Galich Alexander Arkadyevich
GALICH ALEXANDER ARKADYEVICH
GALICH ALEXANDER ARKADYEVICH (Ginzburg; 1919–1977), Russian poet and dramatist. Galich was born in Dnepropetrovsk (Ukraine). He studied acting with Stanislavski theatrical studio and appeared with an army troupe at the front during wwii. From 1945 he was a drama teacher and wrote a number of plays, the most popular one being the comedy Was vyzyvaiet Taimir ("Taimir Is Calling You, 1948). He also wrote the screenplay Vernyie Druzia ("Faithful Friends," 1958). Another of his plays, Matrosskaya Tishina ("The Seaman's Silence"), was banned in the Soviet Union. From the beginning of the 1960s he wrote poems which he set to music, performed, and recorded. His poems were critical of Soviet thinking and the language of the press. Some had Jewish themes, such as the poem "Korchak" ("Kaddish") for the actor *Mikhoels and a cycle of poems on the emigration of Soviet Jews to Israel. In the 1960s he turned to Christianity. His poems were published outside the Soviet Union. He also fought for human rights. For all these reasons he was ejected in 1971 from the Union of Writers and Filmmakers. In 1974 he settled in Paris. He visited Israel twice, performing his songs in concerts.
[Shmuel Spector (2nd ed.)]