UTKIN Igor

Born February 15, 1942 in Moscow. Father - Vladimir Utkin (1913-1945). Mother - Snimschikova Maria (1917-1965). Wife - Utkin (before) Gabriella (1947. born.). Son - Utkin, Andrey I. (1973. born.) graduated from the Economics Faculty of Moscow State University named after M.V. University and postgraduate studies in New York. Daughter - Gabrielle I. Utkin (1978. born.), by profession - sociologist.

Father I.V. Utkin before the war he worked in the Ministry of Health. Igor did not remember him and only knew of my mother's stories. During the war he joined the army and was killed in the city of Budapest Soroksц?r. (Many years later, Igor Utkin marries a girl, born a mile from the city.) In memory of his father remained only filmed about death. Mom continued to wait for his life ... Not believe that was killed.

Igor's first childhood memories were of how he helped his grandmother-porter stabbing winter ice. Then - bread with jam and walk on Arbat yards. Yard punks who were caught in the postwar city, he did not touch. On the contrary, defended. His mother, a doctor by profession, has provided medical assistance to its neighbors, with whom she formed friendships. Mary Alekseevnu all respect, and respect is extended to the whole family.

It was my mother gave Igor first camera - "Zenit": that feeling that gives the fate. The son never asked her about it, saying that he wanted to shoot. Like all Arbat boy, he spent whole days in the yard. "Nobles" from the Arbat, almost all polls were doing sports. Igor became pervorazryadnikom basketball and football, the champion of Russia in cycling sport, racing driver. He was engaged, it seems, all sports at once, but at school it does not matter.

After high school, 4 years he served in the Navy radiometristom ship. It was in the Navy he worked out the principles that should all his life, - must rely only on themselves.

Returning to the "citizen", worked draftsman-designer. Then settled down in the Novosti Press Agency. Suddenly ... Modest laboratory Igor Utkin won the Grand Prix in Amsterdam, organized by World Press Photo in the genre of sports photography, - fifteen hundred dollars. That at that time was the price of apartments in the capital ... However, the money those Igor Utkin not see: they are listed in the fund for assistance to the brotherly people of Vietnam. Well, took a gold medal in the collection editor in chief of "Soviet Photo". From that, the first of many awards remained only "golden" Triptych: shooting volleyball, three fractions of a second preparer and filing otbivshego. But perhaps it is - the main thing.

Hard to believe, but no education, except the Institute of journalistic skill (something like a refresher course) have not been Utkin. But learn to write and shoot, if it was not built over, it is impossible. Specifically, you can get one's hand (of photographers known as "The Nutcracker"), but without a master to train talent - can not, and if granted, will certainly realized without schools and institutions.

Destiny, believed Igor Utkin, led him to life. And it seems, gave him a lot, more than once saved. During a trip to Afghanistan because of the warm reception and friendly feast missed shot - in its place boomed a loud explosion. Before the Peace Race in 1986 in Kiev, quarreled with the editor - not hit by the Chernobyl events ...

. After winning the World Press Photo Utkin immediately fired in a photo opportunity, and after 11 years at APS, he moved to Tass, where it remained.

. During this time he has won more than 150 fotonagrad
. Incidentally, colleagues thought he was a complex man, and because 95 percent of awards he has won abroad. But among bildredaktorov Utkin reputed workaholic man and mandatory, . never asked, . Look how many will pay for, . because he thought, . that his name, . for which conscious, . as ambitious man, . He worked all his life, . can lose very quickly.,

. Igor Utkin repeatedly offered permanent employment, citizenship and good salary in a dozen countries, including the U.S.
. Once in the States, he took American football (seeing the game for the first time in my life) so that it runs with the proposed astronomical contract in The Washington Post. But leave Igor was not going anywhere. The word "Russian" for him was more important than all the other concepts. Perhaps because he was shooting sports, it's one of those areas, which have always been proud of our country.

So, as filmed Utkin, could not take one. Even now, when all vehicle makes and any amateur can get a decent shot. He himself knew that he had no competitors. Such as he, - "piece goods". Only he could stand at the biggest competitions of severe competition with the leading news agencies, were sent to major sports events on a half thousand reporters. From TASS - Utkin, who managed everything, and made such frames, which were snapped up in all editions.

He always preferred to work alone. Because I do not like it when someone walks on his heels, looking for what he shoots, and trying to take pictures with the same point. Sometimes even the hood on his head throw to no one and nothing can distract. Western reporters could spend time at one of fifteen films, and Utkin - one or two. But even then listen to the eternal grunt work that reporters spend a lot of films ...

Igor believed that he had no right to have personal biases, root for the team: photographer, reporter should be objective. And because he was sick for individuals. Multi-year friendship with the goalkeeper Yashin, Belov basketball, hockey Maltsev ... Personalities, he took off so that and write about them do not need anything, though, of course, a relationship with them evolved different.

"There are people who I sometimes play up, like, biathlete, four-time Olympic champion Alexander Tikhonov. There are superstitious: if I was shooting, but they lost - all no longer away! And if the team won, so I kind of mascot for them - call themselves ... "

Once he happened to shoot Konstantin Ivanovich Beskova, very phlegmatic person. For once did he ever catch a great trainer flushed, waving his arms at the surge of emotions. Angry Beskov then terrified: "You show me in a jacket and tie, but not so!" Since then, both saw him and shouted: "Take Utkin from the field!" And the team at training not let ...

. Mikhail Tal - was a wonderful facility for our brother - built during the game faces ..
. And the lesson I taught when I was his first time at the forehead settled photos. Young was not understood how it works. Tal looked at me for five minutes, as time goes - you have to play, he called someone and said: remove the reporter! Then, imagine, went over and apologized - I said, Nakhamu, but I ask a second time to remove it so I have not seen you ... "

. Favorite utkinsky genre - Sketch
. He was convinced that only in the series can reveal the man and stop the rapid time to record for history. "When I take off my essay, I feel like a lord, the director, - said Igor - and at competitions, making a report, never do automatic frame. Waiting, like a hunter when it comes my time. "

... Anyone who shoots sports, can remove everything. In most sports photographers to interfere: rarely go wherever you want. Here it is necessary "to stay ahead": all fleeting, every event - a split second, it must anticipate. Therefore, in sport must be a hunter or a sniper ... To press the trigger at the very moment when the ball flies into the gate, when the face of the hero - has just acquired the taste of victory, the first bitterness of defeat ...

Igor Utkin knew, perhaps, all the leading masters in any form of competition. When he came to the competition, he knew about who should win, and, naturally, tried to remove more of champion. But sport and so beautiful that unpredictable. There is no experience and knowledge will not help, and even such masters as Utkin, ever be wrong: was putting the lens on one, and won the other ... Then I had to catch the winner and, if possible, to "reconstruct" event. For example, in his collection is a snapshot, which has received 8 medals abroad, including the World Press Photo, - ice hockey goalie-in jump. And it was so. Utkin shooting championship in field hockey. There was a moment that seemed to hit on the film, but it turned out - did not work. Then I had to beg the goalkeeper in training to repeat the "double". As a result, he naprygal on ... eight films.

The word "genius" talk too much in vain. But the word "master" - no worse. And above all, more precisely about Igor Utkin, best sports photography of the country. And perhaps the world ...

I.V. Utkin - winner of three "Golden Eye" International Photo Exhibition World Press Photo in the Netherlands, twice world champion among sports photographers, the best sports photographer Russia (2000-2002). He was awarded a medal "For merits before Fatherland" II degree (1998) and the medal "In memory of the 850 anniversary of Moscow" (1997). Awarded the Prize of the Union of Journalists of the USSR (1980).

Igor was a man not devoid of ambition. He was convinced that he had not said the last word in photography, and his recent work confirms this. And I.V. Utkin dreamed about a successor, but on this, who, like himself, would have loved sports, and photograph, not money. Only him he was ready to reveal all of their professional secrets and, ultimately, to transmit a unique photo archive. But never met this person ...

Utkin believe that men need to be happy only two things: work, in which you are doing better than all that for granted at birth, and family. With his wife, the Hungarian Gabrielli philologist by education, they have lived instead of 33 пЁпЎпЄп°. True, at first had to resort to deceit. Igor pledged the bride, that they will live in Hungary ... And cunningly took her to Moscow. But in Hungary, the home of the couple, they visited regularly.

Recently, Igor Utkin seriously ill and had several operations.

February 25, 2009, after 10 days after his 68 th birthday, one of the most famous Russian sports photographers, died in Moscow.