov commented on the matches of the USSR Championship not so brightly. Here he was forbidden to differentiate. For example, speaking on central television, Ozerov could not cheer for Spartak in the match against Vilnius Zalgiris.

Viktor Gusev, whose voice is known throughout the country, likes to repeat: “We are all chicks of the same Ozerov.” Ozerov really played a colossal role in the development of the commentator figure. It was he who first became egocentric: the reporting began to take shape not around the events on the field, but around him. He could present the same episode from different points of view, but always beneficial for the Soviet fan and officials. They forgave him for swearing on live television and for his disastrous commentating on the USSR-Poland match in 1982. Fans flooded Gosteleradio with letters asking them to remove the old commentator from the air, but Nikolai Nikolaevich prevailed with his authority.

The 24-time USSR tennis champion commentated on a total of fifteen Olympic Games, thirty world hockey championships, eight football world championships, six European championships, visited forty-nine countries around the world, and appeared in a number of documentaries and feature films. An ardent fan of Spartak, he forever carried with him his love for the “red-whites” and football. Ozerov left quietly, just like many heroes of the game of the 50s and 60s.

Broadcast segments:"Kick, goal! X.. goal! Barbell!";

“We don’t need this kind of hockey!”;

"Sorry for being late on the live broadcast. We're here from the rally."

Kote Makharadze

Years of active career: 1957-1988

The talented Georgian commentator experienced the collapse of the Soviet Union very acutely. Kote (Konstantin) Ivanovich could not believe that now Ukrainians and Kazakhs, Uzbeks and Georgians, Russians and Estonians, Kyrgyz and Armenians are on opposite sides of the barricades. The years of active commentary activity of Kote Makharadze coincided with the brilliant career of Nikolai Ozerov. Perhaps, another person would definitely have broken down under such competition or would have forever remained in memory solely as the “second goalkeeper,” but Makharadze’s velvety baritone haunted the multi-million army of Soviet fans.

Makharadze was a friend and student of Nikolai Ozerov, a like-minded person of the most famous television commentator of the Soviet era. Understanding and recognizing the authority of the master, Makharadze did not even try to copy Ozerov, although they had a lot in common. Ozerov loved to go on the big stage, but it was impossible for Nikolai Nikolaevich to achieve the same awards as Makharadze. Konstantin Ivanovich delicately controlled his own timbre of voice, facial expressions, understood the advantages of his style, based on the fact that he was both a commentator and a People's Artist of Georgia. In numerous interviews, Makharadze has repeatedly admitted that he is jealous of himself! The commentator did not like being called the king of reporting and just a good actor.

"Each new football match like a premiere. Before a person enters the striking position, the pulse accelerates to 200 beats per minute,” in one of his programs, Makharadze, in his unique baritone, talked about football, as if about a work of art. Actor Kote trained in the improvisation radio booth, speech tongue twisters, which were taught in the second year University, according to the memoirs of the classics, Makharadze loved pauses, he knew the value of them. “For emotional impact, sometimes it is much more important not to shout, but, on the contrary, to speak quietly,” Makharadze admitted in an interview.

“Yuri Ozerov once told me: “Everyone praises you for your Russian, despite your accent.” And I speak as best I can. “No,” he says, “all your colleagues - Maslachenko, Pereturin - speak Moscow slang. And you, Caucasians, know Russian from literature. According to Tolstoy, according to Turgenev." It’s true, I know this particular Russian. And one more thing. You know, there is such a movement in literature - it appeared in England, and then spread throughout the world - Erfuism. It’s a flowery language. You can’t say " it's raining". “The sky is crying!” This is inherent in Georgian, especially poetry. And how do I speak Russian? I instantly translate a phrase constructed in Georgian," - this is how the talented actor and commentator liked to present himself.

Kote Makharadze was lucky. Vadim Sinyavsky and Nikolai Ozerov, at the end of their careers, could not boast of being wealthy people in terms of financial well-being. Makharadze was luckier: after finishing his active career, he organized a one-man theater. All of Georgia admired the marriage of two beautiful and talented people - Kote Makharadze and Sofiko Chiaureli.

Broadcast segments:“While the ball is in the air, briefly about the composition of the playing teams”;

“The seventeenth minute ends, and instantly the eighteenth minute begins”;

“And Oleg Blokhin hit the ball - G-O-O-O-L!!! But, unfortunately, the ball hit the post, it was out of play, and in general my assistants tell me that it was not Blokhin.. ".

Vladimir Pereturin

Years of active career: 1978-2003

What Nikolai Ozerov lacked was embodied by Vladimir Pereturin. For the vast majority of our readers, it is Pereturin who is the “voice of childhood.” Remember how we, as very young boys and girls, rushed home from the street to watch his “Football Review”. For fans from the post-Soviet space, its broadcast remained banned for a long time. IN Central Asia“Football Review” was published at 22:30 Moscow time. In the 90s, ORT airtime was provided in a number of countries as a 5-hour evening broadcast. Pereturin’s project could be cut short by local television crews at any second, which made it look even more long-awaited in the eyes of men. With the development of satellite television, fans ceased to depend on the interests of local authorities, who allowed Russian media into the territory of some republics.

Vladimir Pereturin himself played football, but despite this, fans blamed him for not having a very competent understanding of the game. Indeed, it was almost impossible to wait for professional analytics on his broadcasts. Pereturin took it differently - with emotions, near-match situations and components. When going on air, Vladimir Ivanovich was always in an elegant suit, tie, and expensive watch. Ozerov and Makharadze were deprived of regular football programs on central television. Pereturin was luckier over time: for most of his career he criticized whoever he wanted and gave credit to whoever really deserved it, without specifying political forces. The face and calm timbre of Vladimir Pereturin’s voice were recognized not only by the whole of Russia, but also by nearby countries of the former Soviet Union. Pereturin was loved everywhere: in Riga, Tashkent, Yerevan and Bishkek.

Taking advantage of his own popularity, Pereturin, during the years of terrible shortages, competently obtained the necessary goods for his family. Once in Moscow I was absent from a number of stores, sorry for the details, toilet paper. But Vladimir Ivanovich pulled out huge rolls from under the floor, the supplies of which were enough for a month! Pereturin also purchased high-quality sausages, expensive European sweets, household goods.

“All these commentators with bird names - Utkin, Gusev, Orlov - are a disgrace. On the First, everyone is KGB, but Gusev is the main one. He survived me from television. And all the other commentators - they always talk not about football, but about how much they know. I used to be forced to subscribe to foreign newspapers and get all the news from there. They now have the opportunity to read and listen to anything, so at the Dynamo - Spartak match they talk about what is happening in " Real" or "Manchester", showing their knowledge. Well, then there are a lot of cliches. Previously, commentators even had their own cliches. Now - not," Pereturin remains so critical today.

Broadcast segments:“After the victory in 1955 over the world champion footballers of the Federal Republic of Germany, our players were given big gifts: five players received apartments, and the rest received televisions. Before that, they were mainly given bicycles”;

“Since we have a live broadcast of the second half, we asked Spartak to score their goals in the second half”;

“It was announced that Evgeniy Primakov was present at the Spartak - Real Madrid match. He whistled the entire match out of excitement. This bad omen. If you whistle, there will be no money, but you and I don’t have any money anyway!”

Vladimir Maslachenko

Years of active career: 1971-2010

Vladimir Maslachenko is a unique case in the Russian commentary workshop. Sometimes it becomes a shame for our reporting masters, who, after seventy years, rarely find decent work. The author of the material has access to satellite channels in Italy, where football experts and commentators are mostly experienced people who have seen more than one football match in their lifetime. Incendiary broadcasts from Bologna, Parma, the inimitable Tiziano Crudelli - all these middle-aged people create an inimitable spirit around the calcio.

Alas, in our country the situational order is slightly different. Schoolchildren are not interested in hearing about Maslachenko’s experience and Igor Netto’s honesty; give them “screaming talkers” who are only occasionally distinguished by their intelligence and intelligence. Vladimir Maslachenko, however, got along very talentedly with young people. Even the repeated expression "that guy" was never blamed on him. Vladimir Maslachenko was loved and respected even by colleagues from other TV channels. Correctness in reasoning, witty remarks, favorite pearls, “little commentary tricks”, colossal playing experience - no one could afford such a set under Maslachenko.

Being a beloved employee of the satellite broadcaster NTV Plus, Vladimir Maslachenko never parted with a large audience. Broadcasts with his comments were broadcast live on the NTV channel, and during the months of battles at the World and European Championships, Maslachenko, as part of the First Channel brigade, worked side by side with the permanent members of the “first button”.

Maslachenko was often referred to as “the last of the Mohicans.” He was in fact the last person at the microphone, which had a noble Soviet background, where every slip of the tongue could result in permanent disqualification from the top management. After the collapse of the USSR, Maslachenko reincarnated as a completely modern commentator. He constantly allowed young commentators to work with him, who responded to him with respect. The golden chronicle of the NTV Plus television company will include his doubles work at the match of the 12th round of the Italian Championship 2010/2011 during the Milan derby. The last broadcast of his life took place on November fourteenth, and four days later Maslachenko found himself in the hospital with an acute hypertensive crisis. On November 28, 2010, Maslachenko died, leaving behind a lot of memories.

The 1960 European champion died at the age of seventy-four, but in his soul he was no older than thirty-five. His favorite jazz was constantly flowing from Maslachenko’s favorite headphones, Vladimir Nikitovich visited fashionable places in Moscow, and was in good standing with celebrities from the world of football. After his death, the NTV Plus channel named the award for the best commentator of the year in honor of Vladimir Maslachenko.

Broadcast segments:“4 thousand spectators in the stands of San Siro, more than 2 billion in income from tickets sold. That’s the whole economy for you. Everything is simple, like Lenin’s”;

“Alvaro Recoba makes a jump for the newspaper “Pionerskaya Pravda”. I call such numbers polishers”;

“Not everything that falls in the penalty area is a penalty, by the way.”


December 11 marks the 95th anniversary of the birth of the famous sports commentator, tennis player, and actor Nikolai Ozerov. He was not only one of the most beloved and recognizable commentators - Ozerov became a real symbol of Soviet television, without which its history would be incomplete. But, surprisingly, the all-Union famous commentator was forced to leave the profession and recent years spent his time suffering from creative unfulfillment and a serious illness.


All members of the Ozerov family were extraordinary people: Nikolai’s great-grandfather was church leader and composer, grandfather - a priest, father - an opera singer, older brother - a film director. Nikolai himself demonstrated outstanding abilities from childhood: at the age of 12 he began playing tennis in the Lokomotiv society and soon became the winner of the All-Union competitions among youths. When the war began in 1941 and the Germans came close to Moscow, it turned out that there were only three tennis players left in the city. To prevent panic from spreading among residents, the authorities tried to create the appearance that everything was functioning the same as in peacetime. Therefore, Ozerov and two other tennis players were taken from one stadium to another, and broadcasts of these matches were broadcast on the radio. Largely thanks to this, Ozerov soon received the title of Honored Master of Sports of the USSR.


Nikolai Ozerov in his youth

When a series of revealing articles about Nikolai Ozerov appeared in the late 1990s, many doubted his real merits. They wrote that it was extremely difficult to assess the level of Ozerov as an athlete, since at that time Soviet tennis players did not participate in international competitions. However, the fact that Nikolai Nikolaevich won a record number of gold medals at the USSR tennis championships speaks for itself - he became the winner 24 times in singles, doubles and mixed doubles.


USSR television legend


Nikolai Ozerov with football players *Dynamo*

In addition to sports, Ozerov was also interested in theater. Back in 1941, he entered GITIS, and after graduation he began performing on the stage of the Moscow Art Theater. But soon his main hobby became television, to which he devoted his entire life. In the early 1950s. in the USSR there were two famous commentators - Vadim Sinyavsky and Viktor Dubinin. The latter was invited to coach Dynamo Moscow, and television began looking for a replacement for him. This is where both Nikolai Ozerov’s acting abilities and his passion for sports came in handy.


Famous Soviet sports commentator Nikolai Ozerov

Many of Ozerov’s contemporaries and colleagues argued that he was not a great expert on football and hockey, but it was his reports that were most popular among viewers due to the emotionality, expressiveness and personal involvement of the commentator. He was so genuinely and sincerely worried during the matches that this excitement was transmitted to the television viewers. In addition, he was fanatically dedicated to his work - to such an extent that he even once played a match while sitting on a tree. Ozerov often led hockey matches not from the commentary booth, but right at the side. Once, because of this, during a game there was a collision with a hockey player, as a result of which the commentator was out of action. But after he received medical assistance, Ozerov returned to the microphone.


USSR television legend


USSR television legend

Over 38 years of work on television, Nikolai Ozerov visited 49 countries as a commentator, reported from 15 Olympic Games, 30 World Hockey Championships, 8 World Championships and 6 European Football Championships. Despite such an impressive work history and incredible popularity among viewers, in the late 1980s. he had to leave television. The management felt that his style was too old-fashioned, and new times required new faces and voices on television.


Nikolay Ozerov


Nikolai Ozerov with his family

After Sergei Lapin left the post of chairman of the USSR State Television and Radio and Television, Nikolai Ozerov fell on hard times, which he recalled with pain: “The attitude towards me in the team changed dramatically, and for the worse, and I felt it. An atmosphere of intrigue, humiliation, and anonymity arose in the main editorial office of the Central Television sports programs. It was difficult to work in such an environment. Offenses, tactless remarks under the guise of “objective criticism”, forceful pressure. But, as we know, there is a limit to everything.” Ozerov was no longer trusted with the main matches, and he was forced to write a letter of resignation, which undermined his health.


He is called *the voice of the era*


Famous Soviet sports commentator Nikolai Ozerov

At the end of the 1980s. Ozerov was elected chairman of the Spartak sports society, but in the early 1990s he was forced to retire. Once in Central Asia he was bitten by a scorpion, and his body, long weakened by diabetes, was unable to cope with the consequences of this bite. As a result, Ozerov had to have his right leg. Since then, he left the house very rarely. They say that he suffered greatly without his favorite job and was worried that he was treated this way on television, to which he devoted his whole life. Fortunately, his family stayed with him - the commentator married late, at 47, but his wife gave him twins and before last days stayed by his side.


He is called *the voice of the era*


Famous Soviet sports commentator Nikolai Ozerov

On June 2, 1997, Nikolai Ozerov died, and with him passed away an entire era of Soviet television, the symbol of which was the legendary commentator.



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