Alla Pugacheva facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alla Pugacheva
Алла Пугачёва
Pugacheva in 2016
Born	Alla Borisovna Pugacheva (1949-04-15) 15 April 1949 (age 76) Moscow, Soviet Union
Other names	Boris Gorbonos
Occupation	Singer songwriter actress
Years active	1965–present
Notable work	Discography
Spouse(s)	Mykolas Orbakas [lt] ​ ​ (m. 1969; div. 1973)​ Alexander Stefanovich ​ ​ (m. 1976; div. 1980)​ Yevgeniy Boldin ​ ​ (m. 1985; div. 1993)​ Philipp Kirkorov ​ ​ (m. 1994; div. 2005)​ Maxim Galkin ​ (m. 2011)​
Children	3, including Kristina Orbakaitė
Musical career
Genres	Pop soft rock chanson disco
Instruments	Vocals piano
Labels	Melodiya Balkanton Supraphon Polydor Records
Signature

Alla Borisovna Pugacheva is a famous singer, songwriter, and actress from Russia. She was born on April 15, 1949, in Moscow. Her amazing career started in 1965 and she is still active today.

Alla Pugacheva is known as a true music icon across many countries. She is one of the most successful singers from the former Soviet Union. People often call her "the Queen of Russian pop music." She has sold over 250 million records, which is a huge number!

Her songs are in many languages, like Russian, English, German, and French. She has released more than 100 albums, CDs, and DVDs. Her music has been popular in places like Japan, Sweden, Germany, and Israel.

Alla Pugacheva has performed in famous concert halls around the world. These include Carnegie Hall in New York and Olympia in Paris. Her songs "Harlequin" and "A Million Scarlet Roses" became big international hits.

She has received many important awards and honors. In 1991, she was named a People's Artist of the USSR. This was the highest award for a musician in the Soviet Union. She was also listed among the "100 most influential Russians of the century" by Forbes magazine.

Besides music, Alla Pugacheva has also acted in movies and musicals. She has also been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, helping children around the world.

Early Life and Music Start

Alla Pugacheva was born in Moscow on April 15, 1949. She started music school when she was just seven years old in 1956. She also went to a music college to study choral conducting.

In 1965, when she was 16, Alla recorded her very first song. It was called "Robot" and played on a radio show. This was the beginning of her long and successful music journey.

Alla Pugacheva's Music Career

Early Career and First Big Wins (1965–1976)

After college in 1966, Alla Pugacheva toured with a group called Yunost' (Youth). She also worked as a piano player for a circus music college. She sang lead vocals for several bands during these years.

In 1975, Alla won the Grand Prix at the Golden Orpheus singing contest in Bulgaria. She sang the song "Harlequin" and it became a huge hit. This song sold 14 million copies! She also sang songs for the popular movie The Irony of Fate.

Becoming a Star with "The Woman Who Sings" (1977–1980)

Pugacheva performing in East Berlin in 1976.

In 1977, Alla Pugacheva starred in the musical film The Woman who Sings. She played a famous pop singer who gave up her personal life for her career. Many people thought the movie was about her own life.

The movie's soundtrack, which Alla helped write, was very popular. Her album Mirror of the Soul was released in 1977. In 1978, she won another award, the Amber Nightingale prize, at a festival in Poland.

International Success and Tours (1981–1994)

In the 1980s, Alla Pugacheva often visited Stockholm, Sweden. She appeared on popular radio and TV shows there. She even recorded an album in English called Watch Out.

From 1985 to 1988, her music became more modern with a rock sound. She toured many countries, including Finland, Sweden, and other parts of Europe. A ferry in Finland was even named "Alla" in her honor!

She also performed with famous international artists. These included German rocker Udo Lindenberg and American singer Barry Manilow. In 1986, she bravely performed for the people who helped after the Chernobyl disaster. In 1987, she was a main performer at the Sanremo Music Festival alongside Whitney Houston.

Continuing Her Journey (1995–Present)

In 1995, Alla Pugacheva was a main performer at the Voice of Asia music festival. She also represented Russia in the Eurovision Song Contest 1997.

Alla also started her own shoe brand and a perfume line. From 1998 to 2000, she went on a big international tour. She performed over 150 concerts in many countries.

In 2007, Alla Pugacheva became the artistic director of her own radio station in Moscow. She hosted her own shows and helped choose the music. She stopped touring in 2010 after her "Dreams of Love" international concert tour.

From 2011 to 2013, she was a judge on the Russian version of The X Factor. In 2019, she held a special solo concert in Moscow called "P.S.". In 2021, she recorded a song for the film Chernobyl.

Alla Pugacheva's Voice and Style

Music experts have praised Alla Pugacheva's voice. They say she has a wide vocal range and can sing in many different styles. She combines different music genres in her songs, like folk, reggae, and blues.

Critics have noted her amazing acting skills in her performances. She can show many different emotions through her singing. When she performed in Paris in 1982, a French newspaper gave her a great review. An American critic who saw her in New York in 1988 said her music had a special "Slavic tone."

Working with Other Artists

Alla Pugacheva has worked with many artists from around the world. These include Joe Dassin, Gloria Gaynor, Udo Lindenberg, and Barry Manilow. In 2009, she even sang a duet with Ukrainian singer Sofia Rotaru.

Film Roles

Besides her music, Alla Pugacheva has also acted in several movies. Her most famous role was in The Woman who Sings in 1978. She also appeared in popular musicals like "Old Songs about the Main Thing." In 1979, she was named the best actress in Eastern Europe by a magazine called Soviet Screen.

Her Lasting Impact

Alla Pugacheva has left a big mark on culture.

• In 1985, a ferry in Finland was named "Alla" in her honor.
• In 2009, her name was placed on the Square of Stars at the Slavic Bazaar festival in Belarus.
• In 2014, designers created 13 dolls that looked like her in her famous stage outfits.
• In 2019, there was a special exhibition about her life at the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Center.
• In 2023, a play about her influence premiered in France.

Many famous artists and poets have dedicated their works to Alla Pugacheva. She is truly a legend in Eastern European music.

Alla Pugacheva's Family Life

President Boris Yeltsin awards the 2nd Degree Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" to Pugacheva, 15 April 1999.

Alla Pugacheva has been married five times.

• In 1969, she married circus performer Mykolas Orbakas. They had a daughter, Kristina Orbakaitė, who is also a popular singer. They divorced in 1973.
• In 1976, she married film director Alexander Stefanovich. They divorced in 1980.
• In 1985, she married producer Yevgeniy Boldin. They divorced in 1993.
• In 1994, she married pop singer Philipp Kirkorov. They divorced in 2005.
• On December 23, 2011, she married singer and comedian Maxim Galkin. They have twins who were born through a surrogate mother.

Public Activities

Alla Pugacheva has used her voice to support important causes.

• From 1998 to 2007, she was a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. This means she helped promote children's rights and well-being.
• She was also a member of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation, working on social issues.
• In 2014, she signed a petition against the unfair treatment of another artist.
• In 2022, after her husband was called a "foreign agent" by Russian authorities, she spoke out. She publicly condemned the war and the deaths of Russian men. She even asked to be declared a "foreign agent" herself.
• Many international artists, like the British pop group Pet Shop Boys, have supported her bravery.

Awards and Honors

Pugacheva with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma in Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk, 25 July 2001.

Alla Pugacheva has received many awards throughout her career.

• People's Artist of the USSR (1991): The highest honor for a musician in the Soviet Union.
• Order "For Merit to the Fatherland": She received different classes of this important Russian award in 1999, 2009, and 2014.
• State Prize of the Russian Federation (1995): For her great contribution to art.
• Grand Prix of the Golden Orpheus International Vocal Competition (Bulgaria, 1975).
• Grand Prix "Amber Nightingale" (Poland, 1978).
• The Golden Microphone award (Germany, 1981): As the best singer of the year in Europe.
• Ampex Golden Reel Award (USA, 1989).
• Recognized as the best singer of the 20th century in Eastern Europe by the ZD Awards (1999).
• Ovation Award in the category "Best Singer of the Decade" (2001).
• Platinum disc from Melodiya label (2009): For selling millions of records.
• Inducted into the Top Hit Music Awards Hall of Fame (Eastern Europe, 2013).
• Included in the list of "100 most influential Russians of the century" by Forbes (2017).
• Honored as one of the BBC 100 Women (2022).

Discography

Famous Songs

• «Арлекино» (Harlequin)
• «Женщина, которая поёт» (The woman who sings)
• «Всё могут короли» (Kings can do anything)
• «Миллион алых роз» (Millions of scarlet Roses)
• «До свидания, лето» (Goodbye, summer)
• «Маэстро» (Maestro)
• «Айсберг» (Iceberg)
• «Паромщик» (The ferryman)
• «Любовь, похожая на сон» (Love, like a dream)
• «Позови меня с собой» (Call me with)
• «Свеча горела на столе» (A candle was burning on the table)
• «Я пою» (I'm singing)

Original Solo Albums

^* Official English title.

Films and TV Appearances

• 1978 Teatr Ally Pugachevoy, Estonian Television
• 1978 The Woman who Sings, Mosfilm
• 1981 Lyubovyu za lyubov' (Love For 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), Odesa 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
• 1997 Laat de Leeuw (Late de Leeuw), VARA
• 2003 Za dvumya zaytsami (Chasing Two Rabbits)

Documentary Films About Alla

Many documentaries have been made about Alla Pugacheva's life. They have been shown on TV in different European countries.

• "At Alla's" (Finland, 1979)
• "How does a Soviet superstar live?" (Sweden, SVT2, 1983)
• "Rock around the Kremlin" (France, Zaradoc Films, 1985)
• "Alla Pugacheva. Postcard from Tallinn" (Estonia, ETV+, 2019)

Images for kids

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  Pugacheva with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma in Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk, 25 July 2001.

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  Airvita Tupolev Tu-134 at Kharkiv Airport in 1998. The aircraft was operated for Alla Pugacheva

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  Speech at the congress of the Civic Platform party (2012)

See Also

In Spanish: Ala Pugachova para niños

• Russian pop music
• Honorific nicknames in popular music
• ZDF-Hitparade/Episodenliste