There was no other journalist in Russia as much loved as Vlad Listyev was. Russian journalist Vladislav Listyev was truly a great man. One day the whole country just covered with tears. I saw mourning people everywhere – friends, parents, as if they lost a dearest relative, his murder was shock for all. Russian journalist, 38-year-old Vladislav Listyev was shot dead on the stairs of his apartment building, on March 1, 1995. Everyone remembers Vlad Listyev handsome, successful man with a winning smile, soft voice and mild-mannered. And few people know how hard and tragic his life was. Vlad survived the suicide of his father, betrayal of mother, death of two children, own attempts to escape from life, long-term heavy drinking.

A month after the suicide of her husband Zoya gave her son Vlad to the newly opened Izmailovo Spartak athletics boarding school. Six days a week the boy lived there, and on Sundays the mother was taking him home. But unlike classmates, Vlad did not wait a single day off. In the apartment, where he returned, he was met by his stepfather. Stepfather was 10 years older than Vlad. Together his mother and stepfather spent all money on drinking alcohol. It became known later that the stepfather also was addicted to drugs.

Vlad thought about what would happen after the school: to live with his mother was impossible, and he couldn’t earn money yet. Soon Vlad fell in love. After graduating from boarding school, the young people applied to the registry office. In 1977, young people were married. However, it was a weird wedding – there was no one of the friends and relatives of the groom and bride.

The first child of Elena and Vlad was born weak, after a few hours the baby died. Lena grieved, unable to cope with the loss of a child she had nervous breakdowns. Vlad always felt guilty. Relatives remember that they often quarreled. Once driven to despair, Vlad even tried to commit suicide.

Vlad left Elena, when she was pregnant again. His second child – daughter Valeria saw him only on TV. However, every year on March 1 she puts flowers on his grave.

At the Moscow Olympics in 1980 Vlad met with a student Tatiana and soon made ​​her a proposal. In 1982, in the family of Vlad and Tanya was born a boy, who was named after the father of Vlad. The parents were happy. But the doom chased Listyev. Three-month-old baby had a flu. As a result of disease complications, the boy lost his sight and hearing. Vlad showed his son to the best local physicians, even found money for treatment abroad. But the verdict of doctors was always one – the boy had no chances for recovery. The boy lived only six years and died quietly in his sleep. Parents did not even wake up. Vlad buried his son on Khovansky cemetery next to his father.

The death of their son destroyed the family of Vlad and Tatiana. Although they had lived for several years together, there was no more understanding between them. And although in the family was born the second child, Sasha, nothing could distract him from thinking about his eldest son.

Vladislav Listyev even made ​​the second attempt of suicide – in a country house, he cut his veins. If not his godmother Nadezhda, it would be too late to save him. After recovery, Vlad came to Nadezhda and told her that he didn’t know how to live. He cried. She advised him to get drunk. Listyev followed the advice. Finally he put an end to the relationship with his wife Tatiana. Vlad stopped coming home. Tanya begged Vlad return to the family, to be treated for alcohol dependence, but in vain.

In 1987, Vladislav Listyev became one of the leading journalist at new TV show “Vzglyad” (The View). It was a real success – a talented young journalist finally found himself in the profession. It is not known what would have happened to Listyev further, if he had not met Albina Nazimova. When they met, Albina was 25, she worked as an artist – restorer. The couple married after two years of dating.

Albina Listeva persuaded Vlad to quit drinking, Vlad was coded. She left her job and plunged into the affairs of her husband, attended every day on the set of TV programs. ​​Listev became TV star number one on Russian television. Since then, the popularity of Listyev only grew, he opened new TV projects: “Subject”, “Rush Hour”, “Name That Tune”.

However, not all was smooth in the relationship of this seemingly perfect couple. Albina had no children. Maybe that’s why Albina treated the son of Vlad as her own. Vlad had a great success among young women, they adored him.

In early 1995, Vladislav became the head of the newly created TV channel ORT. In February of that year, Vladislav Listyev introduced a temporary moratorium on all forms of advertising on his channel – the official version, to cleanse the Public TV of commercialization. Successful businessman Vladislav Listyev was determined to reduce the impact of a major advertising group.

March 1, 1995 Vladislav Listyev was shot at an entrance of his house by two shots in the back. This death shocked the whole country . Since then hundred volumes of the investigation were written and five investigative teams changed. However, despite numerous claims made by investigators that the case was close to resolution, neither the gunmen, nor those who ordered the killing, were found.