Lev Valerianovich Leshchenko, born on February 1, 1942, in Moscow, Soviet Union,
was a Russian singer. Raised by his stepmother and grandparents after his
mother's early death, Leshchenko began performing songs during his childhood. He
worked as a stagehand at the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre before being
conscripted into the Soviet Army in 1961.
Leshchenko's breakthrough came in February 1970 when he won a contest held by
the state radio station, becoming a solo vocalist. His rendition of "Den Pobedy"
("The Day of Victory") in 1975 became immensely popular. Throughout his care...