Nikolai Vasilyevich GNATYUK (Ukrainian Mikola Vasilyovich Gnatyuk, September 14, 1952, Nemirovka, Starokonstantinovsky district, Khmelnitsky region, Ukrainian SSR) - Soviet and Ukrainian pop singer. People's Artist of the Ukrainian SSR (1988).
Born into the family of a collective farm chairman and a rural teacher. His mother was a primary school teacher, and became Nikolai’s first teacher.
Graduated from the Rivne Pedagogical Institute (music and pedagogical faculty). He began his creative career in the ensemble “We are Odessa residents.”
While serving in the ranks of the Soviet army, for a year he sang in the ensemble of the 8th Guards Army of the GSVG in Weimar (GDR).
He studied in the studio of the Leningrad Music Hall and at the same time toured with the oldest VIA “Friendship” in the USSR.
The success of an accidental recording with the Rostislav Babich orchestra and his telegenic nature quickly made him a welcome guest in the studios - “The Girl from Apartment 45”, “Wings of Fortune”, “At the Merry Maple Tree”, “If the City is Dancing” sounded from the screen.
In 1978, he won the second competition of Ukrainian pop artists in Zaporozhye.
In 1979, Gnatyuk took third place at the VI All-Union Competition of Variety Artists, this opened the way for him to go abroad.
David Tukhmanov’s song “I’m dancing with you” brings him the Grand Prix of the pop song competition in Dresden, and “Dance on the Drum” by R. Pauls - first place at the Intervision festival in Sopot in 1980.
A year later, Gnatyuk had another super hit - “Bird of Happiness”.
In 1980, he sang briefly with VIA “Malvy”, then with his ensemble “Benefit”, and then with the strong jazz-rock team “Crossword”, with which the first solo record was recorded with translations of French chansons. And again a change of groups: the State Variety Orchestra under the direction of A. Anufrienko, VIA "Mriya", its own ensemble "Prazdnik".
Later, in a television interview with D. Gordon, Nikolai Gnatyuk told a story that happened to him in Sopot. Then Alla Pugacheva (the prima donna of the Soviet stage) headed the jury of the competition, while pushing through her candidacy, and Gnatyuk simply decided to remove her. The method used was simple: she invited Nikolai to a party in a restaurant on the eve of the competition performance. But the guy was no slouch: he left the hall through the back door and straight into the hotel, then went down from the room and told the receptionist that he was going for a walk, and he slipped back into the room and locked himself. There he slept peacefully, and at this time the prima donna raised everyone to their feet in search of Gnatyuk. But to no avail. The next day, Gnatyuk performed very successfully, which upset his ill-wishers.
In 1985, Gnatyuk’s second album was released with songs by Evgeny Shiryaev, recorded with the Tashkent VIA “Labyrinth”. By that time, the excitement around Gnatyuk’s work was fading and he, rarely appearing on television screens, gradually lost popularity - his own attempts as a composer did not help.
The era of oblivion and vulgarity on the stage has arrived.
Then the lyrical singers Belov, Obodzinsky, and finally, a few years later, Martynov, quietly left the world of pop music.
But in 1987, he unexpectedly finds his song - Alexander Morozov writes “Crimson Ringing” for him, a year later “White Shutters”.
The second wave of his popularity begins, he is awarded the title of People's Artist of the Ukrainian SSR.
Taking advantage of this, Gnatyuk, with an interval of a year, recorded two long-playing records - “Crimson Ringing” (1988) and “Don’t Leave Me” (1989) and unexpectedly left the Ukrainian stage for several years (for family reasons).
Due to circumstances, he lives in Germany, where his ex-wife and son went).
His return in 1993 was greeted by fans with enthusiasm, and the Ukrainian-language song “Chas rikoyu plive” (“Time floats like a river”), as they say, “went to the people.” The album of the same name (on cassette and CD) was released in the summer of 1996 with the NAK label, marking another return of Gnatyuk to the domestic pop scene.
One of the most melodic songs written during the revival period can be called “Oh, Smereka!” (a type of very slender spruce in the Carpathians). In Transcarpathia this song is considered one of the anthems of the region.
Gnatyuk’s repertoire is almost equally composed of Ukrainian (mostly post-Soviet) and Russian (mostly Soviet) songs.
Gnatyuk recently supplemented the song “Crimson Ring” with the author’s translation of the verse.
Nikolai Gnatyuk is the author or co-author of some songs, but in one of his interviews he admitted that he sometimes puts fictitious names instead of himself (as was the case, for example, with the song “The Thirteenth Train,” where a certain N. Tarasenko was listed as the composer). Several times Gnatyuk performed at concerts with his younger brother.
In some ways, Gnatyuk becomes closer to the work of Mark Bernes and Leonid Utesov, he sings more with his soul, although he keeps his voice at a sufficient level for his age.
Many times Gnatyuk tried to leave the stage forever, but his appearances at benefit performances and gala concerts make the audience empathize again and again, with warmth remembering the best things associated with his songs.
In 2002, Nikolai Gnatyuk was awarded the title “Honorary Citizen of the City of Mogilev” for his great contribution to the development of the national cultures of Belarus and Ukraine.
In life, he often had to answer negatively to the question about family ties with the opera singer, People's Artist of the USSR Dmitry Gnatyuk.
At the age of 47, he entered the missionary department at the Belgorod Theological Seminary. Songs of spiritual content appear in his repertoire. One of the singer’s latest music albums is called “Lord, have mercy,” and the latest version was released with additions called “Lord, save, save.”
(Based on materials from the WIKIPEDIA website)
"RASPIBERY RINGING". Favorites
- Galina (E. Vasilek)
- Bird of Happiness (remake) (A. Pakhmutova – N. Dobronravov)
- Dance on the drum (R. Pauls - A. Voznesensky)
- Hello and goodbye (V. Gamalia - I. Shaferan)
- In the meadows (A. Morozov – A. Poperechny)
- Raspberry ringing (A. Morozov – A. Poperechny)
- White shutters (A. Morozov – A. Poperechny)
- Echoes (A. Morozov – A. Poperechny)
- Kohannya hour (N. Gnatyuk)
- Cherry (N. Gnatyuk – L. Tatarenko)
- Separation (N. Gnatyuk)
- Without you (A. Morozov - D. Davitashvili)
- I ask for your hand (A. Ekimyan - M. Ryabinin)
- If I'm famous (B. Emelyanov - N. Rubtsov)
- Scarlet Dawn (A. Morozov - V. Gin)
- Dad and Mom (V. Dobrynin - M. Ryabinin)
- Birch leaves
- Podillya (N. Gnatyuk – V. Gerasimov)
- The Thirteenth Train (N. Gnatyuk – G. Taranenko)
- Somewhere in the distance
- Long, long (N. Gnatyuk)
- My years
He gained first fame by winning the Ukrainian pop artist competition in Zaporozhye in 1978. This was followed by third place at the VI All-Union Variety Artist Competition in 1979, the Grand Prix at the pop song competition in Dresden and the Intervision festival in Sopot (1980). The artist's popularity peaked at the turn of the 1970s and 80s. During this period, his songs were widely known in the Soviet Union... Read all
He gained first fame by winning the Ukrainian pop artist competition in Zaporozhye in 1978. This was followed by third place at the VI All-Union Variety Artist Competition in 1979, the Grand Prix at the pop song competition in Dresden and the Intervision festival in Sopot (1980). The artist's popularity peaked at the turn of the 1970s and 80s. During this period, his songs such as “The Girl from Apartment 45” (A. Mazhukov - M. Plyatskovsky), “Dance on the Drum” (R. Pauls - A. Voznesensky), “Bird of Happiness” ( Pakhmutova A. - Dobronravov N.), “If the city is dancing” (A. Zhurbin - I. Reznik). A characteristic feature of most of Gnatyuk’s songs were easy, memorable melodies and words. In the first half of the 1980s. the artist worked with many groups, including VIA Malvy, VIA Mriya and the jazz-rock group Crossword. With the latter group he recorded his first solo record (minion), which included translations of French songs. The second EP, including songs by Evgeny Shiryaev and recorded with the participation of the Tashkent group “Labyrinth,” was released in 1985. A new round of popularity for Gnatyuk is associated with the appearance of songs by composer Alexander Morozov in his repertoire. In 1987, Gnatyuk performed “Crimson Ringing” (A. Morozov - A. Poperechny). Soon two giant discs will be released: “Crimson Ringing” and “Don’t Leave Me.” At the turn of the 1980-90s. years Gnatyuk moved to live in Germany and stopped extensive concert activity for several years. His return to Ukraine took place in 1993, when his new song “Chas Rikoyu Plive” gained wide popularity. In 1996, the album of the same name was released on CD. At the end of the 1990s. Gnatyuk dramatically changes the direction of his creative activity. At the age of 47, he entered the missionary department at the Belgorod Theological Seminary. From now on, he perceives all his work as missionary activity. His repertoire is filled with songs of spiritual content. Currently, Gnatyuk rarely appears on television, performing mainly on the radio and with concerts in different cities of Ukraine.
Discography:
Nikolai Gnatyuk and the group “Crossword” (minion, 1980)
Nikolai Gnatyuk and the ensemble “Labyrinth” (minion, 1980)
"Crimson Ring" (1988)
"Don't Leave Me" (1989)
“The Hour of the River Flow” (1996)
Nikolai Vasilievich Gnatyuk. Born on September 14, 1952 in Nemirovka, Starokonstantinovsky district, Khmelnitsky region (Ukrainian SSR). Soviet and Ukrainian pop singer. People's Artist of the Ukrainian SSR (1988).
Nikolai Gnatyuk was born on September 14, 1952 in Nemirovka, Starokonstantinovsky district, Khmelnitsky region (Ukrainian SSR).
My father was the chairman of a collective farm.
Mother is a primary school teacher (she was also Nikolai’s first teacher).
In Soviet times, Nikolai Gnatyuk was rumored to be related to the famous opera singer, People's Artist of the USSR Dmitry Mikhailovich Gnatyuk. However, they are simply namesakes.
From an early age he sang well and took part in amateur performances.
Graduated from the Rivne Pedagogical Institute, music and pedagogical faculty. Then he began performing on stage at VIA "We are Odessa residents".
When it was time to join the army, he himself went to the military registration and enlistment office. He recalled: “I joined the army voluntarily, realizing that the debt to the Motherland must be repaid. He resigned from the ensemble “We are Odessa residents” and ten days later he was already in the unit.” As a musician, he was assigned to a group that performed at dance evenings for the families of Soviet officers. He sang in the ensemble of the 8th Guards Army of the GSVG in the city of Weimar (GDR).
After demobilization, he studied in the studio of the Leningrad Music Hall and at the same time toured with the oldest VIA in the USSR "Friendship".
In the late 1970s he recorded with the Rostislav Babich Orchestra. Then he began to appear regularly on TV. His songs “The Girl from Apartment 45”, “Wings of Fortune”, “At the Merry Maple Tree”, “If the City is Dancing” became hits.
In 1978, Gnatyuk became the winner of the second competition of Ukrainian pop artists in Zaporozhye.
In 1979, Gnatyuk took third place at the VI All-Union Competition of Variety Artists, this opened the way for him to go abroad. And David Tukhmanov’s song “I’m dancing with you” brought him the Grand Prix of the pop song competition in Dresden.
In 1980 he took first place at the Intervision festival in Sopot with the song “Dance on the Drum”. He came up with the idea for the song himself. Gnatyuk said: “At the institute, my classmate taught me to play the drums. I must say, I succeeded quite well in this matter. And when the invitation came to participate in a competition in Sopot, I wanted to show some kind of action on stage. At first I thought of walking on a tightrope, but then I stopped playing the drum. There was no song at all. I accidentally met the director Lyudmila Dubovtseva, who offered to listen to the new compositions of Raymond Pauls. I liked one. , I immediately answered: “About the drum.” Dubovtseva called her friend, the poet Andrei Voznesensky, who suddenly began shouting into the phone: “What a strange topic, why a drum?” But he did write the text, and at my request, Raymond made a long passage, during which I could move from the drum set to the microphone. It was a 100% hit. Over the many years of creativity, I have sung “Dance on the Drum” so many times.”
Nikolay Gnatyuk - Dance on the drum
In 1980, he sang briefly with VIA Malvy.
In 1981, Gnatyuk had another super hit - “Bird of Happiness” (A. Pakhmutova - N. Dobronravov).
He performed with his ensemble “Benefit”, and then with the strong jazz-rock team “Crossword”, with which he recorded his first solo record with translations of French chansons.
Then he performed with the State Pop Orchestra under the direction of A. Anufrienko, VIA "Mriya", VIA "Prazdnik".
In 1985, Gnatyuk’s album was released with songs by Evgeny Shiryaev, recorded with the Tashkent VIA “Labyrinth”.
Since the mid-1980s, his popularity began to decline, and he rarely appeared on television. However, in 1987, he again managed to attract the attention of the public - when Alexander Morozov wrote “Crimson Ring” for him. Next came the composition “White Shutters”.
Nikolay Gnatyuk - Raspberry ringing
In 1988, he was awarded the title of People's Artist of the Ukrainian SSR.
At the end of the 1980s, he recorded two long-playing records - “Crimson Ring” and “Don’t Leave Me.”
In the early 1990s, he went to Germany for several years. When he returned, he recorded the Ukrainian-language song “Chas rikoyu plive” (“Time floats like a river”). An album of the same name was released.
In Ukraine, the song “Oh, Smereka!” became widely popular.
In 1999, at the age of 47, he entered the missionary department at the Belgorod Theological Seminary. He explained: “I was just in church, and the priest suggested: “You urgently need to enter the seminary.” Then I had a vision: I walked past the temple and saw St. Joasaph of Belgorod in the window. At first I thought it seemed. But the next day everything It happened again. I never finished the seminary - I left after the second year. But the time spent there made me look at the world differently. This spiritual search is my “bird of happiness.”
Songs of spiritual content appeared in his repertoire. He released the album “Lord, have mercy”, and then “Lord, save, preserve”. The latest album includes songs based on poems by Vadim Krischenko: Vera (music by Gnatyuk), Pochaev, Monks, Small Motherland, Time of Repentance (by Hieromonk Roman), Xenia the Blessed (arranged by Gnatyuk), Raspberry Ringing, Ave Maria (words by Gnatyuk), and a song about Saint Nicholas (music and lyrics by Gnatyuk). The recording was released by the Holy Dormition Pochaev Lavra.
In 2002, Nikolai Gnatyuk was awarded the title “Honorary Citizen of the City of Mogilev” for his great contribution to the development of the national cultures of Belarus and Ukraine.
Socio-political position of Nikolai Gnatyuk
Nikolai Gnatyuk took the events of 2014 and the worsening relations between Ukraine and Russia extremely painfully. He considers the events in Donbass a civil war, which he accused the media of Ukraine and the West of inciting.
And yesterday I arrived in Sumy and everything went: Russia attacked, Russia occupied, Russian tanks, battalions of paratroopers and marines, the Ukrainian Armed Forces successfully repelled an attack by 100 tanks of the Kantemirovskaya Tank Brigade, the brigade was captured. Conscription, war - what can I say? Cheap propaganda, our media are deceiving the Ukrainian people. “I can confidently say that the media of Ukraine and the West are guilty of inciting the civil war in Ukraine.”
Nikolai Gnatyuk's height: 165 centimeters.
Personal life of Nikolai Gnatyuk:
Was married. The wife's name was Natalya, she worked as a journalist and planned to become an actress. We met when Natalya interviewed Nikolai. Cosmonaut Georgy Grechko became his matchmaker. Gnatyuk recalled: “We met on the set. He invited me to a restaurant. And I was just getting ready to go to court! Grechko grabbed the box of apples he had brought, and we went to Natalya. She was already pregnant, and I was ready for a family nest.”
In 1983, the couple had a son, Alexander.
Family life did not work out due to the fact that Gnatyuk devoted himself entirely to creativity. “Natalya did not understand that she had to stand shoulder to shoulder with her husband, experiencing hardships and joys together. She behaved differently,” he explained.
After the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Natalya emigrated to Germany with her son. There she teaches dancing.
The son graduated from the University of Munich.
Nikolai Gnatyuk often visits his son in Germany. According to him, he did not remarry precisely because of his son. There was a period when he began to drink, but thanks to his son he stopped: “I couldn’t come to him in that state, so I stopped in time.”
Discography of Nikolai Gnatyuk:
1980 - Nikolai Gnatyuk and the group “Crossword” (mini-album)
1980 - Nikolai Gnatyuk and the ensemble “Labyrinth” (mini-album)
1981 - Dance on the drum
1988 - Raspberry ringing
1989 - Don't Leave Me
1996 - Hour of the river
2005 - Lord, save, save
2006 - Znov
2011 - Golden album
Filmography of Nikolai Gnatyuk:
1984 - Inheritance - singer, in a restaurant
The name of Soviet pop star Nikolai Gnatyuk is known to many. A tall, cheerful young man with a shock of curly hair (this image of him can be seen in photos of past years), a perky smile and a ringing voice literally blew up the stage from the very first moments.
https://youtu.be/Yv4TnwSyl2w
Songs from his repertoire (“Dance on the Drum”, “Bird of Happiness”) were sung by everyone in the 80s. Until now, the artist, who has already received the title of People's Artist, is popular. Of course, fans of his work are interested in his biography and the personal life of Nikolai Gnatyuk. This will be discussed below.
The artist's childhood and youth
The biography of Nikolai Gnatyuk began in 1952. The singer’s birthplace was Ukraine, Khmelnitsky region, the village of Nemirovka. From the very beginning of his life he showed a desire to sing. Although it is not clear who his singing talent was: his mother worked as a primary school teacher, his father held an important position in the village - the chairman of a collective farm. The boy sang everywhere: at school, at home, on the street. His parents sent him to a music school, where he learned the basics of musical literacy and vocals.
In the photo of his childhood, a funny and mischievous boy diligently sits at the instrument and plays music. Later, when Kolya grew up, he joined the vocal ensemble “We are Odessa residents.”
Nikolai Gnatyuk in his youthAfter graduating from school, the young man, without thinking twice, since he had long ago chosen the type of activity in life for himself, entered the pedagogical institute at the music department in Rivne.
After studying at the university was behind him, the young man was called up to serve in the ranks of the Soviet Army. The resilient young man sang there too, as part of a soldier’s ensemble. His service took place in Germany in the city of Weimar.
The beginning of a creative career
Upon returning from the army, Nikolai settled in St. Petersburg, where he could take lessons in a music hall studio. At the same time, he entered the vocal and instrumental ensemble “Druzhba”. The team toured extensively throughout the country and abroad.
Nikolai Gnatyuk in his youth In the late seventies, Nikolai was lucky: he made several recordings with an orchestra conducted by R. Babich. Soon, thanks to his personal charm and beautiful voice, Nikolai Gnatyuk became a frequent guest on television. The songs performed by him became hits:
- “The girl from apartment forty-five”:
- “At the Merry Maple Tree”;
- "If the city is dancing";
- “Wings of Fortune”, etc.
But the singer gained the greatest popularity in his creative biography after participating in a pop song competition in Dresden. There he received the high Grand Prix award.
Before that, in his life there was a victory at the Ukrainian singing competition and third place at the All-Union. In the photo from the competition, Nikolai looks very young, a little skinny, but happy.
Peak of popularity
The artist decided not to stop there, but took part in the Intervision festival in Sopot, which took place in 1980. And again - victory! The song “Dance on the Drum” by composer Raimond Pauls brought the singer unprecedented popularity. A cheerful, catchy, rhythmic melody, a melodic chorus and, of course, the performer’s unique voice made this song a real hit. In the eighties, it was played endlessly in discos, young people and older people danced to the beat of the melody.
Famous musician on stage Nikolai told in one interview an interesting story that happened to him at a competition in Sopot. For some reason, the prima donna of the Soviet stage “had a grudge” against the aspiring singer and tried in every possible way to prevent his victory at this competition. Before an important tour, she invited Nikolai to a party in a restaurant and tried to get her rival drunk. However, he was not a fool; he quietly ran away from Pugacheva, left the restaurant by the back door, returned to the hotel and got a good night’s sleep before the performance.
The next song that brought good luck to the singer was “Bird of Happiness” by Alexandra Pakhmutova. It is still performed by various singers and groups.
In general, all the songs of this talented composer based on the poems of her husband Nikolai Dobronravov are successful and famous. But this song, especially performed by Nikolai Gnatyuk, sounds simply amazing. She has optimism, humor, youthful enthusiasm.
The singer often performed these songs on television and recorded discs. For a short time he sang with the group “Malva”, then he created his own group, which was called “Benefit”. Then, with the group “Crossword,” I recorded several French songs in Russian translation on a disc.
N. Gnatyuk is the author of many popular songs In the mid-eighties, Gnatyuk’s second disc was recorded with the Labyrinth group. It featured songs by composer E. Shiryaev, and Nikolai also began to compose songs himself. But gradually the excitement around the talent of this singer began to gradually subside. To support Nikolai, the popular composer A. Morozov wrote the song “Crimson Ring” for him. It worked, the soulful, quiet melody and heartfelt lyrics resonated with the listeners, and the second wave of popularity began for the singer.
Then Morozov gave Gnatyuk his second song, “White Shutters,” which was also a success with Russian listeners. Touching poems about his father's house, a melody that brings tears to tears, made this song performed by Gnatyuk another hit. The soulful song he performed, “Don’t Leave Me,” was also a success.
Return to the Russian stage
At the peak of his popularity, the singer suddenly disappears from the stage and goes abroad for several years. The reason for this is family circumstances; he lived with his wife in Germany for several years.
Nikolai returned to the Russian stage in 1993 with a song in his native language, “Time floats like a river.” Of course, fans happily greeted the return of their favorite singer. Later, Nikolai’s disc was recorded, which included the song “Oh, Seven!”, popular in Ukraine.
With Natalya Varleya Unexpectedly for many, Gnatyuk converted to the Orthodox faith and even entered a theological seminary. At this time, songs about faith, about God, and prayer appeared in his repertoire. These are the songs of Hieromonk Roman, as well as Nikolai’s own songs.
In 1980, Gnatyuk was awarded the title of Honored Artist of Ukraine. Eight years later he becomes People's Artist. The singer is also an honorary citizen of the city of Mogilev. He was awarded the Order of F. Skorina for his contribution to the development of Belarusian-Ukrainian relations.
Nikolay Gnatyuk on the radio Personal life
The personal life of Nikolai Gnatyuk interests fans no less than his biography. Many people are concerned about the question: is he a relative of People’s Artist Dmitry Gnatyuk. This can be answered in the negative.
Admirers of the singer's talent noticed some changes in his appearance in the photo. Nikolai became sadder and more thoughtful. There was a small hint left from the lush hair. What's the matter, what happened in the singer's life? After all, changes in the soul always lead to changes in a person’s appearance.
With son Oles In the last few years, Nikolai experienced a personal tragedy, which ultimately led him to believe in God. His only loved one and support in life was his wife.
Nikolai met Natalya (that was the name of the singer’s only wife) when she interviewed him. She was an attractive girl, and also highly intelligent.
Cosmonaut Georgy Grechko introduced Gnatyuk to his wife The singer fell in love, but did not know how to become closer to her. He had great shyness in his youth. The famous cosmonaut Grechko helped him with a personal problem. In a restaurant, the singer accidentally revealed his soul to him, and he immediately got up and went to Natalya as a matchmaker, buying a box of apples along the way.
Nikolay Gnatyuk today So, thanks to the participation of the astronaut, the young people got married. The marriage produced a son, Oles, and the couple were happy. But after the Chernobyl accident, the wife hastily decided to leave for Germany. Nikolai hurried after his beloved wife and son, giving up his successful singing career. But for an unknown reason, the marriage broke up in the 90s. This plunged Nikolai into deep depression, he returned to Russia, but sometimes the singer still comes to Germany to see his son.
https://youtu.be/rhM-iCsvOsw
“DRUMMER” NIKOLAY GNATYUK
Hearing the name of this performer, most music lovers will immediately remember the famous “Smereka”, “Bird of Happiness” and “Crimson Ringing”. Although some of the singer’s fans prefer such hits as “Galina” and “Chas Rikoyu Plive.” Some will remember with nostalgia “Dance on the Drum”, “The Girl from Apartment 45”, “If the City Dances”. In short, everyone will love some hit from the talented and charismatic Nikolai Gnatyuk. Nikolay does not welcome statuses invented by the press like “star”, “recognized master”, “stage legend”, “pop classic”. He has his own explanation of popular love and popularity: “God gave it, so it became...”.
14 kilometers to the dream
This simple rural boy was lucky enough to see different countries in his life, gather concert halls, perform on the same stage with the best performers of the country, pass the test of popularity, first succumb to temptations, but then still find the strength in himself not to be on the sidelines 
life and creativity.
Born in the small village of Nemirovka in the Khmelnytsky region in 1952. The boy demonstrated his vocal talent from early childhood, so his parents sent him to study at school in the city of Starokonstantinov, which is seven kilometers from his home village. Nikolai had to walk 14 km through marshy areas every day in order to be able to study at a school with a music class. At 6:00, to the sounds of the anthem on the radio, Kolya got up not at all joyful, because he had a difficult journey to school. Often the bus passed by the children, and they had to walk to the city in any weather.
"Serious" preparation
The desire to become a singer Nikolai Gnatyuk did not form and strengthen immediately. Although he sang from the age he can remember, at first he dreamed of becoming an actor. A childhood friend even began to “prepare” him for this by training him in boxing so that the future artist would not be frail. Together the children learned poems by Vladimir Sosyura and Maxim Rylsky. Nikolai was looking forward to the start of the admission campaign to the Kiev Institute of Theater Arts named after Karpenko-Kary. Arriving in the capital, Gnatyuk received a brochure from the educational institution with important information about the institute. He took it and leafed through it, 
and something happened in the soul of the young applicant - either some doubts came over him, or he didn’t like the intonation of the woman from the admissions committee, but Nikolai’s firm intention to prepare for admission disappeared. Going out into the street, he realized that he would not study at this institute.
The future performer was not at a loss, got on the train and went to Rivne. There, at the music pedagogical institute, his father had a teacher he knew, who several years ago suggested that the talented young man enroll there. The applicants there turned out to be seriously prepared; they all came from music schools, not schools like . Next to them he felt like a boy. But the situation was saved by chance - one of the commission members asked Gnatyuk if he could sing something. Here he had no equal! The examiners immediately agreed to accept such a vocal guy. Although he entered the institute as if “in advance,” he later became equal in level of knowledge with his more experienced classmates.
Odessa chant
For the first time he appeared on the professional stage in Odessa. There, having heard his clear voice, they immediately invited him to be a soloist in the “We are Odessans” orchestra. There were some incidents during the first performance. While singing in the dressing room before the concert, Nikolai heard from one of the artists 
boorish “request” to shut up, but continued the vocalization as if nothing had happened. Then a colleague on stage came up and hit him in the face. Nikolay Gnatyuk I had to go out to the audience beaten, but with prepared vocal cords.
With this Odessa group, the singer traveled to many cities in the country, and then decided to join the army. He was sent to serve in the GDR and, as a musician, was assigned to a group that performed at discos for families from the USSR. Over time, Nikolai began to notice that people began to come not just to dance to his songs, but to listen to them. So his confidence in his abilities and the belief that he could become a real artist began to grow in him.
Leningrad "hazing"
After the army in life Nikolai Gnatyuk there was the Leningrad Music Hall, work in many musical ensembles, among which was the legendary group of Alexander Bronevitsky - VIA “Druzhba”. There Nikolai had to experience hazing. The ensemble consisted of masters of their craft and they treated Gnatyuk, to put it mildly, not seriously. One day, the singer could not stand the attacks and, pointing to one of the most famous concert halls in the country, said that he would soon have full houses here, and his arrogant colleagues would not even be able to get tickets for his performances. Over time, this happened.
A no less prophetic incident occurred with Nikolay Gnatyuk in Sopot, Poland, when he came there on an excursion with colleagues from the music hall. During a visit to the festival hall, he went on stage and did something there for a long time. When they asked him what he was doing there, Nikolai quite seriously stated that he was rehearsing a solo number at the Sopot Festival. Those present only laughed at the eccentric singer, and a year later he received first prize at a prestigious music competition.
Triumph of Nikolai Gnatyuk
Sopot seemed to Nikolai an unattainable dream; a hit festival in Dresden, Germany seemed much more realistic. At the All-Union Variety Artists Competition in Leningrad, he won the third prize and had the opportunity to communicate with a representative of the Ministry of Culture. The situation was such that at the competition in the GDR, artists from the USSR could not take the main prize. Nikolai plucked up courage and told the official from the Ministry of Culture that he knew what to do, 
to bring such a desired victory to the USSR. He looked at the singer skeptically, but something still touched him in the words of the young performer. As a result, Gnatyuk was sent to a festival in Germany.
Arriving in Dresden, he discovered that the notes sent by mail had not arrived. Two rehearsal days had already ended, and they still weren’t there. Then Nikolai found Georgy Garanyan, who came to the competition with his ensemble, and began to beg him to write an arrangement. The famous saxophonist did not promise anything, but the next morning he brought the sheet music. The festival organizers were at a loss when Nikolai tried to rehearse the song with the orchestra, performing something unintelligible. In the evening, in front of the public, Gnatyuk showed the full breadth of his talent, presenting David Tukhmanov’s song “I’m dancing with you.” It was a real victory! Although the singer himself was not ready for it. In the morning, his songs were played on all radio channels, and in his pocket was a bonus of 3,000 marks.
Fate Drum
At a banquet celebrating the victory of the Soviet Union in the competition Nikolay Gnatyuk the director of the festival in Sopot approached and asked if he would refuse to come to Poland next year. Of course, the singer did not refuse, this was his dream! And a little later, a letter from the organizers came to the USSR central television 
festival with a recommendation to send to the competition exactly Nikolai Gnatyuk. But the singer had nothing to go to Sopot - there was no suitable song in his repertoire. For three days he wandered around the park near the television center in Moscow until he came to the image in which he would like to perform. He remembered that during his student years he worked part-time at weddings as a drummer in an orchestra, so he decided to make the drum the highlight of his future act. And then a representative of the composer called Nikolai and offered to listen to several melodies. The singer easily found the ideal option for himself, although there was no text for this composition yet. Andrei Voznesensky was asked to write the words for the song, and although at first he did not understand the idea with the drum, he complied with the request.
The way to yourself
After winning the Sopot festival, he became an all-Union celebrity with all the ensuing “consequences” - tours, concerts, crowds of fans, periods of incredible ups and creative stagnations, all kinds of temptations, star fever and alcohol. All this happened in the singer’s life... 
But one day after a concert in Drohobych, Nikolai met a priest who unexpectedly said that he needed to enter the theological academy and blessed the singer for this. Later, while in Belgorod, Nikolai told Bishop John about this meeting, and he also gave him his blessing. The performer entered a seminary in Belgorod and studied in absentia for two years. The singer took this seriously, studied spiritual literature, but he was not good at written work, and in the third year of his studies he decided to take a break, which dragged on for several years. He doesn’t regret it, because he understood and corrected a lot in his life, and began to look at a lot of things with different eyes. Now he doesn’t want the wild popularity he dreamed of as a child; on the contrary, Nikolai likes it when people don’t recognize him on the street. The singer decided that he no longer needed to appear on television, and fans could always hear him at concerts or buy a recording of his music.
He is not very willing to share details of his personal life. After the festival in Sopot, he married dancer Natalia. She gave birth to his son, and after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the singer decided to take the child for examination to Germany. Several months passed, Nikolai arrived in Kyiv, but his wife did not want to return to her homeland and stayed abroad with the child. The singer often came to see his son, they have an excellent relationship, but he never married a second time. Nikolai says that he has not yet met the woman in whose eyes he would see a kindred spirit.
FACTS
Everyone in the class got used to Gnatyuk’s tardiness and knew that if he wasn’t there yet, it meant he was stuck somewhere on the road. But how ashamed the boy was then to appear 
in the classroom with clothes stained with dirt, while other children sat in their ironed and starched uniforms. Years later, fate seemed to compensate him for his childhood deprivations, giving him the opportunity to choose any clothes for himself.
He calls his most severe critic the Ukrainian public, which cannot be deceived by false performances and insincerity. Now the singer considers it his duty to help people escape from the dullness of everyday life, to give listeners hope and positive emotions, the strength not to despair and faith in their capabilities.
Updated: April 7, 2019 by: Elena