Money first, but the songs later: Vladimir Vysotsky was a tough entrepreneur

More than 40 years have passed since the death of the legendary bard and artist Vladimir Vysotsky , and interest in his person has not subsided. So recently, "Novye Izvestia" published the opinion of our contemporary about him "Not a real man..." A view of a modern woman on the personality of Vysotsky", in which she wrote:

“I don’t know how others portray the image of a real man, but in my understanding an alcoholic clearly does not fit into it, it’s just a pity that such a talent was ruined by drunkenness and drugs. Vysotsky was a sick man, and mentally ill, like any alcoholic or drug addicted. Strong people crawl out of this shit on willpower and desire to live, for the sake of themselves and their loved ones, whose life they have turned into hell. But a real man really doesn't miss a single skirt, does he?"

And here are other details that characterize the "legend" from another, unexpected side - Vysotsky's attitude to such "low" matter as money. It turns out that he was not at all as disinterested as it seems. Yes, he could sing in front of his friends for "just like that", especially if he was drunk (and this happened very often), but being in a sober state, Vysotsky became very pragmatic, turning into a "rational Jew" - so they called him, who communicated with him closely.

The artist negotiated his fees and conditions in advance and to the smallest detail. The famous actor Boris Sichkin (Buba Kastorsky from "The Elusive Avengers"), among others, spoke about this, recalling that Vysotsky was almost the only one who managed to claim a fee in advance from the famous impresario Viktor Shulman with whom others had this number during his tour of America. did not pass...

Other contemporaries of the artist recall the two conditions that Vysotsky set before one of the concerts. First: to be given a tape copy of the concert recording (many of his viewers recorded performances in the hall, but he himself often did not have recordings of his own songs), and second: so that the impresario would give him a ballpoint pen, which he held in his hands during the conversation, under the pretext that he collects such things. His friend, actor Valery Zolotukhin, by the way, wrote that, indeed, in Vysotsky's collection there were countless key rings, lighters, cassettes, daggers, cigarette cases and pens, which he extremely treasured.

Another requirement of Vysotsky during the tour was a separate room in which he could sleep. This was necessary, given the artist's addiction to night gatherings. However, since this kind of service was practically absent in the USSR, Vysotsky could sleep in the office of some official, using a stack of papers or books instead of a pillow - the main thing is that no one interferes.