Quick Facts
Biography
Oleg Nikolayevich Karavaichuk (Russian: Оле́г Никола́евич Каравайчу́к; December 28, 1927 – June 13, 2016) was a Soviet and Russian composer, author of music for many films and theater performances.
Biography
Karavaychuk was born on December 28, 1927, in Kiev, into the family of a violinist who was arrested when Oleg was two years old. From early childhood, he composed music.
He graduated from the School of Music at the Leningrad State Conservatory in 1945. In March 1943, he took part in a concert of young musicians in celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Conservatory in Tashkent. In 1945-1951 he studied at the Leningrad State Conservatory piano class (teacher Samarii Savshinsky).
Since 1953 he wrote music for films, although he claims that he began in movie industry because it was the only work, which was not prohibited by the KGB.
For years Karavaychuk lived on the 15th Line of Vasilyevsky Island with his mother, in the house between the Sredny and Maly Prospects, close to the park named after Vera Slutskaya. Locals often saw him on the street and in nearby stores. With its extravagant appearance and behavior (manner of walking and stay, to deal with saleswomen, sunglasses, and a long mane of hair) Oleg Karavaychuk earned the nickname "mad composer" and was, therefore, a local landmark.
Oleg Karavaychuk collaborated with Sergei Parajanov, Vasily Shukshin, Ilya Averbakh, Kira Muratova (Brief Encounters, The Long Goodbye) and others. Karavaychuk also collaborated with the avant-garde, in particular Sergey Kuryokhin.
Oleg Nikolayevich Karavaychuk died on June 13, 2016, in St. Petersburg.