Singer-songwriter Alex Genadinik translates Okudzhava and Vysotsky’s timeless songs into English – preserving the soul of the original poetry
NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, June 16, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — For generations of Russian speakers, the songs of Bulat Okudzhava and Vladimir Vysotsky were more than music – they were the emotional heartbeat of an era. Now, for the first time, English-speaking audiences can experience five of their most celebrated works, translated and performed by singer-songwriter Alex Genadinik on his music website touchedbyasong.com.
Okudzhava and Vysotsky are two of the greatest singer-songwriters in Russian history – poets who set their verses to melody and moved hundreds of millions of listeners across decades. Their tender, melancholy, and deeply human songs have been passed down through generations of Russian-speaking families. Yet despite their towering cultural stature, their work has remained largely inaccessible to the English-speaking world.
Genadinik’s translations change that. Born in Odessa, Ukraine during the Soviet era, he grew up with these songs as the soundtrack of his childhood. His translations are not merely linguistic exercises – they are musical performances that honor the poetic soul of the originals, line by line and note by note.
The collection includes five landmark songs:
– “Vinogradnaya Kostochka” (The Grape Seed) – arguably Okudzhava’s most beloved song, a meditation on memory and longing – https://youtu.be/_sI93NWgZcU
– “Blue Trolley” – Okudzhava’s iconic hymn of hope and human kindness – https://youtu.be/HbmK3TX-WyQ
– “Po Smolenskoy Doroge” – a haunting wartime elegy by Okudzhava – https://youtu.be/vIIbdhFBUho
– “Arbatskiy Dvoryanin” – Okudzhava’s tender ode to Moscow’s Arbat neighborhood – https://youtu.be/hACL9JTU2fY
– “Ballad of Love” – a sweeping romantic poem by the legendary Vladimir Vysotsky – https://youtu.be/JvlF2Agaq7E
All five songs are available to stream now at touchedbyasong.com and on the YouTube channel youtube.com/@touchedbyasong.
About The Artist: Alex Genadinik is a singer-songwriter, educator, and entrepreneur based in the United States. Born in Odessa, Ukraine, he grew up immersed in the rich tradition of Soviet-era poetic song. His music website touchedbyasong.com is dedicated to bringing poetic, emotionally resonant music to a global audience.
Alex Genadinik
TouchedByASong.com
+1 415-269-3586
alex.genadinik@gmail.com
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