The leader of the rock band "Different people" Alexander Chernetsky. Biography

Alexander Chernetsky is a Soviet and Russian rock musician, singer, composer, songwriter and permanent leader of the band "Different People". He stood at the origins of the Kharkov rock scene of the 1980s, collaborated with Sergey Chigrakov and participated in the creation of more than 20 music albums. Among the famous compositions of the band are "I want to live", "I'll never come back", "Siregbizony", "Angel" and "Let no one die today!". On November 8, 2026, Chernetsky died at the age of 60. About his life and career — in the material of Izvestia.

Early years and education

Alexander Vladimirovich Chernetsky was born on January 10, 1966 in Kharkov. As a child, he was fond of sports and music, was seriously involved in football, studied in a specialized sports class and trained twice a day.

During his school years, the future musician mastered playing the guitar. He was greatly influenced by the work of Vladimir Vysotsky, whose songs Chernetsky listened to and tried to perform on his own. Gradually, he began to write his own poems and musical compositions.

In 1983, Chernetsky graduated from high school and decided to enroll in medical school. Since the competition in Kharkov was high, he went to Poltava, where his relatives lived.

At the time of admission, the future musician took part in an amateur performance competition. Instead of a pre-prepared composition, he performed his own song "My Friend returned from Afghanistan yesterday," based on the stories of combat participants.

The performance was positively appreciated by the audience, but the next day Chernetsky received an unsatisfactory grade in the entrance exam and could not enter the institute.

The beginning of a musical career

Alexander Chernetsky began his musical career in 1983, when, together with his cousin, he created the Carbonari school band. The team did not last long and broke up after the end of the school year, as some of the participants enrolled in universities, while others went to serve in the army.

While studying at the college, Chernetsky organized a new band, Rock Fan. The band performed their own songs and gradually began performing in front of a local audience. In 1985, keyboardist and songwriter Sergey Shchelkanovtsev joined the band. After that, the band received a new name — "Rock Front".

The band's repertoire includes compositions dedicated to social issues, military conflicts and the lives of young people. In his lyrics, Chernetsky addressed topics that were rarely touched upon in official Soviet popular music.

In 1987, he, along with Kharkov musicians Pavel Mikhailenko and Konstantin Kostenko, ended up in Riga. The band members performed on the street, where they were noticed by the organizer of a local music festival and invited to participate in the competition. The musicians needed a name to perform. According to Chernetsky's recollections, the organizer suggested calling them "Different people" because the performers represented several groups.

Creation of the "Different People" group

In 1987, Chernetsky joined the Kharkov rock band GPD, whose name stood for "Extended Day Group" or "Urban psychiatric clinic." The band consisted of Pavel Mikhailenko, Oleg Klimenko and other musicians. Chernetsky became one of the main vocalists and songwriters.

In 1988, the GPA actively toured the USSR, participated in music festivals and performed at the VI Festival of the Leningrad Rock Club. During this period, the band gained fame among fans of unofficial rock music. However, by the end of the year, creative differences arose within the band, as a result of which the line-up split. Chernetsky, Mikhailenko and Klimenko decided to continue their collaboration by inviting drummer Alexei Sechkin.

In February 1989, the new band officially performed for the first time under the name "Different People" at the Rock against Stalinism festival in Kharkov. According to Chernetsky, the name was not chosen by chance. The musicians wanted to move away from the exclusively political repertoire and focus on a broader range of topics, including relationships between people, love, friendship, and personal experiences.

In July 1989, Sergey Chigrakov, later known as Chizh, joined the band. Prior to that, he performed in the GPA band of the same name from Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod). At the end of 1989, the band recorded their debut album, Deserters of Love. The work took place at the Ostankino television center in Moscow with the assistance of journalist Natalia Greshishcheva, who worked on programs about Soviet rock musicians.

The first albums and the development of the band in the 1990s

In 1990, "Different People" released the album "Masochism", which became one of the most famous works of the Kharkov period. A year later, the band recorded the album "Beat", and in 1992 the self-titled album "1992" was released. During this period, the band regularly performed at rock festivals and gave concerts in cities of the Soviet Union.

In parallel, Chernetsky developed his solo work. In 1988, he recorded the album "Pain", and in 1989 - "Faith". These works were closely related to his personal experiences and state of health. After the collapse of the USSR, the organization of concerts became much more difficult. The music industry was experiencing an economic crisis, and independent rock bands were facing a lack of financial opportunities.

Moving to St. Petersburg and the new band line-up

In November 1999, Alexander Chernetsky and his family moved to St. Petersburg. The decision was related to both professional circumstances and the need to receive regular medical care.

Initially, the musician came to the city for several performances organized by his friend Alexander Gordeev. One of the concerts was attended by Sergey Chigrakov, who suggested that Chernetsky stay in St. Petersburg and continue his musical activities.

In 2000, the musicians recorded the Comeback album together. The work marked the beginning of a new stage in Chernetsky's work after the collapse of the Kharkov staff. In the same year, he compiled the St. Petersburg version of "Different People." The original line-up consisted of Nail Kadyrov, the former bass guitarist of the Zoo group, Boris Shaveynikov, the drummer, who previously collaborated with Auctioneer, and Andrei Vasiliev, the guitarist, known for his work with DDT.

Subsequently, the composition changed several times. The band was joined by Vadim Kurylev, Pavel Borisov, Mikhail Nefedov and Igor Oistrakh, who had experience performing in famous Russian rock bands.

Illness and the struggle for the opportunity to perform

For a significant part of his life, Alexander Chernetsky suffered from Bekhterev's disease, a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the spine and joints. Health problems arose in his youth. While playing football, Chernetsky suffered a serious back injury, after which he gradually began to develop complications.

By the early 1990s, the musician's condition had deteriorated significantly. It became increasingly difficult for him to move, but he continued to perform, including using crutches. Later, the disease led to serious mobility limitations, and for a while Chernetsky was bedridden.

To carry out the expensive treatment, the musician needed the help of colleagues and fans. In 1991, well-known representatives of the Russian rock scene organized charity concerts and appealed to the public to support Chernetsky.

The concerts were held on May 25 and 26, 1991 in Kharkov. Yuri Shevchuk and other rock musicians took part in them. According to Chernetsky's memoirs, after a televised appeal in his support, letters and money transfers began to arrive from all over the country. The funds raised made it possible to pay for the necessary treatment.

In 1991 and 1992, the musician underwent endoprosthetics of both hip joints in St. Petersburg. He subsequently underwent additional surgical procedures in 1997, 2003 and 2011. Despite his illness, Chernetsky continued to record music and perform concerts.

The personal life of Alexander Chernetsky

Alexander Chernetsky was married to Inna Chernetskaya. The couple officially registered their marriage in March 1990. Chernetsky and Inna's wedding was attended by his colleagues in the musical group. Sergey Chigrakov performed compositions on the accordion.

Subsequently, Inna became not only the musician's wife, but also his closest professional assistant. She was involved in the organization of concerts, tours and management of the group "Different People", and also participated in the implementation of charity projects.

The couple had a daughter, Sofia. She repeatedly participated in her father's musical works. In 2005, Sofia performed the vocal part in the finale of the song "Let no one die today!", which was included in the joint album "Different People" and "Chizh & Co."

After more than 20 years, father and daughter recorded a joint composition again. In the summer of 2026, the song "If it Weren't for You", written by Alexander Chernetsky, was created at the Dobrolet studio in St. Petersburg.

The last years of creativity

In the 2020s, Alexander Chernetsky continued to perform with the band "Different People", participate in music festivals and record new compositions. One of the last major releases of the band was the album "Justice", presented in 2023. In February 2024, its digital version was released by the label Navigator Records.

The album includes 12 tracks, including "Justice", "Terricones", "Return", "Late Children of the Red Wave", "More Rock'n'roll!", "Steel and Lipstick" and "Mama". In 2025, the musicians continued to present the record at concerts and on the radio. In March, Chernetsky participated in the program "The Prophet" on Belgorod radio, where he talked about new compositions.

In January 2026, the musician celebrated his 60th birthday. Performances and special programs dedicated to his work were timed to coincide with the anniversary. On May 8, 2026, "Different People" performed a concert in Belgorod, performing compositions from different years. The program included well-known songs by Chernetsky, as well as works by other authors.

In the summer of 2026, the band recorded the song "If It Weren't for You" with Sofia Chernetskaya. The composition became one of the last published studio works of the musician. In early November 2026, the organizers of the rock festival "We choose Life" announced that the band "Different People" would not be able to participate in the event due to Chernetsky's deteriorating health.

The death of Alexander Chernetsky

Alexander Chernetsky died on November 8, 2026 at the age of 60. A few days before his death, it became known about the deterioration of the artist's health, and therefore his performance at the We Choose Life music festival was canceled.