V. E. Zazhigin was born in 1947.
In 1971, he graduated fr om the Department of Folk Instruments at the Gnesin State Musical Pedagogical Institute (now the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music), wh ere his mentor was the distinguished performer and educator, People’s Artist of the USSR, State Prize laureate, and Professor P. I. Necheporenko. Under his guidance, V. E. Zazhigin completed his postgraduate assistantship in 1976.
In 1968, V. E. Zazhigin became a laureate of the All-Russian Competition for Folk Instrument Performers among music university students, and in 1974, he was a laureate of the All-Union Festival of Soviet Youth.
In 1977, V. E. Zazhigin was invited to join the Department of Folk Instruments at the Gnesin State Musical Pedagogical Institute.
In 1979, he became a winner of the II All-Russian Competition for Folk Instrument Performers (Leningrad, shared with Sh. Amirov).
For many years, V. E. Zazhigin has performed in an ensemble with his long-time accompanist L. S. Gotlib. The duo has toured extensively in many cities across Russia and abroad, including Japan, the Czech Republic, Germany, the USA, Sweden, France, Italy, England, Norway, South Korea, Ecuador, China, and others.
V. E. Zazhigin regularly serves as a jury member for various competitions:
- II All-Russian Competition for Folk Instrument Performers (Tula, 1986);
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VI Competition for Folk Instrument Performers and Ensembles dedicated to V. V. Andreev (Tver, 2001);
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International Competition for Folk Instrument Performers «Cup of the North» (Cherepovets, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2006);
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International Competition for Young Folk Instrument Performers named after V. V. Andreev (St. Petersburg, 2004);
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All-Russian Competition for Young Balalaika Players «Resonant Strings of Russia» (Vladimir, 2005);
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V International Competition of Young Musicians «Musical Vladivostok» (2007);
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All-Russian Competition for Young Domra and Balalaika Players «Alexander Tsygankov Invites» (Moscow, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025);
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All-Russian Competition of Balalaika and Domra Masters «Constellation of Masters» (Moscow, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025);
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International Student Competition for Folk Instrument Performers of the CIS Member States (Moscow, annually since 2013);
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I–IV All-Russian Music Competition. Folk Instruments (2012, 2017, 2021, 2025);
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International Competition for Domra, Balalaika, and Guitar Performers «Don Grand Prix» (2019–2024).
Chairman of the Jury for the «Balalaika» category at the annual Youth Delphic Games.
V. E. Zazhigin is the author and compiler of several collections for the balalaika, published by the «Muzyka» publishing house:
- Album for Youth (1984);
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Album for Children (1986);
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Balalaika Player’s Reader (1986, 1988);
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From the Repertoire of Valery Zazhigin (2004);
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Anthology of Literature for the Balalaika, Vol. 3 (2021);
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Anthology of Literature for the Balalaika, Vol. 4 (2023);
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Anthology of Literature for the Balalaika, Vol. 5 (2025).
