A favourite bard of Russia: Bulat Okudzhava

I would like love to occupy its proper place in human society. I don't want human society to be reduced to the barracks. I want each individual to find the possibility for personal growth. I want all the remainder of the "cult of personality" to disappear and democratic customs to take root everywhere. I want each person to feel himself to be a worthy creator of life. That's why the great Russian literature of the nineteenth century, which defends man and his freedom, is especially dear to me. - B. S. Okudzhava

Bulat Shalvovich Okudzhava is a contemporary Soviet writer, poet and poet-singer (chansonnier). Before Okudzhava, the Soviet song industry had virtually no competition from within the country. The state monopoly of songs seemed unshakable. Suddenly it was discovered that one person could compose a song and make it famous, without the Union of Composers, with its creativity sections and department of propaganda, without the help of popular singers, choirs and orchestras, without publishing houses, radio and television, film and record companies, editors and censors. It turned out that a talented poet, who had never had a lesson in musical composition, singing or guitar playing, possessing only native musicality, could make himself heard as no one had been heard in Russia for a long time. And that poet was Bulat Okudzhava.

Every word in his songs sounds fitting and exact, doesn't strain against the adjacent words, doesn't rattle in vain, but knows its value and knows that it belongs to a poetry that is more than just poetry. It is a word of a song that must fly on its small wings over a huge country.

• Okudzhava's songs were not published first in his homeland!
  
• Before Okudzhava...
  
• What prevented publishing of Okudzhava's songs?
  
• Okudzhava's melodies.
  
• The music in Okudzhava's songs.

Songs by Bulat Okudzhava

1.     A WORD OF ADVICE TO MY FRIENDS
   
2.     THE MIRACULOUS WALTZ
   
3.     TIME PASSES
   
4.     THREE SISTERS
   
5.     TENDERNESS MOUNTS AN ATTACK
   
6.     I NEED SOMEONE TO ADORE
   
7.     YOUR MAJESTY, WOMAN
   
8.     GOODBYE, BOYS (AND GIRLS)
   
9.     A PAPER SOLDIER
   
10.     FORGIVE THE SOLDIERS...
    
11.     THE MOST IMPORTANT SONG