Bards of Russia. Soviet bards

Yuri Vizbor

Yuri Vizbor is the author and performer of songs that people have long loved. “My dear forest sun”, “When a star burns” and other Vizbor songs are known to everyone. His songs have always been distinguished by melody and tenderness, which was so rare in the 60-70s of the last century.

Alexander Galich

Alexander Galich- one of the founders of the art song. He created his own form style in an original song. A rebel and enemy of the Soviet system, he was forced to emigrate abroad, where he was killed by KGB agents. During his life he wrote a large number of songs that were especially popular in the 70s.

Bulat Okudzhava

Bulat Okudzhava - A prominent representative of the bard movement. Very popular and famous poet- songbook. In addition to performing original songs, he was involved in writing scripts and historical novels. “Your Honor, Lady Luck”, “Song of the Street Child”, “Let’s Talk” and many more works have literally become “folk”.

Vladimir Vysotsky

Vladimir Vysotsky- The most beloved bard by the people. His songs touch the human soul. Very patriotic songs about war, humorous songs with double meaning, songs about nature and serious professions. In addition to songs, he acted in films and worked in the theater.

Victor Berkovsky

Victor Berkovsky- Russian scientist and prominent representative of the bard movement of the seventies. “Forties Fatal”, “To the Music of Vivaldi”, “Grenada” and more than 200 songs written by Berkovsky are very popular among the people.

Sergey Nikitin

Sergey Nikitin - Soviet composer and bard. Lyricist of the Soviet era. Wrote a lot of songs for films. His “Alexandra” from the film “Moscow Doesn’t Believe in Tears” received the status of a folk song. He performed a lot of songs in a duet with his wife Tatyana Nikitina. Sergei Nikitin was in great demand in the 70s and 80s of the last century.

Alexander Gorodnitsky

Alexander Gorodnitsky- One of the founders of the original song. Song " Chistye Prudy", performed by Talkov, was written and performed for the first time by him. He is still actively working. He hosts a television program and writes poetry and songs.

Yuri Kukin

Yuri Kukin - In his youth he was fond of mountaineering and went hiking. Therefore, the main direction in Kukin’s work is given to themes about mountains and nature. The songs are very melodic and popular. They are good to sing around the fire. The most famous hits the author's are "Beyond the Fog" and "Paris".

Alexander Sukhanov

Alexander Sukhanov- Songwriter and performer. One of the founders of an informal amateur song club. His main profession is mathematician, but he is known for his songs (more than 150 songs). He wrote based on his own poems and those of famous classical poets. He still performs to this day.

Veronica Dolina

Veronica Dolina- The most popular author among women performers of art songs. Veronica Arkadyevna is a very prolific author. She wrote more than 500 songs, many of which are widely known. At first they didn’t want to accept her into the amateur song club, but with her perseverance, Dolina proved her worth.

Mikhail Shcherbakov

Mikhail Shcherbakov- Popular author and performer. Peak of popularity - 90 years. He sings both with a guitar and with an ensemble in a modern arrangement. He wrote a large number of songs, including many popular ones. He still performs at concerts to this day.

Alexander Rosenbaum

Alexander Rosenbaum- The second most popular author and performer after Vladimir Vysotsky. In the past, the emergency doctor gained all-Union fame thanks to his special style of performance. His “Boston Waltz” and “Gop-Stop” are truly considered folk. Alexander Yakovlevich was a member of the State Duma. He was awarded the title of People's Artist of the Russian Federation.

The bard's (author's) song has become an important component cultural life THE USSR. Let's remember those famous Soviet bards who are no longer with us, but whose work left a bright and unforgettable mark.
ADELUNG GEORGE(Yuri) NIKOLAEVICH(April 3, 1945 – January 6, 1993).

Born in Moscow. Graduated from the 3rd year of the Moscow Institute of Railway Transport Engineers. Worked as a geologist. Since 1962 he wrote songs based on his own poems. He regularly took part in difficult raft trips and went mountaineering. Last years was an industrial climber.
The author of many songs, one of which - “You and I have not been the same for a long time...” - has become, as they say now, a cult favorite in certain circles, incl. geological
He died in Moscow while working on a high-rise building. ANCHAROV MIKHAIL LEONIDOVICH(28 March 1923 - 11 July 1990).


One of the founders of the art song genre in the USSR.
Born, lived and died in Moscow. In 1941, from the first year Architectural Institute went to the front, fought as a paratrooper, and was demobilized in 1947. Graduated music school piano class, Military Institute foreign languages and Moscow State art institute them. Surikov. Writer, poet, playwright, translator, architect, painter. The author of the amazing stories “The Theory of Improbability”, “Golden Rain”, the novels “Notes of a Wandering Enthusiast”, “Boxwood Forest”, etc., which influenced the worldview of more than one generation. Since 1967 - member of the USSR Writers' Union. The first Soviet television series “Day by Day” was filmed based on his script.
He wrote songs from the second half of the 30s, mainly based on his own poems. Played on seven string guitar. The author of such well-known songs at the time as “MAZ”, “Drip-Drip”, “Ballad of Parachutes”, “Big April Ballad”, “Anti-Phibitsh Song”, “Song about a psycho from the Gannushkin hospital who did not give it to the orderlies” your border cap”, etc.
Vladimir Vysotsky called Ancharov his teacher.
BASAEV MIKHAIL MIKHAILOVICH(January 2, 1951 – November 2, 1991).


Born in Ivanovo. Graduated from music school, violin class. He studied at the Ivanovo Energy Institute (1968-1973), during his studies he began to study original songs. Tourist-waterman, candidate for master of sports in water tourism. Laureate of art song festivals in Kostroma, Ivanovo, Kalinin, Sosnovy Bor. His “Kostroma”, “Mame”, “Night Station”, “Mood” are still heard at art song festivals, and the song “Catamaran” has become the anthem of several generations of water tourists.
Tragically died on November 2, 1991. In 1995, Ivanovo creative association"Reform" released a collection of his poems and songs, "For Those Who Can't Get There."
BACHURIN EVGENY VLADIMIROVICH(25 May 1934 - 1 January 2015).


Born in Leningrad, lived in Moscow. Graduated from the Moscow Printing Institute. Painter, graphic artist, member of the Union of Artists of the USSR (1968). He played six- and seven-string guitar. He began writing poetry at the age of 7, and songs based on his poems since 1967. For some time he performed with the ensemble “Golden and Blue”. Several records were released by the Melodiya company (the first, “Chess on the Balcony,” was released in 1980).
Bachurin's songs are heard on radio and television, in films and performances - for example, famous songs“Trees” (from the television play “Lika”), “Fly blue, little dove” (from the play “Cliff”).
BASHLACHEV ALEXANDER NIKOLAEVICH(“SashBash”. May 27, 1960 - February 17, 1988).

Born in Cherepovets, where he lived until 1984. Since 1977 he worked at the Cherepovets Metallurgical Plant as an artist. In 1978 he entered the Ural State University (Sverdlovsk) at the Faculty of Journalism. The first one appeared in 1983 famous song Bashlacheva - “Griboyedov Waltz” (“The Ballad of Stepan”). After graduating from university, he returned to Cherepovets and worked for the newspaper Kommunist. In September 1984 he showed his songs to A. Troitsky, whom he had met shortly before. At the suggestion of Troitsky, he went to Moscow with a series of apartment shows (concerts held in an ordinary apartment, at home). Then he went to Leningrad, where he stayed. He played countless apartment shows in Leningrad, Moscow and other cities. In the spring of 1987, he began filming in A. Uchitel’s documentary “Rock,” but during the filming process he refused to participate in them. All footage of Bashlachev was removed from the film. In June he performed at the V festival of the Leningrad rock club, where he received the “Nadezhda” prize. In August I wrote last song(not preserved). From that day on, I didn’t write any new songs and was in constant depression. In September, he began filming in P. Soldatenkov’s documentary “Bards Leave the Yards, or Playing with the Unknown,” but during the process he refused to appear in film.
On February 17, 1988, he committed suicide by jumping from the 8th floor.


Bashlachev’s songs “Time of Bells”, “Vanyusha”, “Funeral of a Jester”, “Musician” and others received real recognition.
BERKOVSKY VIKTOR SEMYONOVICH(July 13, 1932 – July 22, 2005).

Born in Zaporozhye, lived in Moscow. Graduated from the Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys (MISiS) and graduate school, metallurgist. He worked at a factory in Zaporozhye for 8 years, and taught rolling in India for several years. Candidate of Technical Sciences (1967), Associate Professor at MISiS.

He wrote songs based on other people's poems. The names of the poets speak for themselves: Yu. Levitansky, D. Sukharev, R. Rozhdestvensky, R. Kipling... He was one of the leaders of the famous project “Songs of Our Century”. The songs “Remember, Guys”, “Gloria”, “On the Distant Amazon”, “Night Road”, “Cinematograph”, “To the Music of Vivaldi” and many others are widely known.
VAKHNYUK BORIS SAVELIEVICH(October 16, 1933 – June 2, 2005).

Born in the village. Grishki of the Volkovinets district of the Kamenets-Podolsk region of the Ukrainian SSR (now Derazhnyansky Khmelnitsky district region Ukraine). Graduated from the Faculty of History and Philology of Moscow State Pedagogical Institute. Lenin with a degree in “teacher of Russian language, literature, history of the USSR.” Since 1955, he wrote songs based on his poems and played the 7-string guitar. He was a laureate of the tourist song competitions of the I and II All-Union Youth Marches in Brest (1965) and Moscow (1966), and was an active participant and member of the jury of the Grushinsky and Ilmensky art song festivals. Member of the Union of Journalists of the USSR, then - the Union of Journalists of Russia. Master of Sports of the USSR in football. In 1964-1968. - correspondent for the radio station “Yunost”; in 1968-1978 - correspondent for the sound magazine "Krugozor". Since 1978 - film playwright.
Vakhnyuk’s songs “Terema”, “Running Headlong”, “Calm Down” were sung by Alla Pugacheva; some of his songs were sung by others famous performers: Nani Bregvadze, Muslim Magomaev, Joseph Kobzon, Lyudmila Zykina, Vladimir Troshin.
He died in an accident: he and his two granddaughters, 6 and 9 years old, were hit by a car at a pedestrian crossing.
VIZBOR YURI IOSIFOVICH(20 June 1934 – 17 September 1984).


Born, lived and died in Moscow. He had Lithuanian-Ukrainian roots (his future father Jozef Vizboras arrived in Moscow in 1917, where he met Maria Shevchenko, who came from Krasnodon), but considered himself a Russian person. Graduated from the Faculty of Russian Language and Literature, Moscow State Pedagogical Institute. Lenin. He worked as a teacher in the North, and served in the army there. He was a correspondent for the Yunost radio station, Krugozor magazine, and a screenwriter at the studio documentaries. Member of the Union of Journalists and Cinematographers of the USSR. As an actor, he starred in the films “July Rain” by Marlen Khutsiev, “Retribution” by Alexander Stolper, “Red Tent” by Mikhail Kalatozov, “Rudolfio” by Dinara Asanova, “You and Me” by Larisa Shepitko, “The Beginning” by Gleb Panfilov, “Seventeen Moments of Spring” » Tatiana Lioznova (the role of Borman). He was engaged in mountaineering, participated in expeditions to the Pamirs, the Caucasus and the Tien Shan, and was a ski instructor.


A generally recognized luminary of the art song genre. He has been writing songs based on his poems since 1951 (with a few exceptions). The author of three hundred wonderful songs, including the iconic “My Darling” (“Forest Sun”), “Dombai Waltz”, “You Are the Only One for Me”, “Seryoga Sanin”, “The Story of Technologist Petukhov...” (“But we do rockets, / And blocked the Yenisei, / And also in the field of ballet / We are ahead of the rest."
VYSOTSKY VLADIMIR SEMYONOVICH(January 25, 1938 – July 25, 1980).

Born in Moscow. After graduating from school, he studied for some time at the Moscow Institute of Civil Engineering, but soon left it and entered the acting department of the Moscow Art Theater School. Worked in Moscow drama theater named after Pushkin, in 1964-1980 - at the Moscow Taganka Drama and Comedy Theater. His songs were performed on stage in several performances. Since 1959 he acted in films; he composed a significant number of songs for films, although not all songs were eventually included in films. In the second half of the 60s he began performing songs, accompanying himself on a 7-string guitar, in friendly companies, later - at public evenings and concerts. Thanks to tape recordings, the circle of his listeners rapidly expanded; in a short time, Vysotsky gained nationwide popularity and discontent among Soviet official circles. His reputation acquired a certain shade of “seditiousness.”
In the second half of the seventies, he often visited abroad and gave concerts in France, the USA, Canada and other countries. Until the very end of his life he continued active concert activities.
It is difficult to find aspects of life that he would not touch upon in his song creativity. This and love lyrics, and ballads, and stylizations of “thieves” songs, as well as songs on political topics(often satirical or even harshly critical social order), songs about attitude to life ordinary people, humorous songs, fairy tale songs, and even songs from the perspective of inanimate “characters” (for example, “Microphone Song”). Many songs are written in the first person and were later called “monologue songs.” In others there could be several characters, whose “roles” Vysotsky played by changing his voice (for example, “Dialogue in front of the TV”). These are original “songs-performances” written for performance by one “actor”.


In 1987, Vysotsky was posthumously awarded State Prize USSR, according to the official wording - for creating the image of Zheglov in the television feature film “The meeting place cannot be changed” and the author’s performance of songs.
In 1989, the State cultural center-museum Vladimir Vysotsky.
GALICH ALEXANDER ARKADIEVICH (real name- Ginzburg. October 19, 1918 - December 15, 1977).

Born in Yekaterinoslav (now Dnepropetrovsk), he spent his childhood in Sevastopol and lived in Moscow before emigrating. Since 1972 - Orthodox. Graduated theater studio them. Stanislavsky. During the Great Patriotic War to carry military service was declared unfit for health reasons, was one of the organizers, leaders and participants of the Komsomol Front Theater. He has been composing songs based on his poems since the late 50s. Author of about 20 plays and film scripts. Winner of the KGB Prize for the script of the film " State criminal" His work developed, as it were, in two directions: on the one hand - lyrical major and pathos in drama (plays about communists, scripts about security officers), on the other - mockery and satire in songs. When Galich first performed several satirical songs at an amateur song rally in Petushki, many participants in the rally accused him of insincerity and duplicity.
Since 1955 - a member of the Union of Writers of the USSR, expelled in 1971. Since 1958, a member of the Union of Cinematographers of the USSR, expelled in 1972. The events that followed his expulsion from the Unions showed that Galich was completely unprepared for them and did not expect reprisals against himself. Although this was strange: while composing his anti-party songs, he could not help but understand that he was playing with fire... Galich’s situation became catastrophic. He had just been one of the most successful authors in the country, received a lot of money, which he spent heartily in expensive restaurants and foreign voyages - and all this disappeared overnight. Performances were withdrawn from the repertoire, and the production of films that had started was frozen. Galich began to slowly sell off his rich library, earn extra money as a “literary black” (write for others), and give paid (3 rubles for admission) home concerts.
In June 1974 he left the USSR. He joined the NTS (People's Labor Union), worked at the Radio Liberty station. Died in Paris. On December 15, 1977, a Grundig stereo combine was delivered to Galich’s apartment from Italy, they said that the connection would be tomorrow, for which a master would come, but Galich decided to try out the TV immediately, fortunately his wife went to the store. Little familiar with technology, he inserted the antenna instead of the required socket into the hole on the back wall of the equipment, touching the circuits with it high voltage. He was electrocuted, he fell, rested his feet on the battery and thus closed the circuit...
Western media (and, naturally, Soviet dissidents) without any reason attributed Galich’s death to “the machinations of the KGB.”
DULOV ALEXANDER ANDREEVICH(May 15, 1931 - November 15, 2007).


Born and lived in Moscow. Graduated from the Chemistry Faculty of Moscow State University, worked at the Institute organic chemistry Academy of Sciences, defended his doctoral dissertation.
He has been writing songs since 1950 (mainly based on other people's poems). He accompanied himself on a 7-string guitar; he had no musical education. His most famous song “The Lame King” is available in Russian, French, German languages, and also in Esperanto. Dulov’s songs “Taiga”, “Smoky Tea”, “Telepathy”, “Unhappy Girl” and others also became widely known in the Russian-speaking environment.
Zhdanov ALEXANDER MIKHAILOVICH(February 10, 1948 – February 9, 2013).


Born on the Shirokoye farm Donetsk region. Musical education received from a blind music teacher, bringing my button accordion to his lessons from the farm to the city recreation center. Then I learned the guitar. Philologist, environmental engineer. Lived and worked in Moscow.
Since 1960, he has written more than 400 songs, two thirds of which were not materialized in recordings. Many of his songs became famous, in particular, “Where We Are Not,” “Skif,” “Master of the Void,” “White Boat” and others.
He died suddenly from viral pneumonia half an hour before his sixty-fifth birthday.
ZAKHARCHENKO LYUBOV IVANOVNA(April 4, 1961 – January 21, 2008).


Born in Rostov-on-Don. At the same time I studied on five preparatory courses Rostovsky State University: philological, historical, legal, biological and mechanical engineering, eventually chose the Faculty of Law, from which she graduated in 1984. She worked as an investigator and assistant prosecutor, and taught public law at the university for 3 years.
She has been writing songs based on her poems since 1975. In 1986, she received the Grand Prix of the First All-Union Festival of Art Songs, after which she began active touring. Traveled all over the Union. For several years she was the organizer of the Rostov Metro festival.
The most famous songs are “Garden” (“ Black currant"), "Light Bulb", "There is a war, but this is not an event...", "Monologue of a modern Hunchback", etc.
On January 21, 2008, she died suddenly: her heart could not stand it. There are persistent rumors that it was suicide.
IVANOVA LYUDMILA IVANOVNA(June 22, 1933 - October 7, 2016).

Born in Moscow. She graduated from the Moscow Art Theater School in 1955 and was accepted into the troupe of the Moscow Traveling Drama Theater. In 1957 she moved to the Sovremennik Theater. She starred in more than 80 films (one of her most memorable film roles is, of course, the accountant Shurochka in the film “ Love affair at work»). People's Artist RSFSR (1989). In 1990, she founded the children's musical theater "Improvt" at GITIS, where she directed the children's studio acting skills. She taught a course at the acting department of the International Slavic Institute named after. Gabriel Derzhavin. She was a professor at the Slavic Academy of Humanities.
She started writing songs in the 60s. Lyudmila's husband was a doctor of physical and mathematical sciences, bard and writer Valery Milyaev. They met in the 60s, Valery was already a famous bard. In one of their first meetings, he sang “Gorky Street” and said: “I really like this song. Ada Yakusheva wrote it.” Lyudmila was offended: “How is this Yakusheva?!” This is my song!
In addition to “Gorky Street”, Ivanova wrote the famous “Maybe”, “Half”, “About the Chief”, etc.
KLYACHKIN EVGENY ISAAKOVICH(March 23, 1934 – July 30, 1994).


Born in Leningrad. In April 1942, during the blockade, Evgeniy’s mother died, his father was at the front, and the boy was evacuated to Yaroslavl region, where he was brought up in an orphanage. In September 1945, the father returning from the front took his son to Leningrad.
Graduated from the Leningrad Civil Engineering Institute. He worked as a design engineer in construction organizations in Leningrad, then in the Leningrad branch of the Art Fund.
He has been writing songs since 1961. Laureate of the I and II Leningrad amateur song competitions (1965 and 1967), the tourist song competition of the I All-Union rally of winners of hikes to places of military glory in Brest (1965), the II All-Union competition for the best tourist song in Moscow (1969). He was a member and chairman of the jury of many festivals. He performed as an artist of Lenconcert and Rosconcert. Wrote more than 300 songs.
In 1990, he and his family left for permanent residence in Israel, where he lived until his death.
KRUPP ARON YAKOVLEVICH(“Arik.” October 30, 1937 – March 25, 1971).

Born in Daugavpils (Latvia). During the war he lived in evacuation in Alma-Ata, then in Latvian Liepaja. He graduated from the Leningrad Institute of Film Engineers (1964), was assigned to Minsk, and worked as an optical engineer at the S.I. Vavilov plant.
He began writing songs in 1959 based on his poems. Laureate of the tourist song competitions of the I and II All-Union Youth Marches in Brest (1965) and Moscow (1966). He was the chairman of the first Minsk KSP (amateur song club) “Svitsyaz”.
He was interested in mountain tourism and mountaineering. On March 25, 1971, A. Krupp and eight of his comrades: Misha Koren, Anya Nekhaeva, Volodya Skakun, Sasha Nosko, Vadim Kazarin, Sasha Fabrisenko, Fedya Gimein, Igor Korneev died in an avalanche during a hike in the Eastern Sayan Mountains.
KUKIN YURY ALEXEEVICH(July 17, 1932 – July 7, 2011).

Born in the village of Syasstroy Leningrad region, lived in Peterhof until 1973, then in Leningrad. Graduated with honors from the Leningrad Institute of Physical Education. Lesgaft in 1954. He worked as a figure skating coach in children's sports schools in Petrodvorets, Lomonosov, Leningrad.
He began writing songs in 1948, first for jazz, where he played the drum, then for institute skits. Since 1963, songs written during geological expeditions to Kamchatka appeared, Far East, Pamir, to Mountain Shoria. Laureate of the tourist song competition of the II All-Union Youth March in Moscow (1966). Since 1968 he has performed for Lenconcert, since 1971 he has worked at the Leningrad Regional Philharmonic, since 1979 - at Lenconcert, since 1988 - at the Leningrad theater-studio "Benefit". Author of the songs “Behind the Fog”, “Train”, “Little Dwarf”, “Paris”, “You Say I Stay...” and others that have become bard classics.
LANTSBERG VLADIMIR ISAAKOVICH("Berg". June 22, 1948 - September 29, 2005).


One of the classics of bard song. Born in Saratov, lived in Moscow and Nuremberg. Graduated from the Saratov Polytechnic Institute, worked as a mechanical engineer in a design bureau, a software engineer slot machines, laboratory assistant at school, musician at a boarding house, head of the PCB, teacher-organizer, deputy. director of children's rehabilitation center, methodologist at the school local history center. Founder of Kostrov and Channel Two. Member of initiative groups of summer labor camps “Zucchini”, “Bonfire” rallies, “Second Channel” competitions and workshops, “LDPR” children’s bard camp (“Flying Children’s Singing Republic”) at the Grushinsky festivals, head of creative workshops, incl. children's Laureate of many art song festivals. Author of famous songs " Scarlet Sails”, “Cat Waltz”, “Artist”, etc., as well as the wonderful book “And sing to us, and sing merrily!” - a kind of collection of KSP jokes.
LARIONOV VALERY GRIGORIEVICH(28 June 1953 – 14 May 1994).


Lived in Kaliningrad. Since 1985, he actively participated in the activities of the Kaliningrad KSP “Parus”. He wrote songs based on his poems. He willingly took part in various bardic festivals. He organized a youth motorcycle club, bought spare parts for old motorcycles with his own money, which “at the dawn of perestroika” he tried to earn by ferrying cars from Germany. He was killed by robbers for one of these cars imported from Germany.
We are left with his wonderful songs “Africa”, “Princess” and others. Since 1994, on the shores of the Baltic Sea near the city of Pionersk, an annual festival of art songs in memory of Valery Larionov, organized by activists of the Parus Communist Party, has been held.
LOPATIN ALEXANDER ANATOLIEVICH(February 5, 1965 - May 15, 1993).


Born in Vitebsk. He graduated from the College of Light Industry, receiving the profession of radio engineer. He stood at the origins of the Vitebsk art song club “Accord” and the first AP festival in Vitebsk “Hat”, which later became the famous “Vitebsk Leaf Fall”. He was one of the authors of the literary and journalistic magazine "Idiot", published first in Moscow (1983-1985), then in Vitebsk.
The author of many songs that were never recorded during his life, which tragically and absurdly ended on May 15, 1993.
The festival in memory of Alexander Lopatin “Islands” is being held in Vitebsk.
LUFEROV VIKTOR ARKHIPOVICH(20 May 1945 – 1 March 2010).

Born and lived in Moscow. He graduated from the Faculty of Biology of the Moscow Veterinary Academy and the variety department of the State Musical Pedagogical College named after. Gnessins in guitar class. He worked as a laboratory assistant at the Central Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, as a poster putter, as a janitor, and as a fireman on duty. He wrote songs since 1966, mainly based on his own poems, and played a 6-string guitar. In 1967 he created the ensemble "Osenebry" (existed until 1970). In February 1985 he founded the Perekrestok theater studio (the project was closed in 2003 for financial reasons). Luferov is the author of the famous songs “Hat”, “Song for Two Voices”, “Before I came to you, I went to the Lord...” and others.
MATVEEVA VERA ILYINICHNA(23 October 1945 – 11 August 1976).

Born in Kuibyshevka-Eastern Amur Region. (now the city of Belogorsk), lived and died in the city of Khimki, Moscow region. She has been writing songs since 1967, mainly based on her own poems. She graduated from the Moscow Institute of Civil Engineering (1970) and was sent to work at the Moscow Institute "Hydroproject". But she did not have the chance to work at Gidroproekt due to a tumor on the dura mater of the brain discovered by doctors. 10/16/1970 at the Neurosurgical Institute named after. Burdenko Matveeva was operated on and the tumor was removed. The doctors carried out radiological treatment, but the doctors determined Vera’s remaining life to be 4-6 years, and Matveeva knew about it. Because of this, the concentration and strength of feelings in her songs reached impossible heights, which, probably, no one, neither before Matveeva nor after, could achieve in an original song.
Having managed to write only about 60 songs, Vera Matveeva joined the ranks of the classics of the genre. Her songs are still in the repertoire of many performers today and are published in collections and anthologies of original songs. Since 1981, tourist rallies in her memory have been held in the Moscow region.
MATVEEVA NOVELLA NIKOLAEVNA(October 7, 1934 – September 4, 2016).


Born in Tsarskoe Selo (now the city of Pushkin), Leningrad region. Poetess, prose writer, bard, playwright, literary critic. From 1950 to 1957 she worked in an orphanage in the Shchelkovsky district of the Moscow region. She wrote poetry from childhood and published it since 1958. Graduated from the Higher Literary Courses at Literary Institute them. Gorky. Member of the USSR Writers' Union since 1961. More than 20 books and more than 10 music albums have been published (a record of her songs, released in 1966, was the first in the USSR music album bard song). The entire Soviet Union knew N. Matveeva’s songs “Gypsy”, “Dolphin Country”, etc.
MILYAEV VALERY ALEKSANDROVICH(August 5, 1937 – December 16, 2011).


Born in Kuibyshev, grew up and lived in Moscow. Graduated from the physics department of Moscow State University. One of the founders of the physics department's propaganda team. Physicist, director of the Tarusa branch of the Institute of General Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, head. Department of Environmental and Medical Devices of the Institute of General Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Chief Scientific Secretary of the Academy of IPRB, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Professor.
In recent years, he has worked closely with the children's organization organized by his wife, actress Lyudmila Ivanova. musical theater“Impromptu”, for which he wrote many texts.
Authorship itself famous song Milyaeva - “Spring Tango” (also known as “The Time Comes” or “Here is an eccentric man walking around the world...”) - many mistakenly attribute it to Sergei Nikitin, who often performed it. “Spring Tango” sounds in the “Songs of Our Century” project as one of the most famous and “folk” songs.
OKUDZHAVA BULAT SHALVOVICH(9 May 1924 - 12 June 1997).


Born in Moscow into a family of communists who came from Tiflis to study at the Communist Academy (father is Georgian, mother is Armenian). In 1942 he went to the front, served as a mortarman, and after being wounded and hospitalized, he served as a signalman. In 1945 he was demobilized. In 1950 he graduated from the philological department of Tbilisi State University and worked for two years as a teacher of Russian language and literature in the village of Shamordino Kaluga region. In 1952 he transferred to a school in Kaluga, then worked in the publishing house of the regional Kaluga newspaper “Young Leninist”. In 1956 he returned to Moscow, worked as an editor at the Molodaya Gvardiya publishing house, head. department of poetry in " Literary newspaper" In 1961 he left the service and studied creative activity. Since 1962 - member of the Union of Writers of the USSR.
I wrote poetry since childhood. The first song appeared in 1943. He also wrote prose and film scripts.
With the beginning of “perestroika,” he actively plunged into politics, declaring himself a democrat. In 1990 he left the CPSU, where he had been a member since 1955. He approved the shooting of the White House in October 1993, signed the “letter of the 42” addressed to Yeltsin, calling for a ban on all types of communist parties and movements, and the closure of newspapers. Soviet Russia", "Day", "True", " Literary Russia", the television program "600 Seconds", recognize as illegitimate the Congress of People's Deputies, the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation and all bodies formed by them, incl. even the Constitutional Court. Gave a corresponding interview to the newspaper Podmoskovnye Izvestia. As sociologist Boris Kagarlitsky later said, “I somehow don’t want to listen to Okudzhava’s songs about “commissars in dusty helmets” after his statements that he doesn’t feel sorry for the unarmed people who died in the White House.” Great actor Vladimir Gostyukhin publicly broke and trampled on a record of Okudzhava’s songs. The famous literary critic, literary scholar, and publicist Vadim Kozhinov publicly refused to shake hands with those who signed this “execution” letter.
Okudzhava died in Paris. The last thing he wrote was a congratulatory poem for A. Chubais’ birthday.
SEMAKOV LEONID PAVLOVICH(7 July 1941 - 8 August 1988).

Born in the village of Slobodishchi, Vologda region, he lived and died in Moscow. He graduated from the Odessa Naval School, then the Leningrad Institute of Theater, Music and Cinematography. He worked as an actor and director in theaters in Vladimir, Tomsk, Krasnoyarsk, Leningrad, and Moscow. He began writing songs based on his poems in 1968, when he worked at the Taganka Theater (for some time he was an understudy for V. Vysotsky).
Due to a rare genetic disease, Semakov’s joints began to enlarge and his voice changed. In 1972, Leonid was forced to leave the theater and was a laborer, geologist, taxi driver, and fisherman. He spoke about this period of his life: “I could barely move, the pain was terrible. The doctor advised me to walk more, so I went. First to the Urals and back, then to the south.” Since 1981, he has worked as a screenwriter and director of documentaries and popular science films. He left us many original songs, incl. “Strawberry Glade”, “Mom”, “Monologue of Foma Gordeev”.
STERKIN SERGEY YAKOVLEVICH(25 May 1942 – 25 April 1986).


Born and lived in Moscow. Graduated from the Faculty of Electronic Engineering of the Moscow Energy Institute. He worked at the Moscow Electric Tube Plant (MELZ), as a shop manager at the Chromotron plant, as a chief project designer at VNIIKA Neftegaz, and in the last year of his life he was the director of the MELZ House of Culture.
Since 1959, he has written songs mainly based on other people’s poems, less often on his own. He usually accompanied himself on the accordion. Was an active participant and author of STEM presentations ( student theater variety miniatures) MPEI; he became famous as a songwriter after a trip to 1960 with a student propaganda brigade, then he appeared in the songs “Lotoshinskaya Propaganda Brigade” and “Dorozhnaya”.
Many of his songs became famous thanks to guitar arrangements made by other performers. He opened for the musical community songs based on the poems of A. Aronov “If you don’t have an aunt...” and R. Rozhdestvensky “Moments”, which later became widely known with the music of M. Tariverdiev.
TKACHEV ALEXANDER VASILIEVICH(January 18, 1955 – November 9, 2010).

Born in Moscow. Graduated from high school (with a gold medal in piano) under Yurlovskaya choir chapel, which was under the patronage of the Gnessin School. Graduated from MITHT (Moscow Institute of Fine Chemical Technology named after Lomonosov). Chemical engineer. PhD in Chemistry.
He worked at the department of MITHT, at the Physicochemical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and since 1996 - in a private company.
He has been writing songs based on his poems since 1970. Winner of the “Physical Song” festival (1976), laureate of the II and III Moscow amateur song competitions (late 70s), laureate of the MEPhI-76, Moskvorechye-76, and many others competitions. He is widely known for his highly social songs “Lecture on the international situation in a prehistoric tribe”, “In memory of Vysotsky”, etc.
CHUGUEV GENNADY IRAKLIEVICH(October 6, 1960 – June 30, 2009).


Born in Tbilisi. He studied at the Leningrad University of Aviation and Space Instrumentation, majoring in radio engineering. Worked as an electronics engineer in Baku. He was a member of the Baku Art Song Club (1984-1987). Diploma winner of a number of festivals in the Southern region. He was engaged in mountain tourism and mountaineering. Rescue instructor. In 1986 he took part in the liquidation of the accident at Chernobyl nuclear power plant. In recent years he lived in Taganrog. Author of the famous songs " Underwater snake", "Knock", "Pain", etc.
YAKUSHEVA(Kusurgasheva) ARIADNE(Ada) ADAMOVNA(24 January 1934 – 6 October 2012).

Born in Leningrad, lived in Moscow. Graduated from the Faculty of Russian Language and Literature, Moscow State Pedagogical Institute. Lenin. Radio journalist, member of the Union of Journalists. In 1966-1968 she worked as editor of the Yunost radio station.
She wrote songs based on her poems. The first - “Song to Moscow” (“At the institute under the arches of the stairs ...”) - was composed in 1954. She was the organizer and director of the ensemble of the MGPI song studio. The author of many favorite songs “Evening wanders along the forest paths...”, “You are my breath”, etc. Some songs were written by Yakusheva together with Yu. Vizbor, whose wife she was from 1958 to 1968 (in 1968 she married radio journalist Maxim Kusurgashev).

Bards of Russia are representatives of a vast layer of Russian musical and song culture, which has developed since the early 50s of the last century.

A bard and a song performer rolled into one, consistent in his work. The songs of bards in Russia are distinguished by a variety of genres and styles. Some sing humorous ditties, others try to touch the romantic feelings of listeners with their songs. Many Russian bards use the themes of their songs to achieve a satirical effect.

Vladimir Vysotsky - People's Artist, Russian bard

There is an author's song, whose work certainly belongs to high art song genre. There are only a few such bards, the most famous of them is Vladimir Vysotsky, who is deservedly considered consummate master author's song. Vysotsky had a unique gift of transformation; many of his songs were written as if from the point of view of a character - it could be any inanimate object, airplane or submarine, microphone on stage or echo in the mountains.

The song begins and the character comes to life. YAK is a fighter, lives his own life, participates in air combat as if on his own, and the pilot only interferes with him. And such bright examples, there are many unique songs written in the first person.

Vysotsky's original songs are divided according to their plot. He has “yard”, “lyrical”, “sports”, “military”. Each song is a masterpiece of poetry, set to a simple melody. The talent of the great Russian bard Vladimir Vysotsky is limitless, which is why he was given national recognition, and his work is immortal.

Bulat Okudzhava

Bulat Okudzhava is another outstanding Russian bard, poet and performer of original songs. Is a prominent representative Russia's literary elite, composer and director. But the red thread running through Okudzhava’s entire work was the author’s song, which was part of the poet’s life, a way of his self-expression. Bulat Okudzhava has several brilliant works in the genre of art songs, the main one of which is the recitative “We need one victory” from the film “Belarusian Station”.

Bulat Okudzhava was the first Russian bard who was allowed to perform his original songs. This event took place in 1961. On next year Bulat Shalvovich was accepted as a member of Union B. During his trip to France, the bard recorded twenty songs that were published in Paris under the title Le Soldat en Papier. In the seventies, records with songs by Bulat Okudzhava began to be released in the USSR.

The best bards of Russia

Rosenbaum Alexander - an outstanding Russian bard, a resuscitator by training, graduated from the First medical school in Leningrad. He began writing original songs in 1968 for skit performances and student performances. Currently, he is one of the most popular Russian bards with an extensive repertoire, and is included in the list of Russian bards - in the top five. In 2005, Alexander Rosenbaum combined parliamentary duties with concert activities.

Vizbor Yuri is a teacher by profession, a bard by vocation, a mountaineer, skier and journalist. Author of numerous songs about mountain peaks, climbing and rafting on mountain rivers. From the pen of Yuri Vizbor came the cult song of students and all youth of the 60s, “You’re the only one I have.” The community "Bards of Russia" arose on the initiative of Vizbor.

Civil engineer, poet, bard, romantic, author of three hundred songs. In 1961, at the age of 17, he wrote his first song “Fog” based on poems by Konstantin Kuzminsky. Started from this day creative path Russian bard Evgeny Klyachkin. At first he wrote songs based on poems by Joseph Brodsky and Andrei Voznesensky. The cycle of songs, collected from romances performed by the characters of the poem "Procession" by I. Brodsky, is still considered the pinnacle of the author's song.

Zhanna Bichevskaya, star of the original song

Zhanna Bichevskaya is a singer who is called the star of the original song. In her work, she adheres to the themes of Russian patriotism and the Orthodox faith. In the early seventies, Bichevskaya's repertoire included Russian folk songs, which she performed in a bard style, accompanied by an acoustic seven-string guitar. In 1973, Zhanna became a prize-winner All-Russian competition stage, and in subsequent years she toured all the countries of the socialist camp with concerts. Later she performed repeatedly at the Olympia Hall in Paris to sold-out crowds.

Russian singer of original songs own composition, playwright, screenwriter and poet, was an active member of the “Bards of Russia” community. His plays early period were staged in Moscow theaters, and "Sailor's Silence", written by Galich in 1958 for the Sovremennik Theater, saw the light only in 1988, directed by Oleg Tabakov. At the same time, Alexander Galich began writing songs and performing them to his own accompaniment on a seven-string guitar. He took the performing traditions of Alexander Vertinsky as the basis for his work - romance and poetic storytelling with a guitar. Galich's poems in their structure and literary value put him on a par with Vladimir Vysotsky and Bulat Okudzhava. Russian art song has become the main direction in the work of Alexander Galich.

Family duet

And Tatyana is a family duet of bards, their music is heard in many films and theater performances. Sergei Nikitin's most famous song - "Alexandra" - was performed in the popular film "Moscow Doesn't Believe in Tears" directed by Vladimir Menshov. Nikitin is a physicist by education, graduated from Moscow State University in 1968, and is a candidate of physical and mathematical sciences. He has been writing songs since 1962 based on poems by Pasternak, Shpalikov, Bagritsky, Voznesensky, Yevtushenko and other Russian poets. IN student years Nikitin led a quartet of physicists at Moscow State University, and later became the artistic director of the quintet of the physics department, where he met Tatyana Sadykova, who later became his wife.

All Russian bards of the sixties and seventies can be called "Soviet" because they lived and worked under Soviet power. However, this epithet says little; the performers of the original song cannot be characterized as social order, nor political conditions - these are people of art, free in their creativity.

Bard songs are a unique genre, at the same time close to souls and far from the everyday life of big cities.

The bard appears to us as a traveler who exchanged comfort and constancy for romance: a fire in the forest, a tent, old guitar and the night starry sky.
Bards cannot live as expected in society, because the song presses on them from within. They continue the long tradition of minstrels, troubadours, traveling musicians who walked the world for centuries to bring people a song about real feeling, about true beauty, O pure love and about real, hard, but wonderful life.

Deep meanings, attentiveness to truly valuable moments in life - this is what distinguishes this genre of song. Author's songs are always deeply touching, natural and sincere. This is music that evokes awe, awakens memory, and cleanses a person from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Every person who has once touched the bottomless wisdom and eternal kindness of this musical direction dreams of attending the bard song festival.

Bards of Russia are powerful style direction, an independent unique group of musicians, influencing even global trends.
Representatives of this group formed their own unique genre, combining the breadth of the Russian soul with love for the greatness of Russian nature, the strength of feelings and experiences that only our soul can encounter. Russian bards create songs that instantly become folk songs, music that remains forever playing in the soul. They tell stories about the forgotten side of life to which we are drawn with all our being. They restore peace and the ability to love the world, no matter what obstacles it puts in our way.

The songs of bards seem to be devoid of an author. They are created by the soul, they reflect the fate of an entire generation, an entire era. It's smart and subtle music, awakening the best traits in a person. Every day you are surrounded by a world where the weak face defeat, and the strong are forced to fight every minute. In these circumstances, it is very important to find support from those who know how to love this difficult life and share their love for it with listeners.

High-quality music performed by Russian bards is a decoration for any holiday or event. This is a piece of soulfulness that we so lack in modern fast life. The author's song shares philosophy and strength with listeners, energizes and calms.

We offer the organization concert programs with the participation of participants in the project "Songs of Our Century": V. Berkovsky, Dmitry Bogdanov, A. Mirzayan, L. Sergeev, G. Khomchik, Lydia Cheboksarova, Konstantin Tarasov, Dmitry Sukharev, Sergey Nikitin, Alexey Ivashchenko, Vadim and Valery Mishchuki, Sergey Khutas, Evgeny Bykov, the ensemble "Songs of Our Century", the MISiS choir and others.

Bard song performers:

IVASI (Alexey Ivashchenko and Georgy Vasiliev)
Vyacheslav Kovalev (St. Petersburg)

Kukin Yuri
Bokov Valery
Alexander Heinz and Sergey Danilov



Leonid Sergeev
Galich Alexander

Mischuki Vadim and Valery
Boldyreva Ekaterina

Starchenkov Nikolay
Danskoy Grigory
Zakharchenko Lyubov
Vysotsky Vladimir
Makarenkov Alexander
Okudzhava Bulat

Vizbor Yuri
Klyachkin Evgeniy
Lanzberg Vladimir

Sukhanov Alexander
Kozlovsky Andrey
Grandmaster group
Smekhov Veniamin
Krupp Aron
Tretyakov Victor
Shcherbakov Mikhail
Matveenko Sergey
Dudkina Natalya
Kim Yuliy
Panshin Vladimir (Snezhinsk)
Anatoly Kireev
Baranov Andrey
Kalachev Victor
Rozanov Vladimir
Bokhantsev Sergey
Naumov Sergey