From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mikhail Zadornov
Birth name	Mikhail Nikolayevich Zadornov
Born	July 21, 1948 (1948-07-21) (age 61) Jūrmala, Soviet Union
Nationality	Russian
Years active	1974 – present
Genres	Satire
Website	http://www.zadornov.net/

Mikhail Nikolayevich Zadornov (Russian: Михаи́л Никола́евич Задо́рнов; born July 21, 1948 in Jūrmala, Latvian SSR, USSR) is a Soviet and Russian stand-up comedian and writer. Zadornov is particularly famous for his satirical comparisons of Russians and nationals of other countries, especially Americans. He has rescinded his visa to the United States as a protest to the American athletes' flag-waving behavior at the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympics.^[1] Zadornov was born in an artistic family, his father Nikolai Zadornov was a notable writer from Riga. Mikhail Zadornov graduated from Moscow Aviation Institute, however, in the early 1980s he started a career as a humorist instead of an engineer.

He has also been known to make fun of any CIS (former Soviet) country seeking a friendly relationship with the west, but seems to have no hard feelings against them.

While criticizing heavily American culture and its influence on the life in modern Russia, Zadornov commended Dan Brown for getting the public interested in Israel, the Vatican, Leonardo da Vinci and art history. (That praise aside, Zadornov assessed the literary value of Brown's books as "сочинения ученика очень средней школы", which translates into something like "compositions of a student at a very mediocre middle-school"; pun intended as средний means both "middle (grade)" and "mediocre".)

Quotes

• If you have something against democracy, while democracy is in your land, — you're finished (TV concert, 1999)

• "I do not criticize America — I criticize our [Russian] way to copy the American way of life —especially its worst side." (TV concert, 2003)

• "I travel to Ukraine about three times a year now, and every time I come, I ask the guy at the train station 'What's new?' to which he always answers 'elections'. I want to buy a parrot that lives about 300 years, and officially adopt him so that at least one of my family members sees the end of the Ukrainian elections."

• "Oh the Estonians have joined NATO, I'm so scared. Will we ever have time to run for our lives if the Estonians attack us?"

• "I've said enough about Estonia, Latvia, Georgia, and oh yeah, I also talked about Ukraine.. Now let's talk about their government... the Americans."

• "The diary of Yuri Luzhkov: 8:00 AM: Make the clouds over Moscow go away. \\ 10:00 AM: Get the clouds back to make the gay parade go away."

• "In America's sports up till nowadays black people are the best runners, and white — the best shooters."

• "Negroes is not politically correct (Afro Americans is), let's name the painting "Black Square" by Malevich — Afro Square e.t.c."

• "Even some Americans scientists told that mankind was born near Voronezh in Russia."

• "How come you [Americans] know the English language so well? — said Zadornov's friend when Americans told him that Latvia is a country somewhere in Portugal that hurts Russians' feelings. This was a joke, but the Americans could not answer the question."

• "When a king silences the jester, the role of the jester is passed to the king."

Concerts

• 1990 — Ангажемент (Engagement)
• 1992 — В каждой Шутке есть доля Шутки (Every Joke has a part of a Joke)
• 1992 — Много шума и ничего (Lots of noise and nothing)
• 1996 — Нью-Йоркский концерт (New York concert)
• 1997 — Умом Россию не понять (“Russia is a thing of which the intellect cannot conceive”, a line from Fyodor Tyutchev's poem)
• 1997 — Великая страна с непредсказуемым прошлым (A great country with unpredictable past)
• 1997 — Что делать, или как нам обустроить Россию (What should we do or how do we arrange Russia)
• 1999 — Экскурсия по Москве (Tour of Moscow)
• 2000 — Лекция (с юмором) (Lecture with humour)
• 2003 — В слове МЫ сто тысяч Я… (Word “WE” consists of a hundred thousands of “I”s)
• 2003 — Я люблю Америку (I love America)
• 2005 — Непонятки (Misunderstandies)
• 2005 — Не дайте себе засохнуть (Don't let yourself dry out)
• 2005 — От путча до Путина (From putsch to Putin)
• 2005 — Да здравствует то, благодаря чему мы, несмотря ни на что… (Long live that thank to what we in spite of anything)
• 2005 — Не для ТВ.RU (Not_for_tv.ru )
• 2005 — Мы чьё, дурачьё? (Whose fools are we?)
• 2005 — Египетские Ночи (Egyptian Nights, Concert in Big concert hall «Oktyabr'skij» in Saint Petersburg)
• 2005 — Американская трагедия (American tragedy)
• 2005 — Мы (We)
• 2005 — Задоринки (Zadornov's stuff)
• 2005 — Фантазии (Fantasies)
• 2005 — Записки отморозка.(Rascal's notes )
• 2005 — Юмор 585 пробы (585-carat humour)
• 2006 — После нас хоть потоп (After us let even a flood be)
• 2006 — Собиратель дурошлёпства (Foolery collector)
• 2006 — Не забывается такое никогда (Such can never be forgotten)
• 2006 — Третье ухо (Third ear)
• 2006 — Так жить можно…?! (Can you live live this?)
• 2006 — Задорнова к ответу (Zadornov must reply)
• 2006 — Записки Предсказамуса (Predictamus's notes)
• 2006 — Веселее жить стало (Living has become more joyous)
• 2006 — Этот безумный мир (This crazy world)
• 2007 — Записки усталого романтика (A tired romanticist's notes)
• 2007 — Тест на интеллект (Intelligence test, forbidden for TV translation)
• 2007 — Мы все из Чи-Чи-Чи-Пи. (We all are from Chi-Chi-Chi-Pi. This is a pun on how Italians read “СССР” which is Russian for “USSR”)
• 2007 — Когда смешно, тогда не страшно (It's not scary when it's funny)
• 2007 — Подниматель пингвинов (Penguin raiser)
• 2008 — С первым смехом! (Happy first laugh!)
• 2008 — Задорный день (Zadornoffunny day )
• 2008 — Ничего себе! (Wow!)
• 2008 — SMS. Гламур. О’кей OK (SMS. Glamour. Okay, OK)
• 2009 — Антикризисный концерт (Anti-crisis concers)

Books

• 1988 — Линия длиной 15 000 метров
• 1988 — Загадка голубой планеты
• 1991 — Не понимаю
• 1997 — 4-х томник
  • Великая страна с непредсказуемым прошлым
  • Мы все из «Чи-Чи-Чи-Пи»
  • Крохотные звезды
  • Задоринки
• 2003 — Вдруг откуда ни возьмись
• 2004 — Задорнов Єнд К
• 2004 — Вверх ногами
• 2005 — Этот безумный, безумный, безумный мир…
• 2006 — Я никогда не думал…
• 2007 — Не дайте себе засохнуть!!!
• 2007 — Язычник эры водолея
• 2008 — Когда смешно, тогда не страшно
• 2008 — Мелочь, а приятно!

Filmography

References

• Ekaterina Ryndyk (TV presenter). (1999). "Bez antrakta". (Interview with Zadornov)'. TV company "Volga". http://ryndyk.info/video/mikhail-zadornov-1999.html.  

External links

• Official website (Russian)
• Unofficial website (Russian)
• Mikhail Nikolayevich Zadornov at the Internet Movie Database