Aleksandr Zatsepin

Aleksandr Sergeyevich Zatsepin (; born 10 March 1926) is a Russian composer, known for his soundtracks to movies, notably comedies directed by Leonid Gaidai. He received the titles of People’s Artist of Russia (2003) and Hero of Labour of the Russian Federation (2025). Biography Aleksandr was born on 10 March 1926 in Novosibirsk in the family of the surgeon Sergei Dmitriyevich Zatsepin and teacher Valentina Boleslavovna Oksentovich. In 1941, Aleksandr’s father was arrested under Article 58 and sentenced to 10 years in prison. After his release, he did not return to his family. The mother raised her son alone. After graduating from high school number 12, he entered the Novosibirsk Institute of Railway Engineers. In March 1945 he was expelled from the university and drafted into the army. While in the military service, he independently mastered playing several instruments. The platoon commander, where Aleksandr served, was the future artist Yevgeny Matveyev, who invited Aleksandr to participate in the army amateur performances. As a result, he was admitted to the Novosibirsk Army Song and Dance Ensemble. After leaving the reserve in 1947, he worked at the Novosibirsk Philharmonic as