December 01, 2019

Russia's Pop Queen


Russia's Pop Queen

Pop musicians come and go, but there is one Russian pop singer who continues to grab headlines despite no longer giving live performances: Alla Pugacheva. This icon of Russian pop has been around since the mid-1960s, and remains a legend in the annals of Russian, and especially of Soviet,  music.

Pugacheva was born in 1949, in Moscow. She was just a student in a music school when she began her career with “Robot” in 1965. The song enjoyed modest success, and, in an effort to refine her musical style, Pugacheva traveled around the Soviet Union, experimenting. She finally developed a style with Western influences, but heavily Slavic, due to its “dramatic and emotional appeal.” Pugacheva made it big in 1975 with a performance in Bulgaria of “Arlekino” (“The Harlequin”), and the rest, as they say, is history.

Pugacheva's style is very diverse, ranging from a clear mezzo-soprano to “dramatic cabaret growls and sobs,” according to a New York Times article describing her sold-out concert at Carnegie Hall: “Mrs. Pugacheva tries to offer something for everybody, from rock and pop-funk to torchy ballads.” She even sang a song in English.  

Beyond her musical prowess, Pugacheva stays in the headlines because of her flamboyant private life. She is currently on her fifth husband, whose predecessors include a Lithuanian circus performer, a film director, a producer, and a pop singer. Her current husband is the comic Maxim Galkin, with whom she has twins delivered by a surrogate mother. The couple was married in 2011 after ten years of being together unofficially. Pugacheva also has daughter from her first marriage.

Tags: popsoviet

See Also

6 Things Russian Babushkas Disapprove Of

6 Things Russian Babushkas Disapprove Of

What comes to mind when you think of a Russian national icon? Vodka, matryoshkas, bears? Fyodor Dostoyevsky? Alla Pugacheva? Cheburashka? Surprisingly few people, including Russians themselves, mention babushkas, the omnipresent grandmothers in head scarves.  Yet their influence is huge. Red Square huge. Katyusha rocket huge. So it pays to know how to please them...
7 Banned Films from the 1960s

7 Banned Films from the 1960s

Where we discuss seven outstanding Soviet movies from the 1960s dealing with rural Russia, humaneness, and the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution that, instead of contributing to the revolution’s legacy, gathered dust for decades.
Self-Isolation Hymn

Self-Isolation Hymn

One of Russia’s beloved comedians wrote a song about quarantine, and performed it in an unusual manner.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 
Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955