What year was Valdis Pelsh born? Valdis Pelsh: biography, personal life and career

Svetlana is the second wife of Valdis Pelsh, and, according to rumors, for some time the charming Baltic man, without any embarrassment, dated her while he was married to someone else. But, be that as it may, today Svetlana Pelsh is the happy legal wife of a famous presenter, which means the StarWives review simply does not have the right to ignore her.

Is Pelsha’s wife an insidious homewrecker?

It is known for certain that Valdis and Svetlana met 8 years ago - at that time he was married and quite happy with his first wife, with whom they raised their daughter Eizhena. Sveta was the best friend of Pelsh’s sister, and therefore for quite a long time they managed to communicate in the same company of friends and acquaintances, without arousing any suspicion in anyone. But, as you know, everything secret always becomes clear, so the moment came when Valdis was faced with the problem of choice. Judging by the fact that for several years the star actually lived in two houses, it was not so easy for him to solve this problem.

One way or another, today Valdis and Svetlana Pelsh are a real family. Together they make plans for the future and raise their daughter Ilva.

Svetlana Pelsh - successful businesswoman

True, this transformation happened almost by accident.

Svetlana is a fashion designer by profession; Even before meeting Valdis, she sewed a lot to order - mainly for stellar and circumstellar parties, as well as for Rublev’s wives. But after marriage and the birth of her daughter, the vector of her professional activity changed dramatically, and this was connected, first of all, with a change in status.

Zhenya Pelsha- like any caring and loving mother, it turned out to be extremely difficult to find a suitable nanny for her daughter. But a nanny was needed, and so the idea arose of opening a recruitment agency that would guarantee the exceptional qualifications and competence of its employees.

And Mrs. Pelsh, without thinking twice, creates such an agency in Moscow, and she herself becomes at its helm. Here they not only find people for certain vacancies, but also teach them the intricacies, subtleties and nuances of the profession, conduct special trainings and courses - the programs of many of them are personally compiled by Pelsha’s wife.

They say that many employers also attend these classes, albeit under the guise of applicants - here they take a closer look at the contingent, and the most diligent and attentive often receive the desired position or an interesting offer already at the agency courses.

Among the wives of celebrities, businesswomen are far from uncommon. They successfully manage their own business , and others, but Svetlana Pelsh managed to find such a niche for her professional activity that not only does it not take it away from her family, but also brings specific practical benefits to this very family - thanks to the well-functioning work of her agency, Pelsh finally found their Mary Poppins, and peace and comfort reigned in their home.

Rumors that Valdis is divorcing his wife Olga appear almost every six months. Of course, they are not groundless. The fact is that for the last ten years Valdis and Olga have not lived together.

Leaving his wife and daughter Eizhena an apartment on Plyushchikha, Pelsh purchased a new apartment on Frunzenskaya Embankment and began living there with another woman. Her name is Svetlana, she is a fashion designer and three years ago she gave birth to Valdis’s daughter, who was named Ilva.

Wife Olga and daughter Eizhena

Olga met her future husband Valdis at the student theater of Moscow State University. They played on the same stage, and got married in 1988... Now Olga works in a law firm in the capital. After leaving, the relationship between Valdis and his official family was not easy. Pelsh was always crazy about his daughter Eizhena and tried to spend as much time as possible with the child. At one time Olga opposed these meetings, but later the fragile truce was restored. Valdis sees twelve-year-old Eizhena every morning - he takes his favorite to school.

- Since you haven’t lived together for a long time, why haven’t you divorced yet? - I ask Olga.

The phrase “the wife does not give a divorce” sounds good, but it is completely unfair in our case,” Olga answered. - If a person wants to get a divorce, he gets a divorce, and not a single wife can stop him. Yes, we live in different apartments - it just happened that way, it’s more convenient. Would you try to coexist with a person who has night vigils!

I have friends who live with their husbands, but see them much less often than I see Valdis. We meet several times a day. Someone really wants Valdis to divorce me, so various rumors arise... Even if Pelsh divorces me, this does not mean that he will make someone his wife.

Wife Svetlana and daughter Ilva

It is clear that when speaking about “someone”, Olga means Svetlana.

Pelsh met Sveta eight years ago at a party. She sews clothes for pop stars, and recently became the heroine of the NTV documentary “Rublev’s Wives.”

I tried to find out from Svetlana whether she knew that Valdis was finally really going to divorce his wife.

- But Valdis still hasn’t officially divorced...

Who lives with whom and who divorces whom does not matter at all.

- What about children?

He loves his eldest daughter very much, he is a good father. But they don’t leave children, they leave women.

Valdis himself categorically refused to comment on anything.

Natalya VOLOSHYNA

BY THE WAY

“What, you don’t have a cook?!”

What Oksana Robski writes about Svetlana in the book “Casual”

In the acclaimed book “Casual” by Oksana Robski, Pelsh’s common-law wife Svetlana appears in a small but amusing episode - as the owner of the “Majordomo” agency: they design clothes for servants there. The heroine comes to the Majordomo to improve the appearance of her Filipina housekeeper. Svetlana, gracefully sipping coffee from an antique cup, immediately offers to give the Filipina hair removal: she probably doesn’t shave her legs. And then, while the housekeeper’s measurements are being taken to sew the uniform, he expresses his readiness to dress all of his client’s servants, including the cook. The heroine says that there is no cook in her house.

“The owner of the Majordomo looked at me with arrogant surprise:

Who cooks for you?

“I,” I lied, I don’t know why, and, smiling, shrugged, as if apologizing to her for such savagery.

Svetlana looked at me with regret and shook my hand encouragingly goodbye.”

Valdis's father does not know that his son is getting a divorce

Although Riga resident Eugenijs Pelš regularly calls him on the phone

I think I somewhat upset the TV star's father with a news question when I called him yesterday morning. He thought that his son was divorcing Svetlana. Her father-in-law got along well with her, carried his granddaughter Ilva in his arms...

Ilva is now three years old. But in the photo with her grandfather she was still a year old when Eugenijs visited his son in Moscow. But last year I hoped for a meeting in Riga. But Valdis could not visit his father then: Channel One had a falling out with Igor Krutoy - and the star TV presenter did not go to Jurmala to see the “New Wave”.

And Valdis’s mother and his sister Sabina (13 years younger than his brother) have been living in Israel for a long time - their parents were separated by the Latvian “revolution” of the 90s with its ugly division of people into citizens and “strangers,” as was written in the passports of most Russian-speaking people. So Valdis’s mother, a former Muscovite, left for her historical homeland.

Valdis's first wife is a lawyer by profession, and from high circles. Her father was the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Russia, Eugenijs Pelš told me. - Valdis maintains good relations with his first family. Once he called so that I could listen over the phone to Eizhenia, who was named after me, play the piano. And the second wife, Sveta, is a student, studying, in my opinion, to become a designer.

Valdis also has an older half-brother, Alexander (from his mother’s first marriage), who was at one time a television cameraman, and is now engaged in business in Moscow.

Karen MARKARYAN (Our own correspondent)

There were stories and tales about the hot guy Valdis

Judging by rumors, Valdis Pelsh is quite a “hot Baltic guy”

As a student, he had a serious affair with a girl, Tanya, who studied at the Institute of Chemical Technology. At Moscow State University, Pelsh performed on stage, sang and danced. Girls hung around his neck in clusters, and Tanya was jealous... Nevertheless, the matter ended with his marriage to Olga.

From more recent times - rumors about Valdis's affair with Isolde from the Lyceum trio. They flashed by and were forgotten.

And how many interesting things can be found about this lover of “pranks” on the Internet! A very strange girl, Zaira, from the city of Cherkessk, claims that she married Valdis in 1996! They say that in a girl’s homeland, to get married, it’s enough to ride the girl on a white horse and pay the relatives a hundred bucks in bride price. According to Zaira, Pelsh gave her a ride and paid for it, so who knows now...

The next rumor is related to the director of the program “Guess the Melody” Alla Plotkina, for whom Pelsh also seemed to feel something.

And what happened when Tatyana Arno appeared next to him in the “Raffle” program? Many TV viewers immediately unanimously decided: here it is, Valdis Pelsh’s new love. And how could it be otherwise - such breasts... Although Arno herself assures that they are connected only by work.

Pelsh himself is silent about his hobbies like a partisan. Only once, in an interview, did he mention that the only woman in the world to whom he would forgive anything was Eizhen’s daughter.

Name: Valdis Pelsh

Age: 51 years old

Place of Birth: Riga, Latvia

Height: 183 cm; Weight: 83 kg

Activity: TV presenter, singer, actor

Family status: married

Valdis Pelsh: biography

Valdis Pelsh is a popular actor and musician who fell in love with Russian audiences on the television program “Guess the Melody.” Valdis started out as a singer. The biography of this man is interesting.

Childhood, family of Valdis Pelsh

A Latvian with Russian citizenship was born in Riga. In the family, the boy had long been introduced to the profession of his father, who was a journalist and radio presenter. His parents divorced, and Valdis had a brother and sister from his mother’s second marriage. Alexander is a television cameraman, and Sabina moved to America for permanent residence.


The family was already bilingual (Russian and Latvian), and Valdis was drawn to learning other languages. After school, the guy spoke French, and when he received his certificate, Pelsh entered the Faculty of Philosophy at Moscow State University.

Valdis Pelsh and the group "Accident"

Valdis's activity was irrepressible: he went to the student theater (there he met Alexei Kortnev). Music immediately united two bright, talented students. The group “Accident” was created. The theater stage brought the two friends together again. Valdis joined the university team to play KVN. The guys made it to the Major League and got to film the game, which was shown on television.


The group, which was called not very happy words, was created at a happy moment. Valdis played the main role in the team: he sings, plays the guitar, and creates lyrics. After some time, Pelsh rarely rehearses with the group; he participates only in significant concerts. When the group decided to record an anniversary album, Pelsh returned to the team. Concert activities and presentations of the group's music albums began again. "Accident" celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2008.

Valdis Pelsh: Cinema and television

Pelsh is not an actor by training, but judging by the number of roles he has played, he can be considered an actor. Sometimes I had to play myself. The films in which the famous TV presenter starred have recognizable names (“Turkish Gambit”, “Brother-2” and others).


Valdis received a university diploma and began working at a research institute; after a year of work at the Academy of Sciences, the young man realized that this was not his choice. Now he devotes himself to television. Not everything went right away in the television biography without a hitch; many projects failed miserably.

Only Vladislav Listyev believed in the young man, offering him a musical project. Many millions of viewers gave their votes and love to both the presenter and the project. “Guess the Melody” rightfully broke the records of many other programs in terms of the number of television viewers.


Valdis led several projects at once, and soon another program (“Raffle”) became one of the leading ones on Channel One. Tatyana Arno helped host this popular program. Pelsh and Kortnev met again at the Golden Gramophone ceremony, which they hosted together for three years.


His biography of the presenter and participant includes the following titles: “Field of Miracles”, “What? Where? When?”, “Two Stars”, “King of the Ring”, “Evening Urgant” and others. And in “KVN” he ​​is a member of the jury. Stars in commercials. Valdis tried himself as a trainer and presenter in the “Together with Dolphins” project. The second presenter was Maria Kiseleva.

Personal life of Valdis Pelsh

Valdis, unfortunately, repeated the fate of his parents. He failed to marry once and for the rest of his life. In his first marriage, his wife Olga was engaged in legal activities. The marriage was officially registered, and seventeen years later the couple divorced. From his first marriage he has a daughter, Eizhena. Media representatives began to closely monitor the young showman as soon as he gained fame. Valdis was credited with an affair with one of the soloists of the Lyceum. Then rumors spread that his next woman was Alla Plotkina, the director of a project about melody (a novel for the sake of a career).


Second official marriage of Pelsh with Svetlana Akimova. The meeting with this love took place before he received a divorce from his first wife. The couple had a daughter, Ilva, and sons, Einer and Invar.

Hobbies of Valdis Pelsh

One of his hobbies is diving, the showman is a NAUI master diver, loves to jump with a parachute (he has category “C” of the parachute association). Valdis passed this hobby on to his daughter; she dived in Antarctica and is the youngest diver, so she was listed in the Guinness Book of Records.

Hospitalization Pelsha

Two years ago, Pelsh was hospitalized with pancreatic necrosis; a number of therapeutic measures and diet were taken for treatment. Everything worked out well, and frequent hospitalizations became simply planned.

Politics and personal opinion of Valdis Pelsh

Valdis considers his membership in the Civil Power party a mistake. The showman has not been involved in political activities since then. And in not a single interview did he ever speak badly about Russia. Valdis does not believe that you can be friends with a person only by sharing his political views.

Valdis Pelsh is a famous television presenter. He became famous for his programs “Guess the Melody” and “Raffle”. Throughout his life, the showman received a large number of prizes and awards. During his student years, he, together with Alexei Kortnev, organized the group “Accident,” in which he sometimes performs.

The television star is interested in diving and parachuting. He dreams of sinking to the bottom of the Mariana Trench.

The man was in a relationship twice. The first marriage lasted more than 17 years and brought him a daughter. The second wife gave the TV presenter two sons and a daughter. He is incredibly happy that he met Svetlana in his life.

Height, weight, age. How old is Valdis Pelsh

Valdis Pelsh, whose photo in his youth and now can be viewed in the archives of the First Television Channel, amazes with his youth and enthusiasm. He has been involved in sports since a young age. The man especially highlights the art of scuba diving. He also introduces children to it. The showman absolutely does not eat fatty foods and flour products. Our hero has several dozen parachute jumps to his credit. He says that during the jump you feel an incredible delight that you cannot feel anywhere else.

Already from the appearance of the first episode of the show program on television, Valdis became incredibly in demand. Many television fans began to wonder what his height, weight, and age were. Many people were able to find out how old Valdis Pelsh was at the last concert of the group “Accident”. The showman sang and danced with youthful enthusiasm, although he had already crossed the 50-year-old mark. This is how he celebrated his 51st birthday.

The TV presenter has Jewish roots. Now lives in the Russian Federation. But he calls himself a Latvian, despite the lack of Latvian citizenship. With a height of 187 cm, Pelsh weighs 80 kg.

Biography and personal life of Valdis Pelsh

The biography and personal life of Valdis Pelsh have begun to interest many television viewers since the late 90s. It was at this time that our hero began hosting the musical show program “Guess the Melody.”

The boy was born back in 1967. The Latvian capital became its homeland. Father - Pelsh Eugenijs (Evgeniy) hosted programs on Riga television. Mother, Pelsh Ella, was involved in the economic component of various projects.

Valdis was brought up with his older brother Alexander, who was born in their mother’s first marriage, and his younger sister Sabina.

Our hero studied at one of the best schools in Riga, where he learned to speak French. Currently, the man knows several more languages. He can speak English and German.

Having received a school certificate, the future television star goes to Moscow, where on the first try he passes the crucible of difficult examination tests at the state university and becomes its student. The guy decided to study philosophical sciences.

At this time, Valdis and Alexey Kortnev met. They organized the group "Accident". Within a few weeks, their quartet became incredibly popular among young people.

During his student years he played in KVN. After that, he began working on the country's main television channel. During his work here, our hero produced several interesting show programs. The audience especially loved his “Guess the Melody” and “Raffle”, the first of which is still being published.

Valdis is considered one of the best presenters. He hosts various events with passion. Since the mid-90s, he has been trusted to host various music concerts. During his creative career he was awarded a large number of prizes and awards.

The showman also appeared in films. He played one of the roles in “On a Lively Place”, “Old Songs about the Main Thing”, “Turkish Gambit” and some others. Pelsh is passionate about documentary films. He made films about pilots who flew from the Soviet Union to the United States of America. For his work, our hero was awarded at one of the film festivals in Cannes.

Since the beginning of the new millennium, he has regularly refereed games of the major league of the Merry and Resourceful Club.

The showman's personal life began during his student years. He married and became the father of a daughter, Eugene. Now Valdis is married for the second time. Our hero and his wife are raising a daughter and two sons.

Family and children of Valdis Pelsh

The family and children of Valdis Pelsh mean a lot in the life of the popular TV presenter. The man is the father of many children. He does not rule out the possibility of becoming a dad again. Our hero introduces his children to sports. He believes that this is what will be best for the guys themselves.

The father of the Guess the Tune star was Latvian. He was born near the Latvian capital. The man worked for a long time on one of the Riga TV channels, feeling proud of his eldest son. In 2015, the TV presenter’s father died. He is buried in one of the Riga cemeteries.

Our hero’s mother was born in the Soviet capital. Received an economic education. After meeting her husband, she moved to Riga, where her son Valdis and daughter Sabina were born. In the 90s, a woman divorces her husband and leaves for permanent residence in Israel.

Valdis is friends with his older brother Alexander, who was born in their mother’s first marriage. The man worked for several years on one of the Russian channels. In 2010, he opened his own company, which is based on holding various festive events. Alexander is married and has two sons.

In the 80s, the Pelsh family was replenished with a baby daughter, who was named Sabina. At the beginning of the new millennium, the girl moved permanently to the United States of America. She is married and has a daughter and son.

Sons of Valdis Pelsh - Einer, Ivar

The sons of Valdis Pelsh - Einer, Ivar - became a real gift for the famous TV presenter. He is incredibly proud of this fact. What his sons will become in the future is still unknown. The star himself says that they remind him of his childhood. He assumes that they will follow in his footsteps and begin working on television.

The first of the sons was born in 2009. He became the third child for Valdis. The boy plays music, plays hockey, and goes to the swimming pool. Einer studies in one of the capital's schools. He especially likes Russian history. The guy became interested in the Great Patriotic War, which his father told him about. Einer speaks Latvian and English well.

Our hero gave his youngest son the name Ivar in honor of the famous Soviet film actor Ivar Kalnysh. The boy recently celebrated his 4th birthday. He began to attend the martial arts section.

Valdis Pelsh's daughters – Eizhena and Ilva

The daughters of Valdis Pelsh, Eizhena and Ilva, appeared in different marital unions of our hero. Girls often meet, despite the significant age difference.

The first time a celebrity became a father was in the early 90s. It was at this time that he just began working on television. He named his daughter Eizhena, which translated from Latvian means beauty. The girl spent a lot of time with her dad. She started playing sports. The showman taught his little one to dive to great depths. She became the youngest diver to enter the Guinness Book of Records. The girl studied well at school. After receiving her certificate, she received her education at one of the capital’s universities. Now Eizhena works in one of the prestigious capital companies. Valdis recently said that he would soon become a grandfather.

Nothing is known about the second daughter of the famous host of the “Guess the Melody” show program. Even the year of her birth is hidden from the attention of others. It is known that the girl's name is Ilva. Maybe she is still small, just recently born, or she is already old enough to go to school. These issues cannot yet be resolved, since there is no information on this issue in official sources.

Valdis Pelsh's ex-wife - Olga Pelsh

The showman and Olga met in the mid-80s. The girl often came to concerts of the group “Accident”, in which our hero played and sang. They were introduced by a mutual friend. From that time on, they began to meet regularly. The marriage was officially formalized in the late 80s.

Valdis Pelsh's ex-wife, Olga Pelsh, received a law degree. She studied at Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov. After the birth of her daughter, the girl spent a long time raising her.

At the beginning of the new millennium, Olga began working in one of the capital's law firms. She currently runs her own law firm. The woman maintained friendly relations with her ex-husband. She says that it is impossible to be angry with him for a long time.

Valdis Pelsh's wife - Svetlana Pelsh

At the beginning of the new millennium, Svetlana and Valdis met by chance. He was tied by marriage, so he tried to curb his feelings. But a few years later the man talked to his wife Olga and filed for divorce. After that, he began to actively court Sveta Akimova. The girl agreed to become his wife. The marriage was officially registered in 2006.

Valdis Pelsh's wife, Svetlana Pelsh, took care of the house for a long time. She gave her husband three children, to whom she pays great attention.

The woman was very successful in business. She runs her own agency, which helps Muscovites select the necessary service personnel for their homes. Svetlana designed clothes that servants should wear according to standards.

Valdis loves his wife incredibly. He often surprises her. For the New Year, the couple will go to the Pacific coast to spend quality time.

Wikipedia and Instagram of Valdis Pelsh

Wikipedia and Valdis Pelsh’s Instagram contain data not only about the man’s television career, but also about his hobbies.

Wikipedia is the most comprehensive official source. Here you can read where he was born and raised, how he became involved in creativity, when he started hosting his “Guessing Game”. The page provides information about wives, children, parents, brother and sister.

The star works fruitfully on social networks. He often updates his Instagram page. Here you can see pictures of the showman with friends, as well as photographs of his wife Svetlana and daughter Eizhena. Valdis protects his younger children from the attention of others. He does not post their photographs on the page. On Instagram you can watch videos made by Pelsh during his dive in the Red and Mediterranean Seas, as well as in the Pacific Ocean.

Today I present to you an interview with the father of a famous showman who returned to television with the hit of the 90s - the program “Guess the Melody!” Valdis Pelsh's father - Eugene(a Latvian journalist with half a century of experience) lives in the same microdistrict in Riga as me. Mom is in Israel, younger sister is in the USA, and the older brother moved to the younger one - in Moscow, works in showbiz...

One day I asked to visit Eugeniy, and he told me why Valdis converted to Catholicism and baptized his second daughter in this faith, why the mother of the future TV star left Latvia for Israel, how the Pelsha family escaped deportations (German and Soviet) and much more. friend...

(photo - heat.ru)

Last name of Politburo member

The surname Pelshe was very well known in the USSR. Have you ever been credited with being related to Arvid Yanovich Pelshe, a member of the CPSU Politburo from 1966 to 1983? Did this “namesake” influence the fate of your family? Maybe it would have been easier for Valdis with such a surname to go to university in Moscow?

Eugenijs Pelsh with his pet... (chas-daily.com)

“I perceived this as a great inconvenience,” says Eugeniy. - Many times I had to feel some awkwardness when giving my last name when I came to some factory or construction site. And that’s why I always tried to emphasize: my last name is not Pelshe, but Pelsh. So - no connection with the name of the Politburo member.

Although there were also comic situations. One day I was making a work call to Pavilosta, a small town near Liepaja. On the eve of the trip, I dial the number of the executive committee: naturally, I pretend that I am calling from the radio committee, my last name is Pelsh, that I would like to meet the chairman of the executive committee tomorrow. They told me that they would definitely warn him about the visit. When I arrived in Pāvilosta the next day, they immediately told me that today there was no time for conversation, because in anticipation of Pelše’s visit, all the district authorities, led by the first secretary of the Liepaja district party committee, had arrived in Pāvilosta...

As far as I know, Valdis only used this consonance of surnames once, when he served in military training. In their unit there was an evil sergeant who somehow wanted to impose a strict punishment on Valdis, and then his son told him: “Do you know what my last name is?” After this, the punishment was commuted.

But subsequently Valdis, as I know well, never used this trick, all the time emphasizing the difference (albeit small) in the surnames...

But now you probably proudly say that you are the father of the same Pelsh who broadcasts in Moscow?

In this regard, I am quite modest, I don’t tell anyone about it. I answer only if I am asked about it directly. The neighbors and my circle, of course, know who my son is. Although Valdis comes to Riga mainly only for work...

The “yellow editions” married Valdis more than once to the co-host of the “Raffle”, the spectacular Tatyana Arno... (afisha.net)

Valdis was chosen by Vlad Listyev

Perhaps it’s your fault that Valdis ultimately chose television? After all, you worked for the newspaper “Tsinya” (“Struggle”) - the oldest Bolshevik newspaper in the USSR, and since 1960 - for the Latvian Radio...

Hardly. It all started with his student theater at Moscow State University. As his colleagues told me, he was the soul of this theater. And then there was the group “Accident”, which was famous. And Vlad Listyev invited Valdis to work on television after watching his previous stories. Valdis then noted to Vlad that he would hardly be able to meet the requirements of the “Guess the Melody” program, because everything he had done on television until then had a very short life. Vlad then said: let’s work and see...

Has journalism become a family affair? After all, besides your daughter Sabina, who chose computers, your eldest son Alexander became a television cameraman?

Yes, but now Alexander is doing business in Moscow. And Sabina has a knack for drawing since childhood; she studied computer design at the University of Haifa. True, she first had to learn Hebrew, despite the fact that she attended a Jewish school in Riga for the last year before moving to Israel. Now Sabina speaks Russian with an accent.

Sabina with Valdis’s second wife Sveta (moscowuniversityclub.ru)

- And in Latvian?

Quite uncertain. In our family, we mostly spoke Russian. The only thing is that she knows well the Latvian lullabies that I sang to her as a child. (By the way, I communicated with Valdis’ father exclusively in Latvian, as it somehow happened naturally - K.M.)

And Valdis graduated from the Henri Barbusse school in Riga, which specialized in in-depth study of French. But children could learn about the world not only from textbooks. My family and I traveled a lot, we went around the whole Crimea: for example, on foot from Alushta to Kerch. We were in the Caucasus, in the Carpathians, Moldova, on the Belaya River in the Urals. Of course, we also traveled along Latvian rivers - the Gauja and Lielupe. First with Alexander and Valdis, and then, when Sabina grew up (there is a 13-year difference between her and Valdis), then there were five of us...

Eizhenia - in honor of my grandfather...

How often do you get to see your children? Do you go to them or do they mostly come?

They come more often. Sabina lived here with her mother for a couple of months in the summer, and Valdis came. And we will definitely call each other. I myself lived in Israel for two years - I had a two-year visa, and I prepared weekly materials for Latvian Radio as my own correspondent.

- It’s probably easier for Valdis to see you during visits to Riga?

Yes, but Valdis is a workaholic. For example, when he starts filming in Moscow, he works from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., and his voice even drops. I once sent him special medicines to Moscow, which are produced here in Latvia.

(With the program “Guess the Melody” in 1995, Valdis entered the Guinness Book of Records when the program was simultaneously watched by 132 million people. In 40 days, he filmed 143 programs in a row, without days off!)

With his friend and partner in “Accident” Alexey Kortnev from the time of the first “guessing game” (telesem.ru)

- Did Valdis name his first daughter Eugenia in your honor?

Yes. And the second - Ilvoy.

Eugeniy with his granddaughter Eugenia - affectionately Eizhenya (moscowuniversityclub.ru)

To Moscow - at 16 years old

Has Valdis shown any creative fantasies since childhood? Was he an obedient child?

He was a very independent boy and somewhat stubborn, which was good. Although mischievous, he is not one of those whom, as they say, the police are interested in... And he has had a talent for improvisation since childhood. And after graduating from school, he went to Moscow when he was 16 years old. But he entered Moscow State University here in Riga, having passed a competition (in the largest universities of the USSR, a certain number of places in different faculties were reserved for representatives of national republics - K.M.). By the way, his maternal grandfather was Korolev’s deputy designer. He and Valdis’s grandmother lived in Kaliningrad, near Moscow, where the cosmonautics center was located.


Valdis at 16 years old - photo from the personal archive of Valdis’s father

- How did Valdis study at school, what were his favorite subjects?

He was not a miracle child, an excellent student. But I studied with straight B's. The main thing in any business for him was the idea, the meaning. For example, we sometimes talked with him on philosophical topics, including discussing the meaning of life. And his favorite subjects were history. He was not a fighter, but he could stand up for himself, although I was never called to school because of his behavior.

Catholicism is Valdis's choice

Did you go to Valdis’s first wedding?

No, my mother went to the wedding, and I stayed with Sabina in Riga. Of course, we saw each other later. But now Valdis has a second wife - Sveta (designer, opened a domestic staff recruitment agency in 2010, owner of the MajorDom agency - clothing design for servants - K.M.). And the first one was a lawyer by profession, and from high circles, her father was the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Russia. Valdis maintains good relations with his first family.

Valdis in Malta. Behind him is his first wife - Olga (diveforum.spb.ru)

It turns out that both of Valdis’ wives are Orthodox, and he himself, as far as we know, at the very beginning of this century decided to convert to Catholicism and also baptized his second daughter according to the Catholic rite. Why?

I never asked Valdis about this choice of his. It seems to me that he thereby wanted to continue the traditions of the family, his father’s family. In addition, Sveta herself wanted Ilva to become a Catholic, despite the fact that she herself is Orthodox.

- Do you somehow help your son with advice?

I always watch my son's shows. Of course, when we call each other, I do not hide my thoughts about this or that moment. But I’m talking about this from the viewer’s point of view, because I know: Valdis did not like guardianship since childhood.

December 2006. During the official legalization of relations with his common-law wife Svetlana. My daughter Ilva turned 5 that day...(bestactor.ru)

"French Affair"

Eugene, let's now talk about yourself. How did you get into journalism?

He started studying at the Faculty of Philology of the University of Latvia in the French department. Then the so-called “French affair” began, when the teaching forces were exposed by French bourgeois agents. Some of the teachers were arrested, and our department was closed. This was in 1949. We switched to the art history department. Later this department was also closed - under the pretext that there were enough specialists in this field. Then I moved to the journalism department.

After graduation, he became a special correspondent for the newspaper “Tsinya” in several regions of Latvia (Talsi, Dundaga, Kandava, Tukums). I worked for more than a year, but then I had a conflict with the local authorities - with the 1st secretary of the Talsi district party committee, Eisaks, who once called me and said: “Scribbler, come, I’ll show you how to work with collective farms!” He put me in his car, and we drove around about two dozen collective farms. He told me: “Write how we manage collective farms!” And I wrote absolutely everything that actually happened. On the day of publication of my material in Tsin, it so happened that a meeting of the first secretaries of the district committees of the republic was held at the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Communist Party of the Republic of Lithuania...

After the conflict, I moved to Dobele, where I became editor-in-chief of the newspaper Brivais valsts (Free Country - K.M.). And after about a year of that work, I became a radio journalist...

Older brother - legionnaire

Now you are talking about the “French affair”. But there was also the “doctors’ case”, deportations... How did your family manage to avoid Stalin’s repressions?

My father was on the deportation list. But my older brother Voldemars - Voldis (in the Latgalian manner - Valdis was named after him) saved us. And twice. When the Germans came, our neighbors (we lived in the Varaklya volost) were Mr. Brox. And Varaklyany was a purely Jewish town. And this Brox once suggested to his brother: “Let’s go shoot the Jews!” He also came to my mother and told her to let Voldis go shoot the Jews. The mother replied that her son would not kill innocent people. This policeman was indignant and said that it means that we are with the Jews at the same time, okay, they say, we’ll write it down that way. And my brother, in order not to become a policeman and so that the family would not have trouble, joined the SS Legion and went to the front. Soon he was wounded and returned home. I had no intention of fighting again. But when the Red Army arrived, he was mobilized. A month later he died. And that’s the only reason why our father was not deported when they realized that his son had died in the Red Army.

We were from a peasant family. They lived poorly. But despite this, when Soviet tanks entered Latvia on June 17, 1940, my father said: “They are humiliating us!”

- But what about President Ulmanis, he didn’t say this, but also called on the people to be calm...

I cannot forgive Ulmanis for one thing: he should have fought for at least one hour and then left the country. This would mean that the country is occupied, and the president cannot be in it...

But my mother's sister was not lucky. My aunt’s entire family was deported in 1949 just because they had a mill! But they worked themselves, without farm laborers. I remember my aunt’s husband Leonards, who was the director of the school in Preili and the head of the district aizsargs (“defenders” - voluntary armed groups - K.M.). He hid with us in 1941. But when the Germans arrived, he said that he was also not on the same path with these “brothers.” They are exactly the same from whom he was hiding...


German soldiers are warmly welcomed in Riga (gazeta.lv)

Dream of a house in Riga...

Let's go back to our days. It's no secret that pensions in Latvia are small, but utility bills are huge. Do your children help you?

Of course, children help, otherwise you won’t survive...

- Have you ever invited Valdis to return home to Riga and work on television here?

No, I didn't call. And I don’t think he would want to do it now. The only thing he once said was that in his old age he would like to buy a house in Old Riga to live here...

- Did Valdis forget Latvian? What language do you speak?

In Russian. Valdis's Latvian is not particularly brilliant.

- As I understand it, you separated from Valdis’s mother Ella?

Yes. And I met my future wife during the construction of the Plyavinskaya hydroelectric power station, where she came as part of a project team from Moscow, and I covered this construction for almost a whole year.

During the "Atmoda" ("Awakening" - the movement for independence - K.M.) she actively participated in everything, and when the separation by citizenship began, she had problems. Sabina was a citizen (on her father’s side - K.M.), but her mother was not. And she once told me: whatever, I’ll go to my historical homeland - Israel. I was against it, but... We, of course, maintain normal human relations. Of course, there was no talk about Valdis’s departure. Where would he go from Moscow?

With his wife Sveta and children - Ilva and Einar (zdorovieinfo.ru)

From the biography:

Valdis Pelsh was born on June 5, 1967 in Riga.
One of the founders and participant (1983-1997) of the group “Accident”. He graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow State University and worked for one year as a junior researcher at the Institute of the History of Natural Science and Technology of the USSR Academy of Sciences. During his studies and until 1995, he played in the youth theater of Moscow State University (now the Student Theater of Moscow State University).
Since 1987 - on television.
Since 2007 - member of the political council of the political party "Civil Power".
Twice winner of the "Tefi" award (for "Guess the Melody!" and "Raffle"), the "Ovation" award (for "Guess the Melody"), winner of the "Silver Olive" award (International TV Program Festival in Montenegro).
Starred in 11 films, including a cameo role in "Brother 2", where he played himself.
Children: daughters - Eugenia, from her first marriage (1992), Ilva (2002), son Einar (2009) - from her second.

Hobbies: diving (NAUI dive master). I also included my eldest daughter in this. Eugenia entered the Guinness Book of Records as the youngest diver to dive off the coast of Antarctica. The previous record holder was 20 years old, and she was 14.5 at that time!

(1tv.ru) Valdis also loves to jump with a parachute (category “C” skydiver of the International Parachuting Federation, about 400 jumps). He also collects army helmets from the times of two world wars and postcards with views of cities around the world at night...