Alexei Khvostenko

Alexei Khvostenko (Russian: Алексей Хвостенко)
Alexei Khvostenko at a concert in Moscow, in April, 2004
Background information
Born	(1940-11-14)November 14, 1940
Origin	Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg), Soviet Union
Died	November 30, 2004(2004-11-30) (aged 64) Moscow, Russia
Genres	Bard
Occupation(s)	Singer, poet, artist, singer-songwriter, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1970–2004

Alexei Khvostenko (Russian: Алексей Львович Хвостенко; November 14, 1940 – November 30, 2004) was a Russian avant-garde poet, singer-songwriter, artist and sculptor. Khvostenko is also frequently referred to by the nickname Khvost (Russian: Хвост), meaning "tail".

Alexei Khvostenko was born on November 14, 1940 in Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg). He soon moved to Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), where he grew up. He studied at the Leningrad State Institute of Theatre, Music and Cinematography. In 1963 he published through samizdat his first book, "Podozritel'" (translates, roughly, as "He, who suspects"). While in Leningrad, together with Anri Volokhonsky, Khvostenko founded an avant-garde literary group, "Verpa".

In 1968 Khvostenko moved to Moscow and became an active figure in Russian underground literary circles, publishing his poetry and songs through samizdat. Khvostenko became a prominent figure in the revival of the avant-garde movement in Soviet literature and art that became possible during Nikita Khrushchev's "thaw" after the death of Joseph Stalin. He is sometimes referred to as the "grandfather of Russian rock". Khvostenko co-wrote (with Volokhonsky) the song "The Golden City" ("Город золотой") that later achieved iconic status in Russia when it was sung by Boris Grebenshchikov in the 1987 film "Assa". Apart from literary works, Khvostenko was also an accomplished painter and sculptor (although his work was not officially exhibited), known for his innovative collages.