▁including ▁the ▁Moscow ▁Vari ety ▁Theatre , ▁Ok ty ab r sky ▁and ▁Lu z hn iki . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁the ▁artist ▁won ▁the ▁popular ity ▁prize ▁at ▁the ▁pr estig ious ▁music ▁festival ▁Y ere van - 8 1 . ▁American ▁journal ists ▁who ▁attended ▁the ▁event ▁noted ▁the ▁express ive ▁manner ▁of ▁performing ▁the ▁singer ▁and ▁compared ▁him ▁to ▁M ick ▁J agger . ▁However , ▁this ▁fact ▁caused ▁opposition ▁of ▁the ▁leaders ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁stage ▁and ▁officials , ▁therefore , ▁until ▁ 1 9 8 4 , ▁Le ont iev ▁fell ▁into ▁dis gra ce . ▁The ▁artist ▁over c ame ▁it ▁with ▁the ▁help ▁of ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁influ ential ▁compos ers ▁of ▁those ▁years ▁- ▁Ra im ond ▁Paul s . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁Le ont iev ▁under w ent ▁a ▁serious ▁operation ▁to ▁remove ▁a ▁tum or ▁from ▁his ▁thro at , ▁which ▁je op ard ized ▁his ▁further ▁singing ▁career . ▁In ▁this ▁difficult ▁time ▁Le ont iev ▁decided ▁to ▁eng age ▁seriously ▁in ▁education ▁and ▁entered ▁the ▁Saint - P eters burg ▁State ▁University ▁of ▁Culture ▁and ▁Arts . ▁Fort un ately , ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 3 , ▁the ▁singer ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁the ▁stage , ▁the ▁artist ▁gives ▁ 1 8 ▁sold - out ▁concert s ▁entitled ▁" I ' m ▁just ▁a ▁singer " ▁in ▁L ening rad . ▁However , ▁the ▁busy ▁schedule ▁of ▁concert s ▁did