Egor Letov

Abstract

Egor (Igor’) Fedorovich Letov, a Siberian singer-songwriter, poet, musician, sound producer, and graphic artist, was born 10 September 1964 in Omsk, USSR, and died 19 February 2008 in Omsk, Russian Federation. Letov is most frequently associated with his songwriting. He wrote and recorded nearly 600 songs, co-authorship excluded. However, in two periods of his life, between 1982-86 and 1994-97, he wrote mainly poems. Many of these were published in the collection Stikhi (Verse, 2003/2011). His main musical project, the band Grazhdanskaia oborona (abbr. Grob or GO, named after the Soviet school classes in civil defence) released roughly fifty full-length albums during its existence (1984-2008). As if this alone does not testify to Letov’s artistic productivity, his combined side projects count another twenty-five releases (solo albums and recordings by his other musical projects Posev, Egor i opizdenevshie, Kommunizm, and others). In addition come concert albums, compilations, and albums by other artists produced and/or part accompanied by Letov.