Lidia Richardovna Klement (; 8 July 1937 – 16 June 1964) was a
Soviet
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
singer.
Early life
She was involved with music and singing since childhood, studying piano at a music school for children and singing in a choir. Later, when studying at the
Leningrad Institute of Civil Engineering, Klement sang in a student jazz ensemble.
Career
After graduation, she worked for two years as a
design engineer
A design engineer is an engineer focused on the engineering design process in any of the various engineering disciplines (including civil, mechanical, electrical, chemical, textiles, aerospace, nuclear, manufacturing, systems, and struct ...
and sang with the Naum Tyomkin Variety Orchestra at the
Ordzhonikidze Palace of Culture. In 1958, for about a year, she sang with the ensemble of the
Leningrad Comedy Theater. She was noticed and composers started writing songs especially for her.
Lidia Klement gained fame all over the Soviet Union with songs such as ''Karelia'', ''Rain on the Neva'', and ''Is All This for Me Alone?.'' She performed frequently on radio and television, including on the extremely popular musical variety show ''
Goluboy Ogonyok''. In 1964, just months before her death, she released a record with 9 songs on it (through
Melodiya
Melodiya () is a Russian record label. It was the state-owned major record company of the Soviet Union.
History
Melodiya was established in 1964 as the "All-Union Gramophone Record Firm of the USSR Ministry of Culture Melodiya" in accordance wi ...
record label). At 26 years of age, at the peak of her career,
she was diagnosed with
melanoma
Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer; it develops from the melanin-producing cells known as melanocytes. It typically occurs in the skin, but may rarely occur in the mouth, intestines, or eye (uveal melanoma). In very rare case ...
and soon died. She leaves behind a daughter, a granddaughter, and a great granddaughter, who live in the United States.
See also
*
"Karelia" (song) in the Russian Wikipedia
References
External links
Website dedicated to Lidia Klement
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Klement, Lidia
1937 births
1964 deaths
Singers from Saint Petersburg
Soviet women singers
Deaths from cancer in the Soviet Union
20th-century Russian women singers
Saint-Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering alumni
Deaths from melanoma
Burials at Bogoslovskoe Cemetery