Vladimir Krainev (Russian: Влади́мир Все́володович Кра́йнев; 1 April 1944 – 29 April 2011) was a Russian pianist and professor of piano, People's Artist of the USSR.
Krainev was born in Krasnoyarsk, the son of musician Vsevolod Krainev and pediatrician Rachil Gerschoig.
He studied at the Central School of the Moscow Conservatory in the class of Anaida Sumbatyan, and also studied at the Conservatory in the classes of Heinrich Neuhaus, and his son, Stanislav Neuhaus.
After winning second prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition and first prize at the Vianna da Motta International Music Competition (ex-aequo with Nelson Freire), and especially after his victory at the ninth International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow (first prize ex-aequo with John Lill), his career as a pianist began.
He performed with some of the world's leading orchestras and conductors, and collaborated with renowned artists throughout the world. Alfred Schnittke dedicated one of his piano concertos to him. International music festivals known as "The Invitation of Vladimir Krainev" were held each year in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, and concerts called "Vladimir Krainev: his Friends and Pupils" were given annually at the Moscow Conservatory. Krainev was a jury member of many international piano competitions, for instance: Leeds, Lisbon, and Tokyo, as well as the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.