Olga Lepeshinskaya was one of the most honored Soviet ballerinas. She symbolized the whole epoch of the Russian ballet. Among her numerous awards and titles there were the Order of Lenin, which she got at the age of 21, Order of the October Revolution, Medal for the Defence of Moscow, two Orders of the Red Banner of Labour and Amber Cross, the highest award of the Russian Academy of Arts.
They say she was the favorite ballerina of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.
Pretty girl was born on September 15, 1916 in Kiev, Russian Empire into a noble family. As a child she was fond of dancing. But she did not think about her hobby as a future profession. You know, she dreamed of becoming an engineer and build bridges.
By the way, the girl became a student of the Bolshoi Choreographic School and appeared on the stage at the age of ten in the role of the little bird in the ballet The Daughter of the Snows (Snow Maiden).
At the age of 18 Lepeshinskaya became famous after the premier of Three Fatmen, based on eponymous fairytale by Yury Olesha. She performed the main role.
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Alla Bayanova (real name Levitskaya) was a Romanian, Soviet and Russian singer, performer of Russian songs and romances, author of music for many romances from her extensive repertoire. By the way, she was Honored Artist of Russia (1993) and People’s Artist of Russia (1999). You know, the singer was compared to Edith Piaf for her mellow voice and dramatic style of performance.
Pretty girl was born on May 18, 1914 in Chisinau (then the center of the Bessarabian province). According to the friend of the singer Tatiana Starodumova, Alla Nikolayevna was actually three years older than in the official documents. Her father Nikolai Levitsky was an opera singer, who performed under scenic pseudonym Nikolai Bayanov. He studied singing with Antonio Cotoni. And her mother Evgenia Skorodinskaya was a dancer.
The girl began singing very early. To tell the truth, her father and famous Russian chansonnier Alexander Vertinsky were her first teachers.
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Gogen Solntsev is the most famous freak in Russia and Goth icon. He is a presenter, singer, actor, and director of Gogen Solntsev’s Theatre of Horrors.
Ilya Solntsev (his real name) was born December 5, 1980 in Moscow into the family of a school teacher and Greek embassy worker. His parents divorced when he was a little boy and Gogen was brought up by his grandmother. They lived in poverty, but the boy was always surrounded by love and care.
You know, Gogen’s debut performance took place in the school chorus. After school Solntsev wanted to enter the theater school, but he didn’t have enough money.
For five years Gogen worked as a teacher in the children’s theater studio. In the evenings he performed in clubs.
Soon Gogen met Tatiana Boitsova, who invited him to collaborate with the Children’s Television Academy. He took part in the children’s TV programs: Cactus and Company, Right now, I will sing, Krugolya etc.
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Valdis Pelsh is a Soviet and Russian TV presenter, musical artist. You know, he was awarded TEFI and Golden Gramophone awards. Handsome man was a presenter of several popular game shows, including Ugadai Melodiu (Guess the Tune), Russian Roulette and Rozygrysh (Prank). By the way, Pelsh is a former vocalist of the band Neschastny Sluchai, which was founded by him and Alexei Kortnev in 1983. Valdis left the band in 1997.
The boy was born on June 5, 1967 in Riga into the family of an engineer and an economist. After the divorce his mother got married for the second time and gave birth to son Alexander and daughter Sabina. Alexander works as a cameraman and collaborates with Valdis. And Sabina moved to the US and became a U.S. citizen.
Pelsh graduated from the Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU), Faculty of Philosophy. Later, in 1987, he appeared on television as a KVN player.
Alexei Kortnev and Valdis met each other in the student theater of the Moscow State University. The young people created a musical group Neschastny Sluchai. Actually, Pelsh not only sang and played, but also wrote lyrics. The active participation of the Baltic musician in the life of the band continued until 1997. Then Valdis took a creative vacation and participated only in the most important concerts.
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Lyudmila Gurchenko is a famous Soviet and Russian actress, singer, film director. Films with her participation are known to millions and have firmly entered the lists of Soviet classics. To tell the truth, she became the symbol of an era in the national cinema. By the way, she was People’s Artist of USSR (1983), Laureate of State Prize of the RSFSR and received the Russian Federation State Prize in 1994. Gurchenko became a star in 1956 after starring in Eldar Ryazanov’s musical film Carnival Night. The song Five Minutes became a kind of hymn of the New Year in the USSR.
Pretty girl was born on November 12, 1935 in Kharkov, Soviet Union. Before the war, the parents worked in the Kharkov Philharmonic. Her father was a professional musician, he played the accordion and sang at festivals, and her mother helped him. Very often parents took their daughter with them to concerts, so Lyudmila had a backstage childhood.
The girl’s happy childhood was interrupted by the war. The father went to war and the little girl with her mother stayed in occupied Kharkov.
On September 1, 1943 after the liberation of Kharkov Lyudmila went to school. And in the autumn of 1944 she entered the Beethoven School of Music – her parents decided to develop the musical abilities of the child.
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Lera Kozlova (also known as Leroy Leroy, LeRa, Valeria Romantica, LeRanetka) is a Russian singer, former member of the Russian female pop group Ranetki (2005 – 2008). After leaving the popular girls-band, Lera started her solo career, created the projects LeRa and Lera Romantika. You know, the girl became even more popular when she joined the pop group 5sta Family.
Valeria was born on January 22, 1988 in Moscow. For 12 years she performed in the children’s ensemble Buratino, where she learned to sing, dance and play the drums.
By the way, Lera was the soloist and the drummer of the group Ranetki and she also starred in the eponymous television series.
In 2006 Kozlova participated in the recording of the album Masters of the Universe by Moscow punk rock band Cockroaches. Ranetki was a successful band, but Lera left it in 2008 to start her solo career.
In 2008, she received the People’s Prize of Ukraine TV Star in the Breakthrough of the Year category.
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Galina Vishnevskaya was a famous Soviet opera singer (soprano), soloist of the Bolshoi Theater and People’s Artist of the USSR. In addition to the music, Galina Pavlovna was an actress, theater director and teacher. Also she was the head of the Moscow Center of Opera Singing.
Galina Ivanova was born on October 25, 1926 in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). Her parents divorced when she was a child. The girl spent her childhood with her grandmother in Kronstadt. At the age of 16, Galina was left alone – her grandmother did not survive the siege and died.
The girl joined the air defense unit. Even before that, it was discovered that she had a wonderful voice. Therefore, Ivanova often took part in concerts for defenders. She sang on ships and in hospitals.
A year later, 17-year-old girl became an illuminator assistant at the Vyborg House of Culture.
After the Siege of Leningrad, the young singer joined the choir of the Leningrad Operetta Theater.
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