Sofia Rotaru - famous Russian singer and an actress whose repertoire includes at the moment more than 500 songs in 11 languages. Sounding surname The legendary performer is actually a pseudonym that Edita Piekha came up with for her.
Since childhood, Sofia bore the surname Rotar, which was quite common in her homeland, so Piekha, already famous by that time, advised her to add French notes to her name. This is how a name was born that was later destined to be recognized by the whole world.
Looking at the singer shining with beauty and happiness on stage, it is difficult to guess how old Sofia Rotaru is. However, Sofia Mikhailovna does not hide her data - her height, weight, age is known to everyone.
Rotaru was born on August 7, 1947 (she is currently 70 years old) and with a height of 170 cm, weighs 68 kg. Interestingly, by mistake the singer’s date of birth was registered on August 9, so she celebrates her birthday twice.
Biography and personal life of Sofia Rotaru
Motherland famous singer– village Marshyntsi, Chernivtsi region. Sofia Rotaru jokes that she has been involved with music since childhood, saying that “only her pacifier prevented her from singing.” However, talent future singer really manifested itself since early years: from seven Rotaru sang in the church choir, then performed Moldavian folklore in an amateur art group, learned to play the musical instruments. At the local school, the girl was a real celebrity: in addition to the fact that Sofia had an amazingly beautiful soprano voice, she also won athletics competitions and was fond of theater.
However, Rotaru found her true calling already at the age of fifteen: in 1962, she won first at the city amateur competition, then at the regional show, and then was sent to the Republican Festival of Folk Talents, where she was again recognized as the best. At the age of seventeen, success had already found a talented Moldavian woman: they predicted a future for her famous singer, was called the “Bukovinian nightingale”, and her photo graced the cover of the magazine “Ukraine”.
Rotaru studied at the Chernivtsi Music College. 1968 was a busy year for Rotaru important events: after performing at the Festival of Youth and Students, she was even praised by Lyudmila Zykina herself. That same year, Rotaru married Anatoly Evdokimenko immediately after graduating from college.
The singer's fame grew quickly - in 1971 she was given her first role in the film Chervona Ruta. Rotaru's film debut was successful: she became famous in Ukraine and got a job with the Chernivtsi Philharmonic.
However, in 1975, Sofia Rotaru was forced to move with her family to Yalta due to oppression by the authorities. But this test did not break the singer: exactly a year later she received the title People's Artist Ukrainian SSR. It is noteworthy that Rotaru became a People's Artist of the USSR much later in 1988. By this time, she had already starred in a number of famous films and began singing songs almost entirely in Russian.
It was then that Sofia Mikhailovna stopped performing in the Chervona Ruta ensemble and began her solo career. The title of a singer on a republican scale did its job: Rotaru was constantly invited to concerts, famous directors offered roles in films. Rotaru devoted more and more time to work every day, which was reflected in her appearance: the singer looked haggard and emaciated. This is what gave rise to numerous rumors that Rotaru was sick with tuberculosis, to which after some time asthma was added, and Sofia Mikhailovna’s move to Crimea was allegedly necessary for her treatment. Rotaru hid her lung problems, combining intensive treatment with work, but the famous singer’s vocal cords were damaged and betrayed her illness. At that time, she was actively acting in films where her voice had to be replaced by voice-over: the disease had changed it so much. However, Rotaru was able to cope with this test: after some time, the singer finally regained her health.
In the 90s, a new round began in the work of Sofia Rotaru. In 1991, the singer appeared on stage with the album “Caravan of Love. The singer radically changes her image: she cuts her hair and makes it fashionable bouffant hairstyle, and instead folk costumes puts on extravagant fashionable trousers. Performing hard rock on the stages of huge halls, the singer finds herself in new wave popularity. The author of the new image of Sofia Rotaru was Alexander Stefanovich, director of the film “Soul”, in the filming of which the singer took part at that time. The film’s script seemed to be written for Sofia Rotaru, who then underwent surgery on her vocal cords: the story was about a singer losing her voice. It should be noted that the film caused a great resonance in the public not only because of the almost autobiographical plot, because many said that the main role in it was originally supposed to belong to Alla Pugacheva. However, due to a break in relations and a quarrel with Stefanovich, the role of the singer leaving the stage went to the young and charming Sofia.
This story became the reason for new rumors about the two Prima Donnas hating each other. Alla Pugacheva and Sofia Rotaru, who started musical career at approximately the same age and being almost the same age, they were always considered irreconcilable rivals. Many noticed that the singers did not perform together at any concert, which the performers themselves explained by conflicting tour schedules.
However, the myth of the long-standing enmity almost dispelled on Alla Borisovna’s 60th birthday, at which Sofia Rotaru sincerely congratulated her right on stage, and then the singers, hugging and kissing like old friends, together performed the hit “They Won’t Catch Up with Us.”
Family and children of Sofia Rotaru
Sofia Rotaru grew up in a poor family, where in addition to her there were six more children. The love of music was in the blood of everyone in the family: in the evenings, under the guidance of her father, who had excellent hearing and voice, Sofia and her brothers and sisters sang Moldovan folk songs in chorus.
Sofia was the eldest daughter in the family, after Zina became blind from illness, so most of the difficult household responsibilities fell on her shoulders. The singer often recalls selling greens at the market as a child, and still considers trading a difficult craft. Rotaru's older sister Zina, whose hearing had developed greatly due to loss of vision, taught the girl to truly hear and feel music, and also to sing in Russian.
Sofia Rotaru's husband - Anatoly Evdokimenko
The love story of Sofia Rotaru and her husband Anatoly Evdokimenko is similar to the plot of a film: downloading military service the young man accidentally saw a photograph of the aspiring singer in the magazine “Ukraine” and fell in love at first sight. By an amazing coincidence, Evdokimenko also passionately loved music and even during his service he did not part with his favorite instrument - the trumpet, playing in the army orchestra. This is what helped him find the key to the heart of young Sofia: upon returning home, Anatoly founded the Chervona Ruta ensemble, where he invited his beloved as a soloist. Rotaru agreed, and two years later she married Evdokimenko.
Sofia Mikhailovna recalls her own wedding with a smile: “We celebrated modestly, for two hundred people.” The celebration was a real mixture of cultures and peoples: on the one hand, the poor Moldovan family of Rotaru, and on the other, the wealthy relatives of the Ukrainian Evdokimenko. But despite these and many other differences, young people for many years connected not only by love for each other, but by a passion for music, a common cause and sincere friendship and respect. The only reason for disagreement, however, almost became the “creative brainchild” of the newlyweds: the ensemble “Chervona Ruta” for a long time could not “get out” of the Chernivtsi region regional philharmonic society, which hurt the ambitious Anatoly and forced him to completely immerse himself in work, while Sofia dreamed of a family.
Sofia Mikhailovna admits that she even had to lie to her husband about an early pregnancy in order to persuade him to have children, but a little deception only did good: soon the couple had their desired son, Ruslan.
The happy marriage of Rotaru and Evdokimenko lasted for thirty long years, but in 2002 Anatoly passed away. His death was an irreparable loss for Sofia Mikhailovna; she did not stop mourning all year, not appearing on stage or at social events. The first concert that Rotaru gave, appearing again in public after a while, was dedicated to the memory of her late husband.
Now the famous singer is a widow, but the beauty and success of this woman makes many men dream of her. Sofia Mikhailovna's most famous admirer was Nikolai Baskov. At one of the joint concerts after a joint performance of the song “I will find my love” famous singer confessed his love to Rotaru and proposed his hand and heart. Sofia Mikhailovna's answer was simple and unambiguous: there will be no other love in her life except her late husband.
Son of Sofia Rotaru - Ruslan Evdokimenko
In 1971 life married couple Anatoly and Sofia were illuminated by the birth of their first child. Despite the prevailing stereotypes, the birth of Ruslan did not put an end to the careers of his parents: Sofia and Anatoly only continued to work with renewed vigor.
Their efforts soon paid off: the Chervona Ruta ensemble gained enormous fame in the USSR, and the couple were constantly traveling around the country. Sofia Mikhailovna admits that she devoted little time to raising her son, in which her brothers and sisters provided her with invaluable help. In addition, for the sake of her career, Rotaru had to give up having a second child, for which she sincerely considers herself guilty in front of her only son.
Where is Sofia Rotaru now - latest news
“Where did Sofia Rotaru go?” - fans of the famous singer ask themselves. After celebrating her 70th birthday, which Sofia Mikhailovna celebrated in Baku, she began to appear on stage less and less often. The most striking of her recent performances were participation in creative evening Ruslana Kvita and in the festival “Heat”. According to the singer, now she is trying to spend as much time as possible with her family, but the singer does not plan to say goodbye to the stage.
Much is known about the descendants of the famous singer: her granddaughter Sonya inherited the beauty of her grandmother and has been involved in modeling for many years, appearing for Russian and foreign magazines. Grandson Anatoly studies in London and is interested in design and photography, and niece Sofia (Sonya Kay) is an increasingly popular singer.
Sofia Rotaru with and without makeup photo
Surprisingly, at 70 years old, Sofia Rotaru looks much younger than many stars Russian stage. Many fans wonder why she doesn’t age, because Rotaru is older in age than her famous rival Alla Pugacheva, but at the same time she looks much fresher. Rotaru herself says that she has been watching her diet all her life and regularly plays sports, but she does not deny that she also resorts to help plastic surgeon and had several surgeries to correct her face and body.
Death of Sofia Rotaru - true or not?
IN lately False information has spread across the Internet that Sofia Rotaru died in the Maldives. According to distributors, the cause of death is sunstroke, causing complications after plastic surgery. However, these data were not confirmed and were only rumors.
Instagram and Wikipedia Sofia Rotaru
Instagram and Wikipedia of Sofia Rotaru are updated every year with new facts and interesting details from the life of a star. The singer spends a lot of time with her family and therefore often posts social networks photographs with an adult son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren - 16-year-old Sofia and 23-year-old Anatoly. In all the photographs, Sofia Mikhailovna shines with health and beauty, forcing millions of fans to admire her not only on stage, but also in life.
So, Sofia Mikhailovna celebrated her 70th birthday with a bright photo in her profile: she, surrounded by her family, is flying on a plane to vacation in Sardinia. Other famous photos of the star include pictures from a beach in the Maldives, where the fit and tanned singer poses under palm trees in a bright swimsuit under a white blouse. The photographs caused real delight among subscribers: even at her age, Sofia Mikhailovna looks like a girl.
Yesterday the legendary singer Sofia Rotaru turned 70 years old. The day before, Sofia Mikhailovna flew with her family to Italy on a private plane. On the holiday, the birthday girl had a photo shoot wearing an embroidered shirt from designer Vita Kin. The price of such a dress is about 40 thousand UAH, and you will have to wait about three weeks for your order.
Russian presenter Ksenia Sobchak, singer Jamal, First Lady of Ukraine Marina Poroshenko and many other world celebrities have embroidered shirts from the Vita Kin brand in their closets.
Rotaru chose for herself a long, bright dress, yellow, and put sneakers on her feet. The artist looks very good: a toned figure and a great mood. Together with the star, her family is vacationing at the Porto Cervo resort in Sardinia (Italy): son Ruslan and his wife Svetlana, as well as their children - 16-year-old Sonya and 23-year-old Anatoly.
“This is a compromise solution. After all, if Sofia Mikhailovna decided to celebrate her anniversary in Russia, then they would be offended by her in Ukraine. And if she organizes a banquet in home country, - millions of Russian fans will harbor a grudge. That is why Sofia Mikhailovna chose sunny Baku for her public birthday celebration. And she will celebrate her anniversary with her family on the island of Sardinia,” explained the singer’s director Sergei Lavrov to Komsomolskaya Pravda journalists.
Sofia Rotaru with her grandchildren, photo: instagram.com
What does the family do?
It is interesting that relatives help Rotaru in his work: son Ruslan is the singer’s concert producer, and daughter-in-law Svetlana is creative director and a stylist.
The grandchildren chose Rotaru for themselves creative professions: Sonya is involved in horse riding and modeling, and often travels abroad, in particular to France. Now the girl already has several shows in her portfolio, an advertising campaign for Poustovit and photo shoots for ELLE Ukraine.
And Anatoly, Rotaru’s grandson, studied fashion photography at London’s Central St. Martin’s College of Art and Design. The guy also masters specialties graphic designer and music producer.
Let us recall that Sofia Rotaru’s husband, Anatoly Evdokimenko, died prematurely from a stroke in 2002. The singer took his loss seriously.
Rotaru with his son Ruslan, photo: instagram.com
The singer's real estate: Crimea, Kyiv, Pyatikhatki
Singer Sofia Rotaru is the owner of a small “gingerbread house” in the village of Nikita (7 km from Yalta). Her cottage is located next to the famous Nikitsky Botanical Garden. The artist, who suffers from asthma, used to move here during the warm season, when it is difficult to breathe in Kyiv.
But now Sofia Rotaru rarely visits Crimea, at best - once a year. “Unfortunately, she is extremely rarely able to escape to Crimea and Villa Sofia. The reason is banal and simple: there is no air service, and getting there by car, as you understand, is not only long, but also extremely tiring,” he explained to reporters Sergey Lavrov
Rotaru's house on the South Coast, photo: Arkady Mann, "Country"
The star has a lot of greenery on her territory: palm trees, ivy, flowers. This mansion for Rotaru was built under the leadership of his son Ruslan.
Another Crimean property of the Rotaru family is located in the very center of Yalta. On the embankment, next to concert hall"Yubileiny", located boutique hotel "Villa Sofia". It is noteworthy that all rooms in the hotel are only luxury. The beach can be reached in just 2 minutes.
Hotel Rotaru on the Yalta embankment, photo: Arkady Mann, "Country"
"Strana" decided to book a room in the Sofia Rotaru hotel for the height of the holiday season. There are still rooms available for August. A day (August 11-12) for two costs 9,221 UAH for two with breakfast, an executive suite will cost 12,009 UAH.
In Kyiv, Sofia Rotaru has a four-room apartment in the center, which is located next to St. Sophia Cathedral. In many interviews, the star said that her concert outfits are stored here. But she lives in an estate outside the city. The huge mansion is located 22 kilometers from the capital - in Koncha-Zaspa, and more specifically in the village of Pyatikhatki.
Rotaru mansion in Pyatikhatki, photo: Izym Kaumbaev, “Country”
The singer's three-story house with an area of about 120 sq.m. is hidden behind a high concrete fence. It is also guarded by a watchman, and there are 24-hour CCTV cameras everywhere. A plot of about 20 acres of land is located in the middle of a coniferous forest.
Almost doesn't sing and travels a lot
Now Rotaru rarely appears on stage. In March, she performed at a creative evening for composer Ruslan Kvinta. Then Sofia Mikhailovna fell while singing the song “Autumn Flowers”.
Video: Youtube/Musartic Group
An equally pleasant surprise was her appearance on music festival“Heat” in Baku, where Rotaru pleased fans with her favorite hits.
According to the artist, preparation for this concert took her more than three months. Concert costumes were created for this show, arrangements were made, and new songs were recorded. “This is pleasant, but still a hassle. Of course, now I’ll try to find time to relax with my family. Let’s go travel,” she said in
How old is Sofia Rotaru? Probably, this question no, no, and indeed appears in our heads every time we see this unfading and full of vitality woman on stage, always keeping up with fashion. Is it true?
Section 1. How old is Sofia Rotaru? General information and stage name
World famous in Ukrainian origin Sofia Mikhailovna Rotaru lives today in two cities at the same time: in the capital Kyiv and in sunny Yalta.
The star comes from the village of Marshyntsi, in the Chernivtsi region. The biography of Sofia Rotaru is quite interesting, although little known, because the singer prefers not to dwell on the topic, protecting her loved ones from unnecessary attention.
It is known that she was not only child in the family, at famous actress there are two more brothers and three sisters. And not only Sofia Mikhailovna managed to shine on stage; her sisters Aurika and Lydia, as well as her brother Evgeniy, performed on the stage.
Her repertoire currently includes about five hundred famous songs, and Sofia Mikhailovna performs them in Russian, Ukrainian, Romanian, Moldavian, Polish, German, as well as Bulgarian, English and Spanish. She was the first singer who, in Soviet times, dared to sing recitative and use it as musical arrangement rhythm computer.
There was a slight confusion with the singer's name. Initially, her native village belonged to Romania, so Rotar was indicated in the surname line, and Sophia in the first name. Later, Edita Piekha advised the young performer to add the letter “y” to the end of her last name for euphony, and so a new star named Sofia Rotaru appeared on the stage.
Section 2. How old is Sofia Rotaru? The singer's creative path
Little Sonya already sang in the choir as a child and was actively involved in sports. Her father became her first music teacher. At school, Rotaru played the button accordion and domra, and took an active part in amateur performances. The regional folk talent competition, held in 1962, became the first step in the development of the singer’s career.
Another six years passed, Rotaru graduated from Chernivtsi music school. And in 1971 she was invited to work as part of the Chervona Ruta group. This entailed performances at various festivals and tours to other cities and countries. She was lucky to collaborate with such famous composers, like David Tukhmanov, Vladimir Ivasyuk, and Yuri Rybchinsky.
Since the 1970s, the songs performed by Sofia Mikhailovna have almost constantly become “Song of the Year” laureates. A little later, films with the participation of the famous singer were released. In the early 80s, Rotaru won an award for international competition and decides to radically change his image.
And a few years later, significant changes took place in the singer’s work.
Section 3. How old is Sofia Rotaru? Singer today: home, family, grandchildren
In August of this year, Rotaru turned 66, but her years have not stopped her from looking young and attractive. Sofia Mikhailovna does not consider herself a fan of noisy parties, so she prefers to celebrate her birthday at home, with her family.
She usually spends weekends and days off from touring surrounded by her closest people: her son Ruslan, daughter-in-law Svetlana, grandchildren Anatoly and Sofia. Unfortunately, the legal spouse of the star has been absent from this bright holiday for more than ten years. The fact is that Anatoly Evdokimenko passed away in 2002.
Sofia Rotaru has many fans, there is even a fan club where its members celebrate the birthday of their favorite singer on the night of August 6-7. At the end of the celebration, a crowd of fans goes to the mansion where Sofia Mikhailovna lives in order to leave gifts there.
Of course, we answered the question about how old Sofia Rotaru is. Now think about whether it’s worth talking about this at all, because it has long been known that a woman’s age depends not on the number in her passport, but on her state of mind. I would like this singer to delight us with her charm, charm and unique voice for many, many years to come.
The creative career of Sofia Rotaru is an example of unconditional success on the international stage and universal recognition. The singer's repertoire consists of 500 different songs in many languages. Back in Soviet era Sofia Rotaru was considered one of best singers modernity. To date talented woman often called the “golden voice of the country” and the “queen of the stage.”
Childhood and youth of the star
Sofia Mikhailovna Rotaru was born into a large family, in which besides herself there were five more children. The singer's birthday is August 7, 1947. The family lived in the village of Marshintsy, Chernivtsi region in Ukraine.
According to Sofia’s recollections, she took her first steps towards the stage thanks to her older sister, who taught her to sing. The girls' father also contributed a lot musical development babies. The man had a beautiful voice and perfect pitch.
At the age of seven, Sonya sang not only in the school folk song choir, but also performed as a soloist during church services, which threatened her with exclusion from the pioneer organization. Having Moldavian roots, Sonya felt a special attraction to the ancient chants of Moldova, which the girl sang in the evenings, picking up the accompaniment on the accordion.
Sonya was also attracted theatrical stage. The aspiring actress studied in a drama club.
In addition to creative activities, the girl was also interested in athletics and wrestling. Subsequently, the skills of the future singer helped her perform complex stunts in videos and films without the help of professional stuntmen.
What was the beginning creative path Sofia Rotaru
Since childhood, the girl participated in various music competitions. A truly resounding success overtook her in 1962 after a regional competition in amateur performances. It was thanks to this victory that young Sofia was able to perform at regional competition, where she also prevailed over her rivals.
After winning leading places at the shows, the budding talent Rotaru was waiting for a festival in Kyiv, where young singer won again. Based on the results of the competition, information about the successes of Sofia Rotaru appeared in a magazine, where a young man named Anatoly saw a photograph of the young artist. The man was in love with the singer at first sight, and was also captured by the idea of founding his own music group. Subsequently, the future husband of Sofia Rotaru did everything to ensure that his beloved had her own musical orchestra.
In 1964, the aspiring artist also performed at the Palace of Congresses in the Kremlin.
After graduating from school, Sonya finally made her choice future profession and so I went to study at the Chernivtsi Music College.
The singer's youth
After successfully graduating from music school, the singer decided to participate in a youth festival in Bulgaria, which took place in 1968. At this event, the singer became a gold medalist as the best performer of folk songs.
In the same year, Sofia married her admirer Anatoly. In the marriage of the young people, a boy, Ruslan, was born. Except significant changes his marital status, Rotaru devoted herself to teaching.
The singer is also known for her film roles. For example, in 1971 Rotaru starred in leading role in the Chervona Ruta project, which caused a lot of different discussions in society. Soon after the release of this film on the wide screen, Sofia founded her own musical ensemble and called it nothing less than “Chervona Ruta”. In addition, by that time the singer had a position at the Chernivtsi Philharmonic.
Regarding the activities of his musical ensemble, then the singer created for him in collaboration with composer Vladimir Ivasyuk. The musicians created many beautiful compositions that were distinguished by their unique folk style.
Thanks to her songs, as well as her unique performance style, Sofia quickly became famous during her tours in foreign countries. Everywhere the talented performer enjoyed dizzying success.
Soon the singer received the official title of Honored Artist of the Ukrainian Socialist Republic.
Since the 1970s, she has regularly won all kinds of music competitions.
Subsequently, the singer decides to continue her music education. In 1974, Sofia completed her studies at the Institute of Arts in Chisinau. After this, the young performer went to the Polish festival “Amber Nightingale”, where she became a well-deserved laureate among other participants. The first album was released during the same period. talented singer. The title of the album is quite simple: “Sofia Rotaru”.
In connection with political events, the singer and her orchestra moved to permanent residence in Yalta, where the artist immediately found her calling on the stage of the local philharmonic.
In 1976, Sofia became the owner of a new status for herself - People's Artist of the Ukrainian SSR. In addition, Sofia Rotaru now regularly participates in the filming of the New Year’s program “Blue Light,” which is a great honor for every talented singer and artist.
The singer also has another record called “Songs of Vladimir Ivasyuk Sung by Sofia Rotaru,” which was released in 1977.
After 2 years others come out creative work Rotaru:
Disc giant “Sofia Rotaru – Mu tenderness”;
“Only for you”;
"Sofia Rotaru".
Artistic achievements
In the 1980s, domestic audiences were able to admire the magnificent performance in the film “Where Are You, Love?”, in which she performed one of her songs and amazed with her bold stunt act - she rode along the coast on a motorcycle.
Soon after the release of the film, a record was released that contained all the musical compositions performed in the film.
Subsequently, actress Rotaru was in search of a new style, which she had never used before either on stage or in films. In particular, Sofia starred in a film with Makarevich and his team in the film “Soul”, and also began performing rock songs.
In 1983, the singer and her musical group managed to perform in Canada and even release a record there dedicated to his grand tour. After such a loud event that shocked the world Soviet stage, the singers for some time lost the opportunity to leave the borders of their country.
The singer released the album “Tender Melody” in 1984, which recalled the original image of the Soviet and Moldavian singer.
Subsequently, a Ukrainian song began to sound from the lips of all members of the Chervona Ruta ensemble. That's why Sofia Rotaru soon decides to change the team and begins collaborating with metropolitan musicians.
Released in the early 90s new album singer, which contains obvious elements of metal.
After Soviet Union broke up, the performer’s career, as if nothing had happened, continued with new albums and performances.
The singer earned such a status as “Man of the Twentieth Century” in Ukraine, and also became the owner of many other honorary titles and awards.
Details of the personal life of Sofia Rotaru
The singer entered into her only marriage - Anatoly Evdokimenko became her husband. Since then, the couple did not interrupt their relationship and lived together until Anatoly passed away. Sofia's legal husband became for her not only a faithful and caring life partner, but also a person who made a significant contribution to the development of the singer's career. Despite numerous trips around the country, as well as tours abroad, Rotaru did not feel abandoned, because she traveled everywhere accompanied by her husband, with whom they lived for more than 30 years.
The name of Sofia Rotaru is known to everyone, young and old. She is truly legendary singer. Not a single “Blue Light” or “Song of the Year” has passed without her participation for several decades.
Sofia was born into a Moldovan large family shortly after the end of the war. Her native village is Marshyntsi, in the Chernivtsi region. Everyone in the village and in her family sang, any holiday was accompanied by sonorous, folk songs. Her parents had magnificent, clear voices. Sonya has three more sisters and two brothers.
The father of the family went through the entire war as a machine gunner, took part in the capture of Berlin, and returned home only in 1946. My father’s surname began to sound like Rotar when last letter He replaced “u” with “b” after their village was annexed to Ukraine. Real name namely Rotaru.
Sonya was taught to sing mainly by her older sister Zina, who in childhood, having suffered from a serious illness, lost her sight, but did not lose her absolute pitch. Everyone in the family spoke Moldovan, but Zina herself, listening to the radio, learned Russian and taught it to the whole family.
Sonya helped her mother a lot with the housework, went with her to the market early in the morning, and worked in the field. She learned early on the hardships of rural labor, which helped her in the formation of her character and strength of personality. Sonya began singing from the 1st grade, she was a participant in both school and church choir. She also participated in a drama club and performed in amateur performances. She also adored sports, was fond of athletics, all-around events and, not without success, participated in regional Olympiads and sports competitions.
Start of a career
At the age of fifteen, she won a local amateur art competition, which is where her singing career began. A year later, she became the winner at the regional festival and was published on the cover of the magazine “Ukraine”. Even then they began to talk about her as a future celebrity. And the magazine “Ukraine” played an important role in her life; it was on its cover that her future husband Anatoly Evdokimenko, who also adored music, played the trumpet and dreamed of creating an ensemble, saw her.
After that, there were several more competitions, and after graduating from school, Sofia went to Chernivtsi to enter a music school. But the university did not have a vocal department, Sonya had to enroll in the conducting and choral department. And already at the age of 17 she performed on the stage of the Kremlin Palace of Congresses.
Soon Anatoly found her, met her and invited her to sing in the student pop orchestra, in which he himself was playing at that time. At first, her repertoire included only folk Moldavian and Ukrainian songs. Then the first pop song appeared - “Mama” by composer Bronevitsky.
At the age of 21, Sofia became a laureate of a youth festival in Bulgaria, taking first place. After graduating from music school, Sonya began teaching, which became a new discovery for her. Soon the newlyweds got married in their native village, and for their honeymoon they went to Novosibirsk, where the newly-made husband was sent to do an internship. He worked at the factory, and Sonya cooked food at home. They lived in a dormitory. But Sofia did not give up singing; she performed as a soloist in the evenings at a local club. So 3 months flew by.
Sofia Rotaru during her speech:
Sonya dreamed of a child, and Anatoly dreamed of a career. In addition, it was tight both with money and with living conditions. Therefore, the girl had to use a trick and say that she was already pregnant. The husband agreed, and Sonya became truly pregnant only after 2 months. And in due time, a son, Ruslan, was born, who was like two peas in a pod.
Despite the slight deception, Sofia does not regret her step, since then a series of tours began. In Chernivtsi they were met with an orchestra by all the musicians of the city, there were even fireworks.
Sofia Rotaru during the filming of the New Year's musical:
In 1971, the film “Chervona Ruta” was released with Sonya in the title role, and after its release she began working at the Chernivtsi Philharmonic. Soon the ensemble of the same name “Chervona Ruta” was created, led by Anatoly Evdokimenko. The group performed songs by composer and poet Vladimir Ivasyuk. This man perfectly felt and understood the artist’s soul, composed heartfelt songs just for her, which later became true pop classics. The ensemble became famous in Ukraine, the audience fell in love with Sofia, and in 1973 she received the title of Honored Artist of the Ukrainian SSR.
Since then, Rotaru’s songs have invariably become laureates of the “Song of the Year” competition. Many famous people began to write for her Soviet composers and songwriters. In 1975, Sofia moved to live in Yalta and began working as a soloist with the local philharmonic. She became a regular participant in New Year's " Blue lights", and a year later she received another title of People's Artist of the Ukrainian SSR. Her albums came out one by one. She performed songs on the best concert venues country, its popularity grew.
Sofia Rotaru on the set of her video:
Sofia was one of the first to decide to change the stage fashion of that time and began to sing in a trouser suit. In subsequent years, several films with her participation, as well as about herself, were released. She always performed all the stunts in films herself.
Sofia Rotaru and others famous artists on "Song of the Year":
In 1983, Sofia even released one album in Canada, where she also gave several concerts, but after that she and her entire team did not have the right to travel abroad for 5 years. And in 1986, the Chervona Ruta ensemble broke away from Sofia and Anatoly and decided to conduct independent activities. For the spouses, this was tantamount to betrayal. Having recovered from the shock, Sofia began her solo career. Soon she met the composer Vladimir Matetsky, who wrote her many hits. Sofia worked with the Matetsky-Shatrov tandem for the next 15 years. These were incredibly fruitful years. Her image and performance style have changed.
In the late 80s, Rotaru received the title of People's Artist of the USSR. In subsequent years, she was awarded many titles and prestigious awards. And after the collapse of the USSR, she did not lose her leading position on the domestic stage. By the early 2000s, she was recognized as the second most popular performer in the CIS.
Sofia Rotaru with her husband Anatoly Evdokimenko:
In 2002, her husband, Anatoly Evdokimenko, died from another, not the first, stroke. This was a real blow for the singer; they lived together for more than 30 years. Sofia canceled all concerts and filming for several months and stopped touring.
Sofia Rotaru with her family:
At the end of the same year, her album “ Snow Queen", she returned to the stage a year later. She dedicated the next album, “The Only One,” to her husband’s memory.
All the years of her work, Sofia Rotaru was a favorite performer in Russia and the CIS countries. She is still in great shape and looks great, despite the fact that doctors forbade her to undergo facial plastic surgery. Rotaru enjoys enormous prestige in musical circles. For the 40th anniversary creative activity in 2011 she gave several solo concerts in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
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