December 01, 2019

Russia's Pop King


Russia's Pop King
Dima Bilan has been active in Russia since the early 2000s. Screen shot from "I'll Never Let You Go" via YouTube

Anyone familiar with Russia’s history in Eurovision knows that there is one name in Russian pop music that stands above others: Dima Bilan. The musical icon has been active since the early 2000s, and his influence continues to be felt not only in Russia, but across the world.

Born in Karachay-Cherkessia in Southern Russia in 1981, Bilan began engaging with music from an early age. He went to a music school for children and competed in multiple competitions for young talent, including the “Young Voices of the Caucasus” award.

When it came time to decide where to go for university, Bilan moved to Moscow and studied at a music academy, Gnessin State Musical College. He worked as a shop assistant while studying, and dreamed of a career on stage. Luckily, during his time at Gnessin State, he met the musical producer Yury Aizenshpis, who recognized Bilan's potential.

According to Bilan, Aizenshpis’ role in his life cannot be overstated, “The role which Yury has played in my life can't be described in just a few words. It was a very large part of my life and now it's deep inside me, in my heart and in my consciousness. I can't pinpoint it exactly, he was more than a producer, he became a second father to me.”

Aizenshpis passed away in 2005, but his belief in Bilan helped launch the artist onto the world stage. Yana Rudkovskaya is Bilan’s current producer.

In 2006, Bilan participated in Eurovision, with his song “Never Let You Go.” He went on to represent Russia at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Copenhagen later that year. In November, Bilan performed at the World Music Awards in London, where he also received the award for Best Selling Russian Artist. Bilan’s rise continued, through collaborations with foreign musicians, including a Spanish song with Nelly Furtado, and another Eurovision performance in 2008. This time, Bilan took first place in the contest.

Bilan has continued to produce music, and has also branched out into other forms of entertainment. In 2010, he produced and starred in a short film called Theatre of the Absurd, which was based on his song “He Wanted To” («Он хотел»). Currently, Bilan is one of the four coaches of the Russian version of The Voice.

Keep an eye out for whatever this talented individual has planned next!

See Also

Alsou Safina, singer

Alsou Safina, singer

She may be just eighteen, but she has been ruling Russia's pop charts for two years. Alsou Ralifovna Safina (known to her fans as simply Alsou, pronounced “all-soo”), daughter of Lukoil's first vice-president Ralif Safin, has taken the music industry by storm. 
Eurovision Revisited

Eurovision Revisited

“It's nice to receive such news from Europe!” - Ukrainian singer Ani Lorak on winning the revote for Eurovision 2008
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Turgenev Bilingual

Turgenev Bilingual

A sampling of Ivan Turgenev's masterful short stories, plays, novellas and novels. Bilingual, with English and accented Russian texts running side by side on adjoining pages.
Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.
At the Circus (bilingual)

At the Circus (bilingual)

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

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
The Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

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

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.
Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

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

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

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

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.

About Us

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

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955