In journalism, which appeared in the late 80s, there were many interesting people, but few of them were able to maintain their style and life position to this day. Politkovsky Alexander Vladimirovich is a rare example of preserving his creative individuality on a difficult journalistic path.
Ordinary childhood
In September 1953, a boy was born in an ordinary family in Moscow. Alexander Politkovsky says about his childhood that it was the most ordinary, with football in the yard, school absenteeism, books and movies. After the school for working youth, Alexander joined the army, postponing the choice of profession for two years.
Finding a profession
After returning from the army, Alexander Politkovsky enters the television department of the Faculty of Journalism of Moscow State University. During the training period, a novice television man gets acquainted with the basics of the profession, makes acquaintances, and receives the first skills in practice.
Start
Journalist Alexander Politkovsky, after graduation, comes to the Central Television in the main editorial office of sports programs. ATfor four years he has to perform a wide variety of work, often go on business trips, shoot a large number of stories. Routine work, which gave good hardening and taught skill, took a lot of time and effort, but there was no return from it, there were no prospects. Therefore, Alexander Politkovsky, whose biography (creative, of course) slowed down its development, our hero began to think about leaving television. He wanted to enter the higher directing courses: he had a dream to make his own movie. But he was offered to go to the editorial office of youth programs, which produced the popular programs "Up to 16 and older", "12th Floor" and "Peace and Youth". Politkovsky moved to the latter. Here he meets people who will play a significant role in his life: E. Sagalaev, V. Mukusev, I. Kononov. The program was released weekly, for it it was necessary to shoot a large number of stories.
During this period, Politkovsky traveled almost half the world, visited exotic places, for example, he became the first journalist to visit Pyongyang. He develops an individual style: the famous cap, plots in the form of a journalistic story, he becomes a prominent reporter, learns to work in a new format of "problem journalism", develops contacts, and this will allow him to achieve significant success in the future.
Look
In 1987, Eduard Sagalaev came up with a new program "Vzglyad", in which he invited Alexander Politkovsky. The program was a completely new format forthen television, its presenters instantly became celebrities, including Alexander Politkovsky. Photos of heroes appeared in the media, they were recognized on the streets. It was, according to the journalist, "a time of faith in something bright." The creators of Vzglyad tried to create a free and fair program in which any topic is raised. Politkovsky first worked as a reporter, and then became one of the presenters, who over the 10 years of the program's existence have become symbols of an era of change.
In 1990, the management and ownership of the TV channel changed, Alexander Politkovsky became one of the shareholders of the new television company VID, headed by Alexander Lyubimov. When in 1991 the leadership decided to suspend the production of programs, Politkovsky and Lyubimov took this as an act of infringement on freedom of speech and began releasing "The View from the Underground" on videocassettes. The project was not successful, but the program returned to the air after a while.
Since 1992, Politkovsky has his own program "Politburo", he has to work hard and hard, he is constantly on the road and gets real pleasure from his work. His credo is honesty and reliability. He finds sharp and unexpected topics, for example, he examines the sarcophagus of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, talks about what he saw with his own eyes. In this program, Politkovsky finds himself in investigative journalism, but the program only lasted until 1995. After the murder of Vlad Listyev, the television company beginsdesperate struggle for power, Politkovsky is pushed back and squeezed out of the company, he parted with shares and leaves.
Life without the Look
In parallel with his work at Vzglyad, Politkovsky is doing what he loves - making documentaries. The most famous are “Outside August” and “Outside August - 2”. Even in the last years of work in VIDE, Alexander Politkovsky, at the invitation of E. Sagalaev, begins to make an author's program on TV-6, it is called "Territory of TV-6". The journalist continues to work in his own style, giving out only reliable and honest information. He could not and did not want to fit into the new commercial television and therefore preferred to go free-floating rather than covering profitable events that someone could pay for. In "Territory" Politkovsky finally acquires the image of a fighter for justice, he caustically points to social injustice, does not hesitate in expressions and does not recognize authorities. In this format, he quickly ceased to be needed by TV-6, which positioned itself as an entertainment channel for young people. Later, Politkovsky with the program goes to the Yugra channel, he focuses on making documentaries on topical issues.
Then, for several years, the journalist worked for the TV Center company, releasing the program “Local Time”, also hosts the talk show “Prison and Freedom”, but all these programs have a low rating and quickly leave ether.
In 2000, he created the Politkovsky Studio TV company, whichshoots programs and films for various channels. In parallel, he works in various companies, for example, on the Nostalgia TV channel, Politkovsky hosts the Back to the USSR program. For three years he tried not to talk about politics and the situation in the country, but it was not at all organic for him, and he left the program of his own free will. On the Hunting and Fishing channel, he hosts the Cherry Bone program.
Life position
Politkovsky Alexander Vladimirovich is an independent journalist, this is his most important achievement. He believes that journalism does not tolerate commercialization and that journalists should always strive for objectivity and honesty. After Vzglyad, he has been trying for a long time to find a place for himself in domestic television, but his sharp statements and intransigence did not allow him to stay somewhere for a long time.
Working on his own programs and films, he does not accept the inclusion of advertising blocks in them, does not recognize the creation of custom materials, and this position does not fit into modern television.
Community activities
From 1989 to 1993, there was such a deputy in the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR - Alexander Politkovsky. Reviews of colleagues about his activities at that time are the most positive. Deputy Politkovsky defended justice and achieved, for example, the closure of the Perm zone for political prisoners. He was a member of the Human Rights Committee and tried to help people assert their rights.
Today
Today Politkovsky considers himself an independent journalist, in his own studio he makes films and programs on various topics. He says that it is impossible to remain a freelance journalist today, but he strives for it. He makes films on sensitive topics: "Brother" - about internal troops in Chechnya, "Fanged Mountains" - about a small people - Soyots - who are on the verge of extinction, he travels a lot around the province, communicates with people, acts as an expert on political questions. He is a rare guest on federal channels, as he is not ready to soften his statements about their leaders. Politkovsky says he is pleased with his current position and is proud that he manages to maintain relative independence.
Private life
People who are always in sight often cannot hide their personal lives, there are exceptions, and Alexander Politkovsky is one of them. The personal life of a journalist is little known to the general public. Everyone only knows that he was the husband of the tragically deceased journalist Anna Politkovskaya. But they broke up a few years before her death.
Alexander communicates with their children - Vera and Ilya. And that is where the well-known facts end. Politkovsky never appears in society with companions and says nothing about his personal life. He talks about his passions for fishing and aquarism, that he speaks Czech and Spanish, and this is where the penetration into the privacy of a journalist ends.
