Hvorostovsky’s brother revealed unknown details from the life of the great baritone

“Hvorostovsky – father’s project”

– Alexei Vitalievich, before talking about Dmitry Alexandrovich, please tell us how it turned out that the son of a chemist became an opera singer? Was he condemned in the family or supported?

There has always been some kind of freedom in our family. At least in the male line, everyone felt free. Somehow it was not customary for us to depend on someone and create unquestioning authorities. Maybe because Dmitry’s grandfather, Stepan Ivanovich, worked on the railroad and traveled a lot, he felt freedom. In general, he was diversified, responsible and very active. But grandfather did not consider music to be masculine, which cannot be said about Dima’s father, Alexander Stepanovich, who was fond of music since childhood. He is a chemist by education, graduated from the Technological Institute in Krasnoyarsk and later taught there. But from childhood he was fond of music, accompanied creative groups on the piano and sang himself. Once, when Alexander Stepanovich was still at school, the teacher scolded him for poor progress in the subject, since at that time he was studying music. And he showed character – and stopped going to classes just to make art. However, he did not become a professional artist. Dima, as they would say now, is Alexander Stepanovich’s “project”. In his son, he revealed all his talent and love for music.

As for the places of Krasnoyarsk, the beginning of his life was connected with the central part of the city. When Dima was just born, and he was a year older than me, in order to make it easier to take care of him due to poor health, they brought him to our apartment on Gorky, 10. My mother worked just in the management of the railway, this is opposite our at home. For some time he stayed with us, then we moved to the right bank (of the Yenisei River in Krasnoyarsk. – Ed.).

House at Krasrab 55: the birth of a rebel

– What was Dmitry Alexandrovich like in childhood and youth? How did his career in music start?

– He lived on the right bank of the Yenisei, I on the left. Seen infrequently. He lived in his grandmother’s house on 55 Krasnoyarsky Rabochy Avenue. I can say that Dima grew up like an ordinary Soviet child – in the yard. Played the same games as others, walked and fought. Actually, he could take care of himself. He had not very good eyesight since childhood, he always wore lenses. But one day, when he came to school with glasses, they started to make fun of him. Dima gave each offender in the eye. He could protect himself. He loved his school and, when he came from London, he constantly asked to be taken to his school.

But most of all he loved the music school. He studied far from home – in the area of ​​Michurin Street, which is located a few blocks away. Now this is the 4th music school, it bears the name of Dima. He had to walk a lot to get to classes, even through the railroad. And at first he did go to a music school on 26 Baku Commissars Street. Those who have lived and still live in Krasnoyarsk know that the boy who goes to school on this street is a risky one. It’s just that the area is dysfunctional, for sure the locals bullied and teased. But Dima walked. And, I think, he had to defend his right to make music, to fend off the attacks of local punks. He grew up in such conditions that it was impossible to let himself be offended.

In general, Dima has always been confident in himself and in his abilities. And in school competitions, and even prestigious international ones, he was always aimed at the first places and won them. The story in Cardiff is well known, where Dima borrowed money from the concertmaster for a tailcoat and promised to return it as soon as he took first place. And you have to understand that this is the most prestigious competition that opened the doors to the world opera. Then Dima became the first Soviet singer to win.

In high school, Dima and his friends created a rock band. To find texts and melodies, he listened to the radio and wrote notes on paper, memorized the arrangement thanks to his unique abilities. There was practically nothing to record songs on, no lyrics could be found, but thanks to Dima’s perfect ear and memory, the group always had the lyrics of “The Beatles” and “Kiss”. In general, he loved rock very much all his life. At home and during trips, we listened to “Sweet”, “Slade”, “ZZ Top”. And after the concerts, he took off his tailcoat and changed into a leather jacket and jeans. He generally liked the style, I would call it “rocker casual”.

Outskirts of Krasnoyarsk: rest for a genius

– Alexey Vitalievich, the biography of Hvorostovsky is known to very many people in the smallest details, and more, of course, people are interested in how he performed and reached heights unprecedented for Siberians. But a person with such a colossal load, probably, had a vacation on a grand scale? How did Dmitry Alexandrovich spend his time during short periods of rest?

Dima loved Siberian nature, but he did not consider himself a tourist. He loved the Yenisei and the Krasnoyarsk Sea. He came to Krasnoyarsk with friends from London and other cities, we went with them on yachts. He really enjoyed spending time like this.

Despite the fact that he was very athletic, he did not like to go to Stolby. He said that if he was taken by car, he would agree to go there. Once, it was in the last years of his life, Dima came to Krasnoyarsk, and in the evening I took him to Stolby in the region of the Granite Quarry. It was quiet and dark there, not a soul around.

“Look how good it is!” Dima said then.

And suddenly we noticed people walking. They were friends of our father. We were very surprised by this meeting, because there was no one around at all. We got to talking and then went home, but this meeting became a vivid memory of the meetings with Dima.

– What did Dmitry Hvorostovsky regret in the last years of his life?

He often said, “Why me?” Dima had a huge number of plans, and as soon as he felt better, he began to work. I think if he had saved his strength and listened to the doctors, he would have lived for a long time. But he gathered his strength and began to sing again.

“I can’t stop singing,” he told me.

I objected that he could teach or be on the jury, but he didn’t even want to think about it. He was a rebel to the end. He fought the disease and did not want anyone to feel sorry for him. In the last hours, he asked his family not to see him leave. He understood that his life was over, but did not want to put up with it to the last.

– Now Dmitry Hvorostovsky has become one of the symbols of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Is there anything missing to memorialize your great brother?

Yes, they remember Dima, they talk about Dima, erect monuments and paint portraits. But this is scattered data. I am in favor of his museum appearing, in which, in particular, it would be told about the formation of his character, about his path to glory. I would like people who are interested in Dima’s work to become interested in this project.