Sofia Rotaru biography personal life new husband. Son of Sofia Rotaru - Ruslan Evdokimenko with his wife Svetlana

Sofia Rotaru is an outstanding singer of our time. Her songs are loved by millions. Despite her 66 years, she amazes viewers with her irresistible appearance. They say about her that “looking impeccable in any situation and under any circumstances” is her lifestyle.

Sofia Rotaru: biography, family, photo

Those who lived in the Soviet Union are not surprised by the stories of artists who, born thousands of kilometers from Moscow, managed to achieve fame and recognition throughout the country. This country valued real talent. Rotaru’s biography originates in the distant village of Marshintsy in western Ukraine, where in 1947 the future Soviet pop star Sofia Rotaru was born into the family of winegrower Mikhail Rotar. Her childhood was not easy. The girl had to get up before sunrise and go to the market with her mother, stand behind the counter, and sometimes work in the field. After all, there were six children in the family, and Sofia was the eldest, after her blind sister Zoe, and therefore the main assistant to her parents. Despite many difficulties, Rotarey was not burdened by her life. There was always music in their house: all family members sang. From first grade, Sofia sang in the school choir, as well as in the village church during services. Her first musical instruments were the button accordion and domra. Nevertheless, Rotaru’s biography as a singer begins in 1962, when fifteen-year-old Sofia, having won the regional competition, entered the regional show in Chernivtsi. Here she also becomes a winner. The next step is a trip to Kyiv to the republican festival “Young Talents”. And again the girl will win. In 1964, she performed on the Kremlin stage for the first time and received a lot of positive feedback regarding her voice. It seems her fate is sealed. Sofia decides to take vocals seriously and enters the music school in Chernivtsi.

and creative success

After graduating from college in 1968, she went as part of a delegation to the Ninth World Youth Festival in Sofia. As Bulgarian and Soviet newspapers and magazines later wrote, “Sofia from Ukraine conquered Sofia.” After this triumph, her photo was placed on the cover of the magazine “Ukraine”. At the same time, somewhere in the Urals, a guy from the city of Chernivtsi, Tolya Evdokimenko, is doing military service, who, having accidentally seen his compatriot on the cover of a magazine, falls in love with the girl in the photograph and decides to find her after finishing his service at all costs. The main thing is that he knows her name.

The biography of Sofia Rotaru (photos from the wedding are still kept in Sofia Mikhailovna) in 1968 makes a sharp turn, and she, as a very young girl, gets married, making a promise to her mother that this marriage will be for life. So it will be. Sofia and Anatoly were inseparable until the end of his days (A. Evdokimenko died in 2002). Two years later, the happy couple had a son, Ruslan. And this is, of course, the most significant of all the events that Rotaru’s biography tells about. Soon the musical film “Chervona Ruta” will be released, in which the main role is played by the Ukrainian singer Sofia Rotaru. Participation in this project brings the young woman all-Union fame. She creates her own ensemble, which she calls the same as the film that contributed to her success - “Chervona Ruta”. Her husband becomes the artistic director of the ensemble. Together with her team, Sofia Rotaru traveled throughout the Soviet Union and camps. Her name was on everyone's lips. Such celebrities as Arno Babajanyan, Oscar Feltsman, David Tukhmanov and others wrote songs for her. Any song sung by Sofia was awarded the “Song of the Year” award. However, the most hit songs were the songs of the composer V. Matetsky: “Lavender”, “Moon, Moon”, “It was, it was, it was, but it passed”, etc.

Conclusion

Afterwards, the People's Artist of three republics (Ukraine, Moldova and Russia), as well as the entire Soviet Union, retained all her fans. Rotaru’s biography continues to be updated today with new facts telling about awards, grandiose concerts, presentations and performances of the outstanding singer of our time.

Sofia Mikhailovna Rotaru is a Soviet, Russian, Ukrainian and Moldavian pop legend. Actress. Her repertoire includes more than five hundred compositions in twelve languages. People's Artist of the Soviet Union, winner of many other titles, regalia and awards, including the Order of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker “For the increase of good on Earth” and the Order of Friendship of Peoples. Hero of Ukraine and recipient of the Order of the Power, multiple winner of the Golden Gramophone award. Muse of Andrei Voznesensky, who dedicated the poem “Voice” to the singer.

Of course, it is difficult to contain all the facets of talent and all the vicissitudes of the difficult life of a great artist. In this biography, we tried to list the most significant moments in the life of Sofia Rotaru.

Childhood: Marshyntsi – Chernivtsi

In 1946, shortly after the end of the Great Patriotic War, the wounded machine gunner Mikhail Rotar, who had finished fighting in Berlin, returned to his native Ukrainian village of Marshintsy, Novoselitsky district, where his wife Alexandra was faithfully waiting for him with her typhoid and blind daughter Zina. This is the couple’s second child – the firstborn did not survive.


Until 1940, the village of Marshintsi was part of Romania. The singer's surname also has Romanian roots. Translated into Russian, “Rotar” means “wheel driver.”

In his native village, Mikhail held the position of foreman of winegrowers. In the summer of 1947, another girl was born into the family; she was named Sofiyka. In the post-war period, there was no special order in passport documentation, and the baby, who was actually born on August 7, was registered on the ninth day of birth.


From an early age, Sonechka was her mother’s main assistant, who woke up her daughter in the dark: She had to milk the cow, feed the chickens and the rest of the livestock, and then go to the market with vegetables to get a better place. There was always a queue near Alexandra and Sofiyka, their counter was so clean and tidy. The growing brothers Evgeny and Anatoly and sisters Lydia and Aurika soon also joined their sister and started doing housework early in the morning.


In the family, due to the prevailing ethnic circumstances, everyone spoke Moldovan. But the older sister, who, due to loss of vision, developed an absolute ear for music, listened to the radio, easily memorized songs and learned Russian on her own. Soon, thanks to Zinaida, the younger children also knew him.


The whole family was musical. The head of the family at one time also wanted to sing professionally, but it didn’t work out - war and famine broke out. But the man did not lose his passion for singing; he was the company singer. In the village, the violin, domra, cymbals, and button accordion sounded everywhere: at weddings, evening parties, dances and gatherings. It was in such an atmosphere that Sofiyka lived, who by the time she was in first grade knew a lot of folk songs and pop songs heard on the radio. And as soon as she went to school, she immediately signed up for the choir.


When the girl was already a pioneer, it turned out at school that she also sang in the church on the choir. The student was threatened with expulsion from the pioneers, but more for formality, since in those days even the teachers themselves secretly prayed and blessed Easter cakes. Moreover, Sonya also showed herself as an athlete, defending the honor of the school at all-around sporting events. The young athlete was also sent to Chernivtsi, where she won the 100-meter and 800-meter races.

Youth: Chernivtsi – Moscow

The girl managed to manage the housework, study well, and play the button accordion, which her father taught her. She took part in amateur performances, delighting first her fellow villagers with her unusual voice, and then all her Bukovinian fellow countrymen who heard the young performer for the first time at a show of regional talents.

She, as the winner, was sent to the republican competition, where she also became the first, which the magazine “Ukraine” wrote about, publishing a photo of Sofia on the cover. Dmitro Gnatyuk himself predicted to the girl that she would become famous. At the age of seventeen, the “Bukovinian nightingale,” as her fellow countrymen lovingly called her, first came to the Kremlin Palace of Congresses.


At this time, she was already studying at the conducting and choral course at the Chernivtsi Music School. I enrolled in this course because there was no vocal department at that time. After graduating from college, “Sofia conquered Sofia,” as the Bulgarian media wrote then [Sofia is a city in Bulgaria.. The girl performed at the Ninth World Festival of Youth and Students with Ukrainian folk songs, and also performed the song “Valentina” dedicated to Valentina Tereshkova, who was present in the hall "

Musical film with the participation of Sofia Rotaru. 1966

Creative career

The takeoff of Rotaru’s musical career began with her participation in Roman Alekseev’s film “Chervona Ruta.” Beginning soloists of the Chernivtsi Philharmonic Vasyl Zinkevich and Nazariy Yaremchuk starred in the musical film with her. All of them performed songs by the unique Bukovinian composer Vladimir Ivasyuk. His famous “Chervona Ruta” and “Vodograi” adorn the repertoire of the national singer to this day. And at that time, an ensemble of the same name was created at the Philharmonic, which gained incredible popularity not only in Ukraine, but also at the international level.


The tragic death of her beloved composer was a great loss for the singer, who continued to sing his songs. Mikhail Ivasyuk, writer and father of Vladimir, in front of an audience of thousands, called on his fellow countrymen to bow deeply to the girl who spread his son’s songs throughout the world.

Sofia Rotaru and Vasily Zinkevich – Chervona Ruta (1971)

Soon after winning the Golden Orpheus, Rotaru was awarded the title of Honored Artist of Ukraine. Eugen Doga’s song “My City” performed by her is still considered the hallmark of Chisinau.

Sofia Rotaru – My White City (from the film “Dniester Melodies”)

The seventies of the 20th century were very eventful and fruitful for the singer. She collaborated with the most popular Soviet composers - Arno Babajanyan, David Tukhmanov, Alexandra Pakhmutova, Raymond Pauls, Evgeny Martynov. Fans of her work know by heart “Apple Trees in Blossom”, “In My House”, “Swan Fidelity” and other unforgettable compositions. Rotaru, the only Soviet singer, was invited to participate in the creation of a large disc by the Munich recording studio Ariola.


The giant disc Sofia Rotaru - My Tenderness was released only in the late seventies, and before that an album appeared that was awarded the prize of the Central Committee of the Komsomol "Writings of Volodymyr Ivasyuk sing to Sofia Rotaru." Soon the singer formed a duet with the Czech performer Karel Gott, performing the song “Father’s House” at one of the “Blue Lights”, which could not do without the participation of everyone’s favorite artist. Sofia is expanding her circle of cooperation with composers from Moldova and Armenia, Yugoslavia and Germany.

Sofia Rotaru – Father's House

The singer toured almost all over the world, and at this time the Chernivtsi regional party committee expelled from its ranks Mikhail Rotar, a member of the CPSU from the post-war years, and his son from the ranks of the Komsomol and the university for... too vigorous celebration of the Old New Year. Sofia moves to Crimea and becomes a soloist of the Yalta Philharmonic.


In the eighties, Rotaru was the first of the modern Soviet pop singers to be awarded the title of People's Artist of the Soviet Union. She also became a People's Honor in Ukraine and Moldova, and the issue of assigning her the same title in the Armenian SSR was seriously considered.


They say that in 1991 in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, when the USSR collapsed, the question was even raised about how to now divide the artist Rotaru. But this episode is something of a legend, as are the rumors that the head of the Communist Party of Ukraine, Vladimir Shcherbitsky, treated Rotar so well that he forbade Alla Pugacheva to perform in Ukraine.


She, meanwhile, starred in films. First she played Marcela, a music teacher in Valeria Gagiu’s melodrama “Where are you, love?” (1980), and then began filming in the now cult film by Alexander Borodyansky and Alexander Stefanovich “Soul” (1981). The people's artist's filming partners were Rolan Bykov and Mikhail Boyarsky, and the group of singer Victoria Svobodina, the main character, was played by the Time Machine group. The plot of the film was autobiographical, connected with dramatic events in the life of Sofia herself.


Also in the eighties, the singer released the long-playing record “Tender Melody”, after which she was awarded the “Golden Disc” prize by the Melodiya company for two albums at once - “Sofia Rotaru” and “Melancolie”. Both of them became the best-selling in the USSR in 1985. Another serious award of the same year was the Order of Friendship of Peoples.

Sofia Rotaru – Moon, moon

In the nineties, the singer continued to surprise fans by experimenting with her image and performance styles. Celebrated the twentieth anniversary of her creative career at the Rossiya Concert Hall. The songs “Khutoryanka”, “Tango”, “Wild Swans” appear. Two CDs of the singer were released: “Sofia Rotaru” and “Lavender”. The artist also participated in the Channel One project “Old Songs about the Main Thing,” where she played a foreman-drummer.

Sofia Rotaru – Farmer

In addition, the artist toured a lot not only in the CIS countries, but also in Europe, America, and Canada, where she has a large audience of fans. In the late nineties, the premiere of her large solo concert program entitled “Love Me” took place at the Kremlin Palace. For her many years of performing skills, Sofia Rotaru was awarded the Order of Princess Olga.


In the new millennium, Rotaru remained, as before, young and beautiful. She performed a solo program “My Life is My Love!”, dedicated to the thirtieth anniversary of her creative career. She released the albums “I Still Love You,” followed by “The Sky is Me,” “Lavender, Khutoryanka, Then Everywhere...” and to top it off, “I Loved Him.”


Sofia Rotaru’s collection of awards and titles includes “Man of the 20th Century”, the Order of Honor of the Russian Federation and the Commonwealth.

Rare interview with Sofia Rotaru

2002 brought the artist the title of Hero of Ukraine. Her significant personal achievements in the field of development of art were noted, as well as her selfless work “to preserve national and cultural traditions and enhance the heritage of the Ukrainian people.” Also in Kyiv, the opening ceremony of the Avenue of Stars of Ukraine took place, where Sofia Rotaru’s Star was among the first to be lit. In 2003, an album was released in memory of her late husband Anatoly Evdokimenko - “To the Only One”. In it, the singer performs songs in Moldavian, Romanian, Ukrainian and Russian.


In honor of her sixtieth birthday, the singer was solemnly awarded the Order of Merit by President Viktor Yushchenko at the Livadia Palace in Yalta. A huge number of friends and colleagues of the artist from different parts of the world gathered in Yalta. Then the celebrations continued in the Kremlin Palace, where Rotaru’s anniversary concerts were held. According to some estimates of those years, Sofia Mikhailovna holds the absolute record of songs performed in the finals of “Songs of the Year” - their number is almost one hundred compositions.


The artist’s seventieth birthday was celebrated with a creative evening at the Baku music festival “Heat”, where she was congratulated by her colleagues singing songs from her repertoire. In 2018, Sofia Rotaru sang a new song “Love is alive!” and released a video clip for it. Then the singer stopped touring Russia for some time, but fans of her work always look forward to new concerts of their favorite performer.

Sofia Rotaru – Love is alive

Personal life of Sofia Rotaru

In 1968, Sofia met a young man who fell in love with her as soon as he saw her photo on the cover of the magazine “Ukraine” during his military service in the Urals. After the army, the young man became a student at Chernivtsi University, a prestigious university in the Soviet Union. Knowing that his beloved worked as a teacher at a music school in Chernivtsi, he found the girl.


Sonya fell in love with Anatoly Evdokimenko from the first meeting and soon married him. The trumpeter of the student orchestra and the aspiring singer spent their honeymoon in Novosibirsk, in the dormitory of the military plant, where Anatoly did his internship. Sofia spoiled her husband and his colleagues with delicious dinners, and in the evenings she delighted her with her singing from the stage of the Otdykh club.


Three months flew by in a flash, the young family left for their homeland. Two years later, her son Ruslan was born, and Rotaru became a soloist of the ensemble “Chervona Ruta”, which was founded by her husband.


At the very peak of their popularity, the team essentially betrayed Sofia Rotaru and its artistic director Anatoly Evdokimenko. The singer recalls that at that moment she became truly scared:

We were carried in their arms, cars were lifted at concerts. It seemed to the guys that they could count on success without me, that I treated them wrong, that the repertoire was wrong, that they received little money... When Tolik and I left for our homeland, they got together and decided that they didn’t need us. And they left. With a scandal and the name “Chervona Ruta”.

A dark year in the singer’s life was 2002, when her beloved, with whom she had lived for more than thirty years, died of a stroke, a few months after the death of her mother.

The granddaughter, the namesake of the famous singer, lives in the capital of Great Britain and works in the modeling business. She also tries her hand at creativity and released her debut song “Indestructible” under the pseudonym Sofia Eve. In the summer of 2019, information appeared in the press about the girl’s relationship with French businessman Marco Dumenil.


Sofia Rotaru now

After a long break, the 72-year-old artist, who doesn’t even look forty, took part in the Sochi “New Wave” 2019. There she performed her new composition “Eternal Heaven”. She did not hide her joy at the resumption of performances in Russia and promised the fans, who showered their favorite performer with flowers and gifts, that she would definitely come again.


Name: Sofia Rotaru
Date of Birth: 07.08.1947
Age:'70
Place of Birth: Marshyntsi, Chernivtsi region, Ukraine
Weight: 64 kg
Height: 1.70 m
Activity: singer, actress, dancer, People's Artist of the USSR
Family status: widow

Who else was considered the new husband of the legendary singer Sofia Rotaru, whose personal life and biography still excites all fans of her work! Another media interest in romantic relationships in the artist’s life flared up last summer. Then a heated confession from 37-year-old musician Alexander Popov appeared online.

According to the man, a woman like Sofia Rotaru cannot but inspire admiration for both her external beauty and the inner strength of her character. The young man is known not only for his participation in the once popular group “Turbomoda”, but also for his former relationship with Tatyana Bulanova. According to some rumors circulated by the “yellow” press, it was Popov who became the reason for the popular singer’s departure from football player Rodimov. Sofia Mikhailovna herself and her family members, as well as her stage colleagues, do not comment on such a recognition.

The singer's childhood and family

The future star was born in 1947 in the distant Bukovina village of Morshintsy. Sofia's parents were simple village workers who worked in agriculture for many years. In addition to the vocal girl, the family had two more sisters and three brothers. At the same time, the eldest lost her sight in childhood after contracting an infectious disease. Therefore, Sofia Mikhailovna was considered the eldest in the house and her workload was appropriate - her duties included milking a cow and selling greens at the local market. The younger ones in the house always helped the older ones - family relationships and mutual assistance were instilled in children from early childhood.


Sofia Rotaru in childhood


As the artist and her relatives recall in a few interviews devoted to the personal life and biography of Sofia Mikhailovna and denying the appearance of a new husband in the artist’s life, Ukrainian and Moldavian songs were often heard in the house. It was the father who became the lead singer in the large Rotar family at family gatherings or during the grape harvest.


Sofia Rotaru in her youth


Even at school, Sofia was called the “Bukovinian nightingale” for her unique vocal abilities. In addition to singing, the girl was actively involved in all-around events, participated in all school events and actively mastered folk musical instruments.


Interesting: Svetlana Bezrodnaya: biography, personal life, photo

Rise in popularity

The young singer of Moldovan and Ukrainian folk songs became famous at the age of 15. Since 1963, Sofia literally, in one breath, won several singing competitions of various sizes and in 1964 she performed her first performance at the Kremlin Palace of Congresses.


Singer at the beginning of her career


In Soviet times, such a dizzying career was not possible for every resident of the capital, let alone a young girl from a remote Bukovina village. It was then that the photo of the amateur artist appeared on the cover of the central publication “Ukraine”. This fact played a huge role later in the personal life and biography of Sofia Rotaru, as noted by journalists trying to find out details about her new husband.

First love, only love

As the artist’s sisters say, the girl did not dream of a romantic relationship then. She wanted to make a career as a singer, for which she had to tour a lot and work at concert venues that varied in equipment and distance from the center.


Anatoly Evdokimenko, the son of wealthy parents, completed his military service in the army, having a comfortable place in the regimental orchestra - a musically gifted young man excellently performed bravura marches and anthems on the trumpet. Quite by chance, the young man came across a cover with a black-eyed girl smiling provocatively at him from the cover of a central magazine. After reading the article about the “Bukovinian nightingale,” the young man in love decided to win the favor of the young beauty, at any cost.


Sofia Rotaru in the ensemble “Chervona Ruta”


For this, after demobilization, Evdokimenko organizes the Chervona Ruta ensemble and invites the young artist to work in the group, created, as it turned out later, just for her. Along the way, he begins to carefully look after Sophia and after 2 years becomes her husband, teacher, mentor and best friend - irreplaceable and dear to her for many 35 years.


Sofia Rotaru on stage

Child and work

In 1970, a son, Ruslan, appeared in the family. According to the artist’s memoirs, her husband was against children at such an early age for a long time - Evdokimenko really wanted to reach world heights in the work of the group he managed, which at first worked on the basis of the Chernivtsi Regional Philharmonic. The young wife had to come up with a fantastic story about malfunctions in the female body, thanks to which the stubbornness of her ambitious husband was broken.

Contrary to popular belief that after the birth of a child the career of a talented performer is in danger of oblivion, a year after the birth of Ruslan, the ensemble becomes mega-popular in the USSR. The first black and white musical is being filmed about his work, filled with piercing folk and original melodies performed by the “Bukovinian nightingale” in Ukrainian, Moldavian and Romanian.


With my first husband


As Sofya Mikhailovna likes to say in interviews, her fame would not have become so comprehensive and powerful if not for her family. It was the sisters who replaced little Ruslan’s mother for many years of her active touring activities. To this day, Sofya Mikhailovna very much regrets that she did not give birth to Ruslana’s sister, sacrificing another child for the sake of her career.


And for a long time she felt guilty in front of her son because of her constant absence from home. As the artist’s sisters say, as a child, the first thing Ruslan did was ask his mother, who had returned from another business trip, when she should leave again. These naive words were filled with such longing for her beloved and always busy mother that every time before leaving, Rotaru could not find a place for herself.


Sofia Rotaru with family


By the way, Edita Piekha advised the aspiring singer to add the prefix “u” at the end of her last name. According to the singer, this added French charm and mystery to the Moldovan sound.

The pinnacle of success

In 1973, Sofia Mikhailovna won first prize at the Golden Orpheus competition and took the stage in the finals of the Songs of the Year competition. From that time on, for thirty years, Rotaru did not miss a single episode of the legendary program, making an exception only in 2002 in connection with the death of her husband. And in the same 1974, the woman became an Honored Artist of the Ukrainian SSR. At that time, the singer was only 26 years old! After 2 years, she was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the Moldavian SSR, and in 1979 Sofia Mikhailovna became a People's Performer of the republican level.


Sofia Rotaru and Alla Pugacheva


In 1986, the press was told that the Chervona Ruta ensemble was returning to a repertoire consisting of folk songs, and the soloist was leaving for “free bread.” The titanic work of Sofia Mikhailovna in collaboration with the best authors of that time did their job - the title of People's Artist of the Soviet Union was awarded to Rotaru in 1988. By the way, Prima Donna received a similar title three years later, which gave rise to the myth of the rivalry between the two greatest singers of the Soviet and post-Soviet era.

Sofia Rotaru now

Many years of hard work have done their job - the artist is considered one of the wealthiest representatives of show business in the post-Soviet space;


personal mansion in Pyatikhatki (Koncha-Zaspa);
luxury hotel in Yalta;
own house on the Black Sea coast;
comfortable apartment in Kyiv.

In addition, Rotaru never forgot about her brothers and sisters - Sofya Mikhailovna always took upon herself all the costs of providing them with decent housing, clothing, and education for their children.


Sofia Rotaru and Vasily Bogatyrev


In addition, the woman devotes a lot of time to her own family - her son works as her parent’s concert director, her daughter-in-law has become her producer and closest assistant. The descendants of the people's favorite are successfully mastering domestic and foreign show business in all its manifestations:


granddaughter Sofia has been successfully working in the modeling industry for many years;
grandson Anatoly is one of the most successful photographers in the high fashion industry.

Now, due to the unfavorable political situation, Sofia Rotaru, whose personal life and biography are inextricably linked with Russia and Ukraine, is trying not to participate in inciting interethnic hatred. So, the artist celebrated her 70th birthday on neutral territory - in Baku. At the same time, there was no news about her new husband in the press.

There have always been legends about the artist herself, retold in whispers in the kitchen and provoked by completely justified situations in the singer’s life:


Sofia Rotaru today


moving to Yalta in 1975. There were rumors about the artist’s terrible illness - by the age of 30 she was too thin. In fact, Sofia Mikhailovna did not have any tuberculosis. It’s just that at that time the artist’s work was extremely favored by the local secretary of the district party committee, who created the most favorable conditions for living and working for Sofia Mikhailovna and the members of her ensemble. On the contrary, the Chernivtsi party apparatus, fearing sanctions from higher authorities, reacted sharply to the growing popularity of the Chervona Ruta ensemble abroad. It was then that for the first time the team was restricted from traveling abroad and firmly settled in state-owned apartments in Crimea. For 5 years, the ensemble worked out its prosperous existence on the generous Tavria land with numerous tours of collective and state farms of the peninsula;
voice problems. Interest in the artist’s health once again increased after the release of the film “Soul,” directed by Pugacheva’s ex-husband. It was during the work on the film that Sofia Mikhailovna lost her voice. Working hard for many years did its dirty work and the artist had surgery on her vocal cords. The intervention was unsuccessful; the scars on the artist’s “working tool” remained for life.

The creative career of Sofia Rotaru is an example of unconditional success on the international stage and universal recognition. The singer's repertoire consists of 500 different songs in many languages. Even in Soviet times, Sofia Rotaru was considered one of the best singers of our time. Today, a talented woman is often called the “golden voice of the country” and the “queen of the stage.”

Childhood and youth of the star

Sofia Mikhailovna Rotaru was born into a large family, in which besides herself there were five more children. The singer's birthday is August 7, 1947. The family lived in the village of Marshintsy, Chernivtsi region in Ukraine.

According to Sofia’s recollections, she took her first steps towards the stage thanks to her older sister, who taught her to sing. The girls' father also contributed a lot to the baby's musical development. The man had a beautiful voice and perfect pitch.

At the age of seven, Sonya sang not only in the school folk song choir, but also performed as a soloist during church services, which threatened her with exclusion from the pioneer organization. Having Moldavian roots, Sonya felt a special attraction to the ancient chants of Moldova, which the girl sang in the evenings, picking up the accompaniment on the accordion.

Sonya was also attracted to the theater stage. The aspiring actress studied in a drama club.

In addition to creative activities, the girl was also interested in athletics and wrestling. Subsequently, the skills of the future singer helped her perform complex stunts in videos and films without the help of professional stuntmen.

What was the beginning of Sofia Rotaru’s creative path

Since childhood, the girl has participated in various music competitions. A truly resounding success overtook her in 1962 after a regional competition in amateur performances. It was thanks to this victory that young Sofia was able to perform at the regional competition, where she also prevailed over her rivals.

After winning leading places at the shows, the budding talent Rotaru was waiting for a festival in Kyiv, where the young singer won again. Based on the results of the competition, information about the successes of Sofia Rotaru appeared in a magazine, where a young man named Anatoly saw a photograph of the young artist. The man was in love with the singer at first sight, and was also captivated by the idea of ​​founding his own musical group. Subsequently, the future husband of Sofia Rotaru did everything to ensure that his beloved had her own musical orchestra.

In 1964, the aspiring artist also performed at the Palace of Congresses in the Kremlin.

After graduating from school, Sonya finally decided on the choice of her future profession and therefore went to study at the Chernivtsi Music College.

The singer's youth

After successfully graduating from music school, the singer decided to participate in a youth festival in Bulgaria, which took place in 1968. At this event, the singer became a gold medalist as the best performer of folk songs.

In the same year, Sofia married her admirer Anatoly. In the marriage of the young people, a boy, Ruslan, was born. In addition to significant changes in her marital status, Rotaru devoted herself to teaching.

The singer is also known for her film roles. For example, in 1971, Rotaru starred in the leading role in the project “Chervona Ruta”, which caused a lot of different discussions in society. Soon after the release of this film on the wide screen, Sofia founded her own musical ensemble and called it nothing more than “Chervona Ruta”. In addition, by that time the singer had a position at the Chernivtsi Philharmonic.

As for the activities of her musical ensemble, the singer created for it in collaboration with composer Vladimir Ivasyuk. The musicians created many beautiful compositions that were distinguished by their unique folk style.

Thanks to her songs, as well as her unique performance style, Sofia quickly became famous during her tours in foreign countries. Everywhere the talented performer enjoyed dizzying success.

Soon the singer received the official title of Honored Artist of the Ukrainian Socialist Republic.

Since the 1970s, she has regularly won all kinds of music competitions.

Subsequently, the singer decides to continue her musical education. In 1974, Sofia completed her studies at the Institute of Arts in Chisinau. After this, the young performer went to the Polish festival “Amber Nightingale”, where she became a well-deserved laureate among other participants. During the same period, the first album of the talented singer was released. The name of the album is quite simple: “Sofia Rotaru”.

In connection with political events, the singer and her orchestra moved to permanent residence in Yalta, where the artist immediately found her calling on the stage of the local philharmonic.

In 1976, Sofia became the owner of a new status for herself - People's Artist of the Ukrainian SSR. In addition, Sofia Rotaru now regularly participates in the filming of the New Year’s program “Blue Light,” which is a great honor for every talented singer and artist.

The singer also has another record called “Songs of Vladimir Ivasyuk Sung by Sofia Rotaru,” which was released in 1977.

After 2 years, other creative works of Rotaru come out:

Disc giant “Sofia Rotaru – Mu tenderness”;

“Only for you”;

"Sofia Rotaru".

Artistic achievements

In 1980, domestic audiences were able to admire her magnificent performance in the film “Where Are You, Love?”, in which she performed one of her songs and amazed with her bold stunt act - she rode along the coast on a motorcycle.

Soon after the release of the film, a record was released that contained all the musical compositions performed in the film.

Subsequently, actress Rotaru was in search of a new style, which she had never used before either on stage or in films. In particular, Sofia starred in a film with Makarevich and his team in the film “Soul”, and also began performing rock songs.

In 1983, the singer and her musical group managed to perform in Canada and even release a record there dedicated to their grand tour. After such a high-profile event that shocked the world of the Soviet stage, the singers for some time lost the opportunity to leave the borders of their country.

The singer released the album “Tender Melody” in 1984, which recalled the original image of the Soviet and Moldavian singer.

Subsequently, a Ukrainian song began to sound from the lips of all members of the Chervona Ruta ensemble. That's why Sofia Rotaru soon decides to change the team and begins collaborating with metropolitan musicians.

In the early 90s, the singer's new album was released, which contains obvious elements of metal.

After the Soviet Union collapsed, the performer’s career, as if nothing had happened, continued with new albums and performances.

The singer earned the status of “Man of the Twentieth Century” in Ukraine, and also became the owner of many other honorary titles and awards.

Details of the personal life of Sofia Rotaru

The singer entered into her only marriage - Anatoly Evdokimenko became her husband. Since then, the couple did not interrupt their relationship and lived together until Anatoly passed away. Sofia's legal husband became for her not only a faithful and caring life partner, but also a person who made a significant contribution to the development of the singer's career. Despite numerous trips around the country, as well as tours abroad, Rotaru did not feel abandoned, because she traveled everywhere accompanied by her husband, with whom they lived for more than 30 years.

The world-famous artist and singer Sofia Rotaru was born in the Ukrainian village of Marshintsy on August 7, 1947. The Rotaru family was multinational, because it had Ukrainian and Moldavian roots. Her family respected all traditions and cultures. Sofia’s parents were simple, far from the world of art: her father worked in the vineyards, while her mother traded at the local market. The family was large, the parents had six children, and they needed help. Sofia, as the second oldest, successfully coped with raising her brothers and sisters. A multicultural atmosphere reigned in the family; the Moldovan language was used for communication. Sofia received her first singing lessons from her sister, who became blind as a child. But having lost her sight, her sister gained fine hearing. My father also had excellent hearing and voice. From an early age, her father realized that Sofia was destined for fame and success.

Since childhood, the girl was distinguished by an inquisitive mind, curiosity and mobility. In addition to high achievements in art, singing and music, the future star also had achievements in sports. While studying at school, Sofia took an active part in all school theater performances, mastered playing various instruments and went to the drama club. Sofia was called the “Bukovinian nightingale” for her beautiful voice and artistry. Sofia delighted not only her fellow villagers with her talent, but also residents of neighboring villages, organizing tours.

It only took three years for Rotaru to soar to the peak of fame. While still very young, Rotaru participates and wins in a regional-scale amateur art show. After this, a series of new awards and recognition began in the Soviet Union. Sofia’s photo was published on the main page of the Ukraine publication after receiving first place at the All-Union Talent Festival.

World fame came to Rotaru after winning the World Creative Competition held in Bulgaria in the late 1960s. And in the film “Chervona Ruta”, shot in the early 1970s, Sofia’s songs were used. Newspapers and magazines published articles about the successes and life of the young star.

Sofia Rotaru: personal life, biography

Young Sofia was taken into a pop ensemble operating at the Chernivtsi Philharmonic. A series of performances began not only across the territory of the USSR, but also the performance of songs by pop stars in Europe. The star’s list of achievements was replenished with victories at the “Song of the Year” and “Golden Orpheus” competitions.

Rotaru published her debut album in 1974, and it was then that the decision was made to move to Crimea to start a solo career. She received the deserved title of People's Artist of the Ukrainian SSR in 1976. Until the end of the 1970s, a couple of significant albums were recorded, thanks to which the singer’s talent was promoted outside the country. Foreign producers paid attention to Rotaru and bombarded the singer with their proposals. By 1983, an English-language album was recorded, and Sofia visited Canada and gave concerts throughout Europe. But soon the government of the USSR decided to ban artists from traveling outside the country for a period of five years. Undeterred, the ensemble goes on successful tours throughout the entire Crimean region.

Solo performances

After the collapse of VIA “Chervona Ruta” in the mid-80s, Sofia had the opportunity to establish a solo career. Despite her experience and knowledge of how to work in the current situation, the singer encountered many experiences and difficulties along the way. After meeting with Vladimir Matetsky, Rotaru made changes in the direction of her work. After working for 15 years with this wonderful man, Sofia received the title of People's Artist of the USSR.

During “perestroika”, a mutually beneficial cooperation contract was concluded with Alla Dukhova’s dance group “Todes”. Together with the People's Artist, the dance group performed throughout the USSR. Adapting to the changed realities after the collapse of the USSR was quite difficult for the singer, but she coped with this obstacle. Sofia gave tours in Russian and Ukrainian in the newly formed independent republics.

Cinema with Sofia Rotaru

It should be noted that Sofia had talent not only as a singer, but also as an actress. She easily gets key roles in many Soviet and Russian films. “Sorochinskaya Fair”, “Soul”, “Where are you, love?” only a few films from the singer’s list of roles.

Sofia Rotaru: new photos, n new husband

Sofia met Anatoly Evdokimenko while working with Chervona Ruta. Anatoly was the artistic director of VIA. They were connected not only by working in the same team, but also by a deep feeling of love. For the first time, Anatoly noticed his future wife on the pages of the publication “Ukraine”. The wedding took place in 1968, and after some time they had a son, Ruslan.

According to Sofia, she and her husband experienced both joyful moments and various troubles. They were not left alone for a moment, spending time together both at work and on vacation. After the sudden death of her husband as a result of a stroke in the early 2000s, the actress canceled tours, filming, and meetings. However, the singer was able to cope with the bereavement and get back on track. An army of millions of fans admires not only the star’s creativity, but also her human qualities.