Attention! Correct answer!
04.09.1975
The What? Where? When?
show first went on the air
The popular What? Where? When?
game show turns 40.
It was created by director
Vladimir Voroshilov and his wife,
Natalya Stetsenko
HISTORY
Originally, the game was played according to different rules. Its current format has been used since1977, with rules similar to what they are today, including the spinning top pointing to the question, the one-minute time limit for discussion and the first mascot of the game, Fomka, the eagle owl. The game became so popular that it was also organized as an intellectual competition between teams.
VLADIMIR VOROSHILOV
December 18, 1930–March 10, 2001.
Artist, director and TV host. In 1955-1965, he was the art director
at some of Moscow’s leading theaters. Voroshilov started working
for TV in 1966. He created What? Where? When? and was its perennial
host in 1975-2001. Since 2001, the host has been Boris Kryuk
Total Hunter’s Lodge area 75,8м²
Game hall capacity 80-85people
The inside walls and ceiling are decorated with mirrors that visually enlarge the space. There is no water supply or heating.
HUNTER’S LODGE IN NESKUCHNY GARDEN
9/29 Krymsky Val Street, Moscow
Filming has taken place at Hunter’s
Lodge in Neskuchny Garden since 1990.
It is an 18th century architectural landmark,
part of Count Trubetskoi’s estate (built
between 1739 and 1753)
OPTIMAL TEAM COMPOSITION*
To create a successful team, it is necessary
to carefully select the players so that everyone
plays his/her role
*From Vladimir Voroshikov’s book
Phenomenon of the Game
GENERATOR OF IDEAS
Is able to generate, under time
pressure, a certain number of new,
original ideas to solve a given
problem
BRAIN POWER
Is excluded from the discussion
up to a certain point and so is
capable of offering a new
approach to solving a problem
and turning around the train of thought
MASTERMIND
Has a huge reserve of knowledge from different fields
TEAM SOUL
A player who creates a lively
and unconstrained atmosphere
at the table
CONTROLLER
Keeps all the threads of the
discussion in his hands, organizes
it and selects the final version.
ONE-MINUTE DISCUSSION
The brainstorming method is used to search for an answer. It was developed in 1953 by Alex Osborne, a copywriter and co-founder of BBDO. This method helps find a solution to challenging problems by using special rules of discussion
BASED ON THE PRINCIPLES
“QUANTITY GENERATES QUALITY”
“NO CRITICISM ALLOWED DURING
THE GENERATION OF IDEAS”
Generation of ideas; criticism is completely ruled out. The largest possible number of options is welcome, including the most absurd and fantastic ones.
PLAYERS: GENERATOR OF IDEAS,
MASTERMIND
Development, criticism of the
ideas that have been proposed.
PLAYERS: BRAIN POWER,
MASTERMIND,
CONTROLLER, TEAM SOUL
Selection of the best solution
PLAYERS: CONTROLLER
THE MOST FAMOUS PLAYERS
show, year 1981
ALEXANDER DRUZ
FYODOR DVINYATIN
ANDREI KOZLOV
MAXIM POTASHOV
BORIS BURDA
VIKTOR SIDNEV
Education:
Systems engineer
Achievements: Joined the show in 1981, playing almost without a break since then, which is a record; holds a record in the number of games played (75 as of March 31, 2014) and victories (46)
Professional activities: Author, host of intellectual games and educational programs on different TV networks, STO network program director
Education:
Philologist, Russianist
Achievements: First world champion in the What? Where? When? sport version in 2002 as part of the Troyard team
Professional activities: Host of the Krugozor culture show on Radio Rossiya, associate professor at the Russian Language Department of St. Petersburg State University and the Canadian College of St. Petersburg State University
Education:
Chemist
Achievements: Club member since 1986; first joined the game show in 1988. On March 15, 2014, he was elected president of the International Association of What? Where? When? Clubs
Professional activities: General producer and first deputy general director of Igra-TV network
Education:
Mathematician, financial analyst
Achievements: Joined the game show in 1994 and played on different teams. Since 2014, he has played on the club elders’ team (captain, Viktor Sidnev)
Professional activities: Director for development at the Azbuka-Attikus publishing house, president of the Russian Sport Bridge Federation, a national NGO
Education:
Power engineer for automated systems
Achievements: Joined the club in 1990.
Recognized seven times as the best team player
according to TV viewer polls.
One of the top 10
most productive authors of questions for sport version tournaments
Professional activities: TV host, singer/songwriter, novelist, culinary specialist, journalist
Education:
PhD (Physics, Mathematics)
Achievements: Joined the game show in 1979. Played most the games as team captain
Professional activities: Mayor of Troitsk in 2003-2011 (resigned in 2011 following the territory’s incorporation into Moscow)
AWARDS
CRYSTAL OWL
1984 — present
Honorary badge awarded
to the best player or TV viewer
in each series of games (except
the winter series)
Total number presented
96
DIAMOND OWL
2002 — present
Honorary badge awarded to the best player or TV viewer in the final game of the year
13
MASTER TITLE
1995 — present
Awarded to one player in each special anniversary season since 1995
4
RED JACKET
1991 — 1995
Awarded along with the Crystal Owl,
giving the player “immortal” status
whereby he/she could remain
in the club if the team lost
17
BEST CAPTAIN SHOULDER BOARD
2001 — present
Awarded to the most prominent club captains; since 2005, awarded every five years
7
VICTORY STATS
VICTORIES TV VIEWERS’
VICTORIES Year