How old is Sofia Rotaru? Probably, this question is no, no, and it appears in our heads every time we see this unfading and full of vitality woman on stage, always keeping up with fashion. Truth?
Section 1. How old is Sofia Rotaru. General info and stage name
Sofia Mikhailovna Rotaru, world famous in Ukrainian origin, lives today simultaneously in two cities: in the capital Kiev and in sunny Yalta.
The star comes from the village of Marshintsy, in the Chernivtsi region. The biography of Sofia Rotaru is quite interesting, although little known, since the singer prefers not to dwell on the topic of protecting loved ones from unnecessary attention.
It is known that she was not the only child in the family; the famous actress has two more brothers and three sisters. And not only Sofia Mikhailovna managed to shine on the stage, her sisters Aurika and Lydia, as well as her brother Eugene, performed on the stage.
Her repertoire today includes about five hundred famous songs, and Sofia Mikhailovna performs them in Russian, Ukrainian, Romanian, Moldavian, Polish, German, as well as Bulgarian, English and Spanish. She was the first singer who, in Soviet times, dared to sing with a recitative and use a rhythm computer as a musical arrangement.
There was a little confusion with the name of the singer. Initially, her native village belonged to Romania, so Rotar was indicated in the line of the surname, and Sofia in the name. Later, Edita Piekha advised the young performer to add the letter "y" at the end of the surname for euphony, so a new star named Sofia Rotaru lit up on the stage.
Section 2. How old is Sofia Rotaru. The creative path of the singer
Little Sonya sang in the choir as a child and was actively involved in sports. Her father became her first music teacher. At school, Rotaru played the button accordion and domra, took an active part in amateur performances. The regional folk talents competition, held in 1962, became the first step in the development of the singer's career.
Another six years passed, Rotaru graduated from the Chernivtsi School of Music. And in 1971 she was invited to work in the group "Chervona Ruta". This entailed performances at various festivals, touring tours in other cities and countries. She was lucky to collaborate with such famous composers as David Tukhmanov, Vladimir Ivasyuk, and Yuri Rybchinsky.
Since the 1970s, the songs performed by Sofia Mikhailovna almost constantly became laureates of the "Song of the Year". A little later, films with the participation of the famous singer were released. In the early 80s, Rotaru wins an award at an international competition and decides to radically change his image.
And a few years later, significant changes took place in the singer's work.
Section 3. How old is Sofia Rotaru. The singer today: home, family, grandchildren
In August of this year, Rotaru turned 66, but the years do not prevent her from looking young and attractive. Sofia Mikhailovna does not consider herself a fan of noisy parties, therefore she prefers to celebrate her birthday at home, with her family.
She usually spends weekends and days free from touring surrounded by her closest people: Ruslan's son, Svetlana's daughter-in-law, grandsons of Anatoly and Sofia. Unfortunately, on this bright holiday, the legal spouse of the star has been absent for more than ten years. The fact is that Anatoly Evdokimenko passed away in 2002.
Sofia Rotaru has many fans, there is even a fan club where its members celebrate the birthday of their favorite singer on the night of August 6-7. At the end of the celebration, a crowd of fans goes to the mansion where Sofia Mikhailovna lives in order to leave gifts there.
Of course, we answered the question of how old Sofia Rotaru is. Now think about whether it's worth talking about it at all, because it has long been known that a woman's age depends not on the number in the passport, but on her state of mind. I would like this singer to delight us with her charm, charm and unique voice for many, many years to come.
Sofia Rotaru, whose biography covers an era of change and upheaval, has become a symbol of the greatness of talent and the power of art that can overcome any boundaries. "Bukovynsky nightingale", "the golden voice of Ukraine" - all this is said about Sofia Mikhailovna.
Sofia Rotaru: biography of the singer
Sofia Rotaru for older and middle-aged people has become a symbol of their youth.
Her singing career began in the 1960s. And until now, Sofia Mikhailovna is one of the few singers who are on the crest of popularity.
Looking at how young Rotaru looks, it's hard to believe that she celebrated her 70th birthday in 2017. It seems that the years have given an exceptional aristocracy and elegance to the appearance of this artist. Our story is about her fate.
The seventh day of hot August 1947 illuminated the family of the winegrower Mikhail Fedorovich Rotaru with joy. A second daughter, Sofia, appeared in a family who lived in the village of Marshintsy, Chernivtsi region.
The first girl in the family of Mikhail Fedorovich and Alexandra Ivanovna Rotaru - Zina - became blind in childhood from typhus. The birth of a healthy child was a real gift. All in all, the Rotaru family has six children.
Sofia had a unique life fate. Everyone in the Rotaru family (the family has Moldovan roots) sang. My father had amazing musical abilities. Zinaida perfectly felt and reproduced the music. It was the elder sister who taught Sonya to sing.
In the beginning, singing was a simple hobby, just like playing sports. However, later successes in athletics (she received a champion title at school) came in handy when she had to cope with a motorcycle on her own and ride along a narrow embankment in the sea on the set of the film "Where Are You Love".
Since in Western Ukraine religious education was always honored and weekly church attendance was considered a rule of good form, the young nightingale of Bukovina was able to show her talent in the kliros. In addition, during her school years, the girl attends classes in a theatrical circle, plays the button accordion.
The first recognition of Sofia Rotaru's talent came in the year when the girl celebrated her fifteenth birthday. Then, participating in the regional show of creative amateur groups, she won first place, and at the age of 17 she conquers the main concert hall of the Soviet Union - she performs in the Kremlin.
Let us recall that the 1960s were the period of the formation and flourishing of the stage. Many peoples and nationalities of the Soviet Union declare themselves by creating pop song numbers based on folklore motives.
The Ukrainian land is proud of this performer, her photo appears on the cover of one of the leading national magazines.
Thanks to this publication, Anatoly Evdokimenko learned about Sofia. It was an incident that brought together two creative people - a trumpeter and a singer.
After graduating from school, Sofia entered the music school in the city of Chernivtsi. Here she acquired the specialty of a conductor and, on a professional basis, continued her singing career.
The path to the pop world for the young performer was easy. All thanks to an amazing voice, a rare talent to feel every note, extraordinary diligence and perseverance. These qualities were appreciated by the jury of the World Festival in Bulgaria: Rotaru took first place.
At the competition, the singer performed musical compositions in which the languid lyrics of the Balkan peoples and the impetuous assertiveness of the Ukrainian and Moldavian peoples sounded.
In 1968, Sofia became the wife of Anatoly Evdokimenko. Together, the couple will live thirty-five years until death takes the most dear person for the singer.
Two years later, in 1970, she becomes a mother (a son was born), and her singing career is gaining momentum. After the inspired performance of "Chervona Ruta" by Vladimir Ivasyuk, Rotaru acquired all-Union fame.
At the Chernivtsi Philharmonic, a creative team is created, which was named after this hit. Sofia Rotaru became its soloist, and Vladimir Ivasyuk became the main inspirer and musical director.
The next eight years were the most productive in the work of this creative tandem. Sofia Rotaru performed unique musical compositions. They sounded playful and languidly lyrical melodies of Moldova and Ukraine.
These works make the famous Ukrainian pop star. They started talking about her in neighboring countries.
Throughout the 1970s. in front of it are scenes of popular international art shows, competitions and festivals that take place in Poland, Bulgaria and Moscow.
Rotaru goes on tour abroad - Yugoslavia and the GDR, Germany and Romania. In the homeland, records with her songs are massively released.
Popularity does not save the singer from the millstones of persecution by the authorities: her father is expelled from the Communist Party, her brother from the Komsomol organization. All due to the fact that the family honored religious holidays.
Sofia Rotaru moves to Yalta with her husband and child. To cover up the truth, a rumor appeared from the hands of the authorities about the allegedly poor health of the singer. It was assumed that it was tuberculosis, asthma and other lung diseases.
Despite this, the talented performer is given the title of People's Artist of the Ukrainian SSR. The famous singer immediately confirms this title by winning the Tokyo song contest, where she sang a song in Yugoslavian.
The flowering of talent and recognition came to Sofia Rotaru in the 1980s. Films are made about her and with her. A period of searching for something new began: the artist was experimenting with her appearance and performing image. One of the first to change a feminine outfit (dress) for an elegant trouser suit. This was how the impetuous rhythm of that time was emphasized.
Soon Sofia Rotaru returns to the original ethno-lyrical image. It most closely matches her compositions and beautiful voice. In the same period he sings a duet with Makarevich and "Time Machine".
A performance in Canada (1983), where the singer recorded and released a disc, angered the authorities. Until the beginning of perestroika, she remains restricted to travel abroad. However, this did not diminish the people's love and recognition. Her records are sold in millions of copies. This was marked with the Golden Disc Award.
The fact of extraordinary popularity, popular love and reverence was recognized at the official level: the pop singer was awarded the title of People's Artist of the USSR.
Difficult 1990s did not become an era of oblivion for a pop singer. She is on the crest of popularity: she tours, updates her repertoire, focusing on new style influences and trends, changes her image:
- the singer's anniversary concert is taking place in the main Russian concert hall, where elements of a laser show are used;
- CDs with hits "Lavender", "Love Me" and "Khutoryanka" are released;
- collaborates with young pop performers.
The songs of Sofia Rotaru are well-known: they are broadcast by radio stations, people are humming, and amateur groups are singing them.
The performer receives official awards from the hands of the presidents of Ukraine and Russia, and unofficial ones, such as "Man of the 20th century" and "Woman of the Year" - from the tabloids.
This creative take-off spans the early 2000s. However, the second year of the new millennium was tragic for Rotaru. Her only love is dying - Anatoly Evdokimenko. The singer interrupts her career and disappears from the musical Olympus for almost a year.
Anatoly Evdokimenko was not only the inspiration, support and support, but also the producer of the singer.
Rotaru until the last breath of her husband was next to him. It was a sincere and vivid example of the swan fidelity that the artist once sang about.
The loss of a loved one caused deep depression. Relatives were afraid to leave the singer alone. She visited the cemetery daily. "Song of the Year" 2002 for the first time in three decades passed without her.
During this period, the artist's son demonstrated his best masculine qualities. Sophia's sister tells the following about it:
« Once Ruslan said to Sonya: “Mom, you need to work. At least for the sake of my father's memory! Come on, dedicate new songs to him. Let him rejoice there for us ". Convinced and found new composers for my mother ".
The pop legend chose Kiev as the place of her permanent residence. She performs and tours less.
The woman of the era - so you can say about Sofia Rotaru. Her fate often took sharp turns, as did the country.
But the example of this singer firmly convinces that true talent will always be in demand and appreciated by people.
Sofia Rotaru: songs
Rotaru's songs are a constant success and popularity, top positions in the charts.
Some hits, such as: "The sky is me", "Chervona Ruta", "Swan fidelity", "Apple tree in bloom", "Edge, my native land", "Lavender", "Vodogray", "Lavender", " Khutoryanka ”- are super popular, despite the time and changes in the cultural tastes of society.
The concert of Sofia Rotaru is a real show in which not external moments prevail, but the depth and content of the songs, high quality of performance, live voice and respect for the audience. This is what made her a sought-after performer for five decades.
All-Union glory of 17-year-old Rotaru was brought by the performance of the song "Mama", written by the composer Leonid Bronevitsky. Vladimir Matetsky, Alexandra Pakhmutova, Anatoly Pashkevich, Baki Don and others collaborated with her.
The most fruitful was the period of work with the Ukrainian composer Volodymyr Ivasyuk. Then, in the 1970s, the following songs appeared:
- "Chervona Ruta";
- "Vodogray";
- "Yellow Leaf";
- Ballad of Mallows;
- "Cradle of the Wind";
- "Destiny has its own spring", etc.
Until his death in 1979, he remained almost the only author and inspirer of Sofia Rotaru.
With special trepidation she sang "The Ballad of Mother" (many people know this song under the name "Alyoshenka"), "I am waiting for spring", "Seagulls over the water", "Your wine", "Father's house".
The popularity of the performer of pop tunes is growing thanks to her participation in the "Song of the Year". By the way, Sofia Mikhailovna is one of the leaders in performance at this festival. For more than thirty years she sang about eighty songs.
Many people remember her hits such as "My City", "Melancolie", "Apple Trees in Bloom", "Only for You", "My Land", "Your Footprints" and "Romantica", "For Those Who Are Waiting", " Our life ”and others. They were created by Oscar Feltsman, Nikolay Mozgovoy, Arno Babadzhanyan, Pavel Aedonitsky, Pyotr Teodorovich, Alexey Mazhukov.
David Tukhmanov writes the patriotic composition "My Motherland", the memorable song "In my house". On the eve of the 1980 Olympics, Alexandra Pakhmutova wrote the song "Temp" for Rotaru.
The collaboration of the singer with Yuri Saulsky was fruitful. Together they create the following musical compositions:
- "Two Dreams";
- “I am not me without you”;
- "Autumn Melody";
- "Expectation";
- "Do not forget".
The singer's special popularity is brought by songs made specially for her voice data by Raymond Pauls: "Beginning of May", "Where are you love?", "Special friend".
In the early 1980s, Sofia Rotaru tries her hand at other stylistic directions. She pays attention to the rock compositions that she performed in a duet with Andrei Makarevich: "Way", "Barrier", "For those who are at sea", "Bonfire".
The middle of this period was marked by the performance by the singer of works of a patriotic nature. She sang with particular enthusiasm:
- "Stork on the Roof", "Waltz of the Front Sister", "The Last Date" by David Tukhmanov;
- "Sad Song" by Raymond Pauls;
- "Star Waltz" by Alexandra Pakhmutova;
- "Remember me always" by Alexander Osadchy.
The new period in the work of the pop singer began with a lyrical and emotional, bright and temperamental hit - "Lavender", the music for which was written by Vladimir Matetsky. This author has been creating several dozen rating songs for the singer for 30 years.
The radio stations tirelessly broadcast the playfully romantic songs “It was, but it's gone”, “Only this is not enough”, “The moon”.
With these songs, Rotaru differs from his fellows in the shop, because they are fast and impulsive, and slow compositions are in fashion.
However, during this period, deep and meaningful compositions appear in her repertoire ("Song of Our Summer"), sensual and dramatic ("Farewell Platform" and "Wild Swans"), filled with a sense of happiness, the works "Until the Path is Over" and "Caravan of Love" ...
"Khutoryanka" became the singer's business card for several years. The image of an incendiary beauty of a farmer arose in her. He was very close to Rotaru.
In the 1990s. on hearing were hits "There is no place for me" and "Night without you", "Your sad eyes." The audience fell in love with "Dream" and "Like strangers", listened with trepidation to the lyrical outpourings of the singer in "Bitter Tears" and "Taste of Love". The works "Night without you" and "A pair of white doves" are permeated with tragedy. All of them were created by Vladimir Matetsky.
The two thousandth marked a new stage in the creative career of Sofia Rotaru. Mostly Ukrainian composers create songs for her.
They appear filled with the soulful Ukrainian flavor and original rhythm of the songs of Ruslan Kvinta.
Stylizations to folk melodies made the compositions "One viburnum for a vine" and "White winter" bright. Rotaru's unique voice data gave volume and depth to the song "The Sky is Me!"
Today, the pop singer continues to delight her listeners with new interesting songs: "Two Suns" and "My Love" by Vitaly Volkomor, "You are the best" by Ruslan Kvinta, "Love is alive" by Oleg Makarevich and others.
Despite the tragedy that this bright artist had to endure, she has enough strength and desire to perform in front of her fans. Her concerts are always sold out.
Looking at Sofia Mikhailovna, it becomes clear that true talent and love for her profession give happy years of life.
That is why the singer blooms, performs amazing musical works with inspiration and soulfulness.
The creative biography of Sofia Rotaru, an ethnic Moldovan woman with Romanian roots, is truly impressive - she has a huge number of songs in 11 different languages. At the same time, the legendary performer of famous hits has earned her popularity exclusively by her phenomenal ability to work and iron willpower.
Indeed, at the beginning of her career, it was impossible to become famous with the help of scandals or the number of subscribers on the Web.
The external data of the actress and singer are also impressive - despite her considerable age, her parameters have remained practically unchanged:
- With a height of 174 cm, Sofia Rotaru weighs about 54 kg.
- The woman owes her endurance and desire for superiority to the fact of birth - she was born on August 17, 1947. The date corresponds to the zodiac constellation Leo, a strong and determined representative of the astrological family.
- In 2017, the artist turned 70 years old. The jubilee age, according to the fans, was not reflected at all on the appearance of Sofia Rotaru.
According to the stories of the artist's family members, a woman has no secrets of eternal youth. She owes her slender figure and beautiful face to extremely good genetic data inherited from her parents.
Childhood
The village of Marshintsy in the Chernihiv region was part of Romania until 1940, so most of the inhabitants had characteristic surnames. After the return of the territories to the Soviet Ukrainian Socialist Republic, representatives of the local authorities decided to rename some families to please the party bosses.
So, the parent of the future star from Rotar became Rotar. A few decades later, when Sofia Mikhailovna became a rising star of the Soviet stage, she added the letter "y" to the end of her surname. According to the authoritative performer, such a prefix made the singer's name more euphonious.
Mikhail Fedorovich Rotar - the dad of a celebrity for many years worked as a foreman of winegrowers. In 1944, a man volunteered for the Red Army and reached Berlin with his machine gun.
Due to his injury, Mikhail Fedorovich was able to return home only in 1946, becoming the first of the village's party activists. It was he who was a singing teacher for growing daughters, possessing a unique voice and absolute musical ear.
Sofia Mikhailovna's mother, Alexandra Ivanovna, devoted most of her life to raising children and working on her backyard. The singer's family has 5 more brothers and sisters:
- Anatoly;
- Evgeniy;
- Zinaida;
- Lydia;
- Aurica.
At the same time, the elder sister, Zinaida, due to the severe form of typhus, became completely blind, and it was Sophia who had to help her parents with the housework. As the artist recalled in an interview, she woke up early and went with her mother to the regional center to the market to sell the surplus from the garden.
The beautiful Alexandra had no end to buyers. A neat and attractive woman advertised her product, as they say, with her own face.
It was Zinaida who taught the Russian language to the family. Due to the tragedy with her eyesight, the girl was forced to spend her time at the radio. And since the broadcasts of the central radio broadcasting were carried out exclusively in the Moscow dialect, Zina gradually figured out the intricacies of the pronunciation of foreign words and taught her loved ones this. Before the appearance of the loudspeaker at Sofia Mikhailovna's home, they spoke exclusively in the Moldavian dialect.
Studies
The trip to the first grade of a comprehensive school for the future Soviet pop star was remembered for another important event - she was accepted into the church choir. Father's party activity did not bother local minds in the least. In Bessarabia, loyalty to religious traditions is brought up in children from the first days of life.
Threats of excommunication from the pioneer organization and Komsomol participation in school affairs also did not become an obstacle to the performance of the psalms.
Along the way, Sofia Mikhailovna's dad taught his daughter to play the button accordion. He was self-taught and the man and little Sonya had to select the notes for their favorite songs only by ear. The perseverance of the talented child was not hindered by the lack of electricity in a distant village, or hard work in a huge garden, or the current study at school.
The music teacher noticed the efforts of the young artist and offered to play domra with the girl for a small fee, which made the head of the Rotar family very happy. He was terribly proud of a talented child and from childhood predicted the glory of a famous singer to his favorite.
Along the way, the soloist of the church choir participated in amateur performances and regularly attended the drama club classes.
And the sports talents of the future star helped her to maintain her health for many years. During the period of studying the general education program, Sofia Mikhailovna several times became the champion of the school in all-around. And also repeatedly won prizes at regional competitions.
Regular victories at various song festivals and shows of folk art Rotar determined her future. Therefore, she took the certificate after the graduation point to the Chernivtsi School of Music.
Sofia Mikhailovna did not want another profession for herself. She was supported by the whole family, for which the artist is grateful to her loved ones for their faith in talent and invaluable help during the difficult period of formation.
In 1974, the singer graduated with a degree in choral conductor from the Chisinau Institute of Arts.
Carier start
Music has always been in the artist's life. The official beginning of her career in the pop-folk field of Sofia Rotaru Wikipedia calls 1962. It was then that the aspiring performer of Moldovan and Ukrainian folk songs drew attention to herself with a victory in the regional amateur art show.
A young schoolgirl from a distant Ukrainian village impressed the jury so much with her performance that it was decided to send her to perform in the region.
And here the non-professional artist took a prize-winning place. In honor of the original talent, the girls even made a documentary film "The Nightingale from the Village of Marshintsy", where songs are performed by a young artist. It was then that the first photograph of Sofia Rotaru appeared in the magazine "Ukraine", which later played an important role in the artist's life.
Takeoff, popularity
In 1968, the celebrity was delegated to Bulgaria for the competition of young folk singers. Georg Ots himself insisted on her appointment as the representative of the Soviet Union at the international concert venue, who occupied an honorary place on the commission and selected the artists. The intercession of her husband's brother, Valery, also helped.
By that time, the couple was already together and the promising artist had a decent intercession in the person of the 1st secretary of the city committee of the Komsomol of Chernivtsi.
Rotaru justified the trust of her patrons by winning the first prize and a gold medal at international vocal competitions. The success of the young Soviet singer became generally recognized after the publication of the article “Sofia conquered Sofia” in Bulgarian newspapers and magazines.
Personality and character
The singer adores her family. In 1975, the artist was forced to settle in Crimea due to a conflict with the regional party committee in her homeland. Then all members of the large Rotary family suffered. Trying to protect loved ones and help them survive that difficult time, the singer traveled to all the collective and state farms of the peninsula, giving several concerts a day.
Later, she helped all her brothers and sisters get on the big stage. At the same time, Aurika and Lydia received the titles of Honored Artists of Ukraine thanks to the fame of their older sister.
The extraordinary capacity for work and the strength of character of the artist is evidenced by the fact that a woman rehearses all her performances to the point of exhaustion. She is used to doing everything perfectly, no matter who she has to perform in front of. For Sofia Mikhailovna, any spectator is important - from a government official in the Kremlin to an ordinary tractor driver in a distant village.
Personal life (novels, marriages, children)
The singer's only love was Anatoly Evdokimenko. While still serving in military service, he saw in the magazine "Ukraine" a beauty from a distant Moldovan village and fell in love with her at first sight. All the remaining time before demobilization, a clipping from an article with a portrait of Sophia hung over the head of the young man.
After the end of the service, Anatoly put a lot of strength and perseverance, seeking the hand of his chosen one. Reciprocity was achieved only 2 years after they met and soon developed into a strong family relationship.
A few years after the wedding, the couple had a son, Ruslan, while Sofia Mikhailovna Rotaru was forced to go for a trick and deceive her husband. Evdokimenko was a talented producer, although in the Soviet Union this role was played by concert directors, and the overseas word did not flicker in everyday life. It is Anatoly who owes the singer a high-quality selection of her own repertoire.
Her husband's flair for popular songs was simply phenomenal. It was only thanks to her understanding of the market situation that the artist, practically one of the few, managed to successfully pass the tests by default and the post-perestroika period. "Bukovinian Nightingale" was able to find common ground in time with composers and poets who created unforgettable works at that difficult time.
The beloved and only son Ruslan gave the singer two grandchildren:
- Anatoly, named after his famous grandfather, born in 1994. The young man received a prestigious English education, he is a professional photographer and an amateur DJ. Among other things, Anatoly collects odors. There are more than 40 types of rare perfumes in his collection.
- Sophia. The granddaughter grew up to be an extraordinary beauty, and is professionally engaged in the demonstration of clothes. The young favorite of the celebrity is considered a promising model on the world catwalk.
Sophia Rotaru has an excellent relationship with her daughter-in-law Svetlana. According to the artist, the woman became not only an excellent wife to her son, but also replaced the people's artist's daughter, whom she could not give birth due to extreme employment and health problems.
Now a young woman helps Sofia Mikhailovna in her work. She is a celebrity CEO.
For all her stardom, the artist is an unusually closed person of the old, Soviet school. She is devoted to friends and fans, which at one time caused a lot of hype in the press.
In different periods of Sofia Mikhailovna's work, she was credited with novels with extraordinary personalities:
- Vladimir Ivasyuk. The young Ukrainian composer worked for a long time together with the Chervona Ruta ensemble, specially created for the aspiring performer. According to the father of the author of "Cheremosh" and many other songs, Sofia Mikhailovna's performance of her son's compositions brought him nationwide love.
- Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov, a person known in the criminal world under the nickname "Taiwanchik". The affectionate relationship of authority to the singer's work has become the reason for repeated discussions in the press and in the highest circles of the party power of the Soviet Union. He presented the artist with expensive gifts and, during her tour of Central Asia, provided round-the-clock security for Sofia Mikhailovna.
- Vasily Bogatyrev. In 2014, the artist was credited with an affair with her guitarist, who was 20 years younger than his leader.
All rumors about the frivolity of the Honored Artist of several republics turned out to be groundless. She remained faithful to her husband all her life and no amount of money could destroy their romantic relationship. Even after the funeral of Anatoly Evdokimenko in 2007, Sofia Mikhailovna devotes her songs to him and is not going to change his memory.
Lifestyle
From an early age, the artist had to devote a lot of time to caring for her appearance. Now she has a whole army of hairdressers and stylists in her arsenal. At the beginning of his stellar career, Rotaru willy-nilly had to style his hair and apply makeup on his own.
In nutrition, a woman adheres to the only rule dictated to supporters of healthy thinness by ballerina Maya Plisetskaya: "Do not eat!"
Among other things, the artist is passionate about fishing, she always finds a place in a busy schedule for gatherings with a fishing rod on the seashore or on the river. Near the country mansion in Koncha-Zaspa near Sofia Mikhailovna there are flower beds that delight the eye with an abundance of various plants.
And near her own hotel in Yalta, and on the territory of a country house, the artist tries to do all the work related to the land on her own.
A few years earlier, the singer turned to plastic surgeons for help. After the death of her husband, a nervous shock affected the appearance of the national favorite. And the desire to continue working on stage requires an impeccable appearance even at such a venerable age.
However, the fans approved the behavior of their idol. A huge number of admiring comments appeared on the network under the pictures of the rejuvenated artist.
Participation in various projects
For many years of creative practice, Sofia Mikhailovna took part in a huge number of song projects:
- "Songs and Dances of the Land of the Soviets" - an international tour in 1972.
- "Song of the Year" - since 1973, not a single concert of the project has done without the participation of the people's favorite.
- 1980 Summer Olympic Games in Moscow. The songs performed by Sofia Rotaru became the anthem of the competition.
- The Blue Light, a television program congratulating Soviet listeners on the upcoming holidays, rarely took place without Sofia Rotaru. Rumor has it that the popularity of the Ukrainian and Moldavian singer at that time rivaled the fame of Alla Pugacheva. The mythical enmity between the two mega-stars of the Soviet stage turned out to be the fruit of the irrepressible fantasy of journalists. At the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the birthday of the Ukrainian singer, Alla Borisovna admitted from the stage that she adored the work of her imaginary rival and admired her talent.
- 1980 Summer Olympic Games in Moscow. The song performed by Sofia Rotaru became the anthem of the competition.
- "The Motley Cauldron" is a TV program of German television.
- "Heat" is a song festival in Baku, which was broadcast on the First Channel of Russian television.
Due to the situation in Ukraine and Russia, the singer could not agree to the invitation of the organizers for a long time. She always positioned herself as a true patriot, she was not going to change her citizenship. V. Putin appreciated her political apathy, congratulating the artist on her 70th birthday.
At the same time, most of Sofia Mikhailovna's solo concerts always began with Ukrainian compositions that once brought her world recognition.
Life today
Recently, the singer has performed less and less. Health problems and events in the political arena are also affecting. The popular favorite devotes most of the time to her loved ones: grandchildren, nephews, friends. She is still considered one of the highest paid performers in the post-Soviet space.
Receiving the next Golden Gramophone in 2018 in Moscow caused a lot of noise in the press. The artist herself ignored all the comments about her appearance at the ceremony and immediately went to rest with her family in the Maldives.
The best songs of Sofia Rotaru
It is difficult to choose the most popular works from the huge list of works performed by Sofia Mikhailovna for all her long concert career. The longest lives were received by:
- "Lavender".
- "Moon, Moon".
- "Vodogray".
- "Romance" (in Moldavian).
- "Pace".
- "Khutoryanka".
- "Well I loved him" and others.
Many compositions gave the name to compilations and albums released in huge numbers.
Most significant awards
The talent of the favorite of millions of listeners was duly appreciated by government agencies and prizes at various singing competitions:
- Sofia Rotaru is the People's Artist of the USSR, Ukraine and Moldova.
- Immediately 3 cities consider the artist an Honorary Citizen - Yalta, Chernivtsi, Chisinau. Sofia Rotaru received the same title from the government of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.
- The singer is a full Knight of the Order of Princess Olga, awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine and a huge number of special titles.
- She has repeatedly become the best pop artist of the XX century, person of the year, laureate of the "Ovation" award.
Sophia Mikhailovna values national recognition and love for her work more than any titles and awards. According to the singer, the most precious thing for her now is the well-being of her family and friends.
Social media accounts
Rotaru learned to independently manage numerous messengers on the Network relatively recently. Only at the age of 69 did she succumb to the persuasion of her loved ones and registered her own Instagram account - https://www.instagram.com/sofiarotaru.official/.
Over the years, the publication of family photos and pictures from performances has gained more than 100,000 subscribers. Now the latest news from the life of a celebrity is available to everyone, without exception.
The name of Sofia Rotaru is known to everyone, young and old. She is truly a legendary singer. Without her participation, not a single "Blue Light" and "Song of the Year" has passed for several decades.
Sofia was born into a large Moldovan family shortly after the end of the war. Her native village is Marshintsy in the Chernivtsi region. Everyone sang in the village and in her family, any holiday was accompanied by sonorous folk songs. Her parents had great, clear voices. Sonya has three more sisters and two brothers.
The father of the family went through the whole war as a machine gunner, took part in the capture of Berlin, returned home only by the 46th year. My father's surname began to sound like Rotar, when he replaced the last letter from "y" with "ь", after their village was annexed to Ukraine. The real name is Rotaru.
Singing Sonya was taught mainly by her elder sister Zina, who in childhood, having had a serious illness, lost her sight, but did not lose her absolute hearing. In the family, everyone spoke Moldavian, while Zina herself, listening to the radio, learned Russian and taught it to the whole family.
Sonya helped her mother a lot with the housework, went early with her to the market, worked in the field. She early learned the severity of rural labor, this helped her in the formation of character and strength of personality. Sonya began to sing from the 1st grade, she was a member of both the school and church choir. She also studied in a drama club and performed in amateur performances. And she also adored sports, was fond of athletics, all-around and, not without success, participated in regional Olympiads and sports days.
Carier start
At the age of fifteen, she won a local amateur art competition, from which her singing career began. A year later, she became the winner at the regional festival and was printed on the cover of the magazine "Ukraine". Even then, they began to talk about her as a future celebrity. And the magazine "Ukraine" played an important role in her life, it was on its cover that her future husband Anatoly Evdokimenko saw her, who also adored music, played the trumpet and dreamed of creating an ensemble.
After that, there were several more competitions, and after graduating from school, Sofia went to Chernivtsi to enroll in a music school. But the university did not have a vocal faculty, Sonya had to enter the conductor-choral department. And already at the age of 17 she performed on the stage of the Kremlin Palace of Congresses.
Soon Anatoly found her, met and invited her to sing in the student pop orchestra, in which he himself played at that time. At first, her repertoire included only Moldovan and Ukrainian folk songs. Then the first stage appeared - "Mama" by the composer Bronevitsky.
At the age of 21, Sofia became a laureate of a youth festival in Bulgaria, taking first place. After graduating from the music school, Sonya began teaching, which was a new discovery for her. Soon, the young people played a wedding in their native village, and for their honeymoon they went to Novosibirsk, where the newly-made husband was sent to practice. He worked in a factory, and Sonya cooked food at home. They lived in a hostel. But Sophia did not give up singing, she soloed in the evenings in a local club. So 3 months passed.
Sofia Rotaru during her speech:
Sonya dreamed of a child, and Anatoly dreamed of a career. In addition, it was tight both with money and with housing conditions. Therefore, the girl had to go to the trick and say that she was already pregnant. The husband agreed, and Sonya became really pregnant only after 2 months. And in due time, the son Ruslan was born, who, like two drops of water, looked like his father.
Despite a little deception, Sofia does not regret her step, since then a series of tours began. In Chernivtsi, they were greeted with an orchestra by all the city's musicians, there was even a fireworks display.
Sofia Rotaru during the filming of the New Year's musical:
In 71, the film "Chervona Ruta" with Sonya in the title role was released, and after its release she began to work at the Chernivtsi Philharmonic. Soon the eponymous ensemble "Chervona Ruta" was created, led by Anatoly Evdokimenko. The ensemble performed songs of the composer and poet Vladimir Ivasyuk. This man perfectly felt and understood the soul of the artist, composed heartfelt songs just for her, later they became a real pop classic. The ensemble became famous in Ukraine, the audience fell in love with Sofia, and in 73 she received the title of Honored Artist of the Ukrainian SSR.
Since then, Rotaru's songs have invariably become laureates of the Song of the Year competition. Many famous Soviet composers and songwriters began to write for her. In 75, Sofia moved to live in Yalta and began working as a soloist of the local philharmonic society. She became a regular participant in the New Year's "Blue Lights", and a year later she received the next title of People's Artist of the Ukrainian SSR. One by one her albums came out. She performed songs at the best concert venues in the country, her popularity grew.
Sofia Rotaru on the set of her video:
One of the first Sofia decided to change the stage fashion of that time and began to go out singing in a trouser suit. In subsequent years, several films were released with her participation, as well as about herself. She always performed all the stunts in the films herself.
Sofia Rotaru and other famous artists on "Song of the Year":
In the 83rd year, Sofia even released one album in Canada, where she also gave several concerts, but after that she and her entire team did not have the right to travel abroad for 5 years. And in the 86th year, the "Chervona Ruta" ensemble broke away from Sofia and Anatoly and decided to conduct an independent activity. For the spouses, this was tantamount to betrayal. Recovering from the shock, Sofia began a solo career. Soon she met the composer Vladimir Matetsky, who wrote her many hits. Sofia worked with the Matetsky - Shatrov tandem for the next 15 years. These have been incredibly fruitful years. She changed her image and style of performance.
In the late 80s, Rotaru received the title of People's Artist of the USSR. In the following years, she was awarded many titles and prestigious awards. And after the collapse of the USSR, it did not lose its leading position on the national stage. By the early 2000s, she was recognized as the second most popular performer in the CIS.
Sofia Rotaru with her husband Anatoly Evdokimenko:
In 2002, from another, not the first, stroke, her husband, Anatoly Evdokimenko, died. This was a real blow for the singer, they lived together for over 30 years. Sofia canceled all concerts, filming for several months and stopped touring.
Sofia Rotaru with her family:
At the end of the same year, her album "The Snow Queen" was released, she returned to the stage a year later. In memory of her husband, she dedicated the next album to "The One".
All the years of her work, Sofia Rotaru has been a favorite performer in Russia and the CIS countries. She is still in great shape, she looks great, despite the fact that the doctors forbade her to do face plastic surgery. Rotaru enjoys great prestige in musical circles. For the 40th anniversary of her creative activity in 2011, she gave several recitals in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Read no less interesting biographies of the most famous and beautiful singers
To get rid of his ex-wife, Vasily Bogatyrev had to give her several apartments
An unexpected surge of interest in the personal life of 70-year-old People's Artist of the USSR Sofia Rotara was recently aroused by the singing hairdresser Sergei ZVEREV. "Rotaru? Is she free? She is secretly married, "he said in an interview with the" Kindle ". The singer's son Ruslan Evdokimenko hastened to speak out with a refutation. “It only causes laughter,” REN TV quoted him as saying. - Her heart is occupied by her husband, albeit deceased. Forever, trust me. " But was Sofia Mikhailovna's son cunning? Was she always so faithful to Anatoly Yevdokimenko, who died in 2002?
It has long been no secret that even during the life of her husband, Rotaru had a very close relationship with the philanthropist. Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov known in criminal circles as Alik Taiwanchik... According to eyewitnesses, the singer not only accepted expensive gifts from him, but in the absence of Evdokimenko invited him to her hotel rooms.
That morning was no different from the others, - testified in his book "One day tomorrow comes" the late concert director Oleg Nepomniachtchi, who took Rotaru on tour in the early 70s. - I habitually knocked on the door of the three-room "suite" occupied by Sonya and Anatoly, but, contrary to usual, no one responded to my knocking. I mechanically pushed the door, it swung open, I entered and froze, unable to budge. She was stunningly beautiful in her nakedness. I made an incredible effort to get out of my daze and call out to her. She slyly asked not to look at her and ran into the bedroom to dress.
Alimzhan TOKHTAKHUNOV is closely acquainted with Sofia ...
I asked where Anatoly was, she answered something, and immediately there was a knock on the door. I went to open it. Before me stood a short young man with oriental eyes and a narrow, fox-like pointed face. In his hands he held a string bag, from which were sticking out packages, bottles and fruits. “My name is Taiwanchik,” the visitor introduced himself. “Let it pass,” Sonya responded. He went into the room and began to busily lay out the contents of the string bag on the table. The abundance of food would be fine for a light dinner for two. From some phrases, I realized that Taiwanchik is directly related to the criminal environment. I was terribly curious to know how and when he met Sonya, but I was smart enough not to ask stupid questions. Business awaited me, and I had to take my leave.
... since the 70s. Photo from personal archive Saved from arrest
Alik Taiwanchik, now famous all over the world, often came to our shooting, - recalled the ex-husband of Alla Pugacheva, a film director Alexander Stefanovich, with whom Rotaru starred in the film "Soul" in the early 80s. - He was accused of disrupting the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Like, he bribed the judges to win Marina Anisina... He even sat under investigation in a prison in Venice.
We met when I was still married to Alla. Once he brought her flowers and gifts as a sign of respect for her talent. Seeing him on the set of Soul, at first I couldn't remember where we had met before. "Who is this man?" - I asked Sonya. “This is my friend Alik,” she explained. It turned out that they have known each other for many years. Once we were sitting in the Yuzhnaya Hotel on the balcony of my "suite" and suddenly saw that black "funnels" were approaching the entrance, and policemen with machine guns were jumping out of them. “It's after me,” Alik said quietly.
It turned out that he was put on the all-Union wanted list. It seems he was being chased for playing a card game. We were not all too sympathetic to the authorities. And they undertook to save Alik from arrest. They hid him in the room where our operator and his wife lived, and did not allow the policemen to enter. Alik constantly brought baskets of delicacies and bouquets for Sonya to our shooting. And when it got cold in Moscow, he gave her a fur coat. Since then, Sonya has remained very warm relations with Alik. She even sang at his 60th birthday in Moscow.
The singer's only son Ruslan and his wife Svetlana are categorically opposed to having a man at ROTARU. Photo: Instagram.com And after deathAnatoly Evdokimenko Sofia Mikhailovna was persistently credited with an affair with a young musician Vasily,or, as he called himself, Vassey Bogatyrev, who accompanied her on guitar during television filming.
Moreover, Vasya himself more than once publicly confessed his tender feelings for Rotaru. And even in an interview in 2012, he mentioned his intention to play a wedding with her in Las Vegas. Was it not him that Sergei Zverev had in mind when he spoke of the singer's secret husband?
I and her daughter-in-law Svetlana advised Rotaru to invite Bogatyrev to work, - said the former concert director of the People's Artist Olga Konyakhina... - Once Sofia Mikhailovna was sent to his studio to record a song for another television project. Svetlana and I watched as Vasily steered the recording. And we had the idea that he would look beautiful with a guitar next to Rotaru and we could not take musicians from Kiev to Moscow every time and not pay them crazy money. Sofia Mikhailovna approved this idea. And Bogatyrev immediately took advantage of the situation to attract attention to himself.
Crystal rose
Despite the presence of a wife and a child, Vasily began to actively look after Rotaru, - continues Konyakhina. - I gave her a crystal rose, then some other crazy gifts. And in every possible way he played up to the press, eager to see them as lovers. Sofia Mikhailovna smiled favorably in response and did not stop his games in any way. Apparently, she was pleased that everyone was talking about her relationship with a young interesting guy. But there was nothing serious between them and could not be. Her son Ruslan would not let anyone close to his mother, so that her money - God forbid! - did not go to the side. He did not even allow her to meet her old love - a former musician from the group "Chervona Ruta", who showed up after the death of his father. “Sonia, he's old and ugly,” Ruslan said. - Why do you need him?". “I would just like to see him and talk to him,” she tried to argue. But the sonny did not listen to her.
BOGATYREV with his young wife Inessa ALLEN. Photo:
