Alla Pugacheva
Encyclopedia
Alla Borisovna Pugacheva or Pugachova (more accurately reflecting ˌpuɡɐˈtɕovə), born 15 April 1949), is а Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

 and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

n musical performer. Her career started in 1965 and continues to this day. For her "clear mezzosoprano and a full display of sincere emotions", she enjoys an iconic status across the former Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

 as the most successful Soviet performer in terms of record sales and popularity. She became a Meritorious Artist
Meritorious Artist
Meritorious Artist , also translated as Merited Artist, Deserved Artist or Distinguished Artist or Honorary Artist or Honorable Actor) is an honorary title in the Soviet Union, Russian Federation, Union republics, and Autonomous republics, also in some other Eastern bloc states, as well as in a...

 of the Russian SFSR in 1980, People's Artist of the Russian SFSR in 1985 and People's Artist of the USSR
People's Artist of the USSR
People's Artist of the USSR, also sometimes translated as National Artist of the USSR, was an honorary title granted to citizens of the Soviet Union.- Nomenclature and significance :...

 in 1991.

Professional biography

Pugacheva was born to her mother Zinaida Arkhipovna Odegova and father Boris Mikhailovich Pugachev in Moscow, on 15 April 1949. In 1956, she enrolled in music school №31, and attended the Ippolitov-Ivanov music college. She went on to study at school №496, finishing her studies there in 1964. She then studied in the choral-conducting department of the college. Pugacheva recorded her first track "Robot" in 1965, for a state radio morning programme.

Pugacheva finished college in 1966 and subsequently toured with the group Yunost' (Youth) in Western Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...

. The following year she began working as a piano accompanist at the State Circus Musical college. She provided the leading vocals to a number of bands, including Novy Elektron (New Electron), part of the Lipetsk
Lipetsk
Lipetsk is a city and the administrative center of Lipetsk Oblast, Russia, located on the banks of the Voronezh River in the Don basin, southeast of Moscow.-History:...

 State Philharmonic Society, in 1966, Moskvichi (Muscovites) in 1971, Oleg Lundstrem
Oleg Lundstrem
Oleg Leonidovich Lundstrem was a Soviet and Russian jazz composer and conductor of the Oleg Lundstrem Orchestra, one of the earliest officially recognized jazz bands in the Soviet Union Oleg Leonidovich Lundstrem (also spelled Lundstroem, Lundström, ; April 2, 1916, Chita—October 14, 2005, near...

's band in 1972–73, and Vesyolye Rebyata
Vesyolye Rebyata
Vesyolye Rebyata is a Soviet pop rock band formed in 1966, in Moscow, by pianist and composer Pavel Slobodkin.Debut EP was sold to 15,795,000 copies....

 (Merry Folks) in 1974-75. She also recorded songs throughout that period for numerous movies. In 1974, she came in 3rd place in the All-Union competition of musicians, which was somewhat of a disappointment for her. In 1975, she received the Grand Prix of the international contest "Golden Orpheus
Golden Orpheus
The Golden Orpheus, is an international and Bulgarian song contest. It has been held annually between 1965 till 1999 in different concert halls located on the Sunny Beach.-External links:* *...

" performing the song "Harlequin". The Amiga label released her winning song as a single in East Germany. Subsequently in Bulgaria, the Balkanton
Balkanton
Balkanton was a state-owned record manufacturing company in Bulgaria founded in 1952. Many of the produced records were, or still are available in the countries of the Soviet bloc....

 label released the live recording of "Harlequin" from the festival as a single. One year later, Pugacheva returned to the "Golden Orpheus" to perform a concert outside the competition. The Balkanton released the live tracks as Pugacheva's first album Zolotoy Orfey 76. In that same year, Pugacheva recorded a number of songs for the musical drama-comedy The Irony of Fate as the singing voice of Nadja, the female protagonist.

The Woman Who Sings

Pugacheva went on to work on the musical film
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...

 Zhenshchina, kotoraya poyot (The Woman Who Sings) in cooperation with the band Ritm (Rhythm) in 1977. She played the leading lady, a famous pop singer who sacrifices her personal life for her career. The soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...

, which was co-written by Pugacheva and composed of pop songs, culminated with the dramatic title ballad "Zhenshchina, kotoraya poyot". The Soviet audience, regarding the film as autobiographical, brought the soundtrack to reach record audience of the year in 1979, as it was bought by 55 million people. The soundtrack was first released in 1977 as part of the double album Zerkalo dushi (Mirror of Soul), which was a collection of her songs from 1975–77. The Victor
Victor Entertainment
is a subsidiary of Japan Victor Company that produces and distributes music, movies and other entertainment products such as anime and television shows in Japan. It was formerly known as...

 label released a collection album Alla Pugacheva in the same year in Japan. In 1978, performing the song "Vsyo mogut koroli" ("Kings Can Do Anything"), Pugacheva received the Amber Nightingale prize at the Sopot International Song Festival
Sopot International Song Festival
The Sopot International Song Festival is an international song contest held in Sopot, Poland. It was the biggest Polish music festival altogether with the National Festival of Polish Song in Opole, and one of the biggest annual song contest in Europe...

 which at the time meant automatically winning the Grand Prix of the Intervision Song Contest
Intervision Song Contest
The Intervision Song Contest was the Eastern Bloc equivalent to the Eurovision Song Contest. Its organiser was the Intervision, the network of Eastern Europe television stations. It took place in the Forest Opera in Sopot, Poland....

. In 1980, the Kansan label of Finland released her above listed works as the compilation album Huipulla (At the Top). Tonbandausnahmenkompanie Bayer GmbH did the same in West Germany releasing Alla Pugachova.

Stockholm (1983–1985)

During the 80s, Pugacheva was a frequent visitor to Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...

. She started out with multiple guest appearances on the popular Swedish radio show Galaxen conducted by Jacob Dahlin
Jacob Dahlin
Jacob Dahlin was a popular Swedish TV- and radio-host.Dahlin got his big break-through with the radio-program Galaxen in the beginning of the 1980s. He later acted on popular TV-shows such as "Jacobs Stege" and "Caramba!"...

, and later frequently appeared on his TV-show Jacobs Stege (Jacob's Ladder). Dahlin and Pugacheva used to perform duets, such as "Superman" where Dahlin sings as the title character. In Stockholm, Pugacheva recorded an album in English, released by the World Record Music label in Sweden as Watch Out and by the Melodiya
Melodiya
Melodiya is a Russian record label. It was the state-owned major record company/label of the Soviet Union.-History:It was established in 1964 as the "All-Union Gramophone Record Firm of the USSR Ministry of Culture Melodiya"...

 label in the Soviet Union as Alla Pugacheva in Stockholm.

Today

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Pugacheva expanded her ventures, launching a magazine, a radio station, a line of perfume all called Alla, and the Alla Pugachova shoe line. She also received further awards from the government, which were presented by President Boris Yeltsin
Boris Yeltsin
Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin was the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999.Originally a supporter of Mikhail Gorbachev, Yeltsin emerged under the perestroika reforms as one of Gorbachev's most powerful political opponents. On 29 May 1990 he was elected the chairman of...

, including the Government Award for Achievement in Literature and Arts in 1990, and the highest civilian decoration of the Russian Federation (2nd Class Order For The Service To The Motherland) in 1999. In 1994, Pugacheva also received a plate with her name at Square of Stars in the city of Yalta
Yalta
Yalta is a city in Crimea, southern Ukraine, on the north coast of the Black Sea.The city is located on the site of an ancient Greek colony, said to have been founded by Greek sailors who were looking for a safe shore on which to land. It is situated on a deep bay facing south towards the Black...

 in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...

. In 1997, she represented Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1997
The Eurovision Song Contest 1997, was the 42nd Eurovision Song Contest and it was held at the Point Theatre Dublin, Ireland, on 3 May 1997. Boyzone member Ronan Keating and Carrie Crowley were the presenters of the show....

 in Dublin and finished 15th with the song "Primadonna
Primadonna (song)
"Primadonna" was the Russian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1997, performed in Russian by Alla Pugacheva....

". She dedicated her performance to the memory of Jacob Dahlin.

In recent years, Pugacheva has co-produced the popular television reality talent show Star Factory
Star Factory
Star Factory is a Russian television show aired on Channel One since 13 October 2002. The show is the Russian version of the Endemol format Operación Triunfo....

, the Russian version of the show Star Academy
Star Academy
Star Academy is a highly successful television show format based on the Spanish format "Operación Triunfo" produced by Endemol, that has been broadcast in over 50 countries...

. On 5 March 2009, she announced her retirement from singing after her 60th birthday, citing health reasons as the primary cause stopping her from touring. Additionally, her voice worsened following a series of operations and is no longer capable of "expressing the feelings and intonations as it used to". Pugacheva has announced to her audience a massive goodbye tour across the CIS, Europe and America, entitled "Sny o Lubvi (Dreams about Love)".

Artistry

In the late 1970s, Pugacheva became one of Russia's most beloved artists for her clear mezzosoprano and a full display of genuine emotions.

Legacy

Pugacheva's most notable title is "People's Artist of the USSR
People's Artist of the USSR
People's Artist of the USSR, also sometimes translated as National Artist of the USSR, was an honorary title granted to citizens of the Soviet Union.- Nomenclature and significance :...

", the highest honour that could be bestowed to a musical artist in the state, awarded to her in 1991. While the lesser titles of "Accomplished Artist of the Russian SFSR", and "People's Artist of the Russian SFSR" had been already awarded to her in 1980 and 1985 respectively, the government was hesitant to award her its highest honour for a long time. This was mainly because of numerous statements and actions on her part that were inconsistent with the Party's
Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the only legal, ruling political party in the Soviet Union and one of the largest communist organizations in the world...

 agenda. At the same time, she grew to represent the government-endorsed pop culture that was forced upon people.

President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev is the third President of the Russian Federation.Born to a family of academics, Medvedev graduated from the Law Department of Leningrad State University in 1987. He defended his dissertation in 1990 and worked as a docent at his alma mater, now renamed to Saint...

 awarded Pugacheva with the 3rd Degree Order of Merit for the Fatherland
Order of Merit for the Fatherland
The Order of Merit for the Fatherland was instituted on 2 March 1994 by Presidential Decree. The statutes describe it as a decoration for merit, not an order of knights....

 on her birthday in 2009.

Private life

Pugacheva's personal life has been very public due to her image and popularity, and is often discussed in the tabloid
Tabloid journalism
Tabloid journalism tends to emphasize topics such as sensational crime stories, astrology, gossip columns about the personal lives of celebrities and sports stars, and junk food news...

 press. Her weight and rumours of extramarital relationships have been particularly popular points of discussion in such publications. However, she has maintained a positive attitude, and on numerous occasions shown that she is willing to discuss personal matters openly and laugh at herself.

In 1969, she married Lithuanian circus performer Mykolas Orbakas, and in 1971 she gave birth to daughter Kristina Orbakaite
Kristina Orbakaite
Kristina Edmundovna Orbakaitе better known as Kristina Orbakaite is a Russian singer and actress. Her parents are Russian pop star Alla Pugacheva and Lithuanian circus performer Mykolas Orbakas.-Biography:...

, who is now also a popular singer. She divorced Mykolas after 4 years of marriage in 1973.

Pugacheva then married film director Alexander Stefanovich
Alexander Stefanovich
Alexander Borisovich Stefanovich is an Soviet and Russian film director, producer and screenwriter.-Filmography:*Vid na zhitelstvo *Dorogoy malchik *Foam *Dusha *Start All Over Again *Bardy...

 in 1976, and starred in a few of his movies. The union was dissolved in 1980, after drawn-out legal proceedings on the division of property, with Pugacheva's luxurious flat in Patriarshy Ponds
Patriarshy Ponds
Patriarshiye Ponds , nicknamed Patriki , is an affluent residential area in downtown Presnensky District of Moscow, Russia. For the last 200 years, there has been only one pond, although, as the name of Tryokhprudny Pereulok suggests, there used to be more. The area of the existing pond is ; the...

, Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...

 being the heart of the debate.

In 1985, after years of living together, Pugacheva married producer Yevgeniy Boldin, with whom she had numerous professional collaborations. She had a working and romantic relationship with a young musician and singer, Vladimir Kuzmin during this period. In 1993, she divorced Yevgeniy Boldin stating that their professional lives interfered too much with their personal life.

In the early 90's she had an affair with Sergej Chelobanov, with whom she recorded some duets.

In 1994, she married one of the most popular pop singers in Russia, Philipp Kirkorov
Philipp Kirkorov
Philipp Bedrosovich Kirkorov is a Bulgarian-born Russian singer and producer living and working in Moscow.-Biography:Philipp Kirkorov was born on April 30, 1967 in Varna, Bulgaria. His father is Bulgarian singer of Armenian and Belarusian ethnicity Bedros Kirkorov. His mother, Victoria, is...

, who was 18 years her junior and of Bulgarian-Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....

 ethnicity. His career is said to have benefited significantly from the marriage. Their divorce was announced in November 2005.

In recent years, comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...

 Maksim Galkin has been her partner. The two often perform together in large celebrity-studded events, such as New Year's Day shows, and have even had a few musical collaborations.

Pugacheva is friends with former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko
Yulia Tymoshenko
Yulia Volodymyrivna Tymoshenko , née Grigyan , born 27 November 1960, is a Ukrainian politician. She was the Prime Minister of Ukraine from 24 January to 8 September 2005, and again from 18 December 2007 to 4 March 2010. She placed third in Forbes Magazine's List of The World's 100 Most Powerful...

.

Original solo albums

Year (P) Number Original title Title in English Format Label, country
1976 Золотой Орфей 76 Golden Orpheus 76 Live LP Balkanton
Balkanton
Balkanton was a state-owned record manufacturing company in Bulgaria founded in 1952. Many of the produced records were, or still are available in the countries of the Soviet bloc....

, Bulgaria
1977 C60 09799-2 Зеркало души Mirror of Soul Double LP Melodiya
Melodiya
Melodiya is a Russian record label. It was the state-owned major record company/label of the Soviet Union.-History:It was established in 1964 as the "All-Union Gramophone Record Firm of the USSR Ministry of Culture Melodiya"...

, USSR
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

1979 C60 11975-6 Арлекино и другие Harlequin and Others LP
1980 C60 14429-0 Поднимись над суетой Rise Above Vanity LP
1980 C60 14935-6 То ли ещё будет Something's Still to Come LP
1982 C60 17663-6 Как тревожен этот путь How Unrestful Is This Way Double
1985 C90 21357-8 Ах, как хочется жить Ah, How I Want to Live LP
1985 WRM LP01 Watch Out Watch Out LP World Record Music, Sweden
1986 C60 24717-8 Счастья в личной жизни ...Happiness in Private Life! LP Melodiya, USSR
1986 C60 25059-0 Пришла и говорю I Came to Say LP Melodiya, USSR
1990 SUCD 60 00122 Алла Alla CD Melodiya, USSR
1991 10191-40191 Рождественские встречи 1990 Christmas meetings 1990 2LP Russian disc, USSR
1992 STEREO R60 00887 Рождественские встречи 1991 Christmas meetings 1991 2LP Russian disc, Russia
1995 SZCD0475 Не делайте мне больно, господа! Don't Hurt Me, Gentlemen CD Soyuz, Russia
1998 Ex 98073 Да! Yes! CD Extraphone, Russia
2001 АБП 0037 Речной трамвайчик River Tram CD Alla, Russia
2002 АБП 0038 А был ли мальчик Was There a Boy? CD Alla, Russia
2003 АБП 0055,
МТ 702909-288-1
Живи спокойно, страна! Live Peacefully, My Country! CD Alla & Monolit, Russia
2008 АБП 0055,
МТ 702909-288-1
Приглашение на закат Invitation to a Sunset CD Alla

Other albums

  • 1978 Alla Pugacheva (released in Japan
    Japan
    Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

    ) - compilation
  • 1978 Ala Pugachova. Ogledalo na dushata (released in Bulgaria) - compilation
  • 1979 Alla Pugacheva i Iosif Kobzon - split
  • 1980 Diskoteka A - instrumental remixes
  • 1980 Alla Pugatšova. Huipulla (Alla Pugacheva. At the Top; Kansan, Finland)
  • 1980 Alla Pugačevova. Zrcadlo duše (Czech
    Czech language
    Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...

     version of Zerkalo dushi)
  • 1981 Alla Pugačova (Czech
    Czech language
    Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...

     version of To li eshche budet...)
  • 1981 Alla Pugatšova. Tähtikesä (Alla Pugacheva. Starry summer; Kansan, Finland)
  • 1982 U nas v gostjakh maestro (Our Guest is the Maestro) - live / split
  • 1982 Parad Planet - split
  • 1983 Million Roz (released in Japan
    Japan
    Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

    ) - compilation
  • 1983 Alla Pugačova. Davna pisen (a Czech
    Czech language
    Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...

     compilation)
  • 1984 Alla Pugacheva - Soviet Superstar. Greatest Hits 1976-84 (World Record Music, Sweden
    Sweden
    Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

    ) - compilation
  • 1985 Alla Pugacheva - Soviet Superstar vol.2 (released by the World Record Music in Finland
    Finland
    Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

    ) - compilation
  • 1988 Pesni vmesto pisem (Songs Instead Of Letters) - split with Udo Lindenberg
    Udo Lindenberg
    Udo Lindenberg is a German rock musician and composer.-Career:Lindenberg started his musical career as a drummer. In 1969 Lindenberg founded his first band Free Orbit and also appeared as a studio and guest musician . In 1970 he collaborated as a drummer with jazz-saxophonist Klaus Doldinger in...

  • 1989 Paromshik - (Ferryman) (Finnish release of Rechnoy paromshchik)
  • 1991 Alla (Ritonis, Riga)
  • 1994 Veryu v tebya (I Believe In You) - compilation
  • 1995 Put' zvezdy (The Path of a Star) - compilation
  • 1996 A 13 CD compilation of songs previously released only on LP and MC
  • 1996 Poët Alla Pugacheva (Alla Pugacheva Sings (songs by Aleksandr Zazepin) - compilation
  • 1997 Dve zvezdy (Two Stars; with Vladimir Kuzmin) - compilation / split
  • 1998 Syurpriz ot Ally Pugachevy (Surprise from Alla Pugacheva) - tribute

CD singles

  • 1997 Primadonna
  • 2000 Bely sneg (White Snow)
  • 2000 Madam Broshkina
  • 2002 Eto Lyubov (It's Love)


There is an unknown number of single and EP releases published all over the world.

Films and TV appearances

  • 1978 Zhenshchina, kotoraya poyot (The Woman Who Sings), Mosfilm
    Mosfilm
    Mosfilm is a film studio, which is often described as the largest and oldest in Russia and in Europe. Its output includes most of the more widely-acclaimed Soviet films, ranging from works by Tarkovsky and Eisenstein , to Red Westerns, to the Akira Kurosawa co-production and the epic Война и Мир...

  • 1981 Lyubovyu za lyubov (Love After Love) Mosfilm
  • 1984 Vstrechi s Alloy Pugachevoy (Meetings with Alla Pugacheva), USSR TV
  • 1985 Prishla i govoryu (I Came and I'm Speaking), Mosfilm
  • 1985 Sezon chudes (Season of Miracles), Odessa Film Studio
  • 1989-2002 Rozhdestvenskie vstrechi (Christmas Meetings), USSR TV, Ostankino, Public Russian Television, Russian State Television
  • 1995 Zhdi i pomni menya (Wait for Me, Remember Me), Public Russian Television
  • 2003 Za dvumya zaytsami (Chasing Two Rabbits)

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK