Vladimir Semenovich Vysotsky , who during the Soviet years had virtually unlimited access to foreigners, remarked in his song: “There are inscriptions in Russian in the Parisian public toilets. If the bard exaggerated, then just a little & ndash; The Russian trace is found everywhere in France.
“Death peacefully, surrounded by love”
According to AFP, the famous showman and popularizer of science Grichka Bogdanov is died in the capital of France. “ Surrounded by the love of his family and loved ones, Grichka Bogdanov passed away peacefully on December 28, 2021 '', quotes the deceased's agency.
About Grichka, as well as her twin brother Igor Runet learned relatively recently, and mostly thanks to the memes associated with their appearance. It's a shame, because in France the Bogdanoff brothers were a real phenomenon, analogues of which are even difficult to find. For more than four decades Grichka and Igor have enlightened, surprised, and sometimes shocked the French.
The Bogdanovs are directly linked to our country, because their father was from Leningrad. & Nbsp;
Grichka (left) and Igor (right) in the 1990s. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
Leningrad Jura
As the war in Europe drew to a close, a Russian teenager named Yuri appeared in neutral Spain. He has spoken well enough about his misadventures & ndash; he himself is from the city of the Neva, representing a princely family, which had to hide its origin under the Bolsheviks. His grandfather died during the revolution, and his father and mother were unable to travel abroad, remaining in a power foreign to them in spirit. As a result, his father was put down and Yuri himself at the start of WWII was evacuated from Leningrad, which was threatened with a blockade, but without much success – the city he was brought to was soon occupied. by the Germans. Then Yuri along with other boys and girls was turned away to work in Germany. But the guy managed to escape and make it to the Pyrenees.
There is a strong suspicion that this whole thing should be divided by ten. We can say with certainty that Yura Bogdanov actually lived in Leningrad and then ended up under occupation and was taken to the Third Reich. But as to its noble roots, that is a very dubious question.
But Yura was lucky & ndash; the offspring of the alleged prince were presented to the Georgian pretender to the throne Irakli Bagration-Mukhransky . The hot person of royal blood loved the teenager, and Bagration-Mukhransky took him under his wing. & Nbsp;
Children of Leopold Kolowrat-Krakowski from left to right: Jindrich, Bedrich, Berta and Alexander Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
Right to title
Among the entourage of guardian Yuri was a young girl named Maya & ndash; illegitimate daughter of an Austrian countess of Czech origin & nbsp; Bertha Henrietta Katerina Nadin Kolovrat-Krakowska.
Maya certainly had noble origins, but her real father was a black American opera singer & nbsp; Roland Hayes. “ High society '' Europe seen as a big 'mix of negroes' fault. Therefore, she could not count on marriage to an equal, but the “ Russian prince '' (also, according to European aristocrats, they are no match), which Bagration-Mukhransky favors, fits in perfectly.
Maya's parents had an impressive fortune, so the newlyweds were provided, if not fabulous, so pretty well -Future nurtured and secure.
Yuri Mikhailovich Bogdanov became a famous artist in France. He devoted a great deal of time to litigation, demanding recognition of the rights to the princely title, and, in the end, achieved his objective.
On August 29, 1949, twins of Yuri and Maya were born, who were called Igor and Gregory … And they definitely inherited an adventurous character from their father. & Nbsp;
The maternal grandmother of the twins Berta Kolovrat-Krakowska Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
The first 'stalkers' French
Having received a good education, the brothers became interested in advanced technologies and future challenges. Science fiction was held in high regard in the 1970s, and in 1976 they published their first book on the subject. Boys with unusual backgrounds began to be invited to television, and in 1979 they became the hosts of their own program, Time X, in which they talked about quantum physics and astronomy in some form. popular.
Nothing like it existed in France at this time, and Bogdanov's show became extremely popular. They appeared in the frame in unusual costumes mimicking the shape of future spaceships, broadcasting from an interior that resembled a spaceship. Add to that the Russian names & ndash; The USSR was a pioneer in space exploration, and that also played into the hands of the brothers. And Grigory also called himself Grishka, playing on the notoriety in France of the personality of Grigory Rasputin.
For ten years, the “ Bogdanoff brothers & # 39; & # 39; were the monopolies of French science pop & ndash; a whole generation of French people learned about the future thanks to the different programs of Igor and Grégoire. & nbsp;
We want to be scientists!
However, it was no longer enough for them to be mere knowledge popularizers, and in the 1990s they got into real science. For several years they worked in institutes, wrote scientific papers, and by the end of the 1990s they obtained degrees in mathematics and theoretical physics.
Certainly in the scientific world this has been treated with suspicion. For those who prefer the educational route, classical scholars have a certain disdain. Even Sergei Petrovich Kapitsa, the legendary host of Obvious & ndash; amazing, & # 39; admitted that with the start of a career in television, scientists no longer saw him as a colleague engaged in hands-on pursuits.
But in the case of the Bogdanovs, the claims were justified. No, they weren't accused of stating anything contrary to reality in their works. Those who immersed themselves in their work said there was simply nothing there. Knowing the terminology, Igor and Grishka created empty texts that contained no findings. They just repeated what was already known, or they just piled up verbal nonsense.
Professor Daniel Sterheimer , who was the scientific supervisor of the brothers' theses, responded to the claims as follows: “The guys worked for free for 10 years. Probably, & nbsp; they had the right to receive for & nbsp; this diploma, especially since it & nbsp; means little to & nbsp; nowadays. & # 39; & # 39;
And indeed, inflated doctors of science in our time in the world is a dime a dozen. But the Bogdanovs were too famous, and the scientific world began to seek the deprivation of their degrees.
Illness or cosmetic surgery?
The litigation ended in the defeat of the brothers, whose work was not only declared of no scientific value, but also forced to pay compensation of 2000 euros to the National Committee for Scientific Research from France.
What happened to Igor and Grishka as showmen had no bearing on … They quickly became regular contributors to the French version of Fort Boyard, asking players science questions delicate.
At one time, the Bogdanovs were guys with an ordinary appearance, but in the 1990s changes began, as a result of which their faces took on an unnatural look, and even, in the opinion of some , repulsive. This is associated with many plastic surgeries, although the brothers themselves categorically rejected it. According to an alternate version, Igor and Grishka have acromegaly & mdash; a disease that causes an increase in the bones of the facial part of the skull. & nbsp;
That's it!
In any case, the Bogdanovs did not suffer from the dark. And in 2017, it was reported that they could take Russian citizenship. And with it a new turning point began – on the web, depending on their appearance and Russian origin, the brothers were turned into a meme. The Bogdanoff brothers jokingly declared Russian secret masters of the world, guilty of everything & ndash; the election of Trump, the poisoning of Navalny , the coronavirus pandemic, etc.
In fact, the coronavirus toppled the Bogdanovs themselves. In mid-December 2021, it became known that Igor and Grichka were hospitalized.
Alas, Grichka did not make it. Unlike his brother, he was never married and had no children. But Igor has six children by three wives.
Igor & # 39; s youngest sons are Alexander and Konstantin. Sasha is now 10 years old, Kostya & ndash; Seven. When they grow up, they will be able to continue the work of their father and their uncle.
After all, the demand for 'mysterious Russians' still high in France.
