Today, March 19, 2024, Vasily Utkin passed away. The news was really shocking. Leave your deepest condolences here.
Now a few words for those who were close to Vasily. To those who were lucky enough to cross paths with him in life. This sincerity is difficult to overestimate.
This material will be updated.
Valery Karpin:
“I’m shocked. We not only communicated, we became friends. I can call him a friend. Any conversation with Utkin was interesting. Intelligent, cultured, educated and understanding. I can only say good words about him. The most important thing is that it was always interesting to be with the”.
Georgy Cherdantsev:
“Hey, Vasily, Vasily… May the earth rest in peace to you…
There are creative people who change careers. Only a few actors, directors and representatives of other creative fields are capable of doing this. They come and do something that no one has done before. They destroy the stereotypes of the profession and cross its limits.
Vasya Utkin did this as a sports commentator. He changed the language of the comment. In fiction, only great writers are able to do this. Vasya loved literature and knew it very well. And he became the first to comment in the post-Soviet era in bright, modern and sophisticated Russian. Vasya changed the language of the sports commentator profession. And he left a big mark on her. Thank you, Vasya, for the “Football Club”. This was and remains, in my opinion, the best real journalistic program (as Vasya himself always said, not a program, but a program) on sports television in Russia,” the commentator’s monologue on his Telegram channel.
Vasily Utkin (center) and Georgy Cherdantsev (right)
Photo: from the personal archive of Georgy Cherdantsev.
Alexander Kerzhakov:
“The death of Vasily Utkin is very tragic and unexpected news. I don’t remember the last time we spoke with Vasily, but there was a period when I returned to Russia from Seville and then we spoke often. We even discussed the Betis-Sevilla match in 2008. And he invited me to the studio to watch the victorious UEFA Cup final.
Unfortunately, Russia has lost one of the most talented sports journalists and commentators. Unfortunately, we haven’t heard it on TV lately. This is a big problem for television, particularly sports and football. We all loved the “Football Club”, which opened up to us a huge number of commentators who are now working,” said Zenit legend Alexander Kerzhakov about the “Championship”.
Alexander Mostovoy:
“I read the news, it’s terrible. I have always remembered Vasily Utkin and I always will. We started in football and he in journalism. I’ve never had a problem with it, although I know a lot of people have. But that’s the job. As much as we would like to, we have seen the state Vasya was in in recent years. He surely has something to do with it. I even have many of the “Football Club” recordings from those years. Vasily always interviewed me,” Mostovoy told the Championship.
Vasily Utkin
Photo: Dmitry Golubovich, “Championship”
Dmitri Shniakin:
“When the colossi of their professions die, I always ask myself: what is left? This is not always or important to everyone, but if we are talking about a powerful public figure, then the question cannot be avoided: what is the legacy?
And you know… Even the most desperate hater, the most blatant or reasoned critic, or even the fiercest ideological opponent has no chance of not recognizing: Utkin’s legacy is of gigantic proportions! It lives in the minds and speeches of dozens of commentators. It is used by producers, managers, bloggers. This legacy lies in the restyling of all the sports television stations in the country. Our fans also perceive football as a spectacle: this is also Utkin’s work. Yes, someone became interested in football thanks to his talent. These talents extended beyond the country’s small sports journalism industry: Utkin showed that you can become a star on other television buttons. You can even act in a movie, because commenting is also a bit of acting.
A challenging way to communicate on social media, sophisticated verbal attacks: many sports journalists have no qualms about using them… Let’s not argue about the founding father of the style, right?
He gave a chance to hundreds and helped many in everyday life. I remember the creative player I brought him. Vasya immediately provided the boy with income, offered him a job: Utkin enveloped those in whom he believed and was fascinated with warmth and care. And he produced the stages of their lives. And this is a legacy that each of the students will tell about themselves. There is a whole football team like that.
Yes, there were many demons inside. It seems to me that there was a special form of self-destruction: injections and beatings of people who were always with Vasya. But even Vyacheslavich’s strange and complex feathers had his own charm. And his legacy, of course: there are those to whom the wounds inflicted by Vasya helped strengthen his immune system. He became stronger.
“Vasya, such a burly man, broke through the wall, leaving a hole in it, and you already calmly passed through it” – this is how the brilliant Rozanov described Utkin’s legacy. Now they will meet again and finally talk.
Only 52 years – and a LOT left!”
Dmitri Shnyakin and Vasili Utkin
Photo: frame from the video.
Evgeniy Bashkirov:
“In addition to all the kind, inspired and full of gratitude towards Vasily Utkin, the following memory comes to mind: 2011, I am closing my queue at the university, preparing for the summer session and still recovering from knee surgery. Rainy day, one of those hard spells at the Zenit base. Running in circles. Against all odds, alone, in search of meaning. The featured playlist is interrupted by the sound of a bell:
—Hello, Eugenio? This is Vasili Utkin. Vlad Radimov told me that you suffered a terrible injury and an operation, that the future is unclear. Come join us, Evgeniy? Don’t despair, there is still much to come. We tried?…
Perhaps, in fact, one person is still nothing, and another must call him to become a man.
In addition to family and friends, it was Vasily’s call that at that moment gave me a thirst for life. I remembered that this is not going around in circles, that everything has development, that the future is not defined, but very possibly filled with our next steps and words from one another. That there is someone nearby.
One of the human voices of my football life. Blessed memory, ”Bashkirov wrote in his telegram.
Evgeniy Bashkirov
Photo: vepsu.fi
Stanislav Minin:
“I don’t want to write anything, everything seems pretentious, vulgar or even a lie to me. Vasya was greater than any profession. In the revolution of our profession, he became the most significant. He himself stressed the importance of others for a long time. If we talk about this, then he did not die. He is alive in his works and students.
And Vasya the man and I were close. And they did common things. And they cared about the same people. And I had to worry about Vasya himself. And in recent years we have communicated in some way. To stumble. Hello. Oh how are you? Well, did you take the forward? What do you think Prosh? Isn’t it true that our Alkhaz is good? Busy? Oh well, then…
There was a lot to tell him. But that’s all after. And the “after” did not come, I left everything for myself. “You know, there is such a bird. Not only does it not fly away during the winter, but it also raises chicks.” This is in the first half. Real Madrid was playing. And suddenly, halfway through the second: “Oh, by the way, this bird is a crossbill!”
Or… Commenting on the Classic with Tyoma Borisov:
Vasya: Umtiti… Subject: Vasily, this is Sergi Roberto! Vasya: So what? Maybe I’m confusing Umtiti and Sergi Roberto. I am not racist.
Check out his recent show with Yuzefovich. There he talks about books. And about Fingolfin. I always remember Vasya when I read this name somewhere.
We will come to Egrisi in April. And? She will be and she will not be… I didn’t want to write much. But now how to stop? Goodbye, Vasya. I do not forget you”.
Vasily Utkin
Photo: Sergey Apenkin, “Championship”
Dmitri Guberniev:
“Sir, Vasya Utkin… How can this be?… He was out of contact, I just found out… A big loss for all of us, he was the best in the profession… I really missed Utkin in the big screen… The commentary department was left orphaned… I have no words…”.
Anna Dmitrieva:
“I was one of the first people who accepted Vasily into the sports editor. I remember how he, a 22-year-old guy, stood behind me while I was editing “Football Club,” which had nothing to do with me. But in the editorial office there were no people related to football, we were simply being born. Suddenly, timidly, I heard a voice: “I would have edited it differently,” it was Vasya. Tall, slender, young, his whole life ahead of him. My whole creative life is connected in one way or another with the development of Vasya.
Vasya turned out to be a very energetic, talented, enterprising, brilliant and original journalist. Approximately a month after beginning to be present in our editorial office, he brought the first proposal for the “Football Club.” I was very happy that something was written there that didn’t actually exist at that time on the screens of the program. Almost immediately we supported his initiative and he started working.
It is very unusual for me to talk about Vasya in the past tense; I still perceive him as a living person. He wasn’t like the others, always with his own opinion and point of view, but he could be convinced, which is what I did sometimes. There is a lot to say about Vasya. I would like to express my deepest condolences to Vasya’s family and friends. It seemed that he still had his whole life ahead of him, that Vasya had not yet said the last word about him…
Among other things, many football clubs expressed their condolences: among them Zenit, Spartak, CSKA and, of course, Utkin’s brainchild, Egrisi. Hundreds of thousands of spectators will probably watch your next match.
