Pavel Martynov. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
Next year, the legend of television and radio, the Baku resident Enver Mamedov will mark his 90th anniversary. His biography is an adventure novel: fights in the Second World War, being a synchronist at the Nurnberg Process, the diplomatic career in difficult post-war years. However, he is especially famous for working in the State Television and Radio of the USSR where he headed Overseas Broadcast and the whole Central television. “When a creative brigade came to him for presenting a program, Mamedov was talking the phone or reading some materials. We were disappointed as initially we were thrilled to present our program. And then we were shocked and amazed that after the end of the demonstration Enver Mamedov said: In the 4th minute you have ignorance of fact, in the 16th minute cross-cutting is floppy, in the 29th minute the picture is boring, so please think about it, do something and it will be on air”,” Eduard Sagalayev says, who is thought to be Mamedov’s student.
In 1947 son Georgy was born in Mamedovs family. He followed his father’s footsteps – became a diplomat. He graduated Moscow State Institute for International Affairs, worked in Washington, in 1991 became the deputy head of the Russian Ministry for International Affairs under Andrey Kozyrev, Yeugeni Primakov, and Igor Ivanov. “It was not difficult for me because my parents are both journalists and they travelled around the world for whole their life. I knew a lot and saw many places, thus, it was easier for me than for others. I tend to adventures, of course within certain rules; so I perceived it as inspiring new opportunities,” Georgy Mamedov remembers.
When he resigned, it didn’t mean the end of his career. As one of the most powerful and important Russian diplomats who was acquainted with the whole American elite, he was appointed to the position of the ambassador in Canada. Vladimir Putin presented Mamedov to the Canadian prime minister Jean Chretien as a man who would deal with economy. “There are very wealthy people who have more financial resources than they need for life, and they are ready to invest. It is a condition for development of economic relations with great powers. We should not beg only, we should not present our country as a developing state for investment into oil, gas, and gold producing industry,” Georgy Mamedov thinks.
He was one of pioneers of Russian-Canadian relations. And today Moscow and Ottawa have no serious contradictions and problems: approaches to international affairs are similar. We want to improve the UN, follow the international law, use military interference only in extraordinary situations, treat socio-economic problems of developing countries carefully. I don’t think the point is in ideology, a lot is hidden in socio-economic moments, Mamedov says.
By the way, Georgy Mamedov’s son Sergey deals with economy. He came to the Federation Council from business, and now represents there interests of the Samara region. Sergey Mamedov is an initiator of the largest rock-festival in Europe “Rock on the Volga.” This year 307 thousand people visited the festival. Sergey Mamedov is husband of the famous tennis player Anastasia Myskina. Sergey and Anastasia have three sons who will be successors of the Mamedovs dynasty.
