The future legend of chanson was born in Tver, into an intelligent family. The man will be proud of his father, the “big man,” for the rest of his life. He was first a civil engineer, then rose to become the head of communications. In one of his last interviews, Krug admits that conservatism and tough character are his father’s.
My mother worked all her life as an accountant at a cotton mill. Tender and troublesome, she took care of her husband and children. Little Misha forever remembered that a woman should be able to take care of home and family, and a man should be able to take care of a woman.
After the divorce, he will say that the wife should be alone for life. And since his marriage didn’t work out, then so be it. He did not intend to marry again, but fate asks few people how to formulate plans.
Marina
Little Misha was restless. He had little interest in studies, but enjoyed standing at the goal during football and hockey matches. In high school, he fell passionately in love with the charming dancer Marina, who at 17 was already working in one of the Tver restaurants.
After his death, Mikhail’s mother will give an interview about the life of her famous son and tell that story.
Marina was the chansonnier's first and very strong love. His most vivid songs about love are dedicated to her. Fearing that the girl would leave for someone else as soon as Misha was drafted into the army, before leaving for the recruiting station, he persuaded his mother to take her in, even though they were not married. But the girl was very young. Of course, her parents left Marina at home.
First love story
After just two months of service, she suddenly stopped writing to her beloved. The circle bombarded the mother with letters: find out what happened to Marina! She went to visit. The girl’s apartment was filled with flowers, and the spirit of celebration was in the air. Marina reassured her failed mother-in-law, saying that she would definitely write to Misha. Only after leaving her house did Mikhail’s mother realize that the girl had gotten married.
In order not to be an eyesore, Marina and her husband went north. There they had a daughter. In Tver, everyone was sure that the marriage was happy. However, a few years later the woman and her daughter returned home. It turned out that almost immediately upon arrival, the husband became addicted to drugs, and after a while he died.
Mikhail Krug's first love, which he could never forget
Among the chansonnier’s songs is the sad “My Last Love.” However, Krug also had his very first love. And this story is even sadder than the song.
His last love
During his lifetime, Mikhail Krug did a lot to ensure that his wife Irina became a star. They often performed as a duet. And their family was considered almost ideal. They talked and wrote about Irina as a “combat friend” who was a real reliable support for her more stellar husband. Like, Irina was next to Mikhail both in his “dark streaks” and in his bright, joyful moments.
They went through a lot together. Even through that fatal attack on the night of June 30 to July 1, 2002 in their family nest near Tver. It’s just that Irina was luckier then, and she managed to take refuge with her neighbors. And Mikhail remained to defend the house from uninvited guests. And he died.
Many years have passed since then. Irina Krug has long been a chanson star. He performs a lot, tours, records new songs and albums. Her name is well known. Because she is the last love.
"Romeo and Juliet" Tver bottling
But the singer also had another love. At that time he was a simple fifteen-year-old boy. And fourteen-year-old Marina Bazanova was a very ordinary schoolgirl from the city of Kalinin (this is what is now Tver).
Later, the performer’s mother will say that they met much later. But perhaps the woman, like other relatives, simply had no idea about their relationship. The young lovers did not advertise their romance, realizing that their age would certainly become a reason for adults to separate them.
“Romeo and Juliet” stopped hiding their relationship only a few years later, when the time came for Mikhail to get ready for the military registration and enlistment office. Her homeland demanded that she repay her debt in the form of service in the armed forces of the Soviet army.
Even then, Mikhail told everyone that as soon as he returned, he would immediately marry Marina. According to rumors, he was so afraid of losing his beloved that he made his mother promise... to look after the girl.
And two months later, the son sent his mother an alarming letter. Like, I write to Marina, but she doesn’t answer. Go visit, maybe something happened there?
Zoya Petrovna, that was the name of Mikhail’s mother, went to visit. And I found the girl joyful and with a smile all over her face. I also saw a whole bunch of fresh bouquets in her room. And I understood everything.
A little later, the woman finds out what has been whispered about in their area for days. Marina has a boyfriend who has already proposed marriage to her. And the girl agreed. Later than others, Soviet Army soldier Mikhail learned about his beloved’s betrayal.
You can't forget to love
When Mikhail returned from the army, Marina and her new husband left for another region. The couple had a daughter. However, family life turned out to be unsuccessful for Marina.
The husband got addicted to drugs, and before our eyes he began to turn into a domestic sadist. For several years, the woman and her daughter lived in real hell, until the tyrant died of an overdose.
Nothing kept Marina in a foreign land anymore. And she returned to Tver. At the same time, amazingly, for several years, living not far from each other, Marina and Mikhail never met, even by chance. He didn't even know she was back.
And then Mikhail and his friends went to some party, where old girlfriends invited Marina. They saw each other and... everything began to spin again. Mikhail was running around visiting friends and already inviting everyone to the wedding. But... They broke up again.
Mikhail Krug’s mother reacted very coolly to her son’s new old hobby. She believed that if a girl betrayed once, she would do it a second time and a third.
Most likely, over time, Mikhail himself realized this. But what to do with the heart, which, as you know, cannot be commanded? The singer’s friends more than once noticed how his car was parked in the late evenings under the windows of the apartment in which Marina lived.
He just sat in the salon and thought about something. I suffered, I carried this pain within myself. Perhaps he was beginning to realize that nothing would work out for them.
Undoubtedly, first love and first pain were reflected in the chansonnier’s work. He often appeared on stage with incredibly beautiful, but very sad songs. And the hit “My Queen,” where there is the line “My heart has decayed to gray ash...”, according to rumors, is dedicated to precisely the one under whose windows he once yearned.
Treason does not forgive
The story of the first unhappy love will inspire the chansonnier all his life. In one of his songs, he even calls his love by name. However, he will never return to Marina.
In an interview he will explain one day: he does not forgive betrayal. And neither physical nor moral - for which in the same interview he will blame his first legal wife Svetlana.
This was after the army. The man graduated from a vocational school and decided that now his old dream should come true: as a child, Misha dreamed of being a driver. The romance of the road will also be captured in his songs.
Svetlana
He got a job driving a car that delivered dairy products. His strict disposition and craving for justice almost brought the guy to the article: one day he swapped the “milk” intended for ordinary people with the one that needed to be diluted by officials.
Krug argued that the quality of these products varied significantly. Having found out about this, they wanted to punish the man to the fullest extent, but there was no article for him.
Around the same time, Svetlana entered the quiet life of Misha Vorobyov - and that is the musician’s real name. A girl from a good family, trained as a fashion designer, ended up in Tver by assignment. An intelligent blonde with a good education inspired the guy and tried to make sure that he finally began to achieve success.
Music
It is thanks to her and her family that Mikhail will think about higher education, enter the polytechnic and, as now an educated family man, will go for a promotion. However, he did not become a boss for a long time. “It’s not mine,” Mikhail will say. And he will start turning the steering wheel again.
However, it was at the institute that he took part in a music competition for the first time and won first place. It should be noted that the boy studied at a music school for several years as a child. Teachers who heard him once literally forced his parents to take him to the music room.
Misha accidentally stumbled upon the internal dictionary of the NKVD, created in the 20s of the last century.
They refused: there was barely enough money for her daughter’s additional education, but the teachers insisted. After short entrance exams, Misha was recognized as a gifted child and ended up in the budget department.
Now the vocal talents were also appreciated by the famous bards who judged the competition. Along with his studies, Krug was also interested in writing poetry. He himself cannot answer the question why a boy from an intelligent family was attracted by thieves’ romance.
It is only known that one day at a flea market Misha accidentally came across the internal dictionary of the NKVD, created in the 20s of the last century. The same prison slang that the poet used to create his compositions was collected there.
Artist
The first two albums of the talented performer were stolen and covered. However, he did not have to be indignant about this for a long time: the wild popularity with which the songs of the unknown poet in Tver spread throughout the country prompted him to work further in this direction.
In an interview, he will say that he did not experience any difficulties with “promotion”: he recorded an album, took it to Moscow and on the same day became an artist at the Soyuz studio. The album, by the way, immediately sold out in huge numbers; Krug began to be listened to not only by people associated with the criminal world, but also by ordinary, “civilians.”
No matter how much the artist is criticized for romanticizing prison, he has enough beautiful love lyrics, both philosophical and social, like “Morozov’s Town.”
Divorce
Despite his rapid popularity and good earnings, Mikhail’s wife left him. In the interview, he will tell you that he cannot forgive Svetlana for her coldness. And after the artist’s death, his relatives admit that the woman then left to change her life and build her destiny anew in St. Petersburg. In court, Mikhail Vladimirovich managed to insist that their joint son stay with him.
In an interview, he will say that his son and mother are his main loves, which he has no right to betray, so he doesn’t even think about a second marriage. He treated women very conservatively: in the artist’s opinion, she should be able to run a household and only for this could she get a beautiful car, dresses, etc.
This is confirmed by the story of Mikhail’s second wife, Irina.
Live broadcast - The unknown wife of singer Mikhail Krug
Tver resident Marina Bazanova agreed to come to the program “Andrey Malakhov. Live” to openly talk about his love relationship with the chansonnier who died 17 years ago. When they met, she was only 14 years old, and Mikhail was 15. Both had Aries zodiac sign, which could not but affect their future relationship. Release of talk show Live - Marina Bazanova: the unknown wife of singer Mikhail Krug will tell everything.
For many years, Marina was in no hurry to talk about her past life. Even after the tragic death of Mikhail Krug, when all the media were actively circulating various stories and rumors about him, Bazanova remained silent. Today she realized that it was time to share her personal story with the public. The unknown wife of singer Mikhail Krug is the only woman he loved all his life, but she did not reciprocate his feelings...
Irina
The beautiful brunette was working as a waitress at the Malachite restaurant in Chelyabinsk, when the already famous chansonnier Mikhail Krug went there for a snack after a concert. Mikhail Vladimirovich liked the girl, and he invited her to the table, but did not pester her: Irina was offered a job.
Very little time passed, and Mikhail announced to his relatives that Irina would live with them.
In an interview, she says that it was then that she broke up with her first husband, and with her little daughter in her arms she was almost in poverty. At first, she decided that the famous musician was joking when he offered her the position of costume designer. Refused. But the connection with the artist did not stop. Moreover, the diligent and kind girl with great dedication was promised a good fee.
A year later, when her daughter grew up, Irina accepted the invitation and immediately went on tour with Krug. From there he brought her to Tver, introduced her to her mother as a costume designer and rented her an apartment. Very little time passed, and Mikhail announced to his relatives that Irina would live with them. And then he bought her a wedding dress and proposed.
First love of Mikhail Krug: “He dreamed of a child, but I had an abortion”
Mikhail Krug // Photo: PhotoXPress.ru
The public is well aware of the love of the author of “Vladimir Central” for his wife Irina. However, long before meeting her, Mikhail Krug had feelings for Marina Bazanova, who lived next door to him. The couple met when Marina was 14 and Mikhail was 15. The fateful meeting changed the future singer forever.
“This happened in the house where I lived before. On the first floor, his friend organized a party. Mishka came to him, Nikolai Zaretsky, for his birthday, where I was invited. That’s how it all started,” Bazanova shared in the program “Andrey Malakhov. Live".
The youthful romance had every chance of developing into something more serious. Marina admitted that she loved Mikhail, but everything changed when he joined the army. Bazanova did not wait for her chosen one, as she met someone else. Now, analyzing her life, the 56-year-old woman admits that the separation was inevitable: the future artist too limited her freedom.
“I met my husband and understood how a man should treat a woman. Mishka was possessive and didn’t even let me go to graduation. And with my husband I could teach dancing, he was a rock musician and minded his own business,” Marina concluded.
Marina Bazanova was Mikhail Krug’s first love // Photo: Still from the program
Fate separated the couple, and each began a new life. In Marina’s eyes, the performer forever remained Mishka Vorobyov. She perceived him not as an artist, but as a guy who once sang to her in the hallway with a guitar. Bazanova believed that she would only have warm memories from the past.
But ironically, after breaking up with her husband, left alone with her daughter, Marina met the singer again. 15 years have passed, but nothing has changed in Mikhail’s attitude towards her. He continued to love Bazanova and proposed to her at the first opportunity. The woman accepted him, feeling obliged to the artist who had kept feelings for her for so long.
The couple got married and settled in Tver, in a house bought by Krug, but after a couple of weeks they separated again. According to Marina, the couple tried to regain their youth and repeat the romance, but it ended in failure.
“It was as if we were being pushed towards each other. At first they wanted to start a family. For me these are years of torture, I have stepped over my fate. He dreamed of a child, and soon I found out that I was pregnant. Misha bought me flowers, but I told him not to even think about it. “I had an abortion,” Bazanova admitted.
Mikhail Krug bought a dog for Marina Bazanova // Photo: Still from the program
But it was not only the tragedy associated with the unborn baby that ruined their union. Marina was once a choreographer and thought only about her career, and her jealous lover insisted that she quit her job. When Bazanova returned from vacation, the director of the ensemble was surprised: he was sure that the teacher had gone on maternity leave, as Mikhail told him.
“I was fired in absentia, my career collapsed. A difficult period came: I traded at the market, then sold flowers. I never thought that I would stop dancing and just sell,” Marina complained.
Years passed, and previous grievances were forgotten. Bazanova was sincerely happy when she learned that Mikhail married Irina and started a family. She always wished him happiness and was upset, knowing how much he loved her and suffered. Irina Krug herself noted in an interview that her husband adored only one woman, Marina, to whom he dedicated his best songs, for example, “Good Girl.”
The news of Mikhail Krug’s injury came like a bolt from the blue for Bazanova. She learned about the assassination attempt from a neighbor, but was sure that her ex-husband would pull through. But this did not happen. After the artist’s death, law enforcement officers came to Marina and put forward a version of the artist’s murder.
Marina Bazanova annually visits the grave of her ex-husband // Photo: Still from the program
“He gave me a terrier, so people asked me why the dogs let strangers into the house. Allegedly, I raised the dog, he could have recognized me and let me in, and I could have killed Misha,” Bazanova explained.
The news of the death of her former lover shocked Marina, but she did not go to his funeral. Only a few years later I visited the grave. Since then, Bazanova visits Mikhail at the cemetery every year on his birthday.
“I still dream about him, although I have been married for 18 years. My current husband loves Misha’s songs,” said Marina.
In restless dreams, Bazanova and Krug are still quarreling, and upon waking up, Marina sadly remembers their sad but bright past.
Fatal night
The family lived happily behind the closed doors of a large house, which, it seems, every dog in Tver knew. At first, only her little daughter lived with Misha and Irina, who, however, immediately began to call the artist dad. Krug’s eldest son had already matured and left to study. Then little Sasha appeared in the family.
Mikhail even managed to get to the neighbors’ house, from where he called an ambulance.
He was only a month old when the artist’s house was attacked. Hearing the noise, Mikhail Vladimirovich sent his wife to the neighbors, and he himself went down to take the blow on himself. By that time, the attackers had beaten Krug’s mother-in-law, and when they saw him on the steps, they shot at the musician several times and disappeared. The children remained unharmed.
Mikhail even managed to get to the neighbors’ house, from where he called an ambulance. In the ambulance, I joked with the paramedics; in the hospital I was still conscious. While the celebrity was being transported, the operating room had already been prepared, and the doctors did everything possible. However, in the morning the legendary chansonnier died from his injuries.
Favorite women of Mikhail Krug
“The King of Russian Chanson,” as many still call him, died nine years ago in Tver on July 1. Our correspondent visited the house of Mikhail Krug and learned a lot from his personal life.
Peonies are blooming sweetly in the yard and birds are chirping. I can’t believe at all that it was in this house, in which everything is now so peaceful, that two unknown people in black masks shot Mikhail Krug with a pistol in front of his wife. The singer died from his wounds in the hospital.
– The prosecutor’s office promised that the killers would be found. And what? - I ask Krug’s sister Olga, who now lives with her family in her brother’s house.
– So far the prosecutor’s office has not told us anything new. It is unknown who killed Misha, and for what reasons, too.
In the depths of the yard there is another house; Krug built it for his mother. Zoya Petrovna Vorobyova worked with her grandchildren. One of her hands is bandaged.
– I broke it in the spring, but the plaster has already been removed. “She takes me into a room where all the walls are hung with portraits of her son. “For about three years after Misha’s death, I thought I heard a knock on the window. During his lifetime, he sometimes woke me up at three o’clock in the morning. “Mish, well, I was sleeping.” And he: “Mom, don’t you want to see me?” Not long ago I had a dream: there were a lot of people, Misha was sitting on some hill. And I shout to him in the crowd: “Misha, Misha, do you know what your Sashka has become?” This is his youngest son. And Misha says to me: “Mom, I know everything, I see everything.”
First wife
Leafing through the family album. In the faded photo I see Mikhail’s first wife, Svetlana. She came to Tver on assignment after the Kharkov Institute of Light Industry. She worked in a garment factory. A friend of Krug introduced them.
“Misha was 25, she was 24. They were completely different in character,” admits Zoya Petrovna. – Sveta has golden hands, she sews and knits. But the language is very caustic. She couldn’t stand that Misha came drunk. She gave up on him early. Or maybe the parents played a role. Sveta’s mother is a teacher, her father is an ophthalmologist. They wanted her to choose a decent person, but Misha has an education - a vocational school. They began to put pressure: “This is how Sveta is, you need to catch up.” Misha went to polytechnic school, then gave up, saying: “This is not mine.”
It was at the Polytechnic that Mikhail saw on the board an announcement about an art song competition, from which his pop career began. But his wife soon left the Circle. Dima's son was about 3 years old; Mikhail kept the child for himself by court decision.
“I took Dima to kindergarten and went to school for parent-teacher meetings,” my grandmother recalls. – Sveta took her son only on the day off. After 14 years, Olya took more care of Dima. When the grandson went to enroll in Leningrad, they met at the station - Olya, Dima and Sveta. Sveta went on vacation to her parents, and Olya and Dima went to take exams.
– Does Dima look like his father?
- Not good. Misha was active. At school, I received reprimands every now and then for running around and fighting. And Dima is calm, homely. On the computer all the time. He could spend hours putting together puzzles and was fond of origami.
Now Krug’s eldest son works in the department of internal affairs of the Tver region as a lawyer.
Marina
Few people know that there was a fatal love in the life of the Circle. The name of this woman - Marina - appears in one of his songs. It was to her that the Circle dedicated most of his creations, including “My Queen,” where there is the line “My heart has decayed to gray ash...”
He met her in a restaurant - Marina performed in ballet. She is 17 years old, he is about that.
“Marina was beautiful,” recalls Zoya Petrovna. – Long curly hair... They met secretly from me - they spent the night at the apartment of Misha’s friend. When my son left for the army, he said: “I didn’t sign with Marinka, but while I’m serving, take her with you.” He was afraid of losing her and wanted me to look after her. But she stayed with her parents.
Less than two months later, Misha sent a letter home: “Mom, find out why Marinka doesn’t answer. Maybe she’s sick?” Zoya Petrovna went to the girl.
“I asked her: “What’s going on with you and Misha?” She says, “I’ll write to him.” For some reason there were a lot of flowers in the apartment. I returned home, and my husband was dumbfounded: “You don’t know that Marina got married? I came across my friend Mishin at the store, and that’s what he said.”
Marina and her husband went to Urengoy - he got a job as a club manager there. She gave birth to a daughter. But the husband became addicted to drugs and soon died. Marina returned to Tver and began teaching dance in a circle. She was a good dancer, studied with Alla Dukhova, but she broke her leg and no longer performed on stage.
“One day Mikhail came home excited: “You know, mom, I met Marinka,” continues Zoya Petrovna. – I went to see a friend, and Marina opened the door. Soon she and Misha began dating again. He loved her very much. Once he said: “I’ll sign with Marinka.” I told him: “Only over my corpse.” I didn't believe her. Then one of his friends whispered something to him, and Misha fell behind Marina.
– After your son’s death, did you communicate with her?
- No. She never came to us...
I tried to find Marina at the market on Nogina Boulevard, where, according to rumors, she sold perfume. One woman recalled:
“She worked here for a short time.” I knew her before - the Circle hid her in our village. I wanted to hide from my friends that I was drinking. Krug’s friend Leonid Teleshev told me that he had not seen Marina for a long time:
– When Misha broke up with her, he was very sad. I’m driving, and he’s standing near her house in his car. I kept watch like I did in childhood.
Second wife
After Marina, Krug lived alone for eight years. In 1999, in Chelyabinsk, in the Malachite restaurant, I saw a black-haired waitress. She was 14 years younger than him. When I met her before, Irina talked about her first meeting with the Circle:
“I’m clearing the table, and Mikhail suddenly says to me: “Sit down with us.” I want to offer you a job.” I think, well, that’s it, he’s messing with me. She sat down. I'm silent. He offered to work for him as a costume designer. He promised a good salary. And I have a situation - I broke up with my first husband, I have a little daughter in my arms. Only a year later I made up my mind. The first time I flew with Krug to Volgograd. I ironed everything for him and cooked for him. Then he brought me to Tver.
And here’s what Krug’s mother says about her:
“Misha brought the girl and said: “Here, he’s doing my costumes.” At first I rented her a one-room apartment. Then: “What if I pay the rent for the apartment, let him live here.” Well, I understood why he invited her. He bought Ira a white dress, and they signed. Her daughter Marina, she was five years old, called Misha dad. Then their son was born. Sasha was only a month old when Misha passed away.
Now Irina Krug has moved to Moscow and married Sergei, her press secretary. And she herself became a famous singer. Many people go to her concerts to see what kind of wife Krug had.
Interestingly, Irina knew about Marina:
– Mikhail is such a monogamous person by nature. I wonder what he saw in her? Probably he just loved him, that’s all. And I hooked him with my sincerity. He really wanted a family. And I'm glad that I gave him something at least.
...Each of the women, once loved by the Circle, lives her own life. The others are now men. And only the mother still mourns her son.
“It was so bright with him,” she says. – And it ended so abruptly that it seems to me: wasn’t it all a dream?!
Tver wolves
The tragedy was discussed on central television. There were rumors that the criminal world was planning to take revenge on the offender of the famous father of chanson. The investigation lasted for ten years. At the next identification parade, Irina Krug even pointed to one of the bandits caught by the police, allegedly recognizing him as the robber. But it was not possible to prove his guilt. However, he still received a life sentence for other crimes.
The musician should not have been at home at all; he was shot out of fear and surprise.
Only in 2014, the leader of the Tver Wolves criminal gang stated that one of the gang members, Dmitry Veselov, then deceased, was involved in the murder of Krug.
Allegedly, no one was going to attempt to assassinate the musician. They only wanted to beat his mother-in-law in order to intimidate Krug and force him to give a share of his royalties to the Tver “common fund,” which the musician, who earned this money honestly, refused to do. The musician should not have been at home at all; he was shot out of fear and surprise.
Irina Krug - I'm waiting (album 2020)
During four years of loneliness, new feelings nevertheless burst into Irina’s life. She met Sergei Belousov, a promising businessman. In 2014, they had a son, who was named Andrei. Everything seemed to be going perfectly, but in a recent interview, Irina admitted that she and her husband were unable to get along. She noted that most likely there will be a divorce.
Irina Krug and Sergey Belousov
