May 07, 2021

Happy Birthday to Russia's Quirkiest Pop Icon


Happy Birthday to Russia's Quirkiest Pop Icon
The man, the myth, the legend: Philipp Kirkorov. Wikimedia Commons user Okras

Russian pop celebrity Philipp Kirkorov celebrated his 54th birthday last week, and it was a television spectacle.

Right after the news on Friday, April 30, Kirkorov's many-houred concert was broadcast on Rossiya Channel 1. The concert was actually filmed four years earlier, on his 50th birthday, but it was so beloved that it reappeared in 2021.

Despite not conforming to traditional gender roles, Kirkorov has been and remains a major Russian star. At the concert, operatic pop singer Nikolai Baskov sang Kirkorov's song "Diva" while the birthday boy tried to decide which of the two was the greater diva.

Kirkorov was born in Bulgaria to an Armenian father and Russian mother. He was married to famous singer Alla Pugacheva from 1994 to 2005.

His two young children joined Kirkorov on stage to perform one song. Both were born in the United States via surrogates. His daughter, whom he named Alla in honor of his ex-wife, was born in 2011, and his son in 2012.

The concert reviewed all of the years of Kirkorov's performing career, with pictures of his changing look and with other stars performing his songs in his honor. These stars included Grigory Leps, Dima Bilan, Sergey Lazarev, Ani Lorak, Svetlana Loboda, Timati, Polina Gagarina, Aleksandr Revva (who may be better known by his stage name Artur Pirozhkov), Valery Meladze, Kristina Orbakaite, and Valery Leontev.

Kirkorov claims that he has friends from all social classes, not only spending his time with other celebrities. He does have a warm personality and a talent for bringing people together and reminding us of the important things in life, like family and friends.

You Might Also Like

Not-Russia Does Great Figure Skating
  • April 25, 2021

Not-Russia Does Great Figure Skating

The non-doping "Russia" won three out of four events at the recent world figure skating championships and swept the ladies' podium.
Raving in Khimki
  • April 16, 2021

Raving in Khimki

Grab your glowsticks: the Moscow region city of Khimki is lit! And unlit... and then lit again.
Rapping for Russia
  • March 09, 2021

Rapping for Russia

With Russian teenagers in mind, plans are being made for "The First All-Russian Festival of Patriotic Rap." 
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 
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.
Moscow and Muscovites

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 
Driving Down Russia's Spine

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 
Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Bilingual series of short, lesser known, but highly significant works that show the traditional view of Dostoyevsky as a dour, intense, philosophical writer to be unnecessarily one-sided. 
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.
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.
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.
Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious. 
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 

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