Russians who changed America

Author and host of the “American Educational Program” series on RTVi Victor Topaller. Photo courtesy of RTVi press service

One of the business cards of the largest in America, the Russian-language channel RTVi for the past five years is the author's program of Topoller "American educational program." Over the long history of the project, it dealt with a lot: from politics, space, cinema to stories of wives and mistresses of the presidents of the United States or stories about the life and work of favorite American writers.

However, the cycle "Russian Americans" occupies a special place in this list. It includes 23 programs about immigrants from the Soviet Union and Russia, who changed the face of America and influenced the course of history. Actors, writers, scientists, aircraft designers, businessmen, musicians, composers, directors - they all found themselves in a country of immigrants. You will be surprised when you find out in how many areas of American life they left a Russian mark. Stories that amaze, inspire and serve as an example. This is just not to be missed.

For example, did you know how Alisa Rosenbaum, a native of St. Petersburg, turned into Ayn ​​Rand, and why did the Americans, answering the question of which book had the most influence on them, put her novel Atlas Shrugged to the second place immediately after the Bible?

How did the Jewish boy from Russia Isya Beilin become the brilliant composer Irving Berlin?

Why did the aircraft designer Igor Sikorsky, who is called “Mr. Helicopter”, leave Russia, and how did it happen that all American presidents have been flying exclusively on Sikorsky helicopters since 1957?

Who owns the words: “At the risk of breaking the hearts of my Russian readers, I proudly say that I am an American writer”?

Who of the Russians starred in the classic gorgeous western “The Magnificent Seven”?

What connects Izu Demski and Hollywood actor Michael Douglas?

And this is only - light sketches to the epic canvas of the cycle about Russian Americans.

The host of the program, Victor Topaller, by the way, could easily become the hero of one of the programs. He received a residence permit in the United States as an outstanding personality - this is how his achievements in the field of journalism were assessed. And he has something to tell not only about the heroes of his programs, but also about his own feelings about life in America.

— Victor, kWhich of the “Russian Americans” stories has impressed You became the most for You opening?

It is not easy to answer this question: during the preparation and filming of almost every series of the cycle, I was waiting for discoveries, and I learned new things for myself ...

Well, for example, who would have thought that Vera Nabokov saved the famous “Lolita” from the fire when her husband began to burn the manuscript? influence on acting school in America, called his favorite student Marilyn Monroe. I hope that after this cycle you will have a desire to get closer to meet people who have glorified the “Russian street” in America.

- On your Wikipedia page the number of interviews is indicated - 700. Selected, I believe, manually. Are there any personalities, politicians, public or cultural figures to whom you would not shake hands and interview?

Eat. There were people in my studio for whom, to put it mildly, I did not feel much sympathy: Zhirinovsky, Govorukhin or the late Balabanov. But they are certainly individuals who are interesting to the audience. I invite such people to the program, putting aside my personal feelings. No matter how much I am outraged by what Govorukhin says and does, this is the director who shot “Vertical”; very bad, but one of the highest-grossing Soviet films - “Pirates of the 20th Century” and one of the best TV series - “The meeting place cannot be changed.” But figures like Prokhanov, Shevchenko or Kiselyov could never be in my studio. Firstly, because I am disgusted, and secondly, because these are worthless scoundrels with whom there is nothing to talk about.

— There is an impression that you look at America as if from the outside - through the eyes of a former Israeli or, let’s say conditionally, a “Russian”?

From the outside you can see - I can't argue with that. I feel myself to those who I am: a citizen of two countries: Israel and the United States.

When life makes me put on a jacket, on its lapel you can see a badge - Israeli and American flags together. And in the office I have these flags. I love these two countries, I am proud of their citizenship, and I see the guarantee of the prosperity of America and Israel in the closest possible friendship that the current American administration has so spoiled.

Victor Topaller has been preparing the “American educational program” on RTVi for more than five years. Photo courtesy of the RTVi press service.

- What then to speak about the relations of the USA with Russia? So much time has passed since the days of the “cold war” and now, it seems, its new stage. Is this a dead end, in your opinion? If not, is there a chance for a new “reset”?

And I do not think that something needs to be reloaded with today's Russia. It is necessary, on the contrary, to unload. Stop carrying casuistic nonsense - “our partners” ... There are no partners. This country today is the enemy of America, and the attitude towards it must be corresponding.

— What about the Middle East? Is the patient hopeless?

And it will be hopeless until the West stops doing a good face on a bad game. You just have to stop lying. To depict that the conversation is about two sides in the conflict, and not about the heroic struggle of the only civilized state in the region with brazen bandits.

We must call murderers and scumbags - murderers and scumbags. Realize that negotiations with terrorists are a dead end and a disaster, that at one time they dealt with pirates only when they were declared outlaws and began to be hanged. Recognize that Israel is the only real US ally in the region, and what is good for Israel is good for America. And, accordingly, vice versa.

If I am not mistaken, Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov said that morality in politics ultimately brings success, and lies and hypocrisy, which seem to be so “profitable and far-sighted”, result in collapse. It is necessary to stop all this rubbish with the "peace process". Who to talk to? With the “people” that was invented in the Lubyanka for the extermination of the Jews and does not even conceal this basic task? What kind of nonsense ?!

It would be harmless to recall the words of the first and last ambassador of the USSR in Israel, Alexander Bovin, with whom we were friends: areas captured Jordan. It would seem that something simpler: the King of Jordan transfers this land to his Palestinian "brothers" and this is all to be done. But he did not convey. Why? For a very simple reason: they did not fight for the creation of the State of Palestine near the State of Israel. Fought for the destruction of the State of Israel. Arafat did not need the West Bank, he needed the Eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. ”

Victor Topaller. Photo courtesy of the RTVi press service.

— Suppose there is an opportunity to live in any era and in any country — your choice?

I might have come up with something interesting, but here everything was “spoiled” by the brilliant Alexander Kushner. I read these lines for the first time when I was twenty, and since then I have never thought about changing the era:

Times do not choose
They live and die in them.
Greater vulgarity in the world
No, what to beg and blame.
If you can those on
As in the market, change.

See also:

Billionaire Alexander Rovt: “I did everything I wanted. Now I just dream of having grandchildren. ”

How Ukrainian built in the US business worth $ 250 million

How Russian creators of Coub have attracted $ 3,5 million in investment and are now teaching Americans how to creative

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