Mikhail Gorsheniov

Mikhail "Gorshok" Gorsheniov (, full name given at birth – Mikhail Yurievich Gorsheniov; 7 August 1973 – 19 July 2013)

Biography

Gorsheniov formed the band in 1988 with his classmates. Soon after that, he invited his friend Andrei Kniazev. Knyazev would become the second singer and the main lyricist. The band's music consisted of various elements of punk rock, hard rock, art rock and gothic rock. Korol i Shut went on to become the number one rock band in Russia. They were the most successful and well-known Russian punk and hard rock act of the decade (2001–2011). The band had many nominations for most every Russian music award and won almost all of them. Mikhail also worked in theater and had a lot of collaborations with other Russian rock musicians.

Mikhail was largely known for his menacing and sinister stage appearance. For a long time he had almost no upper teeth (he lost them by the age of 10). By the beginning of the 21st century he had only two fangs in his upper jaw and it made him look like a vampire or demon. Later Gorsheniov began to use dentures.

Mikhail Gorsheniov was born on 7 August 1973 in the city of Pikalevo, Leningrad Region (however the city of Boksitogorsk is mistakenly considered his place of birth). In 1990, he invited Andrey Knyazev to the group as a lyricist and second vocalist. In 2008, together with Alexander Balunov (a former member of the group), he took part in the recording of the album "Drinking with Jesus" by the Red Elvises, the song "Don't Crucify Me" (written with Igor Yuzov).

In 2010, he became interested in theatrical and staging activities. In the process of work, the idea of creating a theatrical and musical project about a maniac hairdresser, from this idea, Sweeney Todd was born. His unsuccessful struggle with his addiction caused his death on 19 July 2013 of heart failure due to alcoholic cardiomyopathy, as one source attributed it to a drug relapse. According to his wishes, he was cremated in Saint Petersburg and his ashes were buried in Bogoslovskoe Cemetery of the city.

A civil memorial service for Mikhail Gorshenyov took place on Monday 22 July at the Yubileiny sports complex in St. Petersburg. According to some reports, from 7 to 10 thousand people came to say goodbye to the musician, including many of his colleagues in the shop. The body was cremated, and the ashes were planned to be scattered, since Gorshenyov was against any burial rites, however, on 1 August the ashes were buried on the main alley of the Theological cemetery in St. Petersburg.

Personal life

Gorsheniov was married twice and had a daughter Alexandra from his second marriage. He also raised his stepdaughter Anastasia, the daughter of his second wife Olga from first marriage. His younger brother Aleksei is the former frontman of Kukryniksy.

Discography

With Korol i Shut: