Lev Leshchenko is an iconic figure of the Soviet and Russian pop music. Under his voluminous baritone in 1980, an Olympic bear flew into the evening sky of Moscow and every year they celebrate Victory Day. Leshchenko is called the Russian Frank Sinatra. Some of his songs are over 40 years old, but they are still in demand.
Children and teenagers
Lev Valerianovich Leshchenko was born on February 1, 1942 in Moscow. My father participated in the Soviet-Finnish war, then worked at the state farm, from where he transferred to the accounting department of the Moscow Vitamin Plant. During the Great Patriotic War was the headquarters regiment of the special forces of the escort troops. After 1945 he continued to serve in the KGB border troops. Mother Leshchenko died early. When he was about two years old, she died of tuberculosis of the larynx. Grandfather and grandmother on the father's side were from Ukraine, and mothers from Ryazan.
At first, the singer’s family lived in Sokolniki, in one of the communal apartments. After the death of his mother, the raising of Leo was actually engaged in a family friend - Andrei Fisenko. Father constantly disappeared in the service. Since Fisenko was a military man, he brought up Leshchenko in the army: he took him with him to the shooting range, political studies. Already at four years old, he mastered adult soldier skiing and did not allow himself to be capricious, which is characteristic of children of this age.
Leo's grandfather on the father's side was the first to discern the grandson's vocal abilities when he enthusiastically listened to Utesov's records, and then tried to imitate him. At first he himself was engaged in singing with him, and then took to the choir of the House of Pioneers. In 1952, at a celebration in honor of May 1, Leshchenko performed as part of a children's choir in front of Joseph Stalin.
When Leshchenko turned 11 years old, his father was given a new apartment on Voykovskaya Street (Dynamo metro area) in a large house. The neighbors of the future singer were law enforcement officers, as well as Olympic champions and other players of the Soviet national teams in various sports. Thanks to them, Leshchenko also became interested in sports. For six years, he was seriously involved in basketball, and also attended a swimming club. Soon the leader of the choir recommended that Leo concentrate only on singing.
After school, Leshchenko decided to enter the theater university in the vocal department. However, the entrance exams at GITIS he failed miserably. Then Leo temporarily decided to get a job in the Bolshoi Theater stage workers. He also failed the second attempt to enter GITIS. His father advised him to choose a more serious profession. Then Leo left the dream to become an artist and went to the collectors at the instrument factory.
In 1961, Leshchenko joined the ranks of the Soviet army. By distribution, he fell into tank troops. He served in Germany. In the tank was charging. The unit commander noticed his vocal abilities and sent to a military ensemble, where he began to solo. After the army, he again decided to enter GITIS. And on the third attempt, Leshchenko becomes a student.
Career
Leschenko's creative career began with the second year of GITIS. Then he began to play in the operetta theater. Leo got there with the light hand of George Ansimov. At that time he was the main director of the operetta theater and part-time teacher at GITIS. It was he who took Leo to the internship group. During the summer holidays, Leshchenko traveled with the theater around the Union on tour. Two years later, he became an artist of the main cast.
On the stage, Leshchenko appeared in 1970. Soon, he recorded his debut album, "Don't Cry, Girl." With the composition of the same name, he was among the participants of the Song-71.
All-Union fame came to him a year later: after performing the song "For That Guy" at the song festival in Poland. Then he won first place, for which he received a prize. The Poles gave the singer a standing ovation. At the final concert, he sang a song three times. In the same year, Leo became a laureate of another international competition - "Golden Orpheus", which was held in Bulgaria.
In 1975, Leshchenko presented the song "Victory Day" to the public. Censors for a long time did not give the green light to its performance, because they considered the music "too joyful." The song, which later became legendary, could have sunk into oblivion. But thanks to Yuri Churbanov, who at that time was the husband of Galina Brezhneva, she nevertheless sounded at a concert on the Day of Police. After that, the audience literally overwhelmed the television with letters in which they admired the song performed by Leshchenko. Since then, many have rehearsed it, including Joseph Kobzon, but Leshchenko’s option is still out of competition.
In the 90s, the singer began teaching in Gnesinka. Among his students are Marina Khlebnikova and Katya Lel. He also tried himself as a television presenter.
