Fedor Valentinovich Chistyakov, nicknamed "Uncle Fedor" - rock musician, accordionist, guitarist, songwriter, composer, founder and leader of the famous band "Zero", and later - the group Bayan, Harp & Blues.
Fans of Russian rock of the 1980-1990s remember Chistyakov, who invariably appeared on stage in a vest and with a button accordion in his hands.
The group "Zero" was different from other musical groups performing Russian rock. Only Uncle Fyodor played the virtuoso solo on the button accordion; there were no more such bands in the country.
The peak of their popularity came at the beginning of the 1990s. Almost all lovers of rock music knew the famous songs "Going, Smoking" and "Merry Indian". Some compositions written by Chistyakov still sound on the radio, get into rotation.
Facts from the biography
Fedor was born in the winter of 1967 in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). Nothing is known about his father. Mom raised the boy. According to Fedor, she practically couldn’t walk, was on disability and suffered from schizophrenia.
Mom often told Fedor about the past days of the war, about how hard she was in those years. In the postwar period, she worked at a factory surrounded by men, so the woman’s character was very difficult. She always knew how to stand up for herself and for a word did not climb into her pocket.
The family lived in a communal apartment, where they occupied one small room. Fedor recalled that he could never invite friends to visit him, he was simply ashamed of the conditions in which the family lived.
Chistyakov early began to be interested in creativity. Perhaps this hobby allowed him to find the joy that he so lacked in everyday life, which seemed to Fedor gray and dull.
First, Fedor began to compose poems and short stories. He was going to become a writer. Together with a friend who lived in the same house, they spent a lot of time on the street. Finding a secluded place, the boys together composed their first novel. At that time, Fedor was only eight years old.
In the same period, he began to get involved in playing the button accordion, began to attend a music club, and later went to study at the Leningrad Music School. Rimsky-Korsakov.
Career on stage
While studying in high school, Fedor made friends with Alexei Nikolayev, who was also a music fan and had already assembled his own team. Then Fedor first came up with the idea of creating his own group. He began to write poetry and compose music for future songs. At that time, Anatoly Platonov became another close friend of Fedor.
By the end of school, friends composed several songs in the style of punk rock and, after recording them on a cassette, decided to show the album to sound engineer Andrei Tropilo. At that time, Andrei already had his own underground studio. Having received the approval of the master, it was decided to start the performance. So in Leningrad in 1985 appeared the group "Zero".
In addition to Chistyakov, Nikolaev and Platonov, the group included two more guitarists: Dmitry Gusakov and George Starikov.
For several years, musicians performed at concerts and recorded new albums. The peak of popularity of the team “Zero” occurred in 1991, but then came a long break.
In 1992, the artist was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder of his girlfriend, whose name was Irina Linnik. During the investigation, he called her a witch and explained that he wanted to deprive her of the opportunity to engage in black magic.
Chistyakova was recognized insane and, having diagnosed schizophrenia, was sent to compulsory treatment, where he spent five years.
Leaving the hospital, Fedor joined the Jehovah's Witnesses organization. However, all the events that happened did not prevent him from making music again. In 1997, the group "Zero" reappeared on the scene. But a year later she stopped speaking permanently.
In 2000, Chistyakov assembled a new group, which was called Bayan, Harp & Blues. It included musicians Vladimir Kozhekin and Ivan Zhuk. The band recorded the Barmaley Incorporated CD and took part in several acoustic concerts.
Five years later, Fedor announced that he was ending his musical career. But in 2009, he again appeared on the scene for a while, joining the Cafe collective. He also performed with his songs on the Accordion Rock project.
