Employees of the patrol service of the Nevsky district of St. Petersburg detained a 22-year-old man early on Thursday morning. When checking his documents, it turned out that he is the son of the famous producer Yuri Aizenshpis, who worked with the Kino group and Dima Bilan.
Mikhail Aizenshpis, who was detained by the police, was on the wanted list in Moscow for almost a year as he had lost contact with his relatives. Young man was taken to the police department and interrogated, writes LifeNews.
Then the police officers told their Moscow colleagues that "a citizen has been found," a source in law enforcement agencies specified.
In February 2014, Mikhail Aizenshpis was detained in Moscow for drug possession. 1.58 grams of cocaine were seized from him. In addition, the detainee had a briefcase with money.
According to the police, Mikhail behaved "not quite adequately" and, most likely, was intoxicated.
The offspring of a famous producer spent several hours at the police station, and after paperwork and interrogation, he was released on bail.
Producer with a criminal record
Yuri Shmilevich Aizenshpis was born on July 15, 1945 in Chelyabinsk, where his mother, Muscovite Maria Aizenshpis, was evacuated.
The father of the future producer, WWII veteran Shmil Moiseevich Aizenshpis, was born in Poland, and ended up in the USSR, fleeing persecution after the occupation of the western part of Poland by Nazi German troops.
Yuri's parents worked in GUAS (Main Directorate of Airfield Construction). At home they had the first mass-produced Soviet TV set KVN-49 and a gramophone with a collection of records.
Until 1961, the Aizenshpis lived in a wooden barrack, and then received an apartment in the prestigious Sokol district of Moscow. AT youth Yuri played volleyball, handball and athletics. But due to a leg injury, he quit the sport at the age of 16.
In 1968, Yuri graduated from the Moscow Institute of Economics and Statistics with a degree in engineer-economist, and two years later he was arrested. During a search in the apartment of Aizenshpis, 15,585 rubles and 7,675 dollars were confiscated. As a result, the young man was tried under Art. 88 (“Violation of foreign exchange rules”) and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
As Yuri Aizenshpis himself said, he embarked on a criminal road because of his love for music, collecting records.
"While buying and selling music discs, I felt a taste for money and a beautiful life. Then jeans, equipment, furs followed. Then gold and currency. It was in 1965 that I first saw and felt American dollars," the producer recalled in an interview given "Gordon Boulevard".
According to him, he bought the currency from taxi drivers and prostitutes, who more often than other Soviet citizens had contact with foreigners.
When Yuri served his first term and was released, after a few weeks he "cranked major operation for the purchase and sale of 50 thousand counterfeit dollars. "For this, he was sentenced to another seven years in prison.
According to Yuri, although he had diplomat friends, there was no way to escape prison. “Then society was not so corrupt. I was in prison with the son of the head of the KGB investigation department. And there were many such examples. Now you can close a criminal case for money. Then it was very difficult,” said Aizenshpis.
However, in the same interview he expressed the opposite thought. "There (behind bars. - Note. website) 70 percent of prisoners are starving. I didn't starve. How? Money does everything, of course, unofficially," the former prisoner, who made a brilliant career in show business, confessed.
Having been released in 1988, at the height of perestroika, Aizenshpis worked in the creative association "Gallery" under the city committee of the Komsomol, organizing concerts of young performers. Since December 1989, he has been the director and producer of the Kino group. After the death of its soloist Viktor Tsoi in 1990, Yuri took out a loan and released the Black Album (the last work of the Kino group) with this money. Thus, the producer was one of the first to break the state monopoly on the release of records.
Aizenshpis was the producer of the Technology and Moral Code groups, and also brought Linda, Vlad Stashevsky, Katya Lel to the big stage.
The last major creative success of Yuri Aizenshpis was the collaboration with Dima Bilan. But in September 2005, the producer died of a heart attack, two days before the triumph of his pupil, who received the Russian version of the prestigious MTV-2005 music award.
On September 20, Yuri Shmilevich Aizenshpis (1945-2005), one of the few real producers in this country, died.
Aizenshpis got into show business in his youth, but much of what he did then was on the verge of legality (). As a result, the guy went to a prison university and was able to fully return to work only by the age of 45.
Aizenshpis' first project was Viktor Tsoi, whose cooperation was interrupted by a tragic accident.
Artists left him with scandals, he threw them himself, sometimes there was not enough money for further promotion.
Let's talk today about the "thwarted" projects of the producer, who is considered super-successful.
TECHNOLOGY GROUP (1991-1992)
Collaboration: The members of the group agree that Aizenshpis took them, like Tsoi, "ready". There was no need to do anything - "Technology" had already successfully performed "Strange Dances" and "Press the Button", which became calling card guys.
Aizenshpis just shot them a video for "Strange Dances" and charged the airwaves. In addition, he persuaded the participants to mow outwardly to Depeche Mode. Well, I also brought lighting equipment from abroad.
But to shoot clips and charge the broadcasts cost money, which the participants of the "Technology" did not seem to understand. The editors on television demanded money for every sneeze, making Aizenshpis nostalgic for the days when Tsoi's appearance in the Vzglyad program cost nothing.
Reasons for the gap: The "Technology" was ruined by the crowd. Incomes were divided at the rate of 60% to Aizenshpis, 40% to the group. In principle, in a divine way, but these 40% had to be pulled for four and the amount was not impressive. Why Technologiya accused Aizenshpis of this is not entirely clear. Let's assume - trouble with arithmetic.
Wanting to wrest from Aizenshpis not only freedom, but also money, Technology turned to crime for help.
Aizenshpis said:
“A letter on 15 pages with a red ballpoint pen with a bunch of accusations was received not only by me, but also by some criminal elements who undertook to judge us. I just couldn't dismiss these people and agreed to meet. The shooter took place in one of the rented apartments near Sokol. In addition to me, who came in splendid isolation, and the brawlers from the group, there were several more highly respected people in criminal circles. Kind of like a protégé of musicians. And with someone I even somehow sat together ...
Debriefing has begun. Having calmly listened to a whole stream of accusations, I answered each of the points with such skill and reason that I didn’t even leave a stone unturned. The criminal element recognized my innocence and did not take the side of the musicians. All that I lost as a result of this meeting was a mountain of promotional material for the group, all sorts of stupid posters and calendars with their arrogant faces "
"YANG GUNS" (1992)
Collaboration: Not realizing that the time for pop music was coming, Aizenshpis took another rock band under his wing, but quickly changed his mind. He did not have time to invest steep finances in this project, for which he repeatedly thanked the Lord.
Reasons for the breakup: The initiator of the breakup was Aizenshpis, he got too wild musicians. The guys all the time shared leadership in the team, starting fights right at the concerts, spoiling the equipment, conflicting with the police. And it was not yet glory, and even its breath would blow the roof off without a return. Realizing this, Aizenshpis broke the contract.
LINDA (1992-1993)
Collaboration: Linda Aizenshpis was interested in dad, banker Alexander Geiman, or rather, his money. First of all, Aizenshpis destroyed Linda's duet with her girlfriend, convincing him that it was easier to push through a solo project. Then he faced the shyness of the future star. Aizenshpis gave her a description:
Linda wore long hair and could not speak coherently: an ordinary provincial Jewish girl whose dad has risen a lot. No talent at all, just a girl who wanted to sing. And in the school, of course, having felt the taste of profit, they began to write it down as super talents. They just bred the parent for clearly selfish purposes so that he would hire expensive teachers.
Reasons for the gap: Naturally, the producer's criticism strained the banker, and Aizenshpis did not know how to mold something acceptable from the artist. And then Max Fadeev appeared on the horizon.
The success of the first albums could not be repeated, although in 2004 Linda had another powerful promotion with producer Prigogine at the head.
VLAD STASHEVSKY (1993-1999)
Collaboration: The first project of Aizenshpis, molded by him from start to finish and having a great success. Taking a handsome, well-mannered guy, Aizenshpis ordered music and text for him. Vlad shot very powerfully, at a certain moment all the broadcasts were his.
The project lasted a long time, since Stashevsky understood what he owed to the producer and did not have grandiose creative claims. Everything was going great until Vlad married the daughter of the owner of Luzhniki, Olga Aleshina.
Reasons for the gap: Alyosha began to blow Stashevsky in the ear that it would be better to work without Aizenshpis, she would be the producer and all the money would go to the family.
Aizenshpis tried to stay cheerful:
“My “divorce” with Vlad is the first major one in our show business, which was tactful and peaceful. Without mutual claims, name-calling and boycotts. First time two famous person, producer and artist, have publicly announced that they will cease their collaboration from now on. We did this in the office of Intermedia, where we signed a statement for the mass media about the end of the five-year contract and about satisfaction with the results of joint activities. As confirmation of this amazing fact I gave such indisputable evidence of the success of the project as the release of five albums, one hundred songs, seventeen clips and five diplomas of “Songs of the Year” in five years.
It's good that Vlad managed to return to normal life without any pushes "a la Zhenya Osin".
SASHA (1999-2000)
Collaboration: From a really bright singer, Aizenshpis tried to mold the Russian Madonna (meaning an earthly star, not a heavenly one). The situation was facilitated by the fact that Sasha did not come alone, but with a budget. Pretty soon, songs like "It's just rain" flooded the airwaves.
Reasons for the gap: The philanthropist, who gave money for Sasha, put her to bed, and then began to be jealous, while being married. There were constant troubles.
Aizenshpis recalled:
“On the basis of scandals, there was a constant mess with the ethers. Everything has already been paid for, suddenly at the last moment a call: “Cancel everything!”. I cancel with losses, it’s good that I saved at least some of the money. And suddenly the call came again: “Bring everything back!” And try to explain to him that this is not done!
Investor Aizenshpis fired, and Sasha tried to block the way to the stage.
NIKITA (1999-2000)
Collaboration: Like "Technology", Nikita came to Aizenshpis with ready-made material and at first did not impress. But after looking more closely, the producer decided to invest in the boy. The songs “Fly away forever”, “You came down from the sky”, the scandalous clip “Hotel”, with the strictest account, will go down in the history of the Russian music industry.
Unfortunately, Nikita thought of himself as an independent creative unit, and so it probably was, but at the same time, he clearly underestimated the contribution of Yuri Shmilyevich.
Reasons for the gap: They were voiced by Aizenshpis.
“Our relationship was constantly confronted. It would seem, well, what's the big deal, you're lucky, you work with a major producer, you get good money, an excellent prospect. But no, on all issues there is a point of view, fantastic self-confidence and peremptoryness and, as a result, constant conflicts.
After two years with a penny, Aizenshpis and Nikita broke up.
“When I started working alone, in the early days I just wanted to hang myself. When I collaborated with Aizenshpis, I did not think about anything other than performances. And now I have to solve all the issues alone - from organizing tours to choosing concert costumes ... "
Aizenshpis no longer wanted to contact Nikita. As a result, the promising singer rolled down to an artist of the level of clubs in the sleeping areas of Moscow.
The latest projects of Aizenshpis, the Dynamite group and Dima Bilan, were successful.
Although by the time Yuri Shmilyevich passed away, Dynamite was in crisis, since Leonid Nerushenko, who had been expelled from the group, died. As for Bilan, he fell into a lawsuit with the widow of Aizenshpis, as soon as the producer's corpse had time to cool down.
These are the results professional activity non-trivial, hard and very talented person.
Yuri Shmilevich Aizenshpis. Born July 15, 1945 in Chelyabinsk - died September 20, 2005 in Moscow. Soviet and Russian music manager, producer.
Father - Shmil (nee Shmul) Moiseevich Aizenshpis (1916-1989), was born in Poland, then fled to the USSR, fleeing the Nazis. Fought during the Great Patriotic War reached Berlin. The real name Shmul was confused by the passport officers, who recorded him as Shmil.
Mother - Maria Mikhailovna Aizenshpis (1922-1991), originally from Belarus, grew up in the village of Starye Gromyki, her elder brother Andrei Gromyko taught at her school. In 1941 she graduated from the Faculty of Journalism of the Minsk University, but did not receive a diploma due to the start of the war. She fled to Rechitsa, later ended up in the Rechitsa partisan detachment, wrote leaflets, and ran a partisan newspaper. Then she joined the advancing Red Army. She was awarded medals and orders.
It is known that the parents of Yuri Aizenshpis met in 1944 at the Belorussky railway station in Moscow.
The younger sister is Faina Shmilievna Nepomnyashchaya (Aizenshpis) (born July 22, 1957), teacher of history and social studies, teaches at the Lauder Etz Heim School of Leadership No. 1621.
Aizenshpis's mother was evacuated to Chelyabinsk due to pregnancy. There she gave birth to a son.
Parents worked in the Main Directorate of Aerodrome Construction (in GUAS).
Until 1961, they lived in a wooden barracks, then they got an apartment in the prestigious Sokol district of Moscow. From childhood, he was friends with classmate Vladimir Alyoshin and went to the same sports school with him.
In his youth, Yuri went in for sports - handball and athletics. achieved good results, but due to a leg injury, the sport had to be abandoned.
In 1968 he graduated from the Moscow Institute of Economics and Statistics with a degree in engineer-economist.
He worked at the CSO (Central Statistical Office).
Was fond of music. "In my youth, I was a terrible music lover, and I had a unique collection of vinyl discs in Moscow - about seven thousand. I did not just collect them, I felt everything"- he said in an interview.
Since 1965, as an administrator, he collaborated with the rock group Sokol. In a roundabout way, he got records with recordings of foreign stars - Elvis Presley, Bill Haley, the Beatles, which were then performed by the Sokol group. At first, the team performed only in the nearest cafe, occasionally in the area of the House of Culture and on dance floors.
But Yuri Aizenshpis achieved that in 1966 the group came under the wing of the Tula Regional Philharmonic and all its members received official status - already as the Silver Strings VIA. Now the group could tour the country, recorded their only song "Film, Film" for Fyodor Khitruk's cartoon "Film, Film, Film".
Criminal record of Yuri Aizenshpis
Developed an original scheme of the team's activities. After an oral agreement with the director of the club to hold a concert, the administrator bought up tickets for the evening demonstration of the film and distributed them at a higher price. For the first time, he involved in the work of people who ensured order during the performance of the group.
January 7, 1970 was arrested. During the search, 15,585 rubles and 7,675 dollars were confiscated. During interrogations, the young director claimed that he dreamed of getting a branded electric guitar for the guys. That is why, for his own money, he bought tickets for a concert at the state price at the box office of the Palace of Culture, and then sold them on the street with an extra charge. Convicted under article 88 (Violation of the rules on foreign exchange transactions) and 78 (Smuggling) for 10 years.
Released from prison in 1977 on parole.
However, almost immediately after his release, he again engaged in currency fraud. Yuri Aizenshpis bought up checks, sold them at Beryozka, and then sold the acquired scarce goods. With the proceeds, through the administrators and waiters of hotels, he bought foreign currency from foreigners, and then checks again. At that time, Vneshtorgbank began to sell gold in Moscow for foreign currency. Yuri Aizenshpis took up gold fartsovka. He bought gold bars with dollars at the branch of Vneshtorgbank and sold them to Caucasian businessmen.
As a result, he was re-arrested and received 10 years of strict regime with confiscation of property (including his parents' apartment).
He sat in the Krasnoyarsk-27 zone, where he launched a lively speculation in tea, sugar and vodka. Then he began to occupy leadership positions at local construction sites.
The term was reduced, he was released in 1985. And a year later, he again ended up in a pre-trial detention center - in the summer of 1986, policemen found several imported tape recorders and one VCR with video cassettes in his car. But the matter did not reach the court - Perestroika broke out. After serving almost 1.5 years in a pre-trial detention center, Yuri Aizenshpis was released.
In total, Yuri Aizenshpis spent almost 17 years behind bars. Later received corroborating documents on all counts.
In the 1980s, for some time he worked at the Gallery at the Komsomol city committee, organizing concerts for young performers.
Producer activity of Yuri Aizenshpis
From December 1989 until his death in 1990, he was the director and producer of the Kino group. In 1990, using borrowed funds, he released the Black Album (the last work of the Kino group), one of the first to break the state monopoly on the release of records.
In 1991-1992, he collaborated with the Technology group.
Then he was the producer of the groups "Moral Code", "Young Guns".
In 1992-1993 he produced the singer.
In 1993-1999 - producer of the singer. According to some reports, Aizenshpis was assisted in the promotion of Vlad Stashevsky by the criminal authority Alexander Makushenko, known as "Sasha Gypsy". The producer himself said about this project: “In the case of Stashevsky, I wanted to show everyone the role of a producer. For the first time, I called myself a producer when I started working with Tsoi. When he died, I had to do something, and I decided to make such a project: to find a person who would absolutely even did not dream of a career as an artist, and make him an artist".
Yuri Aizenshpis became one of the most respected Russian show business figures, with whom many stars considered it an honor to do business. He had great connections and opportunities. Winner of the national Russian music award "Ovation" in the nomination "Best Producer" in 1992 and 1995.
Participated in the organization of the International Festival "Sunny Adzharia" (1994) and in the establishment of the music award "Star".
In 1999-2001, he promoted the singer Nikita, as well as the singer.
Since 2000, he has been promoting the Dynamite group.
Yuri Aizenshpis and the Dynamite group
Since 2001 - CEO Media Star company.
His last project was subsequently a popular singer.
"I don't work for 'thank you'. I work for my own interests, and I enjoy it. It can be compared to the work of a gardener who works in the garden all his life. I like the creative process, and although show business is at the forefront of the show "For me, creativity is more important, business - later. This is true. If I were a businessman, I would not have achieved the results that I have"- said Yuri Aizenshpis.
Death of Yuri Aizenshpis
On September 21, 2005, the MTV RMA-2005 ceremony should take place, where Aizenshpis' ward Dima Bilan was nominated in the nominations "Best Performer", "Best Composition", "Best Pop Project", "Best Artist" and " The best video". And on September 22, the presentation of the first DVD of Dima Bilan was scheduled. But the producer did not see the success of his protégé.
Yuri Aizenshpis had diabetes and a heart condition. On September 19, 2005, Aizenshpis was hospitalized at the City Clinical Hospital No. 20 for examination, he felt better. But on September 20, 2005, at about 20:00, Yuri Aizenshpis died of a myocardial infarction at the age of 60.
He was buried near Moscow next to his parents at the Domodedovo cemetery.
"I think that the prison did its job. So many years of life are actually lost. Every day is a struggle for existence, health is ruined. Everyone told him that he needed to rest, work less. But he did not listen to anyone, for him it was a normal existence" , - noted his sister Faina Aizenshpis.
The growth of Yuri Aizenshpis: 165 centimeters.
Personal life of Yuri Aizenshpis:
Mikhail Aizenshpis was detained by the police in February 2014 on suspicion of drug use, 1.5 grams of cocaine and a suitcase with money were confiscated from him.
After the death of Aizenshpis, Elena Kovrigina married Leonid Alexandrovich Goiningen-Gühne, director of television programs for TNT, Ren-TV, DTV channels. She sued Dima Bilan because of his failure to fulfill the contract and the use of a pseudonym invented by Aizenshpis.
Filmography of Yuri Aizenshpis:
2005 - Day Watch - guest
2005 - How the idols left. Viktor Tsoi (documentary)
Bibliography of Yuri Aizenshpis:
"Lighting Stars. Notes and advice of the pioneer of show business»
“From a farmer to a producer. Business people in the USSR
Viktor Tsoi and others. How the stars light up
Looking for a boy
The only heir to the famous producer Yuri Aizenshpis, Mikhail, was found safe and sound. The 22-year-old boy has been wanted since January of this year. Missing son filed by ex civil wife Aizenshpisa Elena Goiningen-Gune. Then the woman told the cops a tearful story about how the “boy” left his Moscow apartment, does not answer the phone and nothing about him is known to relatives or friends.
On January 28, the Metropolitan Police put Mikhail on the federal wanted list. Photos of the slender guy were sent to all departments of different regions. Soon the trail led them to Petersburg. The guy bought a ticket for a peregrine falcon and got lost in the city on the Neva.
Opera was looking for, but somehow very lazy. Photos of his orientations did not flood the metro stations, did not hang on every pole. They didn't even ask for help from volunteers.
And yet Misha got caught. On June 2, at noon, he was stopped in the south of the city near the Moskovskiye Vorota metro station.
Alive, healthy. We talked to him, he wrote a receipt that he would return home and went about his business, - a police source briefly said. Cops don't want to share details. They only explain that they found it through “operational development”. So the guy didn't show himself.
Operas' reluctance to share details is understandable. Mikhail, although he was on the federal wanted list, but not as a criminal. In fact, he simply stopped communicating with relatives, broke off old ties and left for the most beautiful city in Russia.
It's his own business how to live and where, - shrug their shoulders in the police.
star guy
Michael has always had a difficult relationship with his family. For example, his aunt Faina - the sister of the deceased producer - learned about the disappearance of her nephew only from journalists.
We never really talked, - the woman explained then. I don't even know if he disappeared or not.
Misha did not see his father often, especially in childhood, although he is his only heir. When Yuri Shmilevich died, the guy was 12 years old. The former civil wife of Aizenshpis began to demand an inheritance for her son. As such, the whole Dima Bilan was attached - songs, brand. As compensation, they asked for $ 2 million at the rate of 2007.
Yura was not one of those fathers who are interested in messing around with kids, - Elena Goiningen-Gühne spoke at the trial. But lately they've been very friendly. And Yuri Shmilevich always solved the problems of his child, including material ones. Misha is growing up, in a few years he will go to college ... Only his father, who could help him, is no longer around.
The story of the division of the Dima Bilan project divorced the artist from the family of the first producer, although before that the singer swore that he would not leave them.
Yuri Shmilevich died in 2005 from a heart attack, two years before the previously unknown, but talented Vitya Belan became the “Artist of the Year” and “Performer of the Year” at prestigious award MTV RMA-2005.
At the funeral, Dima was held by the hand by Yana Rudkovskaya on the one hand, and on the other by the son of the late producer Misha Aizenshpis. After the death of his mentor and teacher, Bilan decided to leave StarPro, which was inherited by the widow and son of Aizenshpis. Then he gave an interview to KP, where he spoke about the contract with the Aizenshpis studio:
Yes. The contract was. But serfdom was abolished in 1861. And human relations must remain human.
After that, Bilan thundered, and we heard about the son of Aizenshpis only in fits and starts. He, it seems, opened a company in Moscow, which was engaged in the development software. But the story of the suitcase became the peak of his popularity. In February 2014, Misha was detained with cocaine and a suitcase of money. According to the police, he was taken to the police station at his own request. Then, near the Polezhaevskaya metro station, he approached law enforcement officers and asked to take him under guard. The guy's behavior aroused their suspicions. They searched - they found a bag of cocaine and a substantial amount of money in the car. After the opera, they searched his apartment. The case was opened, but it ended in nothing. The young man was released. A year later, he disappeared.
Elena Goyningen-Hühne, who filed a statement about her son's disappearance in January of this year, now does not want to discuss family matters. She told Komsomolskaya Pravda that Mikhail did not disappear at all and that she had known about his stay in St. Petersburg all this time.
He was not missing, no one from the police called me, - said the mother of Aizenshpis. - He is not and was not on the federal wanted list. This is all false information. And I won't discuss it with you. My son is not a star, like our entire family.
DOSSIER "KP"
Yuri Shmilevich Aizenshpis was born on July 15, 1945 in Chelyabinsk, where his Muscovite mother Maria Mikhailovna was evacuated. After the war, the family returned to the capital. Even in his student years (he studied as an engineer-economist), Yuri began working in the underground Soviet "show business" - he organized concerts of the Sokol rock band, popular in the 60s among Moscow youth. In 1970, during a search in Aizenshpis's apartment, the police seized 15,585 rubles and $7,675. He was convicted under the article “Violation of the rules on foreign exchange transactions” and was released only 18 years later, in 1988. A year later, he became the director of the Kino group, and after the death of Viktor Tsoi, he began to collaborate with other artists. AT different years produced the groups "Technology", "Moral Code", "Dynamite", singers Linda, Katya Lel, singer Vlad Stashevsky. The last big project of Yuri Aizenshpis is Dima Bilan.
The producer died on September 20, 2005 from a myocardial infarction. He was buried near Moscow at the Domodedovo cemetery.
Producer Yuri Aizenshpis was one of the first in our country to start professionally "promoting" pop and pop stars. There were legends about this man, and his every step was shrouded in the most incredible rumors. But in spite of everything, all the projects that Yuri Aizenshpis undertook turned out to be successful.
Contrary to the general trend, the performers who left him never slandered him in the press and never entered into litigation.
Yuri Aizenshpis: biography. Childhood and youth
Aizenshpis was born in Chelyabinsk in 1945. His mother, Maria Mikhailovna Aizenshpis, a native Muscovite, was sent to this city for evacuation. Shmil Moiseevich Aizenshpis (father of Yuri) is a Polish Jew who was forced to leave his homeland to escape the Nazis. He fought in the ranks of the Soviet army and was a veteran of the Second World War.
After the end of the war, the family returned to Moscow. Until 1961, she lived in a dilapidated wooden hut, and then received a wonderful apartment in a prestigious area of the capital. At that time they had a gramophone with a large collection of records and a KVN-49 TV.
As Yuri Shmilevich Aizenshpis himself recalled, in his youth he was seriously involved in sports: handball, athletics, volleyball, but due to a leg injury he had to stop training. In addition to sports, the young man in those days was interested in jazz. He had a tape recorder, which the young man bought with his savings.
The first recordings were jazz compositions by famous musicians of the world - Woody Herman, John Coltrane, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald. Yuri Aizenshpis, whose photo you can see in our article, was well versed in various directions - jazz-rock, avant-garde and popular jazz. After some time, he became interested in the origins of rock music, the founders of the direction of rhythm and blues.
The circle of lovers and connoisseurs of this music was quite small in those days, everyone knew each other. When one of the like-minded people got a new record, Yuri Aizenshpis rewrote it. At that time, “black markets” were widespread in our country, which the police constantly dispersed. Exchange, purchase and sale were prohibited. The sellers simply confiscated the discs. And in spite of everything, records entered the country from abroad on a regular basis, overcoming the powerful barriers of customs rules and laws. Under the ban were some performers - Elvis Presley, the sisters of Bury.
Education
After graduating from school, Yury Shmilevich Aizenshpis entered MESI and graduated in 1968 with a diploma in engineering and economics. But it should be noted that he entered the institute and successfully graduated only in order not to upset his parents.
First musical project
Yes, a graduate of the Faculty of Economics, Yuri Aizenshpis, did not like his specialty at all. His soul was drawn to music. While still studying at the institute, twenty-year-old Yuri began his creative activity, showing courage and business acumen.
In the mid-seventies, Beatlemania swept the world. At this time, Yuri with a group of like-minded musicians created the first rock band in our country. Since all members of the group lived near the Sokol metro station, they didn’t get too smart with the name of the group and they also called it Sokol. Today this group has taken its rightful place in the history of the Russian rock movement.
At first, the musicians performed the songs of the legendary band "The Beatles" on English language. At that time, it was believed that rock music could only exist in English. Friends have long noted the activity of Yuri and his organizational talent, so they appointed him as someone like an impresario.
Some time later, the team was admitted to the staff of the Tula Philharmonic. The group toured a lot, and Aizenshpis' monthly income sometimes reached an astronomical amount of 1,500 rubles at that time. For comparison: the salary of the ministers of the Soviet Union was no more than a thousand rubles.
Ticket selling
At the very beginning of his activity, more precisely during his collaboration with the Sokol group, Yuri developed an unusual ticket sales scheme. Having previously agreed with the director of some house of culture or club, Aizenshpis bought all the tickets for the last screening of the film, and then sold them at a higher price to the group's concert.
As a rule, there were much more people who wanted to listen to music than there were seats in the hall. At times things got out of control. It is for this reason that Aizenshpis was the first to hire security guards in the seventies to ensure order at concerts.
With the money received from the sale of tickets, he bought foreign currency, with which he purchased high-quality musical instruments and high quality sound equipment for the stage. Since in the USSR at that time all foreign exchange transactions were illegal, he always took a big risk when making transactions.
Work in the Central Statistical Bureau of the USSR
In 1968, Aizenshpis joined the Central Statistical Office as a junior researcher with a salary of 115 rubles. However, he rarely visited his workplace. His main income continued to be foreign exchange transactions, buying up and further selling gold. He made transactions, the volume of which exceeded a million dollars a month. At that time, the underground millionaire was only 25 years old.
Arrest
But such a life did not last long. In early January 1970, Aizenshpis was arrested. During a search in his apartment, 7,675 dollars and 15,585 rubles were found. He was convicted under Article 88 ("Currency transactions"). Even in places of detention, the entrepreneurial vein of Aizenshpis was manifested. In the Krasnoyarsk-27 zone, the future producer launched a brisk trade in tea, vodka and sugar. Then he began to be appointed to senior positions at local construction sites.
When he was transferred to a colony-settlement, Yuri fled from there to Pechory and settled with a local intellectual, whom he charmed with his charm and talk about the capital. However, he was soon exposed by a guest at home - a police colonel. And again, the amazing luck of Aizenshpis, as well as his knowledge of the basics of psychology, came to the rescue. He was transferred to another colony to an excellent position as a rationer.
Yuri Aizenshpis spent almost 18 years in prison for what any citizen is now allowed to do. But something else is important: for such a long period of time, Aizenshpis did not become embittered, did not become a criminal, did not lose his human appearance.
Life after release
Once free in 1988, Aizenshpis saw Russia unfamiliar to him during perestroika. Alexander Lipnitsky introduced him to the rock scene. At first, he was entrusted to head the directorate of the Intershans festival. Gradually, step by step, he studied the backstage life and the basics of show business, and soon the aspiring producer began working with domestic musical performers.
Yuri Shmilyevich formulated his mission rather frankly - to promote the artist using any means: diplomacy, bribery, threats or blackmail. This is exactly how he acted, for which he was called the "shark of show business."
There were plenty of unknown young performers who dreamed of breaking into the big stage. Yuri Aizenshpis chose among them those who could hook the viewer, who had at least a more or less interesting repertoire. At first, through television, he presented them to the general public, and then organized tours.
Group "Kino"
From December 1989 until the tragic death of Viktor Tsoi (1990), Aizenshpis was the producer and director of the Kino group. He was the first to break the state monopoly on the release of records. Already in 1990, he released the "Black Album" with funds taken on credit.
It should be noted: by the beginning of cooperation with the producer of "Kino" there was already enough famous group. At that time, the most successful, legendary album "Blood Type" had already been recorded. According to critics, after him Choi could not write a single line for two or three years. Therefore, cooperation with Kino brought Aizenshpis to a new stellar level of activity, which allowed him to earn credibility in his craft.
"Technology"
If "Kino" at the beginning of work with the producer already had some success, then the "Technology" group was molded almost from scratch by Yuri Aizenshpis. "Lighting the Stars" - this is how the producer began to be called more and more often after his second successful project. Using the example of "Technology", he managed to prove that he can take guys with an average level of talent and "sculpt" stars out of them.
Among the numerous ensembles that existed at that time on the stage was the Bioconstructor group, which eventually split into two subgroups. One was called "Bio", and the second was just thinking about its name and musical concept. They could show only two or three songs, which the already well-known producer liked. As time has shown, Aizenshpis was not mistaken and was able to create a really popular group, which was called "Technology".
Linda
In 1993, Aizenshpis drew attention to the young performer Svetlana Geiman in Jurmala. Very soon, the name of the singer Linda became known to both the audience and music critics. Soon the songs I want your sex, "Non-stop" and the famous hit "Playing with Fire" appeared. Linda's joint work with the producer lasted less than a year, after which they parted ways.
Vlad Stashevsky
This project was more long-term - it lasted six years (1993-1999). The favorite of the beautiful half of Russian viewers, the sex symbol of the mid-nineties was Vlad Stashevsky, who, in collaboration with Aizenshpis, released five albums.
The producer met Stashevsky at the Master nightclub. Yuri Shmilyevich heard Vlad playing an out-of-tune piano backstage and humming songs from the repertoire of Mikhail Shufutinsky and Willy Tokarev. After this meeting, nothing foreshadowed a long cooperation, although Aizenshpis left his business card to an unknown artist.
A few days later he called Vlad and they arranged a meeting, during which Aizenshpis introduced Vlad to Vladimir Matetsky, who took part in the audition. The first performance of Stashevsky took place at the end of August 1993 in Adjara, at a song festival.
Awards, further creative activity
In 1992, Aizenshpis was awarded the Ovation Award as the best producer in Russia. Until 1993, Yuri Shmilevich produced the Young Guns, Moral Code, singer Linda groups. In 1997, he began to study the singers Inga Drozdova and Katya Lel, a year later the singer Nikita became his protégé, since 2000, cooperation with the Dynamite group began.
During this period, Yuri Aizenshpis became especially famous as a very successful producer. The man who lit the stars on Russian stage, since 2001, he took over as CEO of Media Star.
Dima Bilan
Yuri Aizenshpis and Dima Bilan met in 2003. According to music critics, the last project of the famous producer, which he worked on for the last three years of his life, became one of the most successful in the work of Yuri Shmilyevich. In September 2005, Dima Bilan was recognized as the best performer of 2004 according to MTV, and much later became the winner of Eurovision 2008.
Other roles
In 2005, Yuri Shmilevich played a cameo role in the popular Russian film Night Watch. In addition, he became the author of the book Lighting the Stars.
Family life
About my personal life Aizenshpis did not like to talk. At the Intershans-89 festival, he met a very pretty assistant director Elena. The couple did not formalize the relationship. In 1993, a baby appeared in the family - the son of Misha. But gradually the feelings lost their former sharpness, and the couple broke up.
Yuri Shmilevich spoiled his son Aizenshpis, however, the educational process was completely shifted to Elena's shoulders. Mikhail often visited his father's office, went to concerts with him. Yuri Shmilevich bequeathed to his son and ex-wife two huge apartments in Moscow. After the death of the producer, Elena married the editor of the TNT channel, Leonid Gyune.
Yuri Aizenshpis: cause of death
On September 20, 2005, this talented person, a recognized and successful Russian producer, passed away. At about eight o'clock in the evening, Yuri Aizenshpis died in the Moscow City Hospital No. 20. Death was due to a massive myocardial infarction. Yuri Shmilevich was buried at the Domodedovo cemetery near Moscow.
