Vera Brezhneva

Ukrainian singer (born 1982)

In this name that follows East Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is  Viktorivna and the family name is  Halushka.

Vera Brezhneva

Вера Брежнева

Born|

Vira Viktorivna Halushka (Віра Вікторівна Галушка)

(1982-02-03) 3 February 1982 (age 43)

Dniprodzerzhynsk, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union

Citizenship| Ukraine
Alma mater| Dnipro Institute of Infrastructure and Transport
Occupations|

* Singer
* television presenter
* actress

Years active| 2003-present
Spouses|

* Vitaliy Voychenko

(m. 2000; div. 2002)​

* Mikhail Kiperman

(m. 2006; div. 2012)​

* Konstantin Meladze

(m. 2015; div. 2023)​

Children| 2
Musical career
Genres| Pop
Instrument| Vocals
Labels|

* Velvet
* Moon
* Monolit
* Misteriya Zvuka
* Pervoye Muzykalnoye

Formerly of| Nu Virgos

Musical artist

Website| brezhneva.com

Vira Viktorivna Halushka (Ukrainian: Віра Вікторівна Галушка; Russian: Вера Викторовна Галушка; born 3 February 1982), known professionally as Vera Brezhneva (Вера Брежнева), is a Ukrainian singer, television presenter, and actress.[1]

During her career, she achieved international success in Eastern Europe and the Baltic countries,[2][3] and is a winner of ZD Awards.[4] In 2016, she received the International Music Prize "Big Apple Music Awards" in the category "Best Eastern European Artist" and special award for charitable activities "Person" in New York City.[5] She has performed several times at the Laima Rendezvous music festival in the Latvian city of Jurmala.[6][7] Brezhneva is also a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador.[8]

## Early life

[edit]

Vera Brezhneva was born on 3 February 1982 in Dniprodzerzhynsk, in the Ukrainian SSR of the Soviet Union.[1] Her father, Viktor, worked in a chemical factory. Her mother, Tamara, a medical school graduate, worked in the same factory as Brezhneva's father.[9][10] She has three sisters;[1] one older sister named Halyna, and younger twins Nastya and Vika. She bought a flat for her parents in Boryspil, a town close to Kyiv. The father of Brezhneva's daughter, Sonia, is Vitaliy Voychenko, to whom Brezhneva was married for a few years.[11] She earned a degree by correspondence from the faculty of economics of the Dnipropetrovsk Institute of Railway Engineering.[1]

## Career

[edit]

### 2002–2007: Nu Virgos girl group ("VIA Gra")

[edit]

In 2002, Brezhneva was invited to a casting organised to find a girl to replace Alena Vinnitskaya in the group Nu Virgos, in which she succeeded. In January 2003, Nu Virgos started performing in the new lineup; Nadiya, Anna and Vera, that, due to its massive popularity, gained the name of "the golden line up".

In July 2007, Brezhneva decided to take a break from the band. In December 2007, an official announcement was made stating that she was leaving Nu Virgos.[12] She was then replaced in the group by Tatiana Kotova.

### 2008–2012: T.V. presenter and return to music

[edit]

Brezhneva was the presenter of the Russian version of the Power of 10 game-show called Магия 10-ти (lit. Magic of 10), which ran on Channel One Russia for two seasons from 7 January 2008 to 31 August 2008.[13]

In May 2008, Brezhneva premiered her first single called "Ya ne igrayu" (Я не играю; I Don't Play). The song was written by her former producer Konstantin Meladze. The second single "Nirvana" was released on 27 October 2008. The third single "Ljubov v bolshom gorode" (Любовь в большом городе; Love in the Big City) was released in 2009. She then appeared in the music video for the song "Leto vsegda" (Лето всегда; Summer always) by the group Diskoteka Avariya, with actresses Anastasia Zadorozhnaya & Svetlana Khodchenkova. The fourth single was released in April; "Ljubov spasyot mir" (Любовь спасёт мир; Love will Save the World) and reached No. 1 in Russian Airplay Weekly. The next single "Pronto", a duet with Potap was released in September. Her sixth single "Lepestkami slyoz" (Лепестками слез; Petal Tears) was a duet with Dan Balan. In early 2011, Brezhneva premiered her new single "Realnaya zhizn" (Реальная жизнь; Real Life), and the single "Sexy Bambina" at the end of that year. In early 2012, the single "Ishu tebya" (Ищу тебя; Searching for You) was released.

### 2022–present: Break from the Russian industry

[edit]

After the Russo-Ukrainian War broke out in 2014, Brezhneva continued her career in Russia.[14] By 2022, however, owing to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, she expressed her support for Ukraine and broke away from her Russian career.[14] In 2023, she divorced her husband Konstantin Meladze, to whom she had been married since 2015, allegedly over her disapproval of his continued work in the Russian real estate and music markets.[14] While residing in the Latvian city of Riga, Brezhneva has returned to Ukraine a number of times since the invasion began,[15] and has shifted her career towards releasing her first songs in the Ukrainian language; in October 2022 and in September 2023.[16]

### Films

[edit]

Brezhneva has appeared in numerous Russian-language films. She played Katya in the film Love in the Big City (Любовь в большом городе) in 2009, and its two sequels in 2010 and 2013. In 2016, she starred in 8 Best Dates. She also had a major part playing as herself in Yolki (Ёлки) and Yolki 2, and also appeared in Jungle (Джунгли). Most of her film work has been in romantic comedies.

### Television

[edit]

She appeared in the second season of Russian ice show contest Ice Age.

## Personal life

[edit]

Brezhneva has two daughters: Sonya, from her first marriage to Vitaliy Voychenko; and Sara, from her second marriage to Mykhailo Kiperman.[14]

## Discography

[edit]

### Singles

[edit]

Year  | Single  | English translation  | Chart Positions

|
|
|

Ukraine | Russia
2008  | "Я не играю"  | I don't play  | —  | 6
"Нирвана"  | Nirvana  | —  | 80
2009  | "Любовь в большом городе"  | Love in the big city  | —  | 19
2010  | "Любовь спасёт мир"  | Love will save the world  | 1  | 1
"Пронто" (with Potap)  | Pronto  | —  | 31
"Лепестками слез" (with Dan Balan)  | By the petals of tears  | 1  | 1
2011  | "Реальная жизнь"  | Real life  | 1  | 1
2012  | "Sexy Bambina"  |  | 1  | —
"Бессонница"  | Insomnia  | 6  | 20
"Ищу тебя"  | I am looking for you  | 7  | —
"Любовь на расстоянии" (feat. DJ Smash)  | Love from a distance  | 48  | 14
2013  | "Хороший день"  | Nice day  | 2  | 11
"Дом"  | Home  | —  | —
2014  | "Доброе утро"  | Good morning  | 1  | 12
"Luna"(feat. Aleksandr Revva) | Luna  | 142  | —
"Девочка моя"  | My girl  | —  | —
2015  | "Мамочка"  | Mommy  | 15  | —
"Этажи"(feat. T-killah) | Floors  | —  | —
2016  | "Номер 1"  | Number 1  | 16  | —
"Feel"  | Feel  | 854  | —
2017  | "Близкие люди"  | Close people  | —  | —

### Albums

[edit]

Studio albums

* Lyubov spasyot mir (2010)
* VERVERA (2015)

### EP

[edit]

* V. (2020)

## Awards

[edit]

Vera Brezhneva received the title "Woman of the Year" from Glamour Russia in 2010.[17] In 2007, 2012, 2015, and 2016 she was named the sexiest woman in Russia by the men's magazine Maxim.[18][19]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d "brezhneva.com Биография". Archived from the original on 10 August 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
2. ^ "Вера Брежнева - Женщина года". TOPClub (in Russian). 21 November 2010. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
3. ^ "В Риге выступит украинская певица Вера Брежнева". Grani.LV (in Russian). 23 August 2023. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
4. ^ ""Афиша": вручение премии "Звуковая дорожка"". m24.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 4 August 2024.
5. ^ "состоялась музыкальная премия Big Apple Music Awards". mboxtv.ru. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
6. ^ Laima Rendezvous Jūrmala (19 December 2018). Вера Брежнева - Реальная жизнь |Laima Rendez Vous'2018 22.jul. Retrieved 4 August 2024 - via YouTube.
7. ^ Laima Rendezvous Jūrmala (25 January 2024). VERA BREZHNEVA - ДОБРОЕ УТРО | LAIMA RENDEZVOUS JŪRMALA 2023. Retrieved 4 August 2024 - via YouTube.
8. ^ "Вера Брежнева призвала проверится на СПИД". podrobnosti. 1 December 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
9. ^ Вера Брежнева / Vera Brezhneva (биография и фотоподборка) | Блог X3M-Slider(а)
10. ^ Виталий Войченко: Пресс-Портрет. Archived 2012-04-27 at the Wayback Machine
11. ^ Когда продюсер «ВИА Гры» Дмитрий Костюк узнал, что принятая в группу вера галушка из… — Газета «ФАКТЫ и комментарии»
12. ^ "Вера Брежнева навсегда покидает "Виа Гру"". Randevucity.net. 30 July 2007. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
13. ^ "Первый канал. Зарубежное и тематическое вещание / Эфир / Магия десяти". 1tvrus.com. 14 January 2008. Archived from the original on 4 August 2008. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
14. ^ a b c d "42-річна Брежнєва здивувала фанів сміливими фото: співачка позувала напівоголеною на коні". RBC Ukraine (in Ukrainian). 8 August 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
""Злочин не має терміну": Скрипка назвав провину Лободи та Брежнєвої". UNIAN (in Ukrainian). 24 September 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
15. ^ "Вайкуле розповіла, де зараз живе Брежнєва". Gordonua.com (in Ukrainian). 10 June 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
"Соловій у ромпері та Квіткова в двоколірних джинсах засвітилися на Куражі, де Брежнєва прикрасила себе "тату"". Tablo ID (in Ukrainian). 4 September 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
16. ^ "Брежнєва у яскравих міні потанцювала на Київському морі в кліпі про вдячність. ВІДЕО". Tablo ID (in Ukrainian). 29 September 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
"У майках та джинсах: Брежнєва під новим ім'ям заспівала з Tayanna про вишиванку". Tablo ID (in Ukrainian). 19 October 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
17. ^ "Вера Брежнева — главная «Женщина года Glamour»-2010". Tatler. 19 November 2010.
18. ^ Shumov, Vasily (1 October 2013). "The evolution of Russian female pop singers". Russia & India Report. Archived from the original on 28 February 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
19. ^ "Russia's sexiest woman announced". NEWS.am STYLE. 19 November 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2014.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* Vera Brezhneva on Twitter

Preceded by

Nastya Kamenskykh

|  Most beautiful by VIVA!
2010
With:  Yevgeny Komarovsky | Succeeded by

Oksana Marchenko

|
|

* v
* t
* e

Nu Virgos

* Ksenia Popova
* Ulyana Sinetskaya
* Sofia Tarasova

* Meseda Bagaudinova
* Vera Brezhneva
* Yeva Bushmina
* Santa Dimopulos
* Albina Dzhanabaeva
* Nadezhda Granovskaya
* Erika Herceg
* Olga Koryahina
* Tatiana Kotova
* Khrystyna Kots-Hotlib
* Anastasia Kozhevnikova
* Svetlana Loboda
* Dasha Medovaya
* Olga Meganskaya
* Tatiana Naynik
* Irina Ostrovskaya
* Misha Romanova
* Dasha Rostova
* Anna Sedokova
* Elena Tolstonogova
* Aina Vilberh
* Alena Vinnitskaya

Studio albums|

* Popytka No. 5
* Stop! Snyato!
* Stop! Stop! Stop!
* Biologiya
* L.M.L.

Compilation albums|

* Brillianty
* Potselui
* Emansipatsiya

Singles|

"Potselui"

Related articles|

* Discography
* List of all-female bands

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* Latvia
* Korea

Artists|

* MusicBrainz

*[m.]: married
*[div.]: divorced
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