Валерий Леонтьев (Valery Leontiev)

Валерий Леонтьев (Valery Leontiev) is a Soviet and Russian pop singer born on 19 March 1949 in Ust-Usa, Komi ASSR, RSFSR, Soviet Union. He rose to prominence in the early 1980s and became one of the most widely recognised figures in Soviet and Russian popular music. In 1996 he was awarded the title of People's Artist of Russia. Over the course of his career, spanning several decades, he has recorded more than 30 albums, many of which sold in the millions.

Leontiev's recordings were released across the Soviet and post-Soviet eras, placing his catalogue at the intersection of both periods and making him a consistent presence in the Russian-language pop market from the early 1980s onward. His output reflects the shifting production styles and label structures of those decades, from Soviet state-run releases through to post-Soviet commercial recordings. Collectors seek out his earlier Soviet-era pressings in particular, as these represent the period of his peak mainstream popularity and were issued under the conditions and formats typical of Soviet record production, including Melodiya releases, which are now among the more sought-after items in his discography for collectors of Eastern Bloc pop and variety music.