Александр Башлачёв (Alexander Bashlachev)

In his short but brilliant career, rock poet Alexander Bashlachev served as a liaison between the bard music popular in the U.S.S.R. from 1950-1980 and the subsequent rock & roll movement of the '80s and '90s. Matching his lyrics with guitar melodies inspired by Vladimir Vysotsky and Bulat Okudzhava, Bashlachev bridged artistic genres, introducing the idealism and integrity of Russian poetry and prose into popular music. Bashlachev's music and lyrics affirmed the uniqueness of the Russian people in their ability to retain their individuality in the most trying times, and inspi...