Iconic Soviet TV host Igor Kirillov, whose career was launched during the Sputnik moment, dies aged 89

Kirillov’s calm, distinct voice was synonymous with the final decades of the Soviet Union. A theater actor by education, he joined the fast-developing Soviet state television center in 1957, initially as an assistant editor.

The TV center had a shortage of in-house male voice talent and ran a recruitment competition, which won Kirillov a presenter’s spot. A week later he was announcing to the camera one of the biggest events of the generation: the launch of the first artificial satellite by the Soviet space program. In 1961, it was Kirillov who announced Yuri Gagarin’s first manned spaceflight. 

For over two decades, Kirillov was the presenter of the main Soviet news program, ‘Vremya’ (Time), which gave him a global profile. A testament to his prominence at the time is the 1985 anti-war anthem ‘Russians’ by Sting, which features a sample from the program, in which Kirillov reported on a meeting between British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and future Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. 

For Soviet citizens, Kirillov was more than just a TV news announcer. He was often called to comment on major events like military parades in Moscow’s Red Square and hosted entertainment shows, including the traditional televised New Year music concert. He also had several cameos in movies. For many of his colleagues, Kirillov was a cherished mentor. 

Kirillov’s death was announced on Saturday by Chanel One, the modern successor to the Soviet TV center, where he worked for so many years of his life. 

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