The Marseille group are young guys, but already winners of many famous music awards (from the Muz-TV Award to the Golden Gramophone) with the hits “No matter how much people say”, “Where”, “This song is for you” "and many others. Everything is fine with them and personal life. Stepan Ledkov is 27, he has been happily married for a long time - he and his wife have been together for nine years, their daughter recently turned one year old, and their son turned seven. A story like a fairy tale? Let's find out how we managed to make it come true!
Ekaterina, you are an active businesswoman, combining work as an art director in two top bars in St. Petersburg with the role of a loving wife and mother of two children. How do you do this?
It’s just that my whole life is a thrill! (Laughs). I treat her like she's big interesting game, including with difficult situations, from which there is always a way out. My family is also my team! We're all in this together! Everyone, from the littlest Adriana (the one-and-a-half-year-old daughter of Stepan and Ekaterina - editor's note) to our nanny, takes part in my development, in my work. And I owe it to my family that I do what I love. It is the support and help of my family that gives me the strength to manage to do a lot. Children are my main motivation active life. I am 25, my son Dana is already 7 years old and he comes up with names for new dishes or some ideas for a restaurant. The truth speaks through the mouth of a baby. His ideas sometimes bring me into a state of complete delight. They are so simple and so brilliant, and I hadn’t thought of it before.
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How does your husband feel about you working so much?
Stepa is mine best friend, my beloved person, my husband, my colleague, my world. We carry out all our projects together, and without him I would not have achieved anything at all and would not have been able to produce results in such quantities. He is talented and very creative person, in addition to being the frontman of the Marseille group, he is a professional media designer, an excellent copywriter and an excellent organizer. He is a director by education, a singer and composer by vocation, and a father by nature. I married a completely unique person. And he, just like me, enjoys the fact that we do everything together.
Do you agree that often “the family boat breaks in everyday life”? What to do to prevent this from happening?
Agree. The fact is that most married couples limited by stereotypes that a family consists of a wife who sits at home with the children and a husband who is at work from morning to evening. He is sure that his wife does nothing all day long, and she believes that no one helps her with anything. This is probably how 70 percent of married couples with children live. If you look at it more broadly, we meet our loved ones being carefree, beautiful, free and in love. There are no frames, no restrictions. There is only one way out. Remain in this state always. Find time for love and do not forget what connected you. There must be common interests. Without them there can be no relationship.
Do you like doing housework?
Oh yeah! But because I’m so busy, I won’t lie, most often my house is a mess. (Smiles). Let's call it creative. (Laughs)
Is there one chore that always calms you down?
Cooking definitely calms me down and makes me completely happy. I love coockie so much! I teach children and enjoy myself. And she even taught her husband to cook. I involved him in this matter. Now he makes me happy with his dinners, proudly serving a new dish every time.
Which Appliances Does your home particularly make your life easier?
Vacuum cleaner! Brilliant invention! (Laughs). Well, if we talk about what is most often used, this is, of course, a refrigerator, stove and kettle.
Is there any chore that your husband enjoys doing?
In general, my husband can always clean up the house very quickly and efficiently. I don’t know how he does it, but it may only take him 20 minutes and... the house is already clean. And he can very quickly find any lost item. (Smiles)
Do you involve your children and other household members in cleaning the house, tending the garden, and preparing meals?
Everyone helps. Our daughter already understands what it means to wash, vacuum, wipe off dust and put things away after herself. Danya can wash dishes with ease, and together with her sister they really like to learn how to cook. Nanny Marina is the most important assistant, a person to whom I am immensely grateful for the fact that she is always with us. When I come home, I thank God for such a wonderful nanny for my children and for her understanding. She helps a lot.
The trick is to turn cleaning into exercise. This good motivation- do everything efficiently and quickly, and most importantly, with benefit! (Laughs).
What makes an ordinary person popular? Why do many Internet users begin to closely monitor the life of another person who is not a show business star, media personality or socialite, subscribing to his page on social networks or public pages? Sometimes even those responsible for universal love and admiration cannot give an exact answer.
Katya Klein does not consider herself a social media star, but she has many more subscribers than some celebrities. She is an ordinary girl from St. Petersburg who once did not hesitate to tell her own story on Instagram. In today's material, the reader will learn everything and even more about Katya. But first, a few words about the childhood of the popular “baby”.
Who is this famous girl?
Katya Klein was born in the most beautiful city in the world of St. Petersburg. There were two children in the family, the girl has brother. Katya's parents were employees of the tax service, where they met. Of course, when you grow up in a place where there are white nights and a lot of clubs, you are drawn into the atmosphere of fun and communication like a funnel. This happened with Katya too. In her interviews, she recalls her crazy youth, partying until dawn and other joys of her growing up.
The girl was never different from others, rather the opposite. Her height was only 1 cm, and her weight was about 65 kg. Perhaps these parameters would not matter if they did not belong to today's heroine. Katya Klein was affectionately called little in the family, then this nickname firmly stuck to her.
One day, a work colleague told Katya that from now on she would call her “Klein” (from German word, meaning “small” in translation), because she doesn’t want to be like others. Everyone around the girl liked the new nickname, and they began to call her in a new way. This is exactly how the now famous pseudonym Klein appeared, which some people who are not familiar with the girl consider to be her real surname.
Background that led to popularity
As mentioned above, Katya Klein, with her short stature, weighed 65 kg. This didn't bother her until a certain point. In fact, the girl says that all her close people and circle of friends have always admired her appearance, including weight. It got to the point that Klein herself believed that everything with her forms was in perfect order and nothing needed to be changed.
One day, while taking a photo, Katya stood in an unusual position for herself and was horrified. According to the girl, what she saw in the picture left her in a slight shock. She realized that at not quite 25 years old she looked very plump, no matter how paradoxical it may sound. The girl decided to take on her figure and put her body in order at all costs. She didn’t know where to start and how to achieve the desired results until she accidentally came across Olga Marquez’s note, which completely changed Katya Klein’s worldview.
Weight Loss School
So what happened to Katya Klein? Everything is quite simple, she took a six-week course at Olga Marcel’s Weight Loss School, and filmed the entire transformation process on her phone. Then the girl posted a photo on social network by telling your weight loss story. That's when it all started. The number of subscribers began to increase day by day, thousands of comments began to pour in, which the girl did not have time to respond to. Katya Klein recalls this moment with a smile on her face, saying that she was absolutely unprepared for such a human “attack” and the popularity that fell on her.
The girl notices that many of her subscribers, seeing the rapid weight loss, often asked the question of what Katya Klein was sick with, and even offered to help. Katya was very touched that there are so many caring people in the world. Then there was another wave of excitement on her page on the social network, which occurred during the girl’s second pregnancy. Klein published a post where she told her many followers that she would soon become a mother for the second time.
Personal life
Katya Klein now bears the surname of her second husband Stepan Ledkov, who is creative personality. He is a singer in the popular St. Petersburg group "Marseille". The girl met him in 2004 at a night party at the Tunnel club. She was not yet married then and enjoyed her youth to the fullest, just like her current husband. By the way, he had a rather unstable reputation at that time: he loved to fight and cause trouble. For such, to put it mildly, uncultured behavior, he was banned from entering almost all clubs in St. Petersburg.
It was for this reason that the acquaintance of Klein and Ledkov did not continue, without having time to begin properly, although the young people liked each other. Fate separated them for several years. During this time, Katya managed to get married and give birth to a son, Danya, and Stepan met a girl and lived with her for quite a long time.
Breakup with first husband and wedding with second
Katya Klein’s first husband was a great man, but the characters of the young people, according to the girl, were completely different. Problems arose in the relationship between the spouses, and it came to divorce. Then Katya devoted a lot of time to the social network VKontakte, and one day she received a letter from Stepan Ledkov. The girl was delighted to see her old acquaintance and answered him with great pleasure. The conversation lasted more than 8 hours, and then the guys spent almost every night on the Internet, communicating with each other.
After several months of correspondence they met. It happened on Valentine's Day at the Big Love Show. The guys have been together since then. Having lived together for more than 6 years and given birth to a daughter, Adriana, Katya Klein and Stepan Ledkov got married and went on a romantic trip to Thailand. By the way, in many publications you can find information that the couple has two children together. This is only partly true, because Ledkov is not Dana’s own father, although, according to Katya, the man is raising him as his own.
Favorite work of Katya Klein
In St. Petersburg in May 2013, the opening of a club took place, in which, according to the management’s plan, people should gather music lovers, Tasty food, communication and wine. The name of the restaurant is PMIbar. Katya Klein is the art director of the establishment. She takes pride in her work and puts her whole heart into what she loves. The girl admits that she fell in love with this place as soon as she crossed its threshold: a huge area (about 500 sq. m), several halls, 3 floors, a terrace, an exclusive interior, original cuisine - I want to offer and advertise all this. Klein says that he also plays a place special role. PMIbar is located on the embankment of the Moika River in St. Petersburg. Relatives see that dramatic changes have occurred in Katya Klein. She became infected with the idea and goes to work every day with great pleasure.
Girl's hobbies
Katya Klein leads a fairly active lifestyle. On weekends, she and her husband often spend time sports activities. They can be found riding bikes around the park, and in winter the couple often goes snowboarding. Big love Klein is an Infinity car. She takes a lot of photos for her subscribers while driving.
By the way, recently followers were seriously worried, believing that something irreparable had happened to Katya Klein. All because of a post published by the girl herself, where she admitted that it was her own fault that she ended up in car accident. Fortunately, nothing bad, much less tragic, happened, Katya assures everyone. However, she is upset that she dented her beloved car a little.
Attitude to life
Katya Klein noted in one of her interviews that she is first and foremost a mother and loving wife, who will always and in absolutely any situation support her loved ones, and then an art director and a celebrity. She is baptized and believes in God and fate. She is involved in charity work and has helped many children who are terminally ill. In general, Katya Klein is afraid of illnesses and often asks the Almighty for help.
Having many followers who closely follow her life, she does not consider herself a star at all. Her opinion on this matter is: “I absolutely a common person, but my husband is a star. I really hate going shopping with him, the fans are overwhelming." It is worth saying that, having chosen the right way In terms of nutrition, Klein and her husband encouraged this. Now the couple eats healthy together and they both look great.
The leader of the "Marseille" group manages to raise children with his wife Ekaterina Klein, manage restaurant business and actively tour with concerts throughout Russia. The musician spoke in our interview about how Vladivostok turned into our Hong Kong and why the most soulful songs are written in St. Petersburg.
I'm an internet addict! Absolutely dependent ( laughs). I am talking to you through a gadget, in my other hand there is a second gadget. Yes, I'm always online. If I'm suddenly not online, consider me dead. ( laughs)
Don't you get bored?
Honestly, no. All my work is based on the Internet. Not only music, but also our establishments with Katya. I remember when we opened Hands Up Bar, Katya came up with mobile chats with all the employees. Gradually, we switched to such mini-dialogues: one with staff, another with co-founders, and a third with sponsors. And it turned out to be much more convenient than all these long email correspondences, with a bunch of copies, replays and other things. You just hold your iPhone in your hand, and you have all the necessary chats; you ask a question and instantly receive an answer. The whole world moves around us at such an unreal speed that it simplifies the process of work.
And who brought whom to the Internet - you your spouse or she you?
It's even hard to remember. Katya was the first on VKontakte, and I was the first on Twitter. I didn’t even have a gadget then, and I posted on Twitter from a desktop computer!
You tour extensively and actively within the country. Tell us about the most impressive places in our Motherland.
Just recently we discussed with friends that in Russia there are so many beautiful places, which can give a head start abroad. You will laugh, but our recent tour in Vladivostok made an impression. Another world, absolutely. The city seems to be a couple of years ahead of St. Petersburg and even Moscow. Such an absolute future. I think the reason for this is the proximity to China, which is why there is such a large amount of technology, electronics, the whole city sparkles in LEDs, which I have not seen either in Moscow or St. Petersburg. At night, Vladivostok is Hong Kong! There are practically no Russian cars there, imagine. What's the matter? Imagine how much it costs to bring a domestic car to Vladivostok.
Are they all right-hand drive?
There's even one there folk sign: a person’s well-being is judged not by the make of his car, but by the location of the steering wheel. If you have a left-hand drive, you are most likely wealthy and have driven your car.
Or the Russian North, where I come from, also makes an impression. About five or six years ago, a group and I visited my hometown Naryan-Mar. Imagine, when you fly over the tundra, from an airplane it looks like absolute Mars: swamps and deserts, the whole earth is cut by lakes and rivers. It feels like you're landing on a shuttle. I remember later I arranged for my friends a trip to the tundra, when you realize that for many kilometers away there is nothing but endless expanses. This is what really blows your mind.
The south of our country is a completely different story. Probably few people have not been there, but the south of Russia is not only Sochi, Anapa, Gelendzhik with beach traders who offer to buy boiled corn. If possible, you need to explore the mountains and look at the landscape.
What about Moscow and St. Petersburg?
I am an ardent fan of St. Petersburg. I have always said and continue to say: no matter how much my wife, who was born in Leningrad, persuaded us to move to Moscow because of the opportunities, I love St. Petersburg. I have a calm attitude towards Moscow, I love it, but I go there to work. I'm not ready to live in it, the main reason is the atmosphere. It’s not there, the atmosphere necessary for creativity, songs are not born in my soul there. Just look at how cold the creativity of most Moscow artists is. All the soulful songs that are remembered for centuries, they were all written in St. Petersburg.
As for the fans, in Moscow they are very lively and open. By the way, we noticed it a long time ago - when we were still performing with “Assai” in Moscow. We then came to the famous but now defunct club “Ikra” for the first time, and I was literally amazed by the difference in fans in Moscow. Apparently, the city has more and less chances to meet this person on the street: people open up, behave detachedly, they don’t care about anyone and they have a blast with all their hearts.
With such an active touring schedule as you described, how do you manage to stay in touch with your family and loved ones?
We cope with such separations absolutely normally - the phone helps. We are already accustomed to calling or texting friends and relatives. This year the Marseille group turns 10 years old! By the way, on October 2 we will play on stage A2 anniversary concert- it will be live in every sense: both musically and emotionally.
At this moment, Stepan interrupts the conversation and asks to wait a little. On background audible child's voice and Styopa’s clear answer: “Hold the phone and call your mom!” You already know how to do it."
Styopa, now I can’t help but ask, are your children connected to the Internet?
Honestly? Yes. Danya is generally big, I wouldn’t let him go to school without a phone, although I’m still trying to go see him off, despite the safe area. Katya and I are generally democratic parents, and we understand that gadgets are already a necessity.
An unpleasant situation occurred with a member of the Marseille group, Stepan Ledkov: the 27-year-old artist almost died during a flight from Barcelona to St. Petersburg. The artist became ill last Saturday: with a high temperature, Stepan boarded the airliner with his wife Ekaterina Ledkova. During the flight, the performer’s condition only worsened, and he asked the attendants for water. However, airline representatives completely ignored the singer's request.
— Stepa was very ill, her stomach hurt and she had a fever. Poisoning or acclimatization - we could not understand what was wrong with him. In Spain, they don’t even give you herbs to brew soothing herbs without a prescription; there was no time to see a doctor,” Stepan Ledkov’s wife told SUPER. — At 23:00 we boarded the plane , Styopa was already very bad. They took off. Here we simply find ourselves in a giant air hole and are in free fall for 2-3 seconds, after which we are violently shaken, naturally, my husband is getting worse from nerves, fear and pressure drop. A flight attendant passed by, I stopped her and explained that my husband was very ill, he had poisoned himself, and he urgently needed water. She shook her head and walked forward. I decided that she had gone for water, turned around and realized that she was standing and sorting out croissants, cans and other food. I asked again, and again, and again. But the girl stood stupidly and smiled, letting me know that she would not bring water. I asked her exactly 15 times, and so did the people who were sitting closer.
However, after the girl’s persistent requests, her husband was not helped.
- IN In the end, the husband found the strength to get up and walk to the stewards area and, losing consciousness, he literally yelled at the entire plane that he felt bad and needed water. Another steward (before that he was in another part of the plane) realized what was happening, gave us ice water and sent us to our seat, charging 10 euros for all this. After that, not a single person asked how the person on board was feeling, and at the exit of the plane we were not even greeted by a doctor.
The victim himself is extremely outraged by the indifference of the employees of the Spanish low-cost airline Vueling, on whose flight he and his wife were returning to St. Petersburg.
- I almost died on the plane! And none of the Vueling airline service personnel wanted to help me,” SUPER Stepan Ledkov was indignant. “Not only did they not provide medical assistance, but they couldn’t bring me simple water!” I even offered them money, but they still refused to help me. As a result, I almost fainted. Then the passengers stood up and began to be indignant: “The man feels bad, but you don’t even react, you don’t try to help him.” We fly a lot, but this is the first time we have encountered such an attitude towards passengers! If we were flying Aeroflot, I’m sure they would have helped me right away.
- WINNERS OF THE GOLDEN GRAMOPHONE PRIZE 2009, 2010
- “No matter how much,” “Where” and “This Song is for You” made it into the top 100 most played songs in Russia.
- The clip “How Much” and “Where Where” are in rotation on the channels MTV, RuTV, Muz-TV and many others.
- Listen to us on: Love Radio, HitFm, Russian Radio, Dfm, Record, Mayak, Humor FM, Kino FM, Fresh Radio, First Popular, Europe Plus, Metro.... And also more than 100 stations in Russia and the CIS.
In 2005, students of St. Petersburg State University Culture and Arts (SPbGUKI) Mitya Blinov and Zhenya Babenko gathered a team to participate in one of the student song competitions. The day before, Mitya almost walked past the notice posted near the dean’s office. I came back and decided that I needed to gather my friends and try.
The guys invited their classmate, a student of the “non-musical” faculty - directing and production - Styopa Ledkov, to play the role of vocalist. And all because Styopa had already managed to earn local fame among his dorm neighbors, singing his own songs in the smoking room with a guitar. For the competition, the guys made arrangements for two compositions, one of which - “To the South” - would later appear on the soundtrack of the hit film “We are from the Future” (2008).
"Presentation" competitive program The group took place in the Anna cafe, and the next day the guys already took the stage in front of the “grand jury” at the Rossi club. And the very first competition brought success to the boys.
The club management invited Marseille to perform in one of concert programs. And immediately on professional terms. The promoters immediately realized that the guys could do more with their music than with any other musical activity. They asked only one thing - play. They played. Both at student parties and in clubs in St. Petersburg.
In 2007, the Marseille group performed at the “Live the Music!” competition, the jury of which was headed by famous musician and producer Sergei Zhukov.
He was so impressed by the guys’ victory that he not only gave them a prize - a cooler bag with plates, which Styopa still keeps at home - but also offered to work together. The festival organizers promised the winners to also finance the recording of the album and the shooting of the video. But according to Russian tradition, at the last moment it turned out that there was no money.
The group "Marseille" performed in the finals of the "Five Stars" competition.
But Marseille participated in the selection on a general basis. Moreover, until the very last moment It was not clear whether “Marseille” would be accepted into the competition or whether their place would be taken by artists more experienced in behind-the-scenes intrigue. Joseph Kobzon and Larisa Dolina stood up for the guys.
On the page of the official website of Vipartist you can familiarize yourself with the history of the creation of the Marseille group, watch photos and new video clips, and use the specified contact numbers to invite the St. Petersburg group Marseille with a concert to your event. You can order a performance by the Marseille group for a holiday or other celebration.
