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Georgy MitasovLegendary billiard player
Country:
 Russia |
Content:
Biography of Georgy Mitasov
Georgy Stepanovich Mitasov, a legendary billiards player, was born in 1933 in the village of Troitskoye, Voronezh region, in a family of a collective farm chairman. He completed secondary school while serving in the army. Before that, he had worked on the construction of the Leningrad metro. It was in St. Petersburg that he first picked up a cue at the age of 17.
In the spring of 1992, Mitasov's journalistic work led him to Leonid Yakubovich. Over a friendly drink, he learned that Yakubovich had become fanatically passionate about billiards. Mitasov wanted to see the famous showman in action, as the game revealed a person's character. In order to challenge Yakubovich to a game, Mitasov decided to bluff and claim that he played at a master level. Yakubovich took the bait and said, "You will play on my team. We need to humble someone." He then called Vlad Listyev and Leonid Yarmolnik and said, "Guys, let's meet at Mitasov's place in the 'Russian Pyramid' billiards club." That's where I first saw this respectable, intelligent man with sharp eyes. Yakubovich introduced him as "Georgy Stepanovich Mitasov, the god of Russian billiards!"
The "god" smiled shyly and said, "Oh, come on..."
And then Mitasov took the cue in his hands. What I saw was beyond the laws of physics and resembled circus tricks. Mitasov struck a ball standing on the edge of the table, and it rolled away while the cue, spinning wildly, slowly screwed into the pocket from the middle of the edge. It was unbelievable! I fought with Mitasov many times after that, but without success. I also listened to his stories, which led to this interview. He spoke about his encounters with famous people and the history of billiards, which became a significant part of his personal story. Mitasov could talk for hours about his teacher Andrey Chemodanov. After all, this man's name is written in golden letters in the history of billiards. Among his students were not only Soviet champions but also Comrade Stalin himself!
"Andrey Petrovich was a natural talent, a Stradivarius of billiards," Mitasov smiles. "He helped his father from childhood, who worked as a factory worker. Chemodanov Sr. introduced his son to billiards. Andrey himself began to make tables and shape balls. That's why he learned to feel the game from within. By the mid-1920s, he was already furnishing tables for renowned players in the capital. His fame reached Stalin, who loved billiards. In 1927, the 'father of nations' transferred Chemodanov to work in the Kremlin. So Petrovich became the official producer of billiard tables and Stalin's personal coach. Joseph Vissarionovich was a stubborn and ruthless tyrant not only in politics. He forbade Chemodanov from training anyone else or participating in tournaments. He played with Petrovich once a week. It was difficult for Stalin to play due to his physical shortcomings. To strike the ball, he had to lay the cue on the table, hold his left hand with his right hand (which was practically ineffective), place his thumb on it, and then play with his right hand. Petrovich told me that if the leader noticed any timidity or subservience from his partner, he would sternly say, 'I don't like dealing with those who easily give in. Play seriously, anyway, you won't succeed!' Stalin's level of play was very high, thanks to Chemodanov's training."
Mitasov also told me that all the people surrounding Stalin played billiards quite well, except for Lazar Kaganovich, who never learned (or didn't want to) hold a cue.
"Among the top military commanders of the Soviet Union," said Georgy Stepanovich, "Marshal Malinovsky was the best player. He behaved like a strategist at the billiards table, calculating not only his shots but also his opponent's actions. Rodion Yakovlevich had a genuine interest in my expertise in billiards, despite his exceptional skills in the game. Even when he lost, he thanked me for the pleasure he had experienced. I had a long-standing friendship with another billiards enthusiast, Marshal Ivan Konev. Georgy Stepanovich spoke about him with deep affection: "Ivan Stepanovich loved me like a son. I have been to his country house, No. 27, many times. Sometimes his wife would call me and say, 'Georgy, we won't start lunch without you. Ivan asked us to wait for you. So please don't delay.' I am still friends with Konev's daughter."
When Ivan Stepanovich was dying, he bequeathed to me a precious billiard table, presented by Hungarian comrades, and an American "Willis" - a gift from Dwight D. Eisenhower. The table was made of a solid marble slab, and its installation required dismantling the attic and ceiling on the third floor of Konev's country house. The billiard table was also removed in the same way. To this day, this table is located in the former 4th Medical Administration building. As for the "Willis"... I had to sell it when I was young. I wouldn't do that now. By the way, I was introduced to Marshal Konev by Yuri Gagarin, who was also a talented player. He picked up a cue in his lieutenant years and had an insatiable desire to improve his game. He sought me out and asked to become his student. And I must say, he was a diligent learner. He didn't have a trace of star sickness. When playing with him, I forgot that I was facing the world's first cosmonaut."
Together with Yuri Alekseyevich, we (of course, by invitation) once went to Nikita Khrushchev's dacha in Petrovo-Dalneye. The teams were Khrushchev and Gagarin against me and Malinovsky. At first, I was timid and shy - I didn't play with such prominent people every day. And, to be honest, I didn't play at my full strength because I didn't want to show off in front of them. Seeing this, Gagarin stepped on my foot twice and said, "Oh, is it too difficult for you, Gos
