Joseph Davydovich Kobzon (11 September 1937 – 30 August 2018) was a Russian singer, known for his crooner style.
Early life
Kobzon was born to Jewish Ukrainian parents in the mining town of Chasiv Yar, in the Donbas region of Ukraine.
As a boy he demonstrated a talent for singing, winning numerous regional singing contests. He reached the national finals on twice, appearing in concerts dedicated to Joseph Stalin – a significant honour at the time.
Despite his talent for singing, Kobzon went on to technical school to study geology and mining in Dnipropetrovsk, Kobzon sang many songs for the Seventeen Moments of Spring, but, because of his Jewish nationality, he was not listed on the credits.
In 1983, Kobzon was expelled from the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and reprimanded for "political short sightedness," after he performed Jewish songs during an international friendship concert, which resulted in the Arab delegations leaving in protest. The following year (1984), his reputation was restored, as he was awarded the USSR State Prize.
Kobzon has performed in solo concerts in most cities of the former USSR. He also performed international concert tours as a representative of the USSR in the United States, Panama, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Argentina, Israel, Republic of the Congo, Zaire, Angola, Nigeria, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Germany, Greece, and Finland. He has shared the stage with Liza Minnelli and Julio Iglesias.
Although he officially ended his international touring career in 1997, he continued to appear in regular concerts before audiences around the world and was frequently seen on Russian television.
Public life
Kobzon has been active in Russian politics since 1989. He was an experienced Russian MP and got to be reelected several times.
He was Chairman of the Public Council of Moscow's Police Department, and leader of his political party "The Russian Party for Peace".
Kobzon's innumerable contributions to culture, music, humanitarian and political life across the Commonwealth of Independent States saw a monument depicting Kobzon erected near his birthplace, in Donetsk, Ukraine in 2003.
Between 2005 and 2007, he was the head of the State Duma's culture committee.
In 2009, Kobzon became the 24th individual to be named Honorary Citizen of Moscow.
He had suffered from prostate cancer since 2005. He died on 30 August 2018.
Russia's Frank Sinatra
Considering Kobzon's career, personality, spirit and singing style, many say that he was Russia's answer to the U.S. crooner Frank Sinatra. Besides their singing careers, both Sinatra and Kobzon used their popularity towards an active involvement in politics. As a result, Kobzon was barred entry to the United States from 1995 when his visa was revoked on allegations of mafia ties. asserting his impeccable reputation and great honour among millions of Russian-speakers worldwide.
Stance on Ukraine
thumb|left|Kobzon performs for Russian soldiers at Heroes of the Motherland Day, 2016. A [[Hero of the Donetsk People's Republic medal is seen on his jacket]]
In March 2014, Kobzon was among 500 Russian artists who signed an open letter in support of Russia's annexation of Crimea. As a result, in July 2014, Kobzon was included in a selected group of Russian artists banned from entering Latvia.
Following the Revolution of Dignity, pro-Russian unrest broke out in Ukraine. In late October 2014, Kobzon visited Donbas on a humanitarian mission, providing medications to hospitals in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and giving a free concert in support of the people of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic. As a result of the visit, Alexander Zakharchenko (then Prime Minister of the Donetsk People's Republic) bestowed on Kobzon the title of Russia's "honorary consul" to DPR. as there are no reports of Russia formally sending Kobzon as an honorary consul to DPR nor ratifying this appointment.
On 3 September 2014 deputies of the Dnipropetrovsk City Council deprived Kobzon of the title of "Honorary citizen of Dnipropetrovsk", on 25 November 2014 Poltava City Council removed his title of "Honorary citizen of Poltava", and on 28 January 2015 Kramatorsk City Council removed his title of "Honorary citizen of Kramatorsk." In autumn 2014, Ukraine's national security service banned him from entering the country. Kobzon responded by saying that "he shouldn't need a visa to visit his own homeland and birthplace." He stated that he welcomed any decision by Ukraine's authorities to strip him of honours, as he didn't want to be "an honorary citizen of a country that is run by a fascist regime." He requested that Ukraine also strip him of his People's Artist of Ukraine award. In February 2015, Kobzon was awarded Honorary Citizenship of Yenakiieve in Donetsk Oblast (controlled by the Donetsk People's Republic), and was later awarded the honour of 'People's Artist' by self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic.
In February 2015, the European Union added Kobzon to its list of individuals sanctioned with asset freezes and travel bans because he had "visited the so-called Donetsk People's Republic and during his visit made statements supporting separatists"; Kobzon responded that he was "very pleased and grateful." Canada also applied economic sanctions and a travel ban. He was "proud to be included in a list of people who are not indifferent to the fate of internally displaced Russian-speakers in Donbas and the fate of Russia". Russian MPs spoke out in response to the EU sanctions, while Kobzon's fans launched a Twitter campaign in his support. Russia's Foreign Ministry said that the new sanctions defy common sense, referring to the fact that Kobzon was on a humanitarian mission to help innocent people caught in a war zone and that the sanctions were imposed just one day after the Minsk II agreement came into force. The agreement was reached between EU representatives (Germany and France), Ukraine and Russia, and was aimed at resolving the war in Donbas. Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov condemned Kobzon's inclusion on the sanctions list as "vile" and "cynical", questioning the purpose of sanctioning "a highly respected national artist" whose mission in Donbas was "fundamentally humanitarian." A ruling party MP, Vyacheslav Nikonov, spoke in parliament to support Kobzon, stating "We are with you. If they're all Charlie, then we are all Kobzon", playing on the "Je Suis Charlie" slogan used in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo shooting.
Going to a Kobzon concert
The "Kobzon Concert" meme arose after the assassination of Alexander Zakharchenko, the former leader of the self-proclaimed DPR, which took place on 31 August 2018. At that time, jokes were spread in Ukrainian social networks that Zakharchenko went to the "Kobzon concert", who died the day before - on August 30.
After the 24 February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the phrase in Ukrainian sent to a Kobzon concert () grew in popularity to denote that a pro Russia combatant who was "going to a Kobzon concert" had met a quick death.
Personal life
Kobzon was married three times. In 1965, he married the singer, ; then in 1969 Kobzon married Lyudmila Gurchenko, one of the best known comic actresses of the Soviet cinema. In 1971, he married Ninel Drizina with whom he had two children.
Honours and awards
thumb|Kobzon on a 2022 stamp of Russia
thumb|Kobzon in Donetsk in May 2015
;Orders
- Order For Merit to the Fatherland 1st class (26 June 2012) – for outstanding contribution to culture and music;
- Order For Merit to the Fatherland 2nd class (21 September 2002) – for outstanding contribution to culture and music;
- Order for Merit for the Fatherland 3rd class (11 September 1997) – for his great personal contribution to the development of musical art;
- Order of Courage (30 December 2002) – for courage and dedication shown during the rescue of people in a situation involving a risk to life during an act of terrorism at the Moscow theater hostage crisis in October 2002;
- Order of Friendship of Peoples;
- Order of Glory (Azerbaijan) (2007) – for services to strengthen cultural ties between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Azerbaijan;
- Officer of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (2007);
- Ukrainian Order of Merit 1st class (3 July 2012) – for personal contribution to the socio-economic and cultural development of the area, professionalism, and to mark the 80th anniversary of Donetsk region (revoked by the President of Ukraine 14 May 2018);
- Ukrainian Order of Merit 2nd class (3 July 2002) – for personal contribution to the socio-economic and cultural development of the area, professionalism, and to mark the 70th anniversary of Donetsk region (revoked by the President of Ukraine 14 May 2018);
- Ukrainian Order of Merit 3rd class (18 February 2000) – a significant personal contribution to the development of art song, many years of fruitful creative and social activities (revoked by the President of Ukraine 14 May 2018);
- Dostyk order, 2nd class (Kazakhstan, 2008)
- Order of Holy Prince Daniel of Moscow, 2nd class (Russian Orthodox Church, 1998)
- Order of St. Sergius, 2nd class (Russian Orthodox Church, 2002)
- Order "For Merit" (Ingushetia, 2008)
- Order of Friendship (South Ossetia)
;Titles
- Hero of Labour of the Russian Federation (21 April 2016)
- People's Artist of the USSR (1987)
- People's Artist of the RSFSR (1980)
- People's Artist of Ukraine (1991, revoked by the President of Ukraine 14 May 2018)
- Honoured Artist of the RSFSR (1973)
- People's Artist of Dagestan ASSR (1974)
- Honoured Artist of the Checheno-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1964)
- Honoured Artist of Adygea (1992)
- Honoured Artist of the Karachay-Cherkessia (2008)
- People's Artist of North Ossetia–Alania (2008)
- Honorary Member of the Russian Academy of Arts
- Honoured Worker of the Federal Bailiff Service
;Medals
<!--Old section names-->
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left;"
|-
! colspan=2 | Order
! Country / Org
! style="width:2.1em;" | Year
|-
| style="width:80px;" | center|80px
| Jubilee Medal "In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary since the Birth of Vladimir Il'ich Lenin"
|
|
|-
| 80px
| Medal "In Commemoration of the 1500th Anniversary of Kyiv"
|
|
|-
| center|80px
| Medal "Veteran of Labour"
|
|
|-
| 80px
| Medal "For Labour Valour"
|
| 1970
|-
| 80px
| Jubilee Medal "300 Years of the Russian Navy"
|
|
|-
| 80px
| Medal "In Commemoration of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow"
|
|
|-
| 80px
| Jubilee Medal "60 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945"
|
|
|-
| 80px
| Jubilee Medal "Great Russian writer Nobel Mikhail Sholokhov 1905–2005"
|
|
|-
| 80px
| Medal "For Strengthening Military Cooperation"
|
|
|-
| 80px
| Medal "200 Years of the Ministry of Internal Affairs"
|
| 2008
|-
| 80px
| Medal "200 Years of the Ministry of Defence"
|
|
|-
| 80px
| Medal "For Services to the Stavropol Territory"
|
| 2008
|-
|
| Medal "Glory of Adygea"
|
| 2008
|-
|
| Medal of Merit for the Chechen Republic
|
|
|-
| 80px
| Medal "Astana"
|
|
|-
| 80px
| Medal "50 Years to Tselina"
|
|
|-
|
|Medal "Hero of the Donetsk People's Republic"
|
|
|}
;Awards
- USSR State Prize (1984) – for concert programs 1980–1983
- Lenin Komsomol Prize (1976) – for concert programs 1974–1975, active propaganda Soviet Komsomol songs
- Russian Federal Security Service Award "for creative contribution to the patriotic education of Russian citizens" (2009)
|-
! colspan="3" style="background: red;" | Ovation
|-
|-
Kobzon was awarded honorary citizenship of 28 cities: Anapa, Saratov (1998), Donetsk (2007), Bishkek, Dnipropetrovsk (deprived of the honor on 3 September 2014), Kramatorsk, Noginsk, Poltava (deprived of the honor on 25 November 2014), Slavic (1999), Chasiv Yar, Cherkessk, Artemovsk, Horlivka and others. He was also an honorary citizen of the Saratov Oblast, Ust-Orda Buryat Autonomous Okrug (abolished 2008) and the Transbaikal Oblast (2010).
On 31 March 2009, Kobzon was awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of Moscow – "for his services and contribution to the organization and development of national culture, long-term activities designed to meet the challenges of the patriotic and cultural education of the Russian people, as well as charitable activity in the city of Moscow and other Russian regions".
;Other honours
- Monument in Donetsk by Alexander Rukavishnikov (30 August 2003)
- Diploma of the Government of the Kabardino-Balkar Republic (2008)
Notes
References
External links
- Official site of Iosif Kobzon
- Joseph Kobzon at iTunes