Mikhail Matusovsky

Mikhail Lvovich Matusovsky (Russian: Михаил Львович Матусовский; 23 July 1915, Luhansk, Yekaterinoslav Governorate – 16 July 1990, Moscow) was a Soviet poet, a winner of the USSR State Prize (1977).

Mikhail Lvovich Matusovsky was born in Luhansk, Yekaterinoslav Governorate, Russian Empire (now in Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine) in the family of a photographer. Graduated from Maxim Gorky Literature Institute (1939). PhD (1941). A participant of the Great Patriotic War. Awarded by the Order of the October Revolution, twice by the Order of the Red Banner of Labour, by the Order of the Patriotic War 2nd class, by the Order of the Red Star. A member of the USSR Union of Writers (1939).

He is famous for his lyric poems many of which became lyrics of the popular songs: "School Walz", "In the Damp Earth-Huts", "The Sacred Stone", "The Windows of Moscow", "Don't Forget" and "Moscow Nights" which was sung at the Moscow Youth Festival in 1957 and was played also by American pianist Van Cliburn in the White House in 1979, on the occasion of a visit by the former president of the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev. This song made an entry into the “Guinness Book of World Records” as the song most frequently sang in the world and in March 1962 made Kenny Ball's disk reached #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, and the UK Singles Chart.

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