When the singer Pyotr Leshchenko died. An imaginary life: a series about the artist Pyotr Leshchenko has reached Russian television screens

Many people today, more than half a century after the death of the great artist, are interested in the biography of Pyotr Leshchenko. This man left his mark in the hearts of many residents. former USSR. The biography of Pyotr Leshchenko is known to the older generation. However, young people are usually unfamiliar with this artist. We invite you to learn about his life and work by reading this article.

Parents of the future artist

Pyotr Konstantinovich was born in 1898, on July 3. Small Motherland Petra Leshchenko is the village of Isaevo, located near Odessa. Maria Konstantinovna, the boy's mother, was an illiterate, poor peasant woman. His father, who died when the future artist was only 3 years old, was replaced by Alfimov Alexey Vasilyevich, who became Peter’s stepfather. He was a kind, simple man who knew how and loved to play the guitar and harmonica.

Childhood

When the boy was 9 months old, he moved with his mother and her parents to a new place of residence - in Chisinau. Peter was raised at home until 1906, and then, as he had talent in music and dancing, he was taken into the soldier's army. church choir. Kogan, his regent, then assigned the boy to the 7th parish public school in the city of Chisinau. At the same time, Berezovsky assigned him to the bishop's choir (Berezovsky was its regent). So by 1915 Peter received a musical and general education. Due to a change in his voice, he was unable to participate in the choir this year and was left without funds. And Peter decided to go to the front. He got a job in the 7th Don Cossack Regiment as a volunteer and served in it until November 1916. The biography of Pyotr Leshchenko continued with the fact that he was sent to Kyiv, to the infantry school for warrant officers, which he graduated in March 1917.

Peter goes to the army and is wounded

Romania, which fought for the Entente, began to suffer defeats. To help her army, among those mobilized, Peter went to the front line ahead of schedule. Leshchenko was hospitalized after being seriously wounded. Here he met the October Revolution. Political situation in Romania has now changed: the country has unilaterally resolved a long-standing territorial dispute, annexing new lands. In 1918 (January) it occupied Bessarabia, which previously belonged to Russia.

The first years after the revolution

Thus, Pyotr Konstantinovich Leshchenko turns out to be an unexpected emigrant. He works as a singer, a carpenter, and a dishwasher, and works part-time in cafes and cinemas. In 1918-19, for example, Leshchenko performed as an artist between sessions at the Suzanna and Orpheum cinemas.

After leaving the hospital, Peter lived for some time with his relatives. Leshchenko worked as a turner for a private owner until 1919, after which he served as a psalm-reader in the church built at the Olginsky shelter, and was also sub-regent of the church choir in the cemetery and Chuflinsky churches. At the same time, he participated in a vocal quartet and also sang at the Chisinau Opera. Included dance group under the name "Elizarov" (Antonina Kanziger, Tovbis and Danila Zeltser) from the autumn of 1919, Peter performed for 4 months at the Bucharest "Alyagambra" theater. Then he wanted to feel more confident in dancing, as he felt that his professional training was lacking. Peter decided to enroll in Paris ballet school Trefilova. This school was among the best in France. In 1923, Leshchenko left for Paris.

Meeting with Zinaida Zakis

Leshchenko met in the capital of France the charming Zinaida Zakis, a 19-year-old dancer. She came with choreographic ensemble from Riga to this city. After 2 years they got married. After this, Zinaida and Pyotr Leshchenko prepared several joint song and dance numbers. His wife was a wonderful classical ballerina. She also performed solo numbers.

Touring abroad and the beginning of a solo career

In the summer of 1926, the husband and wife duo toured the countries of the Middle East and Europe and gained fame. Peter and Zinaida arrived in Chisinau in 1928, where Leshchenko introduced his wife to his stepfather, mother and sisters.

After Zinaida became pregnant, she had to temporarily leave the stage, and Pyotr Konstantinovich Leshchenko began performing independently with concert programs. In 1931, in January, Peter had a son, Igor Leshchenko. Pyotr Konstantinovich began his solo career at 32 years old - far from a young age. Nevertheless, stunning success awaited him. The posters throughout Chisinau were soon filled with posters announcing the concerts of this artist. And flowers, recognition, and applause rained down from all sides.

Collaboration with famous composers

The singer became friends with Oscar Stroke, a famous composer who was the creator of the most popular foxtrots, romances, tangos and songs. It was he who managed to combine the intonations Argentine tango with the sincerity and melody of Russian romance. The best works of this famous composer Leshchenko performed and recorded: “Blue Rhapsody”, “Black Eyes”, “Tell Why” and other romances and tangos of the maestro. He also worked with other composers, for example, with Mark Maryanovsky, who was the author of “Nastya the Berry”, “Miranda” and “Tatyana”.

Moving to Bucharest and opening “Our House”

Leshchenko moved to Bucharest for permanent residence in the first half of the 30s. Here he sang for some time in a cafe called Galeries Lafayette.

Then Leshchenko, Cavoura and Gerutsky opened a small restaurant in Bucharest in 1933 and called it “Our House”. Gerutsky invested capital and welcomed guests. Kavura, an experienced cook, was in charge of the kitchen, and Leshchenko created the mood in the establishment by playing the guitar. Leshchenko’s mother and stepfather received the visitors’ wardrobe. Things went well at “Our Little House”: there was no shortage of visitors, and due to the large number of them, we even had to think about changing the premises.

Restaurant "Leshchenko"

So on Victoria Street, the main street of Bucharest, in the fall of 1936, a new restaurant called “Leshchenko” was opened. Since Peter Konstantinovich was very popular in the city, this place was visited by refined Romanian and Russian society. A magnificent orchestra played for the guests. Zinaida made good dancers out of Peter's sisters - Katya and Valya. Everyone performed together, but Leshchenko was the highlight of the program. Alla Bayanova, who later became a famous singer, also began her career in the restaurant.

Growing popularity

Pyotr Leshchenko, whose life story interests us, collaborated with such recording companies as Columbia and Bellacord in 1935-40. During this period he released more than 100 songs, different in genre. The songs of this singer were heard on the radio, in restaurants, and at parties. Leshchenko's records even made it to the USSR. There were especially many of them in the black markets and bazaars of the Baltic states and Bessarabia, which were incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1940. However, they were not heard on Soviet radio. Leshchenko remained an emigrant.

Life of Peter Leshchenko in Romania

Peter Konstantinovich was highly respected, living among the Romanians, although he did not feel much love for them. Leshchenko often admired the musicality of this people. Peter did not smoke, but he liked to drink. His weakness was good wines and champagne, which were extremely abundant in Romania at that time. Often the singer and owner of the most fashionable restaurant in Bucharest was greeted a little drunk, which was almost imperceptible in the atmosphere of restaurant frenzy. Peter enjoyed great success with women and was not indifferent to them. One speaks about Leshchenko’s popularity at this time interesting fact. The father of Mihai, the leader of the dynasty ruling in Romania, King Charles, often brought him to his country mansion in an armored car. He liked the romances of Peter Leshchenko.

Occupation of Odessa and visit to this city by Leshchenko

In 1940 passed last concerts this artist in Paris. In 1941, Germany attacked the Soviet Union and Romania occupied Odessa. Pyotr Leshchenko was summoned to the regiment, but he refused to fight against his people. Then he was tried by an official court, but Leshchenko was released as a popular singer.

Almost a year has passed since the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. In May 1942, singer Pyotr Leshchenko arrived in Odessa. He arrived in this city, occupied Romanian troops, May 19 and stayed at the local Bristol Hotel. On June 5, 7 and 9, Peter held solo concerts in the Russian drama theater. The real excitement began in the city: people lined up for tickets from early morning. All concerts, at the request of the Romanian command, had to begin with a song performed in Romanian. And only then the famous “Two Guitars”, “My Marusichka”, “Tatyana” sounded. The concerts ended with "Chubchik".

Meeting Vera Belousova

At the same time, Leshchenko first met Vera Belousova, who later became the singer’s wife. Slender beautiful girl with an accordion won Peter's heart. Soon they began performing together.

Service in Crimea and registration of a new marriage

Pyotr Konstantinovich was drafted into the army in October 1943. He worked in Crimea as the manager of an officers' mess and returned to Romania as Soviet troops approached.

In May 1944, Pyotr Konstantinovich officially divorced his wife Zinaida Zakis and registered his relationship with Vera Belousova. He gave concerts after the arrival of the Red Army, playing in hospitals, officers' clubs, and military garrisons. Pyotr Leshchenko also performed patriotic songs dedicated to Russian girls, which he composed himself - “Nadya-Nadechka”, “Natasha”, sang the song “Dark Night” by Bogoslovsky, as well as Russian songs popular at that time. His new wife performed with him.

Changing repertoire

Since the summer of 1948, the couple performed in various cinemas and cafes in Bucharest. Then they found work at the newly created Variety Theater. At this time, Leshchenko was already over 50 years old. His repertoire, in accordance with his age, also changed. The songs performed by Pyotr Leshchenko became more sentimental. Tempo hits such as “Nastenka” and “My Marusichka” gradually disappeared from the programs, and a taste for romances and lyrics, tinged with sadness and melancholy, appeared. Even in the record recordings made in 1944-45, a joyless tonality dominates: “Bell”, “Tramp”, “Don’t Go”, “ evening call, evening Bell", "Mom's Heart", etc.

Arrest and death in prison

At the beginning of 1951, Leshchenko began another petition for his return to his homeland, to the USSR. He was arrested in March by Romanian security forces for being an officer in the army, in which the future Soviet order bearer was the commander-in-chief. By this time, Romania had transformed from an "anti-people's monarchy" into a People's Republic. Leshchenko, a Russian singer, died in 1954 in a Bucharest prison hospital, either from poisoning or from a stomach ulcer. This is where the biography of Pyotr Leshchenko ends, but his memory is still alive.

The fate of Peter's relatives

Belousova Vera Georgievna was arrested a year after this. “For treason to the Motherland” she received 25 years. The Supreme Court of the USSR in June 1954 decided to release the former Komsomol member for lack of corpus delicti. It is known that Belousova sang to the defenders of Odessa in 1941. Vera Georgievna is an Odessa native by birth. During the defense of this city, she went to the front with concerts and was even wounded during another trip. Now Vera Georgievna has been completely rehabilitated. Vera Georgievna Leshchenko performed as a singer, pianist and accordionist on many stages across the country, and sang at the Hermitage in Moscow. In the mid-80s she retired. Vera Georgievna died in 2009 in Moscow.

Valentina, Peter's sister, once saw her brother when he was being led along the street by a convoy to dig ditches. Pyotr Leshchenko noticed his sister and cried.

The children of this singer and their fate are also of interest to many. Therefore, it is impossible not to mention that his son Igor was an excellent choreographer who worked at the Bucharest Theater. He died at the age of 47.

Leshchenko Peter Konstantinovich - Romanian and Russian pop singer, folk and folk dancer characteristic species dance, restaurateur. He was born in the small village of Isaevo, which is located near Odessa. The singer’s mother was Leshchenkova Maria Kalinovna, who gave birth to a son without having a legal spouse. Leshchenko never knew his own father. He also had half-sisters.

The early years of life of Leshchenko P.K.

Oh those black eyes
I was captivated
I can't forget them,
They are burning in front of me.
Oh those black eyes
I was loved.
Where have you disappeared to now?
Who else is close to you?

Leshchenko Pyotr Konstantinovich

For eight years, little Peter studied at home. His mother, grandmother and mother’s husband, who worked as a dentist, were involved in his upbringing. Maria Kalinovna was a very gifted woman, she performed folk songs and could boast of excellent hearing. The future singer was also gifted musical abilities taking part in the choir at the church. Six weeks later he becomes a student at the national parish school of the city of Chisinau.

At the age of seventeen, Pyotr Leshchenko graduated from music and secondary school and goes to war. He joins the Cossack regiment, then takes the position of warrant officer and platoon commander. In August 1917, he received a shell shock and was seriously wounded, and was treated in a hospital in Chisinau. When the performer finally recovered, he became a subject of Romania. This happened after the famous revolution that happened in October.

Life in the post-war years and the beginning of a vocal career

After army service, Leshchenko worked in various fields- was a church employee, a member of a quartet, performed folk dances and was a singer at the Chisinau Opera Theater. In 1919 he completely immersed himself in variety activities. The singer goes on tour, taking part in various musical groups, a guitar duet, and also performs solo songs.

The singer's year 1926 began with tour By European cities and Middle Eastern countries. In 1931, fate brought him together with Oscar Stroke, a composer. He invites Leshchenko to sign up at the studio and he agrees. Soon records will be released with the singer’s romances - “Black Eyes”, “Blue Rhapsody”, “Tatyana”, “Nastya the Berry” and others.

These songs become so famous that a recording company contacts the artist and offers to sign a contract. He agrees and records about one hundred and eighty records. Peter begins to tour Europe and gives concerts in Odessa, which is under occupation by Romanian soldiers.

As you know, famous Russian songs largely belong not only Russian performers, but were written for a specific audience. One of the luminaries of mass musical production was Petr Leshchenko, who had Ukrainian roots, and was Moldovan by upbringing and cultural environment. He became famous thanks to the songs “Black Eyes”, “Tell Why”, “Tatyana”. We will tell you in more detail about the successes and downfalls in the career and personal life of Peter Leshchenko in this material.

Pyotr Leshchenko biography and personal life: childhood and youth of the famous singer, war years

Pyotr Leshchenko was born in the village of Isaevo, which is located in the Odessa region. Mother - Maria Kalinovna Leshchenkova gave birth to a son out of wedlock, and he never recognized his biological father. As an illegitimate Peter, he was not given a birth certificate, and the first document was a baptismal certificate, which took place on July 3, 1898. Peter had younger half-sisters Valentina and Ekaterina.

9 months after the birth of her first child, Maria Kalinovna leaves with her parents for Chisinau. Until the age of 8, the boy was raised at home by his mother, grandmother and stepfather Alexey Vasilyevich Alfimov, a dental technician. Maria had absolute musical ear, loved and knew how to sing, knew a lot of songs by heart folk songs. These abilities were inherited by Peter, who in 1906, for his demonstrated abilities in the field of vocals and dancing, was accepted into the soldiers' church choir, and a few months later he was enrolled in the 7th People's Parish School in Chisinau. Thus, at the age of 17, Pyotr Leshchenko graduated from both general education and music school.

Then the young man is taken to the front. First, he served for a year in the 7th Don Cossack Regiment, and then, after graduating from the Kyiv infantry school for warrant officers, in the Odessa 40th reserve regiment as a warrant officer, and even later as a platoon commander of the Podolsk infantry regiment. At the end of the summer of 1917, he was shell-shocked, seriously wounded and was sent for treatment to a Chisinau hospital. The recovery was delayed, and Leshchenko left the hospital after the October Revolution. And since Bessarabia went to Romania, the future singer turned out to be a Romanian subject.

After the army he worked in different directions- was a turner, held different positions in church, sang in a vocal quartet, danced in the theater and sang at the Chisinau Opera House. At the end of 1919, Pyotr Leshchenko switched exclusively to variety activities. He tours a lot as part of the dance group “Elizarov”, with the balalaika ensemble “Guslyar”, performs as a solo singer and in a guitar duet. Once in Paris, he entered the then famous Trefilova ballet school, after graduating from which he worked in the prestigious Normandy restaurant performing dance and vocal performances.

Peter Leshchenko biography and personal life: how Peter met music and began to build a career

At the end of 1931, the singer met the prominent composer Oscar Stroke, who wrote popular melodies in the style of tango and foxtrot, as well as pop songs and soulful romances. At Strok's suggestion, Petr Leshchenko records his voice for the first time. Gramophone records were published with the songs “Black Eyes”, “Blue Rhapsody”, “Tell Why”, and later “Tatyana”, “Miranda” and “Nastya the Berry”.

The success of these songs leads to the fact that the performer is offered a contract by the Romanian branch of the English recording company Columbia, with which he recorded more than 80 records. His recordings were also published by other record companies - the German Parlophone Records, the Romanian Electrecord and the Latvian Bellaccord. In total, Pyotr Leshchenko managed to record about 180 records during his life. The sound recording raises the fame of Pyotr Leshchenko, and he tours a lot not only in Bessarabia, but also performs in the best halls Vienna, Bucharest, London. At the end of 1941, the vocalist gave a number of concerts in Odessa occupied by Romanian troops in central hall Hotel "Bristol".

Petr Leshchenko biography and personal life: family, children and hobbies of the famous musician

During the Second World War, while on tour in Odessa, Pyotr Konstantinovich met 19-year-old conservatory student Vera Belousova. On one of the first evenings, he proposes to the girl and leaves for Bucharest to file a divorce from Zakitt, with whom he was still officially married. Due to the war and threats of mobilization, the wedding is on for a long time was postponed. Only in 1944 were Leshchenko and Belousova able to register their marriage. Pyotr Leshchenko was fluent in Russian, Ukrainian, Romanian, French and German languages.

Collaboration with a German recording studio and tours in Western countries did not go unnoticed Soviet power. The socialist system, which Romania also joined after the Second World War, considered the singer unreliable, inadmissibly vulgar and even anti-communist. He was also accused of forcing Soviet citizen Belousova to move to Romania, who after her marriage to Leshchenko was officially considered a traitor to the motherland in the USSR. By direct order from Moscow, authorities state security Romanians arrest Petr Leshchenko right during the intermission of a concert that took place in the city of Brasov at the end of March 1951.

For three years he was transferred from one prison to another. Leshchenko was in Zhilava, Capul Midia, Borgesti, and in 1954 he was transferred to the Targu Ocna prison hospital, as he had an old stomach ulcer. An operation was performed, but he was never discharged from the hospital. A new exacerbation and an organism weakened by imprisonment caused the death of Pyotr Konstantinovich Leshchenko on July 16, 1954.

Romanian singer of Russian origin; supervisor variety ensemble. One of the most popular Russian-speaking performers of the 1930s.

Leshchenko was born on July 3, 1898 in the village of Isaevo, Kherson province (now Odessa region of Ukraine). He studied at a rural school, sang in the church choir, and began to work early. His stepfather saw artistic inclinations in him and gave him a guitar. At the age of sixteen he entered the Chisinau school of ensigns, but he was mobilized ahead of schedule to help the Romanian army and sent to the front. After being seriously wounded, he was taken to the hospital, where the October Revolution found him.

Emigrant, Paris, marriage (1918-1926)

In connection with the separation of Bessarabia from Russia (January 1918), he unexpectedly became an emigrant. He worked as a carpenter, a singer, an assistant to the cathedral regent, a dishwasher in a restaurant, and worked part-time in cinemas and cafes. Feeling a lack of professional training, in 1923 he entered a ballet school in Paris. There he married a nineteen-year-old dancer and classical ballerina Zinaida Zakis, a Latvian who came to France from Riga with a choreographic ensemble. They prepared several song and dance numbers.

Success, recordings, war (1926-1941)

In the summer of 1926, they toured the countries of Europe and the Middle East and gained fame. In 1928 they returned to Chisinau. Solo career Leshchenko started at almost 32 years old and, nevertheless, unexpectedly found stunning success.

The singer became friends with the famous composer Oscar Stroke, the creator of the most popular tangos, romances, foxtrots and songs. It was Strok who managed to combine the intonations of the burning Argentine tango with the melody and sincerity of the Russian romance.

Leshchenko performed and recorded best works famous composer: “Black Eyes”, “Blue Rhapsody”, “Tell Why” and other tangos and romances of the maestro. Worked with others too talented composers, in particular with Mark Maryanovsky - the author of “Tatyana”, “Miranda”, “Nastya-berry”. In 1932, two Englishmen were captivated by his vocal abilities and, with their help, Leshchenko recorded several works in London. In 1933 he moved permanently to Bucharest. In 1935-1940 he collaborated there with the Bellacord and Columbia recording companies and recorded more than a hundred songs of various genres. In 1935, he again traveled to England, performed in restaurants, in 1938 - in Riga, in 1940 - in Paris...

Touring in occupied Odessa, second marriage (1941-1951)

In 1941, Romania, together with Germany, entered the war against the USSR. Leshchenko was on tour in Paris at that time. With great difficulty, he managed to return to Bucharest, where he continued performing in his restaurant.

The question of Leshchenko's conscription into the Romanian army was repeatedly raised, but Leshchenko managed to avoid being sent to the front. He was even tried by a military tribunal “for draft evasion.” Long before the occupation of Odessa, Leshchenko received an offer from the director of the Odessa opera house Selyavin to give a concert in Odessa. Tickets were sold out and posters were hung around the city when Odessa was occupied by German-Romanian troops. The concert was postponed due to difficulties with Leshchenko's arrival. The director of the theater obtained permission from the cultural and educational department of the governorate for Leshchenko’s visit. Pyotr Konstantinovich left for Odessa.

In April 1942, he arrived in Odessa, occupied by the Nazis, where he held a triumphal concert. At one of his rehearsals, he saw Vera Belousova. I learned from the musicians that she sang in the cinema and accompanied herself on the accordion. He liked the girl, her voice, her demeanor, and she was beautiful. I met her and invited her to my concert. Vera Belousova studied at the Odessa Conservatory. Their romance developed rapidly, despite the fact that Peter was older than Vera for 25 years.

In April 1943, in order to again avoid conscription into the active Romanian army, at the suggestion of a doctor he knew, he agreed to an operation to remove the appendix. He spent ten days in the hospital, then he was given leave for 25 days. After the vacation, I was ordered to report to the operational department of the infantry regiment headquarters in Kerch. But Leshchenko did not go to the regiment, but returned to Odessa. He managed to get a job in a military artistic group. As part of this group, he performed in Romanian military units. In October 1943, he was forced to leave for Kerch, where until mid-March 1944 he served as head of the canteen at the headquarters of the infantry regiment. In May 1944, he divorced Zinaida Zakis and registered his marriage with Vera Belousova. In September 1944, after the liberation of Bucharest by the Red Army, Leshchenko gave concerts in hospitals, military garrisons, and officers' clubs. He performed patriotic songs he composed about Russian girls - “Natasha”, “Nadya-Nadechka”, sang “ dark night» Nikita Bogoslovsky, popular Russian songs. His new wife also performed with him. Their concerts were also attended by major military leaders - Marshals Zhukov and Konev.

In 1944-1945, Leshchenko changed his repertoire and a sad tonality began to dominate in his songs: “Tramp”, “Bell”, “Mother’s Heart”, “Evening Rings”, “Don’t Go”.

Since the summer of 1948, the couple performed in various cafes and cinemas in Bucharest. Then they found work at the newly created Variety Theater.

Leshchenko found out the possibility of returning to the Soviet Union, contacted the “competent authorities”, wrote letters to Stalin and Kalinin asking for Soviet citizenship. It is difficult to say what guided him in this, because he was immediately told that Vera Belousova was considered a traitor in the USSR.

Arrest, prison and death (1951-1954)

Official Soviet propaganda during the time of Stalin characterized him: “The most vulgar and unprincipled white emigrant tavern singer, who stained himself by collaborating with the Nazi occupiers.” On March 26, 1951, on the direct orders of the USSR Ministry of State Security, Leshchenko was arrested by the Romanian state security authorities during the intermission after the first part of the concert in Brasov and taken to prison near Bucharest. On August 5, 1952, Belousova, who, like Leshchenko, was accused of treason (speeches in occupied Odessa), was sentenced to 25 years in prison. In 1953 she was released for lack of evidence of a crime. Many years later, his wife found out: Peter Konstantinovich became one of the thousands of builders of the Danube Canal in Romania and died on July 16, 1954 at the age of 56, either from a stomach ulcer or from poisoning. The location of his grave is unknown. The archives of the Soviet and Romanian KGB on the Leshchenko case have not yet been examined.

Revival of popularity in 1988

For my creative life the singer recorded over 180 gramophone discs, but until 1988, none of these recordings were reissued in the USSR. The first record from the series “Pyotr Leshchenko Sings” was released by Melodiya for the 90th anniversary of the singer’s birth in 1988 and in the same year took first place in the TASS hit parade.

Life path Soviet singer and dancer Pyotr Leshchenko turned out to be bright, rich, but not too long. A stingy fate gave him only 56 years, a significant part of which fell during both world wars and the difficult post-war years. Despite this, Peter Leshchenko managed to become famous for his wealth creative heritage and many legends about yourself.

More questions than answers

In July 1954, a man died in the prison hospital in Targu Ocna. Fans of the work of Pyotr Leshchenko would hardly recognize in this beaten man, exhausted by torture and hunger, their idol, who was applauded by Europe for his unique performance of the songs “Black Eyes”, “My Marusechka”, “Curly-haired forelock” and others.

The exact place where the “sweet-voiced nightingale” is buried is still unknown. Also, no one knows for sure what he died from. popular artist pre-war time: from an open stomach ulcer, poisoning or beating. Together with Peter Konstantinovich, other secrets also disappeared into oblivion.

Either an Odessa resident or a Moldovan

Biographers even find it difficult to name the exact place of birth future star stage. All that is known for sure is that Peter spent his childhood in Chisinau. The family lived modestly, if not poorly. Petya and his half-sisters were raised by their mother and stepfather. But the street became the boy’s main teacher. Here he sang for the first time for the crowd, collecting money in a dusty hat.

He did this out of annoyance at the priest, who did not give Petya, who was guilty of something, another meager “salary” for singing in the church choir. Thanks to his soulful voice, the boy earned almost as much in a day as he did in a month in church. Leshchenko is expelled from the choir for his impudent act, but this does not bother him.

Peter already understands that his singing touches the souls and hearts of people. Friendship with gypsies, gatherings around a fire on the river bank, first guitar lessons - and gypsy romances will firmly enter the life and work of the famous chansonnier. He performed them in a particularly masterly, passionate, inspired way.

A dancer is no worse than a singer

Participation in the First World War cost the 19-year-old warrant officer Leshchenko a serious injury. The long recovery in the Chisinau hospital ended after October revolution, so Peter returned home as a citizen of Romania.

He made a living in different ways. He was a turner, sang in church and cemetery choirs, and was a soloist in a vocal quartet and opera. Leshchenko went on tour as part of various pop groups.

Once in Paris, he did not miss the opportunity to graduate from Vera Trefilova’s ballet school. Here he met his first wife, Zinaida Zakitt. Their dancing couple performed successfully in restaurants in Europe and the Middle East until Zina became pregnant. The only son will be named Igor, but that will happen later. Now Peter needs to decide what to do next. And he decides to sing again.

The triumph of Europe's new idol

First solo concert Leshchenko gives in Chisinau. Soon, in addition to his own, simple but charming songs, compositions from venerable authors of that time appeared in his repertoire. Tours in Paris, Berlin, London, Riga, Belgrade. Hits in Russian, Romanian, English and French. Huge circulations of records. It was a stunning success and rapid wealth.

Using his own funds, the “king of romances” opened his own restaurant, “U Leshchenko,” where he performed and where, without regret, he invested a lot of money. Even the Romanian royal couple admires the singing of the “sweet-voiced nightingale,” but little is known about it in the USSR. A successful emigrant is not written about in newspapers, and after World War II, the popularization of his work will become a criminal offense.

Despite this, already at the end of the 1930s, the performer’s romances were secretly listened to in many Soviet apartments. Leshchenko dreams of going to his homeland, and in 1942 he goes on tour to Nazi-occupied Odessa. There he will meet his last love and second wife Vera Belousova, a conservatory student who is younger famous singer for 25 years.

Traitor or spy

In Odessa, the enterprising singer not only gives concerts, but also opens another restaurant of his own. In the midst of the war, only the German occupiers can afford gourmet food and entertainment, so Leshchenko quickly earns a negative reputation among Soviet citizens and state security agencies. Almost 10 years later, for some reason he will be called a foreign spy.

An appeal to Joseph Stalin about returning to the USSR will only aggravate the situation of Pyotr Konstantinovich and will ensure close attention to his person. Thought about visiting Soviet Union turns into a fixed idea.

In the early 1950s, Leshchenko receives approval, but does not have time to make the trip. During the next concert, Romanian police take him away for interrogation by representatives of the Soviet secret services.

Popular singer For 3 years he was taken to different prisons, from where he never returned. Not underground, but official records with songs by Pyotr Leshchenko began to appear in the USSR only during the era of perestroika. The voice of the “king of romances” sounded again in his homeland, as the talented performer once dreamed of.

Another one famous person that time - .