Demon defeated by Vrubel description. Description of Vrubel’s painting “The Demon Defeated

Joseph Kobzon has been wearing a wig since about 1979, therefore, before that we saw him with his own hair. I happened to study at school then. We need to find an old photo from those years, that’s all. In particular, this is in periodicals those years.

It is known that singer Joseph Kobzon has been wearing a wig for a long time (you can find out more about this in this question: bolshoyvopros.ru). There are not many photographs on the Internet where Joseph Kobzon is without a wig:

Whether the photograph is reliable or not is unclear.

It's also worth noting that his wig sometimes let him down, sliding off his head:



It’s difficult, of course, to see Joseph Kobzon in a photograph without a wig. If someone managed to do this, he remains silent.

The photograph shown in Ryzhik’s answer also exists in another version:



Let the craftsmen figure out what the difference is - that the wig was removed with Photoshop or, on the contrary, painted on. By the way, in the version I found, the bottom of the photo is not cropped and there you can see the inscription on English language: Ilya Varlamov. He must know exactly how he filmed Kobzon - bald or not.

But here’s another photo found on the Internet. I wonder if there is an unedited original or if this is the original?



Find photo of Joseph Kobzon without a wig Nowadays it’s not very difficult; you can find anything on the vast Internet. Here's what a darling he is in his natural form:



The paparazzi still managed to capture the pop master without a wig, and they seized the moment (if the photo is natural, of course).

Of course, everyone has their own preferences, tastes and preferences, but in my opinion, the natural baldness of Joseph Davydovich Kobzon is much prettier than the wig that has grown together with him over many decades. Baldness in no way detracts from a man’s dignity, but on the contrary makes him respectable.

Maybe Kobzon is already tired of the wig, but getting rid of the existing image is not so easy now.

Kobzon very carefully guards his bald head from prying eyes. I monitored search engines for a long time and social media, before we managed to find at least some photo of Kobzon without a wig on his head.

True, most likely this is photoshop, but nevertheless:



In my opinion, photographs of Kobzon without a wig simply do not exist in nature, but in the century computer technology this problem is easily solved and you can still find out what Kobzon looks like without a wig.

Another embarrassment occurred with People's Artist of the USSR Joseph Kobzon. This time the great master was let down by his wig, which fell at the most inopportune moment: Kobzon without a wig became the trend of the day.

This happened at the anniversary of the stage designer Boris Krasnov. During the meeting with Pugacheva, the singer did not pay attention to the wig. Suddenly, unexpectedly, the hair changed its rightful place on the artist’s head. All this happened in front of everyone present in the hall.

Kobzon without a wig photo

Let us remind you that artificial hair Joseph Kobzon has been wearing it for more than 40 years. The artist’s mother explained the early loss of her own hair on her son’s head by the fact that adolescence he didn’t wear a hat in 40-degree frost and froze his hair. Now you know the most effective way hair removal

The artist’s bare bald head immediately attracted the attention of dozens of paparazzi, who with great pleasure began to photograph not the hugs of Kobzon and Pugacheva, but the remnants of the once lush hair on the back of the singer’s head.

Note that this is not the first time this trouble has happened to Kobzon. Moreover, every year they happen more and more often, someone even said that soon they will have to stop wearing a wig altogether. Pugacheva decided to brighten up the situation and joked that if she had known about such an impressive amount of press at the celebration, she would definitely “have grown her hair longer.”

Joseph Kobzon died

People's Artist of the USSR Joseph Kobzon died at the age of 81. This information was confirmed by Joseph’s wife Nellie, as well as the artist’s friends and relatives. For almost several months, the artist was in a stable and serious condition in the hospital. He hasn't moved for the past few weeks.

Kobzon was born on September 11, 1938 in the Donbass in Chasov Yar. He is an honorary citizen of a dozen cities, awarded 40 medals and orders, and was awarded the title of Hero of Labor.

During his career, Joseph Kobzon was a laureate of many competitions and festivals. The singer has released more than 50 albums.

Joseph Davydovich Kobzon - Soviet and Russian singer, deputy of the State Duma of Russia of the II-VI convocations. Winner of many professional awards and prizes. His energy could be the envy of many young colleagues, because he managed to conduct an active touring, political and social activities.

The biography of Joseph Kobzon is no less interesting than his political statements, because the People's Artist of the USSR and the Russian Federation is simply a “storehouse of comments” for journalists and observers.

Childhood and youth

Joseph Davydovich was born in September 1937 in the city of Chasov Yar (Donetsk region). His mother was forced to “become an adult” quite early, since her father left the family when the girl was barely 13 years old. At such a young age, Ida began to earn her living by growing and selling tobacco.

Joseph Kobzon in childhood and last years| Nnm.me

Shortly before the birth of her son, Ida Isaevna Shoikhet-Kobzon became a people's judge. Joseph Kobzon has repeatedly said in interviews that it is his mother who, in many aspects, is still his moral guide.

Joseph Kobzon's childhood was quite eventful. The future celebrity repeatedly had to change his place of residence. Before the start of the Great Patriotic War the family moved to Lviv. From there, little Joseph’s father went to the front as a political instructor, and his mother moved again - this time the “destination” was Yangiyul in Uzbekistan. Joseph Kobzon's father never returned to the family: after the injury, the man for a long time underwent rehabilitation. In the hospital he met a woman whom he married and stayed to live in the Russian capital.

In addition to Joseph, three children grew up in the family. In 1944, the mother and children returned to the Donetsk region, to the city of Kramatorsk. It was there that Joseph Kobzon went to first grade. In 1946, his mother remarried. This marriage brought the future People's Artist of the USSR two more half-brothers. True, Kobzon’s family did not live long in Kramatorsk - at the end of the 40s they moved again. This time to Dnepropetrovsk. In this Ukrainian city, Joseph graduated with honors from the eighth grade and entered the Dnepropetrovsk Mining College.

In that educational institution Joseph Kobzon became interested in boxing, but after the first serious injuries, the artist decided to leave the dangerous sport and took up creativity. The stage of the mountain technical school was the place where the beautiful baritone of the young singer was first heard.

Creation

In 1956, the future patriarch Soviet stage, and then the promising 22-year-old singer Joseph Kobzon was called up for military service. Until the end of the 50s, he sang in the song and dance ensemble of the Transcaucasian Military District.

After his dismissal, Kobzon returned to Dnepropetrovsk. Here, in the local Students' Palace, the singer met his first mentor - choir director Leonid Tereshchenko. He undertook to prepare Joseph for admission to the conservatory. Tereshchenko worked with the student according to an individual program, realizing that he had a unique talent.

The teacher also made sure that his student did not go hungry. He got Kobzon into the Institute of Chemical Technology, where the guy spent several months cleaning gas masks in a bomb shelter with alcohol for a fairly modest fee. The teacher guessed that his talented student would certainly do brilliant career, but he had no idea that this modest young man would soon become a star.

In 1959, Joseph Kobzon became a soloist. All-Union Radio. Here he worked for 4 years. At this time, his individual performing style was formed, by which the singer began to be recognized. This is a harmonious combination of bel canto technique and ease. In 1964, Kobzon was a two-time laureate. He won on All-Russian competition pop artists and at the festival in Sopot, Poland. In the same year, Joseph Davydovich became Honored Artist of the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.

Song competitions, music festivals, awards, awards and next ranks Since the mid-1960s they have become a firm part of the life of Joseph Kobzon. Young performer delegate to international competition“Friendship”, which was held in socialist countries. In Warsaw, Budapest and Berlin, the Russian singer managed to win first places. In 1986, Joseph Kobzon became People's Artist of the USSR. There is not a person in the vast country who does not know his name and has not heard this lyrical baritone.

Since the mid-1980s, Joseph Davydovich Kobzon has been teaching pop vocals in the famous Gnesinka. He has many talented students, among whom the brightest are...

Joseph Kobzon visited all Soviet construction sites with concerts. He spoke to military contingents in Afghanistan and Chernobyl nuclear power plant. His repertoire includes more than 3 thousand songs. Among them are many hits of the 30s, which were previously performed by Isabella Yuryeva and Konstantin Sokolsky.

Despite his venerable age - the master turned 80 in 2017 - he was a regular guest at the Song of the Year festival, the New Year's Blue Lights and all holiday concerts. Sometimes Joseph Kobzon appeared on the screen in the most unexpected duets with popular youth groups and singers. So, in 2016 at “ Blue light“He surprised and pleased with his joint performance with. His joint compositions with the group “Republic” became interesting and unusual. Some of their songs (“Dress”, “ White light", "Drozdy") became hits.

Many fans of Joseph Kobzon’s talent love his song “Daughter” based on the verses of Irina Gribulina. The composition “Evening Table” performed by the master and is one of the favorites for many. But still main song the artist is called “Moments” from cult film" ". No one managed to perform this composition more soulfully than Joseph Kobzon.

Policy

Joseph Kobzon has always been a man with an active life position. He is a famous political figure. He began his political career in 1990 as a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. The artist was repeatedly elected to the State Duma of the Russian Federation from the Aginsky Buryat Autonomous Okrug.

In 2002, Joseph Kobzon was not afraid to enter into negotiations with the invaders of the Theater Center on Dubrovka.

Like many others Russian artists, Joseph Kobzon actively responded to the coup in Ukraine - he was among those who signed the appeal of cultural figures sent to the President of the Russian Federation. This appeal indicated that Kobzon supports the president’s policies on Crimea and Ukraine. Joseph Kobzon’s position led to the fact that the European Union included the artist on its “black list” of Russian citizens who are prohibited from entering the EU.

Due to scandalous and condemning statements, the artist was included in their “black lists” by Ukraine and Latvia. In many Ukrainian cities, the singer was deprived of his “honorary citizen” status. In January 2015, Kobzon’s “honorary citizenship” was taken away from his native Kramatorsk.

Due to EU sanctions, all of the artist’s assets in Europe are frozen, as are the assets of other sanctioned colleagues. But Joseph Kobzon assured that this did not bother him much - he continued to travel with concerts to Donetsk and Lugansk, and also publicly supported the militias. At the end of November 2014, Joseph Kobzon was awarded the status of honorary consul of Donetsk people's republic in the Russian Federation.

Joseph Kobzon created another scandal with his own hands, refusing his status in 2014 people's artist Ukraine. He also made this decision under the influence of his political convictions.

The famous artist also considered the right decision of the Russian Federation to refuse to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest, which was held in Ukraine in 2017.

Personal life

The personal life of Joseph Kobzon did not develop as smoothly as his career on the stage. But the three women with whom he linked his fate turned out to be talented, bright and incredibly charismatic.

The first wife of Joseph Davydovich is singer Veronika Kruglova. Kobzon married Kruglova in 1965. Veronica was incredible at that time popular singer. Her hits “Top-top, the baby is stomping” and “I see nothing, I hear nothing” were sung by the whole country. The bohemian beauty, like her husband, often disappeared on tours and rehearsals. Time for everyday life, arrangement family nest she didn't have it. The husband and wife hardly saw each other. Their living together in fact it wasn't.

It seems that Joseph Davydovich’s mother, Ida Isaevna, foresaw this. She immediately opposed her son’s marriage to the artist, realizing that nothing good would come of this union. Two years later, in 1967, the couple separated. Veronica Kruglova married someone else famous performer– . A few years later, the singer went to live in America. In one of the interviews, Kruglova frankly admitted that marriage with Soviet star the stage almost broke it.

In the same year, Joseph Kobzon married for the second time. And again - against the will of the mother - on the artist and singer. The couple lived together for three years. Gurchenko later admitted that this union turned out to be the biggest mistake of her life. At first it seemed to her that she would be able to change her husband, “rebuild” him for herself. But it was not there. They often quarreled and did not want to give in to each other.

Lyudmila Markovna wrote in her memoirs that it was unbearable for her to hear teasing from her loved one, who during a difficult period of her creative career, smiling, asked: “Why is everyone filming, and no one is calling you?” She cried from resentment and at one moment realized that she no longer wanted to live together.

The couple, as befits two stars, constantly toured. On tours with popular and handsome young people, various romantic adventures happened, which “well-wishers” immediately reported on, embellishing and fibbing various juicy details. Joseph Kobzon’s mother did not like her daughter-in-law, she answered her in kind. In the end, Gurchenko completely stopped communicating with her husband’s relatives.

After the divorce, the two stars did not communicate for forty long years, trying not to intersect at various events and pop parties. The artist preferred not to talk about his second marriage.

Time passed and Joseph Davydovich, who had long dreamed of strong family and a faithful, economic wife who will bear him children. He firmly decided that this woman would not be associated with bohemia and the world of show business. He wanted home comfort, a quiet harbor and delicious borscht.

Joseph Kobzon met such a woman in the early 1970s. The beauty's name was Ninel Mikhailovna Drizina. She turned out to be 13 years younger than him. She was a modest girl from a good Jewish family, smart and thrifty. And most importantly, she did not dream of show business, although her friends claim that everyone necessary qualities she had it for this. Today this woman is known as... The artist’s mother immediately liked the third chosen one, who instantly appreciated her with the wise gaze of a seasoned woman.

They lived together since 1971. Nelly Kobzon gave birth to her husband two wonderful children. First, the first-born son Andrei was born. Two years later, daughter Natalya was born.

Andrei first followed in his father’s footsteps and devoted some time to music. He was a drummer and performed with the musicians of the group “” - Alexey Romanov and Andrey Sapunov. But later the guy quit music and went into business. He was the director of the famous metropolitan nightclub “Giusto”. Then he became involved in real estate operations.

Daughter Natalya was press secretary for famous fashion designer. She married an Australian citizen, lawyer Yuri Rappoport.

The children gave their parents seven grandchildren - two boys and five girls, in whom the grandparents doted on them and closely followed their successes.

Disease

Joseph Kobzon did not hide the fact that he used a wig, putting it on at the age of 35. Ida Isaevna once admitted that the reason for her son’s early baldness was his categorical reluctance to wear a hat as a teenager. Even 40-degree frosts could not force Joseph to dress warmly, which was the reason for the early loss of thick hair.

In 2005, it became known that the artist had undergone a complex operation to remove a malignant tumor. The news that Joseph Davydovich had bladder cancer quickly spread and alarmed his fans and admirers of his talent. The operation was performed in Germany. The surgical intervention weakened the immune system of the middle-aged artist. Inflammation of the lungs and kidneys was added. But an incredible thirst for life and willpower, supported by the love of his family, lifted the artist out of bed and even returned to the stage.

In 2009, the artist was operated on for the second time and again in Germany. Five days after the serious operation, Joseph Kobzon went to music Festival to Jurmala and even sang live, surprising and delighting his fans.

In 2010, admirers of the master’s talent were alarmed by the news that at a concert in Astana, Joseph Davydovich twice lost consciousness on stage and fainted. As it turned out, cancer caused the anemia. But according to the artist, he could not lie in bed for a long time. And I couldn’t live without the stage. He found no place for himself at home. The stage and the audience for the artist were the best medicine for despondency and illness.

Death

At the end of July 2018, it was reported that Joseph Kobzon was urgently hospitalized in the neurosurgery department, where he was connected to a ventilator. The health condition of the People's Artist of Russia was assessed as stable and serious.

On August 30, 2018, it became known about Joseph Kobzon. The singer's relatives announced his death. Joseph Davydovich was 80 years old.

Kobzon bequeathed to bury himself at the Vostryakovsky cemetery next to his mother. with Soviet and Russian performer in Moscow and the funeral took place on September 2.

In December 2009, the publishing house "Terra - book club» in Moscow with a circulation of 3000 copies. The book “The KGB Plays Chess” was published, in the writing of which four people took part: famous chess players Viktor Korchnoi and Boris Gulko, former KGB lieutenant colonel Vladimir Popov and me. Immediately after its publication, the book's circulation was purchased by the FSB for internal consumption (precisely purchased, not confiscated, in accordance with the laws of a market economy), almost 3,000 copies. In January 2010, the second edition of the book was published. On Ozone.ru This is how two editions are listed today: 2009 (sold out) and 2010.
Co-author of the book, Vladimir Konstantinovich Popov, was born in 1947 in Moscow. In 1972-1974 - employee of the 10th department of the KGB, junior detective of the 2nd department (special checks of those traveling abroad). In 1974-1977 - junior detective officer, then detective officer of the 2nd department of the 1st department of the 5th Directorate of the KGB (the department oversaw all creative unions). In 1977-1989 oper, then senior oper of the 3rd department of the 11th department of the 5th Directorate of the KGB (the department oversaw the international sports exchange channel). In 1989-1990 - Deputy Head of the 12th Group of the 5th Directorate of the KGB (coordination of work with “friends” - state security of the Warsaw Pact countries). In January 1990, he submitted his resignation, but was not immediately fired. From the beginning of 1990 to October 1991, he was a consultant at the KGB Public Relations Center (formerly the KGB press bureau). He refused to participate in the actions of the KGB during the State Emergency Committee on August 19, 1991, on the first day of the putsch. Dismissed in October 1991 with the rank of lieutenant colonel. In 1996 he emigrated to Canada, where he currently lives.
Translated into colloquial In the KGB, Vladimir Popov, among other things, was responsible for the KGB agents from among the Soviet creative intelligentsia and athletes. Here is an excerpt about the famous Soviet and Russian singer Joseph Kobzone from the unpublished book of memoirs by Vladimir Popov:

Joseph Kobzon

Kobzon Joseph Davydovich, born September 11, 1937 in the city of Chasov Yar Donetsk region Ukrainian SSR, Jew. In 1956 he graduated from the Dnepropetrovsk Mining College. From 1956 to 1959 he served in the army. During his service, he was invited to join the song and dance ensemble of the Transcaucasian Military District. In 1959 he became the soloist of the All-Union Radio. From 1962 to 1989 he was a soloist of the Mosconcert. At the same time, since 1984, Kobzon was the head of the vocal and pop department of the State Musical Pedagogical Institute named after. Gnesins. Later he became the head of the department of vocalists Russian Academy music named after Gnesins. In 1985, Kobzon was invited to the post of vice president for humanitarian affairs of the XXI Century Association. The association was created by brothers Anzor and Otari Kvantrishvili.
In 1986, on Kobzon’s initiative, the “Shield and Lyre” fund was created for the social protection of employees of internal affairs bodies. Kobzon became its leader. Since 1989 Kobzon has been a soloist and artistic director concert and entertainment directorate "Moscow", at the same time president of the charitable foundation "Moskovit". Since November 1990, Kobzon has also been the president of the diversified JSC Moskovit.
Popular crooner with pronounced qualities of a leader, authoritative in the Jewish environment, Kobzon attracted the attention of employees of the 8th Department of the 5th Directorate of the KGB, who carried out the development of Jewish nationalists and foreign Zionist centers. In the early 1970s, he joined the ranks of agents in this department. Quite soon, Kobzon, as a valuable agent, was contacted personally by the head of the 5th Directorate of the KGB, General Bobkov. He remained in this capacity until Bobkov's voluntary resignation in January 1991. Their personal connection continues to this day.
Kobzon owed a lot to his patron, General Bobkov. The 5th Directorate of the KGB, headed by Bobkov, oversaw the USSR Ministry of Culture and the USSR State Concert, thanks to which, already at the beginning of his stage career, Mosconcert soloist Kobzon had the highest rate for performances. Bobkov contributed to Kobzon receiving the title of Honored Artist of the RSFSR in 1973; the title of People's Artist of the RSFSR in 1980 and People's Artist of the USSR in 1987. There weren't many Soviet performers with so many high titles. Kobzon had something to serve faithfully.
High titles gave honor and material wealth, but did not fully satisfy the aspirations of Kobzon, who grew up in a poor Jewish family, for real material well-being. And General Bobkov helped Kobzon with this.
Since 1980, Kobzon has given concerts in Afghanistan nine times, where he performed for Soviet soldiers. During Kobzon’s stay in Afghanistan, the KGB office in Kabul began to receive operational information about the alleged smuggling under his leadership of large quantities of Afghan drugs, which were suspected to be hidden in the props of his musical group. The representative of the 5th Directorate of the KGB in Kabul, Major Alexander Petrovich Evdokimov, who received information about the alleged smuggling, reported suspicions to the Central Office of his department with a request to conduct a thorough customs inspection of the next cargo that will arrive in Moscow Music band led by Kobzon. Flights to Kabul were carried out by military transport aircraft from their base airfield Chkalovsky, located in the near Moscow region. The airfield was military and did not have customs posts. But the encrypted telegrams repeatedly sent by Evdokimov to the 5th Directorate of the KGB about the need to conduct a customs inspection of Kobzon and his team received the same answer: “Deemed inappropriate.” So nothing was ever discovered, everything remained at the level of suspicion and assumptions.
By the early 80s, Joseph Kobzon became one of the first Soviet illegal millionaires.
Returning a couple of years later from a business trip to Afghanistan, Major Evdokimov was surprised to discover that there was no place for him in the 5th Directorate of the KGB, where he was considered a recognized operational intelligence ace, for which he was awarded the highest departmental award, “Honorary State Security Officer.” A personal conversation with Bobkov, which took place on his initiative, confirmed his fears, and Evdokimov decided to move to the Directorate for Operational Support of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs and local police agencies (Directorate 3B) created in the USSR KGB system. Here fate brought Evdokimov together with Gennady Arshinov, who before his new appointment served in the 3rd Main Directorate of the KGB (military counterintelligence) and was the curator of the Afghan line. It was to him that information was received from the Special Departments of the Soviet contingent of troops in Afghanistan, which was then transmitted to the leadership of the 3rd Main Directorate. It was from Arshinov that Evdokimov later learned that Philip Bobkov personally objected to the customs inspection of Kobzon and his team upon returning from Afghanistan.
When the Soviet agent Kalmanovich ended up in an Israeli prison, Bobkov instructed his other agent, Kobzon, to carry out an operation to rescue Kalmanovich. With his characteristic energy and acumen, Kobzon took on the assigned task and completed it with honor. To cover up Kobzon’s actions to rescue Kalmanovich, a version was used about their almost fraternal friendship, which arose from nowhere. “We became family friends long before my arrest. There was no self-interest between us, there was no joint business. That's why it arose real friendship“, Kalmanovich said in one of the interviews, but did not specify when exactly they managed to become family friends, and what kind of families. Kobzon was married three times; Kalmanovich was married the same number of times. The legend of friendship was a cover for the activities of another agent of the 5th Directorate of the KGB - Joseph Davydovich Kobzon. Kalmanovich recalled:
“No matter what they say about Kobzon, as a friend he is incredibly loyal. He flew to Israel with his own money and visited me. Joseph was then a deputy of the Supreme Council, and he was not examined in prison. He smuggled my favorite fish in tomato sauce, sprat, gobies and Belochka candies... I will never forget how much he did for me. Raised everyone to their feet. People whom I had never met in my life, at Kobzon’s request, were lobbying for my early release... Kobzon brought official letters from Gorbachev, Yanaev, Pugo, Rutskoi asking for early release. Moreover, several other people served time in Israel under similar charges, but Gorbachev, say, did not ask for them. And Kobzon organized these letters alone, knocking on the thresholds of Kremlin offices.”
The pressure to which the Israeli authorities were subjected was unprecedented. Russian Ambassador to Israel Alexander Bovin recalls: “I did not have any instructions from Moscow regarding Kalmanovich... April 29. Wonderful day. I’m sitting on the terrace of the King David Hotel (where Rutskoi, of course, stayed), drinking coffee, waiting for events to develop. And they begin to develop. Kobzon waves to me from the window, then comes down. Expresses surprise that the Russian ambassador is doing nothing to get him out of prison wonderful person Shabtai Kalmanovich. Sets out the history and current state of affairs. At Kobzon's request, the Israeli leadership was approached by: USSR Minister of Internal Affairs B. Pugo, USSR Vice President G. Yanaev, USSR People's Deputy E. Primakov, Ukrainian Prime Minister V. Fokin, USSR Minister of Culture N. Gubenko, RSFSR Vice President A. Rutskoy. Not sure there was (or is) yet" former citizen USSR,” the fate of which officials were so concerned about. Well done Kobzon! [I] told Kobzon that I was embarrassed by the ambassadorial uniform, but I would try to help. I didn’t want to go on official channels. Therefore, on May 13, with reliable opportunity, [I] sent a private letter to the director of the SVR:
“Dear Zhenya! Here the “public” (both ours, for example Kobzon, and not ours) is pressing me about Kalmanovich. Why don't I insist on his pardon? The answer is easy - there are no instructions to insist. But it’s shameful to answer like that. Moreover, the man has already served half his sentence and is seriously ill. In general, I was just about to go to Shamir, but the worm of bureaucratic subordination, nurtured in the “stagnant” period and the periods preceding it, does not give me rest. No matter what happens... What advice could you give me in this situation? Thanks in advance. Yours, Sasha."
Zhenya is the director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, Yevgeny Primakov, the future prime minister. “I don’t know, maybe the “opportunity” didn’t work,” Bovin wrote, “but the advice didn’t reach me... I spoke with Rabin about Kalmanovich on November 1st. Informing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about this conversation - by that time my efforts had been legalized - I wrote that, according to the prime minister, a comprehensive study of the issue was underway, including the work of independent medical experts" (A. Bovin. "Five years among Jews and Foreign Ministry members." )
It is clear that it was not to feed Kalmanovich, who lived very freely in prison, that Kobzon flew to him in Israel. The Pitovranov group and the generals Bobkov and Ivanov who were part of it were interested in bank account numbers different countries, which Kalmanovich operated on. The latter insisted on guarantees of release. As a result, through Kobzon, Kalmanovich agreed with the KGB that full information He will provide information about bank accounts only after his release. On March 10, 1993, the President of Israel signed a decree on the early release of Kalmanovich. In 1993-94, Kobzon, together with Shabtai Kalmanovich, organized several joint-stock companies with the name “Liat-Natalie” after the names of the daughters of Kobzon and Kalmanovich.
Through the efforts of Pitovranov, Bobkov, Ivanov and Kobzon, whom they involved, in March 1993, Kalmanovich gained his long-awaited freedom. Several people have served sentences in Israeli prisons on similar charges. However Russian authorities did not take active steps to free them. Only Kalmanovich was helped as best they could. “When we arrived in Moscow,” Kalmanovich recalled, “Kobzon opened all the doors for me. I am very grateful to him for this.” In fact, “all the doors” were opened, of course, not by Kobzon, but by Kalmanovich’s handlers from the KGB - Pitovranov, Bobkov and Ivanov. They had significant opportunities for this, despite the collapse of the USSR. They were still helped by their agents, tightly tied to them.
I should add that Bobkov and Kobzon are from Donbass. In one of his latest interviews, given to Dmitry Gordon in November 2013, Bobkov, in particular, said: “Yes, we regularly meet with our Donbass community.” What is happening in Donbass today is well known to everyone. Joseph Davydovich Kobzon, not allowed into Latvia - honorable Sir Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, Gorlovka and Artemovsk. Any familiar names?