Vasiliy Agapkin

For starters, the name is mis-spelled. It is Vasily Agapkin (1884-1964). He was a military musician, conductor, and composer. His most famous work is "Proshchanye Slavyanki," or "The Farewell of a Slavyanka (Slavic Woman)." Agapkin was the son of a freight handler, who grew up an orphan. He served in the Russian Army; then, in 1912, went to Tambov to try to enroll in a music school. Since he had no money, he re-enlisted as a trumpeter. While there, the First Balkan War broke out, causing Agapkin to write his famous march.