ElitExpert spoke with the legendary Odessa comedian, actor, artist, musician, and finally clown Georgy Deliev, who at the very beginning of this year celebrated his 60th anniversary, received the Badge of Distinction from the city council, and now he can become an "Honorary Citizen of Odessa". The relevant proposal was put forward by the profile commission, it was supported by the mayor, so the assignment of this title is, consider, a settled matter. We talked about this and not only with the People's Artist of Ukraine.
— You are already rightly considered a real luminary in the field of humor. Based on your long experience in this professionssii you can say, now the humor itself and the attitude towards it have changed?
— Of course, humor has changed and transformed. However, it is difficult to compare, because, for example, in the 1980s, all of us and I had the same reference points, now we have others. Then everything that was outside the framework of socialist realism was controlled by party bodies, the Ministry of Culture and the KGB, then it was difficult to predict what might be accepted and what would be categorically rejected. And there was a very strong underground. Representatives of the underground ended up in mental hospitals, prisons, or went abroad and achieved success there...
The main feature of the humor of that period is the emphasis on satire. People so lacked fresh air, a breath of freedom, that jokes about the Soviet way of life simply tore the audience apart.
But times change, even Odessa humor changes. Now it seems to me that he has become more subtle and intelligent.
In addition, nowadays "national humor" has disappeared. Culture has become global and humor is also becoming global. Humor has become very international - people are greatly influenced by American and British culture, their humor technologies, this is a peculiar GOST of our time.
Now the mentality has changed even in the former Soviet republics, the realities have changed. But even 30 years ago, and now the author's group "Masok" was looking for universal hooks that everyone could understand.
The same applies to our viewer. In the 80s there was one audience, in the 90s a second was formed, in the 2000s a third. Generations change. Now a generation has grown up that has not seen "Mask" at all and does not know us...
— But your worshipers probably still come to the House of Clowns...
— Of course, and there are many of them. But if we were as developed in the media today as in the 1990s, we would have more viewers in the theater as well. If earlier we played only one performance "Non-stop clown", and the theater was sold out. And today, when there are already more than ten productions in the repertoire, more fans who know and love this genre come to us. Although on the other hand, now I feel the audience better than during the wild popularity of the Mask Show. I know exactly what kind of bright media project can be released, I understand what will stir the audience and what will leave them indifferent.
— As you know, you entered the Odessa Construction Institute, for a serious profession. How did you get into clowning from architecture?
— It happened back in the first year. Once he saw an advertisement for recruitment to the pantomime studio "Scream". The poster seemed so attractive - it depicted a man with his mouth wide open in a scream and his palms outstretched, that his feet brought him to this studio by themselves. I thought that there would be a tough selection, but after several sketches I was accepted. In the same studio, I met my friends, we all formed there, there was a unique aura that led us to create "Masks". Although Borya Barsky and Volodya Komarov were engaged in pantomime, more academic, in the second studio. But then we all got together (laughs).
By the way, after the institute, I worked for an hour with Slava Polunin at the "Lytsedea" theater and at the same time was an architect in Pyatigorsk and Chisinau.
— Recently, everyone found out that you are still interested in painting and hold personal exhibitions...
- You know, I have been drawing since childhood. And when, after finishing school, I entered the Faculty of Architecture, I was more attracted there not so much to the topic of construction, but to design, composition, color, graphics. I love painting as a viewer.
Besides, an artist, like a writer, does not depend on anyone. Painting does not require working with people, here I depend only on myself. At home on the third floor, I can be alone and draw. When I am free from my main job, I can afford such pampering. It is like a kind of leisure, although at the same time my paintings are sold, which means that it is also work. I make still lifes, landscapes and portraits. Here, for example, I have a large number of orders for portraits. Plus, paintings have the property of accumulating, and all of this is then turned into personal exhibitions. Most recently, in August, my exhibition "Harmony of a Fool" was successfully held at the Summer Theater of the City Garden...
— You are a versatile person, that's why you also sing in a musical group, act in movies, and play in your theater. Is it enough for all time?
— As for music, I have been singing for a long time. We did the first experiments with "Masks" in the late 80s of the last century. Then we filmed wonderful clips, sang, shot and edited them ourselves. If there is some creative beginning, desire and need - the artist naturally directs his efforts in some way, he cannot live without it. I have many musical ideas, but there is no time for them yet.
And as for the cinema, oddly enough, in the cinema I am called more often for dramatic roles. From the last roles - starred in the film "Donbass" by Sergei Loznitsa. The film was positioned as a tragicomedy, but the audience held their breath from the horror of what was happening on the screen... Before that, there was the TV series "Souvenir from Odessa", where I also played the rather serious role of the jeweler Rahumovsky.
— Recently it became known that you can become an Honorary Citizen of Odessa. How do you feel about this?
- This was completely unexpected for me. Well, if God wills and it happens, then I will try to justify the trust of the people of Odessa. At least I live in Odessa, despite the fact that I had many opportunities to leave here - to other cities and other countries. But I stayed here. I love Odessa.
- Regarding the move. We read in one of your interviews that you dreamed of living in New York a long time ago. What connects you with this city?
- Yes, that's right. I would like to live there. Once I even intended to get a residence permit. But then I realized that my priorities are in Odessa - the Masks theater, the House of Clowns, and this played a decisive role in not making such a decision. What if all the "Masks" moved to New York...
Although I still often visit New York. Recently, last winter, we worked in a joint program with the legendary clown Vyacheslav Polunin. We spent two months on Broadway, in one of the best theaters, on 42nd Street.
— Do you plan to revive the TV series "Mask Show" or do you never step into the same river twice?
- In my opinion, you will join. I believe that every TV channel that wants to invest money in the production of television films should simply take the "Mask Show". But for some reason they don't think so...
There was a good chance to shoot the "Mask Show" for Germany and Switzerland - we even signed a good contract. We thought then: we will become popular in the West and we will be automatically returned to our television network. But the project stalled for unknown reasons.
Yes, I want to revive "The Masks Show" in a television format. I have several scenarios, these are ready-made pilot scenarios. But so far there is no such possibility... We are waiting.
