Roman Belousov, the son of pop icon Evgeny Belousov, pursued his claim to a portion of his late father’s estate, seeking half of the inheritance and the rights to his father’s intellectual property. This move came 26 years after Yevgeny Belousov passed away, a detail reported by RIA News citing Roman’s lawyer, Sergei Zhorin.
In Zhorin’s words, a lawsuit was filed in the Moscow Lefortovo Court. The purpose is to have Roman formally recognized as entitled to half of the estate’s assets and to secure the transfer of the associated intellectual property rights to him. This step is framed as correcting an earlier omission in the handling of Belousov’s copyrights, which were not properly formalized. The case raises questions about the status of songs used in a film project about the singer, and whether the inheritance of those copyrights should flow to Roman.
According to Zhorin, Belousov’s daughter Kristina and Roman had gone to a notary together with the aim of making Roman a rightful heir. However, Kristina’s mother intervened, contesting Roman’s claim and asserting that he had no entitlement. Zhorin stressed that this intervention constituted a violation of Belousov’s rights and the legitimate expectations of his child.
The defense notes that Roman was only four years old at the time of his father’s death and, as a minor, retained the right to inherit. The late singer left most of his property to his ex-wife Elena Khudik and her daughter Kristina, a distribution that played a central role in the dispute. The case highlights how paternity was established in 1998 by a court in the Moscow region, a formal acknowledgment that connects Roman to the Belousov lineage and the associated rights to his father’s creative output.
The proceedings unfolded in a climate where other long-standing inheritance matters also surfaced, reflecting broader questions about how multi-generational artistic legacies are managed and allocated. In the broader context, the day before this hearing, another claim related to inheritance—Alexander Gradsky’s demand for a share of a third wife’s estate—was noted as not meeting the expectations of those involved at that time.
These developments sit within a long timeline of public interest surrounding Belousov’s body of work, including the rights to his songs and the control of related intellectual property. The evolving story underscores the legal complexities that can accompany the inheritance of artistic works, particularly when family lines and paternity are involved, and when creative assets survive beyond the life of the original creator. The matter continues to attract attention from followers of Russian pop culture and observers of contract and intellectual property law, who watch how courts shape the distribution of a musician’s legacy. (citation: RIA News)
In related commentary, a veteran sound engineer recently reflected on the legacy of Belousov’s music and the ongoing interest in how songs are preserved, licensed, and reused in contemporary productions. The evolving case remains a focal point for discussions about rights, legacy, and the responsibilities of heirs to honor a late artist’s contributions to popular culture. (citation: RIA News)