Vadim Kozin: the story of the legendary singer

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Vadim Kozin is a phenomenal Soviet artist who in his life experienced the peaks of fame, and oblivion, and imprisonment, and then again waves of admiration and recognition. In 1930-1940. the popularity of this pop singer was fantastic, the audience adored his extraordinary voice in terms of timbre - a lyrical tenor. But fate prepared Kozin for many more trials. We will tell about the life path of the artist in the article.

Biography

Vadim Kozin was born on 1903-21-03 in St. Petersburg. His father, Alexei Kozin, was a merchant of the first guild, and his mother, Vera Ilinskaya, was a gypsy from a choral dynasty. Vadim's father died early, and the boy, who was studying at the gymnasium at that time, interrupted his studies to help his sisters and mother.

Kozin started his career as a pianist, voicing silent films. Then he began to sing and perform on stage. In 1920 he participated in the Komkhor comic choir, then he began to perform solo: he performed gypsy songs, works by Russian composers, romances.

Vadim Kozin became incredibly popular in Russia in1930s. His contemporaries recalled that long queues lined up for the singer's records, and in order to avoid unrest, they even had to use mounted police.

During the war

In the war years of 1941-1945, Vadim Kozin traveled with concerts to parts of the Soviet army. For these purposes, he was even given a separate carriage. As you know, during the war, gramophone records were sold for remelting as raw materials for the defense industry. But Kozin's records were in a separate category: they were stamped with a ban on melting.

In 1941, the artist prepared a program that included the patriotic composition "Moscow". At the end of 1943, together with Marlene Dietrich, Isa Kremer and Maurice Chevalier, he took part in a concert for members of the Tehran Conference. In total, over fifty records by Vadim Kozin were released in Gramplasttrest in the pre-war and war years.

What did you sit for?

The biography of the singer contains many sad episodes. So, in 1945, his voice disappeared from the air, and phonograph records were no longer produced. The fact is that Vadim Kozin came into conflict with the Soviet authorities: he asked to take his mother and sisters out of besieged Leningrad, but he was refused for a long time, and when they finally agreed, it was too late - the artist's family members died of starvation. After the incident, Kozin said that if he had known about such heartlessness, he would have better emigrated from Russia to the West.

1944-12-05 a warrant was issued for the arrest of the singer, and on the same day he was tied up inhotel room. For anti-Soviet agitation, Vadim Alekseevich was sentenced to eight years in labor camps. He served his sentence in Kolyma, but served the term relatively easily, was not involved in hard physical labor, and worked with other imprisoned artists at the Magadan Drama Theater. Kozin was responsible for amateur art activities in the camp, in the evenings he worked in the regional library: he compiled a card index, printed lists of books. The authorities appreciated the singer: in the daytime he could walk around Magadan without an escort, in the summer he often changed his camp uniform for ordinary clothes and went for a walk in the square.

Release and re-imprisonment

In 1950, Vadim Kozin was released early for good work and good behavior. The artist resumed concert activity and began to increase his former popularity. First he performed in Siberia, then in the European part of the Union. At the end of 1957, the singer gave 193 concerts in the central regions of the country, and everywhere he was successful, as in the thirties.

But in 1959, Kozin was convicted again under the article "sodomy". According to close friends of Vadim Alekseevich, he really was a homosexual, and he did not hide his orientation. This time the artist was imprisoned until 1961. After his release, he never returned to the center, but remained to live in Magadan, remaining a legend and a kind of landmark for the city.

Recent years

In the 1990s, Vadim Kozin was suddenly remembered andreleased several programs on central TV about his work and talent. Interest in the forgotten singer woke up again. In 1993, a whole delegation of famous artists headed by Iosif Kobzon arrived in Magadan to celebrate the ninetieth anniversary of Vadim Alekseevich.

Vadim Kozin died on 1994-19-12 in Magadan, he was buried there, at the Marchekansky cemetery. After his death, a memorial museum was opened in the singer's city apartment, where his velvety voice still sounds to this day. During his life, this great artist created more than three hundred musical works, and his repertoire included over three thousand compositions. Many of Vadim Kozin's songs are still popular today, for example, "Lyubushka", "Autumn". Today, they are performed on stage by contemporary pop artists.

Memory

The memorial museum, created in memory of the singer, is still open to visitors. It is located in Magadan, on Shkolny lane, building 1, apartment 9. Vadim Alekseevich lived and worked here since 1968. The interior that surrounded Kozin for many years has been preserved in the apartment: the Timbre tape recorder, the Red October piano, household items, furniture, and personal items. The creative heritage consists of personal diaries, home magnetic tapes, an extensive library, personal photographs, a collection of music, posters and newspaper publications.

Today, as during the life of the singer, visiting artists, politicians, Magadan residents of different generations and guests of the city visit his apartment. Kozin's romances and songs are heard here, musical and literary evenings are held. The museum is a popular touristplace in the city, every year it is visited by about four thousand people.

In 2013, on the occasion of the 110th anniversary of the birth of Vadim Alekseevich, a monument was erected to him in the Magadan square on K. Marx Street. The sculpture depicts Kozin sitting on a bench in a coat and felt boots, with a cat in his arms, and a folder with poems lies nearby.