The Master and Margarita - Elena Gurfinkel

Elena Gurfinkel - Moy Master

English > Adaptations > Music > Russian bards > Elena Gurfinkel

Elena Leonidovna Gurfinkel (°1977), born in Saratov, is a Russian journalist who also performs as a bard. As the daughter of a military man she had to move frequently, and so she came up in Novocherkassk, near Rostov-on-Don, where she came in contact with artists and musicians. She was the co-founder of the club Старый кораблик [Stary korablik] or The Old Boat, where she and others organized concerts and festivals and began to sing

Already in 1993, she started writing as a young reporter for the newspaper Донская речь [Donskaja Rech] or The Voice Of The Don. It was the springboard for a career as a journalist for newspapers and magazines in Novocherkassk, and later in Moscow, where she started studying again at the Maxim Gorky Literary Institute. Meanwhile, she also teaches classes in journalism and she performs her songs.

Elena Gurfinkel is married to the 26 years older Russian bard and actor Yuri Lores, with whom she reglarly performs on stage.

In 1999, Elena Gurfinkel wrote the song Мой мастер [Moy Master] or My Master, a love song full of references to The Master and Margarita. To my knowledge it was never recorded, but I did find a version performed by the Russian singer Svetlana Smagina. Smagina is the founder of the Белая ворона [Belaya vorona] or The White Crow, a school for bards.