The singer's family was ready for her departure
The golden voice of Russia is gone - the popularly beloved singer Valentina Tolkunova left us at the age of 64. In recent weeks, doctors at the Botkin Hospital have spoken very carefully about the condition of their star patient: the cancer is in an advanced stage, one can only hope for a miracle. We hoped. But it didn't happen. The woman with a gentle voice, who gave us her tender songs - “Talk to me, Mom”, “Snub Noses”, “I’m Standing at a Stop”, was loved by all of Russia. Valentina Vasilievna died this morning.
Death is always a surprise and a shock, but the singer’s loved ones, who perfectly understood the seriousness of her diagnosis, were prepared for the fact that Tolkunova only had a few months left:
This happened this morning. Valentina Vasilievna had been seriously ill for a long time and, unfortunately, we were psychologically prepared for this,” said a member of the singer’s family in an interview with ITAR-TASS.
Valentina Vasilievna's last thoughts were about her loved ones. When Valentina Tolkunova was transferred to intensive care on Saturday night due to a sharp deterioration, she asked to bring a priest to her for unction. They say that the singer prayed not for herself, but for her relatives, whom she left here... On Monday at 6 am the artist fell into a coma, and by 8 o'clock she was gone.
To say that I am grieving is to say nothing,” he admitted Lev Leshchenko. - I'm just in a trance. Her death is a huge, huge loss for our culture and for all of us artists. According to Lev Valeryanovich, Tolkunova was great singer, a great patriot and his great friend.
Now the singer’s relatives are deciding where and when Valentina Vasilievna will be buried. The President of Russia has already expressed his condolences to Tolkunova’s family and friends Dmitry Medvedev.“I can’t do otherwise”
Oncologists made a terrible diagnosis to Valentina Tolkunova several years ago. Then the singer had to undergo surgery to remove a breast tumor. It seemed that the disease had subsided. But, as it turned out, she was only hiding. Some of the cancer cells survived and they metastasized to the brain.
After the first operation, Valentina Vasilyevna followed the doctors’ advice for some time, but then completely immersed herself in work. The singer said that she wanted to have time to give people her heart, her soul, her songs. “I can’t do otherwise,” she repeated the words of her famous hit. She toured the country and gave numerous concerts for children, pensioners and the disabled. Therefore, when the doctors asked: “Why did they come so late?” - she only answered: “I didn’t have time.”
Tolkunova began to be seen often in church. A couple of years ago, the singer even purchased a house in Diveevo in order to be able to retire for prayers on the holy land Seraphim of Sarov.“Thank you to everyone who is worried about Valechka”
In July 2009, the singer celebrated her 63rd birthday - her last birthday. There was no noisy celebration. By then she had been suffering from severe headaches for several months.
Completely exhausted, Tolkunova decided to see the doctors. The diagnosis turned out to be disappointing. Malignant tumor in the third stage. Valentina Vasilievna was urgently operated on at the hospital named after. Burdenko. Then Express Gazeta correspondents got through to Tolkunova’s mother.
Such a terrible misfortune befell us,” Evgenia Nikolaevna could barely restrain her sobs.
- Maybe you need some help?
I don't know anything yet. It's all so terrible. Help... Maybe with money. Valechka is now in one of the Moscow hospitals. She's holding up well. But what will happen next...
- We sincerely hope for the best.
Thanks to everyone who is worried about Valechka. I ask you to pray for her...
Did you get sick because of your first husband?
Esotericists and theorists of teachings about the relationship between a person’s spiritual life and his physical health argue: cancer does not arise out of nowhere. In their opinion, the “trigger mechanism” is resentment towards loved one. It causes mental discomfort.
At the age of 25, Valentina Tolkunova experienced a deep personal drama. Madly in love with her husband - a famous composer Yuri Saulsky, the singer dreamed of always being with him. But after five years the marriage fell apart. This happened at the time of the collapse of the VIA-66 ensemble, which was led by Yuri Sergeevich. It was then that Valechka learned that her adored husband had hit on a young theater actress. The blow caused a long depression. Valentina regained her spiritual strength by hiding at the dacha from everyone.Subsequently, the singer said that she took the break with Saulsky philosophically. And she always spoke warmly about her flighty husband. But those around the artist knew that she could not forget her first husband.
Yuri Saulsky died in August 2003 after a long cancer illness. Tolkunova was one of the first to come to the funeral. And she mourned the deceased as if she were again a 25-year-old woman who had lost her dearest and most beloved person.
The editors of Express Gazeta offer sincere condolences to the family and friends of Valentina Vasilyevna.
Dossier "EG"
Tolkunova Valentina Vasilievna was born on July 12, 1946 in the city of Armavir Krasnodar region. However, she always considered herself a Muscovite, because her parents moved her to the capital at the age of one.
For 10 years she sang in the ensemble of the Central House of Children of Railway Workers under the direction of S. O. Dunaevsky, where she competed as a child.
From 1964 to 1966, Valentina Vasilievna studied at the conducting and choral department at the Moscow State Institute of Culture.
1971 - graduated from the Gnessin Music College. From the age of 20 she sang in the big band “VIO-66” under the direction of Yuri Saulsky, and is fond of jazz.
1972 - Tolkunova makes her debut on the stage of the Hall of Columns with the song “Ah, Natasha” by Shainsky.
Since that moment, Valentina Tolkunova has been one of the most beloved and recognizable singers in Russia. Her repertoire, numbering several hundred songs, is decorated with such works of art as “I’m Standing at a Stop” (I. Kataeva, M. Ancharova), “Silver Weddings” (P. Aedonitsky, E. Sheveleva), “Talk to Me, Mom” (V. Miguli, V. Gina), “Snub Noses” (B. Emelyanova, A. Bulycheva).
1989 - the Creative Association "ART" - Theater of Musical Drama and Song - was created on the basis of the Mosconcert, the singer became its artistic director.
2003 – joined the United Russia party.
She was nominated 23 times for the television competition “Song of the Year”.
Valentina Vasilyevna’s second husband is a diplomat, international journalist Yuri Paporov. Her first husband is Yuri Saulsky. Valentina Tolkunova’s son, Nikolai, is 31 years old.
Discography
“I’m standing at a stop” (1972)
“In everything I want to get to the very essence” (1973)
“Dedicated to Komsomol” (1975)
"Snub Noses" (1977)
“Dialogue at the Christmas Tree” (1982)
Double album “If there were no war” (1985)
Double album “Conversation with a Woman” (1986)
"Seryozha" (1989)
"Forty Five" (1992)
"I can't help it" (1995)
"I'm Country" (1997)
"Dream Grass" (1997)
"My Invented Man" (2002)
Performances
“Russian Women” (based on Nekrasov’s poem, with poems by Pushkin and Koltsov (1986)
"Waiting" (1989)
"I can't help it" (1990)
"Champagne Splash" (1991)
"Don't Leave Me, Love" (1992) (25th Anniversary) creative activity V. Tolkunova)
“I am your dewdrop, Russian woman” (1995)
« New spring V. Tolkunova" (1997)
Cartoon dubbing
"On the Port" (1975)
“Winter in Prostokvashino” (song “If only there were no winter”)
Screensaver of the program “Good night, kids” (song “Tired toys are sleeping”)
Awards and honorary titles
Honored Artist of Kalmykia (1975)
Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1979)
Laureate of the Lenin Komsomol Prize (1980)
People's Artist of the RSFSR (1987)
Laureate of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs Prize (1995)
Honorary railway worker of Russia (1996)
Honored Power Engineer of Russia (1997)
Honorary Artek member
Honorary BAM member
Honorary Border Guard
Order of Friendship (1996)
Honorary badge of FAPSI (1997)
Medal “In Memory of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow” (1997)
Knight of the Order of the Patrons of the Century (2003, 2006)
Order of St. Vladimir (2003)
International Order of Honor (2003)
Order of St. Nicholas (2003)
Order of Peter the Great (2004)
Order of St. Anne (2006)
Order of Saint Barbara (2004)
Order of Honor (2006)
Certificates of honor from the governments of Estonia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Kalmykia, Kabardino-Balkaria.
A year ago, the most soulful Soviet singer passed away
Valentina Tolkunova was called the soul of Russian song. Her quiet, soulful voice, singing “Snub Noses”, “I’m Standing at a Stop Station”, “I Can’t Do Otherwise”, became part of history Soviet stage. Just like the singer herself. The brown-haired beauty with a long braid almost immediately became famous. Tolkunova was adored by listeners and revered by high management. Not a single concert was complete without her participation.
This was the case in the Soviet Union and continued after its collapse. Recent years Tolkunova, however, performed less and less often. In 2006, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and in 2009 she already had a malignant brain tumor. Valentina Vasilievna passed away slowly and painfully. She became very ill on February 16 after a concert in Mogilev. There she was taken to the hospital, and then transported to Moscow, to the Botkin Hospital. She never left there. A month later, the singer’s condition worsened sharply, Valentina Vasilievna fell into a coma and passed away on March 22...
Not many people know that in her youth Valentina Vasilievna often visited her aunt and cousin Lyudmila in Poltava. After unexpected death Lyudmila Valentina Vasilievna took upon herself all the worries of raising her daughter Svetlana(pictured) . She became her second mother...
“When Valentina Vasilyevna came to Kyiv, she always stayed with me for the first time.”
- Svetlana Vasilievna, you were probably born when your aunt’s fame was already gaining momentum?
When Valentina Tolkunova became popular throughout Soviet Union, I went to first grade. I was terribly proud that the beautiful, slender singer with a long braid, who was often shown on TV, was my aunt. Valentina Vasilievna came to visit us in Kyiv, and then my mother and I went to Poltava. Valechka’s aunt Sofya Nikolaevna lived there. Unfortunately, she is no longer alive. Valentina Vasilievna used to stay in Poltava with her son Kolya and brother Seryozha. My mother and I visited only for a while. Mom had a lot of work. She graduated from the Kyiv Conservatory, becoming a fairly famous singer. Unfortunately, my mother passed away early. She was only 37 years old...
- Valentina Vasilievna didn’t want to take you to Moscow?
“It was very difficult, because she was touring all the time. That's why I lived in Kyiv with my grandparents. But Valentina Vasilievna constantly monitored how my life was going. If I had free time, I came to Kyiv. By the way, I adored this city. After finishing school, I entered a Moscow university and lived with Valentina Vasilievna. True, she never stayed in Moscow. Having received higher education, returned home to Kyiv.
I remember when telephone conversations We were never so accessible before, Valechka wrote me letters. Even while on tour. Later they called each other almost every day. Especially in lately, when my aunt was already sick... She kept lamenting that she could not, as before, pamper her loved ones with gifts.
- Did you like to give gifts?
- What do you! She never came without gifts. She always brought huge suitcases. And not only for relatives, but also for friends. And in Kyiv she had them huge amount. Yuri Rybchinsky and Alexander Zlotnik always came to us for tea. By the way, when Valentina Tolkunova was just starting her career, there were many Ukrainian songs in her repertoire folk songs... In the first years, when my aunt came to Kyiv on tour, she stayed with me. Later, of course, she was received like a real star - in luxurious rooms of central hotels. True, at the same time she always stopped by for tea and said that it was only here that she truly rested.
They said that during the tour, Valentina Tolkunova’s fans lined up and they could complain about their lives.
- It happened. Valentina Vasilievna was a very gentle, caring person. She had such a voice - gentle, melodious, and would never yell at anyone. Those close to her knew that she never refused help to anyone. They also contacted her material problems, and Valyusha gave the money without much hesitation. I remember once one fan wrote her a letter in which she said that she was in poverty and had nothing to wear. What do you think?! The very next day, my aunt collected a parcel for her, packing a significant part of her wardrobe.
“Even while in the Botkin hospital, Valyusha was still preparing a concert for May 9”
But Valentina Tolkunova’s dresses were famous throughout the Soviet Union. She specially ordered them in Arkhangelsk.
— Yes, I went there several times a year. She had a favorite dressmaker there, who knew the tastes of her famous client very well. By the way, the beautiful cream dress in which Valentina Vasilievna was buried was also sewn by her. They wrote that Tolkunova bequeathed that it was there that she would be held in last path, but this is not true. Valyusha did not fully believe that her illness was fatal. Even the doctors decided not to tell her that the disease was incurable. Only we, close relatives, knew about the true situation. They also decided not to tell Valentina Vasilievna’s mother.
- They say that Tolkunova fought with a terrible illness to the last.
- She's up to last days I believed that I would defeat the disease, rise up and go on stage again. Even while in the hospital, I was preparing a concert for 9 
May. I called Alexandra Pakhmutova from the clinic and asked her to write a song especially for her. Tolkunova did NOT prepare for death and did not write any will, as many said. Auntie wanted to live so much... About a couple of days before her death, director Lev Leshchenko came to her room. Valentina Vasilyevna immediately began telling him how to get up as quickly as possible and go on stage again.
- This is despite the fact that Valentina Vasilievna was already being treated for cancer.
— Yes, in 2006 she was diagnosed with a terrible disease, her aunt underwent a course of chemotherapy. Unfortunately, due to constant concerts and tours, I did not pay enough attention to myself. No matter how much we tried to persuade her to “stop,” she kept answering: “The main thing for me is the stage...” She often repeated that she wanted to leave as many of her songs as possible. She was one of the last to record a disc of spiritual songs.
- Do you remember your last conversation with Valentina Vasilievna?
— It was a few days before her death. She was still conscious. Valechka asked about my affairs, work, and gave some advice. She said: “I really want, Svetochka, that everything goes well for you.” You know, she was like a mother to me... But then, during our last conversation, I didn’t have the feeling that Valyusha was saying goodbye. The voice was, however, unusually quiet. When she was taken to intensive care, only her mother was nearby. She said that Valyusha said: “Mommy, don’t worry, everything will be fine...” It’s scary when you worry about your children...
- Valentina Vasilievna’s husband, journalist Yuri Paporov, passed away almost right after her.
- Yes, he was sick for a long time. Valyusha took him home from the hospital, already unwell herself. But she decided that she had to inspect him. He passed away literally two months after her death. Of course, grief completely broke his health. He couldn't live without Valya.
- Was Tolkunova a happy woman?
- I think so, although we have never talked to her about any very intimate topics. Valentina Vasilievna was married twice. Her first husband is famous composer and conductor Yuri Saulsky, but they did not live long. Her second husband became her support. They had a son, Kolya. Of course, different things happened in life. But Valya was an optimist by nature, she believed only in good things.
- Did you call her Aunt Valya?
- Just Valya, Valyusha, that’s what I’ve been used to since childhood.
“Valya never went on stage without a string of pearls”
- Is luxurious hair your family treasure?
— Probably (laughs). My mother also had very beautiful hair. They were inherited by me too. As far as I remember Valya, she always had a luxurious long braid. My mother periodically cut her hair and then grew it out. But Valya said that she would never change her hairstyle.
Valentina Vasilievna herself admitted that she had practically no time left for housekeeping and arranging her life.
- But what she has always been excellent at is cars. Valya loved cars and was an excellent driver from her youth. The last thing she owned was a huge silver jeep, which she drove with amazing ease. Aunt lived all her life in a house located in the very center of Moscow. To be honest, Tolkunova’s apartment was simple, not as it should be for a star. Everything you needed was there, but the furnishings weren’t chic. Now Valyusha’s son lives there. The grand piano remained standing in the living room - large, filling half the room. It was behind him that Valya learned all her songs.
(In the photo) As a child, Valya and her mother Evgenia Nikolaevna (far right) often came to Poltava to visit their relatives
Alexandra Pakhmutova often came, sat down at the instrument and played new melodies. Everyone visited Tolkunova's house famous authors Soviet pop songs. If someone came, they immediately set the table and put on a teapot with strong tea leaves.
- Did Tolkunova like to cook?
“Her house was very hospitable, but Valentina Vasilyevna’s mother, who always lived with her, did most of the cooking. The guests knew that it was impossible to leave Tolkunova’s house without eating and drinking tea. Valya was a good cook herself. She made especially tasty borscht, in which she always put beans. And her signature dish was cheesecakes.
- Did Valentina Vasilievna stick to diets?
— I didn’t allow myself sweets and starchy foods. These foods were taboo in her house. She loved salads, which she prepared with amazing skill, and fruits. I could sit all day on apples alone.
Tolkunova's stage outfits were the envy of her colleagues. And in everyday life Was you picky in your wardrobe?
“Valyusha could go into a completely ordinary store and buy the first thing she came across. For my aunt, it didn’t matter at all who the designer was. Sometimes she bought things and then gave them to me. In fact, until the end of her days, she dressed me almost entirely. Sometimes I called and asked: “Svetochka, what do you need?” For her, things have never been a cult. I considered them more of a necessity, like, say, food. She even treated diamonds very calmly. And I didn’t like cosmetics. I painted mostly just for the stage. I remember how outraged she was by one artist who made plastic surgery. "For what? - Valya said. - This is completely useless. Once age has come, there’s no escape from it...”
- Were the famous beads woven into Tolkunova’s braid real pearls?
- Certainly. It was a string of pearls that Valya had worn since her youth. For her it was a talisman; she would not go on stage without a thread. She was buried with her...
– We were very close and had similar characters. We always had something to talk about,” recalls Evgenia Nikolaevna. – We constantly went somewhere... I really loved to sing, and my mother sang too... But since we lived poorly, in a simple family, there was no opportunity to become an artist. I worked in a carriage depot all my life. But Valya was able to fulfill our family dream! Sang in children's choir, toured the country, studied at the Institute of Culture...
According to Evgenia Nikolaevna, her daughter seemed to feel that she would face a serious illness. All her life she helped the terminally ill; under her care there were always several people who were not denied either money or attention.
“Valya helped her first vocal teacher, who was seriously ill,” recalls the singer’s mother. – Gave money for an operation to a fan from Nizhny Novgorod, helped one girl with Far East who suffered from multiple sclerosis. Valya sent her money until the very end, and then paid for the funeral and monument. And even with her second husband, even though they no longer lived together, she acted like a human being. When he became seriously ill and was practically blind and stopped hearing, she took him in and hired a nurse. And there’s nothing to say about me! She fully provided for me, the closets were filled with clothes that she gave. And she bought the apartment where I live.
Valentina Tolkunova’s second husband, 86-year-old journalist Yuri Paporov, died a month and a half after his wife. After the death of his wife, he was virtually orphaned, felt unwanted and was very worried. After all, Paporov also had oncology; he fell ill even earlier than Tolkunova. A few days after Tolkunova’s death, he was admitted to the hospital and never came out. Paporov was buried next to Valentina Vasilievna, at the same Troekurovsky cemetery.
The Almighty helped her die without pain
“Valya shared everything with me, so I was the first to know about her illness,” says the artist’s mother. – After the first operation, she felt fine for quite a long time, it seemed that the disease had been stopped... But in 2006, new metastases were found. She didn’t take care of herself, worked a lot and didn’t tell anyone about her illness. I told her: you need to rest more. But she went on tour until she collapsed...
The singer’s mother claims: Tolkunova had a chance to live longer! Doctors offered her different options treatment. But the singer did not agree...
“After the second operation, Valya felt better,” says Evgenia Nikolaevna. – Doctors suggested chemotherapy. But she refused! I couldn't imagine being left without hair. She said: “No matter how long I have left to live, until the end of my life I will remain as the people knew me.” She was very strong-willed. Of course, “chemistry” would probably have helped her survive for some time. But maybe she's right. I left earlier, but at least without the crazy pain. Until recently, even under a drip that was put in because of a blood clot, I didn’t believe in the bad. I was always greeted with a joyful smile at the hospital. When she was taken to intensive care for the last two days, she was very weak. But she also reassured me: “You know, mom, everything will be fine. I saw God today and he told me: “I love you and I will help you.” These were the last words I heard from her. He helped her get rid of the excruciating suffering that could await her.
For Valentina Vasilyevna, her long luxurious hair were a kind of amulet, a talisman. It seemed that if she lost them, she would lose herself too. The family knew this and therefore did not insist on fighting to the end. Only now sometimes, when things happen especially bitterly, they regret it.
Best of the day
| "Charismatic villain Loki" |
She refused chemotherapy. The singer claimed that she felt well and was on the mend. However, the disease turned out to be stronger. “It happened this morning. Valentina Vasilievna and, unfortunately, we were psychologically prepared for this,” said ITAR-TASS’s interlocutor. The issue of the place and time of the funeral is now being decided.
Valentina Tolkunova was hospitalized in the intensive care anesthesiology department of the Mogilev Regional Hospital on the evening of February 16, immediately after a concert in the city Palace of Culture. Doctors explained this ailment by the singer’s serious overwork. She was then transported to Moscow and was treated at the Botkin Hospital.
Dmitry Medvedev expressed his condolences to the singer’s family and friends, the press service of the Russian President reported.
People's Artist of Russia Lev Leshchenko considers Valentina Tolkunova a great singer and a great patriot. The singer told ITAR-TASS about this today, having learned about the death of Valentina Vasilievna.
“To say that I’m grieving is an understatement,” he admitted. “I’m just in a trance. Her death is huge.”
a huge loss for our culture and for all of us artists."
Leshchenko expressed his condolences to Tolkunova’s family.
Singer Tamara Gverdtsiteli believes that “without Tolkunova’s pearly, light, bright voice, our stage will be orphaned.” “It’s very difficult to talk about Valentina Vasilyevna in the past tense,” admitted Gverdtsiteli. According to the singer, Tolkunova was a real artist. “Already being very sick, she still went on stage and none of us even imagined that she had a very serious illness,” she noted.
“Tolkunova was fragile, tender, she embodied the image of a real Russian woman,” says the singer. She noticed that she would really miss communicating with Valentina Vasilievna. “We talked a lot with her in the dressing rooms, Valentina Vasilievna always treated people kindly, tactfully gave advice and tried to convey her experience,” said Gverdtsiteli.
“Valentina Tolkunova was like a sister on the stage for me,” admitted Joseph Kobzon. According to the singer, he was engaged concert activities aspiring singer, inviting her to the Mosconcert. “She was a young, timid performer,” said Kobzon, “but we connected her with the wonderful accompanist David Ashkenazi, and they formed a magnificent creative union.”
According to Joseph Kobzon, Valentina Tolkunova was not only a wonderful singer for everyone, but also a dear person. “All her songs: about snub noses, and about silver weddings, and “Talk to me, Mom” were clear and reached the hearts of the listeners,” Joseph Kobzon is sure. “I don’t think anyone will fill her niche. She I was alone."
Kobzon said that he knew about Valentina Tolkunova’s serious illness. But, as always, death came unexpectedly. “Now we are working on giving a worthy send-off to our dear, beloved Valechka,” Kobzon said. He is convinced that it is necessary to say goodbye to the wonderful singer in State Theater stage.
Valentina Tolkunova was 63 years old. In 1966, she joined the big band led by Yuri Saulsky, singing jazz music. Among the most famous songs she performed are “I’m Standing at a Half-Station,” “I Can’t Do Otherwise,” “Snub Noses,” and “In everything I want to get to the very essence.”
Tolkunova - Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1979), People's Artist Russia (1984), recalls Interfax. She toured in Finland, Japan, India, Germany, Luxembourg, USA, Canada, Greece, Australia, Vietnam, Singapore, Israel. The singer has published 12 records and CDs. Only in musical films And theater performances she performed more than 300 songs. Tolkunova became a laureate of the television competition "Song of the Year" 23 times.
The famous singer Valentina Tolkunova died at the age of 64. According to preliminary data, the cause of death of the People's Artist of Russia was heart failure. Archive photos
Moscow. March 22. website - Famous singer Valentina Tolkunova died in the Moscow Botkin Hospital at the age of 64. Sources in Moscow medical circles told Interfax on Monday that the cause of death, according to preliminary data, was heart failure.
On Saturday night, Valentina Tolkunova, who had been in the hospital for more than a month, was transferred to the intensive care unit. Then she asked to bring her a priest. The unction procedure was carried out in her room.
About a month ago, the singer was hospitalized in the Belarusian city of Mogilev, where she was on tour. About three weeks ago, Tolkunova was transferred to the Botkin Hospital.
Valentina Tolkunova has been struggling with a serious illness for several years now. Several years ago, the artist underwent surgery to remove breast cancer and underwent several courses of chemotherapy. Last summer she underwent surgery to remove a malignant brain tumor.
The singer will be buried on Wednesday, March 24, at the Troekurovskoye cemetery in Moscow, Interfax was told by the Art creative association, which the singer has headed since 1989. “The funeral service will take place in the Church of the Ascension on Bolshaya Nikitskaya at 10:00, at 12:00 there will be a civil funeral service at the Variety Theater. After the funeral service, a funeral will take place at the Troekurovsky cemetery,” the creative association said on Monday.
Meanwhile, the presenters Russian TV channels will honor the memory of Valentina Tolkunova with special films. “The death of Valentina Tolkunova is certainly a very sad event for many, many Russians, and therefore we have decided today to make changes to the program and at 20:20 we will show a special documentary her memory,” the Public Relations Directorate of Channel One told Interfax on Monday.
In turn, the NTV channel informed the agency that a special film dedicated to famous singer, will air Tuesday at 11:35 p.m. They also plan to honor Tolkunova’s memory on the Rossiya TV channel. “Of course, we mourn the death of Valentina Tolkunova and are now considering the possibility of how to honor her memory,” the press service of the Rossiya TV channel told Interfax.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev expressed condolences to the family and friends of singer Valentina Tolkunova, who died on Monday in Moscow at the age of 64, the press service of the Russian President reported.
In turn, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin also expressed condolences to the family and friends of Valentina Tolkunova. “Her passing is a great loss and great grief. Valentina Vasilievna left the kindest memory of herself. She was an unusually bright, charming person, a wonderful singer, a real favorite of the public,” the funeral telegram says, in particular. Putin noted that Tolkunova’s work and songs performed by her “always carried a charge of positive emotions and warmth. And therefore, they will not be forgotten.”
Tolkunova in Soviet years was a performer of many popular songs, including “I’m Standing at a Half-Station”, “Silver Weddings”, “My Darling, If There Was No War”.
Valentina Tolkunova was born on July 12, 1946 in Armavir, Krasnodar Territory. A year later, her family moved to Moscow. In 1964 she entered the conducting and choral department of the Moscow State University state institute culture, graduating in 1976. Graduated in 1971 music school named after the Gnessins.
In 1966, composer and conductor Yuri Saulsky organized the vocal and instrumental orchestra "VIO-66" and invited Tolkunova to join vocal group(soprano). She devoted five years to the ensemble. The singer's solo debut took place in 1972 at creative evening poet Lev Oshanin, where she sang Vladimir Shainsky’s song “Ah, Natasha”.
Since 1973 she has been a soloist of the Mosconcert, and since 1987. artistic director the Moscow Theater of Musical Drama and Song organized by her. In February 1986, the premiere of the play “Russian Women” by Kataev took place, where Tolkunova played the main roles. Along with her debut in the opera, Tolkunova starred in the same year in the fantasy film “I Believe in Rainbows.”
Since 1989 - director of the theater of musical drama and song creative association"ART", in which the series was staged musical performances. Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1979), People's Artist of Russia (1984). She toured in Finland, Japan, India, Germany, Luxembourg, USA, Canada, Greece, Australia, Vietnam, Singapore, Israel. The singer has published 12 records and CDs. She has performed more than 300 songs in musical films and theatrical performances alone. Tolkunova became a laureate of the television competition "Song of the Year" 23 times.
