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George Mitasov: autumn of the patriarch (№4 (16) from September, 11th, 2007)

There are people meetings with which happen short, but leave improbably bright impression for many long years. George Stepanovich Mitasov is a live history of the Russian billiards. It has won uncountable quantity of awards and ranks, knew personally and trained many people with loud names, has let out three collections of verses … It seems, he knows all not only about billiards, but also about this world as a whole. Even the most simple words from his lips sound as eternal trues. After all it actually – the Person-legend.

Mitasov George Stepanovich (1933 of the river)

The repeated champion of the USSR, Moscow, Russia, Europe, the world in command offset. The silver prize-winner of the European championship on a pool (1992).

The Deserved trainer of Russia first in the history of billiards (1993).

The Vice-president and the head coach of Federation of billiard sports of Russia.

I was born in village in April.

At this time cranes fly,

And parents very much wanted,

That Egor me have named.

That I the earth have learnt to love,

That I was able to harness a horse,

That I in the field the paternal have got accustomed,

Knew how to sow, mow and plough.

Contrary to Old Russian преданьям,

To all stories of old names,

I, the teenager, have told: good-bye.

For what I was so is named?

Name George Mitasov in the billiard world knows everyone, and in poetic circles you are more known as Egor. Why?

I after all come from village Troitsk. It is the Voronezh region. And in village as soon as do not name: both George, and Igor, and Zhora … native called Me Egor. I have solved, what for I will offend my fellow countrymen. There after all there live my relatives, my friends, mum at me there is buried … When I come home to stay for a while, for me there all so wait! Present, all my fellow countrymen always gather and arrange the present holiday.

Often happen in the homeland?

In general every year went. But last two years, unfortunately, was not. So circumstances have developed, affairs. And 75й year has already gone …

I hasten to tell: it is not so sick,

God has forgiven me my sins …

I work. I love. I write verses.

Only to visit you it is not free.

Shortage of forces to that a hindrance,

Has begun later mine!

Verses not bread and not a hindrance,

They both a decay, and life.

It is not slept yet till a dawn,

I – there where the debt on me hangs …

And prolonged summer

Laughs, cries and burns.

But кий strong till now hold?

About! Well it absolutely another! I after all the trainer! I play till now, the skill anywhere does not disappear. If I will start to play – I will beat, probably, almost everybody. The hand that is told, will not tremble. Well and then, I such gymnastics do every day is a terrible business! Minutes till 30-40. Such gymnastics that at times seems that спасенья is not present, hands so to turn out to the normal person it is impossible. Billiards actually very serious sports, and loading goes on many muscles. Both hands, and feet, and a back, in general, all both everywhere. And, of course, it is necessary to train.

But for your age you, really, are in the fine form …

At me in the area of the father and the aunt, and the grandmother all long-livers. Is both 102 years, and 101, and 98 …

And your father was whom?

Stepan Mihajlovich Mitasov. It worked many years as the chairman of different collective farms. Simply miracles created. It after all not simply worked in collective farms. It restored them. Cabbage such grew up, it was impossible what to lift. It had a four-class formation, but at that time it was considered, apologise, more 10-letki. He knew such things! Happened, when I was still young, he to me tells something, and I to it – yes, the daddy, well you … And then it appeared that it was so right, so exact. I all thought, whence at it such knowledge of a life, about all. And I am infinitely grateful to it for everything that it has given to me. I always tried to do everything that to it it was good. Then already, when I worked as the director in a billiard room in Park Bitter, I almost by the car there brought it every day, that it only received pleasure. I go for work, and it goes with me.

You after all have worked in Park Bitter more than 10 years?

I have worked there 13 years: three years informally and 10 officially. It was just to the Olympic Games which passed in Moscow in 1980. And, I was not only the director of this institution, I also was the trainer. After all then I already was the champion of the USSR, and, naturally, repeated. And what such Park Bitter? It for a day not to pass, not to pass. It was a place where people liked to come. There the large quantity to the people walked every day. And here in this billiard room every day on turn stood on 250 - 300 persons. And all it on 15 tables! And what people there came! It were absolutely other people, rather than now, they were not only clever, they were very decent people. With many of them we became friends. Me very much respected, and respect now. Last director of park if we there go, we will see it, he too very much respects me and loves. And why? Because I never broke any laws, not only billiard game, but also honour and conscience laws. As I could break laws at that time and to this day!

At that time you, as well as many, often played for money?

Still at that time my advantage was in one – not to beat in no event poor people. On serious money I played only with rich and, and, dishonourable people. With such, know, which think of itself too much. But we with you about them know all.

But how with you were not afraid to play, after all about you already then the glory went as about the master?

And it was necessary to use cunning! How it was in the same Park Bitter? Here you, conditionally, come to me to a billiard room and speak: �George Stepanovich, let's play�. �And give!� - I speak. And you are not able to play or are able, but it is bad. And focus in what? Suddenly I lose to you or in a drawn game, or rouble any. And you with such pleasure finish our meeting that to you and to a head will come nothing. And for what I did it? That somebody from rich with me played. My "client" will look so from outside and, as they say, will be tempted and will get. And I never beat unfortunate people.

And if play now that on what? More precisely, for the sake of what?

Well, it is exact not on money! As I can! After all I the deserved trainer. I play with the person to look, on what it is capable, if it, let us assume, the pupil. And in general to look that it for the person, eventually. After all when the person plays billiards, the mirror is not so necessary for it. About it and so all becomes clear. All its advantages, all weaknesses – all clearly before you.

You became the Deserved trainer first in the history of Russia on billiards. In your opinion, there are now applicants for a rank of the deserved?

Yes, I was the first. And now us two: I and Konstantin Pavlovich (Hooks). In what here focus. My children, my pupils, they after all, speaking to language of billiard-players, "scratch" all. And at Konstantin Pavlovicha is engaged children and girls of the highest class much. And somebody else necessarily will appear, and we, of course, will appropriate to it this rank. Someone will bring up the champion or the champion, as my Anja Mazhirina, Jura Pashchinsky, Pasha Mehovov, Iljusha Kirichkov … same all my champions. The world! And approximately one hundred masters, well not one hundred, but 90 it is exact!

To train under your beginning, it is considered, huge honour. And how you choose to yourselves pupils?

The most important condition – the person should love billiards. He should live this game. And the technics, a science is all will come. With such person to me it is a pleasure to work. Here you speak "train". And I do not train, I bring up them! On 8, for 10 years. I bring up champions. I learn to hold correctly кий, correctly to choose reference points for hands and feet. I show how to take of a position at a table, how to be prepared for blow and to achieve its maximum straightforwardness. I learn abilities to see all prospect, to represent to the smallest details that will occur during time and after blow, to build strategy of each party. At last, I learn to patience. And still I demand from pupils to find the, unique style of game.

But you have started to make behind a table the present furore still before professionally were engaged in billiards. At you billiard talent, it is possible to tell, since a birth?

Yes, I very much have early taken a great interest in billiards. It was in Leningrad. I almost that have casually appeared in a billiard room of the Recreation centre of Ilyich, for the first time have approached to a billiard table, took in hands кий … And in some hours at me such blows began to turn out that near my table of quick starts to gather the people. It was interesting to all to look that it here for the billiard-player such has appeared. I then yet did not understand plainly that such glory, I did not have a propensity to that is called, выпендрежу. And about billiards very many did not know, it is all has then come. But spheres put – if only it only on game has risen, and I will necessarily put it, instantly!

And how you have appeared in Leningrad?

To me was seventeen years when I have arrived from the native village to Leningrad to enter the institute. But in institute it has not turned out, and I have arrived in a vocational school of Lenmetrostroja. Has arrived to remain only, by and large, in a city. Because there was billiard rooms so much! Has passed very few time from that my first game, and the extreme quantity of people began to come to look at me. As on the actor any. And not only to look. To play with me party darkness of interested persons was. And I time, time – and, as they say, �the client am ready�. Has passed about one month and hope to beat me does not remain at anybody from local elite. It is possible to tell, I became the informal champion of Leningrad.

Have flattered you, have begun to whirl,

You already above a roof soared,

And then have accidentally dropped.

And it seems to all – you have fallen.

And now fuss гурьбою,

Large sum on the repayment for понта give …

Only the passion would remain живою,

And bruises – in the course of time will pass.

Among birds is especially кургузы, -

It bottoms it is fated to fly.

But spheres заколачивать in billiard pockets, -

As to you, - it is given nobody.

But in a city you all the same did not remain?

Yes I at first have come back home, and have then gone on an assembly point. And for three years – in army. It was 1953, I was 20 years old. But also in army I gift of time did not lose. There the heads have grown fond of me at once, because I always gained them. Generals they all loved billiards. Came, happened, the heads Moscow at an o'clock, per two nights. Awoke me and began … But also in army, and among generals nobody could win against me! Moreover, when in the next any city games were organised, to me gave accompanying, any lieutenant or the major, I came also all "scratched" successively! Other variant was not. I even lived there not in barracks, and in a separate room. Soon to me have given a rank of the foreman and wished to send me to Novosibirsk that I a year later left therefrom the lieutenant. But I have refused! Understand, I could not go on this way. At me absolutely other prospect … appeared

You have chosen billiards and were engaged in it seriously?

Yes, after army I have definitively understood that billiards was included into my life for ever. After that I already seriously was engaged not only its practice, but also a science. And here then I have got acquainted with Great. Nikolay Ivanovich Efims, legendary the Stutterer is a genius of billiards of all times and the people. Can ask it everybody! He/she is my first teacher, my fellow countryman. It worked as a marker in the Voronezh Officers' Club, and I every year, coming home to holiday, took from it lessons. The stutterer was very competent person. In certain situations liked to pretend to be that is called, "little fool". Stammered so that from it it was impossible to extend words, and the person with whom he did not wish to communicate, quickly lagged behind it. Then, when I have moved to Moscow, I managed to much to learn at Nikolay Ivanovicha Berezina. Birches as we it named, worked as a marker in a billiard room of the House of writers. In a Soviet period in general the majority of talented billiard-players served as markers. Vasily Kochetkov (Buzulutsky) - in the House of scientists, Savitsky - in the House of architects where then I, by the way, worked. Then after all to get to a billiard room of such establishments it was very uneasy. 1000 persons applied for one place! Besides, to me 18 years have had the luck to communicate with Andrey Petrovichem Chemodanovym. It was the outstanding person. The stutterer and Birches were geniuses of billiard game. And Suitcases there was a genius in принципи! He personally trained Stalin who then forbade him to train someone else. But about it much already wrote … And what it was the master! It sharpened spheres from elephant and even мамонтовой bones. It кии were known long before revolution. It did the billiard tables, equal which and now almost will not meet. Thanks to Chemodanovu I have got to those circles access in which for mere mortals was impossible though in 50 hearing about me as about the informal champion of Leningrad has already extended.

In an art gallery of billiard salon of Factory "Start" your portrait not casually hangs near to portraits of your teachers?

For me the great honour and a great happiness that to me was possible to know personally and to study at these outstanding people. I am their pupil and the continuer of traditions, therefore my portrait is here.

It tore itself(himself) to parts,

And to all around being rude,

But veins in the power of passion

And in search of itself.

And the whole nights

He trusted in miracles …

The descendant of a wheel loomed before eyes.

On apples моченых

Perfected blow

And points … scientists

He larded "the" sphere.

Not in drunk steams

Drove spheres:

He knew – not far off,

That peak of its time,

Once will rise early,

And passions – behind a window …

Also Will tell Suitcases:

�Wipe the кий cloth …�

Already half a century lasts

The pupil it is time,

But all dreams Zaikin game more clearly.

You after all and trained many known people.

Now without false modesty I can tell – yes whom only did not train! Both Khruschev, and Gagarin, both Malinovsky, and Yeltsin. Children of great people trained at me, came to me by the closed cars … Only unless Putin did not see. While …

And you are familiar with Factory "Start" for a long time?

I to you will tell more: we are not simply familiar, we are on friendly terms! These are remarkable, and, the main thing, decent people. And tables by which they do, I to you so will tell is not simply good tables. These are Clever tables. Tables for the Life! We will not be, and they will stand.

And in your family somebody plays billiards?

It can anybody will seem strange, but and never! My daughter – Lenochka – it has finished МГИМО. The grand daughter – the honours pupil. And the wife washing, Rimma, - it the great doctor! It long time worked for marshals and other cones. And at all without thanking me it there has got, and thanks to own merits and professionalism. It very clever woman in every respect.

But you have got acquainted, however, nevertheless thanks to billiards?

It so. With its brother we once played billiards. To it 90 years, by the way, will be fast. And I then already was the repeated champion of Soviet Union! And once he to me has told, give I will acquaint you with the sister. And I then was single, suitcases with money were at me, any girl wished to marry me! I have seen it, have communicated … I Look, the fairly clever woman, and, the main thing, very much sincerely concerns people. And we have soon got married.

About our youth spirits!

Wandering looks …

They – that first verses,

About them запретны disputes.

From them the head is turned,

Lose the Earth feet,

Lose the importance of a word,

Their gods dose out!

To me can object: "Naivety".

But out of any fashion,

Love lips having connected

On favour of the Nature.

In your last collection �Later the recognition� is poems both on love, and on billiards, and on your native land … What theme to you is closest now?

It is my third book. Verses have entered into it 1975 – 1998. And here now I prepare the book in general very interesting. It will be philosophical. That is there too there will be verses, but their sense will be philosophical. After all the world is now very uneasy. The more us becomes in this world, the more difficult to us to remain decent people. It seems and not to forget about the one who we are, who our ancestors as we should live. This my fourth book will be about a life, and about many other things. All will be clever, beautiful and noble!

Let without being christened,

But be happy,

That you meet new day,

That you in the movements are free

Also you see own shade.

You are already happy,

If you hear

Рожанки a cry, the baby shout …

For the present all breast you breathe,

Bless a fine instant.

When comes

Dream desired,

Say goodbye to everything if you are old,

Then the future day, unexpected,

You will meet, as Dominical gift.

In our nature

All is reasonable.

Bad days – are always longer …

That is why live thoughtlessly,

Do not recollect fine days.

Maria Loginovskih

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