Vladimir Vysotsky, Russia, Moscow. photo #1

Vladimir Wysotsky's sculpture on his grave at Vagankovskoye (Vagankovo) Cemetery in Moscow. Sculptor: Alexander Rukavishnikov .

Actor and poet Vladimir Vysotsky became an immensely popular singer/songwriter in the former Soviet Union and was eventually silenced and banished by government. When he died in 1980, at the age of 42, over one million people attended his funeral.
Russians proudly say that it was as many as at the Pope John Paul II funeral ceremony. Thousands of Moscow citizens left the stadiums (as it was the time of the Olympics) to attend the funeral. The Soviet authorities, taken aback by the unexpected impact on the masses of the death of an underground singer, ordered troops into Moscow to prevent possible riots. Vysotsky was posthumously awarded the title Meritorious Artist of Soviet Union.
The posthumous release of his poetry, in addition to his musical legacy and acting, endeared him to the masses. Fans still make pilgrimages to his grave to pay respects to the man who was, for his country.

Pomnik nagrobny Wysockiego na Cmentarzu Wagankowskim. Autorem rzeźby jest Alexander Rukavishnikov .