- Full name – Ruslana Stepanivna Lyzhychko
- Date of birth – May 24, 1973
- City – Lviv (Ukraine)
- Language – Ukrainian, English
- Activity – singer, composer, pianist, conductor, producer, actress
- Genre – pop-rock, dance-pop, electronica, folk
History of the artist's development
Ruslana (Ruslana Lyzhychko) – Ukrainian singer, musician, conductor, producer, public figure. The hometown of the star of the Ukrainian stage is Lviv. Ruslana from an early age showed a special love for music – she studied piano, sang in the choir and joined various creative groups. While studying at school, she performed in the Orion band, and later became part of the Usmeshka children's ensemble. After graduating from music school, the future artist entered the M. Lysenko Lviv Conservatory, where she chose the conducting department.
There, Ruslana attended composition lessons with Myroslav Skoryk, studied conducting with Mykola Kolessa and Yuriy Lutsiv, improved her vocal skills in Larisa Buzhko's group, and mastered the piano with Yuriy Bon. She completed her studies, earning a degree in "Symphony Orchestra Conductor".
Creative Path
Ruslana took her first steps in her professional career in 1993, when she made her competitive debut and won the Chervona Ruta-93 festival. The following year, together with her producer and future husband Alexander Ksenofontov, she created the studio "Luxen". For two years, the artist worked in the field of radio advertising and dubbing commercials, gaining experience.
1997 was marked by bright achievements. Ruslana won the "Tavria Games" and released her first video clip for the song "You". In the same year, she organized the show "Christmas with Ruslana", which included a concert, a television program and the animated film "The Ballad of the Princess". For her contribution to the development of culture, the singer received the title of "Outstanding Lviv Woman of the Year". The first great success and popularity came with the release of the album "A Moment of Spring". However, the album "Wild Dances" (2003) brought real recognition.
In 2004, Ruslana conquered Eurovision with the song Wild Dances - incredible charisma, leadership qualities, unique style and powerful performances ensured victory and world recognition. After that, the singer continued to develop her creativity and give concerts for fans. And in 2011 she became a coach of the show "Voice of the Country". Two years later, the star again impressed a wide audience in the project "Battle of Choirs", where the wards of the artists (Lviv choir) won.
Unique style
Ruslana is known for her constant search and bold experiments with musical styles. The uniqueness of her work lies in the harmonious combination of modern pop and rock styles with ethnic motifs of the Carpathians. Such a mix makes Ruslana's music energetic, authentic and relevant.
The artist has always remained true to her image - long dark hair has become part of the star's recognizable style. Only for participation in certain projects did Ruslana try on wigs, demonstrating other images, in particular, fans could see the idol as a blonde.
Ruslana's stage costumes are always distinguished by their brightness and often contain elements of the Ukrainian national costume. The artist's performances are always marked by energy, drive and genuine expression. And tours become a real holiday for fans who can hear their favorite hits performed live.
Social activity
In addition to music, Ruslana is actively involved in social and cultural initiatives. The singer supports children's and environmental projects, organizes environmental actions. She also campaigns at the global level. One of the most significant was Not For Sale - an international initiative against human trafficking.
Ruslana took an active part in the Orange Revolution and the Euromaidan events, where she performed with songs and speeches. In 2014, the singer launched an international campaign to protect Ukraine's image in the world. During the year, the artist met with leading world politicians. Among them are US Vice President Joe Biden, Senators John McCain and Chris Murphy, the head of the European Council Donald Tusk and others.
The singer's discography:
- “A Moment of Spring. "The Wind That Sings" (1998);
- "The Last Christmas of the 90s" (1999);
- "The Best" (2001);
- "Good Evening, To You..." (2002);
- "Wild Dances" (2003);
- Wild Dances (2004);
- Club'in (2005);
- "Amazon" (2008);
- Wild Energy (2008);
- "My Brother! (Together!)” (2013);
- “We are the wind” (EP) (2020).
Awards and distinctions:
- diploma of the pop music competition at the All-Ukrainian festival “Chervona Ruta”;
- Grand Prix of the V International Arts Festival “Slavic Bazaar”;
- winner of the “Tavriyski igri” festival in the nomination “Best Singer of the Year 97”;
- “Platinum” disc for the album “Wild Dances” from the Independent Association of Recording Companies;
- Main prize of the internationalth Eurovision Song Contest 2004;
- World Music Awards in Las Vegas (as the Ukrainian artist who sold the largest number of albums in the world);
- Macedonia's The Best 13 in the Best European Singer nomination;
- M1 Music Awards in the "Contribution to the Ukrainian Music Industry" nomination and others.
Interesting facts about the singer:
- The song "I Know" became the first music video that was specially filmed and edited for showing on the big screens of modern cinemas;
- An incident occurred during the dress rehearsal of the Eurovision final - the stage made of super-strong glass could not withstand the dance of Ruslana and her ballet and cracked. The organizers had to urgently strengthen the coating;
- in 2004, the artist made a real breakthrough - she was the first to combine vocal performance with dynamic, difficult-to-breathe choreography. After Ruslana won the competition, more and more participants began to turn to ethnic sounds and folk motifs;
- the star always maintains excellent physical shape - sports have become an integral part of her life. The artist actively trains and monitors her health;
- the singer was included in the list of 36 Ukrainian women whose images inspired the creation of the national series of dolls "Barbie: Ladies of Ukraine", becoming one of the recognizable symbols of this collection.
