Nikolay Gnatyuk. Nikolai Gnatyuk is preparing for a vow of celibacy. The beginning of the creative activity of a pop performer

“DRUMMER” NIKOLAY GNATYUK

Hearing the name of this performer, most music lovers will immediately remember the famous “Smereka”, “Bird of Happiness” and “Crimson Ringing”. Although some of the singer’s fans prefer such hits as “Galina” and “Chas Rikoyu Plive”. Some will remember with nostalgia “Dance on the Drum”, “The Girl from Apartment 45”, “If the City Dances”. In short, everyone will love some hit from the talented and charismatic Nikolai Gnatyuk. Nikolai does not welcome statuses invented by the press like “star”, “recognized master”, “stage legend”, “pop classic”. He has his own explanation of popular love and popularity: “God gave it, so it became...”.

14 kilometers to the dream

This simple village boy was lucky enough to see in his life different countries, gather concert halls, perform on the same stage with the best performers countries, pass the test of popularity, first succumb to temptations, but then still find the strength in yourself so as not to find yourself on the sidelines life and creativity.

Born in the small village of Nemirovka in the Khmelnytsky region in 1952. Boy with early childhood demonstrated his vocal talent, so his parents sent him to study at a school in the city of Starokonstantinov, which is seven kilometers from his home village. Nikolai had to walk 14 km through marshy areas every day in order to be able to study at a school with a music class. At 6:00, to the sounds of the anthem on the radio, Kolya got up not at all joyful, because he had a difficult journey to school. Often the bus passed by the children, and they had to walk to the city in any weather.

"Serious" preparation

The desire to become a singer Nikolai Gnatyuk did not form and strengthen immediately. Although he sang from the age he can remember, at first he dreamed of becoming an actor. A childhood friend even began to “prepare” him for this by training him in boxing so that the future artist would not be frail. Together the children learned poems by Vladimir Sosyura and Maxim Rylsky. Nikolai was looking forward to the start of the admission campaign to the Kiev Institute theatrical arts named after Karpenko-Kary. Arriving in the capital, Gnatyuk received a brochure from the educational institution with important information about the institute. He took it and leafed through it, and something happened in the soul of the young applicant - either some doubts came over him, or he didn’t like the intonation of the woman from the admissions committee, but Nikolai’s firm intention to prepare for admission disappeared. Going out into the street, he realized that he would not study at this institute.

The future performer was not at a loss, got on the train and went to Rivne. There, at the music pedagogical institute, his father had a teacher he knew, who several years ago suggested that the talented young man enroll there. The applicants there turned out to be seriously prepared; everyone came after music schools, not schools like . Next to them he felt like a boy. But the situation was saved by chance - one of the commission members asked Gnatyuk if he could sing something. Here he had no equal! The examiners immediately agreed to accept such a vocal guy. Although he entered the institute as if “in advance,” he later became equal in level of knowledge with his more experienced classmates.

Odessa chant

For the first time he appeared on the professional stage in Odessa. There, having heard his clear voice, they immediately invited him to be a soloist in the “We are Odessans” orchestra. There were some incidents during the first performance. While singing in the dressing room before the concert, Nikolai heard from one of the artists boorish “request” to shut up, but continued the vocalization as if nothing had happened. Then a colleague on stage came up and hit him in the face. Nikolay Gnatyuk I had to go out to the audience beaten, but with prepared vocal cords.

With this Odessa group, the singer traveled to many cities in the country, and then decided to join the army. He was sent to serve in the GDR and, as a musician, was assigned to a group that performed at discos for families from the USSR. Over time, Nikolai began to notice that people began to come not just to dance to his songs, but to listen to them. This is how his confidence in his abilities and the belief that he could become a real artist began to grow.

Leningrad "hazing"

After the army in life Nikolai Gnatyuk there was the Leningrad Music Hall, work in many musical ensembles, among which was the legendary group of Alexander Bronevitsky - VIA “Druzhba”. There Nikolai had to experience hazing. The ensemble consisted of masters of their craft and they treated Gnatyuk, to put it mildly, not seriously. One day the singer could not stand the attacks and, pointing to one of the most famous concert halls country, said that he would soon have full houses here, and his arrogant colleagues would not even be able to get tickets to his performances. Over time, this happened.

A no less prophetic incident occurred with Nikolay Gnatyuk in Sopot, Poland, when he came there on an excursion with colleagues from the music hall. During a visit to the festival hall, he went on stage and did something there for a long time. When they asked him what he was doing there, Nikolai quite seriously stated that he was rehearsing a solo number at the Sopot Festival. Those present only laughed at the eccentric singer, and a year later he received a prestigious music competition first prize

Triumph of Nikolai Gnatyuk

Sopot seemed to Nikolai an unattainable dream; a hit festival in Dresden, Germany seemed much more realistic. At the All-Union Variety Artists Competition in Leningrad, he won the third prize and had the opportunity to communicate with a representative of the Ministry of Culture. The situation was such that at a competition in the GDR, artists from the USSR could not take main prize. Nikolai plucked up courage and told the official from the Ministry of Culture that he knew what to do, to bring such a desired victory to the USSR. He looked at the singer skeptically, but something in the words still touched him young performer. As a result, Gnatyuk was sent to a festival in Germany.

Arriving in Dresden, he discovered that the notes sent by mail had not arrived. Two rehearsal days had already ended, and they still weren’t there. Then Nikolai found Georgy Garanyan, who came to the competition with his ensemble, and began to beg him to write an arrangement. The famous saxophonist did not promise anything, but the next morning he brought the sheet music. The festival organizers were at a loss when Nikolai tried to rehearse the song with the orchestra, performing something unintelligible. In the evening, in front of the public, Gnatyuk showed the full breadth of his talent, presenting David Tukhmanov’s song “I’m dancing with you.” It was a real victory! Although the singer himself was not ready for it. In the morning, his songs were played on all radio channels, and in his pocket was a bonus of 3,000 marks.

Fateful Drum

At the victory banquet Soviet Union in the competition to Nikolay Gnatyuk the director of the festival in Sopot approached and asked if he would refuse to come to Poland next year. Of course, the singer did not refuse, this was his dream! And a little later on central television The USSR received a letter from the organizers festival with a recommendation to send to the competition exactly Nikolai Gnatyuk. But the singer had nothing to go to Sopot - there was no suitable song in his repertoire. For three days he wandered around the park near the television center in Moscow until he came to the image in which he would like to perform. He remembered that during his student years he worked part-time at weddings as a drummer in an orchestra, so he decided to make the drum the highlight of his future act. And then a representative of the composer called Nikolai and offered to listen to several melodies. The singer easily found the ideal option for himself, although there was no text for this composition yet. Andrei Voznesensky was asked to write the words for the song, and although at first he did not understand the idea with the drum, he complied with the request.

The way to yourself

After winning the Sopot festival, he became an all-Union celebrity with all the ensuing “consequences” - tours, concerts, crowds of fans, periods of incredible ups and creative stagnations, all kinds of temptations, star fever and alcohol. All this happened in the singer’s life... But one day after a concert in Drohobych, Nikolai met a priest who unexpectedly said that he needed to enter the theological academy and blessed the singer for this. Later, while in Belgorod, Nikolai told Bishop John about this meeting, and he also gave him his blessing. The performer entered a seminary in Belgorod and studied in absentia for two years. The singer took this seriously, studied spiritual literature, but he was not good at written work, and in the third year of his studies he decided to take a break, which dragged on for several years. He doesn’t regret it, because he understood and corrected a lot in his life, and began to look at a lot of things with different eyes. Now he doesn’t want the wild popularity he dreamed of as a child; on the contrary, Nikolai likes it when people don’t recognize him on the street. The singer decided that he no longer needed to appear on television, and fans could always hear him at concerts or buy a recording of his music.

He is not very willing to share details of his personal life. After the festival in Sopot, he married dancer Natalia. She gave birth to his son, and after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the singer decided to take the child for examination to Germany. Several months passed, Nikolai arrived in Kyiv, but his wife did not want to return to her homeland and stayed abroad with the child. The singer often came to see his son, they have an excellent relationship, but he never married a second time. Nikolai says that he has not yet met the woman in whose eyes he would see a kindred spirit.

FACTS

Everyone in the class got used to Gnatyuk’s tardiness and knew that if he wasn’t there yet, it meant he was stuck somewhere on the road. But how ashamed the boy was then to appear in the classroom with clothes stained with dirt, while other children sat in their ironed and starched uniforms. Years later, fate seemed to compensate him for his childhood deprivations, giving him the opportunity to choose any clothes for himself.

He calls his most severe critic the Ukrainian public, which cannot be deceived by false performances and insincerity. Now the singer considers it his duty to help people escape from the dullness of everyday life, to give listeners hope and positive emotions, the strength not to despair and faith in their capabilities.

Updated: April 7, 2019 by: Elena

He gained first fame by winning the Ukrainian competition of variety artists in Zaporozhye in 1978. This was followed by third place at the VI All-Union Competition of Variety Artists in 1979, Grand Prix at the competition pop song in Dresden and the Intervision Festival in Sopot (1980). The artist's popularity peaked at the turn of the 1970s and 80s. During this period, his songs were widely known in the Soviet Union... Read all

He received his first fame by winning the Ukrainian pop artist competition in Zaporozhye in 1978. This was followed by third place at the VI All-Union Variety Artist Competition in 1979, the Grand Prix at the pop song competition in Dresden and the Intervision festival in Sopot (1980). The artist's popularity peaked at the turn of the 1970s and 80s. During this period, his songs such as “The Girl from Apartment 45” (A. Mazhukov - M. Plyatskovsky), “Dance on the Drum” (R. Pauls - A. Voznesensky), “Bird of Happiness” ( Pakhmutova A. - Dobronravov N.), “If the city is dancing” (A. Zhurbin - I. Reznik). Characteristic feature Most of Gnatyuk's songs had easy, catchy melodies and words. In the first half of the 1980s. the artist worked with many groups, including VIA Malvy, VIA Mriya and the jazz-rock group Crossword. With the latter group he recorded his first solo record (minion), which included translations of French songs. The second EP, including songs by Evgeny Shiryaev and recorded with the participation of the Tashkent group “Labyrinth,” was released in 1985. A new round of Gnatyuk’s popularity is associated with the appearance of songs by composer Alexander Morozov in his repertoire. In 1987, Gnatyuk performed “Crimson Ringing” (A. Morozov - A. Poperechny). Soon two giant discs will be released: “Crimson Ringing” and “Don’t Leave Me.” At the turn of the 1980-90s. years Gnatyuk moved to live in Germany and stopped extensive concert activities for several years. The return to Ukraine occurs in 1993, when it gains widespread popularity new song“It’s time for the river to flow.” In 1996, the album of the same name was released on CD. At the end of the 1990s. Gnatyuk abruptly changes the direction of his creative activity. At the age of 47, he entered the missionary department at the Belgorod Theological Seminary. From now on, he perceives all his work as missionary activity. His repertoire is filled with songs of spiritual content. Currently, Gnatyuk rarely appears on television, performing mainly on the radio and with concerts in different cities Ukraine.
Discography:
Nikolai Gnatyuk and the group “Crossword” (minion, 1980)
Nikolai Gnatyuk and the ensemble “Labyrinth” (minion, 1980)
"Crimson Ring" (1988)
"Don't Leave Me" (1989)
“The Hour of the River Flow” (1996)

Nikolai Vasilievich Gnatyuk. Born on September 14, 1952 in Nemirovka, Starokonstantinovsky district, Khmelnitsky region (Ukrainian SSR). Soviet and Ukrainian pop singer. People's Artist of the Ukrainian SSR (1988).

Nikolai Gnatyuk was born on September 14, 1952 in Nemirovka, Starokonstantinovsky district, Khmelnitsky region (Ukrainian SSR).

My father was the chairman of a collective farm.

Mother is a primary school teacher (she was also Nikolai’s first teacher).

IN Soviet era Nikolai Gnatyuk was rumored to be related to the famous opera singer, People's Artist of the USSR Dmitry Mikhailovich Gnatyuk. However, they are simply namesakes.

WITH early years He sang well and took part in amateur performances.

Graduated from the Rivne Pedagogical Institute, music and pedagogical faculty. Then he began performing on stage at VIA "We are Odessa residents".

When it was time to join the army, he himself went to the military registration and enlistment office. He recalled: “I joined the army voluntarily, realizing that the debt to the Motherland must be repaid. He resigned from the ensemble “We are Odessa residents” and ten days later he was already in the unit.” As a musician, he was assigned to a group that performed at dance evenings for the families of Soviet officers. He sang in the ensemble of the 8th Guards Army of the GSVG in the city of Weimar (GDR).

After demobilization, he studied in the studio of the Leningrad Music Hall and at the same time toured with the oldest VIA in the USSR "Friendship".

In the late 1970s he recorded with the Rostislav Babich Orchestra. Then he began to appear regularly on TV. His songs “The Girl from Apartment 45”, “Wings of Fortune”, “At the Merry Maple Tree”, “If the City is Dancing” became hits.

In 1978, Gnatyuk became the winner of the second competition of Ukrainian pop artists in Zaporozhye.

In 1979, Gnatyuk took third place at the VI All-Union Competition of Variety Artists, this opened the way for him to go abroad. And David Tukhmanov’s song “I’m dancing with you” brought him the Grand Prix of the pop song competition in Dresden.

In 1980 he took first place at the Intervision festival in Sopot with the song “Dance on the Drum”. He came up with the idea for the song himself. Gnatyuk said: “At the institute, my classmate taught me to play the drums. I must say, I succeeded quite well in this matter. And when the invitation came to participate in a competition in Sopot, I wanted to show some kind of action on stage. At first I thought of walking on a tightrope, but then I stopped playing the drum. There was no song at that time. I accidentally met the director Lyudmila Dubovtseva, who offered to listen to the new compositions of Raymond Pauls. I liked one. And when Lyuda asked what the song would be about. , I immediately answered: “About the drum.” Dubovtseva called her friend, the poet Andrei Voznesensky, who suddenly began shouting into the phone: “What the strange topic, why drum?” But he did write the text, and Raymond, at my request, made a long passage, during which I could move from the drum kit to the microphone. It was a 100% hit. For for many years creatively sang “Dance on the Drum” so many times, it’s impossible to count.”

Nikolay Gnatyuk - Dance on the drum

In 1980, he sang briefly with VIA Malvy.

In 1981, Gnatyuk had another super hit - “Bird of Happiness” (A. Pakhmutova - N. Dobronravov).

He performed with his ensemble “Benefit”, and then with the strong jazz-rock team “Crossword”, with which he recorded his first solo record with translations of French chansons.

Then he performed with the State Variety Orchestra under the direction of A. Anufrienko, VIA "Mriya", VIA "Prazdnik".

In 1985, Gnatyuk’s album was released with songs by Evgeny Shiryaev, recorded with the Tashkent VIA “Labyrinth”.

Since the mid-1980s, his popularity has declined, and he rarely appears on television. However, in 1987, he again managed to attract the attention of the public - when Alexander Morozov wrote “Crimson Ring” for him. Next came the composition “White Shutters”.

Nikolay Gnatyuk - Raspberry ringing

In 1988, he was awarded the title of People's Artist of the Ukrainian SSR.

At the end of the 1980s, he recorded two long-playing records - “Crimson Ring” and “Don’t Leave Me.”

In the early 1990s, he went to Germany for several years. When he returned, he recorded the Ukrainian-language song “Chas rikoyu plive” (“Time floats like a river”). An album of the same name was released.

In Ukraine, the song “Oh, Smereka!” became widely popular.

In 1999, at the age of 47, he entered the missionary department at the Belgorod Theological Seminary. He explained: “I was just in church, and the priest suggested: “You urgently need to enter the seminary.” Then I had a vision: I walked past the temple and saw St. Joasaph of Belgorod in the window. At first I thought it seemed. But the next day everything It happened again. I never finished the seminary - I left after the second year. But the time spent there made me look at the world differently. spiritual search and there is my “bird of happiness.”

Songs of spiritual content appeared in his repertoire. He released the album “Lord, have mercy”, and then “Lord, save, preserve”. The latest album includes songs based on poems by Vadim Krischenko: Vera (music by Gnatyuk), Pochaev, Monks, Small Motherland, Time for Repentance (by Hieromonk Roman), Xenia the Blessed (arranged by Gnatyuk), Raspberry Ringing, Ave Maria (words by Gnatyuk), and a song about St. Nicholas (music and words by Gnatyuk). The recording was released by the Holy Dormition Pochaev Lavra.

In 2002, Nikolai Gnatyuk was awarded the title “Honorary Citizen of the City of Mogilev” for his great contribution to the development national cultures Belarus and Ukraine.

Socio-political position of Nikolai Gnatyuk

Nikolai Gnatyuk took the events of 2014 and the worsening relations between Ukraine and Russia extremely painfully. He considers the events in Donbass a civil war, which he accused the media of Ukraine and the West of inciting.

And yesterday I arrived in Sumy and everything went: Russia attacked, Russia occupied, Russian tanks, battalions of paratroopers and marines, the Ukrainian Armed Forces successfully repelled an attack by 100 tanks of the Kantemirovskaya Tank Brigade, the brigade was captured. Conscription, war - what can I say? Cheap propaganda, our media are deceiving the Ukrainian people. I can confidently say that in kindling civil war In Ukraine, the media of Ukraine and the West are to blame."

Nikolai Gnatyuk's height: 165 centimeters.

Personal life of Nikolai Gnatyuk:

Was married. The wife's name was Natalya, she worked as a journalist and planned to become an actress. We met when Natalya interviewed Nikolai. Cosmonaut Georgy Grechko became his matchmaker. Gnatyuk recalled: “We met on the set. He invited me to a restaurant. And I was just getting ready to go to court! Grechko grabbed the box of apples he had brought, and we went to Natalya. She was already pregnant, and I was ready for a family nest.”

In 1983, the couple had a son, Alexander.

Family life did not work out due to the fact that Gnatyuk devoted himself entirely to creativity. “Natalya did not understand that she had to stand shoulder to shoulder with her husband, experiencing hardships and joys together. She behaved differently,” he explained.

After the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Natalya emigrated to Germany with her son. There she teaches dancing.

The son graduated from the University of Munich.

Nikolai Gnatyuk often visits his son in Germany. According to him, he did not remarry precisely because of his son. There was a period when he began to drink, but thanks to his son he stopped: “I couldn’t come to him in that state, so I stopped in time.”

Discography of Nikolai Gnatyuk:

1980 - Nikolai Gnatyuk and the group “Crossword” (mini-album)
1980 - Nikolai Gnatyuk and the ensemble “Labyrinth” (mini-album)
1981 - Dance on the drum
1988 - Raspberry ringing
1989 - Don't leave me
1996 - Hour of the river
2005 - Lord, save, save
2006 - Znov
2011 - Golden album

Filmography of Nikolai Gnatyuk:

1984 - Inheritance - singer, in a restaurant

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Biography, life story of Gnatyuk Nikolai

Gnatyuk Nikolai Vasilyevich - Soviet and Ukrainian singer.

Childhood and youth

Nikolai Gnatyuk was born on September 14, 1952 in the village of Nemirovka (Starokonstantinovsky district, Khmelnitsky region, Ukrainian SSR). His father was the chairman of a collective farm, his mother was a primary school teacher.

After school, Nikolai entered the music and pedagogical faculty of the Rivne Pedagogical Institute. Having received his diploma, Gnatyuk set off into a magical, enchanting world adult life, which he intended to be closely associated with music.

My musical career Nikolai Gnatyuk started in the ensemble “We are Odessa residents”. When Nikolai served, he sang in the ensemble of the Eighth Guards Combined Arms Army in the group Soviet troops in Germany. Having served his due term, Nikolai began attending lessons in the studio of the Leningrad Music Hall, while at the same time traveling around the expanses of the USSR as part of the vocal and instrumental ensemble "Friendship".

Creative path

Nikolai Gnatyuk, a talented and charming young man, very quickly gained popularity among the public. The singer was often invited to appear on TV. The songs “If the City Dances”, “Wings of Fortune” and many others sounded from the blue screens, and in a short time they became recognizable literally from the first lines.

In 1978, Nikolai Gnatyuk won the competition of Ukrainian pop artists in Zaporozhye. The following year he took an honorable third place at the VI All-Union Competition of Variety Artists. Trips abroad began - to Dresden (Germany) and Sopot (Poland). In 1981, Nikolai Gnatyuk presented to the people a real hit - the composition “Bird of Happiness”. Nikolai Gnatyuk collaborated with many ensembles - such as “Crossword”, “Mriya”, “Malvy”, “Holiday” and “Labyrinth”.

At the end of the 80s, Nikolai Gnatyuk, who managed to release five successful albums, disappeared from public view for several years and left home country, having moved to Germany. The singer triumphantly returned to the stage in 1993. In 1996, his album “The Hour of the River Flow” was released. Fans had to wait nine whole years for Gnatyuk’s next album – in 2005, the collection “Lord, Save, Save” went on sale. In 2006 the album "Znov" was released, in 2011 - "Golden Album".

CONTINUED BELOW

Personal life

Nikolai Gnatyuk was married, and his son Alexander was born. The young man grew up in Munich (Germany).

Nikolai Gnatyuk is a deeply religious person. In 1999, the musician entered the Belgorod Theological Seminary for the missionary department.

Titles, awards

In 1980, Nikolai Gnatyuk received the title of Honored Artist of the Ukrainian SSR, in 1988 - the title People's Artist SSR.

In 2002, for his significant contribution to the development of the national cultures of Belarus and Ukraine, Gnatyuk was awarded the title of “Honorary Citizen of Mogilev.” In 2006, Hnatyuk received the Francisk Skaryna Order for his personal contribution to the development of Belarusian-Ukrainian cultural ties.

Interviews from previous years

Well, who doesn’t remember “Dance on the Drum”, “Bird of Happiness”, “Crimson Ringing”, “Scarlet Dawn”? These songs were so popular in former USSR. They often sounded on the radio and with a guitar and in friendly companies. And victories at festivals in Sopot and Dresden brought their performer European recognition.

“You perform in Kyiv so rarely. Perhaps, only once a year at the “Song Vernissage” you can be seen. Some analysts talk about some kind of cyclicality in Gnatyuk’s work, linking it almost with the cycle of solar activity. Is this so? "

“The sun has nothing to do with it, and neither do the stars. The state of the soul is what influences creativity. And critics may not know that I give concerts in Vinnitsa, Zhitomir, and other cities. And as for Kyiv... How “I felt that I shouldn’t sing in Kyiv for ten years. This signal was coming to me, but this year there will be no solo concert in the capital.”.

“But there are fewer of you not only on stage, but also on air” .

“I make sure that there is not too much of me. I often note that here my song could not have been played, but there it was not shown on the screen at the right time. It also happens the other way around, where I was by the way, where I was needed, I was not heard there.

If we had a normal atmosphere in society, then I would not have disappeared. Sometimes it seems to me that people are no longer interested in songs. In such a situation, my every appearance on the screen should be “adult”.

"What can you say about the path to popularity of a young performer before and now? Is there a difference?"

“Of course there is. If earlier it was possible to get to Olympus without selling your soul, now the question is posed fundamentally: whoever holds out will get laurels. So they hit each other on the head, trip them up, throw mud at their neighbor. It’s a paradox, but scandalous fame gives them popularity. Everyone is messing with the symbols of a culture alien to us. However, this is in to a greater extent belongs to the Russian stage".

"A nice compliment to Russian music" .

"Our Ukrainian pop music is marking time. Rock, rap, punk are being rediscovered. But all this has already happened! But, in general, marking time is not so bad. Russia has slipped into the abyss of restaurant-vulgar music. We are still holding on , thanks to our traditions, which have become fashionable to criticize".

“I believe that our pop music will yet burst into Russian musical spaces, just as Chervona Ruta once burst into space.”.

"Our song has more philosophy, it is deeper. More attention is paid to the song lyrics. We are closer to the earth, which means we are more truthful".

"Who do you like among Ukrainian performers?"

“Who really moves our stage is Ivo Bobul. He is a decent person, and I think that it was no coincidence that he appeared on the stage. He will still have his say.

And among the young ones... you can’t keep track of them. There are so many of them that I don’t really know anyone.”

“What is more important, in your opinion, for a vocalist – talent or advertising?”

"Conscience".

“And your song, what is it?”

“The one that pleases God. Singing for people is also singing for God. That’s why you can’t sin in a song. And who pleases God now? An irreconcilable parliament, an industry that poisons everything around, judges judging without laws, lawyers acquitting criminals, corrupt press, who? Music? Just as there is black and white in the world, there is good music and there is destructive music. I believe that a certain share of the sin for what is happening in the world, for the collapse of morality, lies with music. "The song should lead to spiritual heights, and not to glory. Vanity sooner or later destroys its captive.".

“Your song is like you, commensurate with your worldview. You found yourself in yourself, but did you find in yourself the song you dreamed of?”

“I found in myself “Crimson Ringing”, “The Hour of the River Flow”, “Keliya”. But I am not satisfied with my work as a whole. I intuitively realize that I could have done more if not for my laziness. But, on the other hand , - for what? For glory? For nothing!

“Have you tried to write music and poetry yourself?”

“I have been writing and writing. Now I can already say that the poems and music for the songs “My Years”, “This is Not a Dream”, “When I Come” were written by me. And I simply made up the names of the authors. So, the composer Tarasenko, who wrote the music to the song “Turn around, son,” - me too. It’s just that Taras was my grandfather.”.

“I think this is a discovery for our readers! What is the name of the direction in which you sing?”

“I don’t even know. There is a band where I am me, but what to call it... Let’s say this: lyrical Ukrainian chanson”.

“Many people loved the song “The Hour of the River Is Flowing.” But for some reason were there before some words, and now others. What happened?"

“It’s very simple. This song was written to the words of Bogdan Lepky. But when I sang it for the first time, letters suddenly poured in to the radio and to me personally. The listeners did not agree that the song had a sad ending. And they began to offer me their own options. That’s how they appeared the lines “So I have a son, and you have a daughter...”, etc. That is, the listener wanted an optimistic ending, so that there would be hope. That’s why the second version of the song is heard now, where the first verse is by B. Lepky. the rest are written in letters".

“In your repertoire there is a song by Hieromonk Roman “Kelia”. Were you familiar with the author?”

“No, unfortunately. They just gave me cassettes of Father Roman’s songs. This is wonderful religious music, deep poetry, reflections. After listening to “Kelia”, I felt that this song was for me, that this was my theme...”

"Theme or life path?"

"Perhaps there is a way... The ways of the Lord are mysterious".

“People come to God in different ways. How did you come to God?”

“Somewhere in the subconscious I had faith since childhood. But I walked towards God step by step for many years. We go to Him all our lives. As a child, I found a priestly cross in the garden. And at 47 years old, it is still with me, this is my heirloom.

I was baptized at the age of 21 in Odessa. I came there after graduating from the Rivne Music Pedagogical Institute. And on the eve of departure I had a dream. I see the station, and next to it a majestic cathedral. When I arrived in Odessa, I went out onto the station square. And... oh, miracle! The same temple appeared before me. I have now seen him in reality."

“Yes, but then this temple had no crosses, and it housed a planetarium.” .

"And, nevertheless, it was a sign. I settled on the descent of Kungun, 1, in the apartment of the janitor. There were many residents in the yard, everyone talked and came to visit. One of the neighbors turned out to be the headman of the church. It was he who asked me , was I baptized? And when I learned that I was not, I offered to be baptized. My soul rejoiced at that moment, and later I realized that I came to Odessa precisely for this.”.

“The path to God has always been thorny, especially in those atheistic years” .

"In my life I have had a lot good people who brought me closer to the Lord. I always prayed mentally and tried to go to the temple at least occasionally. When the Lavra was opened, I came to this holy monastery and even sang in the choir. Once Father Paphnutius (the now deceased schema-monk Theophilus from the Kitaevskaya Hermitage) said: “You know, Nikolai, there is no one to sing in Kitaevo.” And he blessed. I've been there ever since.

My state at the liturgy in Kitaevo is one of the highest achievements in my life."

“And who did you lead to faith?”

“My mother, my son. I try to sow the seeds of faith in the souls of the people with whom I communicate. I recently spoke with Slava Evdokimov. They understand me very much, they question me. And I see in their eyes an interest not for the sake of idleness, but for the sake of salvation.”.

"What is happiness?"

"Victory over sin. In life we need to repent and fight what tempts us. When you win, you are happy".

"What is the feeling of home?"

“This is a feeling of great peace and your harmony with the place where you feel it. I grew up in the Khmelnitsky region, my family moved several times. And only in the village of Monastyrok I discovered this feeling of home. A large garden, a lake, steep slopes... The great Leontovich once lived here.

But I'm not at home. My hero wanders around the world, looking for something. And only the white shutters remember me. In Kyiv there is also a place of great peace, but I have already spoken about it."

"Do you like classical music?"

"And from the stage?"

"I like the French stage."

"Do you remember your first fee?"

"Of course! It was in childhood. Mom and dad put me on a stool and asked me to sing. For this I received a whole ruble (laughs)".

"What do you value in people?"

"Modesty and Orthodox Faith".

“Why can’t you stand it?”

"There is no such thing".

"What's stopping you?"

"Evil".

"What are you afraid of in life?"

"To sin and not repent".

"Do you believe horoscopes?"

“I believe in one God, the Father Almighty. Without His will, not a hair will fall from a human head! And horoscopes simply distract a person from the search for truth”.

"What are your creative plans?"

“I never think ahead. What will happen tomorrow, we’ll wait and see.”

Video by Nikolay Gnatyuk

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Photos by Nikolay Gnatyuk

Musical creativity

Despite the fact that the artist has already youth worked in music industry, it gained real popularity only in 1978. Then he deservedly took first place at the Ukrainian competition of pop artists held in Zaporozhye. A year later, Nikolai won third place at the sixth all-Union pop artist competition, and in 1980 the musician received the grand prix at the Intervision festival held in Sopot and at the pop song competition in Dresden, Germany.

It was at the end of the 1970s – the beginning of the 1980s that the artist’s popularity peaked. The songs he performed, such as “Dance on the Drum”, “The Girl from Apartment 45”, “If the City is Dancing”, “Bird of Happiness” and many others were heard from radios throughout the Soviet Union. People liked the easy, quickly memorable melodies of Gnatyuk’s songs, as well as the simple and pleasant lyrics to them.

At the peak of his career, the artist not only engaged in solo work, but also actively collaborated with many ensembles. Thus, among his musical “partners” were the vocal and instrumental ensembles “Mriya” and “Malvy”, as well as the jazz-rock group “Crossword”. It was with “Crossword” that the performer released his first solo record, which included translations of several melodic French songs.

To record his second album, Nikolai Gnatyuk invited a Tashkent ensemble called “Labyrinth”. The album was released in 1985 and consisted of songs written by Evgeny Shiryaev. Soon after this, the artist met the composer Alexander Morozov, who was to play a huge role in his creative career.

It is to him that he owes the presence in his repertoire of widely famous song“Crimson Ringing”, performed by him. At the end of the 1980s, the records “Crimson Ring” and “Don’t Leave Me” were released, which became Gnatyuk’s most successful recordings. Best songs musicians turned into hits of an all-Union scale and many of them are still loved by the older generation.

Second wave of popularity

At the end of the 80s of the last century, Nikolai Vasilyevich, having released a total of five records and becoming one of the most popular artists Soviet Union, moved to live in Germany. For quite a long period of time, he disappeared from the sight of his fans. He performed little and almost completely suspended his touring activities.

The artist’s triumphant return began in 1993, when he recorded the song “Chas Rikoyu Plive” in Ukrainian. The composition, despite Nikolai Gnatyuk’s long absence from the stage, gained enormous popularity and became a national hit. In the summer of 1996, the artist released an album of the same name (no longer a record, but a CD and cassette).

Another extremely popular song during Gnatyuk’s return to former popularity was the composition “Oh, Smereka!”, dedicated to a special breed of slender, picturesque spruce trees growing in the Carpathians. Now in Transcarpathia this song is considered almost a kind of anthem of the region. The artist’s brother repeatedly became his companion in performing this composition at concerts.

At the age of 47, Nikolai Vasilyevich paid close attention to the spiritual component of his life and entered the Belgorod Theological Seminary, its missionary department. Since then, the theme of faith and closeness with the Lord often creeps into the lyrics of Gnatyuk’s songs, and one of the artist’s last records was even called “Lord, have mercy.”

This record was subsequently supplemented with new compositions and re-released under the title “Lord, save, save.” The album includes songs such as “Small Motherland”, “Faith”, “Time for Repentance”, “Ave Maria”, “Xenia the Blessed”, “Song of St. Nicholas”. The publisher of the album was not the record label, but the Holy Dormition Pochaev Lavra.

Today Nikolai Vasilyevich sometimes appears on television, and also sometimes gives concerts, mainly in Ukraine.

Awards and honorary titles

In 1980, the artist was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1988, Gnatyuk received the even more honorable title of People's Artist of the Ukrainian SSR.

In 2006, Nikolai Vasilyevich was awarded the Order of Francis Skaryna, which he was awarded for his significant personal contribution to the development of Belarusian-Ukrainian cultural ties. In 2002, for approximately the same reason, the artist became an “Honorary Citizen of Mogilev.”

Personal life

The charming and talented artist has always attracted the attention of the fair sex: his rather tall stature, open face, and charisma invariably evoke sympathy. The musician met his only wife Natalya during an interview. Charming plump girl(and also smart) attracted the musician’s attention, and soon they began dating.

Nikolai Gnatyuk and cosmonaut Georgy Grechko

It’s funny that cosmonaut Grechko became the matchmaker for the Gnatyuk couple. Nikolai Vasilyevich met him on the set, after which Grechko invited his favorite musician to a restaurant. By a mysterious coincidence, just then Gnatyuk was about to go to propose to Natalya. The astronaut, taking a box of apples, went with his illustrious acquaintance to his bride.

Nikolay Gnatyuk with his son Oles

His wife gave the artist such happiness as children: the couple had a son, Oles. Unfortunately, over time, the family broke up, and since then Nikolai Vasilyevich has not married again.

Afterwards, Natalya emigrated to Germany with Oles, where the couple’s son grew up. That is why Gnatyuk’s photographs are often captured against the backdrop of German landmarks: the artist often travels to Germany to see his son.