The quartet was one of the Soviet Union's best known in the West during the Cold War era, through recordings as well as concert performances in the United States and Europe.
The original Borodin quartet's sound was characterised by an almost symphonic volume and a highly developed ability to phrase while maintaining group cohesion.
[3] As one of the most revered groups during the Communist era, the quartet performed at the funerals of both Joseph Stalin and Sergei Prokofiev, who died on the same day in 1953.
[3] After 20 years with the same lineup, difficult times followed in the 1970s: Dubinsky defected to the West, and second violinist Yaroslav Alexandrov retired due to ill health.
[3] In his 1989 book Stormy Applause, Dubinsky chronicled disharmony, power struggles and betrayal to the authorities by Berlinsky, who admitted being a Communist Party member.