Yuri Alexeevich Kukin, born on July 17, 1932, in Syasstroy, Leningrad region, was a Russian bard. After graduating from the Lesgaft Institute of Physical Training in Leningrad in 1954, he worked as a figure skating coach in sports schools and participated in geological expeditions across Kamchatka, Chita, the Urals, and Pamir during the 1960s. Kukin’s musical journey began in his youth when he played drums in a jazz band and started writing songs in 1948. In 1968, he began performing professionally at Lenconcert while also working as a physical education instructor at the Leningrad health club “Meridian.” He released several albums including Возвращение and Пустите меня к себе, both released in 1995. Kukin passed away on July 7, 2011.
