# Anyone heard of Larionov, alleged composer of Kalinka?



## 12tonelizzie (May 27, 2008)

The Wikipedia entry on the Russian song "Kalinka" claims without references that it is not a folksong but was written in 1860 by one Ivan Petrovich Larionov 1830-1889. I can't find any independent evidence that the guy even existed (don't have access to New Grove), but the Wikipedia claim is repeated a zillion times all over the web.

Not one of the many Kalinkas on iTunes is attributed to any Larionov.

Anyone know anything about Larionov or the song?

All info gratefully received.

PS Sincere apologies if this post is in the wrong place.


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## shsherm (Jan 24, 2008)

I don't know who wrote it but I first heard it in a night club in Leningrad(ST. Petersberg) called Sadko or perhaps Satko in 1974. I thought it was a beautiful song and bought several albums of Russian music until I finally found it on An Angel-Melodia record by The Russian Army Chorus and Band.


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## 12tonelizzie (May 27, 2008)

In my question I said that the Wikipedia entry gives no references. It does in fact give a reference to a 1999 article in Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta, which I've roughly translated. It's at
http://www.ng.ru/culture/1999-11-26/7_stamp.html

However, independent of this article and the Wikipedia entry that is based on it, I can still find nothing about this guy Larionov. He was supposedly a collector of hundreds of folksongs - how would we know that he wrote the song rather than composing it?


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