Vasily Konov

Every journalist should support some team. It's more interesting to live, especially what concerns emotions. The only “but” is to support it when you don’t work. Sometimes I support till I grow hoarse, support the CSK. I can admit that sometimes I pull my rank, especially during sell-out matches.

Living not far from a forest and watching a fantastic British film about Robin Hood did their work. I wanted to look like just that kind highwayman till the fifth or sixth form. Then the blow broke and instead of the forest there appeared lovely home concerts and the desire to be yourself.

If you have to choose what to play, play “mafia”. It’s sports too. And the intellectual one. Though not long ago I played a chess set with a candidate to the master of sports, won it and realized that any kind of sports can give your lots of positive emotions provided you’re lucky. Isn’t that the most important thing?

Two men from the football world, Oleg Kornauhov and Sergey Semak, impressed me most of all. It’d take a lot of time to speak about them but it’s enough to say that both of them deserve to be called the Persons. Exactly with the capital “P”.

In Russian TV I miss Leonid Parfenov’s program “Namedni”, Konstantin Ernst’s program “Matador” and the old “Vzglad”. And of course I lack for kindness. That's why I watch sport or cultural programs.

The most unforgettable match for me was the first one between the CSK and Spartak. The CSK lost 0:6, Ledahov scored 3 goals and this is when the first time was lost only 0:1. I was sitting under the torch in the Luzniki stadium, smoked two packets of “Magna” and my lungs reminded me of that game the next two days with every deep breath. After 5 years the CSK won 5:1. I didn’t smoke a cigarette, the lungs were satisfied and me too.

Zemfira is a great singer. May be because she is the only person in show-business who I like.

I was ready to pay any money for the Radiohead concert in London. While my friends and I were bargaining with a scalper at the Earls Court (we needed lots of tickets) there was a policeman passing by. The guy turned out to be a fan of Russia, studied himself Russian. Well, in a low voice he asked in Russian: “Isn’t he gonna sell? Get back in 5 minutes”. The scalper sold us the tickets without any problems at face value.

Zemfira’s concert in the “Olympic Stadium” of 1.04.2008 is the best I’ve ever seen. It was a chemical exchange between a fragile woman and 20 thousand devoted fans. It’s too incredible for words. The CD I listen to at home most of all is the pirated concert record form the air. Muse concerts in Moscow, Depeche Mode and Radiohead concerts in London are close to what it was in the Zemfira’s one but can’t be compared by emotional atmosphere.

The “Kofemania” in the Nikitskaya street has had the best terrace in Moscow for many years. Even when it’s late autumn you don’t have any desire to get inside. It’s better to sit outside with a plaid. You can chat for half hour while waiting for a free seat. The "Gogol" is a mix of youthful ardour and healthy alcoholism. “Krysha Mira” is good when my friend plays there while you can enjoy sunsets or sunrises with Moscow views.

I can’t say that opera is my passion but sometimes it saves me from being sad. Just enough to put the popular "Tosca" and all goes ok. Who hasn’t got used to it can put it starting with the final, with the famous aria of Kavaradossi. Besides that I listen to Wager, Rachmaninov and Prokofiev.