Valery Yakovlevich Leontiev (; born 19 March 1949) is a Soviet and Russian pop singer, sometimes songwriter and actor, whose popularity peaked in the 1980s and 1990s. He was titled a

People's Artist of Russia People's Artist of the Russian Federation (, ''Narodnyy artist Rossiyskoy Federatsii''), also sometimes translated as National Artist of the Russian Federation, is an honorary and the highest title awarded to citizens of the Russian Federation ...

in 1996.Награждён указом президента России № 366 от 9 марта 1996 года
Retrieved 30 January 2016. During his career, he achieved international success in

Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic connotations. Its eastern boundary is marked by the Ural Mountain ...

, has the status of a

pop icon A pop icon is a celebrity, character, or object whose exposure in popular culture is regarded as constituting a defining characteristic of a given society or era. The usage of the term is largely subjective since there are no definitively object ...

along with

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 ...

, and is a winner of

ZD Awards ''Zvukovaya Dorozhka, also known as ZD Awards'' (, "sound track") is Russia's oldest hit parade in the field of popular music. It was founded in 1975 and has been published monthly in Moskovskij Komsomolets since 1977. It features both Russian a ...

. In 1993, Leontyev headlined the

Voice of Asia Voice of Asia (, ''Azııa Daýysy''; , ''Golos Azii'') is a music festival that has been held annually in Almaty, Kazakhstan since 1990. It features artists from all over Asia, Eastern Europe and other regions. The usual venue for the festival ...

festival, along with

Boney M Boney M. is a German reggae, funk and disco music group founded in 1974. It achieved popularity during the disco era in the second half of the 1970s. The band was created by German record producer Frank Farian, who was the group's primary song ...

and

Gloria Gaynor Gloria Fowles (born September 7, 1943), known professionally as Gloria Gaynor, is an American singer, best known for the disco era hits "I Will Survive" (1978), "I Have a Right, Let Me Know (I Have a Right)" (1979), "I Am What I Am (Broadway mus ...

. Over the course of his decades-long career, he has recorded more than 30 albums, many of which sold millions of copies. The media refers to Leontiev as a megastar and a legend of the

Russian pop Russian pop music is Russian language pop music produced in Russia, CIS countries, Baltic states, Central Asia and other foreign countries in which the songs are primarily performed in Russian language, languages of the countries of the CIS, and ...

. Вечерняя Москваbr>«"Валерий Леонтьев. Книга судьбы"»

Early life

Valery Yakovlevich Leontiev was born on 19 March 1949, in Ust-Usa, a village in what is now Russia's

Komi Republic The Komi Republic (; ), sometimes simply referred to as Komi, is a republics of Russia, republic of Russia situated in the northeast of European Russia. Its capital city, capital is the types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Syktyvka ...

. In 1961 the family moved to the city Yuryevets in

Ivanovo Oblast Ivanovo Oblast () is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). It had a population of 927,828 as of the Russian Census (2021), 2021 Russian Census. Its three largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, cities are Ivanovo (the administrat ...

Musical career

Leontiev's first performance on the big stage took place in 1971, during the

Vorkuta Vorkuta (; ; Nenets languages, Nenets for "the abundance of bears", "bear corner") is a coal-mining types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in the Komi Republic, Russia, situated just north of the Arctic Circle in the Pechora coal basin a ...

regional competition "Song-71". There, Leontiev took second place with the song "Carnaval". In 1980 Leontiev sang in various concerts, including the

Moscow Variety Theatre 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 ...

, Oktyabrsky and Luzhniki. In 1981, the artist won the popularity prize at the prestigious music festival Yerevan-81. American journalists who attended the event noted the expressive manner of performing of the singer and compared him to Mick Jagger. In 1982, Leontiev underwent a serious operation to remove a tumor from his throat, which jeopardized his further singing career. In 1983, the singer moves to work in the Voroshilovgrad Philharmonic (now Luhansk Philharmonic) in the

Ukrainian SSR The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, abbreviated as the Ukrainian SSR, UkrSSR, and also known as Soviet Ukraine or just Ukraine, was one of the Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent republics of the Soviet Union from 1922 until 1991. ...

. A year later, he was given a whole section in the author's evening "Holy love of music" by composer Raimond Pauls 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 ...

. In 1986 he performed in

Chernobyl Chernobyl, officially called Chornobyl, is a partially abandoned city in Vyshhorod Raion, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine. It is located within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, to the north of Kyiv and to the southwest of Gomel in neighbouring Belarus. ...

for the liquidators of the nuclear power plant accident. Alla Pugacheva also performed in Chernobyl. In 1987, Leontyev already became an Honored Artist of the Ukrainian SSR. The beginning of the 90s was marked for Leontiev splash touring. His concerts were held in Germany, Israel, USA, Canada, India and other countries. In 1991 Leontiev was named the "Best Selling Soviet Artist" 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 ...

ceremony in

Monte Carlo Monte Carlo ( ; ; or colloquially ; , ; ) is an official administrative area of Monaco, specifically the Ward (country subdivision), ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is located. Informally, the name also refers to ...

. In 1994 he performed on stage with

Gina Lollobrigida Luigia "Gina" Lollobrigida (4 July 1927 – 16 January 2023) was an Italian actress, model, photojournalist, and sculptor. She was one of the highest-profile European actresses of the 1950s and 1960s, a period in which she was an international ...

Saint-Petersburg 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 ...

concert hall " Oktyabrskiy", and in 1996 he was awarded the title

. in March 1998 а nominal star of Valery Leontiev was opened on the Star Square in

. in 1999 Leontiev was awarded the "Living Legend Award" at the Russian national music award "

Ovation The ovation ( from ''ovare'': to rejoice) was a lesser form of the Roman triumph. Ovations were granted when war was not declared between enemies on the level of nations or states; when an enemy was considered basely inferior (e.g., slaves, pira ...

". In 2011 he was a member of the jury of Crimea Music Fest.

On the stage

*1972 – First solo concert was in

. *1975 – Tour in

USSR 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 ...

*1978 – Tour in

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 ...

*1980 – First concerts in

*1981 – First solo concerts in

Oktyabrskiy Big Concert Hall The Oktyabrsky Big Concert Hall (BKZ) (, Big Concert Hall "October") is a theatre located in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It hosts variety actors, rock musicians, and also dance and ballet collectives. Located in the Greek Square, it opened Octob ...

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 ...

*1981 – First participation in the finale of the festival " Song of the Year " *1981 – participated in the competition – festival "Yerevan-81". *1982 – Tour in

*1983 – concert program, "I'm just a singer" (18 sold-out concerts in

) *1984 – concert program, "I run for life" *1985 – concert program, "Alone with all", which became a cult. Because queues for tickets on a few central streets of

stopped traffic. 10 concerts *1986 – concert program "Star story" Tour in

Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...

. *1987 – concert program "Favorites", Tour in

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

. *1988 June – 1989 November – rock opera "Giordano", more than 50 concerts in Moscow and Leningrad. Leontiev plays 3 main roles (out of 4!) –

Giordano Bruno Giordano Bruno ( , ; ; born Filippo Bruno; January or February 1548 – 17 February 1600) was an Italian philosopher, poet, alchemist, astrologer, cosmological theorist, and esotericist. He is known for his cosmological theories, which concep ...

, a clown and Satan. *1988 – show "A matter of taste", tour in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

*1988–1989 grand tour of cities of the

. For example, only one

Novosibirsk Novosibirsk is the largest city and administrative centre of Novosibirsk Oblast and the Siberian Federal District in Russia. As of the 2021 Russian census, 2021 census, it had a population of 1,633,595, making it the most populous city in Siber ...

in 1988 Leontiev gives a series of 27 recitals. and in

Almaty Almaty, formerly Alma-Ata, is the List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan, largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population exceeding two million residents within its metropolitan area. Located in the foothills of the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains ...

33 solo concerts. *1990 – show "It seems to me that I have not lived" in the

Olympic Stadium ''Olympic Stadium'' is the name usually given to the main stadium of an Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international Olympic sports, sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports ...

. Concerts in USA, India, Germany, Israel *1991 – Tour in India, Canada, USA, Germany *1992 – Tour in

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 ...

, Canada, USA *1993 – show "Full Moon" – first super-show in Russia *1994 – show "Beauty and Casanova" – the first concert of pop star with a symphony orchestra in Russia. With the participation of the

sex symbol A sex symbol or icon is a person or character widely considered sexually attractive and often synonymous with sexuality. Pam Cook, "The trouble with sex: Diana Dors and the Blonde bombshell phenomenon", In: Bruce Babinigton (ed.), ''British St ...

of the 1960

. Tour in

. *1996 – show "On the road to Hollywood", touring in the US, Germany, Israel, Canada *1998 – Concert on the Star Square, a solo concert at the 50 th anniversary of the State of

(

Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...

, 14 May 1998), a tour in Germany, the United States and the

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...

*1999 super-show "Photographer of Dreams", a tour to Russia,

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 ...

, Israel, United States, Canada, Germany,

Baltic states The Baltic states or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term encompassing Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, and the OECD. The three sovereign states on the eastern co ...

*2001 super-show "Unnamed Planet", a tour to Russia, Ukraine, Baltic States, United States, Germany. *2002 – concert in

Atlantic City Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of the Atlantic City- Hammonton metropolitan sta ...

, Moscow,

Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

Tallinn Tallinn is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Estonia, most populous city of Estonia. Situated on a Tallinn Bay, bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, it has a population of (as of 2025) and ...

Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...

Minsk Minsk (, ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administra ...

. Tour in

, Germany *2003 – concert tour of "The Sixth Life" (Russia, Ukraine, United States, Germany, Israel) *2004, concert in Los Angeles, 11–14 March – solo concerts in Oktyabrskiy Big Concert Hall. *2004, 12 March – The 300th solo concert in

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

. *2005 – concert program, "Valery Leontiev presents ..." (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus..) *2006–2008 – Tour to Russia, Ukraine,

, Latvia,

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...

Uzbekistan , image_flag = Flag of Uzbekistan.svg , image_coat = Emblem of Uzbekistan.svg , symbol_type = Emblem of Uzbekistan, Emblem , national_anthem = "State Anthem of Uzbekistan, State Anthem of the Republ ...

Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia lying in the Tian Shan and Pamir Mountains, Pamir mountain ranges. Bishkek is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Kyrgyzstan, largest city. Kyrgyz ...

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

, Israel *2009–2010 an anniversary show of "I love you, miss you, I'm waiting". Tour in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, USA., Israel, Australia, concert in Sydney,

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

. *2011 - 21–22 October – concert in the Kremlin Palace of Congresses (the show "The best ever!") *2012 – Tour with a concert program "The best ever!", dedicated to the 40th anniversary of creative activity (Russia, Ukraine, Сanada, USA); *2012 - 21–22 October – concert in the Kremlin Palace of Congresses (show "By popular demand ...") *2013 – Tour in Russia,

, Kazakhstan *2014 – 19, 21, 22 March – The anniversary concerts in the

, St. Petersburg; 28 March – the anniversary concert in the

State Kremlin Palace The State Kremlin Palace (), previously and unofficially known as the Kremlin Palace of Congresses (Кремлёвский дворец съездов), is a large modern building inside the Moscow Kremlin. History The building was built at th ...

, concert in

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

, Israel *2015 �
Creative Evening of Valery Leontiev
in

Sochi Sochi ( rus, Сочи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg, from – ''seaside'') is the largest Resort town, resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi (river), Sochi River, along the Black Sea in the North Caucasus of Souther ...

. Tour in Russia,

, Germany.

Musical prizes

Golden Orpheus

* 1980 – First prize of the XVI International Festival "

Golden Orpheus Golden Orpheus (, ''Zlatniyat Orfey'') was an international vocal competition and song contest, held annually from 1965 to 1999 in Sunny Beach, Bulgaria. The festival program included a Bulgarian song competition, an international vocal competi ...

" in

World Music Awards

* 1991 - "Best-selling soviet recording-artist of the year".

ZD Awards

* 1980 - Singer of the year * 1984 - Singer of the year * 1985 - Singer of the year * 1986 - Singer of the year * 1996 - Best show of the year – "On the road to Hollywood" * 1999 - Best show of the year – "Photographer of Dreams" * 2001 - Best show of the year – "Nameless Planet" * 2009 - Special prize "Legend" * 2014 - Special prize for a contribution to the development of

music

Ovation

* 1998 - "Living Legend"

Golden Gramophone Award

* 1997 - For song "One ticket" (Один билет) * 1999 - For song "Everybody wants to love" (Каждый хочет любить) * 2000 - For song "Augustine" (Августин) * 2005 - Special prize "For contribution to the development of the Russian pop music" * 2008 - For song "Dove" (Голуби)

Song of the year

* 1997 – Singer of the year and prize for a great contribution to the development of

music.

Muz-TV Awards

* 2003 - Special prize "For achievements in the development of popular music"

Russian Music Awards

* 2015 - Special prize for "a unique contribution to the development of the Russian pop music". * 2019 - Special prize for "contribution to the development of national culture."

Others

* 1981 – Performer of the Year according to the contest, "Estrada-81" (

Komsomolskaya Pravda ''Komsomolskaya Pravda'' (; ) is a daily Russian tabloid newspaper that was founded in 1925. Its name is in reference to the official Soviet newspaper '' Pravda'' (English: 'Truth'). History and profile During the Soviet era, ''Komsomolskaya ...

) * 1983 – Singer of the Year according to a poll of readers of the newspaper "Smena" * 1987 – The best song of the year "White Crow" on the basis of open voting

ITAR-TASS The Russian News Agency TASS, or simply TASS, is a Russian state-owned news agency founded in 1904. It is the largest Russian news agency and one of the largest news agencies worldwide. TASS is registered as a Federal State Unitary Enterpri ...

in the

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

and others. * 1988 – Singer of the Year on the basis of open voting

* 1990 – Best song of the Year according to the All-Union charts TASS "Wicked Way" (Грешный путь) * 1992 – Singer of the Year according to chart hit of the newspaper "

Vechernyaya Moskva ''Vechernyaya Moskva'' () is a Russian local newspaper published in Moscow since 6 December 1923 daily (except Saturday and Sunday). History It was founded as an organ of the Mossovet, later as an organ of the city committee of the CPSU and t ...

" * 1992 – Song of the Year "At the gates of the Lord" (У ворот Господних) according to chart hit of the newspaper "

" * 1998 – "Stopudoviy Hit" award from the radio station Hit FM for the song "Nine chrysanthemums" (Девять хризантем) *28 March 1998 – the inception of a star on the Star Square (Moscow). * 1999 –"Stopudoviy Hit" award from the radio station Hit FM for the song "Everyone wants to love" (Каждый хочет любить) * 2000 –"Stopudoviy Hit" award from the radio station Hit FM for the song "Augustine" (Августин) * 2005 –Valery Leontiev listed in the Russian Encyclopedia. * "God of the Ether 2009" in nomination "Radiorekord" (for the record number of rotations)

Honours and awards

;Orders *

Order of Merit for the Fatherland Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * ...

, 3th class (21 February 2022) – for a great contribution to the development of national culture and art, many years of fruitful activity * Orden for Service IV

, 4th class (19 March 2005) – for his great contribution to the development of music * Orden of Honour

Order of Honor (2009) – for great contribution to the development of national music art and many years of creative activity * Orden of Friendship

Order of Friendship The Order of Friendship (, ') is a state decoration of the Russian Federation established by Boris Yeltsin by presidential decree 442 of 2 March 1994 to reward Russian and foreign nationals whose work, deeds and efforts have been aimed at ...

(2014) ;Titles *

(9 March 1996) * Merited Artist of Ukrainian SSR (1987) *People's Artist of the

Republic of Komi The Komi Republic (; ), sometimes simply referred to as Komi, is a republic of Russia situated in the northeast of European Russia. Its capital is the city of Syktyvkar. The population of the republic at the 2021 census was 737,853, down fr ...

(2009) *Honorary Citizen of

Sakha Republic Sakha, officially the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), is a republics of Russia, republic of Russia, and the largest federal subject of Russia by area. It is located in the Russian Far East, along the Arctic Ocean, with a population of one million ...

(2014) ;Medals *Medal "For Faith and Good" (2010) ;Awards *

Lenin Komsomol Prize Lenin Komsomol Prize () was a Soviet Union, Soviet annual award for the best works in science, engineering, literature or art carried out by young authors of age not exceeding 33 years. Komsomol was the abbreviated name of The Communist Union of ...

(1985) – for the promotion of Soviet pop songs of youth and high performance skills *Prize of the

Moscow Government The Government of Moscow (, ) is the highest executive body of state authority of Moscow. The Government of Moscow is headed by the highest official of the city of Moscow, i.e. the Mayor of Moscow. The members of the Government of Moscow are the ...

in the field of literature and the arts (1996) – for the super show "Full Moon" and "On the way to Hollywood" *Prize of the

Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation (MVD; , ''Ministerstvo vnutrennikh del'') is the interior ministry of Russia. The MVD is responsible for law enforcement in Russia through its agencies the Police of Russia, Main Direc ...

in the field of literature and the arts (1999) *Belarus president award Through Art - to Peace and Understanding presented by

Alexander Lukashenko Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko (also transliterated as Alyaksandr Ryhoravich Lukashenka; born 30 August 1954) is a Belarusian politician who has been the first and only president of Belarus since the office's establishment in 1994, making hi ...

on 12 July 2009 ;Public awards *Order of Mikhail Lomonosov (2007) *Order "For the rebirth of Russia. 21st Century" (2003) , - ! colspan="3" style="background: pink;" ,

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

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

, - , - ! colspan="3" style="background: silver;" , Muz-TV Music Awards , - ! colspan="3" style="background: #DAA520;" ,

Slavianski Bazaar The International Festival of Arts "Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk", also known as Slavic Bazaar, is an annual festival held in Vitebsk, Belarus under the auspices of the Belarusian Government since 1992. Its main program is devoted to Slavic music. ...

, - , -

Discography

''See

Valery Leontiev discography Singles * 1980 ''Kruzatsa disky'' (Кружатся диски* 1980 ''Fall in Love Again at random'' (Опять Влюбляюсь Невпопад)* 1980 ''Dance time in the sun'' (Танцевальный час на солнце* 1981 ''B ...

Studio albums

Songwriting credits

As composer

All songs composed with Yuri Varum. * 1985: ''Mongolia'' (Монголия) * 1985: ''Flower Seller'' (Продавец цветов) (Remake released in 2014) * 1986: ''Remember them Flying'' (Запомни их летящими) * 1986: ''Game № 1'' (Игра No. 1) * 1986: ''Fires'' (Костры) * 1987: ''Dog Show'' (Выставка собак) * 1987: ''Familiar Fairy Tale'' (Знакомая сказка) * 1987: ''Kukaracha'' (Кукарача) * 1987: ''Skyscrapers'' (Небоскрёбы) * 1987: ''I Don't Like'' (Я не люблю) * 1988: ''I Went to the Microphone'' (Я вышел к микрофону)

As lyricist

* 1985: ''Birth Day'' (Рождение дня) (Lyrics co-written with Vladimir Kostrov) * 1993: ''Touch'' (Прикоснись) (Lyrics co-written with Nikolai Denisov)

Filmography

*1981: In a strange feast (На чужом празднике) *1985: Do Not Marry, Girls (Не ходите, девки, замуж) *1985: Insurance agent (Страховой агент) *1992:

Psychic A psychic is a person who claims to use powers rooted in parapsychology, such as extrasensory perception (ESP), to identify information hidden from the normal senses, particularly involving telepathy or clairvoyance; or who performs acts that a ...

(Экстрасенс)

Musical films and musicals

*1979: ''

Crimea Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrain ...

n Dawns (Крымские зори)'' *1979: ''The film-concert "Olümpiaregati tähed \ Stars Olympic regatta" CT USSR and

ETV ETV may stand for: Television * Educational television, the use of television in education * Enhanced TV, an interactive television application specification Africa * e.tv, South Africa * ETV (Ethiopia), Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation * ETV G ...

'' *1984: ''I do not say goodbye to you ( Я с тобой не прощаюсь)'' *1984: ''Winds Baltic

'' *1985: ''Stained glass maker (Витражных дел мастер)'' *1986: ''Clown with autumn in the heart (Клоун с осенью в сердце)'' *1986: ''How to become a star (Как стать звездой)'' *1987: ''Valery Leontiev (film)'' *1990: ''Valery Leontiev. Let me go with you (Валерий Леонтьев. Дай мне уйти с тобой)'' *1991: ''Valery Leontiev Sings ( Поёт Валерий Леонтьев)'' *1991: ''Valery Leontiev. Made in

(Валерий Леонтьев. Made in India)'' *1997: ''Saturday evening with Valery Leontiev (Musical film RTR)'' *1997: ''Such different Valery Leontiev (Такой разный Валерий Леонтьев)'' *1997: ''Parade parade is Valery Leontiev (Парад парадов представляет Валерий Леонтьев) movie channel

TV-6 TV-6 () was one of Russia's first commercial television stations that began broadcasting on 1 January 1993 and was closed on 22 January 2002. History 1991-1993 Moscow Independent Broadcasting Corporation (MIBC), a Russian joint-stock company ...

'' *2000: ''The reverse side of Valery Leontiev (Обратная сторона Валерия Леонтьева) movie channel ORT'' *2002: ''

Cinderella "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...

(Musical film)'' *2003: ''Three tunes for the film Valery Leontiev (Три мелодии для фильма Валерия Леонтьева)'' *2009: ''Valery Leontiev in Komi (Валерий Леонтьев в Коми)'' *2009: ''I have not lived. Valery Leontiev (— Я ещё не жил. Валерий Леонтьев) movie channel ORT'' *2009: ''Valery Leontiev: Lost laughter (Валерий Леонтьев: Утерянный смех) movie channel

Inter Inter may refer to: Association football clubs * Inter Milan, an Italian club * SC Internacional, a Brazilian club * Inter Miami CF, an American club * Inter Playa del Carmen, a Mexican club * FC Inter Sibiu, a Romanian club * FC Inter Turku, ...

'' *2009: ''Benefit Valery Leontiev "The Book of Fate" (Бенефис Валерия Леонтьева "Книга судьбы") movie channel

NTV NTV may refer to: Television * NTV (Bangladesh), a Bengali-language satellite television channel in Bangladesh * NTV (India), Telugu regional channel * NTV (Kenya) * NTV (Mongolia), a television channel based in Mongolia * NTV (Newport Televisio ...

'' *2012: ''Anniversary concert of Valery Leontiev "The best ever!" (Юбилейный концерт Валерия Леонтьева "Лучший навсегда!") concert channel ORT'' *2012: ''"Hurtling time if a rider" ("Мчится время будто всадник") movie channel

TV Tsentr TV Centre (; formerly abbreviated as ТВЦ, ''TVC'' or ТВЦ-Москва, ''TVC-Moskva'' - "TVC Moscow") is a Russian public television station with the fourth largest coverage area in Russia, after Channel One, Russia-1 and NTV. It is owne ...

Personal life

Valery Leontiev is married to

bass guitarist A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), keyboard bass (synth bass) or a low bra ...

Lyudmila Isakovich. The couple have been together since 1972. However, officially their marriage was registered only in 1998. The artist's wife lives in

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

Eurovision Song Contest 1987

The

Soviet Union 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 ...

never participated in 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 ...

, as no Soviet broadcasters were members of the

EBU The European Broadcasting Union (EBU; , UER) is an alliance of Public broadcasting, public service media organisations in countries within the European Broadcasting Area (EBA) or who are member states of the Council of Europe, members of the ...

. In 2009 Eduard Fomin, a former employee of the

Ministry of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

of the

RSFSR The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR or RSFSR), previously known as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and the Russian Soviet Republic, and unofficially as Soviet Russia,Declaration of Rights of the labo ...

, revealed that in 1987 George Veselov, the Minister of Education for the Soviet Union, brought forward the idea of Soviet participation in the EBU and the Eurovision Song Contest due to the number of political reforms made by the

Soviet General Secretary The General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. was the leader of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). From 1924 until the country's dissolution in 1991, the officeholder was the recognize ...

Mikhail Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (2 March 1931 – 30 August 2022) was a Soviet and Russian politician who served as the last leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to dissolution of the Soviet Union, the country's dissolution in 1991. He served a ...

during the late 1980s. The idea was mainly a political one, with the thought that a win in the contest for the Soviet Union would impact on the relationships between the Soviet Union and the

capitalist Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their use for the purpose of obtaining profit. This socioeconomic system has developed historically through several stages and is defined by ...

countries of the

west West is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance langu ...

. Valery Leontiev was suggested as a singer for the Soviet Union's first entry into the contest, but Veselov's ideas were not shared by the

Communist Party of the Soviet Union The Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU),. Abbreviated in Russian as КПСС, ''KPSS''. at some points known as the Russian Communist Party (RCP), All-Union Communist Party and Bolshevik Party, and sometimes referred to as the Soviet ...

, or by Gorbachev himself, believing it to be too radical a step to take, and so the Soviet Union never entered the contest before dissolving.

Statements about Leontiev

*President

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...

: "You rightly recognized master of song genre, artist who reached the summits of Pop Olympus thanks to genuine talent, professionalism and hard work." *President

Dmitry Medvedev Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev (born 14 September 1965) is a Russian politician and lawyer who has served as Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia since 2020. Medvedev was also President of Russia between 2008 and 2012 and Prime Mini ...

: "Over the years, the bright stage career, you not only have gained a great love of fans, but also sets a high standard of music for the new generations of artists. The songs performed by you, always lead not only in the charts, but also in the hearts of an audience of millions." *President

: "Great talent, unparalleled professional skills and constant creative search brought you a well-deserved fame and recognition around the world." *Politician

Valentina Matviyenko Valentina Ivanovna Matviyenko, . (;, . born 7 April 1949) is a Russian politician and former diplomat serving as a Senator from Saint Petersburg and the Chairwoman of the Federation Council since 2011. Previously she was Governor of Saint Peter ...

: "You have created a stage persona which has never been on the stage and I am sure that nobody will never repeat, and you follow this image." *Singer Muslim Magomayev: "Name Valery Leontiev enough just to name – and do not have any colorful definitions! Everything is clear! Living Classic of our stage." *Singer

Joseph Kobzon Joseph Davydovich Kobzon (11 September 1937 – 30 August 2018) was a Soviet-born Russian singer, known for his crooner style. Early life Kobzon was born to History of the Jews in the Soviet Union, Jewish Ukrainians, Ukrainian parents in the ...

: "Tragically, we have a unit of this magnitude stars – Pugacheva, Leontiev ... Those people who for many years retain their creative person and love of the public."

Real estate

* 3 storey apartment in Kolokolnikov Lane,

Meshchansky District Meshchansky District () is a district of Central Administrative Okrug of the federal city of Moscow, Russia. Population: The district extends due north from Kitai-gorod to Kamer-Kollezhsky Val. Western boundary with Tverskoy District fol ...

. Purchased in 1993. *Villa in

Sunny Isles Beach, Florida Sunny Isles Beach (SIB or more commonly Sunny Isles, and officially the City of Sunny Isles Beach) is a city located on a barrier island in northeast Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The city is part of the Miami metropolitan area of So ...

, USA. Purchased in 1996 *Apartment on

Collins Avenue Collins Avenue, partly co-signed State Road A1A, is a major thoroughfare in South Florida, United States. The road runs parallel to the Atlantic Ocean in Miami Beach, Florida, one block west. It also runs through the cities of Surfside and Su ...

, Miami, FL, USA. Purchased in 2002. *Apartment in Hallandale Beach, Florida, USA. Purchased in 2005 *Villa in

Alicante Alicante (, , ; ; ; officially: ''/'' ) is a city and municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is the capital of the province of Alicante and a historic Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean port. The population ...

, Spain (neighbors –

Victoria Beckham Victoria Caroline, Lady Beckham (; born 17 April 1974) is an English fashion designer, singer, and television personality. She rose to prominence in the 1990s as a member of the pop group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Posh Spic ...

). Purchased in 2008

References

*On account of Valery Leontiev there is even a duet with

: in August 2006 in

, a concert for the heads of the CIS, which Leontiev worked for a program of four songs. In the final speech, when the artist was called for an encore, he decided to perform the song "Hope." Suddenly, he was joined by Vladimir Putin, at that time president of Russia – Leontiev handed him a microphone. Star duo snatched the applause, as the leaders of CIS countries, as well as fellow artists. *Leontiev performing the hit "Margarita" in the presence of the President of

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

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. ...

and

in 2008. *

Nu, pogodi! ''Well, Just You Wait!'' (, ), also known as I'll get you! in official translations, is a Soviet and Russian series of animated short films produced by Soyuzmultfilm. In the 2014 all-Russian poll, ''Well, Just You Wait!'' won by a wide margin ...

Episode 16 – Valery Leontiev song Green Light was played by the Wolf when he was caught by

Baba Yaga Baba Yaga is a female character (or one of a trio of sisters of the same name) from Slavic folklore who has two contrasting roles. In some narratives, she is described as a repulsive or ferocious-looking old woman who fries and eats children, ...

, on the magical guitar. The Wolf does escape however, but lands on the water.

Notes

References

External links

Official website
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Leontyev, Valery 1949 births Living people People from the Komi Republic Komi people Soviet male singers Soviet pop singers Soviet male actors Russian pop singers People's Artists of Russia World Music Awards winners Recipients of the Lenin Komsomol Prize Recipients of the title of Merited Artist of Ukraine Recipients of the Order of Honour (Russia) Russian pop musicians 20th-century Russian male singers 21st-century Russian male singers Recipients of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 4th class Russian National Music Award winners Winners of the Golden Gramophone Award

Early life

Musical career

On the stage

Musical prizes

Golden Orpheus

World Music Awards

ZD Awards

Ovation

Golden Gramophone Award

Song of the year

Muz-TV Awards

Russian Music Awards

Others

Honours and awards

Discography

Studio albums

Songwriting credits

As composer

As lyricist

Filmography

Musical films and musicals

Personal life

Eurovision Song Contest 1987

Statements about Leontiev

Real estate

References

See also

Notes

References

External links