Lidia Ruslanova

Lidia Andreyevna Ruslanova (sometimes spelt Lidiya or Lydia, ; 27 October 1900 in Saratov Governorate – 21 September 1973 in Moscow) was a famous Soviet singer contralto and performer of Russian folk songs.

Early life She was born in the village of Chernavka near Saratov, into a peasant family, and was baptized as Praskovya Andrianovna Leykina-Gorshenina . She came from a Mordvin family, according to some sources from the Moksha subethnic group, By the time she was five, both her parents had died; her father in the Russo-Japanese War and her mother soon after. As a result, she spent most of her childhood in an orphanage. She began singing when she joined the local parish children's choir and soon became a soloist. However, she did not enjoy academic study.

Career Ruslanova gave her first concert at the age of 16, to a military audience, where she sang everything she knew.

During the 1930s, Ruslanova became extremely popular. Her signature songs were Valenki and Katyusha, written specially for her. During the Battle of Berlin, she performed on the doorsteps of the smouldering Reichstag.

Ruslanova became one of the richest women in Soviet Russia and even financed the construction of two Katyusha batteries, which she presented to the Red Army in 1942. Although awards and titles bypassed her, Ruslanova presided over the first All-Soviet Festival of Soviet Songs, together with Leonid Utyosov, Mark Bernes, and Klavdiya Shulzhenko. She went on singing right up until her death in 1973, at the age of 72.

Ruslanova crater on Venus is named after her.

Discography Stamp of Russia devoted to Lidiya Ruslanova, 1999, 2 rub. (Michel 759, Scott 6545) 1996: Поёт Лидия Русланова (Lydia Ruslanova sings) 2000: Царица Русской песни (Queen of the Russian Song) 2001: Великие исполнители России XX века (Great performers of Russia of the XX century) 2002: Русские народные песни (Russian folk songs) 2007: Имена на все времена (Names for all time)