Biography of Sofia. Sofia Rotaru. Youth years. Start of a career

Name: Rotaru Sofia Mikhailovna. Date of birth: August 7, 1947. Place of birth: s. Marshintsy, Ukrainian SSR, USSR.

Childhood and youth

Sofia Rotaru was born on August 7, 1947 into a large Moldovan family in the village of Marshintsy, Chernivtsi region, Ukrainian SSR. In addition to Sofia, the family raised five more children: two brothers and three sisters. The father of the family was a foreman of winegrowers, and the mother traded at the market. Family members communicated with each other only in their native language.

Interestingly, when recording Sofia’s date of birth, the passport officer made a mistake, and now the singer is celebrating two birthdays – August 7 and 9.

Sofia's older sister, Zinaida, lost her sight at an early age, but had exquisite hearing and memory. Zina became a mother and teacher for the future singer. The main support from her mother fell on Sofia's shoulders. Since childhood, Sonya helped her mother in her difficult work - trading in the market. Sofia Mikhailovna remembers how Alexandra Ivanovna took her with her to the market early in the morning in order to have time to distribute the goods to the very first buyers. It was during these difficult years that the character of the future artist began to take shape.

Being an active and active child, Sonya not only helped her mother around the house, but was also fond of sports. The girl was involved in athletics and even represented her school at the all-around Olympiads.

Thanks to the efforts of her father and sister Zinaida, Sofia was instilled with a love of music from childhood. During her school years, the girl sang in the school and church choir. However, the latter was not welcomed, and the girl was in danger of being expelled from the pioneers.

At a young age, Sonya attended a drama club and performed folk songs in an amateur group. Enthusiasm in young talent there was more than enough. The People's Artist often recalls how she took the button accordion from school and played it until late, often until everyone at home had already gone to bed.

Singing activity

The road to the musical field opened for the girl after she won an amateur art competition in 1962. Once at the regional review, Rotaru charmed everyone. “Bukovina nightingale” - that’s what the young beauty was nicknamed for her lovely voice.

In 1963, 16-year-old Sofia overtook all the participants at the regional show, and she was sent to the capital to participate in a competition on the scale of the Republic. And again the singer was first. One of the prizes at the end of the competition was the placement of the winner’s photo on the cover of the magazine “Ukraine”.

After graduating from school, 17-year-old Sofia firmly decided to connect her life with musical world. Rotaru left the village for Chernivtsi to enroll in music school to the conducting and choral faculty.

After 4 years, Rotaru graduated from the Chernivtsi School of Arts and Culture, and she was sent as part of creative group to Bulgaria to take part in the international youth festival. Once again, the 21-year-old girl manages to stand out from the rest - Sofia was in first place.

At the age of 24, Sofia Rotaru played the leading role in the film “Chervona Ruta”, and her songs were included in the film. The film was a huge success, and Rotaru received an offer to create an ensemble of the same name. The director of the ensemble was Rotaru’s husband, Anatoly Evdokimenko.

The Chervona Ruta ensemble enjoyed success and enormous popularity in Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, the GDR and many other countries. Over the years of participation in the ensemble, the singer received many musical awards.

In 1986, the ensemble broke up due to scandal, and the participants decided to continue musical activity without a soloist, keeping the same name.

Solo career

Having said goodbye to the ensemble, the singer begins to look for herself again and changes direction. Her emergence as an independent performer is largely connected with the name of the Moscow composer Matetsky. Rotaru's compositions were performed in the Europop style with elements of hard rock and became the most popular in the USSR. In 1988, Rotaru was awarded the title People's Artist USSR.

After the breakup Soviet Union popularity has not left the singer. She continued to sing and released collections of her best compositions. Young people began to join the list of her fans. In 1997, the 50-year-old singer performed the song “Moscow Mayska” as part of the film “10 Songs about Moscow” with youth lovers “Ivanushki International”.

In 2002, Rotaru was awarded the title of “Hero of Ukraine”. Other awards include “Woman of the Year”, “Man of the 20th Century”, “Golden Voice of Ukraine”.

In 2007, Sofia Mikhailovna celebrated her 60th birthday. Many fans, politicians and artists came to Yalta to congratulate the singer. The President of Ukraine awarded Rotaru the Order of Merit, II degree.

The artist continues to delight her fans to this day with regular concerts and participation in various filming for popular TV channels.

Personal life

The cover of the magazine “Ukraine” became fateful for the singer. In 1964, Sofia’s fellow countryman Anatoly Evdokimenko served in the Urals. And in their unit there was the same 27th issue of the magazine “Ukraine”, on the cover of which 17-year-old Rotaru appeared. Evdokimenko, like Rotaru, was fond of music and was a trumpeter in a student orchestra. Seeing her, the young man firmly decided that after the end of the service he must find the girl. Arriving home, he actually found Sonya and invited her to become a soloist in the new band.

In 1968, the couple had a wedding, and two years later their son Ruslan Evdokimenko was born.

The spouses were separated by the death of Anatoly Evdokimenko in 2002. The man died of a stroke.

Sofia Mikhailovna was grieving the loss and stopped filming and touring for some time.

Currently, the singer takes part in national concerts, music festivals and filming for television.

Sofia Rotaru is an outstanding singer of our time. Her songs are loved by millions. Despite her 66 years, she amazes viewers with her irresistible appearance. They say about her that “looking impeccable in any situation and under any circumstances” is her lifestyle.

Sofia Rotaru: biography, family, photo

Those who lived in the Soviet Union are not surprised by the stories of artists who, born thousands of kilometers from Moscow, managed to achieve fame and recognition throughout the country. This country valued real talent. Rotaru's biography begins in the distant village of Marshintsy in western Ukraine, where in 1947 the future star was born into the family of winegrower Mikhail Rotar Soviet stage Sofia Rotaru. Her childhood was not easy. The girl had to get up before sunrise and go to the market with her mother, stand behind the counter, and sometimes work in the field. After all, there were six children in the family, and Sofia was the eldest, after her blind sister Zoe, and therefore the main assistant to her parents. Despite many difficulties, Rotarey was not burdened by her life. There was always music in their house: all family members sang. From first grade, Sofia sang in the school choir, as well as in the village church during services. Her first musical instruments there were accordion and domra. Nevertheless, Rotaru’s biography as a singer begins in 1962, when fifteen-year-old Sofia, having won the regional competition, entered the regional show in Chernivtsi. Here she also becomes a winner. The next step is a trip to Kyiv to the republican festival “Young Talents”. And again the girl will win. In 1964, she performed on the Kremlin stage for the first time and received a lot positive feedback regarding your voice. It seems her fate is sealed. Sofia decides to take vocals seriously and enters the music school in Chernivtsi.

and creative success

After graduating from college in 1968, she went as part of a delegation to the Ninth World Youth Festival in Sofia. As Bulgarian and Soviet newspapers and magazines later wrote, “Sofia from Ukraine conquered Sofia.” After this triumph, her photo was placed on the cover of the magazine “Ukraine”. At the same time, somewhere in the Urals, a guy from the city of Chernivtsi, Tolya Evdokimenko, is undergoing military service, who, having accidentally seen his compatriot on the cover of a magazine, falls in love with the girl in the photograph and decides after finishing his service to find her at all costs. The main thing is that he knows her name.

The biography of Sofia Rotaru (photos from the wedding are still kept in Sofia Mikhailovna) in 1968 makes a sharp turn, and she, as a very young girl, gets married, making a promise to her mother that this marriage will be for life. So it will be. Sofia and Anatoly were inseparable until the end of his days (A. Evdokimenko died in 2002). Two years later, the happy couple had a son, Ruslan. And this is, of course, the most significant of all the events that Rotaru’s biography tells about. Soon the musical film “Chervona Ruta” will be released. main role in which he performs Ukrainian singer Sofia Rotaru. Participation in this project brings the young woman all-Union fame. She creates her own ensemble, which she calls the same as the film that contributed to her success - “Chervona Ruta”. Her husband becomes the artistic director of the ensemble. Together with her team, Sofia Rotaru traveled throughout the Soviet Union and camps. Her name was on everyone's lips. Such celebrities as Arno Babajanyan, Oscar Feltsman, David Tukhmanov and others wrote songs for her. Any song sung by Sofia was awarded the “Song of the Year” award. However, the most hit songs were the songs of the composer V. Matetsky: “Lavender”, “Moon, Moon”, “It was, it was, it was, but it passed”, etc.

Conclusion

Afterwards, the People's Artist of three republics (Ukraine, Moldova and Russia), as well as the entire Soviet Union, retained all her fans. Rotaru’s biography continues to be updated today with new facts telling about awards, grandiose concerts, presentations and performances by an outstanding singer of our time.

The world-famous artist and singer Sofia Rotaru was born in the Ukrainian village of Marshintsy on August 7, 1947. The Rotaru family was multinational, because it had Ukrainian and Moldavian roots. Her family respected all traditions and cultures. Sofia's parents were simple, far from the world of art: her father worked in the vineyards, while her mother traded at the local market. The family was large, the parents had six children, and they needed help. Sofia, as the second oldest, successfully coped with raising her brothers and sisters. A multicultural atmosphere reigned in the family; the Moldovan language was used for communication. Sofia received her first singing lessons from her sister, who became blind as a child. But having lost her sight, her sister gained fine hearing. My father also had excellent hearing and voice. From an early age, her father realized that Sofia was destined for fame and success.

Since childhood, the girl was distinguished by an inquisitive mind, curiosity and mobility. In addition to high achievements in art, singing and music, the future star also had achievements in sports. While studying at school, Sofia took an active part in all school theater performances, mastered playing various instruments and went to the drama club. Sofia was called the “Bukovinian nightingale” for her beautiful voice and artistry. Sofia delighted not only her fellow villagers with her talent, but also residents of neighboring villages, organizing tours.

It only took three years for Rotaru to soar to the peak of fame. While still very young, Rotaru participates and wins in a regional-scale amateur art show. After this, a series of new awards and recognition began in the Soviet Union. Sofia’s photo was published on the main page of the Ukraine publication after receiving first place at the All-Union Talent Festival.

World fame came to Rotaru after winning the World creative competition, held in Bulgaria in the late 1960s. And in the film “Chervona Ruta”, shot in the early 1970s, Sofia’s songs were used. Newspapers and magazines published articles about the successes and life of the young star.

Sofia Rotaru: personal life, biography

Young Sofia was taken into the pop ensemble operating at the Chernivtsi Philharmonic. A series of performances began not only across the territory of the USSR, but also the performance of songs by pop stars in Europe. The star’s list of achievements was replenished with victories at the “Song of the Year” and “Golden Orpheus” competitions.

Rotaru published her debut album in 1974, and it was then that the decision was made to move to Crimea to start a solo career. She received the deserved title of People's Artist of the Ukrainian SSR in 1976. Until the end of the 1970s, a couple of significant albums were recorded, thanks to which the singer’s talent was promoted outside the country. Foreign producers paid attention to Rotaru and bombarded the singer with their proposals. By 1983, an English-language album was recorded, and Sofia visited Canada and gave concerts throughout Europe. But soon the government of the USSR decided to ban artists from traveling outside the country for a period of five years. Undeterred, the ensemble goes on successful tours throughout the entire Crimean region.

Solo performances

After the collapse of VIA "Chervona Ruta" in the mid-80s, Sofia had the opportunity to arrange solo career. Despite her experience and knowledge of how to work in the current situation, the singer encountered many experiences and difficulties along the way. After meeting with Vladimir Matetsky, Rotaru made changes in the direction of her work. After working with this for 15 years wonderful person, Sofia received the title of People's Artist of the USSR.

During “perestroika”, a mutually beneficial cooperation contract was concluded with Alla Dukhova’s dance group “Todes”. Together with People's Artist dance group performed throughout the USSR. Adapting to the changed realities after the collapse of the USSR was quite difficult for the singer, but she coped with this obstacle. Sofia gave tours in Russian and Ukrainian in the newly formed independent republics.

Cinema with Sofia Rotaru

It should be noted that Sofia had talent not only as a singer, but also as an actress. She easily gets key roles in many Soviet and Russian films. " Sorochinskaya fair", "Soul", "Where are you, love?" only a few films from the singer’s list of roles.

Sofia Rotaru: new photos, n new husband

Sofia met Anatoly Evdokimenko while working with Chervona Ruta. Anatoly was the artistic director of VIA. They were connected not only by working in the same team, but also deep feeling love. For the first time, Anatoly noticed his future wife on the pages of the publication “Ukraine”. The wedding took place in 1968, and after some time they had a son, Ruslan.

According to Sofia, she and her husband experienced both joyful moments and various troubles. They were not left alone for a moment, spending time together both at work and on vacation. After the sudden death of her husband as a result of a stroke in the early 2000s, the actress canceled tours, filming, and meetings. However, the singer was able to cope with the bereavement and get back on track. An army of millions of fans admires not only the star’s creativity, but also her human qualities.

Sofia Mikhailovna Rotaru ( real name– Rotary) – a favorite singer of several generations Soviet people, owner of a beautiful contralto, multiple winner of international and domestic song competitions.

Her songs united the cultures of several nationalities, and tours were held with great success not only in the USSR, but also in Canada, Bulgaria, Romania, and also in many other countries.

Over her long creative career, the performer has achieved real success:

  • Sofia Rotaru, whose discography includes 10 vinyl albums and 10 laser discs, is still one of the most popular singers. During the Soviet era, the singer's records were released in huge quantities, and the lyrics and music for her were written by such talented authors as Ivasyuk, Zatsepin, Gromtsev, Dutkovsky and Tukhmanov.
  • Sofia Mikhailovna - talented actress. She not only starred in 27 musical films, but also performed soundtracks for them, three of which later became real hits. Rotaru was never afraid to take risks: on the set of the film “Where Are You, Love?” she performed it herself dangerous stunt– rode a motorcycle along a steep cliff, and while working on “Monologue of Love” she rode a board in the open sea.

  • Sofia Rotaru is a People's Artist of Moldova, Ukraine and the USSR. Three times she was awarded state awards of the USSR. At home, Sofia Rotaru received three honorary orders of Princess Olga, the title of hero, and a badge of honor from the president. Moldova recognized the singer’s merits with a republican order, Russia – with a prize and the Order of Honor. The performer’s list of musical awards is even more impressive: 12 “Golden Gramophones”, the titles “Woman of the Year”, “Star of Ukraine”, several “Ovation” awards and others music awards, repeatedly awarded the title of best singer.

Childhood and youth

The entire biography of Sofia Rotaru confirms the fact that no obstacles can hinder real talent. The singer was born in a small Ukrainian village called Marshintsy. She was the second eldest of six children in the family of Moldavian winegrower Mikhail Rotar.

My father went through the entire war and returned home in the second half of 1944 after being seriously wounded, and my mother worked all this time at the local market, fed and raised the children. It is noteworthy that the singer celebrates her birthday twice: the absent-minded passport officer entered August 9, 1947 into the metric, while in fact Sofia Mikhailovna was born on August 7.

In harsh post-war years The only joy for most Soviet citizens was a radio, and the Rotar family was no exception. Sofia’s older sister, Zina, who was blind after typhus, spent especially a lot of time at the receiver. Listening to songs in Russian, she not only learned the language herself, but also helped the rest of the family master it, because before that, only their native Moldavian was spoken at home.

Sonya's musical abilities were discovered quite early, and also thanks to Zina, who had an ideal, almost perfect pitch. As Sofia Rotaru herself admitted, life could have turned out differently if not for her sister, who became her first teacher.

Later, Sofia begins to sing in the school choir and even the church choir, despite constant threats to expel her from the pioneers. At school, the future star studied well, competed in all-around events, and even won the regional schoolchildren’s sports competition.

Little Sonechka adored theatrical performances, enjoyed studying in the drama club, and in the evenings she sang her favorite songs to the accordion. Sofia Mikhailovna said more than once that music was always present in her life: they sang at the table, during weddings, funerals, at gatherings - everyone, from young to old. Sofia Rotaru in her youth already had a strong voice, for which residents of the surrounding villages awarded her the affectionate nickname “Marshinitsa Nightingale”.

First steps to success

Luck smiled at Rotaru in 1962. After winning the regional competition folk song she was invited to take part in the regional talent show, which was to be held in Chernivtsi. The singer captivated the jury with her masterly performance of the song on Spanish“Kiss me harder,” for which she received first prize and a nomination to participate in a talent competition in Kyiv (1963).

The Republican Festival opened the way for her to the big stage, because Sonya again took the well-deserved first place! On this occasion, a photograph of a young and beautiful singer was published on the cover of the popular publication “Ukraine”, and it was this photograph that helped her find not only a husband, but also a creative partner.

In 1964, after graduating from school, Rotaru entered the conducting and choral department of the Chernivtsi Music College and graduated with honors. Three years later, singer Sofia Rotaru, together with other creative groups, goes to the World Festival of Youth and Students in Bulgaria, where she occupies prize place and receives an honorary award in the competition for the title of best performer folk songs. The public was delighted with the singer’s voice, and journalists wrote: “Sofia conquered Sofia.”

1971 was a special year for Rotaru: the famous director Alekseev invited her to star in musical picture“Chervona Ruta” and sing several songs together with the then popular singers Zinkevich and Yaremchuk. This is how Rotaru met the aspiring composer and poet Vladimir Ivasyuk, who would later write more than one hit for her. The film was a resounding success, and Rotaru was offered to create a group at the Chernivtsi Philharmonic and call it “Chervona Ruta”.

At the peak of his musical career

The singer and her band began touring throughout the country. Their debut performance was in Star City in front of the astronauts. The direction in which the group worked was very unusual for Soviet listeners, as it combined elements folk music, modern rhythms and pop instrumental arrangement.

However, the first tour was not without annoying misunderstandings: the group’s program was not approved by the artistic council, and Pincus Falik, who held the position of administrator of the group, had to make a lot of efforts to resolve the issue in Moscow. Soon the Chervona Ruta ensemble went on a tour of the USSR together with Polish, Czech, Bulgarian and German pop stars.

At the beginning of 1972, Sofia Mikhailovna and her musicians toured Poland with great success, where grateful spectators gave a standing ovation. A little later, Rotaru went to the Orpheus festival, which took place on Sunny Beach, Bulgaria, where she took first place with the compositions “Bird” and “My City”. The second song turned out to be so successful that, having performed it later in Russian, Rotaru was able to reach the finals of the “Song of the Year” competition, popular in the USSR.

Sofia Rotaru liked patriotic songs, and she soulfully sang “The Enemies Burnt My Home”, as well as “Happiness to You, My Land” and the song “My Motherland” specially written for her voice. It is noteworthy that during concerts the singer always established contact with the audience: she went down into the hall and sang along with everyone. Sofia Mikhailovna often said that sincere applause is much more valuable to her than awards, because the meaning of creativity is to give joy and beauty.

Since 1975, “Chervona Ruta” has been moving closer to Yalta, and there were two reasons for this: firstly, disagreements with the Chernivtsi party leadership, and secondly, the singer began to have serious health problems. 1976 turned out to be incredibly successful for Rotaru: the German company Ariola-Eurodisc GmbH invited her to record several compositions in German. Later, the singer went on a European tour, visiting countries such as Yugoslavia, East Germany, Romania and Germany, where she gave over 25 concerts.

The 80s brought the Soviet pop star victory at a song competition in Tokyo, where she performed the song “Promise.” Rotaru's popularity was growing, but she wanted to try herself in a new capacity. And Sofia Mikhailovna took part in the filming of the film - it was the film “Where are you, love?”

The film turned out to be so successful that it was nominated for prestigious awards several times, and the songs from the film were released as a separate disc. In the 90s, the singer filmed a lot, gave numerous concerts and received four prestigious awards.

During her career, the singer radically changed her repertoire several times. The first time this happened was after a meeting with Andrei Makarevich and the Time Machine group. Romantic, very soft compositions, which were the hallmark of Rotaru, suddenly gave way to more dynamic melodies, more like rock.

After the collapse of the USSR, Rotaru’s concert geography changed, but this in no way prevents her from remaining one of the most popular singers on the Russian stage, along with Pugacheva, to this day.

Personal life

Sofia Rotaru is sure that her personal life was successful, because next to her for many years was a wonderful man. Sofia Rotaru’s husband, Anatoly Evdokimenko, was from a simple family, was also fond of music and dreamed of creating his own band. Having seen a photo of young Sofia in the press, he decided that she should become the lead singer of his group. Anatoly found the girl, and four years later they got married and moved to Novosibirsk.

Family life was full of happiness, and a year later Sofia began to dream of a child, but her husband was against it because they did not have their own living space. The singer decided to use a little trick and told her husband about her pregnancy when there was no longer any point in hiding it. The son of Sofia Rotaru was born on August 24, 1970.

I must say that Anatoly was incredibly happy when his child was born. It is not for nothing that they say that the true meaning of life is children. Sofia Rotaru really wanted to get pregnant again, but she did not dare, which she still regrets.

Her son Ruslan became a music producer, and his wife executive director singers. Sofia Rotaru’s granddaughter, Sofia, adores her grandmother and spends a lot of time with her, and grandson Anatoly tries his hand at the Ukrainian stage. The singer loves her family very much; she still financially helps all her relatives, pays for their education and treatment.

Sofia Rotaru's personal life changed dramatically after the death of her beloved husband in 2002 (he died of a heart attack). The singer grieved for a long time, she stopped performing, and her family and fans were seriously concerned about her health. However, Sofia was able to pull herself together and return to a full life. The singer celebrated her 55th birthday among her family on a yacht.

What's going on in the singer's life now?

Despite her advanced age, the singer looks in such a way that many people wonder: “How old is Sofia Rotaru?” She does not hide the fact that she has resorted to the services of specialists several times. plastic surgery, however, the interventions were very small. Rotaru advises fans to lead healthy image life, eat right and move a lot - only this will help you maintain excellent physical shape.

A couple of months ago, Sofia Rotaru, her biography and personal life became the most discussed topics in the Ukrainian media. Journalists were waiting for a sensation, believing that the star would soon have a new husband - her young admirer Vasily Bogatyrev. He confessed his love for the star on his social network page, wrote poems and songs, proposed to her, but never received an answer. Nikolai Baskov tried to court the singer, but Sofia Mikhailovna only shrugged it off, explaining that she was a one-woman lover and no one could replace her dead husband.

Sofia Rotaru now rarely gives concerts, and due to the aggravated political situation, she does not visit Russia. About 10 years ago, she ran in elections to the Ukrainian parliament, toured almost all of Ukraine, but never received the required number of votes.

What is Sofia Rotaru doing now? Latest news, reported on Instagram by her relatives, confirm that the singer spends a lot of time with her family, plays sports, and also works in the studio on new song. Author: Natalya Ivanova

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, capable of overcoming any boundaries. “Bukovinian nightingale”, “golden voice of Ukraine” - all this is said about Sofia Mikhailovna.

Sofia Rotaru: biography of the singer

For older and middle-aged people, Sofia Rotaru has become a symbol of their youth.

The beginning of her singing career was 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 in 2017 she celebrated her seventieth birthday. It seems that the years have given 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 living in the village of Marshintsi, Chernivtsi region.

The first girl in the family of Mikhail Fedorovich and Alexandra Ivanovna Rotaru, Zina, became blind in childhood from typhus. Having a healthy baby was truly a gift. In total, there are six children in the Rotaru family.

Unique life destiny fell to Sofia. Everyone in the Rotaru family (the family has Moldovan roots) sang. My father had amazing musical talent. Zinaida felt and reproduced music superbly. It was her older sister who taught Sonya to sing.

At first, singing was a simple hobby, like playing sports. However, later her success in athletics (she received a champion title at school) came in handy when she had to independently control a motorcycle and ride along a narrow embankment in the sea on the set of the movie “Where Are You Love.”

Since in Western Ukraine religious education has always been honored and weekly church attendance was considered the rule good manners, then the young nightingale of Bukovyna was able to show her talent in the choir. In addition, in school years the girl attends classes in a theater club and plays the accordion.

The first recognition of Sofia Rotaru’s talent came in the year when the girl celebrated her fifteenth birthday. Then, participating in a regional review of creative amateur groups, she received first place, and at the age of 17 she conquered the main concert hall of the Soviet Union - she performed in the Kremlin.

Let us remember that the 1960s were the period of the formation and heyday of pop music. Many peoples and nationalities of the Soviet Union make themselves known by creating pop song numbers based on folklore motifs.

The Ukrainian land is proud of this performer; her photograph 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 two together creative people- trumpeter and singer.

After graduating from school, Sofia entered the music school in the city of Chernivtsi. Here she acquired the specialty of a conductor and already professional basis continued her singing career.

The path to the world of pop music for the young performer was easy. All thanks to an amazing voice, a rare talent to feel every note, extraordinary hard work and perseverance. These qualities were highly appreciated by the jury 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 rapid assertiveness of the Ukrainian and Moldavian peoples sounded.

In 1968, Sofia became the wife of Anatoly Evdokimenko. The couple will live together for thirty-five years, until death takes away the person most dear to the singer.

Two years later, in 1970, she became a mother (a son was born), and her singing career is gaining rapid momentum. After the inspired performance of “Chervona Ruta” by Vladimir Ivasyuk, Rotaru gains all-Union fame.

A creative group is being created at the Chernivtsi Philharmonic, which is 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 Ukrainian pop star famous. They started talking about it in neighboring countries.

Throughout the 1970s. the stages of popular international creative shows, competitions and festivals that take place in Poland, Bulgaria and Moscow open in front of it.

Rotaru goes on tours abroad - Yugoslavia and the GDR, Germany and Romania. In her homeland, records with her songs are being released en masse.

Popularity does not save the singer from the millstone of persecution by the authorities: her father is expelled from the Communist Party, her brother from the Komsomol organization. All because the family honored religious holidays.

Sofia Rotaru, along with her husband and child, moves to Yalta. To cover up the truth, a rumor emerged from the hands of the authorities about the singer’s supposedly poor health. 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 with a victory at the Tokyo song competition, where she performed a song in the Yugoslav language.

The flowering of talent and recognition came to Sofia Rotaru in the 1980s. Films are made about her and with her. The period of searching for something new has begun: the artist is experimenting with appearance and with a performing image. One of the first to change a feminine outfit (dress) to an elegant one pantsuit. This emphasized the rapid rhythm of that time.

Soon Sofia Rotaru returns to her original ethno-lyrical image. It best suits her compositions and beautiful voice. During the same period, he sang a duet with Makarevich and “Time Machine”.

A performance in Canada (1983), where the singer recorded and released a record, caused outrage from the authorities. Until the start of perestroika, she remains restricted from traveling. However, this did not reduce people's love and recognition. Her records sell millions of copies. This was awarded the Golden Disc Award.

The fact of extraordinary popularity, people's love and veneration was recognized at the official level: the pop performer was awarded the title of People's Artist of the USSR.

Difficult 1990s did not become an era of oblivion for the pop singer. She is on the crest of popularity: she tours, updates her repertoire, focusing on new stylistic influences and trends, and changes her image:

  • passes anniversary concert singers in the main Russian concert hall where elements of a laser show are used;
  • discs with the hits “Lavender”, “Love Me” and “Khutoryanka” are being released;
  • collaborates with young pop performers.

Sofia Rotaru’s songs are widely heard: radio stations broadcast them, people sing them, and amateur groups sing 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 rise spanned the early 2000s. However, the second year of the new millennium turned out to be tragic for Rotaru. Her only love, Anatoly Evdokimenko, dies. The singer interrupts her career and disappears from the musical Olympus for almost a year.

Anatoly Evdokimenko was not only an inspirer, support and support, but also the singer’s producer.

Rotaru was by his side until her husband’s last breath. It was a sincere and vivid example of swan fidelity, which the artist once sang about.

Loss loved one caused deep depression. Relatives were afraid to leave the singer alone. She visited the cemetery every day. “Song of the Year” 2002 was held without her for the first time in three decades.

During this period, the artist’s son demonstrated his best masculine qualities. Sophia's sister talks about it this way:

« One day 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 be happy for us there". I convinced and found new composers for my mother.”.

The pop legend chose Kyiv as his permanent place of residence. She performs and tours less.

A woman of the era - this is what you can say about Sofia Rotaru. Her fate often took sharp turns, like 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 mean 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”, “Land, my dear land”, “Lavender”, “Vodograi”, “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 it is not external moments that predominate, but the depth and content of the songs, high quality performances, live voice and respect for the audience. This is what made her a sought-after performer for five decades.

17-year-old Rotaru’s performance of the song “Mama,” written by composer Leonid Bronevitsky, brought her all-Union fame. Vladimir Matetsky, Alexandra Pakhmutova, Anatoly Pashkevich, Baki Don and others collaborated with her.

The most fruitful period was the period of work with the Ukrainian composer Vladimir Ivasyuk. Then, in the 1970s, the following songs appeared:

  • "Chervona Ruta";
  • "Vodograi";
  • "Yellow Leaf";
  • "The Ballad of Mallows";
  • "Cradle of the Wind";
  • “Fate 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 performed “The Ballad of Mother” (many know this song under the name “Alyoshenka”), “I’m Waiting for Spring”, “Seagulls over the Water”, “Your Fault”, “Father’s House”.

Popularity of the performer pop melodies increases thanks to her participation in “Song of the Year”. By the way, Sofia Mikhailovna is one of the leaders in performing at this festival. For more than thirty years, she sang about eighty songs.

Many remember her hits such as “My City”, “Melancolie”, “Apple Trees in Bloom”, “Only for You”, “My Land”, “Your Traces” and “Romantica”, “For Those Who Wait”, “ Our life" and others. They were created by Oscar Feltsman, Nikolai Mozgovoy, Arno Babajanyan, Pavel Aedonitsky, Pyotr Teodorovich, Alexey Mazhukov.

David Tukhmanov writes the patriotic composition “My Motherland” and the memorable song “In My House”. On the eve of the 1980 Olympics, Alexandra Pakhmutova wrote the song “Temp” for Rotaru.

The singer’s collaboration with Yuri Saulsky was fruitful. Together they create the following musical compositions:

  • "Two Dreams";
  • “I am not me without you”;
  • "Autumn Melody";
  • "Expectation";
  • "Don't forget."

The singer is especially popular due to songs made specifically for her voice by Raymond Pauls: “The Beginning of May”, “Where Are You Love?”, “Special Friend”.

In the early 1980s, Sofia Rotaru tried her hand at other stylistic directions. She draws attention to the rock compositions that she performed in a duet with Andrei Makarevich: “The Path”, “Barrier”, “For Those at Sea”, “Bonfire”.

The middle of this period was marked by the singer’s performance of works of a patriotic nature. With particular enthusiasm she sang:

  • “Stork on the Roof”, “Frontline Sister’s Waltz”, “ Last date» David Tukhmanov;
  • "Sad Song" by Raymond Pauls;
  • “Starry Waltz” by Alexandra Pakhmutova;
  • “Remember me always” by Alexander Osadchy.

A new period in the work of the pop singer began with a lyrical and soulful, bright and temperamental hit - “Lavender”, the music for which was written by Vladimir Matetsky. This author has been creating several dozen top-rated songs for the singer for 30 years.

Radio stations tirelessly broadcast playful and romantic songs “It was, but it’s gone”, “Only this is not enough”, “Moon”.

These songs distinguish Rotaru from his brothers in the shop, since they are fast and impulsive, and slow compositions are in fashion.

However, during this period, deep and meaningful compositions (“Song of Our Summer”), sensual and dramatic (“Farewell Platform” and “Wild Swans”), filled with a feeling of happiness, works “Until the End of the Road” and “Caravan of Love” appeared in her repertoire. .

“Khutoryanka” became the singer’s calling card for several years. The image of a fiery beauty of a farmer appeared in her. He was very close to Rotaru.

In the 1990s. the hits “There is no place for me” and “Night without you”, “Your sad eyes” were heard. The public fell in love with “Dream” and “Like Strangers,” and listened with trepidation to the singer’s lyrical outpourings in “Bitter Tears” and “Taste of Love.” The works “A 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 new stage V creative career Sofia Rotaru. Mostly Ukrainian composers create songs for it.

They appear, filled with the soulful Ukrainian flavor and original rhythm of the songs of Ruslan Kvinta.

Stylizations of folk melodies made the compositions “One viburnum behind the window” and “ White winter" Rotaru’s unique voice talents added volume and depth to the song “The Sky is Me!”

Today pop singer continues to delight its 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, etc.

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 one’s profession give happy years of life.

That is why the singer blooms, performs amazing musical works with inspiration and soul.