Five iconic Russian poetic songs arrive in English

Singer-songwriter Alex Genadinik has translated and performed five celebrated songs by Bulat Okudzhava and Vladimir Vysotsky for English-speaking listeners. The collection is now streaming on touchedbyasong.com and YouTube, opening a piece of Russian poetic music to a wider audience. Why it matters: - The release makes five of Russia’s most beloved poetic songs accessible in English for the first time. - The project introduces English-speaking listeners to work that has shaped generations of Russian-speaking families. - Genadinik frames the translations as performances that preserve the emotional and poetic force of the originals. What happened: - Singer-songwriter Alex Genadinik translated and performed songs by Bulat Okudzhava and Vladimir Vysotsky. - The collection is available now on touchedbyasong.com and on the YouTube channel . - The release includes five songs: “Vinogradnaya Kostochka” (“The Grape Seed”), “Blue Trolley,” “Po Smolenskoy Doroge,” “Arbatskiy Dvoryanin,” and “Ballad of Love.” The details: - “Vinogradnaya Kostochka” is described as Okudzhava’s most beloved song and a meditation on memory and longing. - “Blue Trolley” is presented as Okudzhava’s hymn of hope and human kindness. - “Po Smolenskoy Doroge” is a wartime elegy by Okudzhava. - “Arbatskiy Dvoryanin” is an ode to Moscow’s Arbat neighborhood. - “Ballad of Love” is a romantic poem by Vladimir Vysotsky. - Genadinik was born in Odessa, Ukraine during the Soviet era. - Genadinik grew up with these songs as part of his childhood soundtrack. - The artist is based in the United States and also works as an educator and entrepreneur. Between the lines: - The project is as much cultural translation as linguistic translation. - By pairing English lyrics with performance, Genadinik is trying to keep the songs’ mood, rhythm and emotional weight intact. - The release also reflects growing demand for cross-cultural catalog access on streaming platforms. What’s next: - Genadinik is using touchedbyasong.com as a home for additional poetic music aimed at a global audience. - The YouTube and website releases give the songs a path to broader discovery beyond Russian-speaking listeners. The bottom line: - Five cornerstone songs from two towering Russian songwriters now have an English-language entry point for new listeners.