Good afternoon, Andrey! I’m happy about our interview and collaboration. To me, you are not just Andrey Malakhov, but someone who has become like family to me, my mentor.

How do you manage to be a public favorite and maintain widespread love while staying so popular?

It’s a pleasure to hear such words, especially since I remember you as a young person with bright eyes when I came to your classes at RSUH. You already said back then that you wanted to become the editor-in-chief of a glossy magazine, and dreams certainly do come true. I think the key is to love what you do and to try to keep that spark alive. Journalism is a profession where you’re constantly learning, discovering something new, and meeting interesting people who can motivate and inspire you.

If you could go back in time, would you choose the profession of a journalist again?

When I first ended up at RSUH, I was briefly disappointed with journalism, especially in the early 90s when salaries were very low. I wanted to switch careers and become a lawyer, having watched too many Hollywood films. But fate had other plans, and I stayed in journalism and have no regrets. I feel fulfilled, and I’m happy with my career.

In your work, there’s a warmth toward people. It feels like you give a part of your soul. Do you ever experience burnout?

As I mentioned earlier, if you love what you do, you don’t feel exhausted. Of course, there are different days – sometimes you leave work feeling more joyful, sometimes less, feeling more or less satisfied with what you’ve accomplished. But most of the time, I realize that my childhood dream of hosting my own TV show has come true, and I can say that I’m very happy in my profession.

Would you like your son to follow in your footsteps and become a journalist?

I think I’ll have to accept whatever choice Alexander makes. Right now, he says he wants to be a scientist and inventor, so journalism doesn’t interest him much. Although, he has already suggested filming a couple of home sketches and what he calls «viral videos».

You’re a professional in your work, but do you consider yourself a good father? Do you like to spoil your son, and what does that word mean to you?

I think the most important thing is to love your children, try to spend as much time with them as possible, and talk to them, even when they’re not always in the mood to communicate. In relationships with young people, it’s especially important to realize that each new generation teaches you something new. This exchange of energy helps everyone – some grow, some improve, some feel needed and share their experience. That’s why I always recommend engaging with the younger generation.

We live in challenging times… Personally, I sometimes feel fear for life and my children. Do you have such moments? And how do you deal with them? Does faith help?

Faith is a fragile thing. Sometimes we fear or worry about something, but in reality, as they say, «fear has big eyes», and everything turns out completely different. I remember myself at 7 years old. I was staying at my grandmother’s village. «International Panorama» was on TV. The host said something about an attack on the Soviet Union.

For my young mind, it was a real shock. I remember crying because I was genuinely upset that I was so small, had seen and known so little, and everything could just end like that.

This story and that feeling stuck with me deeply. Perhaps they partially formed the basis of my belief that every day should be lived to the fullest. To cherish every moment, love your family, and tell them so.

In one of your interviews, you mentioned that it’s important to be able to share someone else’s pain, to learn to give and share with those around you. Was this something your family taught you from childhood, or did you come to this on your own?

Of course, much of it comes from childhood. I remember an incident when my parents and I found a wallet with a large sum of money for those times – about 700 rubles. We handed it over to the police, and I was given a note as the person who had found the «treasure». A few days later, the owners of the wallet were found, and they came to me with a bouquet of flowers and a chocolate bar. This experience showed me that sometimes being Santa Claus is more important than waiting for presents from him.

Do you think it’s possible to learn the motivation to do good in journalism? Does our profession teach that?

If a journalist asks themselves questions like: why am I working on this particular story, why am I conducting this investigation, what does my reader or viewer want to know, then the impact of their work will be accordingly meaningful.

Nowadays, many people have doubts and are searching for a better place to live. Over the past few years, I myself have lived in Dubai, Paris, and Tbilisi, in search of that «dream city», but in the end, I returned to my beloved Moscow and realized that this is the «best place» for me. Have you ever had doubts or searched for a place where you would feel more at home?

I think this is a sort of «youth virus». When it seems like there are more interesting, colorful, or comfortable places somewhere else. But with age, you begin to realize that the land of your ancestors, the place where you were born, gives you much more emotion and a greater desire to make that place better.

When I asked how you see yourself in 20 years, you said: «I’ll be 58, retiring, with a production company, a school for young journalists, two children, and three fun books written about television». Thirteen years have passed. Has anything changed?

I’m on the path to fulfilling my wishes. Added to this is a center for contemporary art in Apatity, with residencies for artists. I’d like this project to become part of my business plan.

How do you see yourself in 10 years?

Energetic, curious, compassionate, successful, healthy, and in demand.

What do you dream of?

Today – of peace.

What’s the secret to your youth?

Daily work.

What are your most important values?

Family and loved ones.

Is greed a vice?

Curable if worked on.

Is it easy for you to forgive people?

Forgiveness is a process that sometimes takes time, but it’s something you must do.

What are your three favorite places in Moscow?

Hokhlovsky Lane, where I had my first Moscow residence permit; Simonov Monastery, where Napoleon’s headquarters were during the war of 1812; TSUM, the second floor café.