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Sofia Rotaru is a charming singer who has a unique velvety voice. Looking at the slender silhouette of the performer and her youthful face, fans often wonder how old Rotaru is. Sofia Mikhailovna is in excellent condition physical fitness. It's hard to believe that this energetic woman will turn 70 in 2017. After all, her year of birth is 1947.
Childhood of Sofia Rotaru
Rotaru grew up in a large family with six children. Her native village called Marshintsy is located in Ukraine, in the Chernivtsi region.
Sofia's father was Moldovan, he worked in a vineyard. His name was Mikhail Rotar, this version of the pronunciation of the surname is the real one. Later, the artist turns it into a stage name, taking the first part of the word as a basis and adding the ending “u”.
Mother future star sold fruits and vegetables at the market. She often took her children to work. In her interviews, the singer always recalls these moments with warmth.
In May 1944, Sofia's father was drafted into the Red Army. He reaches Berlin and returns to the children two years later.
During her father's absence, her older sister Zina took care of Sofia. Zinaida became blind due to typhus, so her hearing was very acute. That's why she loved and knew how to sing. Zina practiced musical etudes with the future singer and developed younger sister love for art.
The girls sat together for hours at the old radio. This is how they learned Russian. Before that, they communicated only in Moldavian.
School years
Rotaru sang in the children's choir from the first grade. She was also a member of the church singing group, although the teachers did not like it. After all, atheism reigned in the country at that time.
Rotaru was actively involved in amateur performances. She sang folk songs and danced. At the age of 15, Rotaru won a music competition. This was her first step to fame.
Sofia was crazy about the theater. She regularly attended the theater studio.
After graduating from school, the girl realized that she could not live without the stage. She decides to become a singer.
The beginning of a creative journey
After winning the amateur competition, Sofia was sent to the region for inspection. And there she proved to the jury that she was worthy of the award. The young singer sang the song “Kiss Me Harder” in pure Spanish.
A photograph of seventeen-year-old Rotaru is published on the cover of the glossy magazine “Ukraine”. In his interviews, her husband, Anatoly Evdokimenko, admits that he saw this photo and fell madly in love with the unknown beauty.
In 1964, Rotaru entered the music school of the Chernivtsi region. She dreamed of becoming a singer, but there was no vocal department at the educational institution. Therefore, Sofia became a student in the conducting and choral department.
At the age of 21, Rotaru went to Bulgaria to participate in a music festival. She passed all the tests brilliantly and received a gold medal. The young singer performed folk songs in front of admiring spectators.
Bulgarian reporters skillfully used the name of the artist and the name of the capital in their headlines, noting that this coincidence could be considered fatal. It was a real triumph for the aspiring singer, who had just entered her twenties.
In 1971, the Ukrtelefilm film company began filming a new musical film, Chervona Ruta. Its director was Roman Alekseev. The audience received this film well. The main role was played by Sofia Rotaru.
After this landmark premiere, Rotaru begins working at the Philharmonic. She also becomes a soloist of the Chervona Ruta group. The group, like the film, was named after a red flower that had magical powers.
The group performed songs that had folk roots. “Chervona Ruta” became very popular throughout the USSR. The ensemble performed in Star City for astronauts.
Then the group gathered a full hall of the Kremlin Palace and announced itself at the Variety Theater. A special feature of “Chervona Ruta” was the combination of folk motifs and fashionable musical arrangements.
The band's videos are successfully shown on television, and their songs are played on the radio. The entire Soviet Union dances to the songs of “Chervona Ruta” on dance floors and in clubs.
Rotaru and the group travel to Poland and Bulgaria. These tours are a great success. Tickets are selling out quickly. And there is a festive atmosphere in the hall.
A distinctive feature of the singer’s performances was her entrances into the hall. There she, together with the audience, performed everyone’s favorite hits.
The star team collaborates with composers Evgeny Martynov and Vladimir Ivasyuk.
In the late 1970s, “Chervona Ruta” went on tour throughout Europe. It becomes clear that this Music band moves forward like a locomotive. And his popularity can no longer be stopped.
Film career
In 1980, the film “Where Are You, Love” was released. The main role went to Sofia Rotaru.
The actress performed many songs in the film. This is an autobiographical film dedicated to the singer’s creative path. In the story, a village artist begins to sing in an ensemble and achieves great success.
The audience warmly received this film. The film was watched by 22 million people, the cinema halls were full to capacity.
Soon, following the footsteps of the sensational film, a record will be released with tracks from the film. The recording is also a great success.
For the third time, Rotaru tried herself as an actress in the film “Soul” in 1981. Together with her, musicians from the group “Time Machine” became participants in the project. Rolan Bykov and Mikhail Boyarsky also took part in the filming.
Two years later, Sofia Rotaru was given the title People's Artist Moldavian SSR.
In 1986, the singer again starred in a musical film called “Monologue about Love.” The artist changed her image. Now it is not a village girl who sings in front of her fans, but a city singer.
The tone of the music also changed. This is due to the start of collaboration with composer Vladimir Matetsky. The songs “Moon, Moon” and “Lavadna”, which became business card Rotaru, he wrote it.
In 1988, the singer became People's Artist of the USSR. This award was very important to her.
Sofia Rotaru after the collapse of the USSR
After the breakup Soviet Union the artist has not lost her fans. She performed the hit “Khutoryanka,” which became the favorite song of Russians in the early 90s.
During this period, Sofia Rotaru is a mandatory participant in all “Songs of the Year” and “ Blue lights" The people have not lost interest in her work. In 1999, singer Rotaru was awarded the Golden Firebird award and other honorary awards.
The artist continues to tour and attracts full houses. She records new albums and delights viewers with her creativity.
Sofia Rotaru once said: “My repertoire includes songs of different genres, but almost always a dramatic plot, a dramatic melody. A song for me is a small short story with its own world of feelings, dramatic structure, and characters.” This is why we love Rotaru - for the real, genuine drama that can only be played by a singer with a great voice, real talent, strong character and a huge reserve of love. And many of her musical short stories eventually created a legend out of her.
Sofia Mikhailovna was born in the outback of the vast empire of the USSR shortly after the Great Patriotic War in 1947. Her father went through the entire war as a machine gunner and returned alive. In hardworking and musical family there were six children, and they all sang and worked with early childhood. In her memoirs, Sofia Mikhailovna repeatedly talked about how her mother woke her up at six in the morning to go to work at the market (remembering the difficult experience of her childhood, even at an advanced age, Sofia Mikhailovna never bargained in the markets and forbade her husband). However, the parents were always sure that their daughter would become an artist, since from a very young age she had an unusually strong and beautiful voice, for which she was nicknamed “the nightingale” in her native village. Moreover, little Sofia could sing in any circumstances: either at work, or locked at night in a barn with a button accordion. Mom said this about her: “You only have music in your head.” And her father (Sofia Rotaru’s singing talent comes from him) was always sure: “Sonya will be an artist.”
Little Sonya made the decision to become an artist from early childhood. Therefore, she actively participated in school amateur performances. And thus I got to the regional review. At these regional shows in Chernivtsi in 1962 and 1963, Sofia Rotaru received not only a first degree diploma, but also fame at the regional level. After the competitions, the singer with a pronounced contralto was already nicknamed “The Bukovinian Nightingale.”
The next step towards success is the result of those same regional competitions - as the winner, in 1964, Rotara is sent to Kyiv to participate in the republican festival of young talents. She becomes the first again. And this time he receives not only public recognition, but an unexpected bonus from fate itself. After winning the festival, Sofia Rotaru’s portrait is printed on the cover of Ukraine magazine No. 27 for 1965. At the same time, in the Urals, in Nizhny Tagil, recruit Anatoly Evdokimenko is serving in the army. After seeing the magazine, he falls in love with the girl on the cover. So much so that after his service he goes to Ukraine and finds her. In 1968, Sofia and Anatoly got married and lived together all their lives (Anatoly died in 2002).
Meanwhile, back in the same distant year of 1964, Sofia Rotaru is becoming more and more famous. She is already performing on the stage of the Kremlin Palace of Congresses. Her work attracts attention also because, in addition to her strong voice and her own unique style of performance, the singer boldly undertakes musical experiments, boldly mixing folk songs with modern arrangements. In that distant and difficult time, when everyone’s songs mainly glorify the party and the Komsomol, Sofia Rotaru sings about love in Russian, Ukrainian, Moldavian and even Spanish, adding to her music elements of jazz, instrumental arrangement and recitative, which was not previously Soviet stage no one did.
However, after all the victories, Sofia Rotaru returns to Chernivtsi so that, since she has decided to devote her life to music, she will receive musical education. And he entered the Chernivtsi Music School in the conducting and choral department (since there was no vocal department there).
The following competitions and festivals are only after graduation. And the first place Rotaru goes is the Ninth World Festival in Bulgaria. There, the singer not only takes first prize and a gold medal for performing Ukrainian and Moldavian folk songs, but also receives a start in life from the head of the jury, Lyudmila Zykina. “This is a singer with a great future,” Zykina said about Rotaru.
And again, after the resounding success, Rotaru is in no hurry to become a mega-star. From 1968 to 1971, we didn’t hear much about her. The singer herself at this time works as a music teacher, then gets married and gives birth to a son, Ruslan. It is interesting that at this time Anatoly Evdokimenko worked at the plant named after. Lenin, so the young family spent Honeymoon in the dormitory of the 105th military plant. And while her husband was building socialism, Sofia Rotaru cooked food for everyone, and in the evenings she sang at the Otdykh club.
Well, in 1971, Sofia Rotaru goes into battle again. “It’s good that I managed to give birth to a son,” she will say later. “Until these endless tours began.” And they really began in the 70s. First there was filming, in the musical film “Chervona Ruta”, where Rotaru starred in the title role, and after filming the film she created a group of the same name. Rotaru will be inseparable from the Chervona Ruta group for many years, and will achieve enormous success, consolidating her image as a singer of folklore material in modern arrangements - a representative of an entire direction of Soviet pop art. And her first performance with the Chervona Ruta group is the concert they give for astronauts in Star City.
This stage is followed by increasingly larger ones - “Russia”, the Variety Theater, the Kremlin Palace. 1971 becomes the year from which Sofia Rotaru officially counts down her creative activity. And already in the same year, the singer begins to attract full houses, not only in the USSR, but also in the countries of the socialist camp - Poland and Bulgaria. In the mid-70s, Rotaru further increased its popularity by collaborating with talented and popular composers and poets. At this time, many hits appear that will go with her throughout her life, becoming her calling card. Such as “Stork on the Roof” by David Tukhmanov, “Dance on the Drum” by Raymond Pauls and “Swan Fidelity” by Evgeny Martynov are complex, dramatic songs that require the performer not only to have excellent voice control, but also, of course, acting skills. The fact that every person still associates all of them with Sofia Rotaru speaks only of one thing - no one sang them better than her.
Already at this time, Rotaru received full recognition from the entire Soviet public. Well, in 1976 it became official - she was awarded the title of People's Artist of Ukraine. True, if you lose it in one place, you will find it in another, and vice versa. At the same time, the West began to become very interested in Sofia Rotaru; a German recording company was ready to record a large studio disc with her. However, Rotaru was not allowed into the West. It got to the point of ridiculousness: when Western producers called the State Concert, they were answered like this: “Rotaru? This kind of thing doesn’t work here.”
In the 80s, Rotaru also actively gives concerts, and at the same time acts in films, and not only sings on the screen, but also performs all the stunts on his own. At this time she was very sick, but did not stop touring. Due to the extreme thinness of the singer, terrible rumors begin to circulate about her that she allegedly has asthma and will soon die. Instead - you can't wait! - Rotaru is doing what he has been dreaming of for a long time. Many people dream about this, but in the Soviet Union it is impossible - the singer releases music album in the west, in Canada. For this she was punished - she and her group “Chervona Ruta” were banned from traveling abroad for five years. But after a while they were rewarded. In 1983, Rotaru became the People's Artist of Moldova.
In the second half of the 80s, Sofia Rotaru tried herself in a new image - she began collaborating with composer Vladimir Matetsky, and elements of rock were added to her music. Since then, she has had several new lasting super hits, such as “Moon, Moon”, “Farmer Woman”, “Golden Heart”, “This Is Not Enough”, etc. Her popularity soars to the skies. In 1988, Sofia Rotaru became People's Artist of the USSR. It would seem that she is at the top. However, it was at this time that something happened to the singer that later in an interview she would call “the biggest betrayal in her life.” From her to in full force The Chervona Ruta group leaves. In one of her interviews, Sofia Rotaru answered a journalist’s question: “Have you ever been truly scared?” answered: “When I was betrayed. This was connected with the Chervona Ruta collective, which Tolik (A. Evdokimenko) organized at one time. It was the peak of popularity, when we were carried in our arms, when cars were lifted at concerts. The guys thought that they could count on success without me, that I treated them wrong, that my repertoire was wrong, that they received little money... They got together and decided that they didn’t need us. They left with a scandal and with the name “Chervona Ruta.”
At the same time, unpleasant events awaited the singer in Ukraine. Local musical figures were increasingly irritated by the fact that the singer was collaborating with Russia and singing in Russian. As a result, some production structures and concert associations, who lost during the course of economic reforms control over financial side Rotaru's concert activities, riots were organized at her concerts in Lvov. The singer, who came on stage to sing, was booed, shaking placards: “Sofia, punishment awaits you!”
However, this did not stop the singer, she continued to give concerts, and in them sing Ukrainian, Moldavian, and Russian songs, without separating herself from any culture to which she believes that she belongs.
As before, so later, at the turn of the century, Sofia Rotaru remained unshakable, like a rock. The only time in her life she allowed herself to cancel concerts was when her husband, Anatoly Evdokimenko, with whom the singer lived her life, died of a stroke in October 2002.
This is all she is - the Great singer Sofia Rotaru, who today belongs to three states - Ukraine, Moldova and Russia. Iron character and unconditional talent are a unique formula that created a legend. And even now, at 65, she continues to inspire admiration, maintaining not only excellent professional shape, but also remaining stunning beautiful woman, who decided everything in her life, managed to do it and did it right. Another proof of this is her son Ruslan, who gave her two grandchildren - Anatoly and Sofia Rotaru.
Data
- There are peculiar discrepancies in the spelling of the singer's surname. In the credits of some films where she starred, her last name is written as Rotar. The fact is that the village of Marshintsi, where the singer was born, was part of Romania until 1940, so this pronunciation of the singer’s surname is simply the same, only in the Romanian manner. Edita Pieha advised Sofia to write her surname in the Moldovan style with the letter “u” at the end.
- IN feature film"Where are you, love?" there is an episode where Sofia Rotaru milks a cow. In the same film there is an episode where Sofia Rotaru rides a motorcycle. And in another film, “Monologue about Love,” where the singer starred, she windsurfs on the open sea. And she did all this herself.
- As a child, Sofia Rotaru sang in a church choir, for which they wanted to expel her from the pioneers.
- Sofia Rotaru is Moldovan by nationality, but has Ukrainian citizenship. Since both national themes are strongly intertwined in her work, both countries consider her their singer. And during the collapse of the USSR in 1991, there was even a joke that during the negotiations in Belovezhskaya Pushcha the question was raised: “How will we divide Rotaru?”
- After counting all Rotaru’s songs performed in the finals of the Song of the Year festival, it turned out that Rotaru holds the absolute record among all participants in history - 83 songs performed at 38 festivals.
Awards
USSR
1978 - Lenin Komsomol Prize - for high performing skills and active propaganda of Soviet song
1980 - Order of the Badge of Honor
1985 - Order of Friendship of Peoples
Ukraine
1996 — Honorary insignia of the President of Ukraine
1999 - Order of Princess Olga, III degree - for outstanding personal achievements in the development of song creativity, many years of fruitful concert activity, high performing skills
2002 - Order of Princess Olga, 1st degree - for significant labor achievements, high professionalism and on the occasion International Day women's rights and peace
2002 - Hero of Ukraine - for outstanding services to the Ukrainian state in the development of art, dedicated work in the field of preserving national cultural traditions and enhancing the song heritage of the peoples of Ukraine
2002 - Order of the Power
2007 - Order of Merit, II degree - for significant personal contribution to the development of Ukrainian musical art, high performing skills and many years of fruitful activity
Russia
2002 - Order of Honor - for his great contribution to the development of pop art and strengthening Russian-Ukrainian cultural ties
Moldova
1997 - Order of the Republic of Moldova
Ranks
1973 - Honored Artist of the Ukrainian SSR
1975 - People's Artist of the Ukrainian SSR
1983 - People's Artist of the Moldavian SSR
1988 - People's Artist of the USSR
1997 - Honorary Citizen of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea
1998 — Honorary citizen of Chernivtsi
Honorary citizen of Yalta
Prizes and awards:
1962 - Winner of the regional amateur art competition
1963 — First degree diploma at the regional amateur art show
1964 - Laureate of the Republican Festival of Folk Talents,
1968 - Gold medal and first prize at the IX World Festival of Youth and Students
1973 - First prize at the Golden Orpheus festival
1974 - Second prize at the International Song Festival in Sopot
1977 - Laureate of the Ukrainian Republican Komsomol Prize named after. N. Ostrovsky
1981 - 1978 - Laureate of the Lenin Komsomol Prize
1981 - Art. film "Where are you love?" receives a prize at the All-Union Film Festival in Vilnius
1996 - Winner of the Ovation Prize, laying a personal star in Yalta
1996 - Laureate of the Prize named after. Klavdia Shulzhenko “Best pop singer of 1996”
1997 - Honorary Prize of the President of Ukraine for outstanding contribution in the development of pop art "Song Vernissage"
1999 — Winner of the All-Ukrainian Prize in the field of music and mass entertainment “Golden Firebird - 99” in the category “Traditional Variety”
1999 - “Person of the Year” according to the recognition of the “Russian Biographical Institute”, “Woman of the Year”, Kiev
2000 — Laureate of the Ovation Prize, “For a special contribution to the development of the Russian stage,” Moscow
2000 - “Man of the 20th century”, “Best Ukrainian pop singer of the 20th century”, Kyiv
2000 - Winner of the Prometheus - Prestige Award
2003 - Laureate National Award public recognition of women's achievements "Olympia" of the Russian Academy of Business and Entrepreneurship
2002 - “Star of Ukraine” laying of a personal star in the center of Kyiv, an honorary diploma and a commemorative breastplate “Star of the Ukrainian Pop”
2008 - Winner of the Ovation Award, Pop Music - Masters, Moscow
Movies
Musical TV films
1966 - “The Nightingale from the village of Marshintsy”
1971 — “Chervona Ruta”
1975 - “The song is always with us”
1978 - “Sofia Rotaru sings”
1979 — “Musical Detective”
1981 — “Chervona Ruta, 10 years later”
1985 - “Sofia Rotaru invites you”
1986 — “Monologue about love”
1989 — “Heart of Gold”
1990 — “Caravan of Love”
1991 — “One Day at the Sea”
1996 — “Old songs about the main thing”
1997 — “10 songs about Moscow”
2003 — “Crazy Day, or The Marriage of Figaro”
2005 — “The Snow Queen”
2005 — “Sorochinskaya Fair”
2006 — “Metro”
2007 — “Star Vacation”
2007 — “The Kingdom of Crooked Mirrors”
2009 — “Goldfish”
Art films
1980 - Where are you, love?
1981 - Soul
Albums
1972 Sofia Rotaru
1972 Sofia Rotaru sings
1972 Chervona Ruta
1973 Sofia Rotaru sings
1973 Ballad of Violins
1974 Sofia Rotaru
1975 Sofia Rotaru sings songs by Vladimir Ivasyuk
1977 Sofia Rotaru
1978 Sofia Rotaru
1980 Only for you
1981 Sofia Rotaru
1981 Songs from the film “Where are you, love?”
1981 Sofia Rotaru and “Chervona Ruta”
1982 Sofia Rotaru
1985 Tender Melody
1987 Monologue about love
1988 Heart of Gold
1990 Sofia Rotaru
1991 Caravan of Love
1991 Romance
1993 Caravan of Love
1993 Lavender
1995 Golden Songs
1995 Farmer
1996 Night of Love
1996 Chervona Ruta
1998 Love me
2002 I still love you
2002 Snow Queen
2003 To the One
2004 Water Flows
2004 The sky is me
2005 I loved him
2007 What's the weather like in my heart?
2007 Fog
2007 You are my heart
2008 I am your love!
2010 I won't look back
2012 And my soul flies
Sofia Rotaru has the title of People's Artist of the USSR and Hero of Ukraine. Recently, singer and actress Sofia Rotaru celebrated her 70th birthday, and her musical career remains at its highest peak, the performer is welcomed to concerts and loved everywhere.
Childhood
Sofia Rotaru was born in Ukraine (former Ukrainian SSR) near Chernivtsi, in a village called Marshintsy. This joyful event happened on August 7, 1947. The Moldavian family in which the future singer appeared was very large and had many children. Besides her, her parents had five more children. Sofia was the second oldest. The girl's father worked as a winegrower.
By nature, he had an ideal ear for music and voice, which is why he became the first teacher who instilled in Sofia a love of music. Already during her studies, the girl began to actively participate in musical life schools. She sang in the choir and performed at amateur art evenings. Also at home, the whole family organized musical evenings with performances, which Sofia loved so much. All six children sang in chorus harmoniously and beautifully. Sofia's older sister named Zinaida taught her Russian folk songs, which she herself studied while listening to the radio.
Music appeared in Sofia Rotaru’s life almost from birth. According to her, music was everywhere - at wedding celebrations, at evening gatherings, and at dances. In addition to singing, young Sofia Rotaru went to a theater group, dreaming of the stage. She also played the accordion.
It should be noted that in her youth Sofia Rotaru was a talented athlete. She devoted many hours to athletics, and also won the school all-around championship. Once, having gone to participate in the Olympics, which took place in Chernivtsi, it was Sofia who took first place, running the 100 and 800 meters the fastest. Thanks to her sportive childhood, Sofia Rotaru, being an actress, performed complex scenes that required the involvement of stuntmen on her own. For example, she overcame a narrow embankment on a motorcycle in the film “Where Are You, Love?”, and also rode a surfboard on the waves in a film called “Monologue about Love.”
The beginning of Sofia Rotaru's musical career can be dated back to 1962. In your young age- 15 years old - she became the winner of one of the regional amateur art competitions. The winner was sent to Chernivtsi - to the next stage of the competition, where she also won.
This was followed by a trip to the capital of Ukraine - here, at the republican festival of folk talents, talented singer was able to loudly declare herself and again took first place. Thanks to this, the young talent appeared on the cover of a magazine called “Ukraine”. All these victories in her youth gave Sofia Rotaru faith in herself and determined her life choice - to become a singer. Therefore, after graduating from school, she became a student music school in Chernivtsi, entering the conducting and choral department.
After graduating from the Sofia College of Music, Rotaru was lucky enough to go with musical ensemble to Bulgaria, where the World Youth Festival took place. Here she performed several songs, including a composition in Ukrainian. She also performed a Moldovan song about spring and a composition dedicated to the first woman to fly into space. The performance of the young artist was highly appreciated by the festival jury and gave her first place.
Returning to Chernivtsi, the singer began teaching theory and solfeggio at her music school. A few years later, in 1971, Sofia Rotaru performed main role in the musical "Chervona Ruta". The picture became popular and made the singer a real star. As a result, she was invited to become a member of the Chernivtsi Philharmonic. Here Rotaru performed with her own ensemble “Chervona Ruta”. She sang pop-folk songs, which only added to her popularity. A special feature of the work of Sofia Rotaru and her ensemble was that in their songs they harmoniously combined folklore works with modern rhythmic music.
Gradually, Sofia Rotaru’s popularity brought her to the stage of the Rossiya Central Concert Hall, and then to the Kremlin Palace. The author of Sofia Rotaru's songs was Vladimir Ivasyuk, a famous composer. With the program “Chervona Ruta” Sofia Rotaru became a frequent guest in Germany, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, where the public loved her very much.
The work of Sofia Rotaru was promoted and Soviet authorities, presenting her as an example of a singer who popularized international Soviet culture. Millions of people fell in love with Rotaru, its concerts were very popular. Also, Sofia Mikhailovna’s performances were shown on television, her songs were played on the radio.
1973 became a landmark year for Sofia Mikhailovna. The young singer took part in the Golden Orpheus competition! in Bulgaria, where she became the winner, after which she was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the Ukrainian SSR. Of course, the honored artist was expected and invited everywhere. She regularly participated in “Song of the Year” concerts, and her hits became laureates of music awards.
Being a popular artist from her youth, Sofia Rotaru, however, did not give up her studies and completed training at the State Institute of Arts named after G. Muzichescu in Chisinau, specializing in choral conductor.
Sofia Rotaru’s legendary songs were “Swan Fidelity” and “Ballad of Mother,” written by greatest composer Evgeny Martynov. In addition to her amazing songs, which often show a dramatic plot, the presence of characters, the development of their relationships, as well as morality, the singer was known for her ability to establish contact with the public at concerts. It was Sofia Rotaru who went into the hall during the concert and sang among the audience. According to her, the most important thing for an artist is the recognition of the public, and not prizes and awards.
In 1974, the singer’s first disc was released under the simple and succinct title “Sofia Rotaru”. The singer also starred in the musical film “The Song is Always with Us.” This was followed by a move to Yalta, where Rotaru got a job singing in the city philharmonic. A year later, the singer already had the title of People's Artist of the Ukrainian SSR. The reason for the artist’s move to Yalta was considered to be that Sofia Mikhailovna’s family began having problems with the Communist Party.
On the other hand, there were rumors that the singer suffered from asthma or tuberculosis. She lost too much weight and sometimes her voice caught a cold and she couldn’t sing. Therefore, she supposedly needed sea air and lived on the coast. Since 1976, Sofia Rotaru began to regularly take part in the filming of the New Year's “Blue Lights”.
In 1976, Sofia Mikhailovna was invited to Germany to record German songs, and then tours around Europe followed. With her concerts, Sofia Rotaru traveled to Romania, Germany, and Yugoslavia. Later she was offered to release a disc with songs in Italian and French. The 80th year in the biography of Sofia Rotaru was remembered for the victory at international competition in Tokyo. The singer even received an award in the form of the Order of the Badge of Honor.
Sofia Rotaru also became the first Soviet artist to appear on stage in trousers. Fulfilling her dream of acting, Sofia Rotaru starred in the film “Where Are You, Love?” She performed a song there and performed a stunt on a motorcycle. The film became very popular - more than 20 million people watched it, which ensured the growth of the artist’s popularity as an actress. A disc was also released, which today would be called the soundtrack to the film. It was a recording of songs from the film.
In the eighties, rock and metal became popular, which also affected the work of Sofia Rotaru. She took part in the filming of the film “Soul” with the group “Time Machine,” although it was at that moment that the singer lost her voice and rumors about tuberculosis began to circulate again. In 1983, Sofia Rotaru toured Canada and released a disc dedicated to this tour. A year later, the singer’s lyrical album entitled “Tender Melody” was released.
At the end of the eighties, the singer turned to the Euro-pop style in which her famous songs“Moon”, “Only this is not enough”, “It was, but it’s gone.”
In 1988, Sofia Rotaru became People's Artist of the USSR. Since then, mainly Russian-language compositions began to appear in her repertoire. Her discography has been replenished with two new albums - “Golden Heart” and “Caravan of Love”.
After the collapse of the USSR, the singer was able to stay on the wave of success and took her place in the show business of the new generation. She released collections best compositions and sang a song together with the extremely popular group “Ivanushki International” at that time. In the late nineties, Sofia Rotaru’s disc entitled “Love Me” was released. The singer again receives awards and becomes the owner of the Order of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Now singer Sofia Rotaru still remains famous, popular and in demand.
Personal life
The love of Sofia Mikhailovna Rotaru’s life was her only husband Anatoly Evdokomenko. He also studied music. It was Anatoly who first organized a pop orchestra for Sofia and created the Chervona Ruta group, and then was the director of Rotaru concerts. The couple married in 1968. Two years later their son, Ruslan, was born.
Sofia and Anatoly lived in marriage for 30 years. In 2002, Sofia Rotaru’s husband died, after which she temporarily canceled all concerts and tours. Until now, the singer, who celebrated her 70th birthday, lives alone. Now she spends her free time with her son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren.
Sofia Rotaru, whose biography covers an era of change and upheaval, has become a symbol of the greatness of talent and the power of art, capable of overcoming any boundaries. “Bukovinian nightingale”, “golden voice of Ukraine” - all this is said about Sofia Mikhailovna.
Sofia Rotaru: biography of the singer
For older and middle-aged people, Sofia Rotaru has become a symbol of their youth.
The beginning of her singing career was in the 1960s. And until now, Sofia Mikhailovna is one of the few singers who are on the crest of popularity.
Looking at how young Rotaru looks, it’s hard to believe that in 2017 she celebrated her seventieth birthday. It seems that the years have given exceptional aristocracy and elegance to the appearance of this artist. Our story is about her fate.
The seventh day of hot August 1947 illuminated the family of the winegrower, Mikhail Fedorovich Rotaru, with joy. A second daughter, Sofia, appeared in a family living in the village of Marshintsi, Chernivtsi region.
The first girl in the family of Mikhail Fedorovich and Alexandra Ivanovna Rotaru, Zina, became blind in childhood from typhus. Having a healthy baby was truly a gift. In total, there are six children in the Rotaru family.
Sofia had a unique destiny in life. Everyone in the Rotaru family (the family has Moldovan roots) sang. My father had amazing musical talent. Zinaida felt and reproduced music superbly. It was her older sister who taught Sonya to sing.
At first, singing was a simple hobby, like playing sports. However later successes in athletics (she received a champion title at school) came in handy when she had to cope with a motorcycle on her own and ride along a narrow embankment in the sea on the set of the movie “Where Is Love Thou.”
Since religious education has always been honored in Western Ukraine and weekly church attendance was considered a rule of good manners, the young nightingale of Bukovina was able to show her talent in the choir. Besides, in school years girl attends classes at theater club, plays the accordion.
The first recognition of Sofia Rotaru’s talent came in the year when the girl celebrated her fifteenth birthday. Then, participating in a regional review of creative amateur groups, she received first place, and at the age of 17 she conquered the main concert hall of the Soviet Union - she performed in the Kremlin.
Let us remember that the 1960s were the period of the formation and heyday of pop music. Many peoples and nationalities of the Soviet Union make themselves known by creating pop song numbers based on folklore motifs.
The Ukrainian land is proud of this performer; her photograph appears on the cover of one of the leading national magazines.
Thanks to this publication, Anatoly Evdokimenko learned about Sofia. It was an incident that brought together two creative people - a trumpeter and a singer.
After graduating from school, Sofia entered the music school in the city of Chernivtsi. Here she acquired the specialty of a conductor and continued her singing career on a professional basis.
The path to the world of pop music for the young performer was easy. All thanks to an amazing voice, a rare talent to feel every note, extraordinary hard work and perseverance. These qualities were appreciated by the jury of the World Festival in Bulgaria: Rotaru took first place.
At the competition, the singer performed musical compositions that sounded the languid lyrics of the Balkan peoples and the rapid assertiveness of the Ukrainian and Moldavian peoples.
In 1968, Sofia became the wife of Anatoly Evdokimenko. The couple will live together for thirty-five years, until death takes away the person most dear to the singer.
Two years later, in 1970, she became a mother (a son was born), and her singing career is gaining rapid momentum. After the inspired performance of “Chervona Ruta” by Vladimir Ivasyuk, Rotaru gains all-Union fame.
At the Chernivtsi Philharmonic they create creative team, which was named after this hit. Sofia Rotaru became its soloist, and Vladimir Ivasyuk became the main inspirer and musical director.
The next eight years were the most productive in the work of this creative tandem. Sofia Rotaru performed unique musical compositions. They sounded playful and languidly lyrical melodies of Moldova and Ukraine.
These works make famous star Ukrainian stage. They started talking about it in neighboring countries.
Throughout the 1970s. the stages of popular international creative shows, competitions and festivals that take place in Poland, Bulgaria and Moscow open in front of it.
Rotaru goes on tours abroad - Yugoslavia and the GDR, Germany and Romania. In her homeland, records with her songs are being released en masse.
Popularity does not save the singer from the millstone of persecution by the authorities: her father is expelled from the Communist Party, her brother from the Komsomol organization. All because the family honored religious holidays.
Sofia Rotaru, along with her husband and child, moves to Yalta. To cover up the truth, a rumor about the singer’s supposedly poor health appeared from the hands of the authorities. It was assumed that it was tuberculosis, asthma and other lung diseases.
Despite this, the talented performer is given the title of People's Artist of the Ukrainian SSR. The famous singer immediately confirms this title with a victory at the Tokyo song competition, where she sang a song in Yugoslavian.
The flowering of talent and recognition came to Sofia Rotaru in the 1980s. Films are made about her and with her. The period of searching for something new began: the artist was experimenting with her appearance and performing image. She is one of the first to change her feminine outfit (dress) to an elegant trouser suit. This emphasized the rapid rhythm of that time.
Soon Sofia Rotaru returns to her original ethno-lyrical image. It best suits her compositions and beautiful voice. During the same period, he sang a duet with Makarevich and “Time Machine”.
A performance in Canada (1983), where the singer recorded and released a record, caused outrage from the authorities. Until the start of perestroika, she remains restricted from traveling. However, this did not diminish people’s love and recognition. Her records sell millions of copies. This was awarded the Golden Disc Award.
The fact of extraordinary popularity, people's love and veneration was recognized at the official level: the pop performer was awarded the title of People's Artist of the USSR.
Difficult 1990s did not become an era of oblivion for the pop singer. She is on the crest of popularity: she tours, updates her repertoire, focusing on new stylistic influences and trends, and changes her image:
- The singer's anniversary concert is taking place in the main Russian concert hall where elements of a laser show are used;
- discs with the hits “Lavender”, “Love Me” and “Khutoryanka” are being released;
- collaborates with young pop performers.
Sofia Rotaru’s songs are well known: radio stations broadcast them, people sing them, and amateur groups sing them.
The performer receives official awards from the hands of the presidents of Ukraine and Russia, and unofficial ones, such as “Man of the 20th Century” and “Woman of the Year” - from the tabloids.
This creative rise spanned the early 2000s. However, the second year of the new millennium turned out to be tragic for Rotaru. Dies her only love- Anatoly Evdokimenko. The singer interrupts her career and disappears from the musical Olympus for almost a year.
Anatoly Evdokimenko was not only an inspirer, support and support, but also the singer’s producer.
Rotaru to last breath her husband was next to him. It was sincere and shining example swan fidelity, which the artist once sang about.
Loss loved one called deep depression. Relatives were afraid to leave the singer alone. She visited the cemetery every day. “Song of the Year” 2002 was held without her for the first time in three decades.
During this period, the artist’s son demonstrated his best masculine qualities. Sophia's sister talks about it this way:
« One day Ruslan said to Sonya: “Mom, you need to work. At least for the sake of my father’s memory! Come on, dedicate new songs to him. Let him be happy for us there". Convinced and found new composers for my mother.”.
Place of yours permanent residence the pop legend chose Kyiv. She performs and tours less.
A woman of the era - this is what you can say about Sofia Rotaru. Her fate often took sharp turns, like the country.
But the example of this singer firmly convinces that true talent will always be in demand and appreciated by people.
Sofia Rotaru: songs
Rotaru's songs mean constant success and popularity, top positions in the charts.
Some hits, such as: “The Sky is Me”, “Chervona Ruta”, “Swan Fidelity”, “Apple Tree in Bloom”, “Edge, My Real Land”, “Lavender”, “Vodograi”, “Lavender”, “ Khutoryanka” are super popular, despite time and changes in the cultural tastes of society.
The concert of Sofia Rotaru is a real show, in which it is not external moments that predominate, but the depth and content of the songs, high quality performance, live voice and respect for the audience. This is what made her a sought-after performer for five decades.
17-year-old Rotaru’s performance of the song “Mama,” written by composer Leonid Bronevitsky, brought her all-Union fame. Vladimir Matetsky, Alexandra Pakhmutova, Anatoly Pashkevich, Baki Don and others collaborated with her.
The most fruitful period was the period of work with the Ukrainian composer Vladimir Ivasyuk. Then, in the 1970s, the following songs appeared:
- "Chervona Ruta";
- "Vodograi";
- "Yellow Leaf";
- "The Ballad of Mallows";
- "Cradle of the Wind";
- “Fate has its own spring”, etc.
Until his death in 1979, he remained almost the only author and inspirer of Sofia Rotaru.
With special trepidation, she performed “The Ballad of Mother” (many know this song under the name “Alyoshenka”), “I’m Waiting for Spring”, “Seagulls over the Water”, “Your Fault”, “Father’s House”.
The popularity of the singer of pop melodies is increasing thanks to her participation in “Song of the Year”. By the way, Sofia Mikhailovna is one of the leaders in performing at this festival. For more than thirty years she sang about eighty songs.
Many remember her hits such as “My City”, “Melancolie”, “Apple Trees in Bloom”, “Only for You”, “My Land”, “Your Traces” and “Romantica”, “For Those Who Wait”, “ Our life" and others. They were created by Oscar Feltsman, Nikolai Mozgovoy, Arno Babajanyan, Pavel Aedonitsky, Pyotr Teodorovich, Alexey Mazhukov.
David Tukhmanov writes the patriotic composition “My Motherland” and the memorable song “In My House”. On the eve of the 1980 Olympics, Alexandra Pakhmutova wrote the song “Temp” for Rotaru.
The singer’s collaboration with Yuri Saulsky was fruitful. Together they create the following musical compositions:
- "Two Dreams";
- “I am not me without you”;
- "Autumn Melody";
- "Expectation";
- "Do not forget".
The singer is particularly popular due to songs made specifically for her voice by Raymond Pauls: “The Beginning of May”, “Where Are You Love?”, “Special Friend”.
In the early 1980s, Sofia Rotaru tried her hand at other stylistic directions. She draws attention to the rock compositions that she performed in a duet with Andrei Makarevich: “The Path”, “Barrier”, “For Those at Sea”, “Bonfire”.
The middle of this period was marked by the singer’s performance of works of a patriotic nature. With particular enthusiasm she sang:
- “Stork on the Roof”, “Frontline Sister’s Waltz”, “ Last date» David Tukhmanov;
- "Sad Song" by Raymond Pauls;
- “Starry Waltz” by Alexandra Pakhmutova;
- “Remember me always” by Alexander Osadchy.
A new period in the work of the pop singer began with a lyrical and soulful, bright and temperamental hit - “Lavender”, the music for which was written by Vladimir Matetsky. This author has been creating several dozen top-rated songs for the singer for 30 years.
Radio stations tirelessly broadcast playful and romantic songs “It was, but it’s gone”, “Only this is not enough”, “Moon”.
These songs distinguish Rotaru from his brothers in the shop, since they are fast and impulsive, and slow compositions are in fashion.
However, during this period, deep and meaningful compositions (“Song of Our Summer”), sensual and dramatic (“Farewell Platform” and “Wild Swans”), filled with a feeling of happiness, works “Until the End of the Road” and “Caravan of Love” appeared in her repertoire. .
“Khutoryanka” became the singer’s calling card for several years. The image of a fiery beauty of a farmer appeared in her. He was very close to Rotaru.
In the 1990s. the hits “There is no place for me” and “Night without you”, “Your sad eyes” were heard. The public loved “Dream” and “Like Strangers”; they listened with trepidation to the singer’s lyrical outpourings in “Bitter Tears” and “Taste of Love”. The works “A Night Without You” and “A Pair of White Doves” are permeated with tragedy. All of them were created by Vladimir Matetsky.
The two thousandth marked new stage V creative career Sofia Rotaru. Mostly Ukrainian composers create songs for it.
They appear, filled with the soulful Ukrainian flavor and original rhythm of the songs of Ruslan Kvinta.
Stylizations of folk melodies made the compositions “One Viburnum at a Window” and “White Winter” bright. Rotaru’s unique voice data added volume and depth to the song “The Sky is Me!”
Today, the pop singer continues to delight her listeners with new interesting songs: “Two Suns” and “My Love” by Vitaly Volkomor, “You are the Best” by Ruslan Kvinta, “Love is Alive” by Oleg Makarevich, etc.
Despite the tragedy that this bright artist had to endure, she has enough strength and desire to perform in front of her fans. Her concerts are always sold out.
Looking at Sofia Mikhailovna, it becomes clear that true talent and love for their profession are given by happy years life.
That is why the singer blooms, performs amazing musical works with inspiration and soul.
Sofia Mikhailovna Rotaru- Soviet and Ukrainian singer and actress. Sofia Rotaru - People's Artist of the USSR (1988), one of the most popular singers Soviet, Russian and Ukrainian stage, Hero of Ukraine (2002).
The early years and education of Sofia Rotaru
Sofia Rotaru was born on August 7, 1947 in the village of Marshintsy, Novoselitsky district, Chernivtsi region. Sofia's family is of Moldovan origin.
Father - Mikhail Fedorovich Rotaru (1918−2004), participant in the Great Patriotic War, machine gunner. He reached Berlin, was wounded and returned to his native village. He worked as a foreman of winegrowers.
Mother - Alexandra Ivanovna Rotaru (1920−1997). In addition to Sofia, the family had five children: two brothers and three sisters. The elder sister Zina (born October 11, 1942), who suffered a serious illness, lost her sight in childhood, according to the singer’s biography on her website.
In her interviews, Sofia Rotaru often said that her entire family is unusually musical.
“It’s hard to say when and how music appeared in my life. It seems that she has always lived in me. I grew up surrounded by music, it sounded everywhere: at the wedding table, at gatherings, at evening parties, at dances...”, said the singer. The girl began singing in the first grade in the school choir. In addition, although it was not encouraged, Sofia also sang in the church choir.
At school and after graduation, Sofia Rotaru did a lot of sports, athletics, became the school champion in all-around, and went to regional Olympiads. At the regional sports festival in Chernivtsi she became the winner in the 100 and 800 meters.
Sofia's first music teacher was her father. He had absolute pitch and a beautiful voice. As a schoolgirl, Sofia learned to play the domra and button accordion, and, of course, was an active participant in amateur performances. And home concerts were often held at home; Rotaru’s songs even then delighted fellow villagers. The father was convinced that Sonya would become an artist.
And then the first successes came. Sofia Rotaru won the regional amateur art competition and entered the regional show. Countrymen began to call Sofia “Bukovinian Nightingale” for her voice. And in subsequent years, at all competitions, Rotaru captivated the audience with her contralto, winning prestigious awards.
In 1964, Sofia Rotaru was sent to the Republican Festival of Folk Talents, where the young singer took first place. In this regard, her photo was published on the cover of the magazine “Ukraine”. Having seen Sofia's photo, her future husband Anatoly Evdokimenko fell in love with her at first sight.
1964 is a fateful year in Rotaru’s biography. Sofia Rotaru sang for the first time at the Kremlin Palace of Congresses. And again victory. And after graduating from school, Sofia entered the conducting and choral department of the Chernivtsi Music College.
At this time, the young man in love served in the Urals. By the way, Anatoly graduated music school, played the trumpet. Future husband After the army, Sofia entered Chernivtsi University and played in the university pop orchestra. It was Anatoly, who finally met Rotaru, who invited her to sing with a pop orchestra. Before this, Sofia sang to the accompaniment of violins and cymbals.
Music career singer Sofia Rotaru
In 1968, Rotaru graduated from college and was delegated to the IX World Festival of Youth and Students, held in Bulgaria. The news headlines read: “Sofia has conquered Sofia.”
In 1971, director Roman Alekseev directed the musical film “Chervona Ruta”. Sofia was invited to play the main role. Afterwards, the Chervona Ruta ensemble was created at the Chernivtsi Philharmonic. From that moment on, Rotaru and the Chervona Ruta ensemble began collaborating with talented composer Vladimir Ivasyuk. Ivasyuk created a cycle of popular songs based on folk music, which were sung throughout the Soviet Union, performed by Sofia Rotaru.
After tragic death composer Ivasyuk Sofia continued to sing his songs. A Mikhail Ivasyuk- Vladimir’s father - said in front of an audience of thousands of fellow countrymen: “We must bow low Moldovan girl Sonya, who spread my son’s songs all over the world.”
Success accompanied Rotaru at all concerts. Sofia sang on many famous scenes THE USSR. With the Chervona Ruta ensemble, Rotaru traveled almost the entire country, had a constant audience on radio and television, and was active in concert activities.
In 1973, in Sunny Beach (Bulgaria), Rotaru became the winner of the Golden Orpheus competition, performing the song “My City” Evgenia Dogi and a song in Bulgarian “Bird”.
In 1983, Sofia Rotaru received the title of People's Artist of the Moldavian SSR. And in May 1988, Sofia Rotaru was awarded the title of People's Artist of the USSR, the first of the modern pop singers.
Famous Soviet composers created their songs specifically for her. Popular songs Arno Babajanyan("Give me back the music") Alexey Mazhukov(“And the music sounds”), David Tukhmanov(“Stork on the Roof”, “In My House”), Yuri Saulsky("Regular melody") Alexandra Pakhmutova("Pace"), Raymond Pauls("Dance on the Drum") Evgenia Martynova(“Swan Fidelity”, “Apple Trees in Bloom”) and many others still delight fans of Rotaru’s work.
And after the collapse of the USSR, the singer has a stable audience, including in the Russian-speaking diaspora in Europe and the USA. In 1992, a super hit was released performed by Rotaru - “Khutoryanka” (music Vladimir Matetsky, poetry Mikhail Shabrov).
They haven’t stopped listening to Sofia Rotaru’s songs in Russia either, and the singer herself, still just as young, constantly participates in TV programs and comes to give concerts. In the mid-90s, Rotaru took part in the popular films “Old Songs about the Main Thing” and “10 Songs about Moscow.” At “Song-96” Sofia Rotaru was recognized as “Best pop singer 1996", awarding a prize named after Klavdia Shulzhenko.
Sofia recorded songs at her own studio in Yalta. Her first CD collections were released in 1993 best songs- “Sofia Rotaru” and “Lavender”, then - “Golden Songs 1985/95” and “Khutoryanka”.
In 1997, Rotaru became an honorary citizen of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.
In 1998, the first official compact disc (CD) of Sofia Rotaru was released, the album “Love Me,” released under the “Extraphone” label. In April, the premiere of Rotaru’s new solo program “Love Me” took place at the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow. Sofia recorded the song “September” in a duet with Nikolay Rastorguev.
In 1999, the Star Records label released two more CD collections of the singer in “ Star series" At the end of the year, Rotaru was recognized as the best singer of Ukraine in the “Traditional Variety” category.
The new millennium was marked by new high-profile titles, Rotaru was recognized as “Man of the 20th Century”, “Best Ukrainian Pop Singer of the 20th Century”, “Golden Voice of Ukraine”, “Woman of the Year”, and was awarded “For a special contribution to the development of the Russian stage”.
In December 2001, Sofia Rotaru released a new solo concert program, “My Life is My Love!”, dedicated to the 30th anniversary of her creative activity. The song “My Life, My Love” opened the “New Year’s Light” on the ORT TV channel in 2002.
Then followed new albums by Rotaru: “I still love you”, “The sky is me”, “Lavender, Khutoryanka, then everywhere ...”, “I loved him”, in general, Sofia made sure that her fans there was something to listen to.
In 2007, Sofia Rotaru celebrated her 60th anniversary with pomp. In the Livadia Palace there was gala reception, in October the State Kremlin Palace hosted anniversary concerts Sofia. President of Ukraine Victor Yushchenko awarded Sofia Rotaru the Order of Merit, II degree.
To mark the 40th anniversary of his creative activity, Rotaru held anniversary concerts in Moscow (Bolshoi Kremlin Palace) and in St. Petersburg (Ice Palace) in October 2011.
Rotaru's health status
On August 26, 2018, Free Press reported that Sofia Rotaru was urgently hospitalized in the intensive care unit of one of the Ufa hospitals.
The news reported that Rotaru had no scheduled concerts in Ufa. In the city she performed at one of the corporate events.
According to preliminary information, the singer’s condition worsened towards the end of the performance, after which she was called an ambulance and was urgently hospitalized.
Doctors were allegedly forbidden to say that Rotaru was in intensive care. It is noted that the “best” doctors in the region were called in to provide the necessary assistance, and also prepared “ special conditions».
Sofia Rotaru later commented on the news of her hospitalization. According to her, the day before she actually had some health problems, RIA Novosti reported.
At the same time, the artist thanked her fans for their support and care and added that she now feels fine.
Sofia Rotaru about relations between Russia and Ukraine
According to media reports, after the annexation of Crimea to Russia, Sofia Rotaru did not accept Russian citizenship. She herself later explained that she was registered in Kyiv, so she was not entitled to a Russian passport by law. At the same time, according to her, she would not refuse to give her Russian passport Putin. “You won’t need to apply for a work permit,” Sofia explained.
On the Rotaru website you can read her appeal to the people of Ukraine, made in January 2014 during Euromaidan. In it, Sofia appealed “to everyone to stop the violence.” “All parties to the conflict have an obligation to hear each other and find a peaceful solution.” Requests regarding further developments, in particular, there is no conflict in Donbass on Sofia Rotaru’s website.
The photo that the singer’s son posted in 2014 caused a lot of noise. Ruslan Evdokimenko, in which Sofia, holding a yellow-blue flag, and her family congratulated the country on Independence Day. The son signed the photo on the social network with the odious nationalist greeting “Glory to Ukraine.”
Rotaru herself, in an interview with Life, noted that she simply congratulated the people of Ukraine on this holiday, as she “congratulated Russia many times or Uzbekistan and other countries of the former Soviet Union.” Sofia even said that she “had a desire to take a photo with two flags - Russia and Ukraine and write: “I am for the friendship of peoples.” However, she suppressed this desire.
IN last years Sofia Rotaru does not perform concerts in Russia. Its director Sergey Lavrov explains this by saying that the singer does not want to participate in “political intrigues.” “She does not give interviews, although she is offered substantial fees for televised confession at home. She categorically does not want this, because if her interview appears on television in Russia, then in Ukraine she will be torn apart. Unfortunately, she became a victim of the political situation...”, the media quoted Lavrov as saying.
At the same time, and during the period of aggravation of Russian-Ukrainian relations, Sofia Rotaru visited Russia, in 2015 she participated in New Year's concert on one of Russian TV channels and spoke at the 70th anniversary of the Rosatom corporation in the Kremlin.
In the summer of 2017, a creative evening dedicated to Sofia Rotaru’s 70th anniversary was held as part of music festival"Heat" in Baku. There, Rotaru was congratulated by many Russian colleagues, the organizer of the festival Grigory Leps made a cover of the song “I loved him”, Glucose covered the hit “Luna, Moon”. Rotaru herself sang her famous songs “Chervona Ruta”, “One Viburnum”, “The Sky is Me”. Sofia performed “Melancolie” with her sister Aurika, and “Khutoryanka” with Potapom and Nastya Kamensky.
Income of Sofia Rotaru
Sofia Mikhailovna has a business in Crimea. Rotaru opened its hotel “Villa Sofia” in the most prestigious area of Yalta, the so-called “New City”, at the beginning of 2009. Rotaru is also the owner of a small “gingerbread house” in the village of Nikita (7 km from Yalta).
Ukrainian Forbes in 2015 included Sofia Rotaru in the rating of “25 most expensive and popular stars of Ukraine.”
At the same time, the singer's sister Lydia Khlyabich in the same 2015, she said that due to problems with concerts in Russia, Sofia Rotaru had to cut expenses and “she is already counting the money.” Khlyabich also complained about the small number of vacationers at the Rotaru Hotel in Yalta.
Now Sofia Rotaru lives in Kyiv, in her house in the prestigious suburb of Koncha-Zaspa.
Personal life of Sofia Rotaru
Sofia Rotaru has a large family that supports her in difficult life moments. In 1968, Sofia married Anatoly Evdokimenko, and in 1970, their son Ruslan was born.
Sofia Rotaru’s husband, Anatoly Evdokimenko, died prematurely of a stroke in 2002. The singer took his loss seriously.
Relatives help Rotaru in his work: son Ruslan is the singer’s concert producer, and daughter-in-law Svetlana is a creative director and stylist.
Rotaru's granddaughter Sofia (Sonya) goes in for horse riding and modeling business. Ukrainian news reported that in 2017, Sofia graduated from her studies in Kyiv and entered a private school in England. Rotaru’s granddaughter studied vocals and can follow in her grandmother’s footsteps.
Anatoly, Rotaru's grandson, studied fashion photography at London's Central St. Martin's College of Art and Design. The young man is also mastering the profession of graphic designer and music producer.
On the eve of her anniversary (the singer turned 70 on August 7, 2017), Rotaru flew to rest with her family: her son Ruslan Evdokimenko, his wife Svetlana and grandchildren - Sofia and Anatoly to Italy.
Sofia Rotaru's daughter-in-law published many photos of their vacation on her microblog. In one of them, Svetlana Evdokimenko showed the singer without hair and makeup. Fans of the artist noted that even without makeup, Sofia Rotaru looks no worse than when stylists and makeup artists work on her.
Let's add that, according to her, the singer stays in great shape: sports, healthy eating, a positive attitude towards life and love for people.
