Childhood and youth
Igor was born on Sakhalin Island in the city of Kholmsk on January 17, 1960. His dad, Yuri Ivanovich Nikolaev, was a seascape poet and a member of the USSR Writers' Union. In his youth he worked as a sea captain. Mom, Nikolaeva Svetlana Mitrofanovna, worked as an accountant.
In early childhood, my mother was more involved in raising her son, because his father went to sea for a long time.
Having discovered that the boy had a talent for music, his mother took him to a local music school. So, along with the general education school program, Igor began learning to play the violin.
In 1974, after the eighth grade, Nikolaev graduated from a music school and entered the Sakhalin Music College, the young man chose a music theory class.
Although he studied violin, he preferred other musical instruments. He really liked the guitar and piano. The young man not only got pleasure from strumming them, but also earned the first money in his life. As a teenager in Kholmsk, he worked part-time playing in restaurants in the evenings. The tips given to a 15-year-old boy were sometimes so generous that he earned as much as his mom and dad together in a month. With the first money he earned, Igor bought a Rainbow color TV for his home. At that time, on their street, where the Nikolaevs lived, no one had such a TV yet.
Nikolaev and Natasha Koroleva
After 2 years, Nikolaev meets the young singer Natasha Koroleva and begins to work productively with her. The musical union soon grows into a musical duet. The overall project receives approval not only from domestic, but also from Western music lovers.
Since 1998, Igor Nikolaev begins to regularly organize creative meetings in the hall “Russia, creative career is going uphill. Invariably, these concerts are accompanied by strong success and are shown on the main channels of the country.
In 2001, Nikolaev divorced Natasha Koroleva. According to Natasha, the reason was Igor’s infidelity with his mistresses. The Queen gave her husband some time to think about the problem and solve it. A year later, absolutely nothing has changed. She filed for divorce. Nikolaev made attempts to return his wife. He even called out to her from the stage, but Natasha did not change her decision.
A few years later, Nikolaev admitted that the girls he dated then, “Were somewhat similar to the Queen.” He wanted to repeat the strong feeling of love that he had with Natasha.
Moscow
While studying at a music school, Nikolaev began writing music based on poems by Akhmatova, Tsvetaeva, and Mandelstam. The guy showed his compositions to one of the teachers, and he gave him the coordinates of the Moscow composer Igor Yakushenko. Nikolaev sent his work, but did not have much hope for an answer. Therefore, he was very surprised when he received a letter in which a composer from Moscow said that he liked the works and took them to the conservatory.
And then the school received a request in which it was reported that student Igor Nikolaev was invited to study in Moscow.
In 1975, Igor left for the capital, where he became a student at the music school at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory.
True, he studied without much pleasure. He wanted to create pop music, but had to compose concerts for piano and choirs. Once he even wrote a cantata called “At the Lenin Readings,” which was dedicated to the 110th anniversary of the birth of the proletarian leader. Several of his classmates and a couple of old women who had nothing to do at home came to the hall just to listen to these works.
There was a moment when Igor wanted to leave the music school and go to a literary institute. Because the poems he wrote received more recognition. Nikolaev took part in a creative competition, and there his poetry was appreciated. But in the end, music prevailed, and it was pop music.
After college, Nikolaev continued his studies at the Moscow Institute of Culture in the variety department, which he graduated in 1980.
The beginning of the career of Igor Nikolaev
After graduating from college, Igor noticed Pugachev and made him an offer to try himself as a keyboard player in the musical group Repital, in which he very soon received an additional profession, arranger. The songs that Nikolaev came up with for Pugacheva constantly quickly become hits and, without exaggeration, rise in the ratings.
The hits of the 80s were “Tell Me, Birds” and “Iceberg”. They made Nikolaev a famous composer throughout the Soviet Union. These songs were heard everywhere.
Creation
In 1980, after receiving his diploma, Igor was very lucky: he joined Alla Pugacheva’s ensemble “Recital”, where he worked for eight years as an arranger and keyboard player. And all this time he continued to write songs. Fate rewarded him with two talents at once: he composes poetry and writes music.
His first song, which was performed on television, was performed by Lyudmila Gurchenko. It was 1983, and the actress herself selected the young author’s composition “What a pity that you are not here” for the television program “New Year’s Attraction.” In the same year, Nikolaev wrote two songs that Pugacheva herself performed - “Tell the Birds” and “Iceberg”. The author himself believes that it was thanks to these songs that his rise on the Soviet stage took place.
In 1985, two of Igor’s compositions reached the final part of the “Song of the Year” - “Komarovo” (sung by Igor Sklyar) and “Ferryman” (sung by Alla Pugacheva).
The popularity of the songs was crazy. But such is the fate of all composers that, by and large, they remain in the shadows. All the glory from the compositions they write goes to the performers. When “Komarovo” and “Iceberg” sounded from every car, apartment, and stall, Nikolaev continued to calmly ride the subway, walk the streets, dine and drink in restaurants. True, there was more money, and Igor allowed himself to buy the first car in his life - a shabby old “penny”.
And in 1986, Nikolaev, together with Pavel Zhagun, wrote the song “Mill”, the young authors shot a video for it, and Igor himself performed the composition. The clip was shown on television once in the Morning Mail program, but at that time this was enough for a good song to immediately become a hit.
At the end of 1986, the Prima Donna’s album entitled “Happiness in your personal life!” was released, where all the compositions she performed were written by Nikolaev. And the next year, 1987, was marked by the release of a solo album by Igor himself, it was called “Melnitsa”.
The rise to the heights of the musical Olympus was rapid. In 1987, Nikolaev went on tour with Pugacheva to Japan. They were invited by the Japanese pop singer Tokiko Kato (she sang Igor’s composition “100 Friends” in Japanese).
In 1988, the next fruit of the collaboration between Nikolaev and Zhagun - the composition “Kingdom of Crooked Mirrors” - made it to the final of “Song of the Year”.
The peak of his career came in the early 90s, when Igor began to fruitfully collaborate with the young singer Natasha Koroleva.
Nikolaev wrote, and Natasha sang, the singer’s solo albums were released one after another:
- "Yellow Tulips" (1990);
- "Miss Separation" (1991);
- "Dolphin and Mermaid" (1992);
- "Fan" (1994);
- "Confetti" (1995);
- "Diamonds of Tears" (1997).
No less successful was the collaboration of Igor Nikolaev with such famous Russian pop performers as Irina Allegrova (album “My Wanderer”) and Philip Kirkorov (album “I am not Raphael”).
Over the course of many years of creative life, it seems that Nikolaev’s songs were sung by all the artists on the Russian pop stage:
- Valery Leontyev and Mikhail Shufutinsky;
- Laima Vaikule and Larisa Dolina;
- Vladimir Kuzmin and Alexander Serov;
- Joseph Kobzon and Alexander Kalyanov;
- Jasmine and Kristina Orbakaite;
- Diana Gurtskaya and Alexander Buinov;
- groups “Poppies”, “Electroclub”, “Hands Up”.
Each song performed by Nikolaev himself certainly became a hit and occupied the top lines of all Russian charts:
- "Raspberry wine";
- "Birthday";
- "Let's drink to love";
- "Five reasons";
- "Taxi, taxi";
- “Forgive and forgive”;
- "Master and Margarita";
- “A Man in Love with Sakhalin”;
- "Broken Cup of Love"
Igor's work has been recognized with many awards. He has repeatedly received the title of "Composer of the Year" and "Poet of the Year", was awarded the National Russian Music Award "Ovation" and the "Golden Gramophone", the Muz-TV and Isaac Dunaevsky awards for his great contribution to the development of song, and has the Golden Order "Service to Art" .
Awards
During his creative career until the current year 2020, Igor Yuryevich Nikolaev received the following awards and prizes:
- All-Russian national award in the field of music and art “Ovation” for the album “Dolphin and Mermaid”, which received the prize in 1992;
- laureate of the Isaac Dunaevsky Music Prize for professional contribution to the development of pop songs in 1999;
- twice composer of the year in 1995 and 1997, poet of 1999;
- participant in the national music competition “Star” and received a prize for achievements in the field of composing art in 1995;
Igor Nikolaev | Kasjauns.lv
- the status of Honored Worker of Culture and Arts of the Russian Federation, awarded by the President of Russia on October 11, 2001 for outstanding services;
- regular participant, nominee and laureate of the national music festival on TV “Song of the Year”;
- winner of the Golden Order for devoted service to art and the Order of Peter the Great in 2006;
- owner of a personal star on the Moscow Walk of Fame in the park of the 850th anniversary of the capital of Russia;
- multiple winner of the annual all-Russian competition on the Muz TV channel.
About eternal youth
Every age is interesting in its own way, but if there is no old age, then it’s strange. Always be a young wine? This is probably wrong. You can also become an aged wine. After all, over the years it acquires a different aroma, shades, refined taste and pleasant aftertaste. This is where the interest in life lies! Don't be afraid of age! We just need to take care of ourselves so that we age well beyond our biological years, and do it gracefully.
I believe that you can start going to a cosmetologist only after 30 years. Then you can think about additional skin nutrition and mesotherapy. However, young 20-year-old girls do not need this at all. Lips like a duck, Botox pumped everywhere - this is horror. I don’t hide my age, I’m soon 42. But inside I’m young beyond my years. And this feeling is always reflected in appearance. There are no special secrets. I, like all women of my age, periodically visit a cosmetologist, take care of myself, my diet, my weight.
Yuri Nikolaev and Yulia Proskuryakova
Four years later, Nikolaev married for the third time to Yulia Proskuryakova, who was very similar to Natasha Koroleva.
Since childhood, Yulia studied in the vocal studio at the Youth Palace. One evening, a friend invited her to a concert of a popular singer. She still wonders how she managed to get to Igor to demonstrate her voice.
Nikolaev was surprised by such a bold act and suggested listening to her recordings. Then, when Proskuryakova asked to return the disk, Nikolaev made an offer to Yulia to live in Moscow, and even rented an apartment for her. However, throughout the whole year there was a grinding of personalities. After the scandal, they moved into the same apartment. The singer said that he does not want to conflict and he likes it if Julia is nearby.
In September 2010, the couple got married. They had the child they wanted, Veronica. The daughter was born premature, so the parents were very worried in the first months.
What is Nikolaev doing now?
The composer of many famous songs, Igor Nikolaev, has always been spoiled by the attention of journalists and fans, but resting on his laurels is not in his nature. In 2020, the famous Russian composer attracted the attention of the public through his joint creative work with the little-known singer Emma Blinkova.
In an interview with journalists, Nikolaev said that it is in our time that old songs receive a new sound and an updated semantic background.
An interesting video about Yuri Nikolaev can be seen here:
Participation in television projects
Natalya often appeared on television; she participated in all episodes of the musical project “Old Songs about the Main Thing.” The producers recognized her talent as an actress, so filming offers poured in one after another. The singer received roles in several films:
- "Woman's happiness";
- "Beauty saloon";
- "FM and the guys";
- "The Witch's Recipe"
This is interesting: Who is Nikita Malinin’s Mother
In the last film, the girl played the main role, and her colleagues on the set were Tatyana Vasilyeva, Viktor Rakov, Amalia Mordvinova and Alexander Lazarev Jr. In 2006, the Queen appeared in the Ukrainian comedy “Grandfather of My Dreams” , after which viewers saw her in “Sleuths-4”, “Happy Together” and “Three on Top”.
Together with Sergei Glushko, she took part in the filming of one of the episodes of the sitcom “My Fair Nanny”. Viewers celebrate her performances in funny films and musicals. The last film with the participation of the singer was released in 2020.
In addition to acting, the Queen is involved in business. She has her own collection of jewelry called “Mothers and Daughters”. In 2009-2010, she opened several beauty salons. The singer was an active participant in the “Two Stars” and “Dancing with the Stars” projects, and starred in the “Give Yourself a Life” program. She had her own show “Queen of Prime,” but it failed.
Together with her mother, the girl created a culinary project. She called it "Lunch Time." Later, Lyudmila left the program, and Alexander Oleshko and Roman Budnikov became Natalya’s co-hosts. New issues were published over the course of two years. The girl published three books: “Festive Table from Natasha Koroleva”, “Dishes for Celebrations and Banquets” and “Male Striptease”. The latter was written with the help of her husband.
