Vladimir Kuzmin: the Polivoks synth creator has passed away

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.

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

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