Verka Serduchka facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Verka Serduchka
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Serduchka in April 2021
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| Background information | |
| Native name |
Вєрка Сердючка
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| Birth name | Andriy Mykhailovych Danylko (Андрій Михайлович Данилко) |
| Also known as |
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| Born | 2 October 1973 Poltava, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Ukraine) |
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| Occupation(s) |
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| Instruments | Piano |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Labels | mamamusic |
Andriy Mykhailovych Danylko (born 2 October 1973) is a famous Ukrainian comedian, actor, and singer. He is best known for his fun and lively stage character, Verka Serduchka. As Verka, he represented Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 with the song "Dancing Lasha Tumbai". He came in second place in the competition. Andriy Danylko has sold over 600,000 records. He has also appeared in movies, including a special appearance as Verka in the American comedy film Spy (2015).
Contents
Early Life and Talents
Andriy Danylko was born on October 2, 1973, in Poltava, Ukraine. His family was working-class. Sadly, his father passed away when Andriy was seven years old.
From a young age, Andriy showed a lot of talent. He was good at drawing and music. In 1984, he started art school. He was also a leader in school activities, like being the captain of his school's KVN comedy team. He loved performing and was part of a theater group called "Compote". After finishing high school in 1991, he studied at the Kyiv State College of Circus and Variety Arts.
Creating Verka Serduchka
The Birth of a Star
In 1990, Andriy Danylko started to create the character of Verka Serduchka. Verka is a lively, middle-aged woman from the countryside. She works as a train attendant. Andriy first showed Verka to the public on January 4, 1991, at a comedy show in Poltava.
He came up with the name "Verka" randomly. "Serduchka" came from the last name of an old school friend, Anna Serduk. Later, Andriy gave Verka Serduchka a "mother" character. This role was played by actress Inna Bilokon, who was a close friend of Andriy's since school.
Touring and TV Shows
After creating Verka Serduchka, Andriy also made other characters. These included a police officer and a soldier. He started a group called the Danylko Theater. They toured all over Ukraine and Russia. In 2002, his group toured many countries with their show "I Am a Revolution".
The next year, he received the title of Honored Artist of Ukraine. This was after his Danylko Theater concert tour called "I Was Born for Love".
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Andriy hosted a talk show. It was called "SV-show," which means "Sleeping Car" in Ukrainian. This show was on different Ukrainian TV channels. In 2001, Andriy started appearing in TV musicals. He often played funny female roles as Verka Serduchka. Many of these shows were broadcast on New Year's Eve in Russia.
Andriy Danylko also makes calm, instrumental music under his real name. One of his albums, Posle tebya (After You), was released in 2005.
Eurovision Song Contest 2007
Verka Serduchka was chosen to represent Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007. The contest took place in Helsinki, Finland. Her song was "Dancing Lasha Tumbai". The song was sung in both German and English.
In the final competition, "Dancing Lasha Tumbai" earned 235 points. This placed Verka Serduchka in second place. The song became very popular. It reached number 6 on the French music charts. It also reached number 28 on the UK Singles Chart in May 2007. This was special because it was the first time a non-winning song from a non-UK country made it onto the UK charts since 1974.
Andriy Danylko later explained the phrase "lasha tumbai." He said it was a made-up phrase that sounded like the Mongolian word for "milkshake." He also mentioned that some people in Russia thought it sounded like "Russia goodbye!"
In 2011, a writer from The Guardian newspaper called "Dancing Lasha Tumbai" the "best song never to win Eurovision."
Later Career and Life
In 2007, Andriy Danylko thought about starting a political party called "For Ours!". However, he later decided not to.
Verka Serduchka had planned to enter the Ukrainian national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2011. She qualified for the final, but Andriy withdrew her from the competition in October 2010.
A Special Car
In January 2013, Andriy Danylko bought a 1974 Rolls-Royce car. This car was once owned by the famous singer Freddie Mercury. Andriy bought it at a show in Birmingham, England, for £75,000. He wanted to donate it to a museum. However, he couldn't find a suitable museum in Ukraine for it.
Movies and TV Judging
Andriy Danylko appeared as Verka Serduchka in the 2015 American action comedy movie Spy. In the movie, Verka's outdoor performance of "Dancing Lasha Tumbai" in Paris is interrupted by CIA agents.
Since 2016, Andriy has been a judge on Vidbir. This is Ukraine's national competition to choose their entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. In the Eurovision Song Contest 2016, Serduchka announced the results from the Ukrainian jury. Her "mother" character, played by Inna Bilokon, was with her.
From 2016 to 2019, he was also a judge on the talent show X-Factor in Ukraine.
In May 2017, Andriy Danylko announced that he might "bury" the Verka Serduchka character. He said he didn't want to perform as her on big stages anymore. But despite this, Andriy continued to perform many concerts.
On June 28, 2017, he gave a huge free concert in Kyiv as part of the Atlas Weekend festival. Over 100,000 people came to watch, which was a record!
In 2019, Verka Serduchka appeared in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 final in Tel Aviv, Israel. She sang the winning song from the previous year, "Toy" by Netta Barzilai, as part of a special "Switch Song" act.
In 2021, he became a judge on Mask, the Ukrainian version of The Masked Singer. Also in 2021, as Verka Serduchka, he hosted a special episode of the travel show Oryol i Reshka.
On June 21, 2022, he performed as Verka at a charity TV marathon called “Embrace Ukraine - #StrivingTogether.” This event in Amsterdam supported Ukraine and featured other past Eurovision winners.
Awards and Recognition
In 2003, Andriy Danylko was given the high honor of People's Artist of Ukraine. In 2007, Verka Serduchka received the Barbara Dex Award for having the "worst outfit" at the Eurovision Song Contest 2007.
Verka Serduchka's performance of "Dancing Lasha Tumbai" is considered one of the 8 most memorable performances in the history of "Eurovision".
In 2016, Serduchka's costume from her 2007 Eurovision performance was displayed at the ABBA The Museum in Stockholm. This was part of an exhibition celebrating 60 years of the competition.
In 2020, the song "Dancing Lasha Tumbai" was featured in the BBC America thriller series Killing Eve. A character danced to the song in an episode set in a Russian town.
In August 2022, the President of Ukraine awarded Danylko the Order of Merit Third Class.
Discography
- Kha-ra-sho! (2003)
- Chita Drita (2003)
- Posle tebya (2005) (instrumental music released under the name Danilko)
- Tralli-Valli (2006)
- Doremi Doredo (2008)
Filmography
As Performer
- (2001): Vechera na khutore bliz Dikanki: He played "Serduchka, the Village Moonshiner."
- (2003): Zolushka (Cinderella): He played the wicked stepsister Brunhilda.
- (2003): The Crazy Day or The Marriage of Figaro: He played Cherubino.
- (2004): The Fair at Sorochyntsi: An adaptation of a famous story.
- (2004): Za dvumya zaytsami ("Chasing Two Hares"): He played two roles, "Svetlana Markovna" and "Anton the Maniac."
- (2005): "Три мушкетера" ("The Three Musketeers").
- (2006): "The Adventures of Verka Serduchka."
- (2007): "Очень новогоднее кино, или Ночь в музее" ("New Year's Movie; or Night at the Museum").
- (2010): "Морозко" ("Jack Frost").
- (2011): "The New Adventures of Aladdin": He played "the Genie."
- (2012): "Красная шапочка" ("Little Red Riding Hood"): He played the main character.
- (2013): "Три богатыря" ("Three Warriors").
- (2015): Spy: A special appearance as Verka Serduchka.
As Composer
- (2009): Весельчаки (Veselchaki): A comedy about performers at a drag club.
See also
In Spanish: Verka Serduchka para niños
