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Seva NovgorodtsevLegendary disc jockey of the BBC Russian Service
Date of Birth: 09.07.1940
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Seva Novgorodtsev: Legendary BBC Radio Icon
- Music Career
- Emigration and BBC Career
- Other Notable Achievements
- Retirement and Personal Life
- Legacy of Novgorodtsev's Radio Programs
- Fan Movement
Seva Novgorodtsev: Legendary BBC Radio Icon
Early Life and EducationSeva Novgorodtsev (born Vsevolod Borisovich Levenshtein on July 9, 1940) is a Soviet musician, British journalist, radio presenter, and BBC Russian Service employee. He was born in Leningrad, USSR, to Boris Levenshtein, a sea captain. In 1947, he enrolled in School No. 222.
In 1957, Novgorodtsev attempted to enroll in Moscow's Shchukin and Shchepkin theater institutes but was rejected. That same year, he joined the Leningrad Higher Marine Engineering College. His family relocated to Estonia in 1949.
Music Career
From 1959 to 1965, Novgorodtsev simultaneously worked on the Soviet navy and pursued a career as a jazz musician playing the tenor saxophone. In 1965, he joined Iosif Weinstein's jazz orchestra and became leader of the ensemble "Dobry Molodtsy" in 1972. He adopted the stage name "Novgorodtsev," inspired by the name of the ship's political officer on the "Verkhoyansk."
Emigration and BBC Career
In 1974, Новгородцев left his job and emigrated from the Soviet Union in 1975 with his wife, first residing in Austria and Italy. He converted to Protestantism in Rome in 1976 and settled in London in 1977.
On June 9, 1977, Novgorodtsev's first musical program on the BBC Russian Service aired as "Pop Music Program from London." The program, renamed "Rock-Possevy" (Rock Crops) in 1991, ran for 27 years until June 12, 2004, gaining immense popularity in the Soviet Union. He also starred in a cameo role in the James Bond film "A View to a Kill" in 1984.
Other Notable Achievements
Novgorodtsev hosted the talk show "Sevaoborot" from November 1987 to November 2006, and in 1995, he founded the illustrated monthly Russian rock magazine "O!" However, the project was short-lived due to financial difficulties.
In 2002, he received the "Radiomania" award. He launched the daily news program "Bibiseva" in February 2003. On April 27, 2005, Novgorodtsev was awarded the Order of the British Empire. He continued to host the program "Rock-Pyatiletki" (Rock Five-Year Plans) on Era-FM in Ukraine.
Retirement and Personal Life
Novgorodtsev retired from radio broadcasting in September 2015. He then moved to the Pamporovo resort complex in Bulgaria.
He has been married three times: to Galina Burkhannova (m. 1965, one son, Rinat), Karen Rosemary Craig (m. ?), and Olga Shestakova (m. 1999).
Legacy of Novgorodtsev's Radio Programs
"Rock-Possevy" became one of the primary sources of information about Western popular music in the USSR from its inception. Its wide-ranging coverage of rock musicians and anti-Soviet undertones contributed significantly to the popularity of bands like Queen, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, and Led Zeppelin in the country.
His broadcasts also inspired the creation of the youth program "Vzglyad" in 1987 to divert listeners away from Novgorodtsev's broadcasts. Enthusiasts recorded and transcribed his programs, which later formed the basis of his official website's archives.
Fan Movement
Novgorodtsev's fan club, "NORIS," held conventions called "Iyulki" from 1989 to 1993, gathering thousands of attendees. The conventions resumed in 2005, with events being held in cities such as Nizhny Novgorod, London, Prague, and Paris.
