[2] An anecdote in a book by Vyacheslav Leikin tells of Zelchenko, at age 11, being chosen to appear in an Italian film reciting Pushkin after impressing an unnamed "famous director" with his early poetic talent.
[3][4] Zelchenko graduated from Saint Petersburg State University in 1994.
[1] Zelchenko is an associate professor of Saint Petersburg State University,[6] and a school teacher of Latin and Greek.
[5] He is also a translator from Ancient Greek, concentrating on newly discovered texts.
He experienced an influence of English ballades, in particular, through earlier Russian translations.