"Zucchini" 13 chairs ". Actors, the history of the legendary program of the Soviet era

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

It is unlikely that today's entertainment programs and endless humorous sequels are gaining such a level of popularity as the famous "Zucchini" 13 chairs "in their years." - Pan Host and Pan Director, Pani Zosya and Pani Elzhbeta. People abandoned all their affairs so as not to miss a single precious minute of the air. The traditional musical screensaver sounded - and the viewers found themselves in the "Tavern "13 Chairs"

From the history of the TV show

The first test release of "Zucchini" took place in the mid-60s. For the first time on the blue screen, the program appeared under the name "Good evening". And in prehistory there was an event that, at first glance, had no importance. The Polish magazine "Shpilki" fell into the hands of television people. Within a few minutes, all those present were holding their stomachs with laughter; At Shabolovka, it was decided to film several of them, and this decisionquickly implemented. The program, like many things at that time, would have been “on the shelf” forever if it were not for the bags of letters with which viewers filled up the Shabolovka editorial office. The management could not resist the requests of viewers, and programs began to appear on an ongoing basis. So, at the official level, the 13 Chairs Zucchini got its life, the actors enthusiastically got down to business, as a result, a real masterpiece of a humorous program of the Soviet era turned out.

Actors "Zucchini"

The main roles in "Zucchini" went mainly to the then artists of the Theater of Satire. In total, about 50 actors were involved in the shooting. Among them are recognized stars - Mikhail Derzhavin, Alexander Belyavsky and Andrei Mironov, they played the role of the sparkling Pan host in different years. The brilliant T. Peltzer played the grouchy old woman, Pani Irena. And the magnificent Olga Aroseva is Mrs. Monika, whose hats conquered the fashionistas of that time. And besides them, also E. Vasilyeva (Mistress Elzhbet), V. Dolinsky (eccentric Pan Pepicek), G. Vitsin (Pan Odyssey Tsypa), S. Mishulin (Pan Director) - a truly stellar cast of artists involved, recognized masters of humorous miniature. The program "Zucchini" 13 chairs ", the actors who starred in it, had great popularity and were loved by the people, and viewers often called artists by the names of their television characters, rather than by their own. The characters first became good friends, and then relatives. What is the secret of the popularity of "Zucchini"? Ordinary gatherings in a cozy cafe, where in fact there were 13 chairs,conversations at the bar, good jokes of cute and eccentric characters of "Zucchini" and popular songs. But the artists managed to create the main thing that the Soviet audience wanted to see and feel - an atmosphere of carelessness, a feeling of an easy and wonderful life, and even some carelessness. The creators of the program gave the viewer exactly what he wanted, and the viewer sincerely fell in love with Zucchini. Spartak Mishulin joked that even if he left the house naked, barefoot and without a penny of money, his director Pan would be given water, food and money in almost every home in the country. And he was absolutely right.

Interesting facts from the history of the transmission

The series lasted for 15 years, the total duration of the program was about 145 air hours, 133 episodes were released, of which only 11 have been preserved in the State Television and Radio Fund of Russia. This is due to the lack of video recording before 1970 and the shortage of videotape. Programs were broadcast live more often.

The Polish government followed closely and loved the program "Zucchini" 13 chairs ". The actors who participated in the filming and the directors of the program were awarded the title of Honored Worker of Culture of Poland.

Miniatures and reprises for the next issue of "Zucchini" were written by hundreds of authors, both Polish and, at that time, Soviet. Among them are M. Zadornov, L. Izmailov, S. Altov, G. Gorin, A. Khait. The programs included music performed by Mireille Mathieu, the ABBA group, Maryla Rodovich, Dalida. Artists and actresses taught the lyrics in the original language so that the viewer would not feel false at the time of the soundtrack. The Zucchini "13 Chairs" itself, the actors who starred in it, ceased to be attacked by Soviet criticism only years after the release of the first program due to a positive assessment in the Pravda newspaper, while no one could argue with the opinion of this publication. The phrase "And then prove that you are not a camel!" was born in the "Zucchini" 13 chairs ".

Not without politics

“Zucchini” was broadcast on Intervision, it was impossible to hide it from the “prototype” represented by the Poles. Many at that time wondered if the Poles were offended by the jokes shown in the program. But the jokes, although they were sometimes sharp, were very good-natured and, moreover, they were mostly taken from satirical publications of Poland itself, so there were never any problems with this issue. In Poland, they also loved "Zucchini" 13 chairs ", the actors were frequent guests of embassy receptions. The Polish government presented the actors with several Sejm awards. And Spartak Mishulin for his role received the title of Honored Artist of the Polish Republic. But still, after the aggravation of the political situation in Poland, the leaders of the program, frightened by the allusion and the fact that the viewer would think completely different from what the characters of the program were talking about, decided to close the program. The last issue was published in the fall of 1980. The transfer was closed until "better times", but they never came…

Behind the Curtain

This program was loved by everyone, including General Secretary of the CPSU Leonid Brezhnev. In the fifteen years that this transmissionwent on the air, the actors managed not only to grow old, but also to become family to every Soviet person. At the same time, satirical and sharp reprises were kind and harmless; Soviet women often borrowed models of clothes or hats from the programs. "Zucchini" was a real window into some other, unusual and unfamiliar world, and all the inhabitants of a huge country looked in there with pleasure.