MOSCOW, September 20 Farewell to the poet Nikolai Dobronravov ended in the Pyotr Tchaikovsky Concert Hall, the correspondent reports.
The ceremony was attended by the widow of the poet Alexander Pakhmutov, People's Artist of Russia Lev Leshchenko, actor Avangard Leontiev, doctor Leonid Roshal, actress Ekaterina Guseva and others. 
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The death of Dobronravov became known on September 17. The poet died at the age of 95; he will be buried at the Novodevichy cemetery.
Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences to Dobronravov’s widow, composer Alexandra Pakhmutova, noting that the poet’s work will always be in tune with the times, and Dobronravov himself was “an outstanding son of the Fatherland, a real creator and builder, truly a people’s favorite.” 
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Condolences were also expressed by the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, the Russian Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimova, the Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova, the Mayor of Moscow Sergei Sobyanin, the chairman of the Moscow City Duma commission on culture and mass communications Evgeny Gerasimov, the head of the international committee of the Federation Council Grigory Karasin, people's Russian artist Lev Leshchenko, President of the Russian Hockey Federation (RFH) Vladislav Tretyak and many others.
Soviet and Russian songwriter, laureate of the USSR State Prize Nikolai Dobronravov was born on November 22, 1928. In alliance with his wife, composer Alexandra Pakhmutova, he wrote many songs that became popular, including “Our Youth Team”, “Hope”, “Tenderness”, “Bird of Happiness”, “A Coward Doesn’t Play Hockey” and others. Music based on Dobronravov's poems was written by Mikael Tariverdiev, Arno Babajanyan, Polad Bul-Bul ogly, Evgeny Martynov, Leonid Afanasyev, Eduard Kolmanovsky, Arkady Ostrovsky and many others.
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