[3] In writing the lyrics to the songs Lesopoval performed, Mikhail Tanich drew on the six years he spent in a Soviet labor camp, during which time he came to empathize with criminals from all walks of life.

[5] After being accused of "anti-Soviet agitation" due to his praise of the German radio Telefunken while at the Rostov Civil Engineering Institute, he served six years in the Soviet labor camps from 1947 to 1953 in the Siberian city of Solikamsk.

In 1994, Sergey Korzhukov died at the age of 35 after falling from the balcony of his house,[9] but he was still listed as a co-author of all the songs through the 1996 album "New Lineup" (Новый состав.)

After the death of Sergey Korzhukov, many other writers and singers helped write the music for the songs, including Aleksandr Fedorkov.

[5] The music of Lesopoval places great importance on lyrical content, which tends to focus on freedom, labor camps, criminal life, and occasionally other topics such as peace and love.

The hero of the song laments that he is forced to pay this tax while doing time in jail, yet the prison guards refuse to provide him any woman with which to reproduce.

[11] However, official Governmental sources have denounced bands that sing in the style of Russian Chanson, with Vladimir Ustinov, the former prosecutor general, calling it "propaganda of the criminal subculture.

The Russian website Pravda positively reviewed their recent concerts, but stated that the group's first hit -- "I will buy you a house" (sung by Sergey Korzhukov) -- remains their most popular and well-sung song.