Dear Gentlemen,

In this blog I have tried to assemble a list of prominent Soviet tenors – tenors behind the Iron Curtain – singers the careers of which went largely obscure from the Western public because of the political realities of the era they were part of – realities which dictated the detachment of the Soviet opera from its Western counterpart.
It just so happened that these times were the Golden Era of the Russian Opera, and the voices that were hidden behind the Iron Curtain were of a remarkable quality.
In addition to that, the revival of these voices in the West is also of much interest because of the unique character and the idiosyncratic nature of the Soviet school of operatic singing, which was different from the Western in many aspects.
By “voices behind the Iron Curtain” I mean those artists whose entire career or a significant part of it developed during the most ideologically radical years of the Soviet rule and the Soviet Union’s disconnection from the West, and not those who had already established a name for themselves in an earlier period, or those who have only started their way in Soviet Union’s very last days or are singing well into the present – both are more familiar to the Western public.
In cases of some of the singers the information and the recordings presented here is all that is left of them, and in some cases appears for the first time in the internet, or in English and for the Western public.

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Andrey Ishenko (1937) 





Acclaimed artist of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.
Loved Ukrainian folk singing since he was a small child. His singing talent was discovered while being in the army, where he was advised to study vocal in a professional institute.
In 1959 started studying in the Kiev conservatory with the famous pedagogue and singer Rimma Razumova, after going through other tutors which suited him less.
Had a naturally well developed voice, and had almost lost it at the beginning of his studies due to the ill-directed efforts to change his style of sound-making.
Was a soloist of the Kiev Opera Theater, where he immediately started singing difficult dramatic roles, appearing next to seasoned veterans and highly decorated masters of Ukranian Opera.
Was very much liked on a personal level by both singers and the musical directors of the Theater due to his very friendly and soft manners, unique personal charm.
Had a beautiful, very distinct timbre of voice, which is said to be unlike any other.
His first part was Bogun in the play "Bogdan Hmelnickiy".
Was said to be the best Lensky ever on the stage of the Kiev Opera Theater.
Also gave concerts.
Went to many tours abroad, mostly  with other famous Ukranian singers and bands.
In 1985 had to quit singing due to severe illness.