All That Was…

Posted: 19 December 2009 04:48 PM

Yesterday evening Vera Belousova Leschenko (Lescenco) died. I ‘ve received this sad news from her assistent Olga Petukhova.

 

Leshchenko Peter Konstantinovich.
(Biography)

Prepared by the interrogation protocol of P. Leshchenko, each page of which he personally signed (materials of the case on charges Belousova-Leshchenko Vera G.)

Under Art. 58-1 “A” (counter-revolutionary activities) Criminal Code of the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic.

An Actor ( Singer).

Born1898.  in the village Isaev, the former province of Kherson  (now the Odessa region).

Russian.

Romanian citizen . Secondary Education, speaks Russian, Ukrainian, Romanian, French and German.

In March 1951  has arrested by the KGB in Romania.

Died in prison July 16, 1954

 

In February 1926 Leshchenko  had accidentally met his Bucharest acquaintance Jacob Voronowsky in Paris . He was going to go to Sweden, offering Leshchenko a dancer’ opportunity at the restaurant “Normandy”. Until the end of April Leshchenko act in that restaurant. Here he met  Zinaida Zaķit  from Riga, Latvian dancer.

1926-1931

Polish musicians who previously worked in a restaurant of Chernivtsi, who had a contract with the Turkish theater in the city of Adana, invited Peter Leshchenko and Zaķit to go with them on tour. May 1926 to August 1928 the family duo made tours of Europe and the Middle East – Constantinople, Adan, Smyrna (where Leshchenko married to Zaķit), Beirut, Damascus, Alepu, Athens, Thessaloniki and Constantinople. 

 Until December 1930 he had worked alone in Rigas cafe “AT”.
In January 1931 a son Igor (Ikki) Leshchenko was born. 

1931-1933

His theatrical agent Duganov arranged Leshchenko month trip of  the concerts at Liepja (Latvia). At the same time Leshchenko has contract with a summer restaurant “Jurmala”. All summer 1931 carries with his family to Liepaja. Upon his return to Riga again working in “AT” cafe. 

There  was an acquaintance of the singer with the composer Oscar Stroks – the creator of well-known  tango: “Black eyes”, “Blue Rhapsody”, “Tell me why” and others. Lechenko worked also  with other composers, in particular,  with Mark Marianovsky – the author of “Tatiana”, “Miranda”, “Nastja-berry”.

1931 Music  record company of Riga had  suggested Leshchenko ten days to go to Berlin for  recording his songs by  the firm Parlafon of  Lyundshtrem. Leshchenko has also got a contract with the Romanian branch of the British record company «Columbia» (recorded about 80 songs), «Parlophon» (Germany), «Electrecord» (Romania), «Bellacord» (Latvia).

He went to the  Odessa, occupied by Romanian troops,  May 19, 1942, 

In Odessa he met Vera Belousova, a student of the Odessa Conservatory, a musician, singer.  Making Belousova proposal he went to Bucharest to divorce to Zaķit.

March 26, 1951 Peter Leshchenko was arrested by the KGB diring his concert in Bucharest.

August 5, 1952 Belousova was sentenced to death, but conviction was changed for 25 years of the  imprisonment in Stalin’ concentration camp in Ivdel , but has released in 1953 after as the  lack of evidence.

Leshchenko died in the Romanian prison hospital on July 16, 1954.

Thanks & via Vera Lechenko’s webpage http://petrleschenco.ucoz.ru/

Great Russian singer Peter Leshchenko was loved.

P.S. In early 2009 the author has got a message:

” Please,  check about Zakit. I’m writing the book  about Peter Leshchenko now. He was arrested as he was a Romanian citizen, then imprisoned in 1951.

I am married to Peter Leshchenko in 1942. (I was  20 years old) I had been  transferred to the USSR for the camp Ivdel prison. In 1954, I have learned that Peter Konstantinovich is not  more. His only son, Igor had a daughter. This is my information only.  Help to find more.

Thank you for your listening.

Vera Leshchenko”