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Alla Pugacheva
Biography
Alla Borisovna Pugacheva was born on 15 April 1949, in Moscow. Her parents tried to give her best musical education possible. In 1956, she enrolled in music school ¹31 and went to the Ippolitov-Ivanov music college. She began her first performances when she still was at junior school.
In the year of finishing school, in 1965, Alla composed and recorded her first song "Robot" for a state radio morning programme "Good Morning!"
Then she continued education in Moscow State Music College, the department of conducting and choir singing. In 1966 Pugacheva finished college and joined the group Yunost' (Youth) in their tour in Western Siberia. In 1967 she became a piano accompanist at the State Circus Musical college.
Alla Pugacheva started her professional singing career in the early 1970s, and was a singer with the leading Soviet bands, including Novy Elektron (New Electron), Moskvichi (Muscovites) and Vesyolye Rebyata (Merry Folks). She recorded songs and took part in many competitions. For example, in 1974 Pugacheva took the third place in the All-Union competition of musicians. But really big success came to her when she won the Grand Prix of the Golden Orpheus song contest with the song Harlequin in 1975. The winning song was released as a single in Eastern Germany and became a bestseller. It was followed by several more hit songs, and Pugacheva's status of the Soviet super star was then unquestionable. The same year she recorded several songs for legendary New Year musical drama-comedy The Irony of Fate as the singing voice of Nadja, the female protagonist.
Another big achievement in Alla's career was her participation in a film titled A Woman Who Sings, a story of a young singer who becomes a super star. The soundtrack was also written by Pugacheva under an assumed name of Boris Gorbonos and was bought by 55 million people. Many of the Soviet people believed it was an Alla Pugacheva's biopic. The soundtrack was first released in 1977 as part of the double album Zerkalo dushi (Mirror of Soul), which was a collection of her songs from 1975–77.
In 1978 All Pugacheva received the Amber Nightingale prize at the Sopot International Song Festival and Gran-Prix of the Intervision Song Contest.
Besides Soviet Union's musical industry, Pugacheva also tried to gain attention of the European audience, though her attempts weren't always successful. In the 1980s she often visited Stockholm, Sweden, and frequently appeared on the Jacob's Ladder popular Sweden TV-show. Her participation in Eurovision song contest in 1997 was a big failure and a huge blow to her self esteem.
Further career of the pop-diva was much more successful, her songs were always hits and albums were bought in huge nembers. Alla Pugacheva is the best selling music artist in Russia.
The Woman Who Sells
Alla Pugacheva's talents and ambitions never were limited by singing only. She tried herself in different spheres of life and often gained success. She was considered as a a gifted song composer and a strong variety show director.
Her authority allowed her to be one of the most influenced producers for young talents. She gave a jump start to many singing careers including the ones of her daughter Christina Orbakaite, her former son in law Vladimir Presnyakov Jr., her former husband Philip Kirkorov and many others.
Alla also tried to start a business career, though the results weren't very impressive. She tried to launch a number of product lines from perfume, magazines and shoes to potato chips giving her name to all of them. Unfortunately, all these projects soon exhausted itself. The most successful project is a new radio-station - "Radio Alla" which now has quite a big audience of listeners in Russia. She is also a member of Public Chamber and advisor to president of Russian Federation.
Today
Alla Pugacheva still remains the most prominent pop-singer at Russian pop-stage, though she doesn't perform anymore. On 5 March 2009, she announced her retirement from singing after her 60th birthday, citing health reasons as the primary cause stopping her from touring. Additionally, her voice worsened following a series of operations and is no longer capable of "expressing the feelings and intonations as it used to". Still, as a populahigh-society person, Alla often visits big cultural events, TV-shows and concerts. Pugacheva has co-produced the popular television reality talent show Star Factory, the Russian version of the show Star Academy. Since 2005 ahe is an organizer of the main Russia's musical contest "The Song of the Year" together with a composer Igor Krutoi.
Private Life
Pugacheva's personal life has been very public due to her image and popularity, and is often discussed in the tabloid press. It can be said that her private and social life of the late years create more media response than her stage 
performances. And there is nothing unusual in it, as Alla's private life was uneasy and always full of ups and downs. However, she has maintained a positive attitude and an ability to discuss personal matters openly and laugh at herself.
In 1969, she married Lithuanian circus performer Mykolas Orbakas, and in 1971 she gave birth to daughter Kristina Orbakaite, who is now also a popular singer. She divorced him 4 years later.
Then Pugacheva married film director Alexander Stefanovich in 1976, and starred in a few of his movies. The mariage lasted till 1980, when the couple divorced due to ownership problems.
In 1985, after years of living together, Pugacheva married producer Yevgeniy Boldin, with whom she had numerous professional collaborations. She had a working and romantic relationship with a young musician and singer, Vladimir Kuzmin during this period. In 1993, she divorced Yevgeniy Boldin stating that their professional lives interfered too much with their personal life. In the early 1990s, she had an affair with Sergej Chelobanov, with whom she recorded several duets.
In 1994 Pugacheva married a pop-singer Philip Kirkorov, who was 18 years younger than she. His career is said to have benefited significantly from this marriage and Kirkorov became one of the most popular pop-singers in Russia. Their divorce was announced in November 2005.
The recent romantic flame of Alla is a Russian comedian Maksim Galkin The two often performed together in large celebrity-studded events and even had a few musical collaborations. In December 24, 2011 Alla Pugacheva and Maksim Galkin got married proving their commitment to each other despite the significant age gap.
Alla Pugacheva is a real Russian strong woman, who doesn't wait for the knight in shining armour but makes her happiness with her own hands.
Alla Pugacheva and Maksim Galkin
Honours and Awards
Honoured Artist of the RSFSR (1980)
People's Artist of the RSFSR (1985)
People's Artist of the USSR (20 December 1991)
Order of the Eagle, 1st class (1992)
State Prize of the Russian Federation (7 June 1995) - For outstanding contribution to the development of literature and art
Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 2nd class (15 April 1999) and 3rd class (15 April 2009)
Honorary citizen of the city of Makhachkala (2006)
Chernobyl Star in art and literature (2008)
Order of Friendship, (Azerbaijan, 4 September 2009)
Order of St. Mashtots, (Armenia, 26 September 2009) (from Wikipedia)
Discography
1976 Çîëîòîé Îðôåé 76 Golden Orpheus 76 Live (LP Balkanton, Bulgaria)
1977 Çåðêàëî äóøè Mirror of Soul Double (LP Melodiya, USSR)
1979 Àðëåêèíî è äðóãèå Harlequin and Others (LP)
1980 Ïîäíèìèñü íàä ñóåòîé Rise Above Vanity (LP)
1980 Òî ëè åù¸ áóäåò Something's Still to Come (LP)
1982 Êàê òðåâîæåí ýòîò ïóòü How Unrestful Is This Way (Double)
1985 Àõ, êàê õî÷åòñÿ æèòü Ah, How I Want to Live (LP)
1985 Watch Out Watch Out (LP World Record Music, Sweden)
1986 Ñ÷àñòüÿ â ëè÷íîé æèçíè ...Happiness in Private Life! (LP Melodiya, USSR)
1986 Ïðèøëà è ãîâîðþ I Came to Say (LP Melodiya, USSR)
1990 Àëëà Alla (CD Melodiya, USSR)
1991 Ðîæäåñòâåíñêèå âñòðå÷è 1990 Christmas meetings 1990 (2LP Russian disc, USSR)
1992 Ðîæäåñòâåíñêèå âñòðå÷è 1991 Christmas meetings 1991 (2LP Russian disc, Russia)
1995 Íå äåëàéòå ìíå áîëüíî, ãîñïîäà! Don't Hurt Me, Gentlemen (CD Soyuz, Russia)
1998 Äà! Yes! (CD Extraphone, Russia)
2001 Ðå÷íîé òðàìâàé÷èê River Tram (CD Alla, Russia)
2002 À áûë ëè ìàëü÷èê Was There a Boy? (CD Alla, Russia)
2003 Æèâè ñïîêîéíî, ñòðàíà! Live Peacefully, My Country! (CD Alla & Monolit, Russia)
2008 Ïðèãëàøåíèå íà çàêàò Invitation to a Sunset (CD Alla)
There is also a number of compilations, tributes, single and EP releases published all over the world.
Film and TV Appearances
1978 Zhenshchina, kotoraya poët (The Woman Who Sings), Mosfilm
1981 Lyubovyu za lyubov' (Love After Love) Mosfilm
1984 Vstrechi s Alloy Pugachevoy (Meetings with Alla Pugacheva), USSR TV
1985 Prishla i govoryu (I Came and I'm Speaking), Mosfilm
1985 Sezon chudes (Season of Miracles), Odessa Film Studio
1989-2002 Rozhdestvenskie vstrechi (Christmas Meetings), USSR TV, Ostankino, Public Russian Television, Russian State Television
1995 Zhdi i pomni menya (Wait for Me, Remember Me), Public Russian Television
2003 Za dvumya zaytsami (Chasing Two Rabbits)
Sources: Youtube Alla Pugacheva's Offiial Site Allochka.ru Wikipedia People.ru
Julia Alieva
