In the four-volume Collected Works by Vladimir Vysotsky includes poems and songs, as well as prose ("Roman about the girls," "Life without sleep", etc.), some of the letters and the diary entries. The publication provided commentaries of Vladimir and Olga Novikova. Vladimir Semyonovich Vysotsky (25 January 1938 - 25 July 1980) was a Soviet singer, songwriter, poet, and actor whose career had an immense and enduring effect on Russian culture. He became widely known for his unique singing style and for his lyrics, which featured social and political commentary in often humorous street jargon. He was also a prominent stage and screen actor. Though his work was largely ignored by the official Soviet cultural establishment, he achieved remarkable fame during his lifetime, and to this day exerts significant influence on many of Russia's popular musicians and actors who wish to emulate his iconic status.
