Moscow stages funeral of Dmitri Kogan

Moscow stages funeral of Dmitri Kogan

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norman lebrecht

September 01, 2017

The funeral of the violinist Dmitri Kogan, who died this week of cancer at the age of 38, will be held at Moscow’s International House of Music tomorrow, starting at 10 a.m.

The service will commence at noon in the Temple of the icon of the Mother of God in Bolshaya Ordynka. Храме иконы Божией Матери “Всех скорбящих Радость” на Большой Ордынке. Dmitri will be laid to rest in the Troekurov cemetery.

We have received this tribute from the Bezrodny family:

One could have never imagined that this day, 29.8.2017, would bring such indescribable sorrow and pain, filled with devastating confusion. Dmitri Kogan, at only a mere 38 years of age, is no longer amongst us.

Words are not enough to describe this horrendous tragedy, and ironically this is where we, musicians, are privileged to use other means of communication through music itself. It is nearly impossible to even begin to accept the fate that was given to him at such a young age, and yet here I am, trying to find consolation in the fact that Dmitri is now in a much better place.

Dmitri was a descendant of a true dynasty of outstanding musicians, himself being an extraordinary violinist. Our families have intertwined already from 1937, when my father and Dmitri’s grandfather, Leonid Kogan, as well as his grandmother Elizaveta Gilels studied together in Moscow with the great professor Abram Ilyich Yampolsky. Dmitri always had a very unique and personal way of expressing himself through music, never failing to lose the listeners attention. His whole being was extremely sincere, pure-hearted, kind and giving, with sharp wit and a quick mind.

Our hearts are crying and our souls are screaming because of this unfair and painfully early departure of a dear friend and a wonderful human being. No parents should ever have to bury their children, and our hearts go out to Dmitri’s mother, Ljubov Kazinskaya, and father, Pavel Kogan.

With love and tears,

Anna-Liisa Bezrodny
Mari Tampere-Bezrodny
Sergei Bezrodny

Comments

  • Ungeheuer says:

    I highly recommend his recording of the Shostakovich violin concertos conducted by Maxim Shostakovich. Rest in peace.

  • Alex Davies says:

    The location of the funeral arouses my curiosity. I had assumed that Dmitri Kogan was Jewish. His Kogan and Gilels ancestors certainly were/are Jewish. Was he Russian Orthodox through his mother, Ljubov Kazinskaya? I know very little about her. Or did he become Russian Orthodox on marriage to his wife Kseniya? I believe his father-in-law, Artur Chilingarov, is Russian Orthodox, despite being half Armenian.

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