On the Archaeology of the Soviet Musical Avant-¬Garde of the 1960s

The article deals with the history of the Soviet musical avant-garde of the 1960s. It is based on new documentary publications such as the three–volume edition of the correspondence of conductor Igor Blazhkov, and an extensive collection of materials about the life and work of Andrey Volkonsky. The author considers the historical and social aspects of the period, the problems of Soviet composers mastering new techniques, and the conditions for the dissemination of avant-garde compositions in the USSR and beyond.