Yuri Vizbor (June 20, 1934 – September 17, 1984) was a well-known Soviet bard and poet as well as a theatre and film actor.
Vizbor's father, a commander in the Red Army, was of Lithuanian descent. His family name was originally Vizbaras. His mother was an ethnic Ukrainian from Krasnodar. In 1937, his father fell victim to Stalin's purges. In 1941, Yuri and his mother moved to Siberia. This period influenced the artist's distaste for politics and his fascination with the wilderness.
In 1951, he graduated from high school and was accepted at the Moscow State Pedagogical Institute. It was here that he wrote his first song, entitled "Madagascar".