Born in the town of Armavir (Krasnodar Krai). He loved singing from childhood. After finishing school he served in the Soviet Army, where he sang in a military ensemble. In 1954 he entered the Kharkiv Machine-Building Institute. In the 1960s-70s he was a soloist of the Armenian Variety Orchestra led by Konstantin Orbelyan. In 1970 he was awarded the title of Honored Artist of Armenia.
