Konstantin Meladze interview. Vera Brezhneva and Konstantin Meladze: first interview about family life

// Photo: Frame from the “Honest Word” program, “Instagram”

Konstantin Meladze gave great interview journalist Dmitry Gordon, in which he spoke about his childhood, career and shared his views on life. So, according to the producer and composer, he has practically no favorite songs. “I am a deeply insecure person. To this day, the regalia has not made me believe in myself,” said the show business figure.

During the conversation with Dmitry, Konstantin also talked about his wife Vera Brezhneva. The producer remembered his first meeting with his future wife.

“Vera Brezhneva came on stage at one of our group’s concerts and sang into the microphone. Our administrator saw her and took the phone. Then we called her to the casting and did a video test. She absolutely delighted me because she seemed like a copy of Brigitte Bardot in her youth. I don't want to offend anyone, but objectively greatest success from ex-participants " VIA Gra"Vera Brezhneva achieved. She is the most beautiful and sexy, and she is also my wife. Did she marry grandly? Rather, I got married on a grand scale,” Meladze noted in the “Visiting Dmitry Gordon” program.

The producer considers Brezhnev an amazing person who is capable of working hard and fruitfully. “When we took her into the group, she could neither dance nor sing. The whole history of "VIA Gra" - pure water“Pygmalion,” the man noted. To become a full-fledged soloist of the group, the future star was sent to special courses.

“I attended these classes once a week and watched how she progressed. The effect was simply amazing. This is comparable to some cartoon where a tomato grows once and in five seconds. The same thing happened with Vera. After a year of working in the group, he was an absolute star!” – Konstantin shared.

The romance between Meladze and Brezhneva did not arise immediately. When the singer married businessman Mikhail Kiperman in 2006, the composer did not protest against the wedding because he did not have feelings for the artist. “If I had any worries, it would only be about the fact that she would have to end her career,” the man noted. Only over time, the producer looked at the ward differently.

“The ideal woman is the one with whom you feel good and are happy. Everyone has their own ideal. It should fit you like a key to a lock. “I have a feeling that our romance with Vera lasts forever, that I met her in ’63,” Meladze shared, laughing. “With the advent of this man, my life changed. I finally lifted my head from the keyboard... It wasn’t even me who lifted it, but she took me by the hair. (...) I didn’t care where I rested or what I ate. I missed out on a lot because I was obsessed with my work. And Vera gave me a kick and awakened my interest in a life other than the studio and music.”

In addition, Konstantin Meladze spoke about his children - Alice, Leah and Valeria. They were born from previous relationships producer with Yana Summ.

“My kids do all sorts of different things. Alisa graduated from school and goes to college in Kyiv. The middle daughter Leah is in Israel at the camp, she studies vocals and choreography. I think she has talent, but I won't push her. My son goes to school. Vera’s and my children are, in general, friends. Now Leah was with us in Italy, she communicates well with Vera’s daughter Sarah... It’s all complicated, of course. It’s difficult now, and it will be. You know what it is. The more brothers and sisters you have, the easier it will be for you in later adult life. I know this for sure. If I didn’t have Valera and Liana, we wouldn’t have achieved anything,” the composer believes.

The presenter invited the producer to publicly confess his love to his wife. However, the composer refused and explained why. Konstantin Meladze also noted that he constantly thinks about his soulmate and worries about her. Despite the fact that the spouses are often on the road, they manage to maintain harmony in their relationship.

“There are some things that need to be said in person. I don't think she'll be happy if I shout on TV how much I love her. We have other signs and other codes with which we send vibes to each other at a distance. We are constantly away from each other, because she tours a lot, and I travel constantly. But we somehow learned to minimize the distance between us. After all, when you are at home, everything is much simpler: you take your hand and that’s it. But when she is in America, you need to make an effort,” the man shared.

// Photo: Shot from the “Tonight” program

19.01.2019 11:14

Konstantin Meladze: “I am inspired only by the people for whom I write songs”

Today's guest of the leading author's program on RU.TV and star editor of TN, Elena Sever, can safely be called a man of the era. The songs he created are known to more than one generation of Russians. However, at first his career was not at all connected with music.

- Konstantin, the first question is this: do you have a slogan, a phrase that helps in life?

I noticed that the simpler the slogan, the better it works. Once upon a time I read that Churchill had a piece of paper on his desk on which was written three times: “Never give up!” It seems to me that such a mantra works because it hits the very heart. There are no philosophical branches in it, everything is clear. Every person has times in life when he can and wants to give up, and I have them too. And that's when I remember this phrase.

- Does this also apply to your personal life?

This applies to everything. To last day a person must live and not give up. Such a simple truth.

I would like to talk about your latest video “Mom, don’t worry!”, created by you together with the MBAND group and Valery Meladze.

We simply decided to remember our early youth. In Valera's first videos I starred as a keyboard player. And in this video both youth and maturity come together. The guys who work at MBAND are somewhat reminiscent of us 25 years ago. In addition, it was assumed that the video would feature live music. And I decided to remember my youth, stand at the keys, and continue to control the filming process with one eye. It seems to me that this has a certain meaning, the energy - both mine, and Valera's, and the guys - was summed up. This is probably one of the easiest videos I've ever shot. We got up early, went to bed late and drove around the entire Moscow region.

- Who came up with two auto platforms?

Directed by Zaur Zaseev. In order to accommodate everyone who is starring in the video, as well as lighting and sound equipment, huge tracks were used.

Your idea to bring together several generations is more of a creative experiment or a calculation that fans of different age groups somehow connect?

In principle, any of my work, of course, can be justified from the point of view of common sense, business and everything else. However, everything I did in 30 years of music and production was done on a whim, impulsively. I wanted to see my male artists together. It is clear that the videos are created in order to promote the singers. But with such a status as Valera’s, it was still more for pleasure. And while recording the song, we got it.

I know that you, Valery and your sister Liana have been involved in charity work for a long time, donating money to cancer centers. I also know that your wife, Vera Brezhneva, has her own foundation. Do you think every person should achieve this at some point in their life?

Each person must live in accordance with his aspirations and principles. The main thing in charity is to do everything quietly.

- But Vera, in order to attract attention to her foundation, must talk about it.

Both Vera and Valera have a visible part of charity, and this is such a small tip of the iceberg. And there is a less noticeable one, when they help people non-publicly. I think even for me saying this here, they won’t pat me on the head.

- It turns out that Vera does not consult with you when making decisions in this area?

She consults with me on everything, including charity.

No hearing, no sense of rhythm

Kostya, your interest in music appeared in childhood. It is very rare, especially for a boy, that your parents took you to a music school not by force, but almost at your request.

Yes, I asked to go to music school myself. And before that, this is what happened. Once, at the age of 6, I went to the cinema - in the village where we lived, the club had Sunday screenings for children for 10 kopecks per ticket. The film "Oginsky's Polonaise" was shown. This is a Polish film about the war. Its plot: a boy met a pastor, and he taught him to play Oginsky's Polonaise on the violin. And the two of them began to perform this polonaise - the boy on the violin, and the pastor on the organ. I was so impressed by this, there was what is called a brain explosion. I returned home completely dumbfounded and told my mother: “I want to learn to play the violin.” Then it seemed to me that if I took the instrument in my hands, it would immediately begin to sound. Mom, looking at me in surprise, promised: “Okay, son, of course.” And they brought me to entrance exams to our village music school. I passed the exam, to put it mildly, unsuccessfully. The teachers said: “There is no hearing, there is almost no sense of rhythm,” and they hinted to my mother that it would be better to send me to football. But my mother was stubborn, she is still like that now, she said: “No, you have to take my son.” And the teachers with sour faces took me to school. My mother bought me a violin, my first one, a small one, I picked it up - and what a disappointment I was: it sounded monstrous! I immediately exclaimed: “Mom, I’m sorry, I changed my mind, I don’t want to go to music school, especially violin class.” But my mother strictly answered: “No, son.” She always had this principle: if you take on something, you need to complete it and finish studying. And for seven years my mother practically dragged me by the scruff of the neck to music school.

- But then you still moved to the piano class?

No, I haven't. But when you learn to play the violin, you are optionally taught solfeggio, piano, and choral singing. Only in the 7th (!) grade of music school did I suddenly start playing, but not on the violin, but on the piano. I became interested in modern music, rock, and played everything on the piano. And when I was in the 9th grade, I was even taken to some group at the Railwaymen’s Palace. I started playing keyboards and ionics.

- Valera still loved football more as a child, but you weren’t very good at sports?

Valera loved everything, he was brilliant in wrestling, karate, aircraft modeling, swimming - he already achieved the first adult level in swimming at the age of 13. Actually, my mother took us to all the circles that worked in the village so that we would not fall under the influence of the street. Both Valera and sister were busy throughout their childhood.

- But you weren’t friends with sports?

No. I went to basketball and was pretty good at it, and swimming and track. But I am not such a universal person as Valera. Valera also showed absolutely brilliant results in science.

- Valera even wrote a dissertation, but that didn’t appeal to you?

No, I'm not Julius Caesar, I have right hemisphere less developed. Valera has both hemispheres equally developed, and in general, everything he undertakes, he does brilliantly. He came to music school a year later than me, and when he entered, they told my mother: “Well, I have hearing, I have rhythm.”

- Have you ever been offended that your brother is everywhere, but you still can’t?

It's amazing, but I was never offended. Apparently, I initially grew up as some kind of behind-the-scenes person, and therefore the role of a producer is ideal for me: you seem to be doing a serious business and at the same time working for your artist.

And I was going to work at a factory

- Did you and your brother study together at the shipbuilding institute, although you are 2 years older than Valera?

Valera entered a year later than me. I worked at a factory for a year, and Valera entered after school.

- Did you work because you didn’t apply in the first place?

I entered the Second medical school in Moscow, because my mother said: “Go, son, do it.” Naturally, I didn’t get in, because there was a competition for 10 people per place, and I wasn’t even a Komsomol member, my chances were zero.

- And why did you and your brother end up at the institute in Nikolaev?

Because I worked in Batumi at a shipbuilding plant and was sent by the plant to study at an institute in Nikolaev. In those days, there were intercity connections between Nikolaev and Batumi.

- And Valera decided: why think for a long time, I’ll go there too?

No, Valera’s mom and dad sent me to me because he was a very hooligan guy and he needed an eye and an eye. He came under my wing, so to speak.

- Did you expect that after college you would work in your acquired specialty?

During my studies I passed different stages. At first I wanted to go to Batumi. Return there and live and work at your factory like everyone else normal people. Then, as I grew older and became more ambitious, there was a moment when I even wanted to join the party. Of course, they didn’t accept me, they didn’t even accept me into the Komsomol. As a result, I graduated well from college, and I was assigned to some factory in Klaipeda.

-Has participation in amateur performances already occurred in your life?

Was. And I thought and thought and decided to stay in Nikolaev with the institute music group to continue musical career. In addition, we have already released our first magnetic album, and somehow the students really liked it.

Not a restaurant!

- How did composer Kim Breitburg find you?

He found me through the drummer of the Dialogue group, Tolik Deinega, who came to our rehearsals. It’s just that a rumor spread around the city that there is some strange group of guys at the institute who don’t play at weddings - everyone plays at weddings - but write their own music that people really like.

-Have you already written your own music then?

Yes, I wrote. And Tolik came, listened to us, then came again, and we rehearsed to our hearts’ content, we didn’t care who came. Although Tolik in those days in Nikolaev was considered simply a guru, and Kim Breitburg was generally a demigod. At that time they toured all sorts of Germany, and it seemed like a miracle. In general, Tolik came and came to us, and then said: “Guys, give me your cassette.” And we just recorded our tape album of eight songs. He took this tape and took it somewhere; it later turned out that he showed it to his supervisor, Kim Breitburg. Kim listened. And Tolik calls us: “Tomorrow morning, urgently come to Krivoy Rog,” - they had a concert there at the stadium. And we bought tickets - a reserved seat, a third berth - and arrived in the morning in Krivoy Rog. They explained to us which hotel to go to. Tolik met us and took us to Kim. I remember the door opens, we go into the room, and Kim and one of the other musicians are sitting there, listening to our album. They listen and don’t even notice that we have arrived. Then Kim raises her head, sees us and says: “Guys, do you even understand what you did?!” And he immediately invited us to his group.

- To the “Dialogue” group?

Yes. We worked there for two years, and then “Dialogue” ceased its regular existence, and Valera and I were left alone. Things were going very badly. The music that I wrote, the songs that later became popular - both "Sera" and "Limbo" - lay on the shelf, because such music was not quite in demand. Disco and dance tunes were in fashion, but our music is so atmospheric, meditative and amorphous in rhythm. And now it was the very bottom, I was overcome by such despair. And Valera gave birth to a daughter, but we lived in a hostel. Everything was sold using coupons, there was no money. Valera studied in graduate school with a salary of 85 rubles a month, which at that time was simply zero.

- But even then you didn’t perform at weddings or in restaurants?

We were offered to work in a restaurant when it was the most hard time. They said: “Here’s your money, you can sing your songs.” And I uttered a sacramental phrase that Valera still remembers: “If we get into a restaurant now, we’ll never get out of it, it’s such an addictive swamp.” He listened to me, although he had a very hard time with money, and he had to feed his daughter. But six months later we got to the “Christmas meetings” with Alla Borisovna.

- I imagine it was just a cosmic leap for you.

I don’t even know what to compare this with now. In those days, “Christmas Meetings” was the coolest program, and one broadcast was enough, just standing nearby - and you could go on tour the next morning. By the way, that’s what happened, we went on tour, and after this filming everything slowly began to unfold.

- How did Kyiv happen in your life, if everything has already worked out in Moscow?

In 1993, we, Valera, my wife and daughter, and I, moved to Moscow and rented a two-room apartment on the outskirts in a Khrushchev building. Besides us, our drummer and guitarist also lived there. It was fun, of course, but not very much. House at railway, every 5 minutes some kind of train was driving, there was a roar. I realized that writing music is hard. It was somehow alarming, uncomfortable, and, strictly speaking, there was nowhere. I wrote a couple of songs in those days, and they were unsuccessful - erased. And when we started going on tour, we often came to Kyiv and performed there. And it seemed to me that this was the city where I could find like-minded people and form my own “factory” - we would start shooting videos, sewing costumes, writing songs. On the one hand, Kyiv big city, on the other hand, it was much calmer than Moscow, at least in those years. And that’s it, I kind of settled there, especially since I was already married then, and my wife also really wanted to move to Kyiv. And we moved.

Creativity - when there is nothing but music

- Which song do you still consider yours? business card? The song that started it all?

The first song that I really liked - and this rarely happens, I am critical of myself, much more critical than of my colleagues and my artists - “There is no more attraction.” One night I heard it on the radio and in the first seconds I thought: how cool, and then I realized that it was mine. I found almost no flaws in it.

- But the VIA Gra group, of course, became a powerful breakthrough?

And this probably irritates many people. After all, the group is 18 years old, during which time approximately 20 participants have passed through it. So many solo artists and TV presenters have come out of this school! In principle, it seems to me that this makes some sense and a sound idea, because VIA Gra is a women’s theater where women themselves sing about themselves, about what worries them. Moreover, the songs have changed a lot over 18 years. We started with completely stupid ones, with “Attempt No. 5,” for example. But then there were also the most profound works, such as “The Flower and the Knife” - complex, serious, but still these are women’s songs about love for a man. The types that I select for the group to this day must correspond to the music they carry; this can really be compared to theater. The troupe changes, people grow up and leave.

But a women’s group is generally a separate space, especially the relationships of the participants among themselves. For example, there is good composition, harmonious, but if any friction arises in the group, this could lead to disintegration?

I have a strange and peculiar principle: until recently we had no contracts with anyone. We worked as a kind of union of artists as long as there was mutual sympathy for each other.

- Or maybe it was necessary to conclude contracts?

No. Only live music, nervous, tremulous - it is born when people have no other connections except music, creativity, mutual sympathy - and that’s all.

- Let's say a girl comes. It seems to you that she wants to sing, but she just wants to find a husband.

Well then, these are my problems and my mistake. There were several girls who came and found the men of their dreams - and left the group. And it was wildly insulting, but also thanks to this insult, very good songs. You see, in this theater, which was organized 18 years ago, everything has always been serious. There is a fact of life in this apparent staff turnover. People work with each other as long as they want.

Songs - only for our own people

Tell me about Svetlana Loboda. You said that she stood out so much with her creative energy that there was no way she could be in the group. Why didn’t you offer her a solo project?

I don’t regret for a second that I invited Sveta, and I don’t regret for a second that we broke up with her. I took her into the VIA Gra group on time and released her on time. Everything was very on time. But at that time I had no desire to engage in a solo female project. Valera and the VIA Gra group were enough for me; I was loaded to the brim. I took on a solo project and felt the need for it when Vera Brezhneva left the group. In 2008, we tried with her, and by 2010 we succeeded. Then I worked on the career of Polina Gagarina.

- Why didn’t it work out with the groups “Yin-Yang” and “BiS”?

- “BiS” in the first year of work received the status of the best group in the country in all awards and began to quarrel with each other, and strongly. And I, based on my principles, did not hold anyone back, I said: “You cannot find common language with each other, separate." And with "Yin-Yang" why it didn't work out, I don't know, I don't have answers to all the questions. And why didn't they best group in the country, I don’t know. Maybe because of me. The guys who worked there were amazing, every single one of them were the most talented artists, and the fact that this group did not become number one... This is probably one of the few projects of mine that I was not able to bring to its peak. The producer is certainly to blame for not finding some key.

- For you, in addition to the creative component, is personal contact with your mentee also important?

If a person is unpleasant to you and does not evoke sympathy, deep emotions, or attraction to yourself, good songs are not born. You can't put a mountain of money on your keyboard and be inspired by that. You are inspired by the people you write songs for. I have not sold a single song in my entire life, because I write all the songs only to my artists, my people. Either for a film in which I participate as a composer, or for a musical, that is, I write only for my own people.

- Is everyone in your family in show business? Have you and your sister Liana been involved in your affairs now?

She is a co-producer of the singer Yolka, was a co-producer of the group UMA2RMAN and many artists in general. Liana is also the commercial director of the Velvet Music label; she has many artists under her supervision. She came to Moscow in 1993, and the only way we could help her was to get her a job as a courier. She ran around the city with letters and parcels all day long. And two or three years later she already became the commercial director of the company where she worked, and she became it herself; we no longer helped her.

- How capable you all are.

In my opinion, my brother and sister are more capable than me. And I don't show off. Liana is a pragmatic, clearly thinking person. I make music, I have a lot of cockroaches in my head, I need people around me who would discipline me and restrain some of my, often idiotic impulses. That’s what Valera and Liana are doing, it’s a sin not to become successful with such people.

There are alternatives to the violin

- Your eldest daughter Alice is 18 years old, did she also play the violin?

She played, and her middle daughter Leah went to music school. But they left it, it all seemed too boring to them. And since in our time there are a huge number of different ways for self-improvement, I did not insist. During our childhood, my mother insisted: “You must finish the violin,” because there were no alternatives. And now Leah is participating in a children’s group, they recently filmed a video, they sing all sorts of fashionable songs.

- Followed in your footsteps?

She went, but I try not to push her, she must mature on her own, understand how hard work this is. And if she doesn’t cool down on this matter, I will help at some stage, but only in five years. Now she is 14 years old, she needs to study and graduate from university.

- But in general you wouldn’t mind? Many artists don’t want their children to continue their work.

You see, a mechanic, plumber or janitor can work so-so, but an artist must either be super or he has no chance. Therefore, the daughter herself must prove to both me and the public whether she is able to break through this wall, because neither her father nor the producers can do this for her, she only needs to do it herself. If she can, if she has the strength not to become cold, not to become disillusioned with her profession, I will help her.

I want to end our conversation with your confession: “I don’t have the feeling that I am somehow better than other people. I can write music well, but other people do other things just as masterfully. I have great respect for other people’s work and other people’s skills. I know how to appreciate talent in a person and find it.” All the best and new hits to you!

Konstantin Meladze

Family: wife - Vera Brezhneva, singer; children from his first marriage - Alisa (18 years old), Leah (14 years old), Valery (13 years old)

Education: graduated from the shipbuilding institute Career: since 1986 he has been writing songs for his brother Valery Meladze. His songs are performed by Alla Pugacheva, Sofia Rotaru, Grigory Leps, and other artists. Created the groups "VIA Gra", "Yin-Yang", "BiS", МBAND. Composer and producer of the musicals "Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka", "Cinderella", music producer film "Hipsters", author of music for the TV series "The Thaw", the ballet "The Great Gatsby". Producer of "Star Factory-7" and the show "I want to go to VIA Gro" and "I want to go to Meladze", mentor of the show "The Voice"

Elena Sever

The group "VIA Gra" is considered. Over the entire history of its existence - which is almost 18 years - the team has had about 20 members. Meladze himself is convinced that VIA Gra is a women's theater in which women themselves sing about themselves and what worries them.

ON THE TOPIC

“Moreover, the songs have changed a lot over 18 years. We started with completely stupid ones, with “Attempt No. 5,” for example. But then there were the most profound works, such as “Flower and Knife” - complex, serious, but still these are women’s songs about love for a man. The types that I select for the group to this day must correspond to the music they carry, it can really be compared to the theater. The troupe changes, people grow up and leave,” he reasoned.

And if the tandem Vera Brezhneva - Anna Sedokova - Nadezhda Granovskaya is considered the golden team, then Svetlana Loboda is called the most spectacular, because she literally outshone the rest with her vigorous creative energy. “I don’t regret for a second that I invited Sveta, and I don’t regret for a second that we parted with her. I took her to the VIA Gra group on time and let her go on time. Everything was very on time,” Telenedelya quotes Konstantin Meladze. .

There was no talk of a solo project then; the producer was not interested in it. “Valera and the VIA Gra group were enough for me; I was up to my neck,” the composer admitted. It was only much later that he felt the need for a solo project. Then Vera Brezhneva left the VIA Gra group. “In 2008, we tried with her, and by 2010 we succeeded. Then I took care of Polina Gagarina’s career,” said the producer.

New breath

Photo: Sergey Yushkov

Misha Romanova, Anastasia Kozhevnikova and Erica Herceg... These girls became finalists of the show “I Want V VIA Gro”, which recently ended on the NTV channel. As a reward, they received what they had dreamed of for a very long time - the opportunity to enter the history of the VIA GRA group. KONSTANTIN MELADZE, the creator and permanent producer of the group, shared with OK! secrets of popularity and spoke about what awaits the new soloists ahead.

Konstantin, last year you announced that you were disbanding the VIA Gra group. And so, at the beginning of autumn, the show “I Want V VIA Gro” appeared on NTV, in which, in front of millions of viewers, a new team. Tell me, how did the idea for this original project come about?
When Albina Dzhanabaeva told me about her decision to leave VIA Gra, I clearly understood that a completely different group was needed. Then I disbanded the team and announced that the group would no longer exist in this composition. There is no longer any need to look for some kind of “fixes” for the remaining artists, but we need to recruit completely new people who will be relevant for the modern generation. And so the director Alan Badoev and TV presenter Vladimir Zelensky, with whom I have been working for a very long time, discussed and decided to make a whole show out of the casting, which would be shown in Russia and Ukraine. This interested me: I like to do things that I have never tried before. Usually on our television there are shows in formats purchased from the Dutch, Americans... And we created this format ourselves, from scratch. For the first time on our television, a project appeared in which the winners had a real chance to become real artists, and not just win a TV show, get an apartment or a car and safely disappear forever. It was not easy to come up with another television talent show that would attract viewers.

From last composition The only name of the group that is heard is Albina Dzhanabaeva. Do you follow the fates of the participants who were in VIA Gre a year ago?
They are trying to create solo projects. But Albina’s work is in full swing. She is now playing one of the main roles in the play " Bad habits"together with Sergei Shakurov, Daniil Spivakovsky and other wonderful artists. She recorded new compositions and shot a video for the song “Tired.” She does everything herself, I don’t produce her.

Do you feel responsibility for those 13 VIA Gra soloists who were once part of the group?
Undoubtedly. To my great regret, I am not able to produce all the ex-soloists of the group “VIA Gra”, all the graduates of the Russian and Ukrainian “Star Factory” and the show “The Voice”, which I did in Ukraine. It's simply physically impossible. It is extremely difficult for me to part with those people with whom I have worked for many years. These are always very dramatic breakups, but I clearly understand that there is no way around this. Now I am producing Vera Brezhneva, and for the last year and a half I have been producing Polina Gagarina. And of course, my permanent artist is Valery Meladze, my brother. And now new group"VIA Gra". Believe me, I have enough work.

Just the other day, Dmitry Kostyuk presented his group “VIA Gra”. It turns out that on at the moment There are two groups with the same name. What should I do?
Everyone asks me about this. I answer that this is a legal issue, which will soon be resolved, order will be restored in my affairs.

Konstantin, tell me honestly, did the participants do something on the project “I Want V VIA Gro” that you did not expect from them?
There was almost nothing unexpected. I’ve been in show business for 30 years now, and it’s hard to surprise me with anything. Of course, I was amazed by the fate of the girls who came to the project. It's amazing how many difficulties you have to overcome to get into music and get the opportunity to do what you're really interested in. I’ve somehow forgotten about this, although once upon a time my brother and I tried our best to get on the big stage. And, of course, I was surprised by the toughness with which the participants were ready to fight for their place in the sun. 12–15 years ago, during castings, I did not notice such a trait in future artists. Now these are real careerists. I'm not saying it's good or bad. This is a given. Apparently, success is valued more highly now. Today you are either successful or your life is a failure. So the way our girls fought for a place in the VIA Gra group was very impressive...

You have cultivated the image of a successful person for many years, sexy woman…
There were periods when people wanted to become astronauts, businessmen, racketeers. And in the mid-2000s, during sociological surveys, it turned out that the majority of schoolgirls would like to become soloists of VIA Gra. I wouldn’t say that I was happy about it, because, let’s say, it’s not entirely adequate. But on the other hand, today the more popular women's team in Russia and Ukraine there is simply no such thing.

What exactly attracted you to the new members of the team - Misha, Eric and Nastya? Why did you choose them out of thousands?
It was not only my choice, at the last stage the choice was made by the audience. But I can say that it was all reminiscent of casting for a small theater, in which actors were recruited according to certain types. For example, Misha Romanova is a little reserved and harsh girl. I am very interested in her image, I want to work with it. Erica Herceg is impulsive and unpredictable, and has a very distinctive accent. Nastya Kozhevnikova is young, pure and very promising.

However, you almost kicked the girls out of the project when they refused to perform in the dresses that the show’s stylists had chosen for them. Misha, Nastya and Erica independently cut off the hems of their outfits and went on stage. I remember you said that the girls wouldn’t make it to the next round, but then you changed your mind.
You see, you need a certain discipline. It is necessary to convey to girls that rebellion is not always useful for business. Of course, I never sought to make some kind of obedient herd out of my charges, God forbid. But pulling the blanket over yourself and not caring about the people around you is wrong, it’s detrimental to our business. This interferes with creativity, leads to some kind of human friction, conflicts, and we should not solve such problems.

Do the contracts of new soloists include the possibility of applying penalties?
The fines were imposed in the first year of the existence of the VIA Gra group, and this is absolute idiocy. It became clear to me that this is nonsense, that this must be abandoned once and for all. I do not use any repressive measures. In the girls’ contracts, everything is businesslike and dry. And they are already signed.

According to the contract, girls have the right to dye their hair and start a family?
Of course, I cannot prevent them from getting married or having children, although this complicates the work process. You cannot dye your hair or change your appearance without the permission of the producer. Their appearance- a means of production, a tool of labor. So naturally I have to understand what they want to do with their appearance. And so everything that is allowed in other work collectives is possible.

What are your plans for the near future?
Soon we will shoot a video for the song “Truce”, with the help of which viewers will be able to understand what the girls are capable of. We will do everything to ensure that they become real artists. In a year and a half you will be able to evaluate whether we succeeded or not. Then we'll talk again. ( Smiling.)

Erica Herceg

(25 years old, Malaya Dobran village)

I grew up in a simple rural family. My mom is a housewife and my dad is a fireman. The measured life of our family changed dramatically when Soviet Union and the money became worthless. We suddenly became poor. My mother was devastated by this ordeal; she fell ill and spent a lot of time in hospitals. I don’t want to go deeper into this topic, I can only say that my mother is physically in my life, but we can’t, for example, talk to her. At that difficult time, dad tried to get us out, worked hard at several jobs... And then he started drinking. He was just incredibly tired, mentally exhausted. Then I had to take everything into my own hands. At the age of seven, I started working - selling vegetables that grew in our garden. Over time, I was able to buy a new TV for home, some furniture, and began to dress younger brother. A few years later I went to work as a waitress. A small salary of 100 dollars bothered me much less than the way people interacted with me - absolutely without respect. At some point, I felt that I couldn’t do it anymore, that I was above all this, and decided to change my life. You should have seen me then! I weighed thirty kilograms more than I do now. I had no idea what fashion was, I didn’t go to discos, I didn’t date boys. But I knew for sure that I couldn’t sit still. I dreamed of something more for myself than the role of a tractor driver’s wife. And I started to act. She entered the Transcarpathian Hungarian Institute named after. Ferenc Rakoczi II at the Faculty of Economics and Management began to work on her appearance. First of all, I decided to lose weight. This process was not easy, but in eight months I managed to lose overweight and become as thin as you see me. I met young man and moved to Kyiv with him, got a job in a modeling agency, and after some time she starred for Ukrainian Playboy. But the changes didn’t end there; they continue thanks to the “I Want V VIA Gro” project. I am incredibly happy that I will be working with Konstantin Meladze along with Nastya and Misha. During the casting, the girls and I became very good friends. I can say that I trust them and am sure that everything will be fine with us.

Misha Romanova,

23 years old, Kherson city

As a child, I stuttered badly and because of this I grew up very a withdrawn child. So what is happening in my life now is very reminiscent of the fairy tale about Cinderella. The girls and I have very similar stories in this sense. I was born into a poor family; we never had money for good toys. Music became my outlet. Because of my stuttering, I spent a lot of time in speech therapists' offices, and one of them advised me to sing the words. Literally the next day I went to the children's vocal studio at the Neftyanik cultural center. You could say that from that moment my creative activity. I took part in many regional and all-Ukrainian vocal competitions and won prizes. Watching my success, my parents decided to send me to a music school, where I could study vocals for more years. high level. A little later I graduated variety and circus school. But it was always difficult for me to communicate with my peers: the children are very cruel, they did not forgive me for my stuttering. I always felt awkward going to the center of the class and answering the teacher's questions. My classmates pointed their fingers at me. Sometimes I would sing the answers just to avoid stuttering. Who would have thought that I would become the new soloist of the VIA Gra group! I always looked at the former soloists of the group with my mouth open. For me they were ideal female beauty. Every time I walked onto the stage of the project “I Want V VIA Gru” it was like it was my last. When we almost got kicked out, and Konstantin Meladze gave us a second chance, I realized that I had to work even harder. This moment brought the girls and I together very much, it was as if we stood head and shoulders above the other participants. Of course, I felt envy. They whispered behind our backs that the whole point was that we had the best mentors, the best performances. But I tried not to be distracted by intrigue. I knew that such a chance comes once in a lifetime. If I had missed him, I would never have forgiven myself for it.

Nastya Kozhevnikova

20 years old, Yuzhnoukrainsk

My grandmother was a piano teacher at a music school, and my mother sang in a choir, so when they asked me what I wanted to become, I answered: “A singer!” At the age of six I started ballroom dancing, choral singing. After a year and a half, I had to leave the choir: my voice was too loud. And I started studying solo. IN adolescence I went to all sorts of castings, for example, to the casting of the Ukrainian version of “X Factor”, but they didn’t take me there. There have been many competitions in my life, and not all of them were successful for me. To be honest, at some point I started to give up. There were even thoughts of giving up the dream of becoming a singer. Realizing that you won’t be satisfied with vocals alone, I entered the Kiev National University of Technology and Design. In general, I had almost given up, but then they announced a casting for the show “I Want V VIA Gru.” When I arrived and saw all these beautiful dressed up young ladies, the thought flashed through my head: “What am I doing here?” But I passed one round, then the second, then the applicants were combined into threes. I must say that I was very lucky with the girls, because the rest constantly quarreled with each other, but we, on the contrary, became a single team. By the way, when I first saw Misha and Erica, I thought that these girls had character and we wouldn’t work well together. For some reason it seemed to me that they would oppress me, but, to my joy, this did not happen. And now we don’t care at all!