One of positive qualities past musicians had a love for their work. If they started making music, they did it from the heart, and with great talent, without having anything in return. One of these people is our hero Lev Leshchenko. His biography is very extensive and very interesting.
It just so happened that Leo’s birth happened at the very height of the war, in 1942. His father went through the entire war, and after it did not leave military affairs. His mother died very young, and his father married a second time. And they had a daughter, the sister of the singer Valentina.
The father was very busy in the service, so little Lev was raised by the whole regiment; he ate only in the army canteen. He was also a grandfather and actively participated in the boy’s upbringing. And it was he who instilled in him a love of music, since he himself loved it very much. He constantly played the violin for his grandson and taught him to sing.
The singer spent his childhood in Sokolniki. He was a very developed child, he took part in all the clubs. What did he not do? But soon his singing director convinced him that he needed to focus on music. The boy listened and soon became a star at school concerts.
After graduating from school, he really wanted to take up his education, but unfortunately his dreams did not come true, which made him very sad. He went to work as a laborer in a theater. Then he moved to the factory. And then the singer began his army service. He really wanted to be a sailor, but his father convinced him that it was better to tank forces. Soon he began to participate in the song and dance ensemble, on the advice of the commander. He was appointed soloist. He became actively involved in this activity. He led concerts, sang, read poetry. And at the same time he continued to prepare for admission to the theater.
After returning from the army, the first thing the artist did was to enroll. But the exams at the institute were already over at that time. The commission decided to give the singer a chance. He sang the aria, but did not particularly impress the commission. But they decided to accept him. But his studies benefited him. Already, after a year, his singing changed a lot. While in his second year, he went to work in operetta.
Soon he became an operetta theater artist. And later he became a soloist at the USSR State Television and Radio. Received many awards and prizes. After 11 years, he became an honored artist, which he was very happy about. And six years later he rose to the rank of People's Artist.
Lev Leshchenko: height and weight
Arista is 180 cm tall and weighs 67 kg.
Lev Leshchenko and his wife Irina Leshchenko
Lev and Irina have a second marriage. They met in 1976, when the singer was on tour in Sochi. She trained as a diplomat in Hungary. As Leshchenko himself says, he fell in love with her at first sight. She charmed him both visually and internally. She was a very impressive girl, with style and charm. The only thing was that she was too thin, which was not to his taste. She also amazed him by the fact that she was indifferent to him as a singer. Lev Leshchenko and his wife Irina Leshchenko have been happily married for 30 years.
As for his first wife, she, like him, was a creative person. Her name was Alla Abdalova. They were married to her for ten whole years, but as they say, they did not get along in character. Two identical professions did not get along in one family. They separated, then got back together. But it didn't work out. As the singer says, you cannot step into the same river twice. And they parted completely. Alla herself regrets that this happened, but Leo is very happy with his second wife.
Lev Leshchenko and his children
It so happened that Leo has no children. Yes, this is a big sadness for him. With their first wife they had no time for children. Each was pursuing their own career, but soon they separated. But with the second wife everything is tragic. Not long after the wedding, the couple learned that Irina was childless, and they forever came to terms with this thought. In all the articles Lev Leshchenko and his children, it is written that they do not exist. Although the hero himself dreamed of big family. He wanted at least five children. But fate acted differently. It's a shame for their family.
Lev Leshchenko, personal life, biography
Let's go through the singer's personal life once again. The hero's first marriage failed. But the second one became very happy for him. In thirty years of marriage, he had never looked at another woman. As the artist himself says, every time he falls in love with his wife like the first. His only real regret is that he never had a child. Lev Leshchenko, personal life, biography of the singer is very full of interesting facts. And different stories.
Family of Lev Leshchenko
Unfortunately, our hero never managed to create a full-fledged family. But the singer does not regret anything. He is happy with his wife. As Lev Leshchenko says, family for him is his beloved wife. And he doesn't need more. Soon he took charge of his brainchild.
A couple of years later this theater became a state theater. Our hero has been teaching at the institute for many years. There are a huge number of celebrities among his students. More than ten records were released. In 1999, his personal star appeared. He even managed to write his own book about himself and his predecessors. He even has a medal for services to the fatherland, fourth degree. These are not all awards and achievements. There are many of them. To this day he is loved and respected, and is considered an authority in the music world.
Lev Leshchenko is a golden baritone of the Soviet era, a singer whose biography and personal life have always been a topic of discussion.
Biography
The biography and personal life of Lev Leshchenko amazes with its rapid rise and unexpected turns - from a stage worker at the Bolshoi Theater to a popularly beloved artist, a full holder of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland.
https://youtu.be/nHvkhKxUbt0
Childhood and family
Lev Leshchenko was born in 1942, in Moscow. He inherited the gift of singing from his grandfather Andrei Vasilyevich, a Ukrainian by nationality. My grandfather was involved in music all his life: he sang in the choir and played string instruments.
But father Valeryan Andreevich, born in 1904, connected his life with service in the NKVD troops, rose to high ranks in the KGB, was awarded many times and, just a year short of his centenary.
Lev Leshchenko lost his mother early, and when he was six years old, she was replaced by his stepmother.
The most early childhood Lev passed among the army barracks, he was considered something like a “son of the regiment” and a brave foreman was involved in his upbringing. And then the father had no time for his son.
Lev Leshchenko in his youth and nowLeshchenko's pioneering years were spent in a painful search for his true destiny: he tried himself in the dramatic field, dreamed of the theater, sang in the choir. It was the choirmaster of the House of Pioneers who advised him to concentrate on singing. Leshchenko’s repertoire at that time consisted mainly of popular songs by Utesov.
The first attempt to break into theater universities was unsuccessful. I had to learn other professions: stage worker, assembly mechanic. He was drafted into the army and, under the patronage of his father, ended up in the GSVG.
Lev Leshchenko in the army In the army he joined the song and dance ensemble of the 2nd Guards tank army in Germany. In this team I gained the necessary experience, and after demobilization I managed to enter GITIS.
The talented student was noticed, and already in his second year he was invited to join the troupe of the famous Operetta Theater. The singing career began.
Carier start
After four years After working in operetta, Leshchenko went to work at the State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company and dramatically changed his repertoire: he began to perform arias from classical operas.
In the early seventies, Leshchenko collaborated with the Silantyev and Rozhdestvensky orchestras, performing works by Frenkel and Rodion Shchedrin. First big success comes in 70: Leshchenko becomes a laureate of the All-Union Variety Artists Competition for performing songs by Oscar Feltsman.
In 1972, international recognition came: Leshchenko performed brilliantly at the Golden Orpheus competitions in Bulgaria and Sopot in Poland.
Lev Leshchenko beginning of his career The singer's popularity in the 70s became incredible. Fans are seriously interested in the biography and personal life of Lev Leshchenko, and collect his photos.
Leshchenko becomes the main performer of songs on patriotic themes, tours the entire Soviet Union and the countries of the socialist camp with concerts, and receives Lenin Komsomol awards.
Of course, Leshchenko’s main song of those years was “Victory Day” by composer Tukhmanov. It was first performed in 1975, and since then the words “a holiday with tears in our eyes” have become popular.
Lev Leshchenko - “Victory Day” 1975 The most important songs of Leshchenko from the repertoire of the 70s:
- "For that guy"
- "Love, Komsomol and Spring"
- "Thank you for the silence"
- "I love you, capital"
- "Nightingale Grove"
- "Don't cry, girl"
- "Parent's House"
- “The Gravity of the Earth” and others.
Music and films
The 80s were a time of great changes in the biography and personal life of Lev Leshchenko - this included life with a new young wife, and new heights in song and musical creativity.
Duet of Leshchenko and Antsiferova “Goodbye, Moscow!” became the farewell song of the Moscow Olympics, and the song quickly gained worldwide fame, and Leshchenko’s photo appeared on the pages of international publications.
During these years, Leshchenko tried himself in a new role: he created VIA “Spektr”.
Duet of Leshchenko and Antsiferova at the 80 Olympics In 1990, another significant revolution occurred in the biography and personal life of singer Lev Leshchenko - he headed the Musical Agency theater, which later received state status. The theater is engaged concert activities and organizing tours, as well as producing television films such as “Military Field Romance”, “10 Years of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia”, “In the Wave of My Memory” and others.
During his creative career, Leshchenko released 28 discs of various formats. They are invariably in demand, network users download them to iTunes.
In total, Lev Leshchenko took part in 15 videos, including together with popular young performers: the group “Disco Accident”, Lada Dance, Angelica Agurbash and others.
Lev Leshchenko and Anzhelika Agurbash During his creative career, Lev Leshchenko starred in ten films, sometimes in a cameo role, that is, playing himself. The most famous of these paintings:
- "The Path to Saturn"
- "Old songs about the main thing"
- "Doomed to become a star."
Lev Leshchenko Honored and National artist RSFSR, winner of many song awards, full holder of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland.
Lev Leshchenko in the film “Doomed to Be a Star” Personal life
The biography and personal life of Lev Leshchenko is such that he has no children. Leshchenko met his first wife, singer Albina Abdalova, at GITIS. They got married in 1966 and were married for ten years.
For many years, the first wife of Lev Leshchenko lived in seclusion, without giving any interviews and without disclosing details of her biography and personal life, and only in last years broke her vow of silence.
Lev Leshchenko met his new young wife on tour in Sochi, when they rode together in the same elevator. Amazingly, then Irina had no idea who was in front of her, and mistook Lev for some respectable gangster.
Lev and Irina Leshchenko Albina became aware of her husband's whirlwind romance, and she suggested breaking up. For the sake of his future young wife, Lev Leshchenko decided to make a sharp change in his biography and personal life, and filed for divorce from his first wife.
Since 1978, Lev and Irina Leshchenko have been considered one of the strongest and most harmonious families in Russian show business. Undoubtedly, Lev Leshchenko’s wife, a then young woman born in 54, dreamed of children, but her biography and personal life were predetermined by the doctors’ diagnosis of “infertility.” However, this did not affect their future relationship in any way.
Irina Leshchenko is one of the ascetic wives. For the sake of her family and husband, she gave up her own career. Leshchenko himself says that she skillfully manages the entire household, and he turns into a “henpecked” man at home. For him, his beloved wife is “a person against whom there are no complaints.”
Lev Leshchenko and his wife Irina Irina Leshchenko said in one of her interviews that the secret is long family life is that she never humiliated her husband with jealousy. Yes, he still has a whole army of fans, yes, young, beautiful backing vocalists always perform on stage with him. But this is part of his job, to be jealous of this is stupid.
Perhaps the most interesting fact in the life of Lev Leshchenko is his long-term friendship with Vladimir Vinokur.
They met 48 years ago, when young Vinokur, who had just returned from the army, came to enroll in GITIS. Leshchenko played a prank on him, introducing himself as a member of the selection committee and forcing him to sing, dance and read fables. Later, mutual friendly pranks became an integral part of their lives.
Lev Leshchenko with friend Vladimir Vinokur Over the years, there have never been any conflicts or quarrels between friends. Vinokur is admittedly Leshchenko’s best parodist, but he never took offense, but began to parody in response, and it turned out no less funny.
When Vinokur miraculously survived a car accident in Germany in 1992, the first to come to his aid were Kobzon and Leshchenko.
Artists Lev Leshchenko, Vladimir Vinokur, Kobzon A few more not so widely known facts from the singer's life:
- Leshchenko’s first role on the stage of the Operetta Theater consisted of one phrase: “Let me warm up”
- Leshchenko's first entertainer at the concert was Gennady Khazanov.
- On the Square of Stars near the Rossiya concert hall there is a star of Lev Leshchenko.
- Leshchenko himself writes the lyrics to some of his songs.
- He was an honored guest of the KUBANA rock festival.
- In 2001 he published the book “Apology of Memory”.
- Leshchenko is an active sports fan.
- Lev Leshchenko wrote the text of the corporate anthem of the Lukoil company.
- Leshchenko taught at the Gnessin School, and among his students were Katya Lel, Varvara, Khlebnikova and other famous performers.
- Leshchenko gave more than ten thousand concerts during his career.
Lev Leshchenko on stage Lev Leshchenko now
In 2016, Lev Leshchenko, quite unexpectedly, became a participant in an international scandal. Democrats used his image in the US election race. In the commercial, Leshchenko was introduced by Russian billionaire Aras Agalarov, who sponsors Donald Trump's campaign headquarters. Leshchenko took this news rather ironically and abandoned the idea of suing American PR people.
In 2017, Lev Leshchenko celebrated his 75th birthday summer anniversary. In honor of this date, a large concert “Me and My Friends” took place at the State Kremlin Palace. In addition to the hero of the day, Vinokur, Soso Pavliashvili and many other Russian pop stars took part in the concert.
Stas Mikhailov congratulates Lev Leshchenko on his anniversary The hero of the day received many warm congratulations, including from the country's top leadership. Lev Leshchenko was called a symbol of the era, an integral part of the country’s history, and his songs were called the cultural code of a generation.
Last year, the premiere of the film “The Last Hero” was a huge success, with Lev Leshchenko taking part in the recording of the soundtrack.
In 2018, Lev Leshchenko became a confidant of the candidate in the presidential elections of the Russian Federation.
Lev Leshchenko took part in the last sad events - farewells to Dmitry Hvorostovsky and Vladimir Shainsky. He said with bitterness about Hvorostovsky that he again attracted a full house.
Lev Leshchenko at farewell to Vladimir Shainsky The secret of Lev Leshchenko’s unfading popularity is worthy of separate study. The wonderful texture, the unique timbre of the voice, the acting charm played their role, but there were other singers with no less good abilities, but where are they now? Their names have sunk into oblivion, they are forgotten.
Meanwhile, those who are familiar with the era of the 70s and 80s first-hand know that the attitude towards the work of Lev Leshchenko was ambiguous. Many critical arrows were fired at him.
Lev Leshchenko was reproached for his overly pretentious manner of performance, for his passion for performing loyal songs in the spirit of “love, Komsomol and spring.” Among the intelligentsia he was called the singer of officialdom and, in a sense, the antipode of Vladimir Vysotsky.
Lev Leshchenko “Big things are seen from a distance,” and now, after years, it becomes clear that many of these reproaches were unfair. Few people know that in 1979 Leshchenko made the film “Rehearsal before the Performance,” which was simply banned by censorship. Lapin, head of the State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company, called this work ideological sabotage. In the film, Leshchenko appeared as a guy in jeans, and the disco-rock music was written by the then unknown Vyacheslav Dobrynin.
In those days, many popular artists and performers faced a dilemma: either behave correctly and do what your superiors expect from you, or get blacklisted and disappear from radio and television screens, losing the opportunity to perform on stage. Not everyone became dissidents, which is why they made certain compromises.
Lev Leshchenko and Vyacheslav Dobrynin If Leshchenko had behaved any differently, the fate of Valery Obodzinsky could have awaited him, who, despite all his enormous talent, was simply “cut off” and disappeared from view of listeners for decades.
In the end, the viewer and listener are always right. And Lev Leshchenko still has a listener. His CDs are bought, there are never empty halls at his concerts. And that means he found his way to the hearts of people. For a singer, there is no greater reward than being in demand among the audience.
Lev Leshchenko It’s no secret that vocal abilities inevitably decline with age, but Leshchenko still has a “wow” voice, and he can easily give a head start to many young performers. It looks great, will keep excellent physical fitness, moves well on stage. Sometimes it seems that the years simply have no power over him.
I would like to hope that Lev Valeryanovich’s best song has not yet been sung. There will be more new concerts and new unforgettable hits. Leshchenko himself taught us that almost every song he performed became a hit.
https://youtu.be/G6WZjuzl7Es
Lev Leshchenko is a popular Soviet and Russian pop singer, vocal teacher, and owner of one of the most pleasant and recognizable baritones in Russia. People's Artist of the RSFSR (1983). Over the long and fruitful years of his work, Leshchenko gave about 10 thousand concerts and recorded more than 700 songs, the most famous of which are “Victory Day” and “Farewell.”Childhood and family
Lev Valeryanovich Leshchenko was born in Moscow, in the Sokolniki region, during wartime - February 1, 1942. His father, Valeryan Andreevich, worked as an accountant before the war, and after the Victory he was awarded with orders and medals for participation in the Great Patriotic War, in the post-war period he served in the KGB border troops. He died at a ripe old age, just a year shy of his centenary. 
Lev's mother, Klavdia Petrovna, an economist, died at the age of 28, a year and eight months after the birth of her son. Of course, Lev doesn’t remember much about her, but from the words of his relatives he knows that he inherited his impulsive temperament from his mother, because his father was an extremely calm person.
From 1947 to 1948, Lev lived in the Ukrainian village of Nizy with relatives on his father’s side, but when it was time to go to first grade, his father took him to Moscow. At this time, the boy had a stepmother, Marina Leshchenko, whom the artist later always remembered with warmth and gratitude. In 1949, she gave birth to her husband’s daughter Valentina.
The family lived from hand to mouth, huddled in a 16-meter-long room, although Lev’s father had already risen to the rank of major by that time. Hot water and a bathroom appeared in the Leshchenko family only when Valeryan Andreevich received the rank of lieutenant colonel and with it an apartment near the Voikovskaya metro station.
Leva often went to military unit, where his father served, which is why they called him the son of the regiment. He dined only in the soldiers' canteen, went to the cinema in formation and practiced at the shooting range. From the age of four Leo wore military uniform, rode on soldier's skis in winter, which were three times longer than the boy himself.
Little Lev often visited his grandfather Andrei Leshchenko, who was very fond of music and often played the old violin for his grandson and taught Lev to sing. Since childhood, the boy was fond of the songs of Leonid Utesov, so when the opportunity arose, he joined the choir at the House of Pioneers, and at school he began performing with the compositions of his favorite artist.
After school, Leshchenko tried to enter the theater GITIS, but it did not work out for him. Therefore, until 1960, he worked as a simple stagehand at the Bolshoi Theater. Moreover, everyone in the theater was aware of the desire young man and had nothing against him sitting in the back rows and watching the rehearsals. Then Lev, listening to his father, who wondered why such a smart boy was carrying decorations, worked at a precision measuring instruments factory as a fitter and received the fourth grade. 
In 1961, the future artist was drafted into the army. Lev Valeryanovich wanted to be a sailor, but his father sent him to serve in the tank forces in the GDR. This is where his plumbing skills and vocal abilities came in handy. In 1962, the unit command sent the singer to a military song and dance ensemble, where Leshchenko soon became a soloist. He was entrusted with singing in a quartet, conducting concerts, as well as reading poetry and singing solo. In the army, Lev Leshchenko continued his preparation for entering a theater university.
Carier start
After the service, yesterday's soldier came to GITIS again. By that time, the entrance exams had already ended, but Lev was given a chance because he bright talent managed to remember. Over the years of military service, the guy forgot about his shyness, became more relaxed, and therefore passed the tests. Even though members admissions committee The material he had chosen for listening was not highly rated, and Leshchenko was enrolled in Pyotr Selivanov’s course. 
Studying at GITIS transformed Leo. A year later, no one doubted that a real artist was studying on the course. As a sophomore, Leshchenko got a job at the Operetta Theater, although the operetta genre itself did not appeal to him. His first role was as a sinner in the production of “Orpheus in Hell” with only one remark: “Let me warm up.” But that was only the beginning. As Lev Valeryanovich himself said, he studied with Pokrovsky, Efros and Zavadsky.
The larger role was Vittorio from the production of “The Circus Lights Up,” but, as Lev complained, it was not a singing role at all. Leshchenko’s character was already elderly, and his make-up was extremely poor. And then the artist realized that with such a bass-baritone in the operetta, he could only play the roles of the fathers of the main characters and villains, and he left the theater.
At the same time, work began at Mosconcert. Lev Leshchenko was in the trainee group, and during summer holidays the young artist went on tour throughout the USSR with concert crews.
Creative flourishing
In 1966, Lev Leshchenko became an artist at the Moscow Operetta Theater, and five years later he was already a soloist-vocalist of the USSR State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company. Joseph Kobzon advised him to go there. They took part in a joint concert, and Leshchenko sang the part of the old gypsy from the opera “Aleko”. Kobzon advised his colleague to try his luck on the radio, and, as it turned out, Lev Valeryanovich, despite his academic vocals, was simply created for pop work. He could sing anything. 
In the spring of 1970, the artist won the fourth All-Union Variety Artists Competition. Two years later, Lev Valeryanovich became a laureate of the international competition “Golden Orpheus” (Bulgaria) and won in Sopot (Poland) with the song by Mark Fradkin based on the verses of Robert Rozhdestvensky “For that guy”.
Lev Leshchenko - “For that guy”
Significant for its musical career and the singer always considered his achievement to be David Tukhmanov’s song “Victory Day,” beloved by the entire Union, which Leshchenko first performed on May 9, 1975. It was in his performance that this song found its sound and found a response in the hearts of listeners.
In parallel with Leshchenko, the song was entrusted to Leonid Smetannikov. But his performance did not catch the attention of the front-line soldiers. “Some kind of foxtrot,” the veterans were indignant, “and a coal, what a coal, there was a flame burning there!..” Fearing a scandal, the song was shelved. But Leshchenko took the risk of performing it at a concert on the occasion of Police Day (“Victory Day” closed the program) and the next day he received a huge number of letters.
During these years, Lev Valeryanovich continued to record songs that became hits, including “Thank you for the silence,” “Don’t cry, girl.”
Lev Leshchenko - “Victory Day”. 1975
The artist’s collaboration with Alexandra Pakhmutova and Nikolai Dobronravov turned out to be very fruitful. Leshchenko performed songs by the famous duet “We Can’t Live Without Each Other”, “Love, Komsomol and Spring”. Songs based on poems by Larisa Rubalskaya, Leonid Derbenev, and Yuri Vizbor were also popular.
In 1977, the singer was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the RSFSR, and a year later he was awarded an honorary prize named after the Lenin Komsomol. In 1980, Lev Leshchenko received the Order of Friendship of Peoples, and three years later, for outstanding services, he became People's Artist of the RSFSR. In 1985, the Order of the Badge of Honor appeared in the artist’s collection.
Lev Leshchenko and Tatyana Antsiferova - “Goodbye, Moscow” (1980)
In 1990, Lev Leshchenko became the head of the Musical Agency theater of variety performances. Two years later, the institution was given state status. “Musical Agency” today has united several groups and organized cooperation with most pop stars in Russia and neighboring countries. The theater's most successful project was the musical film "Military Field Romance" (1998), in which military-patriotic songs were performed by Lev Leshchenko, Vladimir Vinokur and Larisa Dolina.
For more than ten years, Lev Leshchenko has been working as a teacher at the Gnessin Music and Pedagogical Institute. His students became quite famous on the stage: Marina Khlebnikova, Olga Arefieva, Katya Lel, Varvara.
During his creative life, Lev Leshchenko released more than 10 records, magnetic albums and CDs. During my creative career Leshchenko performed and recorded joint songs with Valentina Tolkunova and Sofia Rotaru, Anna German and Tamara Gverdtsiteli.
Lev Leshchenko and Anna German - “Echo of Love” (1977)
In 2001, a book by Lev Leshchenko entitled “Apology for Memory” was published. In it, the artist spoke about his contemporaries and about his life. In the winter of 2002, Lev Leshchenko received the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, fourth degree.
Lev Leshchenko has a voluminous, soft, low baritone and at the same time a courageous and velvety timbre. Due to such a voice and thanks to his pleasant appearance and charm, the artist was very popular in his youth and middle age. His image contrasts with the assertive and abrupt demeanor on stage of Vladimir Vinokur, with whom the singer has often performed in tandem since the 90s. Moreover, Lev and Vladimir are very friendly, the singer even jokingly says that they have one mother between them.
In 2011, the artist participated in the television project “The Phantom of the Opera” on Channel One, where the singer professionally performed romances and arias from classical works. In February 2017, Leshchenko gave a concert at the Kremlin Palace in honor of his 75th birthday. His main hits together with the hero of the day were performed by Philip Kirkorov, Stas Mikhailov, Lolita and other Russian pop stars.
In October 2017, the famous singer was awarded “For Services to the Fatherland”, 1st degree. In the same year, the artist released new disk“I was waiting for the meeting” Although the artist’s repertoire includes hundreds of compositions, from which a huge number of full-fledged concert programs can be compiled, Lev Valeryanovich continues to work on new material. So, in 2018, Leshchenko released two new albums: “My last love" and "Created for You", which included both proven hits and unreleased compositions.
Personal life of Lev Leshchenko
The first wife of the People's Artist was singer Alla Abdalova. They met at GITIS (Lev was 2 years younger), and when Alla was finishing her fifth year, they got married. Together they sang the famous duet “Old Maple”.Lev Leshchenko and Alla Abdalova – “Old Maple”
In 1974, a crisis arose in their relationship, and the couple decided to live separately. A year later, Lev and Alla gave their marriage a second chance.
But in 1977, on tour in Sochi, Lev Valeryanovich met, as he later noted more than once in interviews, the love of his life. The lucky winner was Budapest University student Irina Bagudina (born 1954). She studied to become an economist as an exchange student in Hungary, and came to Sochi for the holidays. The girl did not recognize the artist as a celebrity, since she left for Budapest in 1971, when Leshchenko was just beginning his path to fame, and even mistook him for a mafioso, while Lev fell in love at first sight. She was 22, he was 34, but the age difference did not stop the feelings that overwhelmed them.
The student was on vacation, and Lev did not show up at home for three days, and when Irina flew back to Budapest, he returned to the apartment, where he found his suitcases packed - his wife guessed that he was having an affair. Leo thanked her for not causing a scandal and left her life. They failed to maintain friendly relations. Six months after the breakup, as Lev Valeryanovich claimed, Alla begged him to return, citing loneliness and the hardships of life. And he, leaving the apartment to his wife, moved in with his parents, called Budapest in the evenings and even learned a few phrases in Hungarian in order to ask Irina, who lived in the hostel, to answer the phone. In a month of such calls, he talked up 13 thousand rubles, a fabulous sum at that time - the new Volga was cheaper.
In 1978, Lev Leshchenko and Irina got married. For the sake of her husband, Irina left her career and became an assistant director at the Leshchenko Theater. Subsequently, Lev and Irina were unable to have children for health reasons, but this did not affect the strength of their marriage. In one of the interviews, Irina admitted that this fact caused Lev Valeryanovich pain for many years, but now everything is in the past.
Despite his age, the artist continues to be active in sports and enjoys basketball, tennis, and swimming. He is the honorary president of the basketball club of the city of Lyubertsy "Triumph". Lev Valeryanovich still surprises his wife. For example, when they were in Sochi, he invited his wife to take a walk along the pier. A moored boat caught her eye, and on its side was the word “Irchi” - that’s what Irina was called in Hungarian as a student. It turned out that the boat belonged to Lev Valeryanovich.
Lev Leshchenko now
Despite his age, Lev Leshchenko’s voice does not seem to notice the passing years. The singer watches him more seriously than his appearance. The main three rules of the artist: do not eat ice cream, do not drink vodka and do not spend sleepless nights. Leshchenko despises the phonogram: “the music was different, and even today’s generations are looking for these recordings on the Internet in order to somehow touch it.”
In October 2019, Lev Leshchenko performed at the White Cane charity concert, during which visually impaired children sang along with folk artists.
In 2019, Lev Leshchenko became president and artistic director of the Russian Bass music festival.
Lev Valeryanovich Leshchenko is a man whose name speaks for itself. Because he captivated Russian and Soviet citizens with his magnificent baritone. At the same time, it often turns out that both grandmothers and their granddaughters admired the singer. Because Leshchenko’s talent and his subtle humor do not fade over the years.
Lev Valeryanovich received the title of Honored Artist of Russia, since his contribution to the development of the culture of our country is simply colossal. At the same time, the man was not a representative of the golden youth, he simply set goals for himself and achieved their fulfillment at any cost.
Every person, starting from kindergarten, knows and loves the heroic song - the memory of all generations - “Victory Day”, which Lev Leshchenko has been performing for several decades.
Height, weight, age. How old is Lev Leshchenko
Many fans would sincerely like to clarify many of the physical parameters of their pet, including its height, weight, and age. How old Lev Leshchenko is is also no longer a universal secret, since the baritone’s anniversary programs are published with enviable regularity.
Lev Valeryanovich was born in 1942, so he was already seventy-two years old. Lev Leshchenko: the photo in his youth and now does not confirm his passport age, since he is fit, active, handsome and youthful.
According to the Zodiac sign - Aquarius - Leshchenko has such character traits as inconstancy, dreaminess, mystery, activity, but the Eastern horoscope gave her the sign of a self-confident, hardworking, stable, persistent, charismatic Horse.
Leshchenko Lev Valeryanovich is a real surname, since many people could not believe that a person could bear such sonorous data. As well as the fact that the man gave more than 10,000 concert programs and managed to record almost seven hundred songs.
Lev Leshchenko's height was one hundred and eighty centimeters, and his weight did not exceed sixty-seven kilograms. By the way, the great singer will live a long time, since his father lived until he was ninety-nine years old in sober mind and blessed memory.
Biography of Lev Leshchenko
The biography of Lev Leshchenko began from the moment of his birth in the capital of our Motherland at a time when a terrible war was going on around the world. The boy's parents had nothing to do with the world of theater or music.
Father - Valeryan Leshchenko - went through the entire Great Patriotic War, he served in the State Security Committee and border troops. By the way, before the war he was educated at a gymnasium and worked as an ordinary accountant at a vitamin factory.
Mother - Claudia Leshchenko - did not live long in this world, as she died a year after giving birth.
Sister - Yulia Leshchenko - was born four years after the marriage of their father and mother, nothing more is known about her.
The sister, Valentina Leshchenko, is a paternal stepmother, since she was born by her stepmother, to whom the guy was always grateful. The difference between brother and sister was seven years, but the guys were incredibly friendly. Valya received higher education, gave birth to a daughter, Valeria, and got married, but Lev constantly helped her in everything. Moreover, last year the woman was hospitalized due to complications from a cold, so she is undergoing rehabilitation.
Little Leva grew up without a mother, so his father assigned him to his own border unit, and Adjutant Andrei Fisenko became the nanny for the son of the regiment. The four-year-old boy wore a uniform, walked on army skis and marched with the soldiers.
Afterwards he settled in Sokolniki, where he went to school and several clubs at the same time, since in addition to vocals he also studied in a brass band, choir, recitation club and swam in the pool. Moreover, at the insistence of the choirmaster, Leva began to study only vocals, abandoning other studies.
The highlight of Leshchenko’s performances was the performance of Leonid Utesov’s songs not only at school concerts, but also at citywide events. But the guy was unable to enter the theater school, so he worked either at a factory as a mechanic or as a stage worker at the Bolshoi Theater. At my father’s request, I ended up not in the Marine Fleet, but in the tank forces, and even in the group of Soviet troops in Germany. There he continued to sing, conducted amateur performances and concerts, and after his service he entered GITIS and began serving at the Operetta Theater, touring as part of a concert crew throughout the USSR.
In 1971, Leshchenko joined the State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company. Soviet Union as a soloist, in which he constantly became a laureate of most competitions. Among the patriotic hits that have been recorded since 1975 we can confidently include “Victory Day”, “The Ballad of the Mother”, “In Dazzling White”, “Where Have You Been”, “Let’s Talk”, “For That Guy”, “Nightingale Grove”, “Meadow Grass”, “Old Maple”, “Goodbye, Moscow!”.
In addition to his solo career, Leshchenko performed compositions in duets with Tolkunova and Senchina, the groups Megapolis and Lyceum, Alsou and Jasmine. He starred in the films “Yurkin Dawns”, “Old Songs about the Main Thing”, “Doomed to Become a Star”, “The Path to Saturn”, “Looking for the Dawn”.
Lev Valeryanovich wrote several memoirs, he is a prominent public figure, who is also a corporate poet for several industrial giants.
Leshchenko enjoys football and tennis, basketball and swimming, and also enjoys collecting parodies of his beloved self. He is involved in charity work, helping orphanages, children with disabilities and gifted basketball children.
Personal life of Lev Leshchenko
The personal life of Lev Leshchenko has always been under the radar of his friends, fans and ill-wishers. At the same time, the man was always considered prominent and talented, and therefore was known as the first groom in the USSR.
By the way, Leshchenko often said that he loves absolutely all women, since performing for them is eroticism, a kind of sacrament and the spread of such fluids, from which new fans are born.
For a long time there were rumors that Lev Valeryanovich had affairs with his partners in different years of his life, but he calls Tolkunova, Chursina, Sviridova, Apina and Koroleva his mothers and stage sisters, but far from his mistresses or spouses. Although he often says that he falls in love with every scene partner, considering them his favorites.
Family of Lev Leshchenko
Lev Leshchenko's family was unusual, since he lost his mother early and almost never saw his father, since he served in the KGB. At the same time, the boy was raised by his father’s colleagues, that is, he was considered a real son of the regiment. By the way, Leva’s only friend was his paternal grandfather Andrei, who loved music and often played an ancient violin for his grandson. He infected his grandson with singing, as well as his love for Leonid Utesov, whose songs his grandfather and Leva sang in duet.
By the way, the Leshchenko family is quite old, since it dates back to his great-grandfather, a serf, who became a baker in Bila Tserkva. Leva had a stepmother, Marina Leshchenko, who raised him and put him on his feet, so the man is still grateful to her.
Children of Lev Leshchenko
The children of Lev Leshchenko never came into this world, although the man was happily married twice. At the same time, the man officially said that he never wanted children because he was busy with his career.
However, his ex-wife Alla Abdalova, amid a frank conversation, admitted that she was pregnant with Leshchenko’s child, but had several abortions from him, since the singer never said that he loved her, and the woman wanted to be confident in the future.
Alla claims that she now regrets this, since she could have given birth to a son, and then two twin sons from her husband, if she had consulted him and had a heart-to-heart talk.
At the same time, the second wife Irina was much younger than her chosen one, but she had problems with women's health, so I couldn’t give my other half the children he dreamed of.
Ex-wife of Lev Leshchenko - Alla Abdalova
Lev Leshchenko’s ex-wife, Alla Abdalova, appeared in the singer’s life when he was in his third year and she was in her fifth year at GITIS. Moreover, Alla was a year older than the guy, since he entered the university after the army.
The guys met in a dance class when Lev said that Alla or Albina was incredibly similar to the singer’s niece. At the same time, the girl asked to visit to look at little Lera, and the stepmother decided that this was his future wife.
After classes, Lev would accompany Alla home, and then she would accompany him, and then everything would repeat itself again, often until dark. Before they legalized their relationship in 1966, the young people lived together for seven years, but not in the same house, but secluded themselves either with Lev’s parents or with Albina’s sister.
The guys organized their own ensemble, “Old Maple,” and began to perform many of Leshchenko’s songs with the light hand of his wife; for example, he didn’t like “Victory Day” so much that he flatly refused to perform it in public until Albina asked.
The woman was not only the artist’s wife, but also recorded with him in a duet the compositions “Old Maple”, “Yurka Dawns”, “Song of Young Neighbors”. She for a long time worked at the Mosconcert, retired, and now lives alone, sings in church and abuses alcohol.
At the same time, in a few interviews, she says that she herself let go of her beloved Leshchenko in 1976, because he began to cheat on her with the younger Ira Bagudina. She had not seen her husband for three decades, even on television.
Lev Leshchenko's wife - Irina Leshchenko
Lev Leshchenko’s wife, Irina Leshchenko, came from a family of diplomats; she lived in Germany throughout her childhood and received a higher education in economics at the University of Budapest.
At the same time, young people met in 1976 in Sochi, where Ira spent her holidays. However, the girl lived in Hungary, so she didn’t know who Lev was, so she mistook him for a mafia leader. Leshchenko admitted that the beautiful Irishka, who was twelve years younger than him, became his love at first sight.
The man did not return home for several weeks, and when he returned, he saw the suitcase packed by his wife. The marriage took place in 1978, and Irina made some sacrifices. For example, she moved from Budapest to the USSR, and also changed her type of activity.
Irina Leshchenko worked for a long time as an assistant director at her husband’s famous theater.
Instagram and Wikipedia Lev Leshchenko
Instagram and Wikipedia of Lev Leshchenko exist in official mode, since all the information from them is relevant and reliable. The fact is that from a rather extensive article on Wikipedia you can clarify data about childhood, education, family origins, hobbies, and studies at GITIS. There is also information about the work, discography, filmography, books, parodies and social activities of Lev Valeryanovich.
Leshchenko’s Instagram has already been followed by 16,000 people, but it is not officially active. Therefore, no one will bear any responsibility for the relevance of the information.
A trim figure, military bearing, soft facial features, a kind smile - this is Lev Valeryanovich. If you don’t know for sure, then it’s impossible to guess how old Leshchenko Lev is. But the singer is so famous that almost everyone knows his age.
The year of birth of Lev Leshchenko is 1942, the very height of the Great Patriotic War. His childhood occurred during the hungry post-war period, but the singer remembers it only with warmth. Nowadays, like half a century ago, Lev Leshchenko is still famous. The biography and personal life of this talented person deserve attention and, of course, are of interest to admirers of his work.
Family and childhood
The year of birth of Lev Leshchenko, as mentioned earlier, is 1942. His parents were happy when they had a boy on February 1st. The father was especially happy. Being already a career military man, he was really looking forward to his son. This event happened in Moscow, so the singer is a native Muscovite, and his entire childhood was spent in Sokolniki.
The Leshchenko family has its roots in the village of Nizy, Sumy district, Kharkov province. The singer’s grandfather, Andrei Vasilyevich Leshchenko, came from there, who in 1900 moved to the Kursk province (the village of Lyubimovka). There he worked at a sugar factory as an accountant. It was from him that Leo inherited absolute pitch and a unique voice. Andrei Vasilyevich played the violin in a factory quartet, and also sang in a church choir. The grandson often visited his grandfather and received his first music and vocal lessons from him.
The singer's father, Leshchenko Valeryan Andreevich, was born in 1904 and lived a long life, making an excellent military career. After graduating from high school in Kursk, he got a job at a neighboring state farm, then, following the assignment received in 1931, he moved to Moscow. He worked as an accountant, like his father. After being drafted into the Red Army military labor didn't leave it anymore. First he took part in the Finnish campaign of 1939-40, then the Great War broke out Patriotic War. He went from soldier to officer and retired with the rank of colonel. He was awarded many medals and orders. Despite the trials that befell him, he turned out to be a long-liver; Valeryan Andreevich died at the age of 99. As a child, Leva spent a lot of time with his father, went to shooting ranges, ate in the soldiers’ canteen, he was, as everyone called him, “the son of the regiment.” The father could not keep track of the nimble child, so sergeant major Andrei Fisenko was assigned to him. How old was Leshchenko Lev when he first put on a military uniform? This is very interesting fact: at the age of only 4 years, he decided to try on the uniform, and in addition stood on soldier’s skis, which were three times longer than himself!
The singer's mother, Claudia Petrovna Leshchenko, was born in 1915, but did not live long. In 1943, a year after the birth of her son, she died. She was only 28 years old. Lev Leshchenko’s house was left without feminine warmth for five whole years. In 1948, his father married Marina Mikhailovna, who gave birth to Lev’s sister, Valentina Valerianovna. The boy’s relationship with his stepmother was excellent; the artist still remembers her with love. The adoptive mother raised her stepson as her own, not depriving him of attention and affection.
School time
Since childhood, Leva dreamed of a career as an artist, listening to Utesov’s songs. The beginning of his creative career was laid at the Palace of Pioneers. Not yet deciding what he liked best, the boy attended two clubs: choir and drama. In the first he sang, and in the second he read poetry with rapture. After some time, not a single regional or city amateur show was complete without the vociferous Leo. Soon the boy gave preference to vocals; the teachers completely agreed with his choice. The voice was wonderful, but the lessons in the drama club were not in vain: Leo was no stranger to artistry.
Young Lev Leshchenko
The biography of this period covers the formation of the artist’s personality and mastery of the profession. His school years flew by, and young Lev went to enroll in a theater institute. The first attempt was unsuccessful. The young man decided not to leave the stage and got a job as a simple worker at the Bolshoi Theater. Then he still had to leave there and work for some time as a fitter at a factory.
Having received a summons to the army, Leshchenko sought to get into the naval ship, but his father “tried”, and his son ended up in a tank instead of a ship. Lev was sent to serve in a group of Soviet troops in Germany. There, the young soldier was noticed for his voice and remained a soloist in the song and dance ensemble until the end of his service.
In the army, Leshchenko did not forget about his intention to study at the theater. Returning to civilian life, the persistent guy appeared for the fourth time before the admissions committee, which was more favorable and accepted him into the musical comedy department. So Leshchenko became a student at GITIS. In his second year, he played the role of the Sinner in the production of “Orpheus in Hell” at the Operetta Theater. And this was the first step to worldwide fame.
Pop singer Lev Leshchenko
The biography of this time in the artist’s life is the acquisition of fame combined with incredible hard work. After a successful debut in 1966, the singer became a full member of the Moscow Operetta Theater. But the young artist did not want such fame: he dreamed of tours, an enthusiastic audience, he was drawn to the big stage. Four years later, in 1970, he was accepted by the USSR State Television and Radio. Many experienced singers could only dream of such an invitation. From that moment on, a pop career began: recording songs, live broadcasts on the radio... His talent was recognized by the Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra, with which the singer performed.
Popularity grew steadily, Leshchenko became the first number on the Soviet stage. The song “For that guy” was the first sign. And the artist truly became famous when he performed the immortal song “Victory Day” by David Tukhmanov. It was first performed in 1975 and became the calling card of Lev Leshchenko.
Awards and titles
The work of such a talented singer as Lev Leshchenko has been repeatedly noted by the state. The biography of this artist is worth studying! The performer deserved it a large number of titles and awards, some of which I would like to mention here:
1. Honored Artist of the RSFSR - 1977.
2. People's Artist of the RSFSR - 1983.
3. Order of the Badge of Honor - 1989.
4. Order of Friendship of Peoples - 1980.
5. Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" II, III and IV degrees;
6. “Golden Gramophone” - 2009.
When the USSR ceased to exist, the singer did not sit without work for a minute. In 1990, he created the Music Agency and began organizing tours, presentations, concerts...
The artist continues to give concerts and go on tour. Lev Leshchenko discovered his talent as a teacher: among his students there are such celebrities as Marina Khlebnikova, Katya Lel, Varvara... His wonderful duet with best friend Vladimir Vinokur is known to everyone and enjoys success both in our country and abroad. Lev Valeryanovich wrote the book “Apology for Memory”, in which he talked about his life.
Lev Leshchenko: biography, personal life
In his personal life, the singer is happy; he was married twice. Lev Leshchenko's first wife, Alla Aleksandrovna Abdalova, was an actress and singer, with whom he lived for 10 years, from 1966 to 1976.
With his second wife, Irina Pavlovna Bagudina, the singer started a family in 1978 and found true family happiness. They have no children, which Lev Valeryanovich regrets.
Interesting facts from the life of the famous singer
Lev Leshchenko has a very eventful life; there have been many different incidents over many years of creative activity.
Interesting Facts:
1. In 1980, at the closing of the Olympics, Lev Leshchenko and Tatyana Antsiferova performed a song that brought all listeners to tears - “Goodbye, Moscow.” The Olympic Bear flew into the sky to this song.
2. Leonid Brezhnev was very fond of songs performed by Leshchenko; no one dared to turn off the TV during the singer’s performance.
3. In 1970, Leshchenko miraculously survived. He was about to tour the south with his musicians and parodist V. Chistyakov. But he was not allowed to leave Moscow, as he had an important speech to perform in the capital. The plane took off without him, there was a plane crash, people died. Such vicissitudes of fate.
4. In the 80s, the singer gave concerts in Afghanistan. On the way to Jalalabad, the escort fell behind and the car stalled. At this time they were attacked by dushmans. Only the newly started engine saved the passengers of the GAZ car, including Lev Leshchenko, from certain death: the attackers did not have time to reach the frightened travelers.
