The fate of Uncle Vitya. Frank interview with Vyatka fashionista. Vyatka dandy went to the federal level On the transfer you found yourself a bride

Retired Viktor Sergeevich Kazakovtsev is a real local celebrity in the city of Kirov. He is called nothing less than “Vyatka fashionista”, and all because this 70-year-old man goes out to people in such extravagant costumes that it is impossible not to pay attention to him.

As Viktor Sergeevich himself says, the reaction of people on the street is mostly positive. Passers-by often approach him and ask to be photographed together. Then the pensioner takes a spectacular pose to get in the photo in at its best. “Of course, I don’t take money for this. It's kind of embarrassing," the man laughs. Sometimes, of course, as Viktor Sergeevich admits, all sorts of offensive remarks come from children, well, he doesn’t get upset - he remembers in such cases what he himself was at their age.

According to the stories of Viktor Sergeevich, he was born in Arbazh, a town in the Kirov region. Mom and her sisters sang very well, and therefore, when young Vitor once saw a film with the participation of actor Nikolai Kryuchkov, where he played the role of a tractor driver and played the button accordion, he decided to connect his life with music. As a result, he received two diplomas of the head of the orchestra of folk instruments, but by the will of fate, he eventually worked as an accordion player all his life.

As for clothing, one way or another, throughout the life of Viktor Sergeevich there were episodes related to the fact that he stood out from the rest. As a child, his mother bought him a fashionable new school uniform, and out of envy, his classmates hung his kitten. Later, as a cultural enlightener, he managed to buy a Polish costume. In it, he went to work, and on the fourth day he was asked to make room.

Therefore, when Viktor Sergeevich retired and there was nothing to do, he first tried himself as an artist, since he loves painting very much, and then switched to fashion, especially since the local second-hand store always had a basket in which things were given away for free . “Both for health and for my wallet, the design of clothes approached me. When democracy was declared law and all restrictions on appearance were removed, I immediately thought: now I will wear such outfits that the horses will start to look back! - recalls the pensioner.

At first, the man was afraid that the police would arrest him for such defiant behavior. But the policeman for all this time stopped him only once, checked the documents and wished Bon Voyage. So Viktor Sergeevich decided that he should not limit himself. “I'm trying to match the spirit of democracy. This life makes me happy, ”the pensioner comments, implying that now no one can either fire him or offend him for his atypical appearance.

AT again, choosing a new hero for an interview, the editors of the "Primary Source" settled on the most outrageous resident of our city, Viktor Kazakovtsev. Someone calls him "Vyatsky fashionista", someone - "holiday man", and the neighbors simply refer to him - "Uncle Vitya". On Monday at 9 am, taking a camera and a voice recorder with us, we went to Veresniki - it is here, in a wooden one-story house, that our hero lives. Despite the fact that we arrived without a preliminary call, Uncle Vitya was delighted with unexpected guests and gladly invited us to his place. The room where Viktor Sergeevich lives turned out to be very small - a table, a chair, a bed and a bookcase. Most the fashionista's dwellings are occupied by his outfits.

- Come in, sit where you can.

- Hello, Viktor Sergeevich, we want to write an article about your life.
- Good. Then in order. I was born in the village of Verkhotulye, Arbazhsky District, in 1946. Our family was incomplete. Dad didn't live with us. I had no brothers and sisters, so I grew up alone.

- Did you communicate with your father?
- He worked as a blacksmith. As a child, in the workshop, I constantly revolved around him, but he did not like to talk to me. But I don't hold a grudge against him.



- And how did you get to Kirov?
- Here I studied at the cultural enlightenment school. Finished it in 1965. After that, he began working in Tuzha as a director. music school. After working for 4 years, I simultaneously entered extramural to the Institute of Culture in Leningrad, which was located 300 meters from the Winter Palace. I have always been drawn to the northern capital. In those days, this city was a piece of the free spirit of Russia. I didn't care what time educational institution act, if only to live in Leningrad. So I went there twice a year for a session. Among our teachers were famous composers, for example, Igor Tsvetkov, who wrote the song "Believe me, at least check ...". I graduated from the Institute in 1974. He received a diploma of the head of the orchestra of folk instruments. In 1975 he came back to Kirov.


- And what did you start doing here?
- They called me to the lumber camp in the House of Culture as an accordion player. Six months later he became the manager. Engaged in amateur art. She was weak there, and when I started working, they told me that the club had revived. And even as a promising cultural worker, I was given an apartment a year and a half later. But I quickly exchanged it for this house, because it was 1984. There was a smell of perestroika and I realized that it was time to change my comfortable communal apartment for an apartment with land plot.

- Were you married?
- Was. Married in 69. After 4 years they broke up, but I don't like to talk about it. And I don't have children.

- Did you want children?
- On the one hand, yes. But on the other - scary life they would have, indefinite. After all, I have a gypsy lifestyle. Therefore, it would be a pity for the children. Although I am not a priest, but still a pioneer and a member of the Komsomol - we are not supposed to marry twice. The truth is, I'm still in love.

- As far as I remember, at the beginning of the year you participated in the Let's Get Married program. Did you go for the bride?
No, there was no such purpose. Before Let's Get Married, I went to Gennady Malakhov's for the Good Health program. How was it? Just once Vladislav Krysov, a journalist from Kirov, came to my house. He said that he should go to Channel One to show the costumes. I arrived there, but they told me that there would be no show, but I had to take part in the performance. It turned out that this was a transmission of "Good Health". It was unexpected, and therefore the performance, from my point of view, was chaotic. They didn’t explain anything, they just told me my role, I went out and began to improvise. And when the performance ended, the girls from other programs ran up to me and asked: “Could you still take part in the Let’s Get Married program?” Well, I thought, why not, at the public expense. I didn't spend a dime. And two weeks later I went back to Moscow.

- Did you like to communicate with the stars?
- Highly. And although, for example, we did not communicate with Malakhov for a long time, he is a benevolent person, in relation to us, to visitors. I didn't even expect that. And, of course, actress Larisa Guzeeva is a wonderful person.


- Tell me, when did you start to be fashionable?
I retired 7 years ago. There is nothing to do, so I began to create images. My soul has always longed for this. When I worked in cultural centers, there was a requirement for us that we, the workers, dress better than others. But then it was impossible to dress on your own. Only a classic suit, a beard could not be worn. Party instructions are the same for all. And when 1993 came and our society became oriented towards bourgeois development, I immediately thought that I would sew such outfits so that even horses would look back. And so it happened.

- Do you like the way they look at you?
- Of course, the reaction is pleasant. I walk down the street, and young people smile at me. And those who are older often have a displeased expression on their faces. But this is natural, since the laws, the system of life can be changed, but the human worldview will not change for a hundred years. The young ones are the only ones who were born in democracy, they don't know what Soviet power is.

What else are you planning to make?
- For 800 years, I have enough costumes for sure, but I won’t live 900. Therefore, I have no plans. But there are blanks, for example, for an ichthyander costume. It would be necessary to do, but all the hands do not reach. Health is not the same: one disease will appear, then another. Although I don't drink or smoke. I try to walk, but I also ride the bus. There is a pension and it needs to be “disorganized”. I love spending money on clothes. I am a regular customer in second-hand stores, they even give me discounts there, and sometimes gifts. I recently received a shirt, so expect a new look.

In search of unusual hats, the team of the round-the-world expedition "Hat Master" visited the "Vyatka dandy" Viktor Kazakovtsev, who is considered the most fashionable pensioner in Russia. Read about how it happened below:

In the midst of everyday bustle, we sometimes do not notice the amazing things happening around us, those people who make this world kinder, more beautiful, more perfect. To some they will seem like eccentrics, to some - sick in the head, to others - just good wizards designed to decorate this world with their presence on Earth. But they will definitely not leave you indifferent, you will at least take a quick glance at them and, for a moment, jumping out of the routine of your own affairs and worries, just smile at them in response.

Such an unusual person lives in the city of Kirov, his name is Viktor Kazakovtsev. Many townspeople from time to time meet him in the central part of the Vyatka capital, looking at the unusually dressed pensioner in bewilderment. The team of the round-the-world expedition "Hat Master" during a business trip to Kirov decided to meet with Viktor to see firsthand a collection of unusual, designer headwear, created by his hands literally from improvised materials.

It is worth noting that Viktor Kazakovtsev has long established himself as a Vyatka fashionista, those around him kindly call him “Vitya Modny” among themselves, and central television channels invite an extraordinary Vyatka pensioner to talk shows, for example, “Let's Get Married”. Their interest is not accidental: Victor is considered the most fashionable pensioner in the country, who independently makes impeccable style suits from simple, affordable materials, the basis for them is the things he bought in second hand stores.

We meander for a long time along the lowest part of the city of Kirov, which occupies the floodplain of the Vyatka River, then we turn into a very narrow village street with old, surviving wooden "shield" houses built from the time of Tsar Pea, and immediately pay attention to an unusually decorated house: no doubt, in This is exactly how the hero of our story should live! On the wall of a four-apartment piece of wood there are slogans: “Drinking is the enemy, work is a friend!”, “We will achieve abundance by work!” etc. And in the corner, near the entrance - a wonderful inscription: "Citizens, save from this girl from home!". In the window opening, the Generalissimo squinted mysteriously, and meanwhile the owner of the unusual apartment was not visible. A horseshoe is nailed to the front door as a memento, and newspapers are in the cracks. We can’t get through, as Vlad Krysov, the director and host of the Channel 9 television company, which broadcasts on the STS channel, warned us about. Vlad at one time opened Viktor Kazakovtsev for central television, personally took him to three shootings in Moscow, where the pensioner visited for the first time in his life.

Vlad makes a ball of snow and throws it out the window, after which the owner looks out of it, smiles at us, not at all embarrassed by the camera lens aimed at him.

He has three doors at the entrance, sleeps in the only, distant room, so he often does not hear when there is a knock on the door. Usually I wake him up by knocking on the window, but now there is a lot of snow, you can’t get to him. Vlad explains.

The owner opens the door for us and invites us to walk along a very narrow corridor through which we get into a tiny kitchenette, from it - into a miniature room in which Victor lives, here is his impromptu workshop for making designer costumes. Apologies for not tidying up:

Don't blame me, I'm sick, I feel bad, I haven't gone outside for two days ... - He complains.

Oleg tells the owner about our expedition, about the House of Hats museum recently opened in Vyatskiye Polyany, about the interest in headdresses made by Viktor. He is not at all surprised by such unusual visitors, puts a ladle for tea infusion on an electric stove and slowly shows us wonderful hats of his own production. At the same time, he puts on a big, tall bowler hat just like the Magic Hatter in the movie Alice in Wonderland. Still, without a decent hat, it is not appropriate for a master to receive guests. Above front door several homemade hats and a construction helmet hang, hats are even on the chandelier, on walls, cabinets and shelves. Following Victor, we go out into the corridor, from where the doors lead to two tiny closets, in which numerous pensioner's outfits hang, some of them very intricate. On the floor are second-hand items that have not yet been used in the work. Places are terribly small, we have to make a lot of room to enter the four of us into a very narrow corridor. One can only guess how people manage to live their whole lives in such cramped conditions ...

We return to the house, thank the owner for the opportunity to see an unusual wardrobe, we are interested in how he came to this hobby.

Earlier, in Soviet times, I worked in culture, was an accordion player, even the head of the House of Culture. fashionable, stylish clothes I have always been interested, as long as I can remember. And what could you get in those days? Everyone wore the same clothes, no variety, but I wanted a holiday, something unusual, and I began to create. But you understand that in Soviet time it was impossible to put on something out of the ordinary and go out into the street in it, so I immediately started having problems at work. Of course, I did not fit into most people's idea of ​​how to look, so I suffered for my beliefs. But now I can create any image and freely walk the streets of the city. Freedom after all… – Viktor tells about his life.

What do you make your costumes from, where do you get the materials for their manufacture, - Valery is interested.

I am a pensioner, I don’t have enough money for this, of course, I can’t buy expensive fabrics and jewelry, so I fell in love with “second hand”, I go to such a store and choose something interesting for a long time to create the next image.

So after all, this image still needs to be invented, - asks Valery.

Of course, but first I look at what is on sale, then I put aside a few things I found and go out for a walk around the neighborhood for half an hour. During this time, an image of a new costume usually arrives, and if I can imagine it, then I return to the store and buy the things that I need to create it. I try to take what is cheaper, for example, clothes white color it is always cheap and there is more choice, few people buy white, as they say “marked” (it gets dirty quickly).

We thank Victor for the time devoted to us, take a photo with him as a keepsake, suggest thinking about which of his hats he would like to see in the exposition of the only Museum of Headwear in Russia of the World's Peoples. Unfortunately, not having enough time for a detailed conversation with the owner - the break between our business meetings was very short - we say goodbye to him and hope to meet this outstanding person again to talk with him about style, fashion, self-expression.

And you, the next time you see this extraordinary person on the streets of Kirov, attracted by his extravagant appearance, just smile back. A person needs at least attention, understanding and acceptance. After all, the beauty of the world lies in the fact that we are all so different, therefore it is important to first of all accept yourself as you are, and allow others to be themselves. Without labeling, without the usual clichés and stereotypes.

And the mysterious inscription about "the girl from the house" turns out to be the cry of Victor's soul about the eternally drunk and rowdy neighbor. He does not approve of drinking ... Forms of self-expression, alas, are so different ...