 His family moved back to Russia in 1955.He studied philosophy at the University of Sverdlovsk from 1970-1972, but then turned to music, studying voice at the Mussorgsky Conservatory of Yekaterinburg from 1972-1975, and then at the Moscow Conservatory from 1975-1978.Among his teachers were Ian Voutiras and renowned Russian bass Evgeny Nesterenko.