Iryna Bilyk facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Iryna Bilyk PAU
Background information
Native name	Ірина Білик
Birth name	Iryna Mykolayivna Bilyk
Born	(1970-04-06) April 6, 1970 (age 55) Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Genres	Pop
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter
Instruments	Vocal, piano
Years active	1976–present
Labels	mamamusic

Iryna Mykolayivna Bilyk (Ukrainian: Ірина Миколаївна Білик; born April 6, 1970) is a famous Ukrainian singer and songwriter. She has received some of Ukraine's highest honors for artists, including Merited Artist of Ukraine in 1996 and People's Artist of Ukraine in 2008.

Bilyk sings in Ukrainian, Russian, and Polish. By the 2000s, she was one of the biggest stars in Ukrainian music. People often call her the "Ukrainian Madonna" because she had many hit songs in the 1990s, often changed her style, and had a big impact on Ukrainian music. In 2012, the YUNA music awards called her "the best singer of the last two decades."

Early Life and First Steps in Music

Iryna Bilyk was born in Kyiv, Ukraine. Her parents were engineers at an aircraft factory. She has a younger brother named Serhiy.

Her love for performing started early. At age five, she began dancing and studying classical ballet. A year later, she joined a children's singing group called "Sonechko." With this group, she toured across the Soviet Union and even appeared on television. She wrote her very first song when she was only ten years old.

After finishing music school, Bilyk worked for a while as a music teacher.

Music Career

1989–1998: Becoming a Star

In 1989, Bilyk took part in the Chervona Ruta music festival. This was a big step in her career. Soon after, she formed a band called "Tsey Dosh nadovgo" and they released their first album, Kuvala Zozulya, in 1990.

She released her first music video in 1992 for the song "Lyshe Tvoya." By 1994, she released her next album, Ya roskazhu.

Palace "Ukraine", where Iryna Bilyk performed many sold-out shows.

In 1995, Bilyk went on her first big tour. Her solo show at the "Ukraine" Palace in Kyiv was completely sold out. That same year, she was called the most popular singer in the country. She even performed for the U.S. President Bill Clinton during his visit to Ukraine.

In 1996, she was named a Merited Artist of Ukraine. She won awards for "Singer of the Year" and "Song of the Year." People started calling her the "Ukrainian Madonna" around this time.

Her 1997 album Farby was a huge success, selling over a million copies in Ukraine. She went on another tour, performing in the largest cities in the country. She won more awards, including "Singer of the Year" and "Album of the Year."

1999–2003: New Music and International Fame

In 1999, Bilyk celebrated 10 years in music by releasing a collection of her best songs. That same year, she performed a sold-out concert in London.

Bilyk wanted to reach audiences outside of Ukraine. In 2002, she released an album called Biłyk, which was mostly sung in Polish. The songs were her Ukrainian hits translated into Polish. One song, "Droga," had a music video with a famous Polish actor, Cezary Pazura.

The next year, she released a Ukrainian album called Bilyk. Kraina and once again performed to sold-out crowds.

2004–2013: Singing in Russian and Charity Work

Bilyk performing at a ceremony in 2005.

In 2004, Bilyk began to write and sing songs in Russian. Her first Russian-language album, Lubov. Yad, was very popular and quickly became a "platinum" album, meaning it sold over 100,000 copies.

In 2006, Bilyk organized a charity tour called Dopomohty tak lehko (It's So Easy to Help). The tour raised money for a children's charity. She even invited thirteen children from an orphanage to be in her music video for the song "Ryabina Alaya."

In 2008, on Ukraine's Independence Day, President Viktor Yushchenko gave her the title of People's Artist of Ukraine. This is one of the highest honors an artist can receive. Bilyk said she was grateful to her fans for helping her achieve this success.

Bilyk in 2013.

Over the next few years, she continued to release new music and collaborate with other artists. By 2013, her song "My budem vmeste" was one of the most downloaded songs in Russia.

2014–2021: New Albums and Anniversary Shows

In 2014, Bilyk released a new album called Rassvet. She presented it in a unique way: on the roof of a hotel in Kyiv at sunrise.

Bilyk performing at the Laima Rendez Vous festival in 2017.

In 2017, she released the album Bez Grima, which means "Without Makeup." She said this album was very personal to her. It included songs she had been working on for over ten years.

In 2018, she went on a big tour called "Bez Grima. The Best. About Love," performing 37 concerts across Ukraine.

In 2020, a star dedicated to Iryna Bilyk was placed on the "Star Square" in Kyiv, similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2021, she celebrated her 50th birthday and 30 years on stage with a special concert, which was attended by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

2022–Present: Supporting Ukraine

Bilyk in 2022.

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Bilyk spoke out against the war. She called for Russian soldiers to leave Ukraine.

Since the invasion, she has returned to singing mostly in Ukrainian. She translated some of her biggest Russian-language hits into Ukrainian. For example, "Sneg" (Snow) became "Snih."

In 2024, she released a Ukrainian folk song called "Zvite teren." In 2025, she went on another tour across Ukraine to celebrate her 55th birthday. She also released new songs, including "A dity chekayut'" ("And the Children are Waiting"), a song dedicated to Ukrainian children waiting for their parents to return from the war.

Political and Social Views

Over the years, Bilyk has supported different political figures in Ukraine.

She is also a supporter of LGBT rights. In 2018, she released the song "Ne khovai ochei" ("Don't Hide Your Eyes") for Kyiv Pride. The song is dedicated to people who are open about their identity.

In 2024, she responded to Russian singer Philip Kirkorov, who sang her song "Sneg" at a concert for the Russian military. In a video, Bilyk read a poem criticizing him for supporting the war.

Personal Life

Iryna Bilyk lives in a village near Kyiv. When the 2022 invasion began, she had to leave her home. Russian soldiers stayed in her house for nearly a month, causing a lot of damage.

Bilyk has two sons. Her older son, Hlib (born in 1999), is also a singer and lives in Spain. Her younger son was born in 2015 with the help of a surrogate mother.

In August 2015, Bilyk visited Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014. She traveled from Moscow, which is against Ukrainian law for crossing the border. This caused some controversy, and she was added to a public database called "Myrotvorets."

Discography

Albums

• Kuvala zozulia (1990)
• Ya rozkazhu (1994)
• Nova (1995)
• Tak prosto (1996)
• Farby (1997)
• OMA (2000)
• Biłyk (2002)
• Kraina (2003)
• Lyubov. Yad (2004)
• Na bis (2008)
• Rassvet (2014)
• Bez grima (2017)

Singles

• "Tak prosto" (1996)
• "Vybachai" (1999)
• "Krainia" (2001)
• "Anioł?" (2002)
• "Droga" (2002)
• "Movchaty" (with Skryabin, 2003)
• "Listya" (2017)
• "Ne pytai" (2018)
• "Ne khovai ochey" (2018)
• "Ne strymui pohliad" (2020)
• "Kordony" (2022)
• "Malo" (2023)
• "Snih" (2023)
• "Ochi v ochi" (with Esphyr, 2025)
• "Tak prosto" (2025)
• "A dity chekayut'" (2025)

Compilations

• Krasche: 1988-1998 (1998)
• Navsegda (2006)
• Dopomohty tak lehko (2006)
• 50 (2020)

Awards

• Order of Princess Olga, Third Class (2020)