Aizenshpis personal life. Talented producer (Yuri Aizenshpis)

This person is called the first music producer of the USSR and Russia. It was he who, on the wave of Perestroika, introduced the audience to the first cult rock group "Kino", and then, again, he was the first to deprive the state of a monopoly on the publication of records and music albums.
Note that his talent as a businessman and organizer manifested itself much earlier, only then such activities of his fell under criminal articles. So in total, the future famous producer Yuri Aizenshpis spent almost 17 years behind bars.

Concert director

In 1961, Yuri Aizenshpis, like many young people, was fond of sports and music. His parents, who spent their whole lives roaming the Moscow barracks, finally got an apartment on Sokol. In this metropolitan area, the future producer met the members of his first musical group. Young guys called their team - "Falcon". In a roundabout way, they got records with records of "imported stars" - Elvis Presley, Bill Haley, the Beatles, taught their compositions, and then performed them themselves.

At first, "Sokol" performed only in the nearest cafe, occasionally in the area of the House of Culture and on dance floors. But 20-year-old Yuri Aizenshpis, who decided to become the director of the group, already understood then that you can earn big money only if you legalize.

"Golden" farce

Violation of the rules on foreign exchange transactions was on a different occasion. Having entered the institute, Yuri Aizenshpis, driven by his commercial inclinations, decided to turn to his other youthful passion - to sports. Among his friends there were guys who now played football in the Dynamo team, traveled abroad for friendly matches and received checks that could be sold in the USSR in the only Beryozka currency store.
In those days, a dollar on the black market, that is, from hands, cost from 2 to 7.5 rubles. Yuri Aizenshpis, first through his “old friends”, and then through his own well-established channels, bought checks, sold them at Beryozka, and then sold the acquired scarce goods at three dearly.

With the proceeds, through the administrators and waiters of hotels, he bought foreign currency from foreigners, and then checks again. For example, an imported fur coat could be purchased at Beryozka for $50, and sold to a metropolitan movie star for 500 rubles, a dozen Panasonic radios for $35, and sold in Odessa to the same huckster for 4,000 rubles. But this was not enough.

In the late 1960s, Vneshtorgbank began selling gold in Moscow for hard currency. On this wave, Yuri Aizenshpis took up gold fartsovka. Many nomenklatura workers, especially from the Transcaucasian republics, had big and very big money, but it was not easy for them to shine with currency and generally flicker with so much cash in the capital. And Aizenshpis bought gold bars for dollars at the branch of Vneshtorgbank and sold them to Caucasian party workers (officially, 1 kilogram of gold cost $ 1,500).

If he bought dollars on the side at 5 rubles, then a kilogram of gold came out of him at 7,500 rubles. Another thousand had to be paid to a foreign student who had the right to legally conduct transactions with currency, because an ordinary citizen of the USSR should not have had it. But Aizenshpis sold 1 kilogram of gold to a republican party leader for 20,000 rubles.

Navar was mind-blowing, and it really drove many black marketers crazy. Once, a burned-out gold businessman from Armenia, in order to make it easier to take into account, handed over several of his “colleagues” to the employees of the authorities. Then, in the stagnant year of 1970, many criminals who were held under "economic" articles "for the first time" received 5-8 years in prison, but Yuri Aizenshpis was sentenced to 10 years of strict regime, and besides, with the confiscation of all property, even the parent's apartment .

From scratch

After 7 years, the former concert director was released on parole. There was no trace left of the old connections, and the "commercial activity" had to be started anew. Together with a certain friend, Yuri Aizenshpis decided to buy 4,000 dollars "from hand" on the Lenin Hills. But the seller brought fakes and the criminal investigation officers had been watching him for a long time. So after 3 months of freedom, the future famous producer was again in the dock. As a result, to 8 years of imprisonment under the “currency article”, he was added another 3 years, which were previously “cut off” for the first term and sent to serve in Mordovia, in the infamous Dubrovlag colony, which had the unofficial name “Meat Grinder”, because each day there for "unknown reasons" killed 3 - 5 people.

Seven years later, he was released on parole. There was no trace of the old connections, so we had to re-organize the "commercial activity". Together with one friend, Yuri Aizenshpis bought $ 4,000 from the Lenin Hills. That's just the seller has long been under the supervision of the criminal investigation department and brought fakes. So after three months of freedom, the future famous producer was again in the dock. As a result, to 8 years of imprisonment under the “currency article”, he was added another 3 years, which were previously knocked off (when he was serving his first term), and sent to Mordovia to the infamous Dubrovlag colony, which had the unofficial name “Meat Grinder”, because every day 3-5 people died there for "unknown reasons".

Under the hood of the KGB

In 1985, Yuri Aizenshpis was again released on parole and returned to Moscow. Now he was being extremely careful. Through a young Muscovite, the wife of an employee of the Arab diplomatic mission, Aizenshpis not only established a safe channel for buying foreign currency, but also imported clothing and electronics, since the Arab was engaged in export-import. But the KGB officers always looked after any foreigner in the USSR, and soon Yuri Aizenshpis was under the hood.

In the summer of 1986, when he was driving around the capital in new Zhiguli, he was stopped by policemen. During the inspection of the car, it turned out that there were several imported audio tape recorders and one super scarce video tape recorder with video cassettes in the trunk. So, at the suggestion of the KGB officers, Yuri Aizenshpis ended up in a pre-trial detention center. However, the case did not reach the court, since the Arab managed to leave the USSR in time, and without the main defendant, the “high-profile” speculative case soon fell apart. And then Perestroika broke out. After serving almost 1.5 years in a pre-trial detention center, Yuri Aizenshpis was released and never returned to jail.

One of the most famous producers of Russian show business, Yuri Shmilevich Aizenshpis, was born on July 15, 1945 in Moscow.

In 1968 he graduated from the Moscow Institute of Economics and Statistics with a degree in engineer-economist. After graduating from the institute, Aizenshpis worked for some time at the Central Statistical Office (CSO).

I am an independent producer and build my work independently of anyone. However, I always have to deal with the problems of this very corporatism.

Aizenshpis Yuri Shmilevich

While still a student, Yuri Aizenshpis devoted all his free time to his passion - music, so it so happened that he began his professional career in 1965, working as an administrator with the Sokol rock group.

By 1969, the Sokol group became famous thanks to the organizational skills of Aizenshpis, who purchased musical equipment and instruments from foreign guest performers, or rather, from their technical staff. They had to pay with currency, any transactions with which in the USSR were illegal and severely punished by justice.

In January 1970, Yuri Aizenshpis was arrested and convicted under Article 88 of the USSR Criminal Code (“Illegal currency transactions on an especially large scale”). He spent ten years in prison in Mordovia, Krasnoyarsk, Komi.

After a short period of freedom, he again received a sentence and was imprisoned for seven years and eight months.

The experience of Western gentlemen was unknown to me. Everything came from my own ideas and initiatives.

Aizenshpis Yuri Shmilevich

In total, Yuri Aizenshpis served 17 years in prison, finally being released only on April 23, 1988.

The first time after his release, he worked in the creative youth association "Gallery" under the city committee of the Komsomol, organizing concerts of young performers.

In 1988, he met Viktor Tsoi, who had just released the album "A Star Called the Sun". Soon their joint work began.

From 1988 to 1990, Aizenshpis was the director of the Kino group, he organized tours and television broadcasts for the group. With the advent of Aizenshpis, the group, by that time already quite well known in the country, acquired the status of a cult.

Yuri Aizenshpis himself wrote about this: “Of course, Tsoi and the Kino group were known even before our meeting, but they are known among fans of Leningrad basement rock. And I decided to fashion a rock star out of it. And I succeeded.”

Aizenshpis was one of the first to break the state monopoly on the release of records, releasing in 1990 the Black Album of the Kino group with money borrowed. This was the band's last album.

From 1991 to 1992, he collaborated with the Technology group, which he assisted in releasing their debut album, Everything You Want. In the period from 1992 to 1993 he worked as a producer with the groups "Moral Code" and "Young Guns". Since the summer of 1994, he collaborated with singer Vlad Stashevsky, whose debut album was released under the Aisenshpis Records label. In 1997, while continuing to work with Vlad Stashevsky, he collaborated in parallel with the aspiring singer Inga Drozdova.

At various times, Aizennshpis produced the singer Sasha (from 1999 to 2000), raised the singer Nikita to the heights of popularity (produced him from 1998 to 2001).

In recent years, Yuri Shmilevich has been closely engaged in the career of the singer Dima Bilan and the Dynamite group.

Aizenshpis participated in the organization of the international festival "Sunny Adjara" (1994), as well as in the establishment of the "Star" music award.

Since 2001, he has served as General Director of Media Star.

In 2005, he starred in a small role in the film Night Watch 2.

Yuri Aizenshpis was twice the winner of the National Russian Music Award "Ovation" in the nomination "Best Producer" (1992, 1995).

He was buried in Moscow at the Domodedovo cemetery.

Yuri Aizenshpis was divorced, he had a son, Mikhail.

Yuri Shmilevich Aizenshpis - quotes

I am an independent producer and build my work independently of anyone. However, I always have to deal with the problems of this very corporatism.

The experience of Western gentlemen was unknown to me. Everything came from my own ideas and initiatives.

Note that his talent as a businessman and organizer manifested itself much earlier, only then such activities of his fell under criminal articles. So in total, the future famous producer Yuri Aizenshpis spent almost 17 years behind bars.

"Golden" farce

From scratch

Under the hood of the KGB

Show business, twice laureate of the Ovation music award. He helped many current Russian pop stars ascend to the horizon of show business. And the creative teams and solo singers and singers with whom he worked still evoke a response in the hearts of the public.

Family and childhood of Yuri Aizenshpis

Yuri Aizenshpis, whose photo can be seen in this article, was born in Chelyabinsk, immediately after the war, on June 15, 1945. His father Shmil Moiseevich was a veteran of the Great Patriotic War. Mother's name was Maria Mikhailovna. The surname Aizenshpis means "iron peak" in translation from the Yiddish language. Yuri's parents were Jews, they worked in the Main Directorate for the construction of airfields.

At first, the family lived in a wooden barrack. But in 1961 they received an apartment in Sokol (it was a prestigious Moscow district at that time). Yuri Aizenshpis was very fond of sports since childhood. Most of all he was fascinated by athletics, handball and volleyball. He could very well become a champion in one of these areas. But he still had to leave the sport. This was due to a leg injury at the age of 16.

First steps in show business

After school, Yuri Aizenshpis entered the university as an engineer-economist. He graduated from it in 1968. In addition to his passion for sports, Yuri had something else. Music attracted him. Since his sports career was closed for him due to injury, he chose show business.

And his first job was as an administrator of the rock group "Sokol". He sold tickets for the concerts of the creative team according to the original scheme, which helped to technically equip the stage with first-class equipment. And the quality and purity of sound for Yuri were always very important.

At first, he negotiated with the directors of the clubs for the performance of the group. Further, Aizenshpis bought up all the tickets for evening concerts and then personally sold them at a higher price. Yuri was the first in the Soviet Union to start hiring security guards to ensure order during the show.

Yuri Aizenshpis: biography. Arrest

With the proceeds from ticket sales (mostly dollars), Aizenshpis bought musical instruments for the group and high-quality sound equipment from foreigners. But at that time in the USSR, all foreign exchange transactions were illegal, and he took a lot of risks by making such transactions. If he had been caught, they could have been imprisoned for a serious period.

Law enforcement agencies drew attention to his "speculative" activities. On January 7, 1970, Aizenshpis was arrested. During the search, more than 7 thousand dollars were found and confiscated (as Yuri himself admitted in an interview, he even saved up more than 17 thousand dollars) and over 15,000 rubles. Aizenshpis Yuri Shmilevich was convicted under the article for currency fraud. He was sentenced to ten years in prison. Yuri was sent to serve his sentence in the city of Krasnoyarsk.

After he was released, he did not enjoy it for long. And again ended up in prison under the same article. But this time he was given seven years and eight months in prison. In total, he served seventeen years in prison. And he was finally released only in April of the eighty-eighth year.

Imprisonment

Yuri was imprisoned to “wind the term” among inveterate criminals. Every day he watched cruelty, blood and mayhem. But he was not touched. The main reason, most likely, was his sociability. He knew how to listen and communicate. Being a very contact person, Yuri Aizenshpis was able to quickly adapt in an environment alien to him.

Although more than half of the prisoners are usually starving, he avoided this pitfall. The money, although secretly transferred in the form of bribes to the prison, managed to make his existence in the zone more bearable than for many. At least he didn't starve.

Yuri was not kept in one place, he was transferred many times to other regions and zones. Only in any place he was distinguished by his unbending character and high standard of living.

The first "star" group of Yuri Aizenshpis

After being released from prison, where Yuri Aizenshpis served a total of seventeen years, he got a job at the Gallery, which created the city committee of the Komsomol. Aizenshpis first organized concerts of young talented performers. In the eighty-ninth year he became the official producer of the Kino group. Yuri was among the first to break the state monopoly on the release of records. The last record of the Kino group, the Black Album, was released by Aizenshpis in 1990, taking a loan of 5 million rubles for this. It was his first band that he brought to the world stage.

Further activities in show business

In 1991-1992 producer Yuri Aizenshpis worked closely with the Technology group. He helped release their first album, Everything You Want, which became their debut. He widely launched advertising activities, producing printed products with the image of members of the Technology group: postcards, posters, etc.

In 1992, he received the Ovation Award as the best producer in the country. And from this year to the ninety-third he collaborated with the "Moral Code" and "Young Guns". In the summer of 1994, he began working with Vlad Stashevsky. During their collaboration, four music albums were recorded. The debut was "Love Doesn't Live Here Anymore".

In the same year, Yuri was one of the organizers of the international music festival "Sunny Adjara". Participated in the establishment of the "Star" award. According to the results of his creative activity in the ninety-fifth year, Aizenshpis Yuri Shmilevich again received the Ovation Award.

There was such a famous music producer who passed away not so long ago, but that's not the point. Even if you have not heard of him, then perhaps in the continuation of the conversation you will be interested in the details of working days in the colonies of the Soviet Union.

The famous music producer Yuri Aizenshpis was convicted twice in Soviet times for currency transactions. In total, he served 17 years. But the talent of the manager Aizenshpis realized in the zone. In the first trip, he set up production at the construction site of KrAZ, in the second he was in charge of the sawmill. Aizenshpis recalled that a smart person lived well even in the zone, his income was measured in thousands of rubles.

Here are the details...

Yuri Aizenshpis became a music producer at the age of 19. Then he studied to be an economist, worked at the Central Statistical Bureau. He combined music and service with foreign exchange transactions. In 1970, at the age of 25, he sat down for the first time for 10 years for currency speculation. But he was released on parole for exemplary work in 1977. A year later, he was again convicted under the same article, he was released in 1988. In the book “From a farmer to a producer. Business people in the USSR, he tells how his talent helped him become a manager in the colonies.

For five months in the Krasnoyarsk zone, I have never touched a shovel or a pickaxe. They could not work at a construction site either “for authority” or for money. I took more second. The parents promptly sent the starting advance amount, and then the foreman's services were paid from the "earned". For example, when fulfilling the norm of the plan, the foreman closes orders for 160 rubles for you. If you conditionally “work hard with overfulfillment”, for example, by 200 rubles, then 80 goes to the zone for “stay”, and 120 to your personal account. After taxes, 100 remain. Of these, 50 are for you, and 50 are for the foreman. No more than 10% of all prisoners participated in such a conspiracy, because it was also required to build an object. Not everyone was able to find "ways" to the hillock, even fewer could competently implement the scheme for transferring money home and back. Well, some work addicts just worked hard like elephants and left home rich people. Just before my arrival in the zone, one such hard worker was released from there, having plowed up 5,000 rubles in two years!

This turned out to be an unexpected discovery: forced labor can earn good money. Not as significant as in foreign exchange transactions, but more than in research institutes. At the same time, only a maximum of 15 rubles per month was allowed to be spent in a shop-stall: a base amount of 9 rubles + 4 production rubles (if you meet the production rate) + 2 incentives, if you worked well, did not violate order. In general, sparsely, and only two food parcels of 5 kg per year were allowed. However, the conditions and opportunities for quality food here turned out to be much better. It was only necessary to apply a little mind and imagination, to correctly take into account local specifics.

And the specificity was that when the cordon was removed, anyone could enter the territory of the facility under construction. And hide in one of the many secluded places vodka, money, food - whatever! It was required to have only money, and not on the card, but live. The worked out financial scheme was as follows: money was transferred from the card to Moscow to parents, then went by reverse telegraphic transfer to a free resident of Krasnoyarsk, and then forwarded to me. As a rule, civilian employees who worked alongside us. And although 50 people of the supervisory staff snooped around the entire construction site, although freemen were strictly forbidden to contact with prisoners, it was not possible to detect numerous violations. And why, if it is beneficial to everyone?

The zone was building a large object of the Komsomol shock construction - KrAZ, the Krasnoyarsk aluminum plant. In the meantime, my career also went up: from a shop worker, I rose to a contractor in the plant management. An engineering position, the main functions of which are accounting and organization of labor. Every day I followed the payroll, I knew exactly who was in which detachment and in which brigade, how long and for what I received. At the request of the superiors, I instantly gave out information on where this or that prisoner is now - in the isolation ward, hospital or at work. If at work, then where exactly, what does he do, what are his performance indicators. Nicely useful to me statistical education!

I was assigned a separate office, which I soon hung with schedules of operational reports, figures for putting to work, labor productivity and other numerical characteristics. And I did this job better than many experienced business executives, who were also enough in the zone: both in the noisy business of the Okean store and in the illegal export of diamonds to Israel. Although the salary was like that of an ordinary Soviet engineer - 120 rubles.

The high position also entailed certain life benefits, which in any zone only a few of the most significant prisoners in the structure have. I dined separately, much tastier and more nutritious than the others, sometimes I cooked on my own in my office on a small electric stove. Even arranged feasts! There were always scarce foods on my menu. Through the civilian staff, I actively contacted the will, and sometimes I even asked the senior warder to bring vodka and sausages. The contractors who were in my subordination could lead a person from one part of the zone to another, from residential to industrial. And not one, but with a load. Do you see how you can benefit from this?

The leadership of the zone did not pay attention to the petty abuses of the workmen, and their privileged position was easily explained. This is construction, and repair, this is crafts - prison crafts. Checkers and chess, pens, knives, lighters - the need for inventions is cunning. And to your house, and to give a big person, maybe sell it on the market. Consumer goods are a completely separate topic in the life of the zone, one of the sources of money and indulgences, and if you are handy, you will not be lost. Of course, 15-20 people are in a privileged position, no more. Their outfits are closed at the expense of the main production, and they live like in chocolate - no checks, no regime.

When I sat down for the second time, the word "colony" had already become slang, it was correct to call this institution "ITU". At the head of the ITU were the chief and a number of his deputies: for operational-regime work, political and educational, for production and for general issues. Each deputy had departments, and the deputy for production was at the same time the director of the plant where the prisoners worked. The plant produced both furniture and garden houses, but the main ones in the assortment were cases for Soviet TVs.

More than 30 people crowded into the large office of the head of the ITU - the heads of all detachments, heads of various services. There there was a distribution by detachments and workshops. They called me to the carpet. I said that I am an engineer-economist by education, I have serious work experience. He did not hide his ambitions and readiness for the most responsible positions. In general, I aroused such confidence that I was immediately appointed head of the assembly shop.

So I, a simple Soviet prisoner, ended up in a leadership position. First of all, my duties included the implementation of the plan, visits to the operatives, close work with the administration and with the convicts. I had to put pressure on the hillocks, who, by local standards, are very serious comrades. I had to argue with the administration, proving my case. I had to work hard.

The quality of leadership is determined not so much by knowledge and education, but by experience and a special mindset and character. I not only had an idea about statistics, accounting, about the economic assessment of the situation, but also had the qualities of a leader, enviable energy and activity. I was fond of psychology and philosophy and successfully applied knowledge in practice. Whether a tramp, a criminal, an authority or a hard worker - I found a common language with everyone and had a good relationship. And, of course, the life and prison experience that I have already gained. At the same time, I always preferred to be myself and do things on my own. So, for example, for all the years in captivity, I did not make a single tattoo, considering it below my aesthetic principles.

My new status is the head of the assembly shop, my employees are 300 people. Our workshop received numerous wooden parts, covers, bottoms, reflectors. It was necessary to process, fit, glue and pre-polish them before the final varnishing, which was no longer carried out by us. Clean up your shirt. If there is a crack, open it with a scalpel, drive the emulsion into it and “fry” it with an iron. Practically a surgical operation. Each prisoner had to give out 26 such boxes every day. And then the quality control department begins to meticulously examine them, outline all sorts of shortcomings and defects with white chalk, and sometimes reject up to half of the products.

The main and immediate thing I saw was the clearing of the territory from the rubble of defective products. 70% of the useful space was occupied by tall floor-to-ceiling catacombs. Narrow corridors pierced them like ant passages, while the last rows often contained large "pockets". There, the convicts organized secluded rookeries, where they did the devil knows what. And I went to marriage with a powerful attack, and its number began to decrease. But all this horror has accumulated over the years, passed from one boss to another according to the balance sheet, and the numbers have not corresponded to reality for a long time.

The director of the enterprise could not get enough of it and encouraged me in every possible way. And if earlier the workshop had difficulty fulfilling the daily plan, now other important nomenclature indicators characterizing economic activity have begun to grow: efficiency, productivity.

And I also minimized theft, and in the zone they steal everywhere and that's it. They steal what is needed and what is not needed, what lies badly and what lies well. It seems that there are fences and locks all around, thorns and guards - do not believe your eyes! Logs and plywood, boards and nails, sandpaper, small and large - if it can be dragged away, it is dragged away. Go to the village, which is near the zone, and there you will certainly find a lot of everything stolen from behind bars. This didn’t work for me, full control over the storekeepers, no one will steal or take anything away. At night, everything was closed with massive bolts, even a mouse would not slip through.

All visiting inspections noted my workshop against the background of all the others. Everything flew like on a conveyor belt, no one was idle, no one was idle, everything was ticking like a clock. I received guests and examiners in my personal office, with magnificent mahogany veneer furniture, treated them to good tea with delicious sweets, and for a while I lost the sense of who was who.

The workers in the assembly shop constantly felt my concern, I was practically a father to them. It manifested itself not only in beautiful locker rooms, cozy showers and just in clean production. I encouraged and supported their diligence and ingenuity in every possible way: if they ensured the production rate, they got the opportunity to buy additional goods for 3-4 rubles in the stall, overfulfilled the plan - I signed lists for additional tea. Up to 5 packs per month. I tried to wear high-quality overalls, almost all working workers went in shiny melustine uniforms.

Of course, the high status brought me certain dividends. Good food, free movement from the work area to the living area and back, the opportunity not to attend roll call, unlimited contacts with civilians. I was granted visits of maximum duration twice a year for three days.

Then I started stepping on sawdust, made several rationalization proposals, even found buyers, to whom I sent a hundred or even more carloads of pressed sawdust. The overall economic effect of my innovations amounted to several million rubles, that is, if I caused damage to the country with my speculation, now I have more than covered it.

I completely freed the territory from waste, and the village began to experience a shortage of firewood. After all, before a truck of wood was taken out of the gates of the zone just for a bottle of vodka! They even got angry with me, but I continued to do my job. For the implementation of rationalization proposals, I received a diploma from the Minister of Internal Affairs of Mordovia and a number of patents. And if I had not been a prisoner, they would have been presented with the title of Honored Innovator of the RSFSR. But a very large monetary reward - 10,000 rubles - I still received after leaving the zone. And in the wild, it was very useful to me.

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