Age — 65; Russia, Moscow.

On April 2nd my little Sashenka would have been 70!  Yes, only 70 years old!  He was young in heart and body: handsome, intelligent, strong, happy, spontaneous, and curious like a little boy.  He never stopped learning and he lived with a thirst for life, and was always making plans…

At 65 (his age at the time of the tragedy), besides his jobs as choir director for the K. S. Stanislavsky & Nemirovich-Danenko Moscow music theater and music supervisor of ‘Nord-Ost’, he was the coach for the Hercules sport club.  Even though he had no degree in physical education, they chose him above all the other coaches, and he was very much loved and respected by his students.

Sashenka had a knack for karate, which he began to study at 45!  Sashenka could get up at 6 in the morning (for his work outs) and then head for the school to train the children pro bono.  “Who’d do this if I didn’t?” Sashenka said.

He was always younger than his years – athletic, strong, and handsome with radiant eyes.  He was unusually well disposed towards people, and intelligent.  And how he loved young people!  He always tried to listen, to support, and to assist through word and deed, and there were always young people around him.

Back when he called from ‘Nord-Ost’, he said: “They’ve got to save the children!  Listen – SAVE THE CHILDREN!”  Sashenka was not a religious person, but he lived according to a purely Christian law – to do Good!

But, of course, the main thing in his life was music.  He graduated from the Moscow state conservatory as a choir conductor, in Professor V. F. Balashov’s class, and with an elective in the organ class of the great L. I. Roizman.  Unfortunately he was unable to become an organist, since back then there were still too few of these remarkable instruments in our country, and he could not bring himself to remain in Hungary where he was offered work.

Sashenka worked in the music theaters of Russia as a head choirmaster.  He was loved and respected by the artists, and in theater this is quite rare.  He had a dream – to dedicate a requiem by G. Verdi to his parents.  Sasha performed it in the theater of opera and ballet in the city of Ufa, and V. Platonov conducted it.

We lived together for 35 years.  Sashenka was my husband, my most trusted friend, my love, and my rock-steady support.  We worked together our whole lives and were never apart, and during our whole life together I never once heard a sharp or loud word.  Sashenka was a remarkable father to our daughter Katyusha, and was the one person closest to her.  Sometimes it seemed to me that she could not even take a breath without him – such was their spiritual connection.

How Sashenka rejoiced when in 2001 when our long-awaited grandson Danilka was born!  Sashenka had golden hands, and knew how to do a lot with them.  More accurately, I do not know what he was not able to do.  Sasha wanted to teach his grandson everything that he knew, and wanted him to grow up to be a real man.  How many plans he had in life!  But he was destined to never fulfill them…

I was once asked: “What was the happiest day in your life together?”  Without thinking, I answered – EVERY day that I lived with my husband!  Thank you for this, my dear Sashenka, for the happiness of my entire life!

We are not apart even now!  He is always with us!  His remarkable smile, his quiet and tender voice, his goodness and LOVE!

Written by his wife, Marina Lepilina.

In October of 2002 we bade farewell to Alexander Geogrievich Volkov, the director of the choir ensemble for the K. S. Stanislavsky & V. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko music theater.  The choir ensemble lost a remarkable man.  People who knew Alexander Geogrievich admired his goodness, decency, and honesty.  For many of us he was a true friend.

Alexander Geogrievich was a professional musician and worked for a long time in many theaters in our nation as a chief choirmaster and conductor.

He arrived at our collective a relatively short time ago.  On becoming director of the choir ensemble, he quickly found common ground with the artists, and for this he was much respected.

He always greeted his artists affably, soundly, and with a smile on his face.  A choir is a complex mechanism that is one of the main working parts of an opera, a collection of very different people, each requiring a different approach.  Alexander Geogrievich knew how to understand every one of the choir’s artists, and he worried about them, supported them in all their problems, and helped them in word and deed.  They loved and honored him for this.  He could laugh and joke, but at times could also be rather strict.  The choir affectionately called him ‘Papa Volkov’ among themselves, or simply ‘Georgich’.  That they called him this says a lot.

He was a bright person.  God grant that there are many more people like Alexander Geogrievich.

Brightly shines the memory of him.

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