The 27’s – Alexander Bashlachev 1960 - 1988

Part 24 in a series on “The 27’s” – notable musicians who have passed away in their 27^th year.

Alexander Bashlachev was a Russian poet, rock musician and songwriter.  He was born on May 27, 1960 in Cherepovets, Soviet Union.  In 1977, Alexander graduated from Cherepovets High School and then spent a year working at the Cherepovets Steel Mill.  In 1978, Bashlachev resigned and began to attend Ural State University in Sverdlovsk to study Journalism.

Bashlachev's first-known song appeared in 1983, titled "Griboyedov Waltz.”  Later, in 1983, Bashlachev graduated from the Ural State University. He returned to Cherepovets, where he worked for a year with a newspaper named "The Communist.”  In May 1984, Bashlachev visited the St. Petersburg rock festival, where he bought a guitar and in September of that year, at the apartment of a friend, he performed some of his songs.

At this point in Russian history, rock music was under extreme censorship. To get around this, artists played for small audiences, usually numbering in the single digits, at homes of friends. These small gatherings were called "kvartirniks."

In March 1985, Bashlachev appeared at a festival in Leningrad along with Yuri Shevchuk. The two played to an audience of six at the Leningrad Veterinary Institute. A recording of this concert was released under the title of "Kochegarka.” It was there that Bashlachev joined the Leningrad Rock Club and also performed at the legendary Kamatchka boiler. (The boiler was just that--a boiler) Bashlachev also performed at the Leningrad rock festival of 1987.

Shortly before his death, Bashlachev was struck by writer's block, rarely writing new songs and attempting to avoid performing old ones. His last-known song was titled "Cherry" and was written in 1986.

Bashlachev died on February 17, 1988, after falling from the window of the ninth floor of his home on Kuznetsova Avenue in Leningrad. The most plausible version of his death is suicide, but there is some uncertainty in that claim.

Bashlachev's son, Egor, was born after his death.