Julia Volkova facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Julia Volkova
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Volkova in 2014
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Yulia Olegovna Volkova
20 February 1985 Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
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| Occupation | Singer |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Children | 2 |
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Yulia Olegovna Volkova (Russian: Юлия Олеговна Волкова; born 20 February 1985), also known as Julia Volkova, is a Russian singer. She is most famous for being a member of the Russian girl group t.A.T.u., alongside Lena Katina. The group was formed in Moscow, Russia in 1999 by Ivan Shapovalov. They signed a record deal with Universal Music Russia and later with Interscope Records in 2001.
t.A.T.u.'s first single, "All the Things She Said", became a number one hit in many countries. These included Australia, Germany, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The group released three studio albums in English, like their popular 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane. They also released three Russian albums and four compilation albums. The duo also worked on other projects, including the 2011 film You and I. They also started their own record label called T.A. Music. In March 2011, t.A.T.u.'s management announced that the group had officially split up.
After t.A.T.u. disbanded, Volkova signed a solo contract with Gala Records in June 2011. She released her first solo single, "All Because of You", in November 2011. This song also had a Russian version called "Сдвину мир" (I'll Change the World). Her first worldwide single, "Didn't Wanna Do It", came out on 21 August 2012.
Contents
Early Life and Music Career
Growing Up and Starting Music (1985–1994)
Yulia Volkova was born on 20 February 1985 in Moscow, Russia. She grew up in a middle-class family. Her father, Oleg Volkov, was a businessman, and her mother, Larissa Volkova, was a hairdresser.
When she was 6 years old, Volkova started music school. She began learning to play the piano. At age 9, she joined Russia's children's choir called Neposedy. This is where she met Lena Katina, who would later be her bandmate in t.A.T.u. At 11, Volkova moved to a school that focused on artistic talent. Three years later, she left Neposedy to join t.A.T.u..
Forming t.A.T.u. (1999–2011)
Ivan Shapovalov, who created and managed t.A.T.u., helped shape the group's image. He managed the group until 2004. After that, the singers shared that Shapovalov had created their public image.
t.A.T.u. quickly became a very successful Russian group. They had many hit songs like "All the Things She Said", "Not Gonna Get Us", and "All About Us". They also took part in the Eurovision Song Contest 2003. They finished third with their song "Ne Ver', Ne Boysia". They were only three points behind the winner, Turkey.
The group released three English-language studio albums: 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane, Dangerous and Moving, and Waste Management. They also released three Russian-language studio albums: 200 Po Vstrechnoy, Lyudi Invalidy, and Vesyolye Ulybki.
In March 2009, some Russian websites said Volkova had left t.A.T.u. to start a solo career. The official blog denied these claims. However, it did say that both singers would work on separate solo projects. In early January, the duo released a video saying they were still together. They also planned to release more songs in 2010.
In March 2011, it was announced that t.A.T.u. had officially broken up. The duo celebrated their twelve years together. They released two remix albums: Waste Management Remixes pt. 1 and Waste Management Remixes pt. 2.
Solo Music After t.A.T.u. (2011–Present)
After t.A.T.u. broke up, Volkova announced on her YouTube channel that she was working on a solo album. She was recording in Moscow and Los Angeles.
On 16 August 2011, Volkova announced she had signed with Gala Records. This is a Russian music label. She also said her new single, "All Because of You/Сдвину мир", would be released soon. The release date was postponed a few times. The Russian version, "Сдвину мир", premiered on Lenta.ru on 11 November 2011. The song was recorded in Sweden. A music video for the song was released on 2 December 2011.
Volkova also went on a promotional tour in South America. There, she performed some t.A.T.u. songs and her new solo material. "All Because of You" reached number 247 in Russia.
On 1 March 2012, news reported that Volkova was one of 25 artists competing to represent Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2012. The contest was held in Baku, Azerbaijan. She entered the competition with Eurovision 2008 winner Dima Bilan. Their song was "Back to Her Future". They finished in second place.
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On 11 July 2012, Volkova's Facebook page announced she was finishing her second single. It was called "Didn't Wanna Do It". This was her first worldwide single.
In late 2012, Volkova had surgery on her vocal cords. She continued to perform while recovering. In 2013, she launched her own shoe line, C & C shoes by Julia Volkova.
In 2014, Volkova performed with Lena Katina again as t.A.T.u. This included a TV performance for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia. However, soon after, Katina accused Volkova of certain actions, which ended t.A.T.u. as a band. Volkova denied the accusations. A song they had recorded, "Любовь в каждом мгновении" ("Love in Every Moment"), was released as a collaboration. It also featured artists Ligalize and Mike Tompkins.
In October 2015, Volkova released the single "Держи рядом". In 2016, she shared that she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2012. During surgery to remove the tumor, her laryngeal nerve was damaged, causing her to lose her voice. She sought treatment to recover her singing ability. That year, Volkova also released the song "Спасите, люди, мир".
Another single, "Просто забыть", came out in June 2017.
Acting Career
In 1996 and 1998, Volkova appeared in sketches for the children's comedy TV show Yeralash.
Volkova made her film debut with Lena Katina and Mischa Barton in the movie You and I. The film is about two teenage girls who connect at a t.A.T.u. concert in Moscow. The movie is based on the novel t.A.T.u. Come Back.
In August 2011, Volkova filmed the movie Zombie Fever. This was a Russian-language zombie horror/comedy movie. It was filmed in Minsk, Belarus. Zombie Fever premiered on 15 August 2013 in Russia. Volkova played the main character, Natasha.
The music video for "Любовь в каждом мгновении" ("Love in Every Moment") was released as a short film called Together Apart in 2014. This was part of a project by CORNETTO. In the film, Volkova plays one of the cupids. These cupids try to help a young couple in a long-distance relationship get together.
On 18 February 2014, the singer also made a brief appearance in an episode of the Slovak TV series Panelák.
Political Career
In April 2021, Volkova announced she would run in the 2021 Russian legislative election. She aimed to represent Ivanovo in the State Duma as a candidate for the United Russia party. In the party's primary election, Volkova received 919 votes. She lost to Mikhail Kizeev, who received over 36,000 votes.
Personal Life
In May 2004, Volkova had a daughter named Viktoria Pavlovna "Vika" Volkova. She was born on 23 September 2004, in Moscow. Volkova does not stay in contact with her daughter's father, Pavel Sidorov.
In 2007, Volkova had a long-term relationship with Uzbek businessman Parviz Yasinov. They had a son named Samir, born on 27 December 2007, in Moscow. In 2010, Volkova confirmed that she and Yasinov had broken up.
In 2012, Volkova was diagnosed with a type of thyroid cancer. She had surgery in a Moscow hospital to remove her thyroid and the tumor. During the surgery, her vocal nerves were damaged, and she had trouble speaking properly. The tumor did not spread, so she did not need chemotherapy. Instead, she had hormonal therapy. Volkova later had two surgeries in Israel and two treatments in Germany to help her vocal cords. These treatments were not successful. However, she had another surgery in South Korea and was later able to recover her voice. In 2019, her cancer returned, but she received treatment and became cancer-free again in October of that year.
Religion
In March 2013, Volkova shared that she converted to Islam in 2010. She said it was "the closest to my heart." In 2017, she returned to Eastern Orthodox Christianity.
Feud with Lena Katina
The disagreement between Volkova and Katina began in 2010. Volkova shared her opinion on Katina's solo career. Katina responded on her YouTube page, saying she had a different view. She believed Volkova was talented and hoped for her success. The group officially broke up in 2011.
In a January 2012 interview, Volkova stated she no longer talked to Lena Katina. The duo briefly reunited between 2012 and 2014. They performed at The Voice of Romania and a concert in Kyiv. They also performed before the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. On 17 February 2014, Katina posted a video saying she would no longer work with Volkova. However, on 20 February, Volkova posted a video saying there was "no big reunion" but they had "joint projects." She also criticized Katina's video. On 5 March 2014, Volkova posted another video. She said that despite Katina's concerns, collaboration was possible. She mentioned their new single and music video.
On 22 May 2014, both singers introduced the video Together Apart at the Cannes Film Festival. This video was part of Cornetto Ru's "A Sight of Cupid" project. The video went with their song "Любовь в каждом мгновении" ("Love in Every Moment"). They recorded this song with musicians Ligalize and Mike Tompkins.
The duo reunited publicly again in May 2016. This was for the 25th anniversary of the children's music group Neposedy. Both had been members of Neposedy before t.A.T.u. was formed. There, Volkova sang her song "Спасите, люди, мир" with the children. She also sang "Нас не догонят" ("Not Gonna Get Us") with Katina.
In September 2022, Katina and Volkova performed together as t.A.T.u. at the Dinamo Stadium in Minsk, Belarus. This was part of the Ovion Show event. They performed again at a sporting event at the Gazprom Stadium in Saint Petersburg in May 2023.
Discography
With Neposedi
- 1997: Пусть миром правит любовь (studio album)
With t.A.T.u.
Solo Singles
- 2011: "Сдвину мир" / "All Because of You"
- 2012: "Любовь-сука" / "Back to Her Future" (feat. Dima Bilan)
- 2012: "Didn't Wanna Do It" / "Давай закрутим землю"
- 2014: "Любовь в каждом мгновении" (feat. Lena Katina, Ligalize, and Mike Tompkins)
- 2015: "Держи рядом"
- 2016: "Спасите, люди, мир"
- 2017: "Просто забыть"
Appearances
- 2012: Night of Your Life (original demo) – Sergio Galoyan
Music Videos
- 2011 – "All Because of You" / "Сдвину мир"
- 2012 – "Didn't Wanna Do It" / "Давай закрутим землю"
- 2012 – "Любовь-Сука" (feat. Dima Bilan)
- 2014 – "Любовь в каждом мгновении" (feat. Lena Katina, Ligalize, and Mike Tompkins)
- 2015 – "Держи рядом"
Filmography
- Yeralash – various (1996, 1998)
- You and I – herself (2008)
- Zombie holidays 3D – Natasha (2013)
- Together Apart (short film) – Cupid (2014)
- Panelák, season 13, episode 18 – herself (2014)
See also
In Spanish: Julia Volkova para niños
- LGBT rights in Russia
