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Russian poet, singer, theater and film actor who was hugely successful in the Soviet Union, wrote 1,000 songs, many of which were translated into dozens of languages. Son of a Jewish father who was an NKVG officer, and a Christian mother. In the 1960s, he began acting in theatres and subsequently in the popular TV series The Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed (1979-present). Vysotsky also wrote music for films and plays and performed his songs which included critical and satirical texts, which were eventually censored by the regime. Despite the censorship, he recorded non-stop and performed underground throughout the USSR, supported by a loyal fan base.
