Leonid Utesov

Leonid Utesov was a famous Soviet estrada singer and comic actor, who became the first pop singer to be awarded the prestigious title of People's Artist of the USSR in 1965. He was brought up in Odessa, where he started his stage career as an acrobat and a stand up comedian. In the 1920s, he moved to Leningrad and set up one of the first Soviet jazz bands, collaborating with the composer Isaak Dunayevsky. He performed a variety of musical styles, ranging from Russian folk songs to American jazz and Argentine tango. He co-starred with Lyubov Orlova in the comedy Jolly Fellows, where he performed his hit song "Serdtse" (Heart). During World War II, he performed on the front lines, helping lift the spirits of the Soviet soldiers. He lived in Moscow for the rest of his life, and remained a popular and beloved figure of Soviet culture. He died of heart failure in 1982, and was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery.