The trio “VIA Gra” is considered the most successful project of our show business from the beginning of the 21st century to the present day, but the group has also had stunning ups and downs. It seemed that after the next renewal of the team in 2005, it was no longer possible to revive the “golden line-up”, the girls replaced one another, their permanent leader Konstantin Meladze wrote new songs, but it was not possible to return their former popularity. In 2014, a grandiose attempt was made to raise the group to its former heights - at the casting “I Want V VIA Gro”, open to all interested talented singers, there was a strict selection of new soloists. Erika Herceg, unknown to anyone in the music world until that moment, showed off her versatile talents most brightly and became part of the updated line-up.
https://www.instagram.com/erikaherceg/
One of the most desirable brides in Russia and Ukraine, Erica is currently single, but the minds of many fans are excited by rumors about her imminent (allegedly) wedding and alleged pregnancy. Fans are also concerned about the smallest details of her biography. How did a “chubby” woman weighing more than 80 kilos manage to lose weight so quickly? Is she born blonde, or is her gorgeous blonde hair the result of the work of an experienced makeup artist? Is the successful, stunning lead singer of “VIA Gra” going to leave the group soon, or will she continue to delight the army of fans with her magical voice and perfect appearance?
Brief biography
- Full name: Herceg, Erika Nikolaevna;
- Place of birth: s. Malaya Dobron, Uzhgorod district, Transcarpathian region, Ukraine;
- Date of birth: 1988, July 5;
- Zodiac sign: Cancer; according to the Chinese horoscope - Dragon (earth element); patron planet - Moon;
- Height and weight: 175 cm, 48 kg;
- Parameters: 87 – 60 – 90;
- Higher education; Graduated from the Transcarpathian Hungarian Institute named after. F. Rakoczy in 2006;
- Occupation: model, singer;
- Place of work: Ukrainian pop group “VIA Gra” (soloist);
- Marital status: not married, no children.
Amazing metamorphoses
When the girl was 17 years old, she weighed about 80 kg. In 2008, she lost 30 kg and had surgery to enlarge her bust. According to the surviving information for 2013, her weight was 48 kg, height 175, and her parameters were as follows: 87-60-90. The road to the modeling business was open. In April 2011, the move to Kyiv took place, and the very next year the first well-paid contract for advertising underwear of a French brand was signed. In 2012, there was a spicy shoot for the November issue of Playboy. This is deserved - just look at the photo from Erika Nikolaevna Herceg’s Instagram and be convinced of her incredible attractiveness.
About Erica Herceg's childhood and youth
The girl Erica was born in a small village on the border of Hungary and Ukraine, her father is half Hungarian, half Ukrainian, and her mother is Hungarian. The parents of the future soloist of the famous group came from border Hungary, but since the girl grew up on the territory of Ukraine, she rightfully considers herself a real Ukrainian. However, even though Erica’s geographical homeland is this country, from birth she spoke Ukrainian much worse than Hungarian, and she had to get rid of her pronounced Hungarian accent for a long time - it greatly interfered later in her musical career.
Erica Herceg in childhood. Photo https://www.instagram.com/erikaherceg/
When the girl was five years old, the Herceg family added another child. In all the biographies of the current successful soloist of VIA Gra, they write that Erica’s mother, after the birth of her sister, was unable to recover from childbirth, that she had a severe nervous breakdown. Since subsequently the girl always talks only about her younger brother, and does not mention her sister at all...
The head of the family, according to Erica, worked as a firefighter all his life. In his free time, he traveled to Hungary, bought vegetables there, and then sold them at the local market. The family also gardened - they grew tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, and tried to set up a greenhouse. Erica's paternal grandmother helped them in this: the girl recalled that when her younger brother was very little, the grandmother and her two sisters took the baby to live with them in order to somehow help the family.
with brother
The year when her mother fell ill became incredibly difficult for the five-year-old girl. The woman was seriously ill, scandals were constantly breaking out in the house, plus there were difficulties with money: medicines were incredibly expensive, especially IVs, which had to be “put on” for the sick mother every day. The father showed weakness and began to seek solace in alcohol, and their daughter was actually left to her own devices. Let Erica’s ill-wishers tell anything about her allegedly bad behavior in childhood and adolescence - she was modest, well-mannered, despite the fact that her parents did not care about her for some time. Instead of “going rogue” and being left unattended, the teenage girl got a job in a church choir, soon becoming a soloist there.
https://www.instagram.com/erikaherceg/
It was fortunate that in the lyceum attached to the school choir, where the girl sang, there was something like a boarding school. Children who lived very far away were allowed to stay there, and Erica settled there, visiting her parents a couple of times a month. “I didn’t have normal clothes then, I dressed cleanly, but not fashionably and impersonally. Instead of a hairstyle - a short haircut. My friends avoided me, I often cried and dreamed of long curls. No normal family, no friends... But I tried my best to study - I wanted to get a good certificate and then get a higher education,” Erica’s story about that time.
Erica Herceg now
Erica is not going to leave VIA Gra. The example of former participants Anna Sedokova, Svetlana Loboda, Albina Dzhanabaeva, who made a solo career or found family happiness, is not an example for the current soloist. If a man appears on the horizon who will capture the girl’s heart, it will not be she who will adapt to the circumstances, but he.
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A post shared by Erika Herceg (@erikaherceg) on Dec 8, 2020 at 9:12am PST
Erica Herceg in 2020
Herceg barely made her way to the top of the pop Olympus and really values what she has. Since the artist left her home, she has been solving daily problems herself. And besides this, her financial well-being is an invaluable support for the family.
Studying at a university, starting a working career
What future awaited her in a small village? Marriage, children, gardening - banal, boring, hopeless! And she dreamed of breaking out into the big world, getting a good education, and getting a prestigious job.
https://www.instagram.com/erikaherceg/
The nearest large city was Beregovo, and Erica entered the Ferenc Rakoczi Institute there, the Faculty of Economics and Management. Mom and Dad are far away, she needs to get dressed, eat something, and while studying, she first works as a waitress in a city cafe, and then gets a job as an operator in a call center.
All the same, a predictable future awaited her in the form of work and life in Transcarpathia, if not for her first love. Her personal life needs to be told later in more detail, but the first young man is worth mentioning: he did not treat Erica, who was in love with him, very well because of... her excess weight. She then weighed more than 80 kg, and there are photos of the future pop star - a plump person with plump cheeks and a rather plump figure. Parting with reproaches was a big blow for her, but it inspired her to achieve a real feat - Erica went on a strict diet and was able to lose as much as 34 kg in a few months!
Self-doubt immediately disappeared: young people began to pay attention to her, even the “ex” tried to renew the relationship. But she had no time for her personal life: Erica wanted to save money so that she could not just starve (and she naturally starved when she was losing weight), but with the help of plastic surgeons, improve herself to the maximum. Together with a friend, they begin to travel by shuttle to Hungary to buy clothes. She tried on some of what was given for herself, and the result was pleasing: she was no longer a gray, faceless “mouse.”
After looking at herself in the mirror, she decided not to stop at the excellent result, and decides to enlarge her breasts. This all happened in the spring of 2008, she was then seventeen years old. The first portfolio with a “new” stunning bust, the first photo sessions, so far for small publications... Two years later, having saved up some money, she moved to Kyiv, and a year later she entered into her first serious contract for advertising underwear. The beauty with long blond hair was noticed in the modeling business, and in 2012 she was invited to the fall session of Playboy magazine.
The modest rural girl was at first embarrassed to participate in rather revealing photo sessions. She reassured herself that it was “not vulgar, but very beautiful” - her words later from an interview. She also said: “I was terribly nervous, but it was reassuring that there was always a makeup artist and photographer next to me.” And she mentally said to herself when she saw her photos on the pages of the most popular glossy men's magazine: “This is, first of all, my work.”
Erica Herceg before losing weight
The female trio “VIA Gra” is popular far beyond the borders of Ukraine. Its composition is regularly updated, so beautiful girls with vocal abilities make every effort to become members of the group. Erica Herceg was lucky enough to become one of them not so long ago. The twenty-seven-year-old Ukrainian is one of the sexiest vocalists today. The girl manages not only to perform at concerts and star in videos, but also to excite men’s hearts with candid photo shoots. But she wasn't always so attractive. Before losing weight, Erica Herceg did not look so attractive, and her biography did not contain bright pages.
Work on yourself
Erica was born in 1989 in a small Ukrainian village, which is located on the border with Hungary. She owes her rather exotic name to her father, who has Hungarian roots. It’s difficult to call a girl’s childhood happy. When the second child appeared in the family, the mother became seriously ill. Erica's father had to work almost around the clock to provide for his wife and two young daughters.
Until the age of nine, Erica studied at a Hungarian school, but stricter border crossing rules forced her parents to transfer her to a Ukrainian school. Perhaps this predetermined her future, because the educational institution was famous in the area not only for the severity of education, but also for the presence of a church choir. The vocal schoolgirl was noticed immediately, so singing in the choir became a part of her life.
After graduating from school, Erica became a student at the Hungarian Rakozzi II Institute. She chose the Faculty of Economics. To make life easier for her parents, she got a job as a waitress in one of the best restaurants in the city of Beregovo. Perhaps wealthy clients and tastefully dressed women were the reason that Erica decided to change her life. The student saved all the money she managed to earn, dreaming of... breast enlargement. At the same time, Erica worked on herself, getting rid of excess weight through various diets and exercises. Today it’s hard to believe that before losing weight, Erica Herceg weighed 84 kilograms, and after - only 48. In eight months, the girl managed to get rid of an incredible 30 kilograms! The fat brunette is a thing of the past. Since 2008, Herceg has dyed his hair exclusively ash blonde.
Dizzying career
After Erica Herceg lost weight, her life was divided into “before” and “after”. The girl got a job as a model, and after a few months she received a lucrative contract. She starred in advertisements for jewelry and underwear, and in 2011 signed a contract with one of the capital's companies. Having moved to Kyiv, Erica received an invitation to appear in Playboy magazine. Photos of a naked blonde caused a sensation! But Erica decided not to stop there. A purposeful girl, confident in her abilities, decided to conquer show business. Before losing weight, Erica Herceg, whose weight was 84 kilograms and height 174 centimeters, could not even think that she would easily pass the casting at VIA Gro, becoming one of the seductive trinity.
Erica Herceg attracted the attention of men even before plastic surgery, but after breast augmentation surgery she has no end to fans. However, the freedom-loving blonde is in no hurry to get married.
Participation in the casting “I Want V” VIA Gro”
And she didn’t want to stop at her modeling career in an erotic publication. The singing talent, which the girl demonstrated back in her homeland in the church choir, pushed her to try herself in some competition, but where to go, where to try her luck? Erica's father, who by that time was able to pull himself together and get rid of alcoholism, saw a program on TV about the upcoming casting for the VIA Gra group. He called his daughter and said, “Are you there yet? Go urgently and try, you should succeed!”
She came to the first qualifying round in a chic, sexy outfit of bright apricot color. Of course I was worried! Before going on stage, she was encouraged by Vera Brezhneva, who immediately noticed that the potential soloist had excellent external characteristics - Vera and Erica looked alike, like sisters! The jury included the master Konstantin Meladze himself, Igor Vernik and the soloist from the first line-up of the group Nadezhda Granovskaya at the first stage, and Vladimir Zelensky led that fateful tour.
https://www.instagram.com/erikaherceg/
When Erica came out to the jury, everyone, without exception, began to smile, and the audience applauded, she really looked very impressive. “A real fairy-tale mermaid,” so announced her presenter Zelensky. The apology for the accent caused new delight and a flurry of applause. To the words: “I speak a little with an accent,” Vladimir Zelensky smiled and said: “It suits you a little!” And when she was asked if this accent could be heard when singing, she was embarrassed and replied: “Well, let’s see, it shouldn’t be.”
“Thank you, you won the bet” - when she sang these words, it became clear to all the spectators: in front of them was the future soloist of the famous group, so talentedly and naturally she performed their famous hit. During the performance, it was clear that Meladze and Vernik liked her, but Nadya Granovskaya sat serious and never smiled. Igor asked Erica: “You came to the audition in such a revealing outfit, why?” To which the girl retorted: “It’s frank, yes, but not vulgar! I can proudly show off my body – the subject of long labor.”
“Kostya, we have to take it! This girl is like someone who stepped out of Botticelli’s paintings,” Vernik addressed Konstantin Meladze. But the composer had doubts: he realized that the wonderfully singing girl had never done choreography, and she might then have difficulties with movement on stage. “Take off your stilts (stiletto heels) and try moving to fast music,” he asked. Even Nadezhda Granovskaya condescended to smile after Erica began to walk gracefully to the tune of “VIA Gra.”
Victories in the semi-finals and finals of the competition, and now the exciting moment of the final decision has arrived: who will sing in the new line-up? The trio “Erica Herceg, Misha Romanova, Anastasia Kozhevnikova” received not only an unconditional victory from the jury; They were also voted for by the maximum number of viewers who sent SMS messages in support of them.
What is known about Ukrainian Erica Herceg, who is credited with having an affair with Konstantin Meladze. Photo
The media and social networks are discussing the news that the famous producer Konstantin Meladze is in a relationship with a VIA Gra participant, 31-year-old Ukrainian Erica Herceg.
Meladze and Herceg themselves do not comment on the rumors. But yesterday Konstantin Meladze’s wife Vera Brezhneva spoke on the topic.
37-year-old Brezhneva spoke in an ironic manner, saying that her husband manages to manage musical projects, write songs, and, “according to the press, regularly divorce and hang out with Erica.”
Photo from Vera Brezhneva's Instagram
The singer’s director also denied the information about the affair between Meladze and Herceg: “Naturally, there has never been any talk about Erica’s personal relationship with Konstantin, there is no and there never will be.”
However, fans of Vera Brezhneva in the comments on her Instagram page express the opinion that there is no smoke without fire, and are also interested in the details of Erica Herceg’s biography.
Who is Erica Herceg. Biography
Erica Herceg was born on July 5, 1988 in the village of Malaya Dobron, Transcarpathian region. The singer's father is Hungarian by nationality, and her mother is half-Hungarian.
According to media reports, when Erica was 17 years old, she weighed about 80 kilograms. But in 2008, she lost 30 kg, after which she had breast augmentation surgery. Herceg's height is 175 cm.
Erica Herceg before losing weight. Photos from open sources
In 2011 she moved to Kyiv. And the following year she posed nude for Playboy magazine.
In 2013, she took part in the show “I Want V VIA Gro”. There, Erica Herceg, Misha Romanova and Anastasia Kozhevnikova formed a team under the leadership of mentor Nadezhda Meikher. In the final of the show they took first place and became the new members of the VIA Gra group.
Erica Herceg. Instagram
Herceg is an active Instagram user. Her account @erikaherceg has 875 thousand followers.
On Instagram, Erica Herceg publishes quite candid pictures:
All photos: Erica Herceg’s Instagram @erikaherceg
Also on Erica Herceg’s Instagram there is a photo with Konstantin Meladze.
Konstantin Meladze and Erica Herceg. Photo: Instagram Herceg
Vera Brezhneva and Konstantin Meladze
Vera Brezhneva's Instagram followers are gloating over rumors about the producer's affair with Herceg.
“No one has canceled the boomerang! Here you go, Verochka,” the user hints that Konstantin Meladze began a relationship with Brezhneva when he was also married, and eventually left his wife for her.
“Why deny reality? I went on a spree with a young beautiful girl. This is Konstantin’s nature. And Erica is not the last. He’ll find someone even younger later,” says another Brezhnev fan.
Let us remember that Vera Brezhneva married Konstantin Meladze also after a series of rumors about their affair - when the stars began dating, the producer was married to Yana Summ, who bore him three children.
The secret wedding of Brezhneva and Meladze took place in October 2015 in Italy.
Konstantin Meladze and Vera Brezhneva. Photo: Starhit
This summer, Vera Brezhneva performed a video for the song “I am not a saint.” It has already collected 6.8 million views on YouTube.
Song I'm Not a Saint. Vera Brezhneva
Earlier, Brezhneva said that Meladze likes it when they are alone and she is without clothes.
The other day, the singer posed with a famous artist wearing leather riding breeches and a black bra.
Work as part of VIA Gra
The one who didn’t like Erica Herceg at first became her mentor during the next rounds and prepared the new trio for a successful finale - we’re talking about Nadezhda Granovskaya. The current lead singer of the group constantly expresses gratitude to her for criticism at the beginning of the casting, and for sensible comments, and for her help later in forming the right image.
The first event where Erica showed herself in full glory along with her new friends was the “We Are One” concert in the Kremlin, which took place on November 4, 2013. Konstantin Meladze gave the girls just two weeks to sing and rehearse, and the success was deafening. A big tour began, where, along with new songs, Erica and the rest of the trio members performed seventeen old VIA Gra singles in a new arrangement. In December, the group was invited to NTV for a new project, “The Best,” and she had to learn English: in the program she had to sing something from the Spice Girls’ repertoire, and she did an excellent job.
https://www.instagram.com/erikaherceg/
Concerts at Crocus City Hall, releases of new CDs on the Love RADIO radio station, filming of new videos, continuous tours - and the new soloist of VIA Gra, Erica, shines everywhere. They tour not only around Russia: in March 2018, for example, the group created a real sensation when they arrived in the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi. Tickets were sold out long before the concert, and they were also invited to perform at several major nightclubs. Since the formation of the new lineup at the casting, by this time the group had changed members twice: Misha Romanova left for personal reasons, then Nastya Kozhevnikova got married and terminated her contract. But Erica Herzen is not thinking of leaving the group, she feels comfortable in a team with new girls, quickly made friends with them, fans admire her - what else can you dream of now?
https://www.instagram.com/erikaherceg/
And she dreams that everything will be fine with her parents, as they once did in early childhood... Her father suddenly became seriously ill - his passion for alcohol was not in vain. She was not prepared for a sudden call from home: her brother said that their father was dying and that an operation was urgently needed. Erica goes home and decides to take her seriously ill father to Kyiv: in the train car he was lying on an IV and everyone was afraid that the man would not make it to the hospital. The doctors announced the cost of the operation and said: “We can start right now if you pay.” The whole amount was not there, and the girl began to call her boyfriend (who it was - we will mention later), and he sent the missing money.
https://www.instagram.com/erikaherceg/
In total, Erica's father underwent three operations, and his daughter was so happy when he opened his eyes after anesthesia! “Our Erica is the best!” - he now says to both relatives and friends. But there was a time when he was embarrassed by his daughter, listening to the comments of his acquaintances: “Your daughter behaves indecently, acts naked, nothing good will come of her.” Now the girl is trying not to remember this: “If you live with bad thoughts, remember all the grievances, then bitterness will accumulate in your soul, but this is impossible - all this will poison your life,” - her words.
Erica Herceg's family is proud of her, and she is happy when she can visit them and help her brother financially. The group’s latest video in 2019, “I fell in love with a monster,” is in the first lines of the charts, and Erica is called in the media “the most striking character of the group in recent years of the trio’s existence.” “Yes, the fans love me, but this happened because I once fell in love with myself and “made” myself the way I am now,” the singer answers the question about her success in show business.
Personal life
The first young man who “pushed” her to future fame has already been mentioned. No, he didn’t break up with her first, he just cheated on her! Erica, according to her, began to notice that the guy had lost interest in her, but she could not get a clear answer from him as to why this was happening. By chance, at a dance party, she saw him with a new passion: the homewrecker girl was not very beautiful, and even had a huge nose, but then... thin! “She’s not as fat as you,” is how the young man explained his new “preference.” After the emotional “showdown,” a logical separation followed, and that’s when Erica decided to lose weight.
When she started working as a model, it goes without saying that fans began to pursue such a beauty. By the way, she starred not only for Playboy, she also did several successful photo sessions for MAXIM magazine. She does not hide the fact that at that time she had a romantic relationship with a Hungarian man. According to unverified rumors, it was the Hungarian Ambassador to Ukraine, but she did not mention his exact place of work anywhere, nor did she mention his name. It was only said that he was tall and handsome: “I didn’t expect that I would pay attention to him; Before that, I liked stocky, strong, bear-like guys.”
The separation from her lover most likely occurred after the casting at VIA Gro: the busy touring and filming schedule did not contribute to frequent meetings. It was he, this mysterious Hungarian diplomat, who, according to Erica, helped with money when her father needed an urgent operation. For this, the singer is eternally grateful to him and never tires of saying “thank you” in almost every interview.
In September 2018, on her Instagram, showing off new outfits, Erica casually showed off in a video a beautiful engagement ring on the ring finger of her right hand. Subscribers (and their number on the girl’s social network is approaching a million) became hysterical: “Is our goddess going to get married?” The singer immediately denied these rumors: yes, the young man gave her this ring, but there was no talk about the wedding yet. And she added in a new post: “He is very modest, he is involved in business. We have a small age difference, which does not interfere with feelings at all.”
Rumors about Erica Herceg’s pregnancy, which began to spread in the press and on the Internet, also turned out to be a “duck”. The singer explained simply what provoked such conversations. At one of the concerts, she appeared on stage in a corset and a translucent long cape on top, and her rounded belly seemed to be visible through the fabric. It was a matter of size: the corset was chosen larger than necessary, and it protruded below the waist, which created the illusion of a “pregnant” tummy.
https://www.instagram.com/erikaherceg/
Despite the fact that the presence of a young man and a romantic relationship with him is not denied, Erica never tires of repeating: she is not going to get married in the near future. The singer currently cannot imagine herself off stage and without the VIA Gra group, and she also does not plan to start a solo career.
Interesting facts about Erica Herceg
- She does not dye her hair (despite persistent rumors that she is actually a brunette), but only lightens it slightly. Her hair is naturally light brown, not dark.
- When asked how she lost weight so quickly, the girl frankly answers: “I was starving! I counted calories and tried to eat so as not to eat more than 500 kilocalories a day. Now I understand that this is very harmful, but there was no money for special products and special diets.”
- At first she lost 34 kilos and began to weigh 46 kg, but then she had to “gain” a couple of kilos so that anorexia did not set in.
- Her diet today is as few carbohydrates as possible and as much fruit as possible. She often tries to eat kiwi and pineapple, berries, and especially loves blueberries and raspberries.
- Despite her strict diet, once a month Erica gives herself a “loading” day and eats whatever she wants. “I’ve been dreaming about my favorite cheesecake for a whole month,” she laughed and shared on her blog.
- Cigarettes are a taboo for her, the girl is not into alcohol, but sometimes she allows herself to drink a glass of wine.
- In addition to mammoplasty (bust enlargement), she performed two more minor operations: lips and cheekbones were corrected.
- And she decided to enlarge her breasts not because she was chasing size. After rapidly losing weight, her bust lost its shape and she had to turn to the services of plastic surgeons.
- In addition to her figure and blond hair, Erica Herceg is very similar to Vera Brezhnev in her facial features.
- Rumors about the affair between Konstantin Meladze and his new ward are nothing more than the machinations of ill-wishers. The composer is happy with his wife and treats Erica exclusively as a member of the group.
- In addition to advertising lingerie, Erica had several contracts with a French agency to demonstrate jewelry.
- She says about her current life: “It’s wonderful! I still can’t believe the miracle that happened to me!”
