Prokofiev was born in Sontsovka (now Krasne in Donetsk oblast), an isolated rural bestate/b in Ukraine, then part of the Russian Empire. He displayed unusual musical abilities by the age of five. His first piano composition to be written down (by his mother), b...../b Prokofiev had time to write his postwar Sixth Symphony and a ninth piano sonata (for Sviatoslav Richter) before the Party, as part of the so-called "bZhdanov/b Decree," suddenly changed its opinion about his music. ...
