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Anna ShilovaRussian television announcer
Date of Birth: 15.03.1927
Country:  Russia |
Content:
Biography of Anna Shilova
Anna Shilova, a legendary television announcer, was laid to rest last week alongside another television celebrity. Despite their stark differences, they shared the same burial ground at Troekurovskoye Cemetery. Sergei Suponev, a television producer, tragically lost his life at the peak of his career, while Anna Shilova, who had recently celebrated her 70th birthday, endured a long and painful battle with cancer until her death.
The Funeral
The funerals of both individuals, which took place on the same day with only a couple of hours apart, were starkly contrasting. Around midday, a quiet procession arrived at the mourning hall of Troekurovskoye Cemetery in a red "Ikarus" bus. The weather was cold, and the elderly attendees wrapped their collars tightly around their necks and pulled their hats down to cover their reddened ears. The elite figures of Soviet television, Igor Kirillov, Aza Likhitchenko, Viktor Balashov, Vera Shebeko, and Anna Shatilova, quietly appeared at the burial. These individuals were not just employees of television; they were the ones who shaped it. Television broadcasts did not exist before them.
Prior to the farewell ceremony, the attendees gathered in the vestibule in front of the massive heavy doors. While preparing to pay their respects, they discussed various matters. Anna Shatilova advised Igor Kirillov to remove the cellophane wrapping from the flowers. Kirillov nodded and swiftly unwrapped the bouquet of white chrysanthemums.
Anna Shilova's Modest Life
Curious about Anna Shilova's life, I asked a close friend and co-host of "Blue Lights," Igor Kirillov, why she had lived in a very small apartment until her death. Kirillov responded, expressing that she could have obtained any living space she desired. However, she was an incredibly modest person and was content with the apartment provided to her by the State Committee for Television and Radio Broadcasting. In her final days, she lived there with her son.
Meanwhile, Vera Shebeko and Anatoly Lysenko, former leaders of the legendary program "Vzglyad" (The View), conversed nearby. Lysenko, now a retired First Class State Counselor due to his heart condition, mentioned that he was not currently employed. The doctors prohibited him from working due to his heart's condition.
The Farewell Ceremony
The attendees were eventually invited into the hall. Upon seeing the expensive and beautiful coffin, the elderly female announcers whispered to each other, relieved that Anna Shilova would receive a dignified burial. They acknowledged Igor Kirillov's efforts in making all the necessary arrangements.
As people gathered around the casket, memories of Anna Shilova's astonishing blue eyes flooded their minds. Some recited poetry, while many paid their final respects. The most emotionally impacted mourner was a woman wearing large glasses, wrapped in a scarf and dressed in a thick, inexpensive jacket with a hood. She tearfully crossed herself and loudly sobbed. When she stood next to me, I asked her to point out Anna Nikolaevna's son, Anatoly.
With a gesture, she pointed at a gray-haired man standing near the coffin. Unexpectedly, she added that he was the murderer. She explained that he used to be an announcer himself but had become an alcoholic and abused Anna Shilova before her death, causing bruises all over her body. A witness named Lyusya had seen it happen. Overwhelmed with grief, the woman could no longer speak, and tears choked her words. When I tried to ask her where this tragic incident had occurred, whether in the hospital or the occasional home visits Anna Nikolaevna received, she simply shook her head in silence. I didn't dare to press further, but I asked her to introduce herself. Slightly composed, she revealed her name as Tatiana Litvinenko, also known as Mikhailova on television. She proudly shared that she was a laureate of the State Prize for her program "Vremya" and had even hosted "Goodnight, Little Ones."
The frozen clumps of earth hit the lid of the coffin, signifying its final closing. Someone among the attendees, a television veteran of short stature, remarked thoughtfully, "Anna was a star for 40 years. She always used to say, 'Why should we compete in the announcer's department? In the end, we'll have to bury each other…' How right she was…"
