In 1972 he graduated from the Leningrad secondary school No. 47 named after. K. D. Ushinsky.
He graduated from the Industrial and Pedagogical College of Vocational Education in 1975 and the Leningrad Institute of Railway Engineers. Academician V. N. Obraztsov with a degree in computers in 1980. Interested in bonistics.
In the TV program "What? Where? When?" first appeared in 1981, has performed non-stop ever since, a game record. In 1982, he became the first expert to be disqualified for giving tips to players. He also holds records for the number of games played - 73 (as of January 15, 2013) and victories - 46.
He was awarded the Crystal Owl six times as the best player of the intellectual club (1990, 1992, 1995, 2000, 2006, 2012). Winner of the "Diamond Owl" (prize of the best player according to the results of 2011). In 1995, he was elected the first master in the history of the TV game, later this title was also received by Maxim Potashov, Viktor Sidnev and Andrey Kozlov.
Captain of the team "Transsfera" in sports ChGK, which under the name "Troyard" won the 1st World Championship (2002). 9 times in a row the team won the Cup of the Governor of St. Petersburg in ChGK.
Champion of the television version of "Brain Ring" in 1990, 1991, 1994. In the television "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.
In 2009, as a legionnaire, he played for the team Nikita Mobile TeTe at the championships of Uzbekistan in brain ring (1st place) and in ChGK (2nd place), then at the I Open Cup of Tashkent (1st place in ChGK and brain -ring, as well as in the overall standings, 2nd place in the erudite quartet) and at the Znatokiade-2009 in Eilat (including 2nd place at the Olympic Tournament in ChGK). In the same year, he played for the Great Britain national team at the ChGK Nations Cup in Kirov.
In 2010, he also played several times for the Nikita Mobile TeTe team, which won the VII Championship of Uzbekistan, 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. 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 sports ChGK).
He is one of 11 players who took part in all ten world championships in sports “What? Where? When?".
Master of the club “What? Where? When? ”, the intellectual player Alexander Druz is familiar to most Soviet, and then Russian viewers since 1981, when he first appeared in the game, and then participated in it for many years with enviable constancy. The extraordinary erudition and competence of Alexander Abramovich, his ability to use them in practice, allow him to cope with the most difficult riddle questions and were highly appreciated. He won the Crystal Owl six times as the club's best player and won the Diamond Owl for the championship in 2011 games. In 1995, he was the first to receive the honorary title of Master. In life, Friends is engaged in work on TV, teaching activities - as part of the game. He himself got on the program “What? Where? When?” by writing a letter to her. The handwriting of the future favorite of the public was so illegible that the wife of Alexander Druz had to rewrite everything herself.
With his future wife, Elena, Druz was familiar from childhood: they studied together in the first and second grades. Then Lena was transferred to another school and their friendship ended. They rarely saw each other and gradually weaned from each other. In the ninth grade, Alexander wanted to see his old friend and congratulated her on March 8. Elena recalled how the quiet, unassuming boy she had known as a child spread his peacock's tail when courting her at the age of fifteen, and became a real joker. She, laughing, admitted that she tolerated his chatter only because he did homework for her in unloved subjects - mathematics and physics. Their good relationship then revived and turned into a romantic one. Since then, the lovers have not parted. They married in 1978 when they were both 23 years old. A year later, the newlyweds had their first daughter, Inna, and three more years later, another daughter, who was named Marina. On the game "What? Where? When?" A friend came not only as a married man, but also as a father of two children - there was someone to root for him at home.
Adoring his girls, Alexander Abramovich himself worked with his daughters, developing their abilities and succeeded: they both learned to read by the age of four and know several languages, successfully graduated from St. Petersburg University of Economics and Finance, and after that continued their education in France. Inna and Marina were, following the example of their father, participants in the ChGK games. Friends' wife told in an interview the truth about the "iron" captain - a player whom his growing daughters could always persuade to do anything: outside the game - he is a soft and compliant person. Elena had to follow discipline in the family, who always knew how to convince children to act reasonably and correctly, and, on occasion, applied all her professional art psychologist. For most of their lives, the Friends family lived in the center of St. Petersburg, in a cramped apartment that needed to be replaced when the girls began to grow up.
Despite the large amounts of winnings that are often called during the game, according to Elena, it is impossible to get rich on it. Not in poverty, the family of Alexander Druz, nevertheless, never lived in luxury: large winnings were spent mainly on books, of which there are a huge number in their new apartment: everyone in the family reads. Once, after an unexpected prize in the form of a Peugeot car, Alexander Abramovich took the winnings in cash, because there was nothing to pay the tax. Then they all went on a two-week trip to Paris together and made some significant purchases. Most often, they have to make do with earnings: Elena works in her specialty, her husband receives a salary on television. new apartment, bought in 2001, they had to renovate at their own expense to turn a shabby communal apartment into a pleasant and cozy family home. This required a lot financial investments and so it dragged on for two years.
They all have - unconventional for modern world value scales and travel spending seem more worthwhile to Friends than capital accumulation. When eldest daughter told her parents about her desire to try her hand at ChGK, they warned Inna that the conditions of the game are often unprofitable for club members and require investments; To do this, you need to get a job and have your own money. At that time, they simply did not have extra funds. Traveling does not always require tangible investments, and Elena loves to simply explore, under the guidance of her husband, the surroundings of her native city: he always makes an excellent guide. He knows so much about St. Petersburg and satellite cities that he can talk about it for hours. They are slightly embarrassed by the fact that Alexander Abramovich is recognized everywhere. But he does not have a star disease, and the increased attention of others can always be treated with humor.
The wife of Alexander Friends is the dearest and closest person to him. They have been together for almost 40 years, and Alexander Abramovich frankly admits: I believe that Grand Prize that I have won in my life is Lena. She is mine best friend, she is smart, pretty, a wonderful mother, an excellent hostess. A friend is happily married to her and never imagined another woman in Elena's place: “Everything is harmonious in my wife. And I don't need another. Now that both daughters of Friends are married, they have a new meaning in life and a wonderful common concern: four granddaughters: Alice. Alina, Ansley and Roni, who, it would be nice to bring up in the spirit family traditions respect for the mind, education and intelligence.
Alexander Druz is a person who, probably, everyone knew in the nineties. This outstanding erudite was a living legend of the What? Where? When?" and the undisputed leader of this intellectual casino. The number of games he has played is close to a hundred, in his treasury of awards are 6 crystal owls and one diamond.Alexander Druz dances after the incorrect answer of Blinov's team
Childhood and family of Alexander Druz
Alexander Druz was born into an ordinary Leningrad family. Both of his parents were Jews by nationality, and therefore (no matter how trite it is) already with early childhood Sasha grew up surrounded by books and heavy volumes. Although it cannot be said that such a state of affairs somehow interfered with the young guy. Also in elementary school he began to read various literary works, study encyclopedias, eagerly absorbing a variety of interesting knowledge. Despite the fact that in many biographical texts dedicated to Alexander Druz, one can find reports that in early age the future "expert" dreamed of the profession of a sailor and a fireman, the facts point to a completely different state of affairs.Throughout the life of the legendary erudite, knowledge remained his main passion. Yes, while still a student. primary school Leningrad high school No. 47, Alexander began to participate in various competitions and shows. In particular, it is known for certain that already at the age of nine (!) Our today's hero won his first prize - a book by Vladimir Maksimov, presented to him as a reward for winning an evening of entertaining questions in a Ukrainian holiday home.
After that victory, others followed. So, Alexander repeatedly won competitions in his native school, and in the tenth grade he even became a laureate of the prestigious quiz “You are a Leningrader”, in which teenagers were tested on knowledge of their native city.
In one of his interviews, Alexander Druz quite succinctly explained such a large number of various competitions and intellectual quizzes that remained behind him. “I have never been afraid to look stupid,” the legendary polymath replied, answering the question of how he was able to achieve so many victories in various forums. And it's hard to add anything else.
Star Trek Alexander Friends
Having received a diploma of higher education, Alexander Druz began working as a systems engineer. However, quite soon, performances in the program “What? Where? When? ”, Which was broadcast on the Central Television of the USSR. As part of this television show (if you can call it that), the legendary polymath first appeared in 1981, leaving behind many other pre-selection participants. As the “expert” himself recalls, he sent an application for getting into this TV project back in April 1980, but only a year later the editors of the program invited Alexander to participate in the selection of participants. Friends passed a rigorous selection process. And soon became a full member of the TV show.It is noteworthy that a year later, Alexander recorded another “achievement” in his asset, becoming the first participant in the project to be removed for tips from the audience.
Alexander Druz did not answer the questions of the honey seller
However, this small "feat", of course, is not the only significant achievement of this legendary connoisseur. During his long career at the What? Where? When?" our today's hero won in 46 games (out of 74 programs), and was also recognized as the best expert in 1990, 1992, 1995, 2000, 2006 and 2012. In 1995, the player became the first "expert" awarded the title of Master of Intellectual Casino. In 2011, Alexander also became the owner of the Diamond Owl honorary prize, awarded to the best players in the program.
But, despite such a dizzying success, Alexander Druz always yearned for more. In fact, having made such performances his main source of income, the "expert" began to actively participate in other projects of an intellectual profile. So, in the asset of our today's hero there are performances on such prestigious projects as "Brain Ring" (victories in 1990, 1991, 1994 and 2010) "Own Game". Besides, in different years Alexander Druz also took part in various projects outside of Russia. In particular, the famous erudite was noted in the intellectual projects carried out in Uzbekistan, Israel and Ukraine. Looking at the full list of victories of the famous "expert", it seems that it is simply impossible to list them all.
Business of Alexander Friends
In addition to participating in the designated projects, for a long time Alexander Druz was also engaged in business and owned two companies - Trans-Azhio and Stroy-Azhio. Both of these organizations have long been significant players in the building materials market. Alexander was forced to sell the company only in 2012 due to the outbreak of the crisis in this industry.Currently, Alexander Druz is the head of the St. Petersburg representative office of What? Where? When? ”, As well as the most titled participant in the history of games.
Personal life of Alexander Friends
Almost all his life, Alexander Druz has been married to a woman named Elena. In marriage with her, the famous "expert" had two daughters - Inna and Marina. Each of them in different years, like her father, successfully performed in the project “What? Where? When?" (in the asset of each of them there is a "Crystal Owl"). 
In 2008 and 2011, the eldest daughter Inna gave Alexander two granddaughters - Alice and Alina. Thus, at the moment, Friends Sr. is already a grandfather.
Alexander Druz now
In February 2019, Druz was at the center of a bribery scandal. Editor-in-Chief of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Ilya Ber announced that the titled ChGK expert was trying to offer him money for answering the questions of the game, which would allow him to win 3 million rubles. As evidence, he provided an audio recording of the conversation. However, Alexander denied the accusations, saying that everything was exactly the opposite: Ber offered to provide him with the correct answers in exchange for a percentage of the amount won. “The voice on the record is really mine, I decided to play along with him,” Friends commented on the record. This was confirmed by his colleague in ChGK Viktor Sidnev, who played with Alexander in that very episode.Friends and Sidnev in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. The entire issue.
According to Sidnev, Ber told them the answers to their first questions, but before filming, both agreed not to agree to the proposal, in any case not to win the main prize and act according to circumstances, and after filming was completed, tell the Millionaires management about everything. Starting from the tenth question, the questions were no longer the ones that Ber had provided answers to. Experts answered on their own. The answer to the last question turned out to be wrong, but, as it turned out, Druz knew the answer to it, but let Sidnev answer incorrectly so as not to win. Victor believes that the purpose of all this fraud was to discredit Druz.
I always admire the game of experts "What? Where? When?", I really love two masters - Maxim Potashev and Alexander Druz. Where do experts work? Or has the game become their main occupation?
N. K o n o v a l o v a, Stavropol Territory
Friends - teleboss
"The GAME does not feed," the master and four-time winner of the "Crystal Owl" Alexander Druz answered us. "All experts have their favorite work. Personally, I am the program manager of the St. of fate", on REN-TV the series "Agency", recently there was a series "Vovochka" - all of them were produced by our television company, however, I did not relate to all of them.
The daughters of Alexander Friends Inna and Marina, as you know, also appeared on the air of "What? Where? When?". “They are quite normal modern girls,” their father says about them. “Friends, discos, boys. Both are very fond of any extreme pastime: they are fond of horses, go on geek boats along the Neva and the Gulf of Finland. Inna graduated from St. Petersburg University of Economics and Finance , studies in graduate school and works in one of the largest St. Petersburg banks, and the youngest, Marina, switched to the 4th year of this university.
Dad, unlike daughters, is not such an extreme person. He prefers a quiet and relaxing holiday. Favorite places (except St. Petersburg): Paris, Amsterdam, Mikhailovskoye. He travels only with his wife Elena, whom he met in the 1st grade. “The mother-in-law claimed that we met even earlier, but I don’t remember that,” says Alexander. “From the 1st to the 3rd grade we studied together, then Lena moved to another school. And in the 9th grade I congratulated Lena since March 8, we met and have been together ever since."
Potashev - manager
SECOND MASTER "What? Where? When?" 33-year-old Maxim Potashev is the head analytical center"Kaspersky Lab", engaged in the development of anti-virus programs. “Fortunately, the game does not interfere with work,” Maxim said to “SV”. “But it takes everything free time which I have. Does popularity get in the way? You come to business negotiations, and they say to you: “Well, wow, are you still working ?!” We have to debunk this misleading impression."
Maxim's wife, like Friends' wife, is called Lena, and they met thanks to the game - Lena played in the Moscow club "What? Where? When?". But Potasheva's wife has never played on the air, and she does not come to the studio to cheer for her husband. “Lena is very nervous, this is transmitted, and I also start to worry, so we decided that it was better not to experiment,” says Maxim. “But recently at the world championship of the What? Where? When?", held in Baku, Lena played with me in the same team." The Potashevs have no children yet.
Burda - culinary specialist
And WHERE do the rest of the "What? Where? When?" experts work?
Rovshan Askerov - "Sport-Express" columnist.
Boris Burda is the host of a culinary program on Ukrainian television.
Fedor Dvinyatin - lecturer at St. Petersburg State University, Department of Philology.
Georgy Zharkov - Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology of the Vladimir State Pedagogical University, member of the Expert Council on Youth Policy of the Administration of the Vladimir Region.
Sergey Tsarkov - Vice President of the Oleg Efremov Foundation, entrepreneur.
Victor Sidnev - director of Troitsk-Telecom, deputy of the Troitsk City Council of Deputies.
Alexandra Druz can definitely be called one of the most charismatic and even odious personalities of the elite club of connoisseurs, an erudite, a living legend and a true leader. He received the "Crystal Owl" six times, once became the owner of the "Diamond Owl" as part of the intellectual TV game "What? Where? When? ”, Three times became the world champion in the sports version of the ChGK.
And Sasha was born on May 10, 1955 in an intelligent Jewish family in Leningrad. The education of the parents played a role. Sasha early became interested in reading books that filled the apartment. I read with interest both weighty encyclopedias and works of art. True, this did not prevent him from being a cocky boy, playing football, swimming in the pond and violating the prohibitions of adults.
He studied well at school, but he was not an excellent student. Alexander had an excellent memory, he could easily learn a long poem or a prose passage. Took part in intellectual competitions. He received his first award at the age of 9 at an evening of entertaining questions. After school he studied at a technical school, and then at Leningrad Institute railroad engineers, graduating with honors. True, he was given one B in the political economy of socialism because of his personal conflict with the leadership of the department. After graduation, he briefly worked as an engineer.
His life changed dramatically after a truly fateful invitation to participate in the TV program “What? Where? When?" in 1981. It didn't happen right away. Prior to this, Alexander applied several times to participate in this project. And he got on “What? Where? When?" thanks to his amazing knowledge in various fields, having successfully passed tests and trials. The host of the intellectual show, Vladimir Voroshilov, managed to discern in him an intelligent, comprehensively developed, integral personality.
The friend showed himself as a gambler. He argued with the host, other experts. He was even expelled for abrupt behavior and tips from the club, but was returned back at the request of the audience. The first time this happened in 1983, when Alexander, along with two participants, left the program for a year. However, he was nevertheless returned to the club based on the results of the audience vote. Three times after that, he "flew out" of the project and returned to it. Since the end of 1992, Friends has been a regular participant in the intellectual show “What? Where? When?".
It must be said that this project not the only one in which Alexander Abramovich took part.
In 1990 he was invited to the intellectual show "Brain Ring". The chance was not missed. Druz defeated all rivals and received the Golden Brain award.
Since 1995, he has been a regular participant in the program “Own Game”, where he won in 22 games out of 35. He did not take the first prize in a foreign-assembled passenger car, because he had nothing to pay the tax with. The award was given to him in money, for which he purchased domestic Zhiguli. In the entire history of the program, it was Druz who received two maximum wins in one game.
In 2009 and 2015, for the second time, together with bard Alexander Rosenbaum, he participated in the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
In 2011, he tried his hand and quite successfully as the host of the informative historical program "The Hour of Truth" on the "365 Days TV" channel.
Alexander Druz, thanks to his outstanding intellect, deep knowledge in various fields, charisma, is a frequent guest in other TV shows: Guess the Melody, While Everyone is Home, Evening Urgant, etc.
Since 1991, he has been preparing school students for club games “What? Where? When?”, holds school, interregional and even international tournaments, for which he has a medal “In memory of the tercentenary of St. Petersburg”. Currently, at the Presidential Physics and Mathematics Lyceum No. 239, where, by the way, his daughters studied, Alexander Abramovich is studying with youth teams of experts, holding school games of the ChGK in a slightly modified format.
But still, they know Alexander Druz precisely as one of the most successful players in the What? Where? When? ”, On account of which (at the end of June 2017) 55 winning games. They also set a record for the number of participations in games - 88. Alexander Abramovich was the first in the club to receive the title of Master. Since 2009, the eminent player has been playing in the Nikita Mobile TeTe team from time to time, playing in the sports analogue of mind games. He, acting as a debutant at the Brain Ring Championship in Uzbekistan, immediately won. Then he continued his participation in the team in Israel, Great Britain, and Ukraine.
The intellectual show brought him not only fame and fame, but also certain incomes. Although Friends himself admitted that the game does not feed, therefore he connected his life with television not only through this intellectual show.
In 2002, an expert in one of the interviews called TV a permanent job. At that time, he directed the programs of the Golden Calf television company in St. Petersburg, which supplied content for the projects "Fatherland and Fate" of the TC "Culture" and the "Agency" of REN-TV.
In 2007, Druz became the founder of the Stroy-Azhio construction company, which was engaged in wholesale trade building materials, in 2007 - another company called Trans-Agio, which specialized in freight transport. But a year later, he sold his entire business, not having time to develop it and due to the economic crisis. So, by and large, it was the intellect, colossal knowledge in various fields that became the factors that ensured financial income in the life of Alexander Druz.
The connoisseur-intellectual is happy in personal life. From a young age, he thought about getting married once and for all. And so it happened. After all, Alexander met his future wife in the first grade. Then fate pulled them apart. Teenagers met after 7 years. At first, they were just friends, walked together, visited museums. And in the tenth grade, the friendship between Alexander and Elena turned into love and romance, which led to the wedding in 1978. A year later, Inna was born to the spouses, and in 1982 - Marina. The father actively participated in the upbringing of his daughters. From the age of three months, he read cognitive literature to them, instilling a thirst for knowledge and developing intellect. The daughters did not disappoint their father. Over the years, they took part in the intellectual show “What? Where? When?". Both were awarded "Crystal Owls".
The couple of Friends have been together for almost forty years. Their daughters gave them three granddaughters. And now Alexander combines the work of the head of the gaming programs department at the St. Petersburg TV channel STO with the training of Alice, Alina and Ansley.
