Irina Ponarovskaya | Photo by Irina Ponarovskaya | Biography

Personal life of Irina Ponarovskaya

Irina Ponarovskaya (born March 12, 1953) was at the peak of her popularity in the seventies and eighties. Her bright stage image and high, beautiful voice fascinated listeners. This made the singer widely known not only in our country, but also abroad. A beauty and style icon, Irina was married three times. However, her personal life always showed cracks already in the first years of marriage.

In the photo: Irina Ponarovskaya in her youth

Irina’s first husband, Grigory Kleimits, leader of the Singing Guitars group, lived with her for a year and a half. Being an incorrigible womanizer, he could not become a faithful husband even for Irina Ponarovskaya. Irina Vitalievna’s second husband is musician, jazzman Wayland Rodd (1946), with whom Irina had a son, Anthony (1984). Her third husband was the doctor Dmitry Pushkar, with whom Irina divorced after 9 years of marriage.

Irina Ponarovskaya’s first husband is the leader of the Singing Guitars ensemble Grigory Kleimits

Music

In 1976, having returned from Sopot, Irina, as the winner of the festival, took part in a group concert that took place in the Moscow Rossiya Hall. Her performance was heard by Oleg Lundstrem, who was just looking for a soloist for his orchestra. He sent the orchestra director to negotiate with Ponarovskaya. It was agreed that Ira went to the capital and was the main soloist of the jazz orchestra for almost two years.

Irina did not give up her conservatory studies and in 1978 graduated from a higher educational institution with a diploma as a pianist. During exams she played:

plays by Debussy, Shchedrin and Shostakovich;
32 Beethoven Variations;
Rachmaninov's first concerto for piano and orchestra.

Ponarovskaya always loved her listeners. She had to perform not only in concert halls with thousands of people and in crowded stadiums. And in the Far East she had the opportunity to sing, and in collective farm fields, standing on a truck. Ira compares her profession as an artist to that of a doctor. After all, sometimes a person needs spiritual help and in these cases a song helps out. Therefore, despite all the hardship of artistic life, colossal emotional and physical labor, Irina receives pleasure from her profession.

Ponarovskaya had periods in her life when she toured constantly. At home there was a suitcase in the room; we just had to change things in it according to the season. Sometimes she left in a light coat, and took a fur coat with her, because when she returned, everything was already covered with snow.

Ira released seven discs with her songs, the following compositions became especially popular at the time:

"You are my God!";
“I know - I loved”;
“This is how my life goes”;
"I'm sorry";
“A woman is always right”;
"Rowan Beads";
"Thanks for the love";
"I do not want any more";
"You're wrong";
"Requiem".

Ponarovskaya was repeatedly invited to the jury of such famous music competitions and festivals as “Jurmala” and “Slavic Bazaar”.

In 1997, a personalized plaque of Irina Ponarovskaya was laid on the Square of Pop Stars.

Family biography, children of Irina Ponarovskaya and Wayland Rodd

It should be noted that long before the birth of their son, Irina and Wayland took a dark-skinned girl, Nastenka, from the orphanage, since the doctors gave Ira a complex diagnosis, according to which she allegedly could not have children. At first, the family life of the singer and musician seemed cloudless, but with the advent of Irina Ponarovskaya’s children, disharmony in the family increased, which destroyed the artist’s personal life.

Wayland Rodd, Irina Ponarovskaya and son Anthony

After the divorce, the couple returned Anastasia to the orphanage. The former adopted daughter rightly believes that Irina Ponarovskaya and Wayland Rodd are to blame for her childhood misfortunes. The singer suffered the breakup of family relationships after eight years of marriage very painfully. She was accused of failing to save her family, but Irina herself claims that her husband constantly cheated on her.

Irina Ponarovskaya and Wayland Rodd

Son of Irina Ponarovskaya

Anthony Rodd is the son of Irina Ponarovskaya from her second marriage. Outwardly, he is very similar to his father, a musician of black origin. Because of his dark skin, the guy was often beaten. One day, Anthony was seriously injured by informals and ended up in intensive care. As it became known, twelve people attacked him; during the fight, none of the passers-by stopped the hooligans, and his friend cowardly ran away.

Irina Ponarovskaya with her son Anthony

This outrageous incident prompted the famous singer and caring mother to take decisive action: for the safety of her only son, Irina Ponarovskaya took him to Norway. Anthony Rodd's biography has changed dramatically. He began studying abroad, successfully graduated from university, and received a specialty as a jewelry designer. Today Anthony Rodd is a respected father of a family who lives in Estonia with his wife and children.

Anthony Rodd

Personal life of Anthony Rodd

Anthony has always treated his famous mother with love. Anthony Rodd has not seen his father for about thirty years, as he remembers both the rude shouts and beatings of Wayland, from which his mother always tried to protect him. After the divorce, Irina began to live in her parents’ house in Ust-Narva (Estonia).

Anthony Rodd's wife is Anna Chainikova, an artist. Mutual love and love for art brought her and Anthony together. In 2014, the long-awaited grandson of Irina Ponarovskaya was born, and the family was incredibly happy about him. The boy was given the name Eric. Irina loves to visit her children. She has her own dacha in Estonia, where the actress relaxes and gains strength.

Anthony Rodd with his wife Anna and son Eric

In April of this year (2018), a daughter, Charlotte, appeared in the family of Anthony Rodd and Anna Chainikova. The girl was named in honor of her father's great-grandmother. Anthony and Anna are happy parents, and Irina Ponarovskaya enjoys her grandchildren with them. Looking at her little granddaughter, she remembers her beloved grandmother, Charlotte, a German by birth who lived in Ust-Narva.

Anthony's children - Eric and Charlotte

It was grandmother Charlotte who found a vocal teacher for her granddaughter Irina, as she considered it necessary to develop her musical abilities. The girl, as a schoolgirl, played several musical instruments beautifully. The attention and care of Charlotte's grandmother determined the future fate of Irina Ponarovskaya and helped in choosing her future profession.

The son of Irina Ponarovskaya did not follow in the footsteps of his parents, although he loves music very much. Now he is actively working on jewelry design and enjoys every minute of communication with his children. His wife Anna is also passionate about art, but while the children are growing up, she devotes most of her time to the kids: her beloved son Eric and daughter Charlotte.

Unlocking talent

Irina’s grandmother lived in Ust-Narva, where the girl was sent for the whole summer. These were the most wonderful times, an outlet, a real ray of sunshine in the endless darkness of vanity, dullness and cramped conditions. Grandmother's name was Charlotte, she was Jewish by nationality. Almost every day, except for rainy periods, they walked in the pine forest, enjoying the splashes of the huge sea and the clean, transparent air.

In childhood photographs, Irina looks like a plump and well-fed child. As a child, she was not distinguished by her external beauty; she had a slight squint and wore glasses. For such external defects, the father lovingly called the girl Kosulka.

The biography of singer Irina Ponarovskaya as a creative personality began to take shape during her school years. It was then that she learned to play musical instruments. The grandmother loved her granddaughter very much and hired vocal teachers especially for her. This step became fateful in Irina’s life.

By this time, Irina was already 15 years old; her teacher L.B. Arkhangelskaya needed a lot of strength, patience and professionalism to give the girl a voice. In 1971, she entered the conservatory in the vocal department, after successfully passing the entrance exams. This is how the singer’s career and creative path began.

Biography pages of Irina Ponarovskaya

Honored Artist of the Russian Federation since 2000, Irina Vitalievna Ponarovskaya has been living abroad for eight years now: in Estonia, then in Norway, occasionally visiting her native St. Petersburg. The pop singer, who conquered the world not only with her voice, but also with her beauty, was awarded the title “Miss Chanel of the Soviet Union.” Irina Ponarovskaya still looks great, but due to close attention from the press, she only occasionally appears in the theater or at exhibitions.

At sixty-five years old, the film actress and TV presenter remains a stylish woman, as evidenced by photos posted online. She discovered her talent as a designer and began to do a new, favorite thing. Despite the illnesses and disappointments she has experienced, Irina Ponarovskaya still enjoys every new moment of her life. She loves and is loved. Irina Vitalievna pays great attention to her health; practices a strict diet recommended by doctors to improve the health of the body.

Irina Ponarovskaya now

Musical career of Irina Vitalievna

In 1971 , Irina Ponarovskaya’s professional creative career began. The Russian artist entered the Leningrad Conservatory. In addition, she began working in a group called “Singing Guitars” . The famous Soviet artist Yuri Antonov became a colleague in the ensemble. From the very beginning of her career in the team, Irina was a soloist. The aspiring pop singer was distinguished by her lightness and charisma. Both colleagues and fans of the artist noticed this. The solo performer sang the songs “Inconspicuous Beauty” and “Water Can Be Bitter.” She also performed a ballad called " Salaspils ".

Irina Ponarovskaya sings

In 1975, Irina Ponarovskaya received the main role of Eurydice in the famous rock opera called “Orpheus and Eurydice.” The group presented this performance at the Leningrad Conservatory. During the same period, the Russian pop singer was invited to the Dresden Festival , where she won. At this competition, she performed a song called “ I Love ” by composer Yakov Dubravin. She also performed the song “Get on the Train of Your Dreams” in German. The performance of the Soviet and Russian artist pleasantly surprised the audience.

Ponarovskaya with Valery Leontyev

In 1976 , Ponarovskaya received the Grand Prix of the International Song Festival “Sopot-1976”. The music competition took place in Poland. The pop artist performed the song “ Prayer ”. Ponarovskaya’s second competition song was a hit in Polish - “Was a Bird” . Irina became famous in many countries near and far abroad. In Germany and Poland, the artist was the idol of millions. Her photos were often featured in European magazines. In Sopot, the singer was driven in a personal luxury car. On the streets, the jazz and pop singer was recognized on the streets and her autographs were taken. After each performance, Irina was given huge bouquets of flowers that decorated the hotel rooms. In Sopot she organized a reception for the Soviet delegation. It took place in a restaurant. During the seventies, she received the title of “Frau Festival” in Germany and “Miss Lens” in Poland.

Irina Ponarovskaya

In 1976 , Irina Ponarovskaya moved to the capital. In Moscow, the artist worked for two years as a soloist in Oleg Lundsterm's . This did not happen by chance. She performed at a group concert in the Russia as an honored laureate of Sopot. Oleg Lundsterm heard the voice of a talented performer. Ultimately, the man turned to his director to invite Irina to the orchestra. The audience liked Irina’s performance so much that they called her for an encore ten times. Despite the fact that this is prohibited at festivals, the singer took the stage and sang again.

In 1976 , Irina Ponarovskaya made a decision and left the Singing Guitars after five years of cooperation. The girl moved to Moscow and began working in Oleg Lundstrem's jazz orchestra. She worked as a soloist in a group called “ Peddlers ”. Her colleagues were keyboardist Alexander Zaitsev , who is known for his career in The Time Machine . According to Irina, she was no different from other artists and in her youth she was the second soprano in the outer row. However, despite this, the Soviet artist managed to achieve success and become famous.

Irina Vitalievna Ponarovskaya with a colleague

In the late seventies, the talented singer began to have serious health problems. Moreover, she experienced clinical death due to kidney disease. In 1986 , listeners were presented with a song called “ I Know - I Loved . The composition became a real hit and topped the music charts. A video clip for the song was released on the television program “Morning Mail”. The lyrics for the song were written by Juna . In 1986, this composition became a laureate of the “Song of the Year - 1986” music festival. In 1987, Irina Ponarovskaya radically changed her image. She became blonde . In 1988 , the pop singer gave her first solo concerts at the Moscow State Central Concert Hall "Russia". The concert program was titled “All over again.”

Ponarovskaya Irina in her youth and now

In 1989 , Irina Ponarovskaya became a member of the jury at the All-Union Competition of Young Performers of Soviet Pop Songs. The festival took place in Jurmala . The most talented artist, according to Ponarovskaya, was Soso Pavliashvili . Irina and several other jury members were confident that Soso was a worthy contender for the grand prix. The rest of the jury were categorically against it. In this regard, in Riga, the Russian singer contacted the famous Raymond Pauls . Pauls was the chairman of the jury and watched the competition on television.

Irina Vitalievna and Soso Pavliashvili

In January 1990, the first charity program in the Soviet Union was held, called the Children's Fund Telethon . She donated ten thousand rubles.

In 1993, the Russian pop artist presented her debut album entitled “ This is how my life goes . During the same period, a video clip of the same name was shot. In 1993 she performed at the Boris Moiseev show in the Rossiya concert hall. Irina Ponarovskaya performed a new song “Romance of the Lonely” . The composer is Viktor Chaika . New songs regularly appeared in the singer’s repertoire. Among them are “Plea” - the call of a woman who has entered into life, “ Spell ” - the cry of a woman who has swallowed life, “Requiem”, “Romance of the Lonely”.

Irina Vitalievna Ponarovskaya in the 2000s

In 1996 Irina’s grandmother, Charlotte Arnoldi, passed away . She was the artist’s closest person and taught her about art. The death of her grandmother became a real stress for Ponarovskaya.

Singer Ponarovskaya

In 1997, the jazz singer performed at the Rossiya State Central Concert Hall. She presented the solo program “ A Woman is Always Right ”. During the same period, Irina released her second album of the same name. In April, was laid on the Square of Pop Stars . In 1997, a CD entitled “A Woman is Always Right” was released. In 1998, she became the chairman of the competition jury, host and honorary guest of the Slavic Bazaar festival.

In 1999 , in tandem with singer Soso Pavliashvili, she organized an evening in memory of the composer Sandor . I also recorded his song called “Tell Me About Love.” In a duet with Soso Pavliashvili, she sang the song “ You and Me ” for the program “Stars Sing Sandor’s Songs.”

Irina Vitalievna and Soso Pavliashvili

Over the next few years, Irina Ponarovskaya worked in tandem with famous composers and continued to perform on stage. Appeared on television shows and gave interviews. In March 2009, she became a guest on the talk show “Let Them Talk” on Channel One. The issue was dedicated to the birthday of Laima Vaikule. In 2011, the NTV channel presented a benefit performance of Irina Ponarovskaya. During the 2000s, the Russian artist tried herself in the field of entrepreneurship. She created the “I-ra” Space of Style image agency . The Fashion House of Irina Ponarovskaya was opened in New York . One of the Broadway theaters signed a contract with this fashion house.