A musician's journey from Russia to Poplar Bluff

“Poetry is my passion,” explains professional performer Slava Kuznetsov. “I write some original compositions, but it is poetry that stirs my musical creativity. When I read a poem that moves me emotionally, I express those emotions through music.”

The story of Slava Kuznetsov and his journey from remote Siberia, Russia, to Poplar Bluff, Missouri is one of luck, hard work, coincidence, fate and romance — heavy on the romance.

Known professionally only as Slava, the composer, musician and singer is proud of his heritage from a long line of Gypsies — “good Gypsies,” he quickly adds with a smile.

“My family was hard-working, and my maternal grandfather was a blacksmith. In fact,” he goes on to explain, “my last name means blacksmith.”

Slava recalls that family gatherings always involved singing and dancing, so from a young age he developed an appreciation for music.

His musical career began as a teenager when he taught himself to play the guitar. As a member of a local teenage “garage-type” band, his talent caught the attention of violin maestra Vera Gusakova. Slava exhibited a natural talent for the violin, and after only eight months, he was recruited by Khabarovsk Academy of the Arts.

During his tenure at the school, he studied voice, composition, violin, saxophone, flute and piano.

“When I left the Academy, I joined the Khabarovsk Philharmonic Orchestra; however, at the same time, I was also touring individually,” the musician explains.

Slava eventually left the philharmonic and began entertaining at the Intourist Hotel. A Japanese entrepreneur visiting the hotel, was captivated by Slava’s talent and persuaded him to move to Japan, where he was the featured entertainer in a Russian-themed restaurant.

In 1991, the popular performer received an invitation to participate in the 18th Hiroshima Music Festival for Peace, Voices for Peace. Tokiko Kato, a well-known Japanese musician, took note of his musical abilities, and Slava toured with her orchestra, playing the guitar. He also performed on his own.

Slava’s big break came when Sony offered him a recording contract.

“My hand-made 12-string guitar, that I wanted for recording, was still at home, so I traveled back to Russia to retrieve it,” he says.

While visiting his homeland, Slava was involved in an incident that completely changed the course of his life. And as tragic as it was, he would not be where he is today, had it not occurred.

Slava and his best friend Ilya were traveling in an automobile when they were hit head-on as they rounded a blind curve.

“My face was nearly destroyed from hitting the steering wheel, and my legs were injured. I thought Ilya was dead,” he recalls.

Slava believed his only chance to hold on to his career was to return to Japan, so despite his injuries, he boarded a plane and flew back. He was met at the airport by Sony representatives. He received top-notch medical care and reconstruction; all paid for by Sony. In the end, however, it wasn’t enough.

“Even though I was still in the healing process, there was no guarantee I would be the same talent I had been before the accident,” Slava explains. “My voice had changed, my face had changed. I was not the person they had hired, so my contract was cancelled.”

With his dreams shattered, the musician returned to Russia and began again.

“I was touring on my own. I was doing my own booking, and building up a name for myself,” he recounts.

It was during this period, too, that Slava’s marriage ended in divorce. He and his ex-wife remained on good terms, though, and shared the care of their two teenage children.

At the time Slava was working to resurrect his career in Russia, Dr. Margaret McMillan, a dentist in Chicago, had been invited to visit Russia by one of her office staff.

Margaret McMillan with her husband Slava Kuznetsov in his studio. DAR/Nancy Nelson Vines

“Anya thought of me as her second mother,” explains McMillan, “so when she decided to return home to Russia, she wanted me to go and meet her family.”

Visitor’s Visas were difficult to obtain, but the dentist learned of a program called Citizens Democracy Corps.

“It was like the Peace Corps,” she points out, “but the goal was to help Russian health care professionals learn how to operate under the free enterprise system.”

McMillan obtained a four-week Visa, and was assigned to teach proper sterilization techniques, as well as marketing strategies to help professionals promote their business.

“I spent the week with my clients, and the weekends with Anya and her family,” she said.

Since McMillan could speak no Russian, an interpreter was assigned to assist her with training the clients. The translator’s name was Ilya.

She recounts that on her last weekend, the clients wanted to give her an authentic Russian entertainment experience. They had in mind some sort of outdoor activity, such as a barbecue, but the weather did not cooperate and a torrential downpour ensued.

“As we were driving around, everyone was very disappointed, and to top it off we were stopped by a very long train. I had just counted box car number 121 when Ilya made a suggestion,” she recalls with a smile.

The interpreter told the group that he had a good friend who lived nearby, who was a famous Russian musician. He would ask the friend if they could come over.

“We arrived at the house, and Ilya says, ‘This is my friend, Slava.’ I looked at him; he looked at me, and the attraction was instantaneous,” she recalls, still seemingly overwhelmed by the memory.

“We were both just staring at each other, and my friend Ilya says, ‘Uh-oh. Cupid’s arrow just struck,’” laughs Slava.

The couple spent as much time together as they could during the remaining four days of McMillan’s Visa. With Ilya to translate, she attended one of Slava’s performances, and Ilya hosted a small dinner party for the couple.

“One of the last things Slava said to me before I left was to ask me to send him an invitation,” McMillan recalls.

When she returned home, the couple continued to stay in touch as best they could.

“I quickly began to learn Russian, using the Berlitz program, and when I would call, his daughter would be on the phone translating back-and-forth for us,” she said.

McMillan did send a written invitation, and Slava was able to obtain a business Visa.

The entertainer made his way to Chicago, where he worked at establishing himself, while pursuing McMillan and trying to persuade her to marry him.

“Naturally, I was cautious,” she explains with a smile. “I wanted to be sure he was in it for the long haul, and not just using me to get over here.”

The two eventually married and began a life of shared interests and mutual admiration.

“I lost the building where I had my practice,” McMillan says, “so I took some classes to learn about the business of music and marketing music. I became his agent.”

She goes on to say that Slava played mainly in the Chicago area, but did travel to New York and British Columbia.

After three years, the couple moved to Washington because Slava had been promised a musical position, which did not materialize once they arrived.

“It was very disappointing,” she says sadly. “We were both simply dumbfounded that we had been misled in such a way.”

McMillan went back into practice and the couple remained in Washington for 15 years. As her parents have gotten older, the desire to be more accessible to them, led the couple to begin looking at options a little closer to the Chicago area. In 2017, McMillan found a position in Poplar Bluff and after a visit to the area, the couple decided this is where they wanted to be.

“The West Coast was not friendly,” McMillan recounts. “Poplar Bluff has the friendliness of the Midwest, with a bit of Southern hospitality. Plus,” she adds, “it’s only seven hours from home.”

Now that they are settled in, and becoming acquainted in the community, McMillan says they will begin to focus on Slava’s career again.