Edita Piekha
Encyclopedia
Edita Piekha is a French
-born popular Soviet
and Russia
n singer
and actress of Polish
descent. She was the third popular female singer, after Klavdiya Shulzhenko
and Sofia Rotaru
, to be named a People's Artist of the USSR
(1988).
Edita Piekha is a well known public activist for humanitarian causes, and is a supporter of orphanages in Russia.
, France, in 1937, into an ethnic Polish
family. Her father was Stanisław Piecha, a mining worker, and her mother was Felicja Korolewska. From 1945 to 1955 Edita Piekha lived in Boguszów
, Silesia
with her mother and stepfather. There she studied music, sang with a choir, and excelled in Russian at her school, graduating at the top of her class.
In 1955 Edita Piekha moved to Leningrad
to study psychology
on a state scholarship. From 1955 to 1957 she attended A. A. Zhdanov
Leningrad State University (now known as Saint Petersburg State University
). There she met composer
and pianist
Aleksandr Bronevitsky. Together they formed the first popular band in Russia
, named Druzhba, and gave their first TV performance on New Year's Eve
, 31 December 1955, with the Polish song "Autobus czerwony" which became a popular hit in the USSR.
In 1956, Piekha began studying singing and composition at the Leningrad Conservatory
. In 1957, the ensemble Druzhba and Edita Piekha won Gold Medal and the First Prize at the 6th World Festival of Youth and Students
in Moscow. There Edita Piekha made history with her performances of the popular hit Moscow Nights
which she was able to sing in several languages to international audiences from 130 nations.
Edita Piekha was especially popular among international audiences because of her ability to sing and speak in many languages, such as French, German, Polish and Russian, among others. After the 6th World Festival of Youth and Students, ensemble Druzhba and Edita Piekha released several sold-out records of their songs, eventually becoming one of the most popular bands in the former Soviet Union
. In 1972, Piekha and the ensemble Druzhba entertained international audiences at the XX summer Olympics
in Munich
. In 1976 Edita Piekha formed her own band, and remained one of the popular female singers in the USSR. She also continued performing internationally and toured over 20 countries. Over the years, Piekha made more than 30 concert tours in East Germany alone. Among the highlights of her career were her appearances at Carnegie Hall
, New York
and at the Paris Olympia
.
During the 2000s, Edita Piekha gave several performances on Russian television. She also has been giving annual birthday performances in St. Petersburg, a popular tradition she has been maintaining for many years.
Edita Piekha has been residing in Saint Petersburg
since 1955. Her daughter, Ilona Bronevitskaya, has been a popular singer and actress in Russia. Her grandson, actor and singer Stas Piekha, emerged as one of the winners of the Star Factory
show in 2005.
On her 70th birthday, Edita Piekha received an "Anniversary greeting" from the President of Russia, and was decorated with the "Order of Merits" for her lifelong contribution to music and international cultural relations of Russia.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
-born popular 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 singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
and actress of Polish
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
descent. She was the third popular female singer, after Klavdiya Shulzhenko
Klavdiya Shulzhenko
Klavdiya Ivanovna Shulzhenko was a popular female singer of the Soviet Union.- Professional biography :Shulzhenko started singing with jazz and pop bands in the late 1920s. She rose to fame in the late 1930s with her version of Sebastian Yradier's La Paloma...
and Sofia Rotaru
Sofia Rotaru
Sofia Mykhailivna Yevdokymenko-Rotaru known as Sofia Rotaru is a Soviet and Ukrainian pop singer of Romanian/Moldavian heritage....
, to be named a 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 :...
(1988).
Edita Piekha is a well known public activist for humanitarian causes, and is a supporter of orphanages in Russia.
Life and career
Edita Piekha was born in Noyelles-sous-LensNoyelles-sous-Lens
Noyelles-sous-Lens is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Administration:Noyelles-sous-Lens belongs to the intercommunality of Lens-Liévin, which consists of 36 communes, with a total population of 250,000 inhabitants.-Twin towns:...
, France, in 1937, into an ethnic Polish
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
family. Her father was Stanisław Piecha, a mining worker, and her mother was Felicja Korolewska. From 1945 to 1955 Edita Piekha lived in Boguszów
Boguszów-Gorce
Boguszów-Gorce is a town in Wałbrzych County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany....
, Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
with her mother and stepfather. There she studied music, sang with a choir, and excelled in Russian at her school, graduating at the top of her class.
In 1955 Edita Piekha moved to Leningrad
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
to study psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
on a state scholarship. From 1955 to 1957 she attended A. A. Zhdanov
Andrei Zhdanov
Andrei Alexandrovich Zhdanov was a Soviet politician.-Life:Zhdanov enlisted with the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party in 1915 and was promoted through the party ranks, becoming the All-Union Communist Party manager in Leningrad after the assassination of Sergei Kirov in 1934...
Leningrad State University (now known as Saint Petersburg State University
Saint Petersburg State University
Saint Petersburg State University is a Russian federal state-owned higher education institution based in Saint Petersburg and one of the oldest and largest universities in Russia....
). There she met composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
Aleksandr Bronevitsky. Together they formed the first popular band in 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...
, named Druzhba, and gave their first TV performance on New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
, 31 December 1955, with the Polish song "Autobus czerwony" which became a popular hit in the USSR.
In 1956, Piekha began studying singing and composition at the Leningrad Conservatory
Saint Petersburg Conservatory
The N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory is a music school in Saint Petersburg. In 2004, the conservatory had around 275 faculty members and 1,400 students.-History:...
. In 1957, the ensemble Druzhba and Edita Piekha won Gold Medal and the First Prize at the 6th World Festival of Youth and Students
6th World Festival of Youth and Students
The 6th World Festival of Youth and Students was opened on 28 July 1957, in Moscow, Soviet Union. The festival attracted 34,000 people from 130 countries. This became possible after the bold political changes initiated by Nikita Khrushchev...
in Moscow. There Edita Piekha made history with her performances of the popular hit Moscow Nights
Moscow Nights
"Moscow Nights" or "Midnight in Moscow" is a Russian song, and one of those best known outside its homeland.The song was originally created as "Leningradskie Vechera" by composer Vasily Solovyov-Sedoi and poet Mikhail Matusovsky in 1955 , but at the request of the Soviet Ministry of Culture, the...
which she was able to sing in several languages to international audiences from 130 nations.
Edita Piekha was especially popular among international audiences because of her ability to sing and speak in many languages, such as French, German, Polish and Russian, among others. After the 6th World Festival of Youth and Students, ensemble Druzhba and Edita Piekha released several sold-out records of their songs, eventually becoming one of the most popular bands in 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....
. In 1972, Piekha and the ensemble Druzhba entertained international audiences at the XX summer Olympics
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. In 1976 Edita Piekha formed her own band, and remained one of the popular female singers in the USSR. She also continued performing internationally and toured over 20 countries. Over the years, Piekha made more than 30 concert tours in East Germany alone. Among the highlights of her career were her appearances at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
, New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and at the Paris Olympia
Paris Olympia
The Olympia is a music hall in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. Located at No. 28, Boulevard des Capucines, its closest métro/RER stations are Madeleine, Opéra, Havre – Caumartin and Auber....
.
During the 2000s, Edita Piekha gave several performances on Russian television. She also has been giving annual birthday performances in St. Petersburg, a popular tradition she has been maintaining for many years.
Edita Piekha has been residing in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
since 1955. Her daughter, Ilona Bronevitskaya, has been a popular singer and actress in Russia. Her grandson, actor and singer Stas Piekha, emerged as one of the winners of the 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....
show in 2005.
On her 70th birthday, Edita Piekha received an "Anniversary greeting" from the President of Russia, and was decorated with the "Order of Merits" for her lifelong contribution to music and international cultural relations of Russia.
Filmography
- 1989: Muzykalnye Igry - actress, singer
- 1976: Stazher - actress
- 1975: Brillianty dlya diktatury proletariata - actress
- 1973: Neispravimy lgun - actress
- 1970: Sudba rezidenta - actress
- 1964: Kogda pesnya ne konchaetsya - actress, singer
- 1956: Masters of entertainment of Leningrad - singer
Recognition
- French Republic: Order for contribution to Peace and Art.
- Russia: Order of Friendship of People, Order of the Red Banner of Labor.
- 1998: Personal Star at the Star Square in Moscow.
- 1996: "Ovation Award", the "Living Legend" National Award of Russia.
- 1976: Honorable Diploma of the All-Russian competition of singers in Sochi.
- 1968: Gold Medal at the 9th World Festival of Youth and Students in Sofia.
- 1957: Gold Medal and Grand Prize at the 6th World Festival of Youth and Students6th World Festival of Youth and StudentsThe 6th World Festival of Youth and Students was opened on 28 July 1957, in Moscow, Soviet Union. The festival attracted 34,000 people from 130 countries. This became possible after the bold political changes initiated by Nikita Khrushchev...
in Moscow. - Awarded the Nephrite Disc by recording label "MelodiyaMelodiyaMelodiya 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"...
" as a bestselling recording artist. - Honored Artist of Russia.
- People's Artist of the USSR.
External links
- The Official Edita Piekha Site (in Russian):http://edyta.ru/
- Singer Edita Piekha performs a concert on the occasion of her 70th birthday: http://st.-petersburg-news.newslib.com/story/576-3243667/
- Photo of Edita Piekha from the Rosfoto image collection: http://www.rosfoto.com/shop/photo/2998/
- PJECHA Edita :
- Moscow marks 50 years since youth festival: http://www.russiatoday.ru/features/news/11587