Alexander Abramovich Druz was born in 1955 in Leningrad into a respectable Jewish family. At home, Alexander had a lot of books, and he read everything that lay badly. However, this did not prevent young Sasha from chasing a ball around the yard, running away to swim in the ponds and catch May beetles. The usual childhood of an ordinary Soviet child.
Education
At school, Sasha studied well, but he was not an excellent student, and for the time being no one guessed about his outstanding mental abilities.
After school, Alexander entered a technical school, and only after graduating from it - to the institute. It was then that the future television star showed his abilities with might and main, graduating from higher educational institution With Honours. Alexander received the specialty "engineer", and for some time worked in accordance with the chosen direction. But soon life gave Druz a surprise.
A television
Alexander from childhood loved the game “What? Where? When?" and always correctly answered questions, sitting at home in front of the TV. One day, Friends decided to apply to join the connoisseurs, and the application was approved. Previously, of course, Alexander answered a lot of tricky questions.
Friends turned out to be such a charismatic player that viewers immediately fell in love with him. What can you say about leadership. He was somewhat expelled from the What? Where? When? ”, But always returned back. It was boring to play without him. And it's dangerous with him. He was often self-willed, broke the rules, said what he thought, even if it went against the opinion of the presenter.
Personal life
Friends met his wife while still in first grade. Elena was a mischievous and courageous girl, and young Druz could not resist her charm. It is a pity that life soon separated young people into different schools.
But Druz knew how to take care of the girls and get his way. In high school, Alexander and Elena met again in order not to part.
In 1978, young people got married, and soon they had two daughters - Inna and Marina. The girls with a cheerful disposition and cheerfulness resembled their mother, but they inherited their mind and craving for knowledge from their father.
It should be noted that Alexander was very scrupulous in the upbringing of girls, trying to develop in them best qualities. As a result, both daughters of Friends also participated in “What? Where? When?" and became owners of crystal owls.
friend and cat
The Friends family consists of another important member. This is a huge cat Sean, nicknamed Magister. The nickname is not given by chance. Ten years ago, the cat was admitted to the masters “What? Where? When?" with an advisory vote at meetings. But, unfortunately, the fluffy master never used this right.
Alexander Abramovich Friends. Born May 10, 1955 in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). Soviet and Russian engineer, player of intellectual games. Master of the club “What? Where? When?”, winner of the Diamond Owl prize, six-time winner of the Crystal Owl prize, three-time world champion in the sports version of the ChGK. TV presenter.
Alexander Druz was born on May 10, 1955 in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) into an intelligent Jewish family.
In 1972 he graduated from the Leningrad high school No. 47 im. K.D. Ushinsky. According to him, he did not quite reach the silver medal.
It is interesting that, despite his intelligence, he could not enter the institute the first time.
Then he went to the Leningrad Industrial and Pedagogical Technical School of VET, from which he graduated in 1975 with a degree in electrical engineering, master of industrial training.
Then he became a student Leningrad Institute railway transport engineers Academician V.N. Obraztsova with a degree in systems engineering, graduating in 1980.
Served in the army. He worked as a construction engineer.
Since 1975, the program “What? Where? When?". Friends first appeared in it in 1981. He recalled: “In the 80s, I watched a few programs and decided that I was able to show in this game good results. Just at that time, the film crew invited viewers to apply for participation in the TV club. I graduated from the Leningrad Institute of Railway Engineers, wrote a diploma, it was free time. And I wanted to try myself. In addition, it was interesting how television programs are made. Wrote a letter. The answer came a few months later, when I had already forgotten about it. I passed the selection ... And although then I was already "harnessed" to the work of a software engineer, I began to travel to Moscow and play. So I still can't stop. Does this mean that I am a gambler? Apparently yes!"
Since then, he has performed almost without interruption, which is a game record.
In 1982, he became the first expert to be disqualified for hinting to players.
Champion of the television game "Brain Ring" in 1990, 1991, 1994, 2010.
In the TV game "Own Game" he won "Linear Games" (1995), "Super Bowl" (2003), was the captain of the team that won the III "Challenge Cup" (2002), set an absolute performance record for one game - 120,001 rubles (beating his own previous record). Alexander Druz is in 2nd place in terms of total winnings for all time (855.634 rubles). Has the highest percentage of games won from the number of games played (of players who played 10 or more games) - 82.86% (29 games won out of 35 games played).
In the final game of the 1995 winter series, Alexander Druz was awarded the honorary title of Master of the game “What? Where? When? ”, was awarded the Big Crystal Owl and the Diamond Star Order, as the best player in the entire 20 years of the elite club’s existence, later the title of Master was also received by Maxim Potashev, Viktor Sidnev and Andrey Kozlov.
In 2009, as a legionnaire, he played for the Nikita Mobile TeTe team at the championships of Uzbekistan in Brain Ring (1st place) and in What? Where? When?" (2nd place), then at the I Open Cup of Tashkent (1st place in "What? Where? When?" and "Brain Ring", as well as in the overall standings - 2nd place in the erudite quartet) and Connoisseur-2009 in Eilat (including 2nd place at the Olympic tournament in "What? Where? When?"). In the same year, he played for the Great Britain national team at the Nations Cup in the game “What? Where? When?" in Kirov.
In 2010, he also played several times for the Nikita Mobile TeTe team, which won the VII Uzbekistan Championship, and then the VIII World Championship in the city of Eilat (Israel). In 2011 and 2012, this team won the national championship without a Master, but at the IX and X World Championships of those years, he joined the NMTT team. In Odessa (2011), together with the team, he became a silver medalist, and in Saransk (2012) - gold (becoming the only three-time world champion in the game "What? Where? When?").
Alexander Druz stated that he would stop playing “What? Where? When?" after playing his 100th game at the TV club. True, he later clarified that it was a joke.
He is the head of the gaming programs department on the STO TV channel in his hometown of St. Petersburg.
In 2017, Alexander Druz first appeared in a movie - he played an episode in the third season of the series "Mommies", aired on the STS channel.
Scandal with Ilya Ber
In response, Alexander Druz made counter-accusations - allegedly it was Ber who offered him a deal with questions for money. “The voice on Ber’s recordings is really mine and I’m not going to hide it, but Ilya Ber told the story exactly the opposite. It was he who offered me a deal with questions for the money that I will pay him from the winnings, ”Druz said.
Channel One canceled the outcome of the game "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" with the participation of Alexander Druz (released in November 2018) and appointed a trial.
In September 2019, it was reported that . “Alexander Druz will be present at the games, but will not participate in them this season. We hope to see him at the gaming table next season,” the TV company noted.
Social and political activities of Alexander Druz
Since 1991, Alexander Druz has been teaching schoolchildren. He worked in the 171st French gymnasium, in the physics and mathematics lyceum No. 239, in the gymnasium No. 330. He repeatedly organized school tournaments in the ChGK of urban and international significance. According to him, for intellectual games, first of all, intelligence is important, and only secondarily, erudition. “Intelligence, of course. In principle, the set of knowledge necessary for the game is given in high school. Therefore, in a month, by training people who studied well at school, I can form a team that will win in various tournaments,” he said.
For merits in the field of education he was awarded the medal "In memory of the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg."
In December 1998, he ran for deputies of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg of the 4th convocation, but unsuccessfully.
On April 5, 2008, Alexander Druz became one of the Russian participants in the Olympic torch relay, along with members of the government, sports stars and artists.
In the 2012 presidential election, Druz was Mikhail Prokhorov's confidant.
Alexander Druz in the program "Alone with everyone"
The growth of Alexander Friends: 178 centimeters.
Personal life of Alexander Friends:
Married. My wife's name is Elena, she is a doctor. He has known his wife since first grade. Serious relationship between them began in the ninth grade. He said: “We studied together in the 1st and 2nd grades and were friends, as far as a boy and a girl can be friends. Then Lena moved to another school, but we still talked for a while. Then came the age when girls become uninteresting to boys And already a few years later, in the 9th grade, I suddenly decided to congratulate all the girls who are in my notebook on March 8. I also called Lena. In addition, it was interesting to see how the person who was once yours has changed friend. We've been dating ever since...".
We got married in 1978.
The couple have two daughters: Inna (b. 1979) and Marina (b. 1982).
Both daughters studied at the Physics and Mathematics Lyceum No. 239, where Alexander Druz still coaches youth teams of experts, and also holds games “What? Where? When?" in a modified format for the entire school. Inna teaches at the University of Economics and Finance. Marina was a postgraduate student at the University of Lugano in Switzerland.
Inna and Marina also play What? Where? When? ”, were awarded with the“ Crystal Owls ”.
And only the master's wife does not take part in intellectual games - she is proud of her husband and daughters, while Elena ironically noticed that at least one normal person should stay at home.
Alexander Druz has four granddaughters: Alisa (born in 2008), Alina (born in 2011), Ansley (born in 2014), Roni (born in 2016).
Alexander Druz with his wife and daughters
Daughters of Alexander Friends Inna and Marina
Alexander Druz collects anecdotes and jokes about himself and retells them with pleasure.
Filmography of Alexander Druz:
2017 - Moms - episode
Awards and prizes of Alexander Druz:
1990 - Crystal Owl
1992 - Crystal Owl
1995 - Crystal Owl
1995 - Honorary title of Master of the game "What? Where? When?"
1995 - Order of the Diamond Star
2000 - Crystal Owl
2002 - World champion in the sports version of "What? Where? When?"
2006 - Crystal Owl
2010 - World champion in the sports version of "What? Where? When?"
2011 - Diamond Owl
2012 - Crystal Owl
2012 - World champion in the sports version of "What? Where? When?"
Alexander Druz since his appearance on television in 1981 in the game “What? Where? When?" very quickly became popular and recognizable. In it, in an incomprehensible way, restraint coexisted with the excitement of a real player. Of course, the intellectual had many admirers. But it can be confidently called monogamous. He has known his wife for more than half a century, and in September 2018 he will celebrate 40 years since the wedding.
school love
They met in first grade. It cannot be said that they instantly became friends, and then the school friendship grew into love. They just studied together for 2 years, and after that Elena's family moved to another area. But the girl's mother believed that Alexander was very good boy so he needs to be invited. And for a couple of years, Sasha Friends regularly went to Elena's birthday. And he invited her to his birthday parties, respectively.
True, Lenochka did not understand why Friends were visiting. While all the children happily played and talked, Sasha picked up a book, sat in a corner and spent all the time in the company of a book.
Their connection was soon interrupted, but Sasha kept the girl's home phone number in his notebook. And when, after a few years, I decided to congratulate all the girls I knew on International Women's Day, I called Lena. He was curious about how much his childhood friend had changed and proposed to meet.
Elena later recalled how she could not wait for the end of the date. Sasha just told her non-stop jokes. But she still went on a second date. She does not hide now: at first she simply used Alexander. He helped her to do physics, and during the dates in St. Petersburg he talked a lot and interestingly about the sights of his native city.
But somehow imperceptibly, the relationship grew from friendly to romantic. By the end of school, they both no longer doubted: it was love. But they were in no hurry to go to the registry office.
A smarter approach to life
Alexander and Elena decided to get an education first and only after that start a family. Alexander did not immediately go to the institute through the competition, but entered the industrial-pedagogical technical school and only then graduated from the institute. Elena became a student of the First Medical. Although she dreamed of just teaching, she did not find the strength to resist the decision of her mother.
Surprisingly, Lena's mother, who treated Sasha so warmly in childhood, suddenly turned out to be almost his ideological enemy. She always adhered to communist views, while Alexander, for some reason, expressed seditious, in her opinion, thoughts. He was a clear supporter of dissidence.
But as a result, the daughter announced that Friends had proposed to her, and her mother simply had to come to terms with her choice. The future mother-in-law herself did not experience any particular joy about this.
The newlyweds settled with Elena, and here Alexander learned to show miracles of diplomacy. He didn't get into arguments or talk about politics. In addition, he tried to control that his mother did not watch those programs that led her to an exacerbation of her diseases. When she fell ill, he courted her without expressing displeasure.
"What? Where? When?" on TV and in real life
In 1979, the couple had a daughter, Inna, in 1982, Marina. For the first time in the program “What? Where? When?" Alexander Druz appeared in 1981. And almost immediately he gained unprecedented popularity. A simple systems engineer suddenly became a real star. However, he did not particularly monitor his rating. He liked to read, he liked to learn new things, and the game allowed him to skillfully use this knowledge.
Over the years of playing at the club, he managed to win all conceivable and unimaginable awards, and also bring up a worthy replacement for himself. Both daughters of the intellectual very successfully began to play “What? Where? When?".
When asked how Alexander Abramovich and his wife developed the intellectual abilities of their daughters, both answer that no one did this on purpose. They just read books to them from the age of three months, and then they sent them to a good mathematical school.
Daughters say that parents always answered questions. Never in their lives have they been dismissed or referred to as being busy. Alexander Abramovich also taught girls to look for answers to questions on their own. They did not have bans on books, each read what she considered useful for herself.
Surprisingly eldest daughter Inna turned out to be a lover of books about the revolution, and the younger did not share her sister's hobbies, preferring pirate romance and books about Robin Hood.
Inna and Marina (each of them has two daughters) raise their girls in the same way as they once raised them.
The secret of family happiness
Alexander Abramovich has repeatedly said in his interviews that Elena is his main prize in life. His wife believes that his constancy is from laziness. There is already a woman who is constantly nearby, comfortable and understandable. There is no need to do anything further, to conquer anyone.
Intellectual game "What? Where? When?" enjoyed great popularity. But why was its creator fired from television several times?
Alexander Druz - one of the smartest people in Russia, master of the program “What? Where? When?". Do you want to know where the hero of this article was born and studied? What is Alexandra? We are ready to provide you with comprehensive information about his person. We wish you happy reading!
Alexander Druz: biography. Childhood
He was born on May 10, 1955 in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). Our hero was brought up in an educated and He has Jewish roots.
Alexander grew up as an obedient and inquisitive boy. He liked to draw and look at pictures in books. However, he also never refused to play with the guys in the yard.
School years
As a child, he read all the books that were in the house. We are talking not only about the works of the classics, but also about weighty encyclopedias. Friends Jr. has always had a good memory. He memorized large poems and excerpts from prose.
AT adolescence our hero began to show his character. He was not afraid to break the taboos. For example, his parents told him to come back at 9 pm. And he deliberately lingered for 30-40 minutes. Father and mother forbade their son to go swimming in the pond. But Alexander did not listen to them.
student life
After graduating from high school, our hero entered the local technical school. For 2 years he mastered the specialty "technician-electrician". Alexander Druz could build a successful career in this area. But he decided to get a higher education. Alexander's choice fell on the Institute of Railway Engineers. A talented and purposeful guy easily coped with entrance exams. In 1980 he was awarded the long-awaited diploma.
For several years he worked as an engineer in the construction industry. Then Alexander Druz (see photo above) radically changed his occupation. Our hero took up the development of a television career.
"What? Where? When?"
For the first time, Alexander Druz appeared on the air of the legendary program for intellectuals in 1981. And before that, he applied for participation in the program several times. And one day his candidacy was approved.
Host "What? Where? When "Vladimir Voroshilov immediately discerned in him smart person, an integral and comprehensively developed personality. The friend turned out to be a gambler. He repeatedly entered into disputes with the presenter and other experts, for which he was even expelled from the club. And only thanks to the demands of the audience, Friends were returned back.
Alexander Abramovich received the main award of the intellectual club - the "Crystal Owl" six times. In addition, he was one of the first to earn such a title as "Master of the Game."
Television career
"What? Where? When?" - not the only project in which Alexander Druz participated. The biography indicates that he "lit up" in several popular programs.
In 1990, Alexander Abramovich was invited to the Brain Ring intellectual show. Our hero could not miss such a chance. He managed to defeat all rivals and receive the Golden Brain award.
Since 1995, Druz has regularly participated in the program “Own Game” (NTV). He won in 22 games out of 35. No other connoisseur could boast of such a result. The first prize that Alexander won was a car of foreign assembly. Our hero had nothing to pay tax (35%) for him. Therefore, Druz took the reward in money. For the amount he received, he bought a Zhiguli. I must say that the car served him 7 years.
In May 2011, he tried himself as a presenter. We are talking about the program "Hour of Truth" on the channel "365 Days TV". Friends successfully coped with the tasks assigned to him.
Today a connoisseur and master “What? Where? When?" invited to shoot various programs, such as "So far, everyone is at home", "Guess the melody", "Evening Urgant" and so on. And there is nothing to be surprised. After all, we have an interesting personality with his views on life and deep knowledge in many areas.
Alexander Druz: family
Our hero wanted to marry once and for all his life. And so it happened. Friends met his future wife in the first grade. Elena was a noisy and sociable girl. And he had the exact opposite. The quiet and modest boy was afraid to confess his sympathy to the girl. Soon fate separated them. The parents transferred the girl to another school. The meeting of Elena and Alexander took place only after 7 years. A friend beautifully looked after his beloved: he gave flowers, showered him with compliments and invited him for walks around the city. In the 10th grade, their romance turned into a serious relationship.
In 1978, Alexander Druz and his fiancee Elena got married. The celebration was attended only by close friends and relatives from the side of the bride and groom. In 1979, the wife gave birth to Alexander's daughter Inna. The young father could not stop looking at the baby. He helped his wife take care of the baby. In 1982, there was another addition to the family. The second daughter was born, who was named Marina. For a long time, the couple dreamed of an heir. However, fate had its own way.
Alexander and Elena have been living together for over 37 years. Their daughters grew up and started families. Our hero and his wife are grandparents. They have three granddaughters - Ansley, Alina and Alice.
Member Name: Alexander Abramovich Druz
Age (birthday): 10.05.1955
City: St. Petersburg
Education: St. Petersburg
Family: married, 2 daughters
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Reading this article:
Alexander Druz is one of the most charismatic and even odious personalities in the entire history of the elite club.
eminent erudite, living legend, a real leader - these are just some of the epithets that this player was awarded.
But in order to truly understand this connoisseur, you should pay attention to his biography as a whole, and not just the facts related to the TV game “What? Where? When?".
Alexander was born in Leningrad, in the same place he graduated from secondary school No. 47 named after K.D. Ushinsky. Then the future star entered the Industrial and Pedagogical College of Vocational Education.
But he did not stop there and in 1975 he became a student at the Leningrad Institute of Railway Engineers named after academician V. N. Obraztsov. Exactly five years later, Alexander left the walls of this university with a diploma in the specialty "Computer".
The debut of Friends in the program “What? Where? When?" took place in 1981. It should be noted that since that moment Alexander has never taken a break in participation, which is an unprecedented fact and a kind of club record.
Oddly enough, young Druz was distinguished by emotionality and even intemperance. In support of these facts is the fact that in 1982 he became the first player to be disqualified for tips.
In 1990, Alexander Druz was recognized as the best player in the series for the first time. and received the "Crystal Owl". Then he was honored with this statuette 5 more times.
Found Alexander and "Diamond Owl" - he was awarded with it as the best connoisseur of the club in 2011. A significant fact in Alexander's career as a member of an elite club is the fact that in 1995 he became the first master of this TV game!
Friends also noted in the sports version of “What? Where? When? ”, Taking first place with the Troyard team at the 1st World Championship in 2002.
As the captain of the same team, he 9 times in a row won the Cup of the Governor of St. Petersburg. On the this moment he is one of 11 players who have taken part in all the official world championships in the sport of ChGK.
Special attention should be paid to Alexander's participation in another intellectual game, popular all over the world - this is the brain ring.
At first he participated in its television version, namely in the 1991-1994 seasons.
Then there was a big break, but in 2009, Friends returned to this game again.
It was then that he first appeared as an invited member of the Nikita Mobile TeTe team at the national championship of Uzbekistan.
Also in the asset of Friends is the performance for the UK team in the Nations Cup “What? Where? When?".
But that's not all. Like many players of the intellectual club Alexander I tried myself in the TV show "Own Game". Here he became the champion several times, and also set one of the main records, having managed to earn 120,001 rubles in one game.
Among other things, this mastodon “What? Where? When?" He is the author of various TV shows, and he himself is an interesting host of the Hour of Truth program.
This project airs on the 365 Days TV channel and tells the viewer about interesting facts of world history.
In parallel with this, he is the head of programs on the STO-TV channel.
There is a biography of Alexander and a page dedicated to his own business.
For example, in 2007 he opened the Stroy-Azhio company., then in 2011 - Trans-Agio.
True, just a year after the registration of the second company, Druz decides to sell them - the intellectual did not have time to develop his own business at all.
From personal life famous connoisseur does not make a secret.
He has been married since 1978, his wife's name is Elena. Moreover, Druz met his future wife in the first grade!
True, the romance began only at 10, but in any case, they have known each other for a very, very long time.
The couple had two daughters - Inna and Marina. Interesting fact- Both girls are also connoisseurs of “What? Where? When?" and even received a Crystal Owl.
Alexander's photo
You can find photos of Alexander Friends from various events.
