Gennady Khazanov
Gennady Viktorovich Khazanov is a Russian stand-up comedian and part-time actor. His work includes parodies of Russian and Soviet politicians, and mockery of various sub-cultural groups in modern Russia. After graduating from the Moscow Circus School in 1969 Khazanov worked as a master of ceremonies in Leonid Utyosov Orchestra. He began his solo career in 1973 at Moscontsert, a Moscow state concert organization. He gained early success with monologues of a culinary school student written by Lion Izmailov and Iurii Volovich, and of a brave parrot who cannot stop telling the truth written by Arkady Khait. In 1997 he became artistic director of the Moscow Variety Theatre. In 1999, he was president of the Security Foundation of the Russian Jewish Community, which was set up to coordinate action against antisemitism in Moscow.
He is an acquaintance of Russian President Vladimir Putin. In March 2014 he signed a letter in support of Putin's position on Russia's military intervention in Ukraine.
