Yuriy Vasilevich Shatunov (; 6 September 1973 – 23 June 2022) was a Russian singer, best known as the lead vocalist of the Russian band
Laskoviy Mai
Laskovyi Mai () is a Soviet boy band from Orenburg founded by Russian songwriter, composer and musician Sergei Kuznetsov. The group's best-known member was Yuri Shatunov, who subsequently went on to some solo success. The group disbanded in ...
(Ласковый май), which were active during the 1980's. After Laskoviy Mai disbanded in 1992, Shatunov found recognition as a solo singer.
Name
Due to a non-existent relationship with his father, Vasiliy Klimenko, Yuriy chose to use his mother's, Vera Shatunova's, surname at a young age.
Personal life
Shatunov was born on the 6th of September 1973 in the city of
Kumertau
Kumertau (; , ''Kümertaw'') is a town in the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia, located from Ufa and from Sterlitamak. Population:
Administrative and municipal status
Within the framework of administrative divisions, it is, together with ...
(
Bashkir ASSR
The Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, also historically known as Soviet Bashkiria or simply Bashkiria, was an autonomous republic of the Russian SFSR. Currently it is known as Republic of Bashkortostan, a federal subject of Russia. ...
),
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR or RSFSR), previously known as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and the Russian Soviet Republic, and unofficially as Soviet Russia,Declaration of Rights of the labo ...
of the former
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
. His father, ''Vasiliy Vladimirovich Klimenko,'' was half Russian and half Ukrainian.
At the age of three, Yuriy was abandoned by his father and thereafter, raised by his grandparents and then by his mother. When he was 11, his mother died of a
heart disease
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is any disease involving the heart or blood vessels. CVDs constitute a class of diseases that includes: coronary artery diseases (e.g. angina pectoris, angina, myocardial infarction, heart attack), heart failure, ...
. He went to live with his aunt's family, who soon found themselves unable to support him.
Shatunov was sent to ''Orenburg Children's Home Number 2'' in
Orenburg
Orenburg (, ), formerly known as Chkalov (1938–1957), is the administrative center of Orenburg Oblast, Russia. It lies in Eastern Europe, along the banks of the Ural River, being approximately southeast of Moscow.
Orenburg is close to the ...
, where he had a reputation for poor behavior. This included running away from the orphanage, playing the guitar, singing on the streets to get money and cigarettes, getting into fights, and avoiding work.
He met with
Sergei Kuznetsov, a music teacher in the orphanage, and they formed the band, "
Laskoviy Mai
Laskovyi Mai () is a Soviet boy band from Orenburg founded by Russian songwriter, composer and musician Sergei Kuznetsov. The group's best-known member was Yuri Shatunov, who subsequently went on to some solo success. The group disbanded in ...
" ("Tender May") At the age of 13, Yury Shatunov became the frontman for Laskovy Mai. One of the most common themes the young band members would sing about was unfortunate love. This was uncommon at the time, although, atypical considering the age of the two, both young teenagers. This group, in which Shatunov was the most famous lead singer, existed from 1986 to 1992. It was very popular in Russia.
In 1996, Shatunov moved to
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, where he wanted to complete his education, but left unfinished as a result of his turbulent youth and early career in music. Whilst in Germany, Shatunov learned how to become a music producer.
Shatunov had a wife, a son and a daughter. Shatunov and his wife married in 2007 in Germany, after seven years of dating.
Before Shatunov died, he was busy working on his solo career and performed frequently in the Eastern European countries, Germany and Russia, as well as some of the former Soviet bloc countries in Central Asia such as
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...
and
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia lying in the Tian Shan and Pamir Mountains, Pamir mountain ranges. Bishkek is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Kyrgyzstan, largest city. Kyrgyz ...
.
Yuriy Shatunov died on the night of 23 June 2022 of acute
heart failure
Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome caused by an impairment in the heart's ability to Cardiac cycle, fill with and pump blood.
Although symptoms vary based on which side of the heart is affected, HF ...
(
myocardial infarction
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...
) in a Moscow hospital at the age of 48. The singer's condition deteriorated critically on the way to a hospital in
Domodedovo where he underwent intensive resuscitation, but could not be saved. Funeral ceremonies for Yuriy Shatunov were held on 26 June 2022 in the farewell hall of Moscow's
Troyekurovskoye Cemetery
The Troyekurovo Cemetery (), alternatively known as ''Novo-Kuntsevo Cemetery'' (), is a cemetery in Moscow, Russia.
The cemetery is located in the former village of Troyekurovo on the western edge of Moscow, which derives its name from the Troye ...
. He was cremated a day later. On 28 June 2022, the urn containing his ashes was partially buried in Moscow's Troyekurovskoye Cemetery and the other part of the ashes, in accordance with the singer's wishes, were to be scattered into one of the lakes in Munich, Germany.
Rights to songs and performances
On 17 June 2022, it became known that Shatunov had sued for the rights to the compositions of the group "Tender May". On 20 June the singer gave the last TV interview in his life, in which he commented on the trial with Razin.
In 1992, the songwriter Sergey Kuznetsov signed a contract with Andrey Razin and 14 years later they made a deal, based on which the producer became the sole owner of the group's hits. However, during the trial it turned out that "no one has ever seen the original contract." Moreover, the examination proved that Kuznetsov's signature was forged, which meant that the transaction was wrong.
Discography
Studio albums
*Do You Remember... () (1994)
*Remember May () (2001)
*Gray Night () (2002)
*Leaves Fall () (2003)
*If You Want... Don't Be Afraid () (2004)
*Record My Voice () (2006)
*I Believe... () (2012)
*Happy Birthday! () (2017)
*On Christmas () (2018)
*Don't Be Silent... () (2018)
*Favorite Songs () (2019)
*Thank You () (2020)
*I Cannot Stop () (2020)
*Snow Covers Leaves () (2020)
*About White Roses () (2025)
*Don't Argue With Me () (2022)
*To Each His Own () (2022)
Singles
*''Belye rozy – The White Roses: 1986 demo, 1988, 1996 remix, 2003 remix, 2004, 2005, 2019''
*''Zabud – Forget: 2001, 2002 remix, 2004, 2019''
*''Tet-a-tet – One-in-one: 2011, 2019''
*''A leto cveta – The summer colors: 2012, 2018''
*''Detstvo – Childhood: 1992, 2002, 2005, 2019''
*''Sedaya noch – Grizzled night: 1986 demo, 1988, 1996 remix, 2001, 2019''
*''Ne boisya – Do not be afraid: 2003, 2005, 2018''
*''Rozovyi vecher – Pink evening: 1988, 1996 remix, 2003 remix, 2005, 2019''
*''Gryozy – Dreams: 2014, 2018''
*''Leto – Summer: 1986 demo, 1988, 1996 remix, 2001 remix, 2004''
*''Vecher holodnoyi zimy – Cold winter evening: 1986 demo, 2002, 2019''
*''Ryadom s nei – Next to her: 2014, 2018''
*''Chto zh ty, leto – What are you, summer: 2002, 2019''
*''Nu chto zhe ty – Well, what are you: 1986 demo, 1988, 1996 remix, 2004''
*''Zvyozdnaya noch – Starry night: 1992, 2018''
*''Poezda – Trains: 2014''
*''Pust budet noch – Let it be the night: 1986 demo, 1988, 2004''
*''Glupye snezhinki – Silly snowflakes: 1988, 2011''
*''Zhizn moya – My life: 2014, 2018''
*''Zapishi moi golos na kassettu – Record my voice on tape: 2005, 2018''
*''Medlenno uhodit osen – Slowly autumn departs: 1986 demo, 1988, 2002, 2005, 2019''
*''Odnoklassniki – Classmates: 2015, 2018''
*''Maiskii vecher – May evening: 2008, 2012''
*''Zvezda – Stars: 2015, 2018''
*''Padayut listya – Leaves are Falling: 2001, 2002 remix, 2005''
*''Ot belyh roz – From the white roses: 2011''
*''Tayuschii sneg – Melting snow: 1986 demo, 1988, 1996 remix, 2005''
*''I ya pod kitaru – And I play guitar: 2015, 2017''
*''Ty prosto byl : You've just been: 1988''
*''Ya otkrovenen – I'm frankly: 1986 demo, 1988, 1996 remix, 2004''
*''Posle vypusknogo – After the graduation: 2005''
*''Ne molchi – Do not be silent: 2018''
*''Privet – Hi: 2012''
*''Esli hochesh – If you want to: 2004''
*''Ya teryayu – I'm losing: 2001, 2002 remix''
*''S dnjom rozhdenija: Happy birthday – 2017''
*''I upav na koleni – And having fallen on his knees: 1993''
*''Ya veryu – I believe: 2012''
*''Ty prosti menya, prosti – Forgive me, forgive: 2005''
*''V pozhdestvo – (On) The Christmas: 2018 ''
*''Bez tebya – Without you: 2012''
*''Skolko mozhno – How much: 2005''
*''A pomnish – The remember: 1999, 2005, 2019''
*''A ty vosmi i pozvoni – And you take it and call: 2018''
*''Ya peressorilsya v dozhdyom – I quarreled in the rain: 2001''
*''Ne hochu – I do not want: 2012, 2019''
*''Mama – Mum: 1993''
*''Ty mne ne verish – You do not believe me: 2018''
*''Romashki – Daisies: 2012, 2019''
*''Pismo – Letter: 1993, 2019 remix''
References
External links
Yuriy Shatunov reveals secret of his familyRussian News (6 September)
popsa.info.
Shatunov.com official site
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Shatunov, Yuri
1973 births
2022 deaths
Russian people of Ukrainian descent
People from Bashkortostan
Soviet pop singers
Soviet male singers
Russian male songwriters
20th-century Russian male singers
21st-century Russian male singers
Burials in Troyekurovskoye Cemetery