Radio and television presenter, businessman, economist, writer, Russian journalist Vladimir Solovyov has become one of the most popular and well-known leading political programs on Russian television. His sharp topical programs “Duel”, “Towards a Barrier” were well remembered by viewers. But the journalist was especially popular after the broadcast of the program “Evening with Vladimir Soloviev”.
How it all began?
By the beginning of 2005, the Freedom of Speech, The Other Day, Personal Contribution, and Red Arrow programs had closed on NTV. In fact, there is not a single analytical program left. For this reason, the channel’s management decided to create a talk show that could take on the functions of the programs that had been closed earlier. This idea belonged to Alexander Levin, who at that time served as the main producer of the channel.
“Sunday evening” with Soloviev first aired in late March 2005. The program was attended by experts, viewers, as well as the main newsmakers of the week. It was not a political show in its purest form. The topic of discussion in the studio was social topics (xenophobia, the threat of bird flu, etc.), high-profile scandals in show business and sports events.
After the ad unit, a new broadcast unit began, dedicated to a separate topic, which was discussed with a different composition of participants. As a rule, up to three topics were considered in the program. Unlike the previous analytical projects of the Channel “The Days” and “Itogi”, the participation of journalists from the NTV Information Service was supposed to be with Solovyov on Sunday evening, the program went on the air on the recording, which was held the day before, on Saturday evening.
Who prepared the program?
“Sunday evening” on NTV was prepared by the same editorial group that worked on another author’s program of Vladimir Rudolfovich Solovyov - “To the barrier!” The new show welcomed a strict dress code, the active participation of spectators and cues from the audience. The most active guests of the studio could speak at the “free microphone”.
The program “Sunday evening” with Soloviev came out on Sundays at 22.00. It was preceded by the screensaver of the watch dial of the NTV channel, which counted the last seconds before the transmission began. Previously, it was also used before the programs “The Day Before” and “Today”.
Vladimir Rudolfovich Soloviev recalled that the program was created not so much as an analytical one, but as an author’s one, which was very dear to him. It was attended by Saakashvili and Bush, Gref and Kudrin. Michel Legrand took part in the last block of the program, released at the end of 2006.
Project closure
“Sunday evening” with Solovyov on NTV channel was closed in the summer of 2008, as it had completed its tasks in the pre-election year, on the eve of parliamentary and presidential elections. Until April 2009, the presenter still remained on the staff of the channel. He led the program "To the barrier!", Which was closed in May 2009. The exact reason for the closure of Vladimir Solovyov’s program and his dismissal is unknown, but the presenter suggests that this is due to his statements on the air.
Sunday Talk Show Returns
The popular talk show was remembered four years after it closed. By that time, the host and author of “Evenings with Vladimir Solovyov” was already working at the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company, where he was doing a new talk show - “Duel”. At the beginning of September 2012, the premiere of the program on the channel “Russia-1”, which was called “Opening of the new political season”, took place, but on September 16 it came out under its permanent name, which it bears today - “Sunday evening with Vladimir Solovyov”.
On the second federal channel, the program began to appear at a later time and had an extended timing. In the program, as before, they began to discuss 3-4 topics. The composition of the participants changed after the ad units.
Events in Ukraine
After the start of the tragic events in Ukraine (Crimean crisis and Euromaidan), from the beginning of 2014, the number of program releases began to increase on weekdays. Usually they began to go on air after 21.00. At this time, Russian TV shows were previously shown on screens.
Olympiad
During the Sochi Olympics, a program was broadcast on the evening air, in which, as expected, the results of the previous day at the Olympics were to be discussed. However, most often, in connection with the prevailing circumstances, events in Ukraine were discussed in this program.
Special issues
From the beginning of March to the end of July 2014, due to the intensification of international tension, which was connected with the events in the Donbass and the Crimea, special editions of Sunday Night were broadcasted at 21:00 on Fridays. Starting September 22, 2014, almost every day (depending on current international events), the program “Evening with Vladimir Soloviev” is aired. At first they went out at 21.00, then they began to broadcast after 23.00.
The very first such issue was dedicated to the opposition Peace March. The program was attended by opposition politician Vladimir Ryzhkov. Since March 25 this year, the Sunday analytical program with Vladimir Soloviev comes out with a new screensaver from the studio at the Mosfilm film studio. Previously, it was in it that the pre-election debate was held.
Program guests
Vladimir Rudolfovich invites famous politicians, political scientists, and prominent public figures not only from Russia, but also from near and far abroad to take part in his program. Most often, G. Zyuganov, V. Zhirinovsky, P. Astakhov, S. Mironov, V. Nikonov, D. Kulikov, I. Korotchenko, Sergey Kurginyan, S. Zheleznyak share their opinions on certain events in our country and in the world. , Michael Bom. Recently, S. Mikheev, E. Satanovsky, S. Bagdasarov, Elena Suponina, A. Pushkov, B. Nadezhdin joined them. Frequent guests in the studio are experts from Ukraine: V. Tryukhan, V. Kovtun, V. Karasev, who often speak rather harshly about relations between Russia and Ukraine.
Solovyov continues the practice of a one-on-one conversation in the studio with guests, which was used on the NTV channel and, judging by the reviews, is popular with viewers. D. Kiselev, K. Shakhnazarov, M. Zakharova, E. Satanovsky often take part in such conversations.
New project
Since the beginning of September 2018, the spin-off of the popular Sunday Night program, Moscow. Kremlin. Putin. " It pays special attention to the activities of the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin. The program can be watched after Vesti Nedeli, and Sunday Night has moved to a later time - after 23.00.