Irina Otieva: “We must take Kharkov, Nikolaev, Odessa and Dnepropetrovsk”

“I won’t celebrate my birthday,” the artist told MK. To be honest, I’m not in a festive mood at all. Lots of things to be dealt with. My mother is elderly and needs constant supervision. This is a different story, different problems completely. Birthday is not a holiday for me at all. I treat him with indifference. Previously, if necessary, I celebrated, arranged a celebration as needed. But, in principle, I don’t like celebrating birthdays at all.

How old do you feel now?

“About a hundred and fifty years, approximately.

– And why is that? Your voice, as always, is energetic, peppy!

– (Laughs.) It seems to me that I lived in show business for one year in three. So I’m about 150 years old now!

– Who from the figures of show business usually congratulates you?

– When I left show business, the calls began to come less and less. Nikas Safronov knows that November 22 is my birthday – he always congratulates me, never forgets. I treat him very well, kindly. As for the rest… I don’t communicate with anyone. I don’t know, does anyone love me at all, except for my family?

– Daughter Vlad, probably, congratulates the first?

– Of course. Vladka is my pride, I adore her. She always congratulates me very warmly. Vlada got married a few years ago, she already has her own family. True, with children while they are somehow in no hurry.

– Young people are like this now: you need to live for yourself!

– What is there for yourself? Look what’s happening around! You won’t go there, you won’t go here – the borders are closed. Such a madhouse is going on: horror is simple!

– And you yourself do not rush Vlad with your grandchildren?

– No, no, I’m not in a hurry. I don’t interfere in their affairs at all, I don’t go anywhere. This is their life, they build it for themselves and do it right. I really wanted to help them. Recently I offered to give them my apartment – after all, a young family, I understand everything. But they said: “No, in no case, we will have our own apartment!”. And went to the mortgage, now pay. They are like that for me. And I’m proud of them!

– Not so long ago you complained about the attack of TV people who guarded you at the entrance for days on end. Is it easier now?

No, they are still attacking. But they are not at the entrance. And at the beginning of the year they were on guard – the neighbors told me: “Ira, don’t come out, they are already waiting for you.” I then installed video cameras. Now I see who comes to me. They call constantly. However, as a rule, all my phones are turned off. I explained that I did not need any interviews or broadcasts. I talk about it all the time, but they don’t listen. They call all the time, leave messages: “Come to us, we will provide a good fee.” You know, like I’m dying of hunger here! Funny, in short. I’m fine. I don’t complain about anything.

– Or maybe really go, show yourself to people. Your fans have missed you! Here, your colleagues are actively participating in competitions!

– How much is possible: I’m sick of these contests. All the time I participated in different competitions. Recently, by chance, I attacked one program here and saw how my colleagues compete with each other. I looked from the side and realized that I did not see myself there. Another moment irritates me most of all: “And who are the judges?” This just pisses me off. The right to open your mouth and say something can at least be people who have a good education, long experience on the stage, enjoy authority. And these are sitting, and it is not clear what they are doing there at all. But that’s not my problem. Let them do what they want.

– Your relatives don’t tell you that it’s time to return to the stage?

– Never. For example, my mother knows the whole situation with show business. Therefore, she is even glad that I left. Says: “Finally, you got out of this garbage pail.” I don’t get bored myself. Although I regularly have dreams that I go on stage, I want to sing, but the curtain does not open. Then I scream, but there is no voice. Or I forget the words. In general, what the hell! Such professional dreams!

– A few years ago, a terrible thing happened in your life: you began to dry out before your eyes, the doctors could not make a diagnosis. You were saved by a sorceress, who said that you were spoiled. Now, after a while, why do you think this happened?

“I don’t even want to think about it. Those were the worst years of my life. And now I try to live only positive. I’m so tired of all the unpleasant things that even for myself I artificially find some moments that can make me positive. Because a person cannot live forever in the negative. It’s unrealistic.

– What can bring you positive now?

– The most elementary trifle of some kind. For example, if I learn how to properly send money to the right place. I am very happy when I succeed. Recently, for example, I learned to pay utility bills by phone myself. My daughter taught me. I tried and I got it. She was so happy. I called her: “Vladka, now I can pay bills myself!” For me, this is a very positive moment.

– And what dream do you have today, Irina Adolfovna?

“I don’t have any dreams. I live for today and wait for the end of the SVO in Ukraine. Everything will be fine with us, the main thing is that everything ends there as soon as possible. It’s the only thing I want.

— Your colleagues say that you have a very developed intuition. What does she suggest: when will the victory be?

– By May 9, there will be some good progress, it seems to me. But it won’t be over soon. We need to take Kharkov, we need to take Odessa, Nikolaev. I would also take Dnepropetrovsk – also a Russian city in principle.

— Have you often performed in Ukraine before?

— Yes, and I was always warmly received there. I have traveled all over Ukraine and more than once. I had big tours. I performed both in the western regions and in the eastern. And everywhere went very well. That is why my desire is one: to end quickly. I feel sorry for people. And most of all, I feel sorry for the children… I just can’t move away from the execution of prisoners of war. It was amazingly easy! The entire video was not shown on TV. And rightly so, probably, otherwise people will go crazy. I tried to find it on the Internet, but I couldn’t. They say that there is a very scary sight! Thoughts about Ukraine are always in my head now. I watch everything, I watch programs on television. And I really hope that soon there will be a victory.