Singer Yolka built a family nest in Sergiev Posad. Singer Elka: biography, personal life, photo of her husband

An amazing, extaravagant, successful singer Yolka reacts very sharply to questions about her personal life. “It will always be that way, trust me,” she says firmly. No matter how hard the artist tried to hide her private life, something is known about her.

Accidental acquaintance and meeting ten years later

The real name of the singer Yolki is Elizaveta Ivantsiv, and she is married. Her husband, the most ordinary guy named Sergei Astakhov. They met in 1994, when Sergei and his family were vacationing at the Carolina Bugazu resort, and Yolka was on tour there. The young people met, spent some time together - an ordinary resort romance. Much later, after Yolki moved to Moscow, he met again, and the relationship continued.

At that time (and it was in 2004), Elka just signed a contract with Vlad Valov and disappeared at the recording studio. The debut album "City of Deception" took almost all the time, and Sergei faithfully waited for his beloved in the car. As the producer himself recalls, even from the musicians and the entire group, Elka hid her romance. Once the secret union ceased to be secret, and Vlad said: "Bring him here, we will touch him."

Sergei gave the impression of an agreeable man, it was clear that the tree was a leader in these relations, and she was satisfied with it. Her future husband lived with his parents in Khotkovo near Moscow, and the artist began to live with him. The singer's personal life was not limited by the contract (to get married, have children), so the producer did not influence this situation in any way. Sometimes it seems to him (Vlad Valov) that in vain.

Love is evil

The fact is that Sergei has no profession, has not worked anywhere for a long time, and, according to the same Valov, led the life of a typical gigolo. The Christmas tree began to talk more and more often about where and how to make more money. Spitting on this, in collaboration with Gross, the number of her performances was reduced to two per month.

In order to reach a new level, it was necessary to “go into pop music”. Which is exactly what happened.

The Christmas tree was bought by the influential production tandem of Alena Mikhailova and Liana Meladze.

There was a fantastic song "Provence", there was a wider, even widespread recognition, there was money.

Liza and Sergei entered into an official marriage almost at the same time when the Christmas tree had a creative breakthrough, in 2010.

The celebration was modest, almost at home. Family life was unusual - the Christmas tree worked a lot and was the only breadwinner in the family. Sergei's father earned his living by digging wells and did not have a stable income. Astakhov's mother was sick a lot and did not work. The Christmas tree had to support the whole family.

Fellow villagers say that with the advent of the singer, the Astakhovs' life has improved significantly - she brought gas, heating to their house, helped to finish building a garage.

Interesting notes:

Was there a divorce?

She even began to build a house in Sergiev Posad, mainly her husband and father-in-law were engaged in construction. A cottage with an area of ​​500 square meters with a view of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra began to be built in the same year when the young people got married.

In 2016, construction was suspended. According to neighbors, the couple stopped appearing in Sergiev Posad because of the emerging disagreements. “The star got tired of dragging everything on herself, so she kicked him out,” the neighbors gossiped.

Elka does not comment on this information. It is known that in 2016 the singer fired Astakhov from the post of her administrator. His labor activity in this field was the longest, but even a loving wife could not motivate this person for productive work. Astakhov did not cope with this profession.

Posts from that period on social networks are characterized by the fact that The Christmas tree appears in the photo in splendid isolation however the wedding ring does not take off. In the recent photo, the husband is also absent, but there are many concerts, friends and dogs. In recent years, the singer has helped a lot to shelters and simply homeless animals, helping them find owners, save them from the euthanasia procedure.

There is no official information about the singer's divorce from Sergey Astakhov. There are no children in this marriage either. Public opinion about this alliance was divided into two unequal parts. Most consider this couple a classic union of mom and gigolo, others, especially those who know Sergei personally, believe that he is a very sincere, polite, calm young man, and Yolka is quite happy with him. Someone else's family is in the dark, and who knows what exactly conquered a simple rural guy to a bright informal girl.

Christmas tree- Ukrainian and Russian singer. The name according to the passport is Elizaveta Valdemarovna Ivantsiv (Ukrainian Yelizaveta Valdemarovna Ivantsiv). Since 2010 he has been living in Russia (Moscow). She began her musical career as part of the Uzhgorod group B&B. In 2004 she signed a contract with Vlad Valov and released her successful debut album, City of Deception, with the hits Girl in Peugeot and Good Mood. Subsequently, in collaboration with Valov, two more albums were released: "Shadows" and "This Magnificent World", which were not as successful as the debut work of the performer.

Full name Elizaveta Valdemarovna Ivantsiv
Date of birth 2 July 1982
Place of birth Uzhgorod, Ukrainian SSR, USSR
Active years 2004
Country Ukraine
Professions singer, TV presenter, music producer
Genres Pop, contemporary R&B, alternative rock
Aliases Yolka
Labels 100PRO (2004-2009) Velvet Music (2010-present)

From 2010 to 2012 she acted as a judge at the Ukrainian show "X-Factor". In 2011, she gained great popularity with the song "Provence" and became a nominee in three categories for the 2011 Muz-TV Prize. The fourth studio work of the singer "Points Are Set" was a success with both music journalists and the public. The album received positive reviews from critics who voted it the best pop album of 2011. Magazines such as Afisha, Time Out and Interview have added the album to their editorial lists of the top albums of the year. "Dots Are Set" also topped the Russian rating of album sales "2M. Russia Top-25 ". At the end of 2012, Yolka was recognized as the most rotated performer on Russian radio stations.
Yolka has won the Golden Gramophone award three times (for the songs Handsome Boy, Provence and Near You) and is nominated for the MTV RMA award. In 2011 Christmas tree recognized as "Singer of the Year" by Glamor magazine and entered the top ten most successful figures in Ukrainian show business, according to the Focus edition. In the same year she was recognized as the "Singer of the Year" at the "ZD Awards", the newspaper "Moskovsky Komsomolets".

1982-2001: Childhood and adolescence
Liza Ivantsiv was born on July 2, 1982 in Uzhgorod. At first she studied at secondary school number 8 in Uzhgorod, and finished her studies at school number 19. Growing up in a musical family (dad is a collector of jazz music, mom is a musician who plays three instruments, grandmother and grandfather sang in the Transcarpathian folk choir), Elizaveta sang in the school choir, then moved to the vocal circle at the Palace of Pioneers. While studying at school, she took part in the school KVN. Gained local popularity thanks to the KVN team of Uzhgorod schoolchildren "Ward No. 6", which in 2001-2003 was transformed into the national team of Uzhgorod and Vinnitsa. According to the performer, she did not come up with her pseudonym on purpose. From the age of eleven, everyone began to call her Yolkoy, after "one of the friends blurted out:" Yolka ", someone heard - and away we go." “… Yes, I have not responded to my name since I was eleven. Even my mother calls her Christmas tree. Only dad remembers everything and reacts very inadequately when friends forget my name. He immediately lists all the vegetation of the Red Book for them, especially when they call in the night, ”said the artist.
Yolka entered the music school in the vocal class, but did not finish. According to her confessions, she did not develop relationships with the teachers: “I honestly tried to study at the music school in the vocal class. But this venture was not crowned with success. There I had disagreements with everyone in the world and everyone with me. Therefore, six months later I just dumped: 'Let me quickly kick out before you yourself asked me.' In the mid-1990s Christmas tree became a member of the Uzhgorod group "B&B", where she acted as a backing vocalist.

2001-2005: The beginning of a career and the album "City of Deception"

… In my life there is still a story of Cinderella. Moreover, the meeting with Vlad took place at the moment when I finally forbade myself to even dream of a big stage. Then I was possessed by youthful maximalism, I was indignant about what I see on the TV screen. I could not understand why many artists, not knowing how to sing and not having a good repertoire, regularly appear on the air? I thought: "Give me at least a folding bed in this city, and I will show you what a real artist is!"

Yolka about the beginning of cooperation with Vlad Valov.
In 2001, the B&B group performed at the international Rap Music'01 festival, where Yolku was noticed by Vlad Valov, the leader of the Bad Balance group, who later became the singer's first producer. After the group broke up and the singer did not appear on stage for some time. At this time, she gave up her dream of becoming an artist and got a job as a waitress in a cafe. Three years later, Yolka received a call from Valov's company. The singer said that she thought for a long time that she was being played, but then she talked with Vlad, who sent her tickets to Moscow and suggested: “Come for a week, we will experiment”. Vlad Valov signs a contract with Yolkoy and one of the first songs recorded with him was "The Words Are Spoken by You", included in the collection "Girls Attack".

In 2004, Yolka performed in a concert at Mikhei Memorial Day, with her group, which also included two guitarists and DJ Lenar. At the concert, Yolka sang Mikhei's song "Bitch-love". “It was a deliberate step. I didn't just take and sang this song. It was timed to coincide with the evening in memory of Micah, I performed the composition especially for his parents. Of course, there were a lot of rumors, but still more positive reviews. I always emphasize that it is not a commercial move, but a tribute to a person, ”the artist later said. Continuing her collaboration with Valov, the singer recorded the song of his composition "City of Deception". “Vlad, looking at me, wrote the song“ City of Deception ”, a song that is my reflection,” the singer recalled. The song was released on radio in the summer of 2004 and became the first hit Christmas trees, hitting the hit parade of the radio station "Maximum" and staying in it for twelve weeks.

On November 9, 2005, the performer's debut album, entitled "City of Deception", was released. The work on the disc, released on the 100PRO label, was completed in mid-2005 and, as the performer said, the disc was written “in one breath”. Yolka presented music in various styles, which was attributed to both rock (because of the guitar parts) and hip-hop (because of the "broken" rhythms and scratches). The singer herself described her style as "heavy guitar R&B". NewsMusic.ru wrote that "this is the first time such a mix is ​​being made in Russia." The album was met with various opinions. Rita Skeeter at InterMedia spoke positively about the work, saying: "Yolka and Valov have found a way to make this genre truly competitive even in our market with its national characteristics." Andrey Nikitkin wrote in Rap.ru that Yolka is still a pop project, but “very high quality. Incorporating elements of both r'n'b and rock, reggae, chanson and pop. And it is designed not so much for fans of some of these styles as for a wide audience. " Boris Barabanov in the Kommersant newspaper also spoke of the singer as the main hope of Russian pop music.

In 2005 Yolka was nominated for the MTV RMA award in the Best Rap category. Several more singles were also released from the album, including the successful songs "Girl in Peugeot" and "Good Mood", the last of which reached 56th position on the Russian radio chart.

2006-2009: albums "Shadows" and "This magnificent world"
In 2006, the singer released the song "Girl-student" as a single, which reached 17th place on the Russian radio chart. October 19 was published 2nd studio album Yolki "Shadows"... Elena Kuzmina wrote in Jamsession.ru that the disc continued the traditions of the first album and described mainly city life. Guru Ken from NewsMusic.ru considered that in the new album Yolka presented too pop material and noted that he no longer caused such a stir as the first one. “Projected onto a romantic teenage audience, second album Yolki Shadows is unlikely to be the highlight of the year. But this album will be able to confirm that r'n'b-projects are still living in Russia, and even gather jam-packed tiny (but pretentious) clubs, ”the author noted. In March, Yolka voiced Red Hat in the Russian dubbing of the cartoon "The True Story of Red Hat".

In 2007, the performer received the Golden Gramophone award for the song Handsome Boy. In April 2008, Yolki's third album, This Magnificent World, was released. The singer called her new work calmer and more philosophical. “In the first album there were pronounced tendencies of internal protest, struggle, pressing problems. And now I tried to record a more peaceful album, because I came to the understanding that many problems can be smoothed out with love, ”said the artist. In 2008 she was also nominated for the Muz-TV award in the category "Best Hip-Hop Project". In the same year she recorded a joint song "Happiness" with rapper Al Solo. The song was included in the singer's experimental album Yolka. Duets ”, which included fifteen compositions recorded with artists of the Russian hip-hop / R & B scene. In September, the first Ukrainian-language song of the performer, entitled "Svoboda", was presented. The Kurs radio station assumed that the composition was recorded in connection with the political changes in Ukraine. “This light and light composition will tell about freedom. Although it was written under the impression of not the most pleasant incidents in the singer's homeland, ”they wrote on the Kurs website.

In 2009, the singer released two new songs: "Dreams" and "Your Words", for the last of which a video clip was filmed. The composition was recorded for the fourth studio album Yolki. At first, work on the fourth album was carried out with Valov, but after the end of the contract with Yolka, the cooperation was terminated and the recorded song "Your Words" was not included in any of the singer's albums. The song "Dreams" was later included in the fourth album, but under the title "I would like in your dreams ..." and in a different arrangement.
2010-2011: changes in creativity and the album "Points are set"

After the release of the third studio album, changes began to take place in Yolka's work. Alexey Mazhaev in InterMedia noted that the singer had reached an impasse, but it was too early to "give up" on her. The journalist advised her to expand the circle of authors and practice intonation (“masterpieces of world pop and rock of different years are suitable for this”). Denis Stupnikov wrote in KM.ru that the artist heeded this advice and in 2009, on the rock tribute to Alla Pugacheva, she sang the ballad “You are in the world”, and a year later her contract with producer Vlad Valov ended. After Yolka, she began working with Liana Meladze and Alena Mikhailova from Velvet Music, and in 2010 she became a judge at the Ukrainian show "X-Factor". According to the artist, the interview that she gave to Alla Pugacheva a year before the appearance of the song "Provence" pushed her to changes in her life:
A year before Provence, Pugacheva herself invited me to her radio Alla program. And talking to her, along with a few other important conversations, stimulated me a lot. Alla Borisovna and I had a very sincere conversation! I left with such an impression! I told her that I have my own small niche, and I do not need more. She asks - if I want to come to your concert, where will you invite me? Or if I want to come to visit, where will you invite me? And it hurt me. - Christmas tree

A "radical change" takes place in the singer's work. If before the song Christmas trees were performed in the styles of R&B and alternative rock, now they have become more positive and consistent in the pop style. On September 20, the singer released a new single "Provence" written by a young Ukrainian author Yegor Solodovnikov. In early 2011, the song became a huge hit. The singer described the new album as reflecting her inner state. “Any artist, even with minimal creative ambitions, wants to be listened to and heard. By the age of 29, I realized that being a pop singer is not something that is not shameful, but very cool, ”Yolka said in an interview with“ Sounds. RU". The success of "Provence" helped the singer to receive three nominations for the Muz-TV Prize 2011, in the categories "Best Singer", "Best Song" and "Best Video". In June, the performer was included in the list of the most successful figures in show business in Ukraine for the 2010-2011 season, compiled by the Ukrainian edition "Focus". The singer was placed at number ten in the rankings. In 2011, such successful singles were also released as the number one hits on the Russian radio chart "On a Big Balloon" and "Near You". In September, the duet of Yolki and Pavel Volya was presented - the song "Boy". On October 1, at the RU.TV awards ceremony, the performer received an award in the category "Best Song" for the song "Provence".

The fourth studio album of the singer "Points Are Set" was released on November 18, 2011 on Yandex. Music ". Music critics praised the work, calling it one of the best pop albums of the year. In the same month Christmas tree became "Singer of the Year" according to Glamor magazine, and on November 26 she received her second Golden Gramophone award for the song "Provence". In December, the Moscow magazine Time Out noted the singer's work and added her composition "Provence" to its editorial list of "100 Songs That Changed Our Lives", and the album "Dots Are Arranged" to the list of "25 major albums of 2011". Afisha magazine also added Dots Are Set to its editorial list of major 2011 albums in the Soul of the Year category. The music editorial staff of the Interview magazine's website included the disc in the list of the best albums of the year, in the category "Russian female pop". The editors of the music section of Lenta.ru included the song "On a Big Balloon" in their list of the main songs of the year.

2012-2013: new album

In early 2012, there were reports that Yolka was going to release a new album in the middle of the year, although the previous disc was released only in November 2011. According to the singer, at that time she already had several new songs that she was going to record in the studio. At the end of January, a video was released by "Vladi", a member of the "Casta" group, for the song "Compose Dreams", in which Yolka starred. On February 2, 2012, the disc "Points Are Set" topped the Russian album chart "2M. Russia Top-25 ". On March 26, it became known that the singer was nominated in four categories - "Best Performer", "Best Album" ("Dots Are Set"), "Best Song" ("Near You") and "Best Duet" (with Pavel Volya) ( "Boy"), - at the Muz-TV 2012 award. According to the results of the award, Yolka received an award in the nomination "Best performer". Due to the increased popularity of the performer, she had to refuse to continue participating in the television project "X-Factor". In the third season, the place of Yolki at the judging table was taken by the singer Irina Dubtsova. In the next rating of the most successful stars of Ukrainian show business by the Focus publication, Yolka took 18th place: its income in Ukraine for the 2011-2012 season amounted to about one and a half million dollars.

On April 20, a concert of the singer took place in the new hall "North" of the sports complex "Olympic". During the concert, Yolka presented two new compositions - "Higher" and "I Want". The latter was released as a single, featured on the soundtrack for Love with an Accent, and received positive press reviews].

On September 21, Yolka opened a new autumn tour of Russia with a concert in the Moscow club "16 tons". The singer's performances in the USA were also planned. In addition, as part of the creative evening of Konstantin Meladze on the "New Wave" Yolka sang Valery Meladze's song "In the middle of summer". At the RU.TV 2012 award, Yolka received an award in the "Best Song" nomination for the song "Near You".

On October 8, Afisha magazine presented a joint song by Yolka and the Megapolis group: a cover version of Alexander Sinitsyn's song “Stars, Stars”. The composition, as well as four other songs, were recorded together with Megapolis for the TV series Fight, in which the singer played a cameo role. On December 4, the digital release of the new mini-album "Quiet Concert", recorded at the singer's Moscow concerts in the Mir Concert Hall, took place. The album was released on the iTunes Store on the day the Russian branch of the online store opened. At the beginning of 2013, the film “Gentlemen, good luck!” Was released, in which Yolka appeared in a cameo, in a cameo role and performed one of her songs.

In the summer of 2013, Yolka presented a new song "Body ofigelo", for which a video was soon shot. Soon the singer released in the form of a single the song "Higher", but under a new name - "Fly, Liza" - and a video for it. Together with rapper Noize, MC performed the song "We Can't Understand", which was released on his album "Confusion" in October 2013.

In August 2013, the rapper Zhara and Yolka recorded the song "New World" and soon shot a video for it. As always, closer to the New Year, the Yolka is invited to awards, New Year's photo sessions, etc.
Artistry and musical style

At the beginning of their careers, music journalists singled out Yolka primarily for her extraordinary vocal abilities. Andrey Nikitin wrote in Rap.ru that “the singer has ... the voice of a serious nerve. He is like a perfect instrument on which, whatever you play, everything is great. " Rita Skeeter at InterMedia considered that “Yolka’s voice turned out to be suitable for making the wildest musical dreams come true”. Boris Barabanov wrote about the singer's "original vocal manner" of performance, and Denis Stupnikov noted the memorable intonations and powerful expression of her performance. Vlad Valov said: "I looked at the Yolka, and while she was humming something in the studio, I realized that she could sing anything."

Yolka was not the songwriter of her debut album and this, according to Skeeter, could disappoint the singer's first fans. The performer herself said to this: “Many people reproach me for being just a performer, and not writing myself. I'm not a performer. I am a medium. These are two different things. I just know how to convey the right words to people. " The Christmas tree was attributed to the genre of Russian rhythm and blues. Barabanov wrote that "the first song" City of Deception "once made people talk about Yolka as the heir to the glory of the late Micah." Nikitin spoke out against such a definition. In his opinion, the authors of the metropolitan publications awarded Yolka the title of “the first domestic r & b-performer” and stuck to her “the stilted expression“ Micah in a skirt ””, which made “think about the competence of these people” and “doubt their morality”. The singer herself was skeptical about the critics' statements and although she called her style "heavy guitar R&B", she explained that she said it as a joke when journalists asked questions about the style of her music.

When journalists begin to “torture” me, I sometimes reply that my style is called Russian hard r'n'b. Naturally, this is just a joke, because in fact, I never really thought about the style in which we work. It seems to me very funny when some groups are strenuously inventing their own musical direction, and then they cannot clearly explain what kind of style it is. In general, Russian r'n'b is not about me. - Yolka in an interview with Toppop.ru

Critics noted the influence of rhythm and blues, rock, reggae, chanson and pop in her songs. Boris Barabanov noted that the most successful songs on Yolki's debut album were those in which “her ideas about modern vocals intersected with the traditions of the Soviet stage, namely in the numbers“ June 31 ”,“ Girl in Peugeot ”and“ Good mood ”. These songs are not so much the luck of Yolki, as stories about how Irina Otieva and Larisa Dolina could have sounded if they had risked seriously addressing the youth audience. " However, most of the journalists called the singer "the hope of pop music."

For a long time, Yolka remained a niche artist, with its own small audience. In her subsequent albums, she continued the theme of urban life in a big city. Elena Kuzmina from Jamsession.ru wrote: "Yolka is an urban singer, all [her] songs are about the city and its inhabitants." By the third album, the exploitation of the same themes and the invariability of the musical style led to the fact that the public and critics began to lose interest in the performer. Yolka said that she herself was unhappy with the situation and was ready to realize her ambitions. In an interview with "Komsomolskaya Pravda" she said that she spent nine years in Moscow and all this time did not sit idly by: “I sang songs. For a long time. I was just a pretty niche singer. This is indeed the case. And until some time it was fine with me. Therefore, it makes no sense to be offended by this. I had my small but very loyal audience. " This predetermined further changes in the singer's life.

I have a very simple attitude to everything. It's all so ephemeral, temporary. I am now enjoying what is happening to me. This time, the glory pressing on me ... I live very simply. My life consists of my little joys. The only thing that can load me a little is side effects, which are inevitable at such a scale. This is the tabloid press, which I am disgusted with. Not even because they hurt me so. They just treat everyone badly. They forget about basic things. About respect, about not invading personal space. This is the only thing. The rest I have is rosy and excellent. My audience, my travels, my grumbling. These are all my little joys. I was waiting for them. I've waited a long time. And in six months to get tired of it? No. It doesn't press. This is cool.
Yolka talks about the acquired popularity in an interview with KP.

The fourth album was a more mature work, which also retained the influence of rhythm and blues and rock, but added a lot of soul, reggae and pop music. Oleg Luzin from Weburg.net wrote: “For the fourth studio album, 'Girl in Peugeot' refused the services of producer Vlad Valov, frontman of the notorious Bad Balance, and became completely independent. This led to a radical change in the singer's creativity: from R'n'B and alternative rock, Yolka switched to pop style, which justified itself one hundred percent. " Komsomolskaya Pravda noted that over the past two years, critics and the public “lifted [the Christmas tree] to heaven” and increasingly began to call her “almost the first worthy performer who appeared after Zemfira, as well as the main hope of the Russian stage”: “ ... on this New Year's Eve she was literally torn to pieces. And all thanks to an intricate song about Provence, which literally pushed the singer onto the big stage from her “club” niche, where she sang for five years mocking songs like “Handsome Boy” and “Girl in a Little Peugeot”, ”wrote Elena Lapteva, noting that the album "Points Set" has cemented her in the status of "supernova". Andrey Vasyanin in Rossiyskaya Gazeta noted that many considered the singer's last album to be more mainstream in comparison with the previous ones, but more hit and sound quality. Describing Yolka's behavior on stage, he found a contradiction between the musical material (“sonorous, full-fledged, demanding real mastery from all the concert participants, close to soul and pop-rock”) and her “lightweight, completely pop” behavior on stage. “For the singer herself, there are no contradictions here - Yolka speaks about herself in the sense that she is neither a rock nor an alternative, but a pop performer, although“ extraordinary and with surprises, ”" the journalist concluded.

In a review of the singer's concert at the Moscow Olympic Stadium, Guru Ken wrote that “now it is she [Yolka] who sets the trends in all Russian pop music. What are the trends? A maximum of live sound at a concert (but not entirely!), Excellent vocals, the ability to live a song, a mix of euro-pop and rhythm and blues in all sorts of configurations. " The journalist, noting the sold-out at the concert, considered that the general public would allow Yolka to perform more experimental music (“intelligent rhythm and blues from reggae”) only as long as she had such hits as “Provence” and “About you". Mikhail Margolis wrote in Izvestia that Provence brought the performer wide fame: “A stylish sketch about the trouble-free flight of a romantic beauty from Boryspil to France took the Christmas tree to the top of popularity in 2011, from where it does not want to descend yet,” and compared the degree of her popularity in Russia with the success of Adele around the world.
Criticism reaction
[show] Professional ratings of the album "City of Deception"
[show] Professional ratings of the album "Shadows"
[show] Professional ratings of the album "This Magnificent World"

After the release of her debut album, the singer received several positive reviews from music critics. Denis Stupnikov wrote at KM.ru that Yolka "sounded like very few people in Russian music sound - an unusual voice and masterful use of it, memorable intonations, powerful expression." Rita Skeeter at InterMedia noted that Yolka is one of the few performers who really sings, and the album has a signature sound and an unusual presentation of the material. Boris Barabanov wrote in the Kommersant newspaper that “the first song“ City of Deception ”once made people talk about Yolka as the heir to the fame of the late Mikhei from the Jumanji project”, but the debut album brought her into the category of “the main hope of Russian popular music ". Andrey Nikitin in Rap.ru gave the album a restrained assessment, writing: “When talking about music, arrangements and lyrics, you have to be more restrained in your ratings -“ not bad ”,“ strong ”,“ sometimes not without grace, ”but only in places. In general, these components do not cause any particular enthusiasm - although they do not raise questions either. " The second album "Shadows" received a positive response from Sergey Gortsev on Tektonika, who considered that "if the first album" City of Deception "(2005) made people talk about Yolka as a talented and promising singer, then" Shadows "immediately introduces her to the first a number of domestic performers. The album is very good. " Guru Ken, on the other hand, called the album a failure and too "pop".
[hide] Professional ratings of the album "Dots Are Set"
Review ratings
Source Rating
Billboard (positive)
InterMedia 5 out of 5 stars 5 out of 5 stars 5 out of 5 stars 5 out of 5 stars 5 out of 5 stars
Maptype.com (neutral)
Music.com.ua (7/10)
NewsMusic (8.5 / 10)
Shoowbiz.ru 5 out of 5 stars 5 out of 5 stars 5 out of 5 stars 5 out of 5 stars 5 out of 5 stars
TimeOut (positive)
Weburg.net (7.5 / 10)
Billboard 4 out of 5 stars4 out of 5 stars4 out of 5 stars4 out of 5 stars4 out of 5 stars
Vgolos (negative)
Izvestia (positive)
Va-Bank (positive)
MK (positive)
Interlocutor (positive)

In a review of the singer's third album, Aleksey Mazhaev wrote that “the monotony of the vocal manner and musical material is annoying,” but nevertheless “it's too early to put an end to the singer Yolka after her third album. It is clear that the singer's potential is powerful, it remains only to find a channel for its implementation. " Mikhail Baev noted in the Billboard magazine that "since" This Magnificent World "is already the third album of the project, exploiting the same ideas, by definition it does not arouse such interest as the previous works."

Alexander Gorbachev in "Afisha" gave a positive assessment to the album. The author called the album as a whole a coherent work and noted that “of course, no global-historical conclusions follow from the album“ Points Are Set, ”but, paradoxically, positive shifts really began to take place in Russian pop music”. The disc received a negative review in the Ukrainian edition of Vgolos. Alexander Kovalchuk wrote that the Yolka "completely dissolved in the metaphysical light of the preferences of its producers, but this does not mean that this is a meeting with God." The album was also positively assessed by Nikolai Smirnov for Va-Bank, Nikolai Fandeev from Shoowbiz.ru, Ilya Legostaev at Moskovsky Komsomolets, Anton Skultan at Maptype.com, Alexander V. Volkov, a columnist for Izvestia newspaper, and Joy Tartaglia on the Music.com.ua website.
Public image

When Yolka first appeared on the stage, she herself described her image as "boyish." Ekaterina Taranova from KM.RU described him as a teenager and noted that the singer appeared in public "with a short, defiant haircut, in jeans, sneakers and with plush toys in her hands." Katya Peretz from Plitkar.com.ua wrote that the artist first occupied “a niche of a kind of Russian-speaking Pink” on the stage. It was noted that the unusualness of her image played a role in her popularity: “... the girl really looked very extravagant - a bald head, heavy makeup, a lot of piercings, outfits that can hardly be called feminine ... All this was part of her image and still served its purpose. the role - she was noticed, loved, Yolki's songs began to take first places in the charts. " Yolka was inclined to experiment with appearance while still living in Uzhgorod. She dyed her hair bright red and said that for her hometown it was a very brave act: “You have no idea what it means to walk around Uzhgorod with bright red hair,” and she said that she was more simple in choosing clothes. : “As far as clothes are concerned, I am not capable of thinking over anything in principle. I put on what came to hand. Most often, everything happens intuitively - I want this and that's it! " Parents were calm about Yolki's experiments with appearance: "Mom and Dad were not against my first tattoo and reacted absolutely normally to the fact that at 15 I shaved my head." In an interview with Moskovsky Komsomolets, she explained that she uses the services of stylists only on the shooting of clips, so that there is an opportunity to professionally implement her ideas, and in ordinary life there is no “person [a] to whom I would say:“ Come on, come up with me here image! “- there is no such thing. I comb my hair myself at home. "

The performer said that on stage she is a "concentrate" of who she is in real life: "That is, if in life I could stretch some kind of emotion for two weeks, then on stage it breaks out of me in three seconds." Yolka does not talk about her personal life in an interview and she explained her position on this issue as follows: “Why am I so superstitious and so protect everything that concerns my personal life? Because everyone begins to be very painfully interested in details, to sniff out. It hinders and destroys terribly. " The performer also said that artists should be socially responsible and therefore quit smoking:

Artists must be responsible - be aware of what they are bringing to the masses. They need to be aware of the example they are setting. Incidentally, I did not immediately enter it. Then I watched one interview, where I was sitting “beautifully”, everything was “on show”, with a cigarette - I was still smoking then. It’s so awful, it’s disgusting! I am very ashamed of myself. I then gave myself a vow that I would never smoke in the frame again in my life. Then, a few years later, I decided that I would not smoke at all, and I feel great. I don’t advertise this, I don’t kick myself in the chest with a heel, but I believe that this will also become an example for someone, or at least give some thought.

In 2010, with the changes in the musical style, the Yolka's image also began to change. She explained this by natural reasons: growing up, rethinking values. "I change everything! Many people attribute to me the involuntary change of my image. I often hear these conversations:" You used to be a "kid", but now ... ". Nobody forced me to do anything. This is just a moment of growing up. I can and so , and the sneakers have not gone anywhere ", - said the singer. For the first time, the changes appeared when the performer acted as a judge at the Ukrainian show "X-Factor": "The Christmas tree has become a stylish glamorous lady with the right makeup and hairdo, which favorably emphasizes the beautiful features of the singer. Now her outfits are a model of style, the images are thought out to the smallest detail, she has become softer and lighter - this is noted by all the singer's fans. "

I feel comfortable in both ways. Just 8-10 years ago I was different. I liked a different style both in music and in clothes. But sooner or later, there is a period of growing up when you want to change and improve. And it's great when you like the result, when you are happy with the reflection you see in the mirror. But, despite the fact that now I am more like a romantic girl in love, you can be sure that if something happens, I can give it.

Yolka talks about her new image.

In the video clip for the song "Provence" Yolka appeared in a completely new image: "in an elegant white dress, high-heeled shoes, with a beautiful hairstyle." She began to be called one of the most stylish singers in Russian show business. In an interview with OK! she said that, nevertheless, she was not trying to keep up with fashion: “Fashion is such a capricious thing! Ten years ago it was quite simple, but now it is difficult to keep track of all the trends and directions, and this despite the fact that fashion is cyclical. It's more important for me to be stylish. It's better to piece together your style than to chase fashion and look ridiculous as a result. I am against fanatical following of fashion trends. " Among her favorite designers, she named the Ukrainian designer Lilia Litovskaya, who creates concert outfits for her.
Concert group

Yolka is on tour with a permanent cast of musicians, whose members also take part in the arrangement of her songs. At large solo concerts, the singer performs with an expanded composition of musicians: guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, drummer, DJ and brass. Also, the dance group Loonyband is involved in the performances of the performer, the creative team of which, headed by Katya Reshetnikova, is engaged in stage design, video sequence and staging of dance numbers for Yolki concerts. The performer's permanent concert lineup previously included: Vladimir Vantsov (guitar), Katya Semyonova (bass) and DJ Lenar. At the moment it consists of:

Yolka - vocals
Lev Trofimov - keys
Boris Ionov - drums
Artyom Tildikov - bass
Dmitry Tyuze - guitar
DJ Lenar - DJ
Ilya Lukashev - sound engineer

Father - Valdemar Mironovich Ivantsiv
Mother - Marina Eduardovna Ivantsiv
Husband - Sergey Astakhov

Liza Ivantsiv met her future husband in the early 1990s at the Karolino-Bugaz resort near Odessa. After the wedding in 2010, the singer lived with her husband in his parents' house in Khotkovo (Moscow region, 14 km from Sergiev Posad). As of 2014, the singer and her husband live in a rented apartment in Moscow, they are finishing the construction of a three-story cottage on Povarskaya Street in Sergiev Posad (in the city center, next to the Nikolskaya Church).
Interesting Facts

The singer Yolka is left-handed.
Filmography

2005 - The True Story of Red Riding Hood - Little Red Riding Hood (Anne Hathaway) dub
2012 - Gentlemen, good luck! - cameo, a star at a corporate party
2012 - Fight
2013 - SASHATANYA - cameo (5 episode)
2013 - This is love!

Discography
Main article: Discography Yolki

"City of Deception" (2005)
"Shadows" (2006)
"This Magnificent World" (2008)
"The points are set" (2011)

Awards
Year Award Nominated Work Category Result
2005 MTV Russia Music Awards Yolka Best Rap Nomination
2007 Golden gramophone "Handsome Boy" Song Victory
2008 Muz-TV Yolka Award Best Hip-Hop Project Nomination
2011 Muz-TV Yolka Award Best performer Nomination
Award Muz-TV "Provence" Best Song Nomination
Award Muz-TV "Provence" Best Video Nomination
Award RU.TV "Provence" Best song Victory
Golden gramophone "Provence" Song Victory
Glamor Awards Yolka Singer of the Year Victory
ZD Awards Yolka Singer of the Year Victory
ZD Awards Yolka Artist of the Year Nomination
ZD Awards "Dots Are Set" Album of the Year Nomination
2012 Muz-TV Prize Yolka Best performer Victory
Muz-TV Award "Points Are Set" Best Album Nomination
Muz-TV Prize "Near You" Best Song Nomination
Muz-TV Prize "Boy" (with Pavel Volya) Best Duet Nomination
RU.TV Award Yolka Best Singer Nomination
Award RU.TV "About you" Best song Victory
Golden gramophone "Near You" Song Victory
YUNA "Near You" Best song Victory
YUNA Yolka Best performer Pobeda
2013 RU.TV Prize Yolka Best Singer Nomination
RU.TV Award "I Want" Best Soundtrack Victory
Golden gramophone "I want" Song Nomination
Song of the Year "I Want" Song Victory
Song of the Year Yolka Singer of the Year Victory
20 Best Songs "I Want" Song of the Year Victory
Notes (edit)

The city of Uzhgorod on July 2, 1982. It so happened that the girl's whole family is musical. Grandfather and grandmother sang in the "Transcarpathian Choir", my father collected jazz music, and my mother plays three musical instruments. Such an atmosphere in the family could not but leave an imprint on the choice of the future profession of the little Christmas tree. She began her singing career in the school choir, then continued in a vocal circle in the palace of pioneers. Also from school years she participated in KVN, where she mainly sang. To surprise and amaze the audience was the favorite pastime of the future star. Everything was used - both the appearance and the manner in which the songs were performed. Relatives supported the Christmas tree. Looking at her success, they said that Lisa would definitely become a pop star.

Career

After school, Elka entered the music school. True, after six months of study, she left him. As the singer admits, if she had not left herself, she would have been expelled. However, the lack of a complete musical education did not prevent them from making their way onto the big stage. In the 90s she was the backing vocalist of the then famous group "B&B" in Uzhgorod.

In 2001, the musical group performed at the international Rap Music festival in Moscow, where producer Vlad Valov drew attention to the singer. He offered to help the album band. True, this did not happen. "B&B", and Yolka itself at that time decided not to pursue a career as a singer. She got a job as a waitress in her hometown. I would have continued to accept and deliver orders in the cafe, if not for the persistence of Vlad Valov. He called the girl, offered cooperation and invited her to Moscow.

In 2004, Yolka performed at a concert dedicated to the memory of Micah. She sang his song "Bitch-love". Soon, the song of the singer "City of Deception" sounded. She became a real hit, occupied the top lines of many charts and brought Elka popularity and love of her fans. The artist herself somehow admitted that "City of Deception" is her favorite song, since it was written about herself.

With each new song, the popularity of the Christmas tree became more and more. The compositions "Good Mood", "This Great World", "Student Girl", "Handsome Boy", "Provence" are still heard by fans of the artist's work and not only. Elka's musical works are nominated and awarded at prestigious contests and awards, such as MTVRMA, Golden, Muz-TV, RU.TV, Glamor Awards, etc.

Among other things, the actress is the main character of the cartoon "The True Story of Little Red Riding Hood". And since 2010 she has been producing the X-Factor talent show in Ukraine.

The pseudonym Yolka was born by itself back in school years, when 11-year-old Lisa was called that way by school friends. Now the girl almost never responds to her real passport name Elizabeth.

Height, weight, age. How old is Elka (singer)?

Fans often want to know what kind of physical data their idol has. Fans are no exception, who demand information about the approximate height, weight, age of the Christmas tree.

The tree was born in 1982, respectively, she turned 34 years old. At this age, she managed to achieve a lot, much more than her colleagues in the artistic workshop. According to the sign of the zodiac, the talented singer is Cancer, and according to the eastern horoscope - a dog.

The Christmas tree looks at its fans from a height of one meter and sixty-two centimeters. The girl weighs quite a bit for her height - 51 kilograms.

The volume of the chest is 94 centimeters, and the waist is 60. If we add to these parameters the volume of the hips of 95 centimeters, we get an almost classic formula 90-60-90.

Singer Elka real name, surname and nationality

Elizaveta Valdemarovna Ivantsiv is a famous Ukrainian and Russian singer, who is known under the unusual pseudonym Elka. She has a rather interesting surname. She performs in pop and rock styles, and also tried herself as a performer of alternative music. Elka's nationality is Russian-Ukrainian.

Little Lizochka was born on July 2 in the city of Uzhgorod. Her parents were involved with musical light. His father collected jazz vinyl records, and his mother was a virtuoso master of three musical instruments. By the way, the grandparents of the future singer performed with the folk choir of Transcarpathia.

Elizabeth sang almost from the cradle. Like all talented children, she sang in the choir, and then studied vocals for a long time. The girl was very artistic, so she performed as part of the KVN team.

She constantly attended international music festivals, loved rap and soul music.

After school, she studied at a music school in the vocal class. Lisa could not finish it because of the thought that teachers consider her mediocrity. After six months of study, the girl expelled herself so that she would not be kicked out. Perhaps this was due to the extravagant appearance of the future singer, because she got tattoos and piercings, wore very bright makeup and even shaved her head on her bald head.

Later, the talented girl performed on stage as part of local musical groups, played in KVN, and also worked as a dishwasher in a cafe. Money for life was sorely lacking, so the Elka grabbed every opportunity to earn extra money.

In the nineties, the talented girl performed as part of the B&B group, however, only as a backing vocalist. Later, Elka's biography was replenished with an acquaintance with the SHEFF rapper, which in 2004 began to produce the future star. For the first time she performed on the metropolitan stage at a concert in memory of Micah.

SHEFF offered Elka to sign a contract with him, but offered to change his stage name to a common name. The girl resolutely refused and began performing under her fictitious name.

The Christmas tree was right, because in 2005 the first solo album "City of Deception" was released, which topped the charts. The young singer was named the discovery of the year.

After that, the success was brought by the composition "Girl-student" and the solo album "Shadows", which made the singer even more popular. And already in 2007, the first video album Yolki was released, in which clips in the style of heavy and guitar R&B were collected.

She was nominated for the MTV channel award as the best rap music performer. I tried myself in the voice acting of animated films.

2007 brought Elka "Golden Gramophone" and a new album in quiet and peaceful colors "This magnificent world". Soon great songs appeared, one of which was recorded in Ukrainian. She was associated with political events in Ukraine.

2009 presented great hits "Dreams" and "Your Words", which were not included in the fourth disc of Elka due to the fact that her contract with Vlad Valov ended.

The girl collaborated with Alena Mikhailova and Liana Meladze. In 2010 she appeared on Ukrainian television as a judge on the television show "X-Factor".

Pugacheva had a great influence on the work of the Christmas tree in recent years, after an interview with whom she began to sing the most positive songs in the style of pop. The woman changed her flamboyant style to a more feminine version.

In 2011, the girl became the owner of three Muz-TV awards, released several songs that instantly became hits. In the same year, she became one of the most successful figures in show business in Ukraine.

In 2014, a new album "# SKY" was released, which contains only high-quality compositions. In 2016, she again received the Golden Gramophone award and recorded a song with her idol Ilya Lagutenko, which became the soundtrack to the popular film Yolka.

She starred in the films "Gentlemen, good luck!", "Sasha Tanya", "Gift with character", "Fight", "About love".

The personal life of the Christmas tree (singer)

Like many Russian pop stars, Yolka's personal life is under an unspoken press ban. The girl only jokes that she lives with her beloved cat.

When Liza played in the KVN team "Chamber No. 6", she met with her captain Vasily Krainyai. The guy went through the moment of the girl's move to Moscow and the breakup of a seven-year relationship very hard.

The star has many male fans, and even more work and plans for the future. She admits that she simply has no time to improve her personal life, and she parted with her loved one and business partner.

Elka's ex-husband (singer) - Sergey Astakhov

Lisa met her beloved person in her youth, but did not feel any feelings for each other. The girl believed that this meeting was a banal resort romance, which would take place in a short time. A romantic relationship began six years later, when fate brought young people together again.

The couple lived only on Elizabeth's earnings, and after they officially got married in 2010, the guy with the light hand of his wife found a prestigious job. Elka's ex-husband, Sergei Astakhov, worked for a long time as an administrator for the singer.

Singer Yolka with her husband Sergey Astakhov photo

However, Sergei earned little, so the couple traveled and built a house with the girl's money. The Christmas tree was very tired of dragging financial problems on its own. Six years after the wedding, she fired her husband as administrator and filed for divorce. A strong family was destroyed by everyday problems, a lack of funds and a lack of finance for the construction of a cottage.

Many of Yolka's acquaintances openly call Sergei Astakhov a gigolo, whom the singer fully supported. Now the girl has given up her personal life and plunged headlong into work.

However, some of Yolka's friends claim that the breakup of this relationship is temporary, since she is madly in love with her husband.

Children of the Christmas tree. Is the singer pregnant? From whom? When to give birth?

The children of the Christmas tree are not even present in the project, because she has not yet found the man from whom she would like to give birth to a baby.

The woman is madly in love with children, as can be seen from her reaction on the television show "You are super". This project involves kids and adolescents who ended up in orphanages and found themselves in difficult life circumstances. The Christmas tree proved to be not only a strict member of the jury, but also a kind, caring and understanding mother for kids. While the pregnancy of the Christmas tree is hidden from the public.

On her Instagram, Yolka does not get tired of admiring talented children who deserve to be taken into the family.

Like most Russian pop stars, Elka claims that she takes plastic surgery calmly, but she never did it. But on dubious sites on the Internet, you can find photos of the Christmas tree before and after plastic surgery, which are not confirmed by facts.

The singer emphasizes in her interviews that the fashion for plastic surgery is long gone, so she definitely will not "make" herself plump lips or huge breasts.

Experts emphasize that Yolka absolutely did Botox injections that tighten the face. And from earlier and current photographs, you can understand that she slightly enlarged her lips.

Instagram and Wikipedia Christmas trees (singer)

Elizaveta Ivantsiv, like any progressive person, has pages on social networks where she shares the latest news with her fans.

Official Instagram and Wikipedia Christmas trees are full of beautiful photos of nature and the sky. There are a lot of publications in this rather interesting singer's account, about seven hundred notes have been added. Photos from touring tours, videos of new clips, as well as personal photos of the girl and news from the life of her friends are often posted. Recently, on Instagram, you can find posts dedicated to stray dogs and the provision of veterinary care for pets.

There you can also find reliable information about future concerts and about canceled tours for some reason. And there are also reviews from people who attended the concerts.

You can find an informative Twitter page that contains many interesting facts from the life of a celebrity.

Elizaveta Valdemarovna Ivantsiv or simply Elka is a girl who blinded herself. She went from an informal girl to a gorgeous singer who is adored by many people. This incomparable woman washed dishes for a penny and did not betray her dream, so now she provides for herself and invariably collects full halls.

Elizaveta Valdemarovna Ivantsiv. Date of birth: July 2, 1982 (30 years old). Place of birth: Uzhgorod, Ukrainian SSR, USSR

Nickname: Yolka

Elizaveta Valdemarivna Ivantsiv (Ukrainian Alizaveta Valdemarivna Ivantsiv), known as Yolka.

July 2, 1982, Uzhgorod, Ukrainian SSR, USSR - Ukrainian singer. Former member of the Uzhgorod KVN team "Ward No. 6".

Christmas tree Biography

Singer Elka. Biography She began her musical career as part of the Uzhgorod group B&B. In 2004 she signed a contract with Vlad Valov and released her successful debut album, City of Deception, with the hits Girl in Peugeot and Good Mood. Subsequently, in collaboration with Valov, two more albums were released: "Shadows" and "This Magnificent World", which were not as successful as the debut work of the performer.

From 2010 to 2012 she acted as a judge at the Ukrainian show "X-Factor". In 2011, she gained great popularity with the song "Provence" and became a nominee in three categories for the 2011 Muz-TV Prize. The singer's fourth studio work "Points Are Set" was a success, both among music journalists and the public. The album received positive reviews from critics who voted it the best pop album of 2011. Magazines such as Afisha, Time Out and Interview have added the album to their editorial lists of the top albums of the year. "Dots Are Set" also topped the Russian rating of album sales "2M. Russia Top-25 ". At the end of 2012, Yolka was recognized as the most rotated performer on Russian radio stations.

Yolka has won the Golden Gramophone award three times (for the songs Handsome Boy, Provence and Near You) and is nominated for the MTV RMA award. In 2011, she was recognized as the "Singer of the Year" by Glamor magazine and entered the top ten most successful figures in Ukrainian show business, according to the Focus edition. In the same year she was recognized as the "Singer of the Year" at the "ZD Awards", the newspaper "Moskovsky Komsomolets".

2001-2005: The beginning of a career and the album "City of Deception"

In my life, after all, the story of Cinderella takes place. Moreover, the meeting with Vlad took place at the moment when I finally forbade myself to even dream of a big stage. Then I was possessed by youthful maximalism, I was indignant about what I see on the TV screen. I could not understand why many artists, not knowing how to sing and not having a good repertoire, regularly appear on the air? I thought: "Give me at least a folding bed in this city, and I will show you what a real artist is!"

Yolka about the beginning of cooperation with Vlad Valov.

In 2001, the B&B group performed at the international Rap Music 01 festival, where Yolku was noticed by Vlad Valov, the leader of the Bad Balance group, who later became the singer's first producer. This time she gave up her dream of becoming an artist and got a job as a waitress in a cafe.Three years later, Yolka got a call from Valov's company.The singer said that she thought for a long time that she was being played, but after talking with Vlad, who sent her tickets to Moscow and offered: “Come for a week, we will experiment.” Vlad Valov signs a contract with Yolka and one of the first songs recorded with him was “The Words Are Spoken by You”, included in the collection “Girls Attack”.

In 2004, Yolka performed in a concert at Mikhei Memorial Day, with her group, which also included two guitarists and DJ Lenar. At the concert, Yolka sang Mikhei's song "Bitch-love". “It was a deliberate step. I didn't just take and sang this song. It was timed to coincide with the evening in memory of Micah, I performed the composition especially for his parents. Of course, there were a lot of rumors, but still more positive reviews. I always emphasize that it is not a commercial move, but a tribute to a person, ”the artist later said. Continuing her collaboration with Valov, the singer recorded the song of his composition "City of Deception". "Vlad, looking at me, wrote the song" City of Deception ", a song that is my reflection," the singer recalled. The composition was released on the radio in the summer of 2004 and became Yolka's first hit, hitting the hit parade of the radio station "Maximum" and holding out in it for twelve weeks.

On November 9, 2005, the performer's debut album, entitled "City of Deception", was released. The work on the disc, released on the 100PRO label, was completed in mid-2005 and, as the performer said, the disc was written “in one breath”. Yolka presented music in various styles, which was attributed to both rock (because of the guitar parts) and hip-hop (because of the "broken" rhythms and scratches). The singer herself described her style as "heavy guitar R&B". NewsMusic.ru wrote that "this is the first time such a mix is ​​being made in Russia." The album was met with various opinions. Rita Skeeter at InterMedia spoke positively about the work, saying: "Yolka and Valov have found a way to make this genre truly competitive even in our market with its national characteristics." Andrey Nikitkin wrote in Rap.ru that Yolka is still a pop project, but “very high quality. Incorporating elements of both r "n" b and rock, reggae, chanson and pop. And it is designed not so much for fans of some of these styles as for a wide audience. " Boris Barabanov in the Kommersant newspaper also spoke of the singer as the main hope of Russian pop music.