Edita Stanislavovna Piekha is a famous Soviet and Russian singer and actress - Polish by nationality, whose childhood was spent in France. The peculiar accent with which the artist speaks and sings gave her image a special chic and mysteriousness, thanks to which the singer quickly gained popularity. And the songs performed by Edita Piekha entered the golden fund of the Soviet and Russian stage.
Biography and career
Edith-Marie Pieha was born on July 31, 1937 in the French mining town of Nual-sous-Lance. Her father, Stanislav Piekha, was a miner, and her mother, Felicia Korolevska, worked as a school teacher. When the girl was 4 years old, her dad died of silicosis. Mother soon remarried and in 1946 young Edita Piekha moved to Poland with her mother and stepfather. There, the future singer studied at the Walbrzych State Pedagogical School, graduated with honors in 1955 with a degree in Russian.
In the same year she was sent to continue her studies at the Leningrad State University. There she studied psychology and languages, and also participated in student concerts as a vocalist. She was invited by the Soviet composer Alexander Bronevitsky to perform with his group "Friendship" on the popular TV program on December 31, 1955. Edita instantly became a celebrity in the Soviet Union with the popular Polish song Autobus Czerwony (Red Bus), written by the famous composer Vladislav Shpilman. Then she left the university and entered the Leningrad Conservatory, where she studied singing and acting.
World fame came to Edita Piekha after her performances at the Moscow International Festival of Youth and Students in 1957. There she sang in several languages such as French, Polish, German and Russian, and performed in front of an international audience from 130 countries. After the festival, Piekha and the Druzhba ensemble released several LPs of their songs. In the 1950s-1970s, Druzhba, together with its soloist, was one of the most popular folk groups in the USSR.
In 1972, Edita Piekha with the Druzhba ensemble performed during cultural programs at the XX Summer Olympic Games in Munich, Germany. In 1976, the singer parted ways with the ensemble and Alexander Bronevitsky and formed her own group, continuing a successful tour and career in the Soviet Union. At that time, Piekha was one of the few Soviet actresses who could freely travel abroad with concerts. She has toured around the world since the 1960s and has performed in over 40 countries around the world. In the 1960s and 1980s, she had over 30 concert tours in East Germany alone.
Edita Piekha was awarded the title of People's Artist of the USSR and received an order for her contribution to the culture of the country. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, she remained a popular performer in Russia and the countries of the former USSR. In recent years, Edita Piekha has held her annual series of concerts at the White Nights festival in St. Petersburg. There, in July 2007, she celebrated her 70th birthday with grandiose performances, which were a real sold-out. In addition, in the jubilee year, the singer held a solo concert at the State Kremlin Palace.
Personal life
Edita Piekha was married three times. Her first husband was A. Bronevitsky, composer and director of the Druzhba ensemble. In this union, the daughter of Ilona was born. Now she works as a TV presenter, artist and entertainer. Edita Stanislavovna has a grandson - the popular singer Stas Piekha, as well as a granddaughter - Eric Bystrov, who works as a designer.
The second husband of the singer was the champion of the Khabarovsk Territory in middle distance running GI Shestakov. This marriage lasted from 1976 to 1983. In 1994, Edita Stanislavovna married for the third time to V. P. Polyakov. This union lasted 12 years. Currently, the singer lives in her country villa in St. Petersburg.
