Yevgeniy Grigorievich Martynov (russian: link=no, Евге́ний Григо́рьевич Марты́нов; May 22, 1948 – September 3, 1990) was a Soviet pop singer and composer, the older brother of the composer .

Biography

Martynov was born on May 22, 1948 in

Kamyshin Kamyshin (russian: Камы́шин) is a city in Volgograd Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Volgograd Reservoir of the Volga River, in the estuary of the Kamyshinka River. Its population was Past populations for Kamyshin include ...

(now in Russia's

Volgograd Oblast Volgograd Oblast (russian: Волгогра́дская о́бласть, ''Volgogradskaya oblast'') is a federal subject (an oblast) of Russia, located in the Volga region of Southern Russia. Its administrative center is Volgograd. The populat ...

). His father was the commander of an infantry platoon, and was wounded during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, his mother was a nurse. The family moved to the

Donbass The Donbas or Donbass (, ; uk, Донба́с ; russian: Донба́сс ) is a historical, cultural, and economic region in eastern Ukraine. Parts of the Donbas are controlled by Russian separatist groups as a result of the Russo-Ukrai ...

region (Martynov's father's homeland), and settled in Artyomovsk. Yevgeniy displayed a musical talent since an early age. His father taught him to play the accordion. Martynov graduated from local music school as a clarinet player. In 1967 he was accepted to the

Kiev Conservatory Pyotr Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine ( uk, Національна музична академія України імені Петра Чайковського) or Kyiv Conservatory is a Ukrainian state institution of higher music e ...

, but was soon transferred to the Donetsk Music and Pedagogical Institute (now the Prokofiev Conservatory), from which he graduated early in 1971. In 1972, while working as a composer 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 millio ...

, he met

Maya Kristalinskaya Maya Vladimirovna Kristalinskaya (russian: Ма́йя Влади́мировна Кристали́нская, links=no; 24 February 1932, Moscow – 19 June 1985, Moscow) was a Soviet-Russian singer. In 1957 she performed at the 6th World Festiv ...

, from whom he composed the song "Birch" to

Sergey Yesenin Sergei Alexandrovich Yesenin ( rus, Сергей Александрович Есенин, p=sʲɪrˈɡʲej ɐlʲɪkˈsandrəvʲɪtɕ jɪˈsʲenʲɪn; ( 1895 – 28 December 1925), sometimes spelled as Esenin, was a Russian lyric poet. He is one o ...

's lyrics. Later that year, his song "My Love" was performed by Gyulli Chokheli. Martynov lived in Moscow and worked first at the State Concert Association as a vocalist, and then at the publishing houses "Young Guard" and "Pravda" as a musical editor-consultant. In 1978 he played the role of a romance singer in Oleg Biyma's musical '. Yevgeniy Martynov was a member of the

Union of Soviet Composers The Union of Russian Composers (formerly the Union of Soviet Composers, Order of Lenin Union of Composers of USSR () (1932- ), and Union of Soviet Composers of the USSR) is a state-created organization for musicians and musicologists created in 193 ...

since 1984.Евгений Мартынов: странная смерть советского певца
/ref> In his work, Martynov used the most successful lyrical or civic poems by

Ilya Reznik Ilya Rahmielevich Reznik (russian: Илья Pахмильeвич Peзник; born April 4, 1938) is a Russian poet and songwriter, People's Artist of Russia (2003). Honorary member of the Russian Academy of Arts. People's Artist of Ukraine (2013 ...

, Andrey Dementyev,

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 ...

, Mikhail Plyatskovsky and other outstanding Soviet poets. Martynov's songs were performed by prominent Soviet singers of the 1970s and 1980s, such as

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 ...

, Iosif Kobzon,

Anna German Anna Wiktoria German-Tucholska (14 February 1936 – 26 August 1982) was a Polish singer, immensely popular in Poland and in the Soviet Union in the 1960s–1970s. She released over a dozen music albums with songs in Polish, as well as severa ...

Vadim Mulerman Vadim Iosifovich Mulerman (russian: Вади́м Ио́сифович Мулерма́н; 18 August 1938 – 2 May 2018) was a Soviet, Ukrainian and American singer ( baritone). He was awarded the titles of Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1978) ...

, Aleksander Serov, Georgy Minasyan, Maria Codreanu, Mikhail Chuev,

Eduard Khil Eduard Anatolyevich Khil ( rus, Эдуа́рд Анато́льевич Хиль, , ɨdʊˈart ɐnɐˈtolʲjɪvʲɪtɕ ˈxʲilʲ; 4 September 1934 – 4 June 2012), often anglicized as Edward Hill, was a Soviet-Russian baritone singer. Khil be ...

and others. After Martynov's death, some of his songs were sung and recorded by Yulian, Nikolai Baskov,

Philipp Kirkorov Philipp Bedrosovich Kirkorov PAR (russian: Филипп Бедросович Киркоров; bg, Филип Бедросов Киркоров, Filip Bedrosov Kirkorov; born 30 April 1967) is a Bulgarian-born Russian pop singer. He is a five ...

Ani Lorak Karolina Myroslavivna Kuiek, russian: Каролина Мирославовна Куек (born 27 September 1978), popularly known as Ani Lorak,, russian: Ани Лорак is a Ukrainian singer, songwriter, actress, entrepreneur and former U ...

, and

Tina Karol , native_name_lang = uk , birth_name = Tetiana Hryhorivna Liberman , birth_date = , birth_place = Orotukan, Russian SFSR, USSR , alma_mater = R. Glier Kyiv Institute of Music National Aviation University , ...

, among others.

Death

Yevgeniy Martynov died on September 3, 1990. The official cause of death is acute heart failure. He was buried at the

Kuntsevo Cemetery The Kuntsevo Cemetery (russian: Ку́нцевское кла́дбище, kúntsevkoye kládbishche) is a cemetery servicing Kuntsevo, Moscow. It is located on the bank of the Setun River, to the south of the Mozhaisk Highway (the continuation ...

in Moscow. Shortly before his death, on August 27, 1990, he had performed for the last time .Евгений Мартынов. Ты прости меня, любимая...
/ref>

Personal life

Martynov had a wife Evelina, whom he married in 1978. Together they had a son Sergei (named after

Rachmaninoff Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one o ...

and

Yesenin Sergei Alexandrovich Yesenin ( rus, Сергей Александрович Есенин, p=sʲɪrˈɡʲej ɐlʲɪkˈsandrəvʲɪtɕ jɪˈsʲenʲɪn; ( 1895 – 28 December 1925), sometimes spelled as Esenin, was a Russian lyric poet. He is one o ...

Awards

* Laureate of the 10th

World Festival of Youth and Students The World Festival of Youth and Students is an international event organized by the World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) and the International Union of Students after 1947. History The festival has been held regularly since 1947 as an eve ...

, Berlin (1973) * Second prize winner of the

Golden Orpheus The Golden Orpheus ( bg, Златният Орфей, ''Zlatniyat Orfey'') was an international song contest, held annually from 1965 to 1999 in Sunny Beach, Bulgaria. Alongside its Bulgarian pop song competition, the festival’s rules and regul ...

contest (1976) *

Lenin Komsomol Prize Lenin Komsomol Prize () was a Soviet annual award for the best works in science, engineering, literature or art carried out by young authors of age not exceeding 33 years. Komsomol was the abbreviated name of The Communist Union of Youth (Russia ...

(1987) for creation of works for children and youths, and work on the aesthetic education of youths

References

External links