Gnessin State Musical College
In 1948–1952 he studied at the M. P. Mussorgsky Music College in Leningrad, bayan class, then graduated from the Gnessin State Musical College (1957), in bayan class of N. Chaikin and conducting with N. Reznikov. After graduating from the institute, he entered the USSR Radio Russian Folk Instrument Orchestra as an accordion player, in 1959–1973 – artistic director and chief conductor of the orchestra.