Alexander Vasilyevich Mosolov (1900–1973) was a notable composer during the early Soviet era, renowned for his futurist compositions. Born in Kiev, Mosolov moved to Moscow with his family in 1904. His mother, a professional singer at the Bolshoi Theater, provided his initial musical education. After his father’s death, his mother remarried, and Mosolov was raised in a cosmopolitan environment, fluent in German and French, and exposed to European cultural capitals.

During the Bolshevik Revolution, Mosolov served in the Red Army, earning the Order of the Red Banner twice. He was discharged in 1921 due to post-traumatic stress disorder. Mosolov then studied at the Moscow Conservatory under prominent figures like Reinhold Glière and Nikolai Myaskovsky. He gained early fame with his 1926 composition, "Iron Foundry," a piece that epitomized his futurist style.

Despite his early success, Mosolov faced challenges with Soviet authorities, leading to his expulsion from the Composers' Union in 1936 and imprisonment in the Gulag in 1937. Released after eight months due to his teachers' intervention, Mosolov shifted his focus to incorporating Turkmen and Kyrgyz folk music into his compositions to align with Soviet artistic expectations.

Mosolov's oeuvre includes five piano sonatas, two piano concerti, two cello concerti, a harp concerto, symphonies, and numerous choral works. His later works conformed more to Soviet aesthetics, but he never regained the prominence of his early career. By the time of his death in 1973, he was largely forgotten, with "Iron Foundry" remaining his most recognized work.