Ilya Klyaver was born on 10 July 1947 in Chisinäu, in a Jewish family of Lev (Leib) Naftulovich Klyaver and Clara (Chaya) Borisovna Klyaver (Preseli). In 1965 he began to study and in 1969 graduated from GUTSEI - Moscow State Circus and Variety Arts Institute. From 1969 to 1971 Oleynikov served in the Soviet Army. He worked as an artist in Moskontsert and from 1974 to 1990 as a stand-up comedian in Lenkontsert. He took the stage name Oleynikov (name of his wife Irina Oleinikova), when he started working ni aduet called "Kazakov and Olevnikov" with artist Roman Kazakov, who was not only his stage partner, but also his best friend. The duo also worked with Vladimir Vinokur (in particular, in the pop-parody program "Is there extra ticket"). In 1977, together with his partner on stage Roman Kazakov be- comes the winner of All-Union competition of performers. From 1968, he starred in several movies. From 1993 to 2012 he starred in TV sketch comedy series "Gorodok" ("The little town") in pair with Yuri Stoyanov. He played a very memorable role in the adaptation ofBulgakov's cult novel The Master and Margarita" (the finist director of the Rimsky variety show), and also starred in two very good, commendable and really funny comedies - T' he Alchemists and The Thin Thing. Honours: Order of Honour (2012); People's Artist of Russia (2001); TEFI award for the Best Leading entertainment program (1996, 2001).