Alexey Ekimyan ( hy, Ալեքսեյ Հեքիմյան, russian: Алексей Гургенович Экимян) also Alexey Gurgenovich Hekimyan (April 10, 1927 – April 24, 1982) was a famous
Armenia
Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...
n composer, and writer of popular songs. Ekimyan was also a
General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
of
Soviet militsia (
police
The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...
) and was the head of the Criminal Investigation Department of
Moscow region
Moscow Oblast ( rus, Моско́вская о́бласть, r=Moskovskaya oblast', p=mɐˈskofskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ), or Podmoskovye ( rus, Подмоско́вье, p=pədmɐˈskovʲjə, literally "under Moscow"), is a federal subject of Rus ...
. He was considered the only popular composer in the world who ruled a law-enforcement department at the same time. Ekimyan awarded by the ''"Renowned Master of the Arts"''
Armenian SSR
The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic,; russian: Армянская Советская Социалистическая Республика, translit=Armyanskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika) also commonly referred to as Soviet A ...
official title.
Born in
Baku
Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world a ...
, Ekimyan's first song for the Moscow International Festival (1957) was approved by
Vano Muradeli
Vano Muradeli ( ka, ვანო მურადელი; russian: Вано Ильич Мурадели; in Gori – 14 August 1970, in Tomsk), was a Soviet Georgian composer.
He was born in Gori, Georgia (then part of Imperial Russia) t ...
("I don't know if you would become a general, but you would become a composer!"
). His songs were performed and recorded by prominent Soviet singers that include
Lyudmila Zykina
Lyudmila Georgievna Zykina (russian: link=no, Людми́ла Гео́ргиевна Зы́кина; 10 June 1929 – 1 July 2009) was a national folk singer of Russia.
She was born in Moscow and joined the Pyatnitsky Choir in 1947. Her surna ...
("I don't need another love"),
Iosif Kobzon
Iosif (Joseph) Davydovich Kobzon (russian: link=no, Ио́сиф Давы́дович Кобзо́н; 11 September 1937 – 30 August 2018) was a Russian singer, known for his crooner style.
Early life
Kobzon was born to Jewish parents in the ...
,
Lusine Zakaryan
Lusine Zakaryan ( hy, Լուսինե Զաքարյան), born Svetlana Zakaryan ( hy, Սվետլանա Զաքարյան; June 1, 1937 – December 30, 1992), was an Armenian soprano.
Zakaryan was born in Akhaltsikhe, Georgian SSR, and grew up in ...
,
Muslim Magomayev ("Save the friends"),
Sofia Rotaru
Sofiia Mykhailivna Yevdokymenko-Rotaru (born 7 August 1947), known as Sofia Rotaru ( uk, Софія Михайлівна Ротару ; russian: link=no, Софи́я Миха́йловна Рота́ру; ro, Sofia Rotaru), is a former Ukrainia ...
,
Vakhtang Kikabidze
Vakhtang Kikabidze ( ka, ვახტანგ კიკაბიძე; born on July 19, 1938), also known as Buba ( ka, ბუბა) is a Georgian (formerly Soviet) singer, actor, screenwriter, producer, composer and politician who has served i ...
, Ruben Matevosian ("Gharabaghtsin"). Among his most famous songs are- "Listopad", "Vsya jizn' vperedi", "Sonjachnyj doshh", "Odinochestvo" (written by poets
Robert Rozhdestvensky
Robert Ivanovich Rozhdestvensky (russian: Ро́берт Ива́нович Рожде́ственский; 20 June 1932 – 19 August 1994) was a Soviet-Russian poet and Songwriter who broke with socialist realism in the 1950s–1960s during ...
,
Rasul Gamzatov
Rasul Gamzatovich Gamzatov ( av, ХӀамзатазул Расул ХӀамзатил вас, Ħamzatil Rasul Ħamzatil vas, ; russian: Расу́л Гамза́тович Гамза́тов, p=rɐˈsul ɡɐmˈzatəvʲɪtɕ ɡɐmˈzatəf, a=Rasu ...
, and others).
Aram Khachaturian
Aram Ilyich Khachaturian (; rus, Арам Ильич Хачатурян, , ɐˈram ɨˈlʲjitɕ xətɕɪtʊˈrʲan, Ru-Aram Ilyich Khachaturian.ogg; hy, Արամ Խաչատրյան, ''Aram Xačʿatryan''; 1 May 1978) was a Soviet and Armenian ...
wrote: "The melodies of Ekimyan are amazingly beautiful, expressive, plastic and always natural".
Some hits by Ekimyan were chosen for the "Song of the Year" all-Soviet festivals during the 1970s-'80s.
The documentary film-concert "Paths of My Memory" (1979, 27 min.)
Armenian films official list
by Yerevan Studio is dedicated to Alexey Ekimyan. His "Do not be sad" hit was used as a songtrack for the "Nu Pogodi
''Well, Just You Wait!'' (russian: Ну, погоди!, Nu, pogodi!, p=ˈnu pəɡɐˈdʲi) is a Soviet Union, Soviet, later Russian, series of animated short films produced by Soyuzmultfilm. In the 2014 all-Russian poll, ''Well, Just You Wai ...
" Soviet animated film series
Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most anima ...
.
Ekimyan suffered a heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
and died on April 24, 1982, in Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
. He is buried in Yerevan
Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Y ...
, Armenia
Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...
.
Ekimyan was married to Valentina Karpova. They had two sons, Rafael and Michael. Rafael went on to become Section Chief of the Regional Department of organized crime within Headquarters of Internal Affairs of Moscow Region. While Michael became a famous composer for the Moscow Circus.
Honours and awards
*Order of the Red Star
The Order of the Red Star (russian: Орден Красной Звезды, Orden Krasnoy Zvezdy) was a military decoration of the Soviet Union. It was established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 6 April 193 ...
* Medal "For Military Merit"
*
*
* Medal "For Distinction in the Protection of Public Order"
*Jubilee Medal "50 Years of the Soviet Militia"
The Jubilee Medal "50 Years of the Soviet Militia" (russian: Юбилейная медаль «50 лет советской милиции») was a state commemorative medal of the Soviet Union established by decree of the Presidium of the Supr ...
* Medal "For Impeccable Service" 1st, 2nd and 3rd classes
Discography
* Artashes Avetyan sings: songs by Alexey Ekimyan, U.S.S.R.: Melodiya, 1978 (LP). C60-10619-20
* Alexey Ekimyan. Beregite druzey..., Russia: Melodia, 2006 (CD)
* Alexey Ekimyan. Vot i vstretilis, Russia: Melodia, 2007 (CD)
References
External links
Alexey Ekimyan's biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ekimyan, Alexey
1927 births
1982 deaths
Soviet composers
Soviet male composers
Musicians from Baku
Russian people of Armenian descent
Soviet Armenians
20th-century classical musicians
20th-century composers
20th-century male musicians