July 3

Vladimir Bogomolov

 

            Vladimir Osipovich Bogomolov (Russian: Влади́мир О́сипович Богомо́лов; July 3, 1926 in Kirillovka village, Moscow region — 30 December 2003 in Moscow) was a Soviet writer.

            His most famous novel is In the August of '44 (a.k.a. The Moment of Truth, 1973), which tells the story of SMERSH operatives that followed the frontlines, restored order, and eliminated suspected marauders and saboteurs. It is partly told through pseudo-authentic military correspondence and documents: orders, circulars, telegrams, and reports.[citation needed] The novel saw over a hundred editions, was translated into multiple languages, and was made into a film twice

           

Mark Reizen

            Mark Osipovich Reizen, also Reisen or Reyzen (Russian: Марк Осипович Рейзен, born in Zaitsevo village, Ekaterinoslav province, Russian Empire (now Ukraine) 3 July [O.S. 21 June] 1895 – died November 25, 1992 Moscow, Russia) was a leading Soviet opera singer with a beautiful and expansive bass voice.

            He debuted at the Kharkiv Opera in 1921 as Pimen in Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov, and in 1925 moved to the Mariinsky Theatre in Leningrad. Reizen toured Europe performing in Paris, Berlin, Monte Carlo and London in 1929-1930.

            A tall man commanding a strong stage presence, he joined the Bolshoi Theatre in 1930, remaining there as a principal bass until his retirement in 1954. Among his roles were: Ivan Susanin and Ruslan from the Glinka's operas, Don Basilio (The Barber of Seville by Rossini), Mephistopheles (Faust by Gounod), Prince Gremin (Eugene Onegin by Tchaikovsky), Salieri (Mozart and Salieri), the Viking merchant (Sadko) in operas by Rimsky-Korsakov, the old Gypsy (Aleko by Rachmaninov), Wotan in Wagner's Ring of the Nibelungs, Konchak (Prince Igor by Borodin), Philip II and Procida in Verdi's operas, and so on. He became a particularly memorable interpreter of Boris and Dosifei in the operas by Mussorgsky.

        Reizen died at the age 97 of a stroke.