An imaginary life: a series about the artist Pyotr Leshchenko has reached Russian television screens. How the legendary artist Pyotr Leshchenko became an “enemy of the people”

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, who was 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 was accepted into the army for his demonstrated abilities in the field of vocals and dancing. church choir, and a few months later he was enrolled in the 7th National 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 Kishinev Opera House.

At the end of 1919, Pyotr Leshchenko switched exclusively to variety activities. Tours a lot with 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 ballet school Trefilova, after graduating from which she worked in the prestigious restaurant “Normandy” with dance and vocal performances.

Music

Since 1926, he has been touring Europe and the Middle East for two years. After the tour, Peter returns to Romania and works for some time at the Teatrul Nostra theater, but soon leaves for the Baltic states, then to Ukraine, where he performs in various restaurants. His voice becomes recognizable.

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 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 the occupied Romanian troops Odessa in central hall Hotel "Bristol".

Personal life

While studying at a ballet school in France, Pyotr Leshchenko met Latvian Zhenya Zakitt, who came to study at the same school from Riga. That same year they officially registered their marriage. The couple went on all tours together and performed a lot as a duet. In this union, their son Ikki Leshchenko was born in January 1931.

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.

Death

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 the 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 the concert, which 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.

Famous songs

Black eyes
My last tango
Tell me why
At the samovar
Nastya-berry
Sing gypsy, cry gypsy
Tatiana
Miranda
Faceted cups
Rhapsody Blue

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

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 an absolute ear for music, loved and knew how to sing, and knew many folk songs by heart. 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 schools.

After the army, he worked in different directions - he was a turner, held various positions in the 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

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 Peter Leshchenko, and he tours a lot not only in Bessarabia, but also performs in the best halls of Vienna, Bucharest, and London. At the end of 1941, the vocalist gave a series of concerts in Odessa, occupied by Romanian troops, in the central hall of the Bristol Hotel.

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 was postponed for a long time. Only in 1944 were Leshchenko and Belousova able to register their marriage. Pyotr Leshchenko was fluent in Russian, Ukrainian, Romanian, French and German.

Collaboration with a German recording studio and tours in Western countries did not go unnoticed by the Soviet authorities. 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 the 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, the Romanian state security authorities arrest Petr Leshchenko right during the intermission of a concert that took place in the city of Brasov at the end of March 1951.

Pyotr Konstantinovich Leshchenko(Romanian Petre Leșcenco, June 2 (14) - July 16) - Russian and Romanian crooner, performer of folk and character dances, restaurateur.

Encyclopedic YouTube

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✪ Pyotr Leschenko - Everything that happened (Pjotr Leschenko)

✪ Pyotr Leshchenko “Black Eyes” (rare recording 1947) Pyotr Leshchenko

✪ BLACK EYES (PETER LESCHENKO)

✪ Pyotr LESCHENKO - Tell me why

✪ Petr Leshchenko - Chubchik

Subtitles

All that happened Song-romance Words Pavel German, Music Dmitry Pokrass. All the same, the years pass in succession And the path becomes shorter than life; years disappear, And the soul is getting lonely, And my love is now far. Joy and fun That made it run, Long ago all have gone.

The old days, remembrance only You, my faithful good guitar.

You reminded me today of this remote, This bygone and charming, long-forgotten dream.

My dear friend, I just implore you, don"t promote Memories, however touching they may seem. Songs that here Did we hear, Disappear over the years. Now my soul is sad and lonely, And the love, "tis very far. Joy and fun, Which made it run, Ages ago they have gone, And good days remembrance only You, my faithful old guitar. It may `be, only a couple of months ago, My hot heart would just jump out from the breast, But today "tis beating steadily and slow, My dear friend, "tis really time to have some rest. Songs that here We used to hear, Over the years disappear. Now my sole is sad and lonely, And my love, it went so far. Joy and fun, Which made it run, Now are forever gone, And old days remembrance only You, my faithful good guitar. Biography :168 .

Birth, studies, participation in the First World War (1898-1918)

Wanting to improve his dance technique, Leshchenko entered the Trefilova ballet school, which was considered one of the best in France. At school he met the artist Zhenya (Zinaida) Zakitt from Riga, a Latvian. Peter and Zinaida learned several

dance numbers and began performing as a duet in Parisian restaurants, with great success. Soon the dance duet became married couple

In 1928, the Leshchenko couple returned to Romania and entered the Bucharest Teatrul Nostra. Then they go to Riga, on the occasion of the death of his wife's father. We stayed in Riga for two weeks and moved to Chernivtsi, where we worked at the Olgaber restaurant for three months. Then - moving to Chisinau. Until the winter of 1929, the Leshchenko spouses performed in the London restaurant, in the Summer Theater and cinemas. Then - Riga, where until December 1930 Pyotr Leshchenko worked alone in the A.T. cafe. He only left for a month at the invitation of the Smaltsov dancers to Belgrade.

When Zinaida became pregnant, their dance duet broke up. Looking for alternative way making money, Leshchenko turned to his vocal abilities:170. In January 1931, Peter and Zhenya had a son, Igor (Ikki) Leshchenko (Igor Petrovich Leshchenko (1931-1978), son of Peter Leshchenko from his first marriage, choreographer of the Opera and Ballet Theater in Bucharest).

Theatrical agent Duganov arranged for Leshchenko to go to concerts in Libau for a month. At the same time, Leshchenko enters into a contract with the summer restaurant “Jurmala”. He spent the entire summer of 1931 with his family in Libau. Upon returning to Riga, he again works at the A.T. cafe. At this time, the singer met the composer Oscar Stroke, the creator of tangos, romances, foxtrots and songs. Leshchenko performed and recorded the composer’s songs: “Black Eyes”, “Blue Rhapsody”, “Tell me Why” and other tangos and romances. He also worked with other composers, in particular with Mark Maryanovsky, the author of “Tatyana”, “Miranda”, “Nastya-Yagodka”.

The owner of a music store in Riga, whose last name was Yunosha, in the fall of 1931 invited Leshchenko to go to Berlin for ten days to record songs at the Parlophon company. Leshchenko also enters into a contract with the Romanian branch of the English recording company Columbia (about 80 songs have been recorded). The singer's records are published by Parlophone Records (Germany), Electrecord (Romania), Bellaccord (Latvia).

From Romanian sources: Peter Leshchenko was in Zhilava from March 1951, then in July 1952 he was transferred to the distribution center in Capul Midia, from there on August 29, 1953 to Borgesti. On May 21 or 25, 1954 he was transferred to the Targu Ocna prison hospital. He underwent surgery for an open stomach ulcer.

There is a protocol of the interrogation of Pyotr Leshchenko, from which it is clear that in July 1952, Pyotr Leshchenko was transported to Constanta (near Capul Midia) and interrogated as a witness in the case of Vera Belousova-Leshchenko, who was accused of treason. According to the memoirs of Vera Belousova-Leshchenko (heard in the documentary film “Film of Memory. Pyotr Leshchenko”), she was allowed only one date with her husband. Peter showed his black (from work or from beatings?) hands to his wife and said: “Faith! I am not to blame for anything, nothing!!!” They never met again.

P. K. Leshchenko died in the Romanian prison hospital Tirgu Ocna on July 16, 1954. The materials on Leshchenko’s case are still closed.

In July 1952, Vera Belousova-Leshchenko was arrested. She was accused of marrying a foreign national, which was qualified as treason (Article 58-1 “A” of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR, criminal case No. 15641-p). Vera Belousova-Leshchenko was sentenced to death on August 5, 1952, which was commuted to 25 years in prison, but was released in 1954: “Prisoner Belousova-Leshchenko should be released with her criminal record expunged and travel to Odessa on July 12, 1954,” an order with reference to the resolution Plenum of the Supreme Court of the USSR, the first link is about reducing the term to 5 years in accordance with the Resolution of the Supreme Court of June 1954, and the second is “to be released from custody.”

Leshchenko's widow managed to obtain the only information from Romania: LESCENCO, PETRE. ARTIST. ARESTAT. A MURIT ON TIMPUL DETENIEI, LA. PENITENCIARUL TÂRGU OCNA.(LESHCHENKO, PETER. ARTIST. PRISONER. DIED WHILE STAYING IN TIRGU-OKNA PRISON). (From the “Book of the Repressed,” published in Bucharest)

Vera Leshchenko died in Moscow in 2009.

The biography was compiled according to the interrogation protocols of Pyotr Leshchenko and archival documents provided by the widow of Pyotr Leshchenko, Vera Leshchenko.

Memory

Reissues

LP records (33⅓ rpm)

Chants Tziganes de Russie par Pierre Lechtchenko, baryton (orchestre de Frank Foksa)
Peter Lescenco sings / Songs performed by Peter Lescenco
P. Leshchenko (on the sleeve), P. Leshtchenko (on the record)
Peter Lestchenko. Russian songs
Russian tangos, vol. 2. Peter Leshtchenko and his Orchestra
Sentimental Russian songs. Songs of old Russia. Peter Leshtchenko and his Orchestra
Sung by Pyotr Leshchenko [“Melody” M60 48297 001]
Sung by Pyotr Leshchenko-2 [“Melody” M60 48819 008]
Sung by Pyotr Leshchenko-3 [“Melody” M60 49001 004]
Sung by Pyotr Leshchenko-4 [“Melody” M60 49243 005]
Sung by Pyotr Leshchenko-5 [“Melody” M60 49589 000]
Sung by Pyotr Leshchenko-6 [“Melody” M60 49711 009]

CDs

2001 - Sing, Gypsy! (in the series “Idols of yesteryear”)
2001 - Petr Lescenco singt

Literature

Tango and romances by Pyotr Leshchenko // Compilers, authors of the introduction. articles Pozdnyakov A., Statsevich M. - M.: Niva Rossii, 1992.
Savchenko B. Emigrants against their will // In the book: Savchenko B. Idols of the forgotten stage. - M.: Knowledge, 1992. P. 78-94.
Bardadym V. The same Pyotr Leshchenko. Pages of life and creativity. - Krasnodar: Solo, 1993.
Savchenko B. Pyotr Leshchenko // In the book: Savchenko B. Retro stage. - M.: Art, 1996. - P. 211-256.
Gerasimova G. P. Leshchenko Petro Kostyantinovich// Encyclopedia of the History of Ukraine / Editorial Board: V. A. Smoliy (head) and in. NAS of Ukraine. Institute of History of Ukraine. - 1st type. - Kiev: Naukova Dumka, 2009. - T. 6. - 790 p.
Gridin V. M. He sang, loved and suffered: Notes about Pyotr Leshchenko. - Ed. 2nd, add. - Odessa: Astroprint, 1998. - 144 p. - (Odessa Memorial).
Gurkovich V. N. Russian singer Pyotr Leshchenko, officer of the Romanian army in Crimea in 1943-1944 // Historical heritage of Crimea. - 2003. - No. 1.
Farewell my camp, I sing in last time// In the book: Smirnov V. Requiem of the 20th century. - Odessa: Astroprint, 2003. - T. 2. - P. 31-52.
Zhelezny A. Pyotr Leshchenko. Biography, songs, discography. - Kyiv, 2008.
Cherkasov A. A. Pyotr Leshchenko // Occupation of Odessa. Year 1942. January - May. - 1st ed. - Odessa: Optimum, 2008. - P. 163-202. - 206 s. - (Large literary and artistic series “All Odessa”). - 300 copies.
- ISBN 978-966-344-1226 -6. Leshchenko V. Tell me why. [Memories of a widow about Pyotr Leshchenko] // Series: Russian chansonniers. - Nizhny Novgorod

: Decom, 2009 (with CD). 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 he was found.

October Revolution

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 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 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 Nazi-occupied Odessa, 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. He also performed with him new wife. 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”, “Mama’s Heart”, “ evening call, evening Bell", "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 was looking into the possibility of returning to 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.

On May 22, 2017, Channel One aired an eight-episode television film directed by Vladimir Kott “Peter Leshchenko. Everything that happened...", filmed back in 2013. Main role- singer Pyotr Leshchenko (1898-1954) - played by actor Konstantin Khabensky. First episode historical drama aroused enormous interest among the audience.

The plot of the biographical series tells about almost the entire life of the most popular Russian songwriter, whose fate was tragic: about his youth, battles in the First World War, career, love and death in a Romanian prison.

The portal 7days.ru decided to introduce readers to the most interesting facts from the life of Peter Leshchenko.

1. Born out of wedlock

Pyotr Leshchenko was born on June 14, 1898 in the village of Isaevo, Kherson province. According to archival records, his mother’s name was Maria Kalinovna Leshchenkova, and in the “father” column there was an entry: “illegitimate.” When the future singer was nine months old, the family moved to Chisinau, where the mother entered into a second marriage with dental technician Alexei Vasilyevich Alfimov.

2. Extraordinary musical abilities showed since childhood

Peter's mother had an absolute ear for music and sang beautifully. From childhood, she instilled in her son a love of music and taught him folk songs. For his extraordinary abilities in the field of vocals and dancing, the talented boy was first accepted into the soldiers' church choir, and then enrolled in the 7th People's Parish School in Chisinau.

3. Left the choir for the front due to a change in voice

Having received the general and musical education, Peter dreamed of staying in the choir, but his voice began to break, the timbre changed - and the 17-year-old boy was left without a livelihood. He went to the front and got a job as a volunteer in the 7th Don Cossack Regiment. However, on the territory of Romania, Leshchenko was seriously wounded and spent almost six months in the hospital.

4. Began his career as a dancer and singer as part of various artistic groups

After being discharged from the hospital, Peter got a job as a turner, then served as a psalm-reader in the church at the Olginsky shelter. He began performing as a dancer and singer in various artistic groups that toured Romania.

Leshchenko constantly improved his dancing skills, and, having moved to Paris in 1925, he entered the famous Trefilova ballet school. There he met the Latvian artist Zheni Zakitt, who became not only his performance partner, but also his wife.

5. He became famous for performing romances by composer Oscar Stroke

The couple's performances quickly gained popularity, but when Zhenya became pregnant, their dance duet broke up. To earn money, Peter began singing in restaurants and cafes. And soon he made a fateful acquaintance with the composer Oscar Stroke, the creator of the most popular tangos, romances, foxtrots and songs.

Leshchenko performed many compositions that became legendary over time: “Black Eyes”, “Blue Rhapsody”, “Tell me Why” and other tangos and romances. However, most often the singer was asked to perform the composition “Chubchik”.

6. In the USSR, he was contemptuously called the “tavern singer” and considered a “traitor to the Motherland”

Leshchenko’s colossal popularity among emigrants did not go unnoticed. And when he continued to give concerts in Odessa, occupied by the Nazis, Soviet propaganda characterized him: “The most vulgar and unprincipled white emigrant tavern singer, who stained himself by collaborating with the Nazi occupiers.” His second wife Vera Belousova, whom he married in 1944, also received the label of “traitor to the Motherland.”

7. The artist’s burial place is still unknown

On March 26, 1951, Leshchenko was arrested by the Romanian state security authorities right during the concert, and a year later his wife was also arrested. Belousova was accused of treason and was sentenced to death, but then this sentence was commuted to 25 years in prison.

Two years later she was released with her criminal record cleared. Last days The outstanding singer spent his life in the Romanian prison hospital Tirgu Ocna. He died on July 16, 1954. The materials on Leshchenko’s case are still closed.