Genkin Alexander Abramovich

   Composer-performer.
   Alexander Genkin was born in 1938 in Leningrad. In 1941 he was evacuated to Zainsk and in 1946 he returned to Leningrad. His elder brother Boris, being a former soldier, a student of Leningrad Institute of Aircraft Industry, a poet and a musician, was an interesting and a talented person, who had a lot of friends. Home atmosphere was closely connected with the songs, drawings and poetry of student meetings.
   In the middle of the fifties he revealed for himself the genre of Gypsy romance. During the same period he composed his first pastiches of the popular melodies ("The Old Park", "Egyptian"). After leaving the school he entered Leningrad Military Mechanical Institute. Then came his first songs. He was a constant participant of student skits, which later grew into professional theatrical performances with participation of actors, poets, singers and directors. In the late fifties he got acquainted with the tourist song and was impressed by the creations of Ockudzhava, Vizbor, Gorodnitsky.
   In 1962 he graduated from Leningrad Military Mechanical Institute, where he acquired a profession of machine engineer. He is a candidate of technical science in the field of explosion, senior lecturer and an author of more than 60 inventions. He holds a post of a director of a firm, which produces wires for industrial explosive work.
   Alexander Genkin plays the guitar. He composed more than 100 songs, using his own poems. He is the laureate of the 1st and the 2nd Leningrad Competitions of amateur song (in 1965 and 1967), of amateur song competition of the 3rd All-Union gatherings of hike-winners. He is one of the judges of Saint-Petersburg competitions "Spring Thaw", of Student Competition and of the gathering in Sosnovy Bor. Since 1995 he has released several compillations of his songs and published a book of his poems and songs.

   Photo-portrait by Y.Bogdanov (Saint-Petersburg)

   The material was prepared by the Levitans.

   Alexander Genkin's photo album

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