Rendering №14

The article published on the website of the newspaper “The St. Petersburg Times” on January 30, 2013 is headlined “On 75th Birthday, Legend Vysotsky’s Iconic Status Endures”. The article carries a lot of comment on the life and work of Vladimir Vysotsky, as well as, on different celebrations, commemorating his 75th birthday.

Speaking of Vladimir Vysotsky, it is necessary to note that he was a bard singer, poet and actor who lived the lifestyle of a playboy and was a symbol of patriotism for many Russians and, moreover, still remains one of the nation’s most outstanding icons. Besides, speaking of Vysotsky’s 75th birthday, it is interesting to note that it was widely marked by Russian and foreign fans over the weekend. In this connection it is worthwhile mentioning the fact that several concerts and exhibitions in honor of Vysotsky took place across Russia, including in Tambov, Penza, St. Petersburg and Moscow. In Rostov, fans placed a rock on the spot where they will later erect a monument to the singer. It was also revealed that Vysotsky’s son, Nikita, attended the opening of a museum to his father in Yekaterinburg, where locals and visitors can see the poet’s restored Mercedes, his wax statue, clothes and personal trinkets.

Besides, Russians could also watch a variety of Vysotsky-related television programs to mark the day, for instance, Channel One showed the film “Vysotsky: Thank God I’m Alive,” which is based on a real-life episode in the artist’s life. It is also interesting to point out that one of the documentary films shown on Rossia 1, titled “Vladimir Vysotsky: A Letter to Warren Beatty,” shows Vysotsky appealing to the acclaimed American actor in English. The film was recorded in Moscow and was the Russian singer’s introduction to an actor who was considering him for a role in his film “Reds,” about the life of the American communist journalist John Reed.

It is an open secret that the celebrations were not limited to Russia, for example, the staff of Poland’s Vladimir Vysotsky Museum in Koszalin held an international festival of documentary films and organized an exhibition of archived materials, including footage of Vysotsky rehearsing his role in “Vishnyovy Sad” and photographs from his Taganka Theater’s French tour in 1977. In this case it is necessary to point out that the festival guests came from as far away as Iran, Jordan and Oman.

In resolute terms the author of the article expresses the view that Vysotsky, who died in 1980, has cult status in Russia, and opinions of different people like Boris Spassky, Vera Shirokaya and Yury Saprykin confirm it. However, the author also makes it clear that the critic Yury Saprykin lamented in an article in Afisha magazine that the younger generation doesn’t recognize a lot of the famous quotes from the poet’s songs. Saprykin also gives a warning that when trying to present Vysotsky to a younger audience, movie producers have depicted him as an action hero of the “drugs, sex and rock-n-roll type.” One such depiction can be seen in the 2011 film “Vysotsky: Thank God I’m Alive,” which collected $27.4 million in theaters but disappointed critics. And the article concludes by saying that the film, based on the real-life episode of Vysotsky’s clinical death in Uzbekistan during a concert, focuses more on his romantic relationships and love of racing his Mercedes than on his songs.

As for me, I think that Vladimir Vysotsky was a talented actor, singer and songwriter and whose career had an immense and enduring effect on Russian culture. He is one of the renowned artists, actors, scientists, etc. who makes me proud for my country. He is a legend figure in Russian culture and to this day exerts significant influence on many of Russia's popular musicians and actors who wish to emulate his iconic status.