Igor Vladimirovich Talkov, was a Soviet Russian rock singer-songwriter and film actor. His breakthrough came in 1987 with the David Tukhmanov-composed song "Chistye prudy" which was an instant hit. Talkov's lyrics are mostly about love, but also contain social critic of the Soviet regime. He was shot dead in 1991.
Igor Talkov was born in Gretsovka, Tula Oblast, Soviet Union on 4 November 1956. He grew up in Shchyokino. After leaving the army, Talkov started singing in the restaurants of Moscow and Sochi. Talkov's breakthrough came in 1987 with the David Tukhmanov-composed song "Chistye prudy" which was an instant hit. While he is mostly remembered for songs about love and fate, most of his work held a clearly political message against the Soviet regime, calling for a change. This is one of the reasons why Talkov was never popular with the Soviet government; even as a performer renowned and loved throughout the whole Soviet Union, he lived in a small two-room apartment with his wife and son, composing his lyrics and music "on top of the washing machine in the bathroom", according to the rumours. He was not satisfied with Perestroika, claiming it to be nothing but the same regime under a different guise. In his post-Perestroika songs, he openly mocked the changes, calling them a ruse. Talkov was an avid reader of pre-revolutionary Russian history, which served as the inspiration for many of his songs. He even guaranteed at his last concert that he was willing to "back up" his lyrics with historical facts. Talkov also made a brief presence in the cinema, acting in the filmsBehind the Last Line and Tsar Ivan the Terrible. The latter film he disliked, apologizing to a preview audience for participating in the film. Since Talkov refused to complete post-production sound on the film, his character was voiced by another actor. Talkov is often compared to another Russian singer and songwriter of that time, Viktor Tsoi, whom, according to his diaries, Talkov highly appreciated and to whom he even dedicated a song on his death. Talkov's songs also have much in common – particularly from a lyrical perspective – with Russian bard music.
Death
He was fatally shot backstage at the Yubileyny Sports Palace in Leningrad on 6 October 1991; the next day was declared a national tragedy throughout the whole Soviet Union. Talkov was buried 9 October at the Vagankovo Cemetery in Moscow. His funeral was a televised, nationwide event, where his casket was carried by some of the most prominent members of Russian stage to its burial. It is not uncommon to meet people in former Soviet countries who still dedicate 6 October to the honour of Talkov.
Aftermath
While Valeriy Schlyafman, Talkov's one time manager, was suspected of the murder by a Russian court in 1992, he fled through Ukraine to Israel before he could be arrested. He remains in Israel to this day, insisting he is not guilty of the crime while Israel refuses to extradite him. Schlyafman and his supporters have claimed that the KGB orchestrated the murder. In 1999 Talkov was honoured with his image portrayed on a Russian postage stamp. There is an Igor Talkov Museum in Moscow.
