Alla Borisovna Pugacheva[A] (Russian:Алла Борисовна Пугачёва,IPA:[ˈalːəbɐˈrʲisəvnɐpʊɡɐˈtɕɵvə]; born 15 April 1949) is a Russian singer and songwriter. Her career began in 1965 and continues to this day, although she retired from performing in 2010 after the internationalconcert tour "Dreams of Love".[1] For her "clearmezzo-soprano and a full display of sincere emotions",[2] she enjoys aniconic status across theformer Soviet Union as the most successful Soviet performer[3][4] in terms of record sales and popularity.[5][6][7][8] For several decades, Pugacheva was a sex symbol, a style icon, an inspiration for Soviet women and a heroine of Russian tabloids.[9] In the media, Pugacheva has been called "the Queen of Russian pop music".[10][11][12] Pugacheva is one of the few Russian performers who has achieved international success, along withAnna Netrebko andt.A.T.u.[13][14][15][16] Some Russian publications have suggested that she would not be welcome to return to Russia.[17][18]
Her repertoire includes over 500 songs in Russian, English, German, French, Kazakh, Hebrew, Finnish and Ukrainian, and her discography has more than 100 records, CDs and DVDs. In addition to Russia and the former Soviet Union, Pugacheva's albums have been released inJapan,Korea,Sweden,Finland,Germany,Poland,Czechia,Slovakia,Bulgaria andIsrael. In total, she has sold more than 250 million records.[19][20][21][22][23] Her debut album,Mirror of the Soul, has sold 10 million copies.[24] Pugacheva's other albums were also successful, includingHow Disturbing Is This Way, released in 1982, which sold 7 million copies.[25]
In addition to Russia and the countries of the former USSR, Pugacheva'ssingles were included in thehit parade in other countries of Europe and Asia, including France, Sweden, Poland, Greece, Japan andMongolia.The singles "Harlequin" and "А Million Scarlet Roses" are her main international hits.[27][29]
She became aPeople's Artist of the USSR in 1991, a Laureate of theState Prize of the Russian Federation in 1995. In addition to state awards, Pugacheva was awarded regional and international music prizes. She has received awards in several countries around the world, including the United States, Germany, Finland, Poland, Bulgaria,Ukraine,Belarus,Azerbaijan,Armenia and theAmpex Golden Reel Award, among others. Pugacheva was recognized as the best singer of the 20th century in Eastern Europe by theZD Awards, named a living legend and the best performer of the 1990s decade by theOvation Award.[31] In 2017, she was included in the list of "100 most influential Russians of the century" according toForbes, along withMikhail Gorbachev,Yuri Gagarin andPavel Durov.[32] In 2022, she was among three Russian women included in theBBC's 100 Women list.[33][34] Pugacheva was inducted into theTop Hit Music Awards Hall of Fame.[35] For several decades, Pugacheva had the largest fee among performers in Eastern Europe.[36] Due to her many years of popularity in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Pugacheva was compared by the media toMadonna, and she received the nickname Russian Madonna.[37][38][39]
Pugacheva was born to Boris Mikhailovich Pugachyov and Zinaida Arkhipovna (née Odegova) Pugachyova in Moscow, on 15 April 1949.[49] In 1956, she enrolled in music school No.31, and attended theIppolitov-Ivanov music college. She went on to study at school No.496, finishing her studies there in 1964. She then studied in the choral-conducting department of the college. Pugacheva recorded her first track "Robot" in 1965, for a morning programme onRadio Yunost.[50]
Pugacheva finished college in 1966 and subsequently toured with the group Yunost' (Youth) in westernSiberia. The following year she began working as a piano accompanist at the State Circus Musical college. She provided the leading vocals to a number of bands, including Novy Elektron (New Electron), part of theLipetsk State Philharmonic Society, in 1966, Moskvichi (Muscovites) in 1971,Oleg Lundstrem's band in 1972–73, andVesyolye Rebyata (Merry Folks) in 1974–75. She recorded songs throughout that period for numerous movies.[51]
In 1974, she came in 3rd place in the All-Union competition of musicians. In 1975, she received the Grand Prix of theGolden Orpheus international singing contest in Bulgaria, performing the song "Harlequin" byEmil Dimitrov. TheAmiga label released her winning song as a single inEast Germany. Subsequently, in Bulgaria, theBalkanton label released the live recording of "Harlequin" from the festival as a single. A year later, Pugacheva returned to theGolden Orpheus to perform a concert outside the competition. The Balkanton released the live tracks as Pugacheva's first albumZolotoy Orfey 76. The single "Harlequin" has sold 14 million copies.[29] In that same year, Pugacheva recorded a number of songs for the musical drama-comedyThe Irony of Fate as the singing voice of Nadja, the female protagonist.
In 1976, Pugacheva performed at the international music exhibitionMIDEM inCannes (France).[27]
Pugacheva went on to work on themusical filmThe Woman who Sings in cooperation with the band Ritm (Rhythm) in 1977. She played the leading lady, a famous pop singer who sacrifices her personal life for her career. The soundtrack, which was co-written by Pugacheva and composed of pop songs, culminated with the dramatic titleballad "Zhenshchina, kotoraya poyot". The Soviet audience, regarding the film as autobiographical,[52] brought the soundtrack to reachrecord audience of the year in 1979, as it was bought by 55 million people.[53] The soundtrack was first released in 1977 as part of the double albumZerkalo dushi (Mirror of the Soul), which was a collection of her songs from 1975 to 1977. TheVictor label released a collection albumAlla Pugacheva in the same year in Japan. In 1978, performing the song "Vsyo mogut koroli" ("Kings Can Do Anything"), Pugacheva received the Amber Nightingale prize at the Sopot International Song Festival which at the time meant automatically winning the Grand Prix of theIntervision Song Contest.[54] In 1980, the Kansan label of Finland released her above-listed works as the compilation albumHuipulla (At the Top). Also, the release of Pugacheva's album took place inWest Germany.
In July 1979 in Moscow, Pugacheva performed in a duet withJoe Dassin.[27]
During the 1980s, Pugacheva was a frequent visitor toStockholm. She started out with multiple guest appearances on the popular Swedish radio showGalaxen (April 1980 year) conducted byJacob Dahlin, and later frequently appeared on his TV showJacobs Stege (Jacob's Ladder). Dahlin and Pugacheva used to perform duets, such as "Superman" where Dahlin sings as the title character. In Stockholm, Pugacheva recorded an album in English, released by the World Record Music label in Sweden asWatch Out and by theMelodiya label in the Soviet Union asAlla Pugacheva in Stockholm.[27]
International success, tour in Scandinavia, 1985–1994
The period 1985–1988 became a new, so-called "youth period" in Pugacheva's work: the arrangements of most of the compositions were made in a modern style with ahard rock guitar, and the lyrics contained more social themes.[55]
In the mid-1980s, Pugacheva toured Finland, Sweden and other Scandinavian countries, as well as the Baltic countries, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Her performance was a success. Therefore, in 1985, in Finland, in the port ofKotka, the ceremony of launching the ferry "Alla", named in honor of Pugacheva, took place.[13]
In 1985 to 1988, Pugacheva performed with German rockerUdo Lindenberg. The result of their collaboration was the release of the album "Songs instead of Letters", published byPolydor Records in Germany and Melodiya in the USSR. In May 1987, Pugacheva performed the song "One Voice" at a concert inVienna with American singerBarry Manilow.[56] At the same time, she performed with the Swedish pop groupHerreys and the Norwegian pop groupBobbysock.[57] In September 1987, Pugacheva's single "Find Me" enteredZDF-Hitparade in Germany.[58]
In 1986, she performed inChernobyl for the liquidators of the nuclear power plant accident.[59]
She represented Russia in theEurovision Song Contest 1997 with the song "Primadonna", finishing in 15th place out of 25 places.[68]
In 1997, together with the Econika Corporation, the singer launched her own brand of shoes under the Alla Pugachova brand. The shoes became the most successful non-song business project of the singer, along with theperfume "Alla", produced for many years since 1990 by the French perfume company "Sogo".[69]
From 1998 to 2000, Pugacheva made an international tour with the “Yes” program for large halls, including stadiums, and the “Favorites” program for chamber halls, such as theaters and cultural centers. Over three years, she gave more than 150 concerts in Eastern Europe, as well as in Germany, Greece, Israel, Britain and the United States. She also releasedvideo clips for her hits from this period, such as “Autumn Leaves”,[70] “Call Me With You”,[71] “A candle was burning on the table”,[72] and received theGolden Gramophone award, awarded byRussian Radio.[73]
Pugacheva had sold a quarter of a billion records by 2000;[5][75] in 2003, Pugacheva released the album “Live in Peace, Country!”, and in 2008, “Invitation to Sunset,”, albums receivedgold disc status in Russia fromIFPI; in 2023 one of her songs were used forAtomic Heart for the intro.[76]
From 2005 to 2019, Pugacheva awarded a cash prize from personal funds in the amount of $50,000 to young talented performers from Eastern Europe, the Baltics and Central Asia, including rock musicianKoop Arponen from Finland,Tina Karol fromUkraine,Marina Lucenko from Poland, Stas Shurins fromLatvia,Monika Linkyte fromLithuania, Maxim Erzhan fromKazakhstan and others.[77][78][79]
Pugacheva as the head of jury of theFaktor A show (Russian version ofThe X Factor), 2012
On 20 July 2007, Alla Pugachova became the artistic director of her own FM radio station "Radio Alla [ru]"[B] in Moscow; she influenced the musical policy and also hosted her own programs "Hello, Alla", "Visiting Alla", "Alla is Looking for Talent".[80] She left the station in November 2010 and the station's name was changed to "Radio Romantika".[C]
From April 2009 to March 2010, Pugacheva made an international concert tour “Dreams of Love”, performing in 13 countries, including the United States, Germany, the Baltic countries, Israel, Bulgaria and others. The concert program included some hits from the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.[81] Pugacheva opened the concert show with the song “I Sing”.[82] On 5 March 2009 at a press conference, Pugachova announced the end of her touring activities after the tour.[83]
From 2011 to 2013, Pugacheva was a member of the jury of the Russian version of the British talent showThe X Factor (Factor A).[84][85]
In 2014, inJurmala a concert was held dedicated to the work of Pugacheva, at which performers from the countries of the former USSR and the Baltic states performed cover versions of her hits; among the guests wereRicky Martin,Il Volo,Alesandro Safina,Ola and others.[86][87] Pugacheva herself performed at the finale of the evening.[88]
The end of the singing career and subsequent artistry, 2015–present
In 2015, onThe Tonight Show,Jimmy Fallon, after listening to Alla Pugacheva's single Superman, noted that he liked Pugacheva's performance.[89][90] In the same year, Pugacheva gave an interview to the Kazakh TV channelKhabar. The interview was conducted by Arman Davletyarov.[91]
In 2017, she performed at a music festival inBaku.[92]
On 17 April 2019, in Moscow, Pugacheva presented the solo concert “P.S.”.[93][94]
In 2004, Polishmusicologist andcultural critic Grzegorz Piotrowski noted Pugacheva's wide vocal range fromcontralto tosoprano — her vocal technique combines different ways of operating the voice.[99]
Russianmusic critic Alexey Mazhaev, in a review of Pugacheva's album "How Disturbing Is This Way", noted a combination of differentgenres —folk ("Stairs"),reggae ("Hold Me, straw"),blues ("That's how it Happened, Mom"),gypsy style ("Old Song"). Mazhaev also noted that in 12 of the 16 compositions, the singer wrote the music herself, demonstrating completely different vocal techniques and acting skills.[100]
The French newspaperFrance Soir gave a positive review of Pugacheva's performance at theOlympia concert hall in Paris in 1982; also, a story about Pugacheva's performance was shown in the news on theSoviet Central Television.[101]
Jon Pareles, having attended Pugacheva's performance atCarnegie Hall in 1988, noted the singer's versatility and vocal subtlety, while speaking about her music, he found that she was “Western-oriented in vocal styles, instruments (keyboards, electric guitars, trap drums), arrangements, song forms and rhythms. But even with their American and European trappings, the songs have an unmistakably Slavic tone, conveyed not only by the hard consonants of the Russian lyrics, but also by the shifting, theatrical moodiness and almost constant use of minor keys.[4]
In addition to her musical career, she has several film roles, which were positively received by critics and received film awards. Her most famous roles are in such films as "The Woman Who Sings" in 1978,musicals “Old Songs about the Main Thing” in 1996, 1997, 2000,[40] and “Chasing Two Rabbits” in 2003,[41] "Kingdom of Crooked Mirrors" in 2007,[42] and recording thesoundtrack for the film "Chernobyl" in 2021.[43] Pugacheva was recognized as the best actress in Eastern Europe according to the magazine “Soviet Screen” in 1979.[44]
Over the years of her creative activity, which began in the mid-1960s, Pugacheva influenced the art of performers of the 90s of the twentieth century and subsequent generations, as well as the consciousness of people in the countries of Eastern Europe, the Baltics and Central Asia. She embodied the image of a strong and free woman. Pugacheva gave freedom in art, freedom of expression to people from all countries of theformer USSR.[26][105][106][107] The media called Pugacheva the “RussianMadonna”.[37][38][39]
In 1997, Pugacheva appeared on the cover ofOgoniok,[108] and in 1999Vogue dedicated its cover to her.[109] In 2019,Hello andOk dedicated their cover to her.[110][111] In the 2000s,MTV called Pugacheva a pop music legend.[112][113] In 2021, according to theRomir Center for Public Opinion Research, Pugacheva took 1st place in the ranking of the "Most influential Musicians in Russia".[114] In 2024,Forbes made a dedication to Pugacheva.[115]
Italian singer-songwriterToto Cutugno noted that he considers Pugacheva an outstanding singer; а similar opinion was expressed by Swedish musician, member of the pop groupABBABjörn Ulvaeus.[116][117]
From 1988 to 2012, Pugacheva organized theChristmas Meetingsmusic festival. Performers from Eastern Europe and Central Asia took part in the festival, includingSvetlana Loboda andVitas.[118][119][120][121] Pugacheva herself also performed at the festival.[122] In 2011 and 2012 she also organized theCrimea music fest inYalta, which is an international music festival. The festival was attended by performers from the United States, Ukraine, Greece, Spain, Estonia, Finland, Israel, India, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Australia and other countries, including Gloria Gaynor, Demis Roussos, Alexander Bard,Goran Bregovic and others.[123][102]
In 2022, Latvian singerLaima Vaikule noted that Pugacheva was and remains the main Russian star.[132] In previous years, similar opinions were expressed by other performers from Eastern Europe and Central Asia, including the Ukrainian singerVera Brezhneva, Kazakh groupA'Studio, Tajik singerManizha, Russian singerValery Leontyev and others.[133][134][135][136]
In the film "Empire V", released in 2023, the image of the goddessIshtar was copied from Pugacheva, who was one of the main pop icons inshow business in Russia and Eastern Europe for several decades.[137][138][139]
In 2014, designers Vasily Barbier and Sergei Amelkov produced 13 dolls copying various stage images of Pugacheva. In addition to Pugacheva, the designers made dolls in the image ofMadonna andWhitney Houston.[144][145]
In 2023, the premiere of the play “Iceberg” took place inCannes, France. The play was staged byEstonian director Rene Kirspuu. The play tells the story of a teacher who has gone crazy because of Pugacheva's emigration to Israel and imagines herself to be a prima donna. Actress Yulia Aug, who embodied the image of “Diva,” noted that for her Pugacheva is the greatest artist; she is a code that is embedded in the DNA of the majority of Eastern Europeans, and no one can cancel her status as a legend, despite all the events that are currently happening in Russia and the world.[146][147]
In 1969, she married Lithuanian circus performerMykolas Orbakas [lt], and on 25 May 1971 she gave birth to a daughter,Kristina Orbakaitė, who is also a popular singer.[154] Pugacheva divorced Orbakas after four years of marriage in 1973.
She married film directorAlexander Stefanovich (1945–2021) in 1976 and starred in several of his movies. The union was dissolved in 1980.
In 1985, Pugacheva married producer Yevgeniy Boldin, with whom she had numerous professional collaborations. She had a working and romantic relationship with a young musician and singer,Vladimir Kuzmin during this period. In 1993, she divorced Yevgeniy Boldin stating that their professional lives interfered too much with their personal life.
In 1994, she married a pop singer,Philipp Kirkorov. Their divorce was announced in November 2005.
On 23 December 2011, Pugacheva married singer and comedianMaxim Galkin.[155] The couple has twins delivered by a surrogate mother.
In 2025, Pugacheva stated that she considered only her first and fifth marriages to begenuine. According to her, Alexander Stefanovich married her in order to obtain a Moscow residence permit, Evgeny Boldin did so because their relationship outside of marriage was considered a “bad example” by the authorities, and her union with Philip Kirkorov was entered into in order to further his career.[156]
In June 1996, Pugacheva actively participated in the pre-election tour ofBoris Yeltsin's presidential campaign "Vote or lose."[159] Later, she did not hide that she had taken much money for her performances at concerts as part of this election campaign.[160] On 14 June 1996, two days before the vote, an interview withLeonid Parfyonov was aired in theHero of the Day program on the NTV channel, in which Pugacheva called on all Russians to vote for Yeltsin.[161][162]
From 1998 to 2007, Pugacheva was aUNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.[1]
In December 2005, Pugacheva became a member of theCivic Chamber under the President of the Russian Federation, where she worked on social development issues until 2008.[163]
Speech at the congress of theCivic Platform party (2012)
Since September 2011, Pugacheva has openly supported politicianMikhail Prokhorov. She declared her readiness to join his party, then joined his Public Council; together withAndrey Makarevich, she sang the song "Samy vysoky" (The Tallest) about him, and also took part in various press conferences of Prokhorov and congresses of the public council of theCivic Platform party.[164] On 14 September, she took part in the party congress.[165][166] However, after the removal of its leader, the day after the congress at a meeting of supporters of Mikhail Prokhorov, she left the party, blamingVladislav Surkov for what happened.[167]
In 2012, Pugacheva supported the punk groupPussy Riot.[48]
In March 2022, Pugacheva and Galkin, whose mother is Jewish,[174] left Russia for Israel following the2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[175] In August 2022, Pugacheva returned to Russia hoping to clean up "the mess in people's heads".[176] In September 2022, after her husband had been declared a "foreign agent", she spoke out publicly condemning the war and useless deaths of Russian men forced to die for no reason. She also asked the Ministry of Justice to declare her a foreign agent, too.[177][178]
Прошу зачислить меня в ряды иноагентов моей любимой страны, ибо я солидарна со своим мужем, честным, порядочным и искренним человеком, настоящим и неподкупным патриотом России, желающим Родине процветания, мирной жизни, свободы слова и прекращения гибели наших ребят за иллюзорные цели, делающие нашу страну изгоем и утяжеляющие жизнь наших граждан.
I ask to enlist me in the list of foreign agents of my beloved country, because I'm in solidary with my husband, an honest, decent and sincere person, a true and incorruptible patriot of Russia which wishes the Motherland prosperity, peaceful life, freedom of speech and an end of the deaths of our men for the illusory goals that make our country an outcast and make life difficult for our citizens.
—Alla Pugacheva on War in Ukraine, September 18, 2022[179][180]
Russian authorities began investigating Pugacheva for "discrediting" the Russian military underRussian 2022 war censorship laws.[181] In October 2022, Pugacheva revealed that she had left Russia again for Israel.[182][183][184] She has received Israeli citizenship.[185] In November 2023, Pugacheva returned to Russia for a few days before leaving again for Latvia.[186] As of 2024, Pugacheva resided inCyprus.[187]
The British pop groupPet Shop Boys supported Pugacheva. The band members said they admired her courage and honesty.[188] German rock musicianUdo Lindenberg[189] and Ukrainian singerSvetlana Loboda[190] also expressed words of support for Pugacheva.
In September of 2025 in her interview toKaterina Gordeeva Pugacheva stated: "Telling your Motherland that it is wrong is patriotism".[191]
Pugacheva's most notable title is "People's Artist of the USSR", the highest honor that could be bestowed to a musical artist in the state, awarded to her in 1991. While the lesser titles of "Accomplished Artist of theRussian SFSR", and "People's Artist of the Russian SFSR" had been already awarded to her in 1980 and 1985 respectively, the government was hesitant to award her its highest honor, reportedly largely because of statements and actions on her part that were inconsistent with theParty's agenda.[192] Pugacheva is listed in theRussian Encyclopedia (2005)[193] as well as in encyclopedias in other countries of the world, including the United States[194]
In 1999, Russian President Boris Yeltsin awarded Pugacheva the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 2nd class.[23]
Platinum disc of theMelodiya label for multimillion copies of records sold in Russia and Eastern Europe (albums "Mirror of the Soul", "How Disturbing Is This Way", "Alla Pugacheva in Stockholm" and singles "Harlekino", "Million Roses", "Maestro") (2009)[202]
International professional music award “God of Aether” in the Record category, as a singer whose songs have been heard on radio and television in Eastern Europe for more than 20 years. In addition to Pugacheva, the award winners includeMichael Jackson,Green Day,In-Grid,Valery Leontiev (2009)[203][204][205][206][207]
^In 2015,Gazprom-Media, aGazprom subsidiary, acquired Prof-Media. Most of Radio Romantika's stations in Russia were later reformatted asComedy Radio [ru], leaving theMoscow station (98.8 MHz) intact.
Encyclopædia Britannica repeats a claim on its features website that Pugacheva has sold around 250 million records. Other internet sources claim figures from 100 million to 250 million records. TheTrack Music,Ampex andMelodiya labels have confirmed the music recording certification of Pugacheva's albums and singles published during the USSR period. Of the albums published after 1991, official certification information is available only about the album “Live in Peace, Country!” from 2003 and "Invitation to Sunset" from 2008.
^""Радио Алла" - 4 года" ["Radio Alla" - 4 years].allapugacheva.pro (in Russian). Archived fromthe original on 17 October 2012. Retrieved8 October 2024.
^crimeamusicfest1 (20 October 2011).Crimea Music Fest 2011. Retrieved29 July 2024 – via YouTube.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^"Алла Пугачёва призывает голосовать за Ельцина" [Alla Pugacheva calls for voting for Yeltsin] (in Russian). Расцвет российских СМИ (The rise of Russian media). 14 June 1996.Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved23 July 2022.
Encyclopædia Britannica repeats a claim on its features website that Pugacheva has sold around 250 million records. Other internet sources claim figures from 75 million to 250 million records. TheTrack Music,Ampex andMelodiya labels have confirmed the music recording certification of Pugacheva's albums and singles published during the USSR period. Of the albums published after 1991, official certification information is available only about the album “Live in Peace, Country!” from 2003 and "Invitation to Sunset" from 2008.
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