Philipp Bedros Kirkorov (, ; ; born 30 April 1967) is a Bulgarian-born Russian pop singer. Kirkorov's career began in 1985 with participation in the Soviet musical TV show " Wider Circle". Since 2000, he has maintained public interest in his person with a scandalous reputation and recording remakes of hits by international performers from Europe and the United States. In 1995, he represented at the

Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 1956. Each participating broadcaster ...

and took 17th place. During his creative career, he achieved success in Russia,

Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...

and other countries of the

former USSR The post-Soviet states, also referred to as the former Soviet Union or the former Soviet republics, are the independent sovereign states that emerged/re-emerged from the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Prior to their independence, they ...

, and was awarded many Russian music prizes, including ZD Awards and others. He is a five-time winner of the "Best Selling Russian Artist" title at the

World Music Awards The World Music Awards was an international award show founded in 1989 under the patronage of Albert II, Prince of Monaco and co-founder/executive producer John Martinotti. The event was based in Monte Carlo. Awards were presented to the worl ...

ceremonies.

Biography

Early life and education

Philipp Kirkorov was born on 30 April 1967 in Varna, Bulgaria. His father, Bedros Kirkorov, was of Armenian origin, while his mother, Victoria, was of Jewish origin. He began traveling on tours with his parents at the age of five. During his childhood, he lived in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

. It is believed that his first stage appearance occurred at the age of five during his father's concert in

Petrozavodsk Petrozavodsk (, ; Karelian language, Karelian, Veps language, Vepsian and ) is the capital city of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, which stretches along the western shore of Lake Onega for some . The population of the city is 280,890 as of 2022. ...

Theater. His father performed the autobiographical song "Synok" ("Son"), dedicated to Soviet tank crews he met in 1944 in Varna. At the end of the song, Filipp walked onto the stage to give his father a

carnation ''Dianthus caryophyllus'' ( ), commonly known as carnation or clove pink, is a species of ''Dianthus'' native to the Mediterranean Basin, Mediterranean region. Its exact natural range is uncertain due to extensive cultivation over the last 2,00 ...

as the audience applauded. He graduated from Moscow School No. 413 with a gold medal. After school, he attempted to enroll in a theater institute but failed the entrance exams. In 1984, he entered the Gnessin State Musical College in the musical comedy department, graduating in 1988 with honors.

Early career

In November 1985, Kirkorov made his television debut on the program '' Wider Circle'' with the song " Alyosha" in Bulgarian. He was noticed by Svetlana Annapolskaya, the director of '' Goluboy Ogonyok'', who invited him to participate in the program. After a dispute with the show's management, she successfully secured Kirkorov's involvement. In 1987, he received an invitation to work with the Leningrad Music Hall under Ilya Rakhlin. This led to a foreign tour in Berlin's renowned Friedrichstadt-Palast Theater. After leaving the Music Hall, Kirkorov met lyricist Ilya Reznik, who became one of his early supporters. In April 1988, he met

Alla Pugacheva Alla Borisovna Pugacheva (, ; born 15 April 1949) is a Russian singer and songwriter. Her career began in 1965 and continues to this day, although she retired from performing in 2010 after the international concert tour "Dreams of Love". For her ...

at Ilya Reznik's art exhibit. By October 1988, she invited him to participate in her '' Christmas Meetings''. By this time, Kirkorov had graduated from Gnesin College, competed in his first contest in Yalta, and filmed his first music video for the song "Carmen." During preparations for ''Christmas Meetings'', he collaborated with poet Leonid Derbenyov, who wrote many of his future hits, including "Ty, Ty, Ty" ("You, You, You"), "Nebo i Zemlya" ("Sky and Earth") and "Atlantida" ("Atlantis").

Career

In 1989, Kirkorov toured with

in Australia and Germany and held his first solo concert in Perm. That year, he reached the finals of the ''

Pesnya Goda ''Pesnya goda'' (), meaning ''Song of the Year'', is an annual televised music festival and gala in Russia, honoring standout songs from the previous year. The event began in the Soviet Union, Soviet period, and prior to the dissolution of the S ...

'' music festival. In 1990, Kirkorov won the Grand Prix in the competition "Shlyager-90" (Hit-90) in

Leningrad Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

with the song "Nebo i Zemlya" (''Sky and Earth''). In 1992, his music video to the song "Atlantida" (''Atlantis'') was selected as "Music Video of the Year". His popularity began to spread outside of Russia and he toured in the United States, Canada, Germany, and Israel. By 1994, his program ''"Ya ne Raphael"'' (''I'm not Raphael'') included hits by Engelbert Humperdinck, Tom Jones, and

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

. Kirkorov represented Russia in the Eurovision Song Contest 1995 held in

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

with the song "

Kolybelnaya dlya vulkana Russia was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1995 in Dublin, Ireland. The Russian broadcaster Channel One Russia, Russian Public Television (ORT) internally selected Philipp Kirkorov with the song "Kolybelnaya dlya vulkana", written b ...

" ('Lullaby for the

volcano A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most oft ...

') and finished in 17th place. At the end of 1995, the double CD ''Skazhi Solntsu:"Da"'' (''Say "Yes!" to the Sun'') was released under the Polygram label. The album's release coincided with the premiere of the program ''The Best, the Beloved, and Just for You'' at the State Variety Theatre, which then successfully toured across the country. In 1996, he won the

for best-selling Russian artist with over 2 million copies sold. By 1997, his world tour covered 100 cities, culminating in a month-long residency at the Oktyabrsky Concert Hall in St. Petersburg. His 1998 album ''Oh, Mama, I'll give Chic'' (''Oy, Mama, Shika Dam!'') contains four cover versions of well-known Turkish songs originally sung by

Tarkan Tarkan may refer to: People * Tarkan (name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) * Tarkan (singer) (born 1972), Turkish pop singer Other uses

* Tarkhan, an ancient Turkic and Mongol nobility title * Tarkan (comics), a fic ...

Mustafa Sandal Mustafa Sandal (born 11 January 1970) is a Turkish singer-songwriter and actor. At the beginning of the 1990s, he wrote and composed a number of songs for other singers and made a reputation for himself in the music industry. He had leading role ...

and

Sezen Aksu Sezen Aksu (; born Fatma Sezen Yıldırım; 13 July 1954) is a Turkish singer, songwriter and producer. She is one of the most successful Turkish people, Turkish singers, having sold over 40 million albums worldwide. Her nicknames include the "Q ...

. In 1999, Kirkorov joined

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

's ''MJ & Friends'' charity concert. Starting in the 2000s, Kirkorov became increasingly involved in music production, managing and mentoring several Russian artists he personally discovered. He co-wrote the Belarusian entry at the

Eurovision Song Contest 2007 The Eurovision Song Contest 2007 was the 52nd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Helsinki, Finland, following the country's victory at the with the song "Hard Rock Hallelujah" by Lordi. Organised by the European Broadcasti ...

, " Work Your Magic" for Dmitry Koldun, wrote the

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

Ukrainian entry " Shady Lady", performed by Ani Lorak, and also co-composed

Moldova Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of and population of 2.42 million. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. ...

's Eurovision entry for the contest, "

Sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...

", which was performed by Natalia Gordienko. He was also a judge in the second season of '' Music Idol'' in Bulgaria. Kirkorov makes a cameo in Verka Serduchka's video "Do Re Mi". In 2017, after collaborating with rapper

Timati Timur Ildarovich Yunusov (; born 15 August 1983), better known by his stage name Timati (), is a Russian rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. Biography Early life Timur Ildarovich Yunusov (, ) was born on 15 August 1983 i ...

, Kirkorov signed with the Black Star record label. In 2018, his song " The Color of Mood is Blue" became a viral hit, garnering over 40 million views on

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

. That year, his duet with Nikolay Baskov on "

Ibiza Ibiza (; ; ; #Names and pronunciation, see below) or Iviza is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It is 150 kilometres (93 miles) from the city of Valencia. It is the third largest of th ...

" also gained attention for its satirical music video. In September 2018, he collaborated with Egor Kreed to release " The Color of Mood is Black" ("Zvet Nastroenija Tschorny"), which became another viral hit, amassing over 100 million views on

. In November 2024, Kirkorov presented his music video/short film ''Black Panther''.

Television projects

From 2003 to 2016, Kirkorov hosted various ceremonies and television shows, including "Morning with Kirkorov" on STS, "Minuta Slavy" ("Minute of Fame"), "Factor A," and the "RU.TV 2016 Awards," among others. Since 2006, he has frequently served as a judge on numerous programs, such as "KVN," "Dancing with the Stars," "Minute of Fame," "Star Factory," "New Wave," "Odin v Odin!" ("One to One!"), "Toch-v-Toch" ("Just Like"). Since 2020, Philipp Kirkorov has served as a judge on the Russian adaptation of the international hit reality show '' The Masked Singer'', titled '' The Mask'' (''Maska''). The show, aired on NTV, features celebrities competing in elaborate costumes while concealing their identities. In 2021, Kirkorov won the TEFI award for Best Entertainment Show Host for his work on ''The Mask''. The show remains a top-rated program on Russian television, with Kirkorov becoming one of its most iconic figures. In 2023, Kirkorov joined '' Emperor's Treasures'' (''Sokrovishcha Imperatora'') together with actor Wolfgang Cerny, a competitive reality show that combines adventure, history, and treasure hunting. Airing on TNT, the program involves celebrities exploring China's rich cultural and historical heritage while solving clues to uncover hidden treasures.

Film

Philipp Kirkorov occasionally participates in musicals and film dubbing. For example, he provided the voice for the main character in the film '' The New Adventures of Aladdin'' (2015) and the parrot Kiki in '' Richard the Stork'' (2017). Kirkorov has also made numerous cameo appearances in various TV series and films, including '' My Fair Nanny'' (2006), ''

Flight Crew Aircrew are personnel who operate an aircraft while in flight. The composition of a flight's crew depends on the type of aircraft, plus the flight's duration and purpose. Commercial aviation Flight deck positions In commercial aviation, ...

'' (2016), ''The Double'' (2013), '' Voronin's Family'' (2017), '' Naughty Grandma'' (2017) and ''Grand Hotel (2018)''. In 2009, Kirkorov had his first significant film role in the Russian-Ukrainian romantic comedy '' Love in the Big City''. In the film he played Saint Valentine. He reprised his role in the following two sequels '' Love in the Big City 2'' and '' Love in the Big City 3''. The films also starred

Volodymyr Zelensky Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy (born 25 January 1978) is a Ukrainian politician and former entertainer who has served as the sixth and current president of Ukraine since 2019. He took office five years after the start of the Russo-Ukraini ...

, Aleksey Chadov and Vera Brezhneva.

Personal life

In 1994, he proposed to Alla Pugacheva and she accepted. On 13 January, the couple announced their engagement in Moscow. On 15 March, the marriage was registered in St. Petersburg by then-mayor Anatoly Sobchak. On 15 May, the wedding of Kirkorov and Pugacheva took place in Jerusalem. Other than his native Bulgarian, he is fluent in

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

, and is proficient in Spanish and English. In January 2023, Ukraine imposed sanctions on Kirkorov for his support of the

Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...

. On 24 March 2024, Philipp Kirkorov left Russia for

Baku Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...

, Azerbaijan, after an administrative case regarding tax evasion was opened against the artist, and the bank accounts of his companies were blocked.

Honours and awards

; Orders * Order of Honor (30 April 2017) - for great contribution to the development of national music art and many years of creative activity. * Order francysk skaryna rib

Order of Francesc Skarina (Belarus, 18 May 2012) - For a significant personal contribution to the development and strengthening of Belarusian-Russian cultural ties, high performing skills. ;Titles * Order of Francysk Skaryna (18 May 2012) * People's Artist of Russia Federation (12 February 2008) * People's Artist of Ukraine (29 May 2008) * Merited Artist of the Russian Federation (2001) * People's Artist of

Chechnya Chechnya, officially the Chechen Republic, is a Republics of Russia, republic of Russia. It is situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe, between the Caspian Sea and Black Sea. The republic forms a part of the North Caucasian Federa ...

(2006) * People's Artist of

Ingushetia Ingushetia or Ingushetiya, officially the Republic of Ingushetia, is a republic of Russia located in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe. The republic is part of the North Caucasian Federal District, and shares land borders with the country o ...

(2006) * Honorary Citizen of

Yalta Yalta (: ) is a resort town, resort city on the south coast of the Crimean Peninsula surrounded by the Black Sea. It serves as the administrative center of Yalta Municipality, one of the regions within Crimea. Yalta, along with the rest of Crime ...

(2010) * Honored Art Activist of

Autonomous Republic of Crimea The Autonomous Republic of Crimea is a ''de jure'' administrative division of Ukraine encompassing most of Crimea that was unilaterally annexed by Russia in 2014. The Autonomous Republic of Crimea occupies most of the peninsula,United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

(2000) In November 2024, Kirkorov was revoked of the title of People's Artist of Ukraine, as part of a decree that stripped 34 people labelled as traitors to Ukraine. ;Medals *

Medal "10 years of Astana" The Medal "10 years of Astana" ( Kazakh: Астанаға 10 жыл, ''Astanaǵa 10 jyl'') is a state award of Kazakhstan. It was first introduced on May 6, 2008, in honor of 10 year anniversary of the city of Astana. List of Recipients * Nursu ...

(Kazakhstan, 2008) ;Public awards * Record holder of the Russian Book of Records (2017) , - ! colspan="3" style="background: cyan;" ,

, - , - ! colspan="3" style="background: cyan;" ,

, -

Discography

Albums

;Studio albums *1990: Philipp *1990: Sinbat-Morehod *1991: Nebo I Zemlya *1991: Ti, Ti, Ti *1992: Takoi Sakoi *1994: Ya Ne Raphael *1995: Primadonna *1995: Ckazi Solncu – "Da" *1998: Edinstvenaya *1998: Oi, Mama Shika Dam *2000: Chelofilia *2001: Magico Amor *2002: Vlubloniy I Bezumno Odinokiy *2003: Neznakomka *2007: For You *2011: Drugoy – 2 Edition *2016: Ya ;Live *2001: Vchera, Segodnya, Zavtra... ''(Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow... )'' ;Compilation *2003: Luchshie Pesni ''(The Best Songs)'' *2004: Dueti ''(Duets)''

Singles

*1999: Mish` *2000: Ogon` I Voda *2000: Kilimandzaro *2001: Diva *2001: Ti Poverish`? *2001: Ya Za Tebya Umru *2001: Maria *2002: Zesrokaya Lubov` *2004: Sam P..A?! Ili Kirkorov MAZZDie!!! *2005: Kak Sumashedshiy Ya (duet with

Sakis Rouvas Anastasios "Sakis" Rouvas (, ; born 5 January 1972), also known :wikt:mononym, mononymously as Sakis, is a Greeks, Greek singer, actor, businessman and former pole vaulter. Born in Corfu, Rouvas won medals with Greece's U18 and U20 national sp ...

) *2009: Zara

Eurovision covers

Philipp Kirkorov has covered a few songs which appeared in the

and its national finals, as well as entering a song in his own right. Songs include: *''" Dreamin'"'' (Ireland 1995 entry) (English and Russian) *''"

(I Would) Die for You "(I Would) Die for You" is a song recorded by Greek-Swedish duo Antique. It in the Eurovision Song Contest 2001 held in Copenhagen, placing third. Background Conception The song, with lyrics by Antonis Pappas and music by Nikos Terzis, – ...

"'' (Greece 2001 entry) (English and Russian as "Ya za tebya umru") *''"Diva"'' (Israel 1998 entry) (English, Hebrew, Spanish and Russian) *''"Go"'' (United Kingdom 1988 entry) (Russian as "Lish by ty vsegda byla moej") *''"Maria Magdalena"'' (Croatia 1999 entry) (Russian) *''"Hero"'' – Charlotte Perrelli (2008 Swedish entry) (Russian as "Novyj geroj") *''"

La voix ''La Voix'' () is a francophone Canada, Canadian reality television, reality talent show as part of the international television series franchise ''The Voice (franchise), The Voice'', based on the original The Voice of Holland, Dutch version o ...

"'' – Malena Ernman (2009 Swedish entry) (Russian as "Golos", English and French) (with

Anna Netrebko Anna Yuryevna Netrebko (; born 18 September 1971) is a Russian and Austrian operatic soprano who has performed at the Salzburg Festival, Metropolitan Opera, Vienna State Opera, the Royal Opera and La Scala. Netrebko is one of the few Russian p ...

) *''"Let's get wild"'' –

Helena Paparizou Helena Paparizou (; ; born 31 January 1982) is a Swedish-Greek singer, and television personality. Born and raised in Sweden to Greek parents, she launched her singing career in Sweden in 1999 as a member of the laïko (Greek folk music) and Eur ...

(2005 Greek National Final) (Russian as "Kaif") *''"Carnaval"'' – DJ Mendez (2002 Swedish National Final) (Russian) *''"Let your spirit fly"'' – Jan Johansson &

Pernilla Wahlgren Pernilla Nina Elisabet Wahlgren (; born 24 December 1967) is a Swedish singer and actress. She has sung in Melodifestivalen several times; her 1985 entry titled "Piccadilly Circus (song), Piccadilly Circus" became popular and successful. She has ...

(2003 Swedish National Final) (Russian as "Vljublennaja dusha") (with Anastasia Stotskaya) *''"

Cara Mia "Cara Mia" is a popular song published in 1954 that became a UK number 1, and US number 10 hit and Gold record for English singer David Whitfield in 1954, and a number 4 hit for the American rock group Jay and the Americans in 1965. The titl ...

"'' –

Måns Zelmerlöw Måns Petter Albert Sahlén Zelmerlöw (; born 13 June 1986) is a Swedish singer and television presenter. He took part in ''Idol 2005'', eventually finishing fifth, won the Let's Dance 2006, first season of ''Let's Dance (Swedish TV series), Le ...

(2007 Swedish National Final) (Russian as "Koroleva") *''" Playing with Fire"'' – Paula and Ovi (Romania 2010 entry) (Russian as "Igra s ognem") *''" Hope & Glory"'' – Måns Zelmerlöw (2009 Swedish National Final) (Russian as "Tyi vsyo uvidish sam")

Videos

Filmography

* 1995: "Old Songs About Main Things" ''(as magician from south)'' * 1996: "Old Songs About Main Things – 2" ''(as Mr. Singer)'' * 1997: "Old Songs About Main Things – 3" ''(as young actor)'' * 2000: "Salon of Beaty" ''(as Evgeniy Slavin)'' * 2000: "Old Songs About Main Things.Postscript" ''(as magician from south)'' * 2001: "Como El Cine" ''(as himself)'' * 2002: "

Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka ''Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka'' () is a collection of short stories by Nikolai Gogol, written in 1829–1832. They appeared in various magazines and were published in book form when Gogol was twenty-two. The collection's frame story takes pl ...

" ''(as devil)'' * 2003: "

Crazy Day or The Marriage of Figaro ''Crazy Day or The Marriage of Figaro'' () is a modern comedy musical staged by television channels NTV (Russia) and Inter (Ukraine) in association with Melorama Production, under direction of Semen Gorov in 2003, based on the 1784 Pierre Beau ...

" ''(as Count Almaviva)'' * 2006: "The Adventures of Verka Serduchka" ''(cameo)'' * 2007: "

Kingdom of Crooked Mirrors Kingdom commonly refers to: * A monarchic state or realm ruled by a king or queen. ** A monarchic chiefdom, represented or governed by a king or queen. * Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy Kingdom may also refer to: Arts and me ...

" ''(as kite Piliph)'' * 2007: "Stars Holidays" ''(as Baron Ctar, intergalactic star)'' * 2008: "Goldfish" ''(as star groom)'' * 2008: "On Back Of Black Cat" ''(cameo)'' * 2009: " Love in the Big City" ''(as Saint Valentin)'' * 2010: " Love in the Big City 2" ''(as Saint Valentin)'' * 2010: "

Svaty ''Svaty'' (; ; English: "Matchmakers" or "The In-Laws") is a Ukrainian Russian-language comedy series from the production company Kvartal-95. In total, seven seasons were created and the musical ''Novogodniye Svaty'' ("New Year's In-Laws"). Al ...

" (cameo) * 2012: "Little Red Riding Hood" ''(As Cat Basilio)'' * 2014: " Love in the Big City 3" ''(as Saint Valentin)'' * 2017: " Naughty Grandma" (cameo)

Eurovision Song Contest entries

Kirkorov is best known for his involvement in several Eurovision Song Contest entries for a range of Eastern European countries. In Eurovision Song Contest media, he is, together with

Dimitris Kontopoulos Dimitris T. Kontopoulos (; born November 9, 1971) is a Greek composer. Personal life Dimitris Kontopoulos was born in Athens, Greece on November 9, 1971. After graduating from the Ziridis school, he continued his studies in film scoring at Berkle ...

Fokas Evangelinos Fokas Evangelinos (; born 1963) is a Greek dancer, choreographer and artistic director for television, film, stage and video clips. He was the creative director of the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 held in Athens and he has also staged and choreog ...

, Ilias Kokotos and others, considered to be a member of the so-called ''Dream Team'', a loose group of songwriters and choreographers who regularly collaborate to produce Eurovision Song Contest entries.

Real estate

* Villa in Ostrov Myakinino (Cottage Village Beresta) near

. * Villa in La Gorce Dr,

Miami Beach Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida. The municipality is located on natural and human-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean an ...

Public image and controversies

Philipp Kirkorov has maintained a " bad boy" public image for most of his career and has been involved in a number of media controversies. On 20 May 2004, in Rostov-on-Don, Kirkorov insulted journalist Irina Aroyan at a press conference, using obscene language and criticizing her appearance. After demanding she leave, his bodyguards assaulted her and destroyed her tape recorder. The incident sparked widespread media outrage, and on 11 August 2004, Kirkorov was found guilty of insults and fined 60,000 rubles. Kirkorov sent his guards to attack

Yuri Shevchuk Yuri Yulianovich Shevchuk (; born 16 May 1957) is a Soviet and Russian rock musician and singer/songwriter who leads the rock band DDT, which he founded with Vladimir Sigachyov in 1980. He is best known for his distinctive gravelly voice. His ...

, the frontman of the rock band

DDT Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, commonly known as DDT, is a colorless, tasteless, and almost odorless crystalline chemical compound, an organochloride. Originally developed as an insecticide, it became infamous for its environmental impacts. ...

, following a heated public argument. The conflict arose after Shevchuk made offensive comments about Kirkorov, his wife, and accusations of

lip-synching Lip sync or lip synch (pronounced , like the word ''sink'', despite the spelling of the participial forms ''synced'' and ''syncing''), short for lip synchronization, is a technical term for matching a speaking or singing person's lip movements ...

. Shevchuk, who did not have guards of his own, was left unprotected during the incident. On 15 May 2009, Kirkorov resigned as head of the Russian jury for the

2009 Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 was the 54th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Moscow, Russia, following the country's victory at the with the song "Believe (Dima Bilan song), Believe" by Dima Bilan. Organised by the Eu ...

after being seen posing with Greek entrant

and dining with Norwegian entrant

Alexander Rybak Alexander Igorevich Rybak (; born 13 May 1986) or Alyaksandr Iharavich Rybak () is a Belarusian-born Norwegian musician and actor. Based in Oslo, Norway, Rybak extensively worked on television programs and on tours in Europe, particularly in S ...

. Kirkorov, a long-time friend of Rouvas, stepped down to preserve the jury's integrity after the incidents became public. On 3 September 2009, Philipp Kirkorov was caught on camera breaking and seizing a camera belonging to NTV journalist Veronica Kozlova. Charges were not made, and Kirkorov stated that his actions were 'provoked' by the journalist. Another incident occurred on 4 December 2010, when he allegedly slapped a female assistant because he was unhappy with the lighting at a concert venue. The woman, later identified as Marina Yablokova, threatened to sue Kirkorov. As a result, Kirkorov fled to

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

and had himself interned at a psychiatric hospital. On 7 December 2010, the singer publicly admitted that he had psychological problems on his official website and apologized to Yablokova. On 29 November 2016, Russian media reported that

Didier Marouani Didier "Ecama" Marouani (born 14 July 1953) is a French composer and musician born in Monaco. Biography Didier started his career as a pop singer and made his first single, "Je suis ton chevalier" (''I am your knight'') with Etienne Roda-Gil ...

had been detained in Moscow by Russian police on charges of extortion and defamation. The charges were based on a complaint by Kirkorov with whom Marouani had a disagreement regarding a copyright infringement case. In April 2022, Kirkorov criticized RT editor-in-chief

Margarita Simonyan Margarita Simonovna Simonyan (born 6 April 1980) is a Russian media executive. She is the editor-in-chief of the Russian state-controlled broadcaster RT,Maxim Galkin Maxim Alexandrovich Galkin (; born 18 June 1976) is a Russian and Israeli comedian, television presenter and singer. Galkin left Russia in March 2022 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and was subsequently listed as a foreign agent by th ...

, who fled Russia in protest of the invasion of Ukraine.

Party at the Mutabor club in Moscow

After attending the controversial "naked" party organized by blogger

Nastya Ivleeva Anastasia Vyacheslavovna Ivleeva (; born 8 March 1991), better known as Nastya Ivleeva (), is a Russian television presenter, actress and blogger. She also hosted the Ukrainian TV show Oryol i Reshka on the channels Inter and Friday!. Biogra ...

at the Moscow club "Mutabor," where guests appeared almost nude, Philip Kirkorov issued an apology. In a video message to fans on VKontakte, he described his attendance as a mistake, stating that his status requires greater responsibility in choosing events. Kirkorov emphasized that he was unaware of the nature of the gathering and promptly left. Following media coverage of the event, Vitaly Borodin, head of the Federal Project for Security and Anti-Corruption (FPBC), called for Kirkorov to be stripped of his title of People's Artist. On 27 December, Kirkorov's image was removed from the promotional poster of the film ''Ivan Vasilyevich Changes Everything!'' and replaced with comedian

Pavel Volya Pavel Volya (; born 14 March 1979) is a Russian TV host, actor and singer. A former ''KVN'' player, he first came to prominence as the "resident" of the Russian ''Comedy Club Russia, Comedy Club'' show, co-produced by Garik Martirosyan and ai ...

. Television networks also initiated a boycott, editing New Year's programs to exclude Kirkorov's scenes and solo performances.

Support for the Russian annexation of Crimea and invasion of Ukraine

Due to his public support of

Russia's annexation of Crimea Annexation of Crimea may refer to: * Annexation of the Crimean Khanate by the Russian Empire (1783) *Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation In February and March 2014, Russia invaded the Crimea, Crimean Peninsula, part of Ukraine, a ...

in 2014,

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

blacklisted Kirkorov on 19 January 2021, preventing him from entering the country for a period of five years. On 23 June, Kirkorov was included in the list of "persons who pose a threat to

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

's national security" and was thus banned from entering Ukraine for speaking in support of Russia's annexation of Crimea.The SBU explained why Kirkorov was considered dangerous: he confuses whose Crimea
,

Ukrayinska Pravda ''Ukrainska Pravda'' is a Ukrainian socio-political online media outlet founded by Heorhii Gongadze in April 2000. After Gongadze’s death in September 2000, the editorial team was led by co-founder Olena Prytula, who remained the editor-in ...

(24 June 2021) Estonia banned the singer from entering the country on 24 February 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine; Ukraine imposed sanctions on him for promoting Russia in January 2023.

Notes

References

External links

*
Philipp Kirkorov at the Forbes
* *
Интервью Филиппа Киркорова журналу Rolling Stone
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kirkorov, Philipp 1967 births Eastern Orthodox Christians from Russia Eastern Orthodox Christians from Bulgaria Bulgarian emigrants to the Soviet Union Bulgarian people of Armenian descent Living people Musicians from Varna, Bulgaria People's Artists of Russia Recipients of the title of People's Artists of Ukraine Recipients of the Order of Francysk Skaryna Russian people of Armenian descent Russian pop singers World Music Awards winners Soviet pop singers Honored Artists of the Russian Federation Russian record producers Russian pop musicians Russian television presenters 20th-century Russian male singers 21st-century Russian male singers Anti-Ukrainian sentiment in Russia Russian National Music Award winners Russian people of French descent Bulgarian people of French descent Bulgarian people of Russian descent Russian people of Bulgarian descent Winners of the Golden Gramophone Award People's Artists of Moldova Eurovision Song Contest entrants