| Yegor Letov | |
|---|---|
Yegor Letov, 2000 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Igor Fyodorovich Letov |
| Also known as | Yegor Letov |
| Born |
September 10, 1964 |
| Died | February 19, 2008 (aged 43) |
| Genres | punk, garage punk, post-punk, psychedelic rock, industrial, experimental music, conceptual art |
| Occupations | vocalist, musician, poet, songwriter, producer, painter |
| Instruments | singing, guitar, bass guitar, drums |
| Years active | 1982–2008 |
| Labels | GrOb-records,Zolotaya Dolina(on LP 1992-1994), BSA, HOR, Misteriya Zvuka, Vyrgorod |
| Associated acts | Grazhdanskaya Oborona, Kommunizm, Kuzya UO, Egor and Opizdenevshiye, Yanka Dyagileva |
| Website | http://www.gr-oborona.ru |
Igor Fyodorovich "Yegor" Letov (Russian: И́горь Фёдорович (Его́р) Ле́тов; 10 September 1964, Omsk – 19 February 2008, Omsk) was the creator and singer of the Russian punk, аnd psychedelic rock in later period, band Grazhdanskaya Oborona (Civil Defense). He also formed the collective collage band "Communism", and played with female punk legend Yanka Dyagileva. Yegor Letov was cofounder of National Bolshevik Party.
Certainly a prolific musician, Letov is a controversial figure. He was controversial in the mid-to-late 1980s when he satirized the Soviet system, and helped develop a gritty Soviet punk sound with folk underpinnings. After the fall of the USSR and especially 1993 Russian constitutional crisis he had become disappointed in Yeltsin's government and has made friends and fans out of nationalists and communists. In later years, Letov distanced himself from any political ideology, stating (in 2004) "We're patriots, but not Nazis. ... All the totalitarians - right, left, of all colors and stripes - fuck you."[1]
In an interview, Letov expressed that his favorite poets are Alexander Vvedensky (1904–1941), one of the OBERIU writers, and Vladimir Mayakovsky. He also expressed his interest in Conceptualism, and spoke of his own work in punk music and in creating a public image as a work of conceptual performance art.
Since 1997 Letov was married to the bass guitarist of Grazhdanskaya Oborona Natalya Chumakova; they had no children.
Yegor Letov died in his sleep on 19 February 2008 at his home in Omsk.[2][3] He was 43 years old.