MY YEARS ARE MY WEALTH…

Vakhtang Kikabidze - this name is probably known to everyone in the post-Soviet area. As soon as you pronounce it, you imagine a cheerful pilot from the well-known comedy by Georgiy Danelia "Mimino". However, he did not become hostage to one role, as is often the case with many actors, but revealed new aspects of his talent in his every role. Vakhtang Kikabidze's debut in the cinema took place in 1966. He starred in a musical comedy by film director Nikolay Sanishvili "Meeting in the mountains". All in all, he starred in 16 films - "Don't worry", "TASS is authorized to state", "Mimino", "Melodies of Veriyskiy Street", "Absolutely lost" and others. Apart from that, he made two films as a scriptwriter and film director: "Men and all the others" and "Bless you, my dear". The latter was given the highest award at the comedy festival in Gabrovo.

Vakhtang Kikabidze started his creative work as a singer and achieved a lot in this field. After leaving school, Kikabidze entered Tbilisi University, but did not complete his education, as was the case with the Institute of Foreign Languages where he studied in 1961-63. The young man was attracted not by science, but by music. And he was ready to give his all to it. Kikabidze started working at the Tbilisi Philharmonic Hall in 1959. At the same time, he took his first tour with a Georgian pop group. Vakhtang sang songs in Georgian, Russian, Italian and English. Later he set up the group Velo with his friends. In 1967, they set up the group Orero where Kikabidze was the soloist. Later he managed to combine the career of a singer and actor. His songs are still very popular. It is enough to remember the song "Chita-grita-chita-margarita" which was performed by Vakhtang Kikabidze. The song was in Georgian, although very few people understood it. Anyway, it was not even necessary. The incredible energy of this song and Vakhtang Kikabidze's voice was larger than life. It won the hearts and minds of people, because love does not need to be translated. A holder of the Honor Order of King Vakhtang Gorgasli of the third degree, Nicholas the Wonder-Maker, the knightly cross of Holy Konstantin the Great and an honorary citizen of Tbilisi - all these regalia rightfully belong to Kikabidze. In 1996, he was included in the international encyclopedia "Who is who", while in 1999 a star with Kikabidze's name on it was laid in front of the Rossiya central state concert hall in Moscow. Recently, Vakhtang Kikabidze paid a visit to our capital. Here he gave a concert called "Life is wonderful" at the Azerbaijani State Philharmonic Hall and performed 27 famous songs from his repertoire.

A correspondent of R+ managed to meet the master between the rehearsals to ask him several questions. Despite his age, Vakhtang is almost 69, he is still full of power and literally emits positive energy. He has the same eyes as he had in his youth. For this reason, age limits disappear when you talk to this man, and you cannot notice grey hair in his temples or wrinkles around his eyes.

- As is known, there is a biological and psychological age. How old does Vakhtang Kikabidze feel?

- I would like to answer this question with words from my own song: "My years are my wealth". I cannot say that I feel the burden of my years on myself. In my view, years bring life experience and wisdom.

- Vakhtang Konstantinovich, do you live in Tbilisi or Moscow?

- I live in Tbilisi, and this city has always been my permanent place of residence. As for Moscow, I love this city very much and have a lot of friends there. But, as a rule, I go there only to give concerts. Moreover, I often have a stopover in Moscow on my way to places where you cannot get directly from Tbilisi.

- How do you assess the current complicated relations between Russia and Georgia?

- I would not like this to happen, because it affects ordinary people first of all. Sooner or later, this will come to an end, but I think you should ask politicians what it will be like.

- It is known that your latest film is "The fortune". Why have you rarely starred in films in the recent period?

- The thing is that I am often offered scenarios that do not suit me, which is why I prefer not to star in such films at all. There are more serials and action movies on TV right now, but this genre does not attract me.

- When did you realize that you have become really famous?

- It is difficult to name a precise date, but I remember one case: at the end of the 1960s, I starred in the film "Don't worry" in Tbilisi, and once I decided to invite a Moscow film crew to a dinner. But when it was time to pay, it turned out that someone had done it for me. The waiter said that the bill was paid by a man and a woman who were sitting at a neighbouring table. It turned out that they were my fans and decided to pay for our dinner when they saw me. I have to say that they spent a lot of money as the film crew consisted of about 50 people.

- They say that you are related to the famous army commander Bagrationi. Is this true?

- This is absolutely true as my mother hails from the Bagrationi dynasty. The Bagrationi dynasty reigned in Georgia from the ninth century till the downfall of monarchy. However, there are very few descendants of this ancient family left right now and the Bagrationi surname is quite rare in Georgia.

- Tell us something about your family…

- I regard myself as a happy person because I have a big and friendly family. My wife Irina and I have two children. My daughter Marina is a theatre actress. She starred in films just like me and now works at the Shota Rustaveli Academic Theatre. My son is a painter. He has two sons - Vakhtang and Iviko. The son of my daughter Marina graduated from a college in Salzburg, went to university in London and speaks several foreign languages. None of my grandchildren decided to become an actor. Perhaps, this is better.

- What is your attitude to the new generation? Do you think there are more positive or negative things?

- Time dictates its own rules, and this cannot but affect young people. Live communication is being ousted by computers and mobile telephones, and this tendency cannot be called positive at all. Unfortunately, young people often forget about their duty before the older generation which they have to respect all the time.

- And finally, your wishes to your fans in Azerbaijan.

- I sincerely sympathize with the Azerbaijani audience. Its friendliness, openness and warmth appeal to me very much, which is why I always come to Baku with pleasure. Unfortunately, it has been more difficult to do it in the recent period because the rules of the modern show business are quite tough and everything is decided by producers. I would like to wish residents of Azerbaijan love, welfare and a peaceful sky over their heads. I am sure that all problems and conflicts in your country will soon become a thing of the past.