Russian poet and songwriter, People's Artist of Russia. Honorary member of the Russian Academy of Arts. People's Artist of Ukraine. Born in Leningrad, he is the lyricist of popular pop songs to the music of Gennady Gladkov, Maksim Dunayevsky, Alexander Zhurbin, Vladimir Feltsman, Raimonds Pauls and other composers, known by Nikolai Karachentsov, Mikhail Boyarsky, Edita Piekha, Alla Pugacheva, Sofia Rotaru, Tamara Gverdtsiteli, Laima Vaikule, Alexander Gradsky, Eugene Martynov, Irina Ponarovskaya and many others
