26 July 2006 (RFE/RL) -- Russians paid homage today to legendary Soviet underground folk singer Vladimir Vysotskii with a series of concerts and gatherings on the 25th anniversary of his death.
Famous for inventive lyrics and a gravelly voice, Vysotskii remains popular in a country that has changed immeasurably since his semi-clandestine performances in Soviet apartments.
Hundreds of people laid flowers at his grave in Moscow, many of them singing his songs.
A monument was unveiled in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, while state-controlled national television channels broadcast documentaries and films in which the poet-singer starred.
Vysotskii died aged 42 on July 25, 1980, after a battle with alcoholism.
(AFP)
Hundreds of people laid flowers at his grave in Moscow, many of them singing his songs.
A monument was unveiled in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, while state-controlled national television channels broadcast documentaries and films in which the poet-singer starred.
Vysotskii died aged 42 on July 25, 1980, after a battle with alcoholism.
(AFP)