Vladimir Kuzmin, the Russian developer and creator of the Polivoks synthesizers, passed away on June 12th, 2026.

At Superbooth 2026, we were delighted to see the first prototype of a new modern Polivoks polyphonic analog Synthesizer based on the concept of the original Soviet Polivoks synths.

Now there is some sad news. As Elta Music announced today, the pioneer Vladimir Kuzmin, creator of Polivoks, has passed away on June 12th.



Vladimir Kuzmin
As part of the Urals Vector Company, Vladimir Kuzmin engineered and produced the first Polivoks Synthesizer in the early 1980s.

Vladimir’s wife, Olympiada Kuzmina, was an industrial designer who created the synth’s iconic tank-like look, inspired by Soviet military radios. Later, the Polivoks synths were built by Formanta Radio Plant in Kachkanar, Russian SFSR.

The original Polivoks was an analog Synthesizer like no other. It was certainly one of the most characterful-sounding duophonic synths ever built. Its aggressive, screaming sound, plus striking military design, make it a unique instrument.

It also had novel features such as switchable filters (low-pass to bandpass) and loopable envelopes.

In recent years, he has collaborated with other developers to keep Polivoks alive. For example, he teamed up with the Harvestman to create the Polvivoks Eurorack modules.

Elta Music, the creators of the new Polivoks, also worked closely with him. They wrote on Facebook:

Greetings to the entire synth enthusiast community. We have some bad news for you. Vladimir Kuzmin, creator of the iconic POLIVOKS synthesizer, passed away on June 12th. Rest and peace our dear friend. Our collaboration was wonderful. Condolences to the family.
One of his last partnerships was with Behringer, announced in July 2021. They worked together to re-release the Polivoks Synthesizer as a clone. To this day, the synth has not been released. With his death, the synth’s future is now uncertain.

Check out the 2020 Soundmit interview with Vladimir.

RIP Vladimir Kuzmin. Thank you for everything you have brought to the synthesizer world. My condolences to the family.

Source: https://synthanatomy.com/2026/06/vladimir-kuzmin-the-polivoks-synth-creator-has-passed-away.html

 

Rest In Peace Vladimir Kuzmin

 

ПОЛИВОКС синтезатор - POLIVOKS Analog Synthesizer (1982) - Retro Sounds

 

I always thought that I heard a raw translation of living and breathing electricity in the Polivoks, more so than with any other synth. I could almost see it arc as the sounds pulsed out of it's womb. I've never been fortunate to have played an original but maybe at some point I will.

RIP Vladimir, you did exceptionally well!