Composer Alexander Zatsepin. Biography

People's Artist of Russia, Hero of Labor, legendary composer Alexander Zatsepin celebrates his 100th birthday. He is the author of music for dozens of cult films, including "The Diamond Hand", "The Caucasian Captive", "Ivan Vasilyevich changes his Profession" and "Sannikov Land", and continues to create today, surprising fans with his energy and new projects. His difficult fate, filled with triumphs and tragedies, is described in the Izvestia article.

Early years and education

Alexander Sergeyevich Zatsepin was born on March 10, 1926 in Novosibirsk into an intelligent family: his father was a surgeon, his mother was a teacher of Russian language and literature. As a child, he was interested not only in music, but also acrobatics, radio engineering — in the seventh grade he even designed a narrow-film projector. In 1941, his father was repressed on charges of counterrevolutionary activities, and his mother raised her son alone.

After the eighth grade, Zatsepin wanted to go to the circus, but at his mother's insistence he returned to school. He organized a jazz orchestra, and in 1945 he was drafted into the army, where he performed in the Song and Dance Ensemble of the Siberian Military District, mastering the accordion and clarinet. After being demobilized, he worked as an accompanist at the Novosibirsk Philharmonic, and in 1956 graduated from the Alma Ata Conservatory in piano and composition. His thesis was the ballet "Old Man Hottabych", which was staged at the Alma Ata Opera and Ballet Theater.

Career

After graduating from the Conservatory, Zatsepin got a job at the Kazakhfilm Studio, where he wrote the music for his first comedy film, Our Dear Doctor (1956). The song "The sky is blue above me, the clouds are swans..." became his first calling card. In 1958, the composer moved to Moscow, initially working part-time in restaurants, until he met director Leonid Gaidai.

His collaboration with Gaidai began with the film Operation Y and Other Adventures of Shurik (1965) and proved so fruitful that Zatsepin wrote music for 12 of the director's films. Among them is "The Caucasian Captive" (1966), where the famous "Song about Bears" was performed, which Gaidai initially rejected, but the composer insisted on his own, threatening to leave. Then there were "The Diamond Hand" (1968) with "A Song about Rabbits", "12 Chairs" (1971), "Ivan Vasilyevich changes his Profession" (1973) with the hit "Conversation with Happiness" and others.

In 1965, a fateful meeting took place with the poet Leonid Derbenev. Their creative union lasted for 30 years and gave the country more than 100 songs, including "The Island of Bad Luck", "There is only a moment" from the film "Sannikov Land" (1973), "Where childhood goes", "A world without a loved one" and many others. Zatsepin's songs were performed by Soviet pop stars: Andrey Mironov, Yuri Nikulin, Oleg Anofriev, Tatiana Antsiferova, Aida Vedishcheva, Larisa Dolina, Sofia Rotaru.

In the 1970s, the composer actively collaborated with Alla Pugacheva, writing for her "The Half-educated Wizard", "A Song about Me" and other hits. However, while working on the film "The Woman Who Sings" (1977), there was a conflict between them due to the fact that Pugacheva passed off her songs as compositions by a non-existent author. Zatsepin stopped cooperating and did not communicate with the singer for about 30 years, but later they reconciled.

In total, Zatsepin has written music for more than 120 films and cartoons, including "The Secret of the Third Planet", and about 300 songs. He experimented with sounds, used electronic instruments, and was one of the first in the USSR to create a home recording studio.

Personal life

Fate has repeatedly tested the composer's strength. In his youth in Alma Ata, he married the actress Revmira Sokolova, but after the wedding he found out that she was pregnant with another man's child. Zatsepin adopted the girl, but a year later she died of a congenital pathology. In 1951, the couple had a son, Eugene, but the marriage ended in 1954. The son lived for only 24 years and died of multiple sclerosis (according to other sources, from radiation sickness).

His second wife was the pianist Svetlana Tretyakova. They lived together for 28 happy years. In 1956, a daughter, Elena, was born, now living in France. In 1981, Svetlana died suddenly of an aortic aneurysm at the age of 47.

In the early 1980s, Zatsepin married French artist Genevieve Preshak, who had lived in a monastery for 16 years. This made it possible to work in Europe. In 1982, they moved to Paris, but in 1986 the marriage broke up, and the composer returned to Moscow.

His fourth wife was pianist Svetlana Morozovskaya, his grandson's teacher. They lived together for more than 20 years, until her death from cancer in 2014.

Recent years and recognition

Despite his age, Zatsepin continues to work. Now he is writing musicals — "The Tale of Tsar Saltan", "The Little Prince", "The Snow Maiden" — and mastering computer technology. He starts every morning with 30 minutes of exercise and yoga exercises, and follows a diet.

In 2024, the 98-year—old composer had a muse - 38-year-old director Muse Lee, who became his companion, assistant and co-author. "Without a muse, I feel like I have no hands," the maestro admits.

Zatsepin has an adult grandson and granddaughter, as well as great-grandchildren aged 13 and 10, who study piano.

On March 19, 2026, the anniversary show "Pro100 Zatsepin" will take place in the Great Hall of the Kremlin Palace, where the composer will be congratulated by leading pop artists.

In 2003, Zatsepin was awarded the title of People's Artist of Russia, and in 2011 he was awarded the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, IV degree. The composer speaks philosophically about his longevity: "Life is one thing, and it is beautiful, no matter what."

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