Kolya Vasin

Kolya Vasin
Vasin in August 2018
Born Nikolai Ivanovich Vasin
24 August 1945
Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now St Petersburg, Russia)
Died 29 August 2018(2018-08-29) (aged 73)
St Petersburg, Russia
Nationality Soviet Union/Russia
Occupation "Beatles-ologist"
Known for Large collection of Beatles memorabilia

Nikolai Ivanovich "Kolya" Vasin (Russian: Николай Иванович (Коля) Васин, 24 August 1945 – 29 August 2018) was a Russian music historian and collector who became prominent in the Soviet Union for collecting Beatles memorabilia. He first came into contact with Beatles music via bootleg records in 1964. In 1970, Vasin entered into correspondence with John Lennon, and was said to be the only Soviet citizen to do so. Vasin amassed a large collection of Beatles memorabilia and turned his apartment into an impromptu museum. He campaigned for greater recognition of the Beatles and rock musicians in Russia, proposing the renaming of Leningrad as "Lennongrad", public holidays and the construction of a 210-foot (64 m) tall "temple". Vasin died in a fall from height at a Saint Petersburg shopping centre.

Biography

Vasin in 2017

Growing up in Leningrad, in the Soviet Union, Vasin first came across the music of the Beatles in 1964 whilst listening to bootleg LP records.[1] The Soviet authorities regarded rock music as subversive and there was no way of purchasing legitimate copies – Vasin obtained the tracks, which had been inscribed onto old X-ray slides, through the black market.[2] Vasin became fascinated by the music and the band and converted his apartment into an impromptu Beatles museum with memorabilia that he collected.[3] In 1970 he wrote to John Lennon to congratulate him on his birthday. Lennon, having seemingly picked Vasin's letter out of a vast pile of fan mail, responded and included a copy of the Plastic Ono Band's Live Peace in Toronto 1969 signed by him and Yoko Ono.[2][3] He is said to have been the Beatles' biggest fan in Russia and to have been the only Soviet citizen to have been able to correspond with Lennon.[2][4] Vasin held the first membership card of the Leningrad Rock Club.[4]

Vasin was a self-described "Beatles-ologist" and curated an exhibit for Saint Petersburg's Museum of Non-Conformist Art as well as writing many journal articles on the subject.[1][4][5] He also authored a book on the band's impact on the USSR that was entitled Rock on the Russian Bones in a reference to the X-ray slides that were used for his bootleg records.[2] Vasin claimed that the Beatles gave him more joy than having children would have.[2] At one point he petitioned the city authorities to change the name from Leningrad to "Lennongrad" in honour of the musician. He also campaigned for one of the city's roads to be named "Lennon Street".[1] After the fall of communism Vasin held parties to celebrate the birthdays of each of the band members.[2] He also proposed new public holidays: "Rock Women Day" on 19 January to mark Janis Joplin's birthday; "Black Glasses Day" on 23 April for Roy Orbison's birthday, "Back in the U.S.S.R. Song Day" on 21 October for the debut of the White Album and 9 October for Lennon's birthday.[1]

Vasin campaigned for a museum-cum-shrine (or "temple" as he described it) honouring John Lennon to be erected in Saint Petersburg. This 210-foot (64 m) tall structure would stand on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and include two large spheres – one in yellow inscribed with "all you need is love" and one in blue with "give peace a chance".[1] A yellow submarine would be sited in the sea nearby.[1] The city authorities granted Vasin the land necessary for this structure and he raised funds by petitioning rock stars and fan clubs across the world and by selling T-shirts and mugs.[1] Despite this the building was never started.[2]

Vasin died on 29 August 2018, five days after his 73rd birthday,[2] after a fall from the third storey of the Saint Petersburg Gallery shopping centre.[4][5] The cause of the fall was unknown.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Goldberg, Carey (1 January 1994). "Lennongrad, Back in What Used to Be the U.S.S.R." Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Russia's biggest Beatles fan Vasin dies". BBC News. 3 September 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  3. 1 2 "Умер создатель крупнейшего в России музея The Beatles". Russia Today (in Russian). 2 September 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Погибшим после падения в «Галерее» оказался создатель храма The Beatles и главный битломан России Коля Васин" (in Russian). Fontanka. 2 September 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  5. 1 2 "News From Russia: What You Missed Over the Weekend". Moscow Times. 3 September 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
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