Ruslana Lyzhychko
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Ruslana Stepanivna Lyzhychko ( uk, Руслана Степанівна Лижичко, ''Ruslana Lyzhychko''; born 24 May 1973), known mononymously as Ruslana, is a World Music Award and
Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...
winning recording artist, holding the title of People's Artist of Ukraine. She is also a former MP serving as deputy in the
Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...
parliament ( Verkhovna Rada) for the Our Ukraine Party. Ruslana was the
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador is an official postnominal honorific title, title of authority, legal status and job description assigned to those goodwill ambassadors and advocates who are designated by the United Nations. The United Nations Intern ...
in Ukraine in 2004-2005. She is recognized as the most successful Ukrainian female solo artist internationally and was included in the top 10 most influential women of 2013 by the Forbes magazine. The U.S. Secretary of State honored her with the
International Women of Courage Award The International Women of Courage Award, also referred to as the U.S. Secretary of State's International Women of Courage Award, is an American award presented annually by the United States Department of State to women around the world who have ...
in March, 2014. She has been named an honorary citizen of her hometown Lviv and was nominated to receive the title Hero of Ukraine. She is a singer, songwriter, producer, musical conductor, multi-instrumentalist, dancer, voice actress and social activist. She writes, composes and produces her own songs and music videos. Since 28 December 1995 she has been married to
Oleksandr Ksenofontov Oleksandr Ksenofontov (or Xenophontov) ( uk, Олександр Ксенофонтов) (born 14 April 1968) is a Ukrainian record producer and lyricist. He is the husband of the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2004, Ruslana. Ksenofontov ...
, a Ukrainian record producer. Together they have run the company ''Luxen Studio'' since 1993, producing radio and film trailers. Ruslana was the first artist from the former Soviet Union to officially receive a platinum disc, her '' Dyki tantsi'' album selling more than 170,000 copies in the first 100 days after its release. This album is the best selling
Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...
album to date, together with its English version, more than 500,000 copies being sold solely in Ukraine. She won the
2004 Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest 2004 was the 49th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Istanbul, Turkey, following the country's victory at the with the song "Everyway That I Can" by Sertab Erener. Organised by the European Broa ...
with the song "
Wild Dances "Wild Dances" is a single by Ukrainian singer-songwriter Ruslana. The song, representing , won the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 held in Istanbul with a score of 280 points. A Ukrainian-language version called "Dyki tantsi" () was released in Russ ...
" receiving 280 points, which at that time was a record of points. Following her victory, she rose to fame in Europe and became one of the biggest pop stars from the Eastern part of the continent. Her winning song "Wild Dances" dominated the European charts for 97 weeks peaking at number one in Belgium for 10 consecutive weeks. Her Eurovision winning song was included on the official compilation album called ''The Very Best of Eurovision'' celebrating the 60th anniversary of the contest. Her repertoire includes songs performed mainly in
Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...
and English, but she also recorded cover versions in Spanish and Latin languages.


Early life

Ruslana was born on 24 May 1973 in Lviv, Ukraine to
Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...
father Stepan Lyzhychko and Russian mother Nina Sapegina. She was raised in the Lviv Oblast ( province). Encouraged by her mother, Ruslana studied from the age of four at an experimental musical school and sang in different bands, including in the vocal-instrumental band Horizon, the band Orion and the children's ensemble Usmishka (Smile). With Usmishka, Ruslana performed at a large concert in the Druzhba Stadium in 1989. One of the headlining acts of that concert was
Vasyl Zinkevych Vasyl Ivanovych Zinkevych ( uk, Васи́ль Іва́нович Зінке́вич; born 1 May 1945) is a Soviet and Ukrainian singer, actor, dancer and costume designer. Alongside Nazariy Yaremchuk, Sofia Rotaru and Volodymyr Ivasyuk, Zinkev ...
, People's Artist of the Ukrainian SSR, who noticed her talent. At the end of the concert, Zinkevych asked her to come on stage and declared in front of an audience of 15,000 spectators: "Remember this young singer, your compratiot. You will see: she will definitely become a real star." After finishing secondary school, Ruslana entered the Lviv Conservatory where she graduated as a classical pianist and symphonic orchestra conductor in 1995.


Musical career


Early career

Ruslana started her career as the winner of the
Slavianski Bazaar The International Festival of Arts “Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk” ( be, Міжнародны фестываль мастацтваў «Славянскі базар у Віцебску», uk, Міжнародний фестиваль мист ...
song competition in Vitebsk, Belarus in 1996 with the song ''Oj, letili dyki husi''. In the same year, she was among the nominees for the Ukrainian Singer of the Year award and the video for ''Dzvinkyi Viter'' (''Wind Bells'') was awarded Music Video of the Year. Since her early career, Ruslana's producer was Oleksandr Ksenofontov, whom she married in 1995. In 1997, Ruslana began working on ''Christmas with Ruslana'' – the first
L'viv Lviv ( uk, Львів) is the largest city in western Ukraine, and the seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is one of the main cultural centres of Ukraine ...
Christmas television project of an All-Ukrainian scale including the video clip ''Ballad of a Princess'' which was the first animated music video made by a
Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...
singer. Her first album ''
Myt Vesny – Dzvinkyi Viter ''Мить весни. Дзвінкий вітер'' ( uk, In an instant of spring. Sonorous wind) (1998) is the debut studio album by Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainian ...
'' (''A Moment of Spring – Wind Bells''), released in 1998, received high praise from the critics. Still, wider recognition did not come until 1998 with the song ''Svitanok'' (''Sunrise'') and the album ''Myt' Vesny – Dzvinkyj Viter Live''. ''Svitanok'' was the first Ukrainian big-budget music video. In 1998, Ruslana was awarded Person of the Year, the song ''Svitanok'' was awarded Song of the Year and its accompanying music video was awarded Music Video of the Year. In the second half of 1998, she organized a charity tour which had the aim of raising funds for the restoration of the old castles from Western Ukraine. The tour was a success and thanks to Ruslana's efforts, the Zolochiv Castle was restored. In 1999, she worked on the Christmas musical ''Ostanne rizdvo 90th'' (''The Last Christmas of the 90s''), which won the Ukrainian ''Movie of the Year'' award. With the video clip to the song ''Znaju ya'' (''I Know''), which is about the ancient people of the Hutsuls living in the
Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...
Carpathians, Ruslana set new standards for modern video clip filming.


Education

In 1995, Ruslana graduated from the Lviv Conservatory as professional conductor and classical pianist. She was the student of one of the most prominent
Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...
composers and conductors, Mykola Kolessa who is regarded as 'the father of the Ukrainian conducting school'. She used to be a part of the student choir of the Lviv Music Academy.


2004: Wild Dances Project and Eurovision victory


Wild Dances Project

Ruslana's father is from the West-Ukrainian area of the Hutsuls, the dwellers of the Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains. They have a unique culture with an ancient and rich history that inspired Ruslana to create her concept album ''Wild Dances''. It combines powerful and permeating ethnic drums, trumpet sounds of the
trembita The trembita (from the old Germanic ''trumba'', "to trumpet") is an alpine horn made of wood. It is common among Ukrainian highlanders Hutsuls who live in western Ukraine, eastern Poland, Slovakia, and northern Romania. In Poland it is known as ...
, an ancient Hutsul music instrument, with modern dance beats. The album was composed by Ruslana after an expedition to the
Carpathian Mountains The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians () are a range of mountains forming an arc across Central Europe. Roughly long, it is the third-longest European mountain range after the Urals at and the Scandinavian Mountains at . The range stretches ...
in spring 2003. The album ''Dyki Tantsi'' (''Wild Dances'') was released in June 2003 in Ukraine. The album sold more than 170,000 copies in the first 100 days after its release, even without a supporting tour. Together with its English language counterpart it was the first album ever to be certified five times platinum in Ukraine, selling more than 500,000 copies, making it the most successful album in Ukraine ever.


Eurovision Song Contest 2004

Ruslana was internally selected by the NTU to represent Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest 2004. Before the contest, she was a hot favorite for victory by the bookmakers. At the Eurovision Song Contest 2004, she performed her self-composed song, ''
Wild Dances "Wild Dances" is a single by Ukrainian singer-songwriter Ruslana. The song, representing , won the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 held in Istanbul with a score of 280 points. A Ukrainian-language version called "Dyki tantsi" () was released in Russ ...
'' and won the contest receiving 280 points. In the semifinal, the song received points from all other participating countries; in the final, Switzerland was the only country not giving any points to the song. The single ''Wild Dances'' stayed a total of 97 weeks in various European single charts. It was certified gold in Belgium, Sweden, Russia, Greece, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In Belgium, it topped the singles charts at #1 for 10 consecutive weeks. Also in Ukraine and Greece, the song peaked at #1. The English language album ''Wild Dances'' was released in many European countries in the autumn of 2004. In Las Vegas she received the World Music Award as best selling Ukrainian artist. After her victory Ruslana was appointed advisor to the Ukrainian prime minister, and the Ukrainian president bestowed upon her one of the country's highest honors when she received the title of People's Artist of Ukraine. In Belgium she was among the top 15 ranked performers with her singles "
Wild Dances "Wild Dances" is a single by Ukrainian singer-songwriter Ruslana. The song, representing , won the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 held in Istanbul with a score of 280 points. A Ukrainian-language version called "Dyki tantsi" () was released in Russ ...
" and "
Dance with the Wolves "Dance with the Wolves" is a song from Ukrainian singer Ruslana’s fifth studio album ''Wild Dances'', and was released on 11 January 2005. Two music videos were made for the song. During the shootings, Ruslana had to be in a cage with wild w ...
". Ruslana was named the most popular person in Belgium, the sexiest girl in Greece, the most influential public person in Ukraine and was the first foreigner to receive the award of the Federation of Journalists in Turkey.


2005

Ruslana had been initially chosen to host the semi-final and the grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2005. However, the singer had to decline the offer due to her involvement in the organization of a big charity concert dedicated to the victims of the
Chernobyl disaster The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the No. 4 reactor in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, near the city of Pripyat in the north of the Ukrainian SSR in the Soviet Union. It is one of only two nuc ...
. Therefore, Ruslana appeared at the event only as a guest star. She performed a medley of ''
Wild Dances "Wild Dances" is a single by Ukrainian singer-songwriter Ruslana. The song, representing , won the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 held in Istanbul with a score of 280 points. A Ukrainian-language version called "Dyki tantsi" () was released in Russ ...
'' and ''Heart on Fire'' at the opening ceremony being accompanied by the Zhyttia ballet and the Ukrainian drums ensamble ARS Nova. After interviewing the competitors in the green room she also performed her latest single ''
The Same Star "The Same Star" () is a single by Ruslana, featured on her 2004 studio album ''Wild Dances''. The arrangement and recording were done by EGO WORKS /HIT FACTORY, Miami, United States. Ruslana devoted ''The Same Star'' to her husband, the love of ...
''. During this performance, Ruslana wore a red costume inspired by Ukrainian ethnic elements. Also in 2005, Ruslana designed the cover for Jonathan Safran Foer's ''The Unabridged Pocket Book of Lightning'' which was produced as part of Penguin Books' 70th birthday celebrations.


2006

In 2006, Ruslana's song "
Wild Dances "Wild Dances" is a single by Ukrainian singer-songwriter Ruslana. The song, representing , won the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 held in Istanbul with a score of 280 points. A Ukrainian-language version called "Dyki tantsi" () was released in Russ ...
" was named Germany's all-time favorite Eurovision entry in an internet poll arranged by the German public television broadcaster
NDR NDR may refer to: Computing * Non delivery report, a return email message to a sender indicating failed message delivery * Network Data Representation, an implementation of the OSI model presentation layer Science and technology * Negative differ ...
. During the television program ''
Die Grand Prix Hitliste () was a one-off music competition, held by the German broadcaster Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) on 20 May 2006 in Hamburg, Germany. Its aim was to determine the best song in the history of the Eurovision Song Contest by means of an opinion p ...
'', "Wild Dances" was presented as the winner, ahead of well-known classics, such as "
Waterloo Waterloo most commonly refers to: * Battle of Waterloo, a battle on 18 June 1815 in which Napoleon met his final defeat * Waterloo, Belgium, where the battle took place. Waterloo may also refer to: Other places Antarctica *King George Island (S ...
" and Germany's only winner (at the time), " Ein Bißchen Frieden", which finished in sixth and twelfth place respectively. The programme was viewed by a television audience of approximately six million people in Germany. For the FIFA World Cup 2006 Ruslana went on tour in Germany to support the Ukrainian national football team. She performed in Hamburg, Cologne, Berlin, Leipzig, and Nuremberg.


2008: Wild Energy & ''Grand Theft Auto IV''

Ruslana's project ''Wild Energy'' was based on the science fiction novel by Maryna and Sergij Diachenko ''
Wild Energy. Lana Spouses Maryna Yuryivna Dyachenko (born 23 January 1968) and Serhiy Serhiyovych Dyachenko (14 April 1945 – 5 May 2022) (Marina Yuryevna Dyachenko (Shirshova) and Sergey Sergeyevich Dyachenko) (rus. Марина и Сергей Дяченко, ...
''. In a future city which experiences a global energy crisis, far more threatening than lack of oil and gas, people are lacking their will to live, their energy of the heart – the "fuel for people". Lana, one of the synthetic inhabitants, sets out to find the mystical energy source. After many adventures, she discovers that the wild energy comes from her own heart. Wild Energy combines the art of music and video production, literature and social commitment in an extraordinary way. In June 2006 Ruslana presented the new single and video '' Wild Energy'' in a unique fantasy style. In this video clip, the singer develops from a synthetic blonde girl into her wild image. In March 2008 Ruslana's Ukrainian album '' Amazonka'' was released in Ukraine, Czech Republic and Slovakia. The English album '' Wild Energy'' was released by Warner Music in Canada and several European countries in autumn 2008. The album was recorded at the
Hit Factory The Hit Factory is a recording studio in New York City owned and operated by Troy Germano. History On March 6, 1975, Edward Germano, a singer, record producer, and one of the principal owners of the Record Plant Studios New York, purchased the ...
Studio in Miami and contains two collaborations with American Urban superstars T-Pain and
Missy Elliott Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971), better known as Missy Elliott or Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She embarked on her music career with R&B girl group Sista in the earl ...
. On this release Ruslana creates her own distinctive technique of incorporating ancient ethnic styles of the
Carpathian Mountain The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians () are a range of mountains forming an arc across Central Europe. Roughly long, it is the third-longest European mountain range after the Urals at and the Scandinavian Mountains at . The range stretches ...
people with modern popular music. In '' Grand Theft Auto IV'', Ruslana lends her voice as the host of
Vladivostok FM ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' is a 2008 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the sixth main entry in the ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2004's '' Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'', and the ...
. Her song "
Wild Dances "Wild Dances" is a single by Ukrainian singer-songwriter Ruslana. The song, representing , won the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 held in Istanbul with a score of 280 points. A Ukrainian-language version called "Dyki tantsi" () was released in Russ ...
" is featured as one of the songs on Vladivostok. On 13 May 2008, ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' broke the Guinness World Records for "Highest grossing video game in 24 hours" and "Highest Revenue Generated by an Entertainment Product in 24 Hours". It sold 3.6 million copies on day one generating $310 million in revenue.


2009–2010: Asia Song Festival & new album recordings

In 2009, she was invited to attend the sixth
Asia Song Festival Asia Song Festival, A-Song-Fe or ASF, is an annual Asian pop music festival held in South Korea, since 2004. It is hosted by Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange (KOFICE) and features artists from Asian countries. Participating ar ...
which took place in Seoul, Korea. The event was held at the Seoul World Cup Stadium where Ruslana sung in front of an audience of 60,000 people. Together with the ''Zhyttia'' ballet, she performed three songs from her first international album: "
Wild Dances "Wild Dances" is a single by Ukrainian singer-songwriter Ruslana. The song, representing , won the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 held in Istanbul with a score of 280 points. A Ukrainian-language version called "Dyki tantsi" () was released in Russ ...
", "
Dance with the Wolves "Dance with the Wolves" is a song from Ukrainian singer Ruslana’s fifth studio album ''Wild Dances'', and was released on 11 January 2005. Two music videos were made for the song. During the shootings, Ruslana had to be in a cage with wild w ...
" and a bilingual version of "Play, Musician!". Her act was met with great enthusiasm by the Asian public who didn't know her until that moment. Even if she was supposed to receive only an award for her contribution to the cultural exchange between Ukraine and Asia in music, in the end she also won the main award of the festival, receiving the golden statue for the best artist of the Asia Song Festival 2009.


2011–2012: The Voice of Ukraine and Ukrainian album ''Ey-fori-YA''

In 2011, Ruslana was appointed as one of the judges of the Ukrainian version of '' The Voice'' show. Her involvement in the project was featured on the Dutch TV where the original show of the series kicked off. Eventually, Ruslana's alumni, Tonya Matvienko, placed 2nd in the grand final of the Ukrainian show. Also in 2011, her song ''
Wild Dances "Wild Dances" is a single by Ukrainian singer-songwriter Ruslana. The song, representing , won the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 held in Istanbul with a score of 280 points. A Ukrainian-language version called "Dyki tantsi" () was released in Russ ...
'' was used by the American gymnast Jordyn Wieber as the soundtrack for her floor exercise. Wieber eventually became the 2011 World Women's All-Around Champion and won the golden medal at the
2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
performing her floor exercise on Ruslana's song. In April 2012 the new Ukrainian language album ''ЕЙ-форі-Я'' (''EY-fori-YA'') was released in Ukraine. The album on which Ruslana had worked for four years was produced in the USA, Sweden and Ukraine produced by Vlad Debriansky and Ruslana and features musicians such as Rusty Allen, Victor Little, George Benson, Brian Coller and others. Despite its intercontinental rock and pop nature, the album ''EY-fori-YA'' and the three songs taken from it previously is based on Slavic rhythms. Ruslana integrated old Slavic circle dances, liturgies and elements of classic pieces of Russian composers including Glinka,
Tschaikowsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most popu ...
,
Mussorgsky Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky ( rus, link=no, Модест Петрович Мусоргский, Modest Petrovich Musorgsky , mɐˈdɛst pʲɪˈtrovʲɪtɕ ˈmusərkskʲɪj, Ru-Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky version.ogg; – ) was a Russian compo ...
, and
Rachmaninow Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of ...
. The album is designed for flash mob type synchronous dances. In April/May 2012 she toured 11 Ukrainian cities with a unique show concept called ''OGO Show''. During these open-air events Ruslana appeared as lead dancer teaching the audience the moves. The audience doesn't consume passively, but is integrated into the show. More concept concerts followed within the framework of the ''EURO 2012'' public fan events.


2013: International album ''My Boo! (Together!)'' & ''Clash of the Choirs''

Her third international album was set to be released in 2013 under the title '' My Boo! (Together!)''. The new material shows how versatile Ruslana is as an artist as she completely changed her style since the '' Wild Energy'' project, from a wild Amazon to an Urban pop princess. Most of the album was produced by Vlad DeBriansky in Los Angeles and includes the names of American top musicians such as Rusty Allen, Victor Little, Oscar Seaton, Brian Coller as well as
Stefan Örn Stefan Örn ( Gällstads församling, Älvsborgs län, 9 January 1975) is a Swedish music composer, guitarist and street fighter. He is a member of the band Apollo Drive. He was one of the composers of the songs which represented Azerbaijan in ...
from
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
who won the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 as a songwriter.
Goran Bregovich Goran may refer to: Ethnic groups *Gorane, or Goran, an ethnic group of northern Africa *Goran (Kurdish tribe), an ethnic group of the Middle East *Gorani (ethnic group), an ethnic group of the southeastern Europe Other uses *Göran, a Swedis ...
, the legendary
Balkan The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
musician from Serbia produced the song ''Kray'' At the same time of the release of the new English album Ruslana's Ukrainian album ''ЕЙ-форі-Я'' (''EY-fori-YA'', ''Euphoria'') was re-released under the new title ''Мій Брат! (разом)'' (''Miy Brat! (razom!)'', ''My Brother! (together!)''). The renaming of the album had become necessary because of the coincidental same name of the winning song of the Eurovision Song Contest 2012. The Swedish singer Loreen won the event with the song ''Euphoria'', one month after Ruslana had released her Ukrainian album and song of the same name. In order to avoid misunderstandings Ruslana's renamed not only her album but also her English song ''Euphoria'' into ''This Is Euphoria''. In August 2013 Ruslana globally released the single ''This Is Euphoria'' digitally. The track was composed and produced by Ruslana and the Swedish musician
Stefan Örn Stefan Örn ( Gällstads församling, Älvsborgs län, 9 January 1975) is a Swedish music composer, guitarist and street fighter. He is a member of the band Apollo Drive. He was one of the composers of the songs which represented Azerbaijan in ...
. She was invited to perform at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2013 which took place in her country's capital Kyiv. Nevertheless, she withdrew her act from the show considering the violence shown by the
Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...
authorities against those who were peacefully protesting in the country's capital. She was one of the coaches of the first season of the
Clash of the Choirs ''Clash of the Choirs'' is a reality talent contest miniseries that debuted on NBC in the United States on December 17, 2007. There were four episodes scheduled in the “quick competition”. Maria Menounos is the host of the program, which was ...
TV show in Ukraine. Ruslana and her alumni from the city of Lviv have won the grand final of the project on 5 January 2014, receiving 78% of the tele voting.


2014–2016: Eurovision juror

In January 2014 her international album '' My Boo! (Together!)'' was released digitally. For her subsequent album Ruslana intended to study again ethnic motifs as she regarded the
Wild Dances "Wild Dances" is a single by Ukrainian singer-songwriter Ruslana. The song, representing , won the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 held in Istanbul with a score of 280 points. A Ukrainian-language version called "Dyki tantsi" () was released in Russ ...
project as her most creative work. Due to her active involvement in the
Euromaidan Euromaidan (; uk, Євромайдан, translit=Yevromaidan, lit=Euro Square, ), or the Maidan Uprising, was a wave of Political demonstration, demonstrations and civil unrest in Ukraine, which began on 21 November 2013 with large protes ...
in Ukraine, Ruslana had to postpone her musical plans. Ruslana was invited as music expert for Eurosong, the Belgian selection for the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest in order to choose the best candidate to represent Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest 2014. On 9 and 10 October Ruslana held two concerts at the Manchester Ukrainian Cultural Centre 'Dnipro'. She originally planned on performing only one show however as the tickets sold out within hours, it was decided that she would perform a second concert the next day. Tickets for that show were also almost sold out. On 24 October, Ruslana performed a concert along with the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus in Massey Hall in Toronto. The purpose of the concert was to showcase the beauty and the importance of the Bandura in Ukrainian music and culture. For her final song, Ruslana performed along with the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus as well as the Zoloti Struny Youth Bandura Ensemble based in Toronto. She was a judge at Vidbir, Ukraine's National Selection for the
Eurovision Song Contest 2016 The Eurovision Song Contest 2016 was the 61st edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Stockholm, Sweden, following the country's victory at the with the song "Heroes" by Måns Zelmerlöw. Organised by the European Broadcasting ...
. Out of the three jury members, she was the only one who supported the singer Jamala who later on became the second Eurovision winner from Ukraine. In late 2016, after Jamala's victory at Eurovision in Stockholm, Ruslana played 3 concerts in Western Europe. In October she played in London, in November she played in Paris and in December she played in Hanover (Hannover). In all of these concerts she spoke about the victory that Jamala brought for Ukraine, and how Ukraine would be opening up to the world again in May 2017.


2017: It's Magical / Ya lyublyu

After her long-lasting creative break, which was caused by the dramatic and stormy events in Ukraine, Ruslana presented her new single "It's Magical / Я люблю" at the
Eurovision The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...
Grand Finale in Kyiv on 13 May 2017. The new music style combines tender cradle songs with brisk exotic melodies and rhythms. The original, exotic manner of singing which forms the basis of the soundtrack Ruslana acquired on sometimes extreme expeditions into the Carpathian Mountains. The song was released in an English ("It's Magical") and a Ukrainian version ("Я люблю" / "Ya lyublyu" / "I Love"). The film production took place in a unique place, the Basalt quarry in the Rivne region. Director
Oles Sanin Oles Hennadiyovych Sanin ( uk, Олесь Геннадійович Санін; born July 30, 1972 in Kamin-Kashyrskyi) is a Ukrainian film director, actor, cinematographer, producer, musician and sculptor. Distinguished Artist of Ukraine; he was ...
created a thunderstorm in a realistic way for the video clip. The image of Ruslana in the chainmail in which she appears in the clip resembles her internal state. After all the events in her country and her extreme expeditions into the mountains, Ruslana feels like a kind of warrioress who is called to protect the most valuable: Love. In her song, video Ruslana wants to draw attention to the widespread deforestation in the Carpathians. Her aim is the preservation of the Carpathian primeval forests, their unique wildlife, and exceptional culture.


Political activities


2004: Orange Revolution

In autumn 2004 Ruslana actively supported the democratic processes in Ukraine known as the Orange Revolution, to which her song "
Dance with the Wolves "Dance with the Wolves" is a song from Ukrainian singer Ruslana’s fifth studio album ''Wild Dances'', and was released on 11 January 2005. Two music videos were made for the song. During the shootings, Ruslana had to be in a cage with wild w ...
" was devoted. She declared her support for Viktor Yushchenko during the disputed Ukrainian presidential elections. She became one of the prominent figures that addressed the mass crowds rallying in support of Yushchenko's demand that his original defeat be declared fraudulent. From spring 2006 to summer 2007 she was a Member of the Ukrainian Parliament for the party Our Ukraine. Ruslana endorsed Yulia Tymoshenko during the
2010 Ukrainian presidential election Presidential elections were held in Ukraine on 17 January 2010. As no candidate received a majority of the vote, a run-off election was held between Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych on 7 February. On 14 F ...
and actively supported her candidature during the
election campaign A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making progress within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, by which representatives are chosen or referend ...
.


2012: Campaign against judicial arbitrariness

In December 2012 Ruslana launched the human rights campaign ''Не мовчи'' (''Don't keep silent'') which challenges the juridical system of Ukraine. In particular she supports the case of Dmytro and Sergiy Pavlichenko who claim to have been forced to admit a murder they have not committed. The father and son were convicted of killing a judge of a district court in Kyiv and sentenced to life imprisonment and 13 years in prison respectively. The verdict was widely criticized mainly by football fans. Ruslana dedicated her song and video ''Це – Ей-форі-Я'' (''This is Euphoria'') to the case of the Pavlichenkos who according to her are victims of a misjudgement.


2013–2014: Euromaidan

Ruslana was one of the leading figures of the pro-EU protests known as
Euromaidan Euromaidan (; uk, Євромайдан, translit=Yevromaidan, lit=Euro Square, ), or the Maidan Uprising, was a wave of Political demonstration, demonstrations and civil unrest in Ukraine, which began on 21 November 2013 with large protes ...
.Musicians liven up EuroMaidan stage
'' Kyiv Post'' (29 November 2013)
On 22 November 2013, Ukrainian citizens started spontaneous protests in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, after the Ukrainian government had suspended preparations for signing an Association Agreement with the European Union. From the first day of the protests she stayed on Kyiv's Maidan Nezalezhnosti virtually all night, up to ten hours a night. In an interview with '' The Daily Beast'' on 11 December 2013 she explained her role in the opposition as "charging Maidan with freedom-loving energy", insisted she "hates" politicsMeet Ruslana Lyzhychko, the Soul of Ukraine's Revolution
The Daily Beast (11 December 2013)
and denied supporting any single leader.Eurovision winner sings for revolution in Ukraine
Yahoo! News (13 December 2013)
In total Ruslana spent at least 100 days and 100 nights on the Maidan stage during the cold winter inspiring the crowds, giving speeches and singing the Ukrainian national anthem every hour day after day and night after and night, often sleeping just a couple of hours on the floor of the Trade Union building occupied by the protesters. As a symbol of people power, peace and freedom she established holding up flashlights while singing the Ukrainian national anthem. When during the night of 30 November 2013 the riot police wanted to clear the occupied Maidan and started beating up peacefully sleeping activists, Ruslana rushed for help and managed to seek shelter with about 100 students, some of them wounded, in a nearby monastery. During another night in December 2013, when riot police advanced again towards the square, Ruslana did her utmost to deescalate the situation by talking to them from the stage repeating over and over again "Quiet! No violence!". The 2,000+ riot police eventually retreated. Her commitment in the pro-European movement was featured in many international publications. While the American press regarded her as the 'true heroine of Ukraine', the
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
magazine ''
Spiegel Spiegel is German, Yiddish, and Dutch for "mirror". More specifically, it may refer to: Publications * '' Der Spiegel'', a weekly German magazine * Der Spiegel (online), the online sibling of ''Der Spiegel'' Political * Spiegel scandal, a 1962 ...
'' called her 'Kyiv's queen of the night', and the Spanish newspaper '' El Mundo'' compared her to Jeanne d'Arc. The media even compared her to
Katniss Everdeen Katniss Everdeen is a fictional character and the protagonist of ''The Hunger Games'' trilogy written by American author Suzanne Collins. Her name comes from a plant with edible tubers called ''Sagittaria'' (katniss), from Sagittarius the Arche ...
, the heroine of '' The Hunger Games'' trilogy. The Russian '' Forbes'' magazine included her in the top 10 of the most influential women of 2013 and the ''Business Ukraine'' magazine named her 'person of the year'. From January 2014, Ruslana started to meet with key EU and U.S. politicians asking for support for Ukraine. Her first appearance in this role at the 495th Plenary Session of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and a meeting with
José Manuel Barroso José Manuel Durão Barroso (; born 23 March 1956) is a Portuguese politician and university teacher, currently serving as non-executive chairman of Goldman Sachs International. He previously served as the 11th president of the European Commi ...
, President of the European Commission, resulted in a resolution of the EESC to support the Ukrainian civil society and its democratic rights. In the following months Ruslana travelled to Stockholm, Paris, Warsaw, Brussels, Vienna, Strasbourg, Berlin, Munich, São Paulo, Washington D.C. and New York speaking to leading government officials calling for international support, and giving interviews to press about the situation in Ukraine. Her activism put herself in serious danger. She received numerous death threats on her phone, her car was followed and she couldn't live in her house for several weeks because it was constantly observed. Snipers aimed at her while she was standing on the Maidan stage. The threats started after she started demanding sanctions from the EU governments against the
Yanukovych Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych ( uk, Віктор Федорович Янукович, ; ; born 9 July 1950) is a former politician who served as the fourth president of Ukraine The president of Ukraine ( uk, Президент Украї ...
government. Ruslana had also noted the presence of paid provocateurs who have instigated fights in the otherwise peaceful protests. After President Viktor Yanukovych had fled the country in late February 2014 and the fights in Ukraine escalated Ruslana targeted Russian President Vladimir Putin as aggressor and demanded sanctions against him and his government. In Washington D.C. she stated: "Putin's propaganda is a machine against the truth. Putin started his terrorist operation in Eastern Ukraine and is preparing his way to Kyiv. Russia's special forces, terrorist, are invading Ukraine ... Tomorrow we will wake up and see that Putin took away everything he wanted." For her extraordinary courage, commitment and dedication Ruslana was honoured with several awards including the International Woman of Courage Award, awarded by First Lady
Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. She was the first African-American woman to serve in this position. She is married t ...
at the
Woman in the World Summit A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female humans regardl ...
in New York and the 2014
Distinguished Humanitarian Leadership Award The ruling made by the judge or panel of judges must be based on the evidence at hand and the standard binding precedents covering the subject-matter (they must be ''followed''). Definition In law, to distinguish a case means a court decides t ...
from at the
Atlantic Council The Atlantic Council is an American think tank in the field of international affairs, favoring Atlanticism, founded in 1961. It manages sixteen regional centers and functional programs related to international security and global economic prosp ...
in Washington D.C. On 24 May 2014, the day before the Presidential election in Ukraine which happened to be also her birthday, Ruslana organized a global joint prayer which involved one million people in several countries highlighting the unity of Ukrainians across the world and the global support for Ukraine. Ruslana herself read the prayer "For Ukraine, for peace and quiet" and performed the Ukrainian national anthem in 12 languages on Mount Khomyak in the
Carpathian Mountains The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians () are a range of mountains forming an arc across Central Europe. Roughly long, it is the third-longest European mountain range after the Urals at and the Scandinavian Mountains at . The range stretches ...
.


Social commitment

In 2004-2005 Ruslana was appointed Good Will Ambassador of Ukraine by the UNICEF and combats
trafficking in human beings Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. This may encompass providing a spouse in the context of forced marriage, or the extracti ...
. She released two video clips which aim to make potential victims aware of the dangers of
human trafficking Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. This may encompass providing a spouse in the context of forced marriage, or the extrac ...
. In February 2008 Ruslana performed at an anti-human trafficking event in Vienna, Austria, organized by UN.GIFT (The United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking) in front of 117 international delegations. Her song ''Not for Sale'' became the anthem of the anti-trafficking campaign. Within the frames of the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 in Kyiv she gave a charity concert for children suffering from the consequences of the Chernobyl tragedy. For another charity project Ruslana joined forces with German rock star Peter Maffay. In April/May 2007 they went together with artists from 14 countries on a four weeks tour through Germany. The funds gathered benefited children in need. Ruslana has also staged numerous charity concerts benefiting Children's hospitals in Kyiv, Lviv and
Dnipropetrovsk Dnipro, previously called Dnipropetrovsk from 1926 until May 2016, is Ukraine's fourth-largest city, with about one million inhabitants. It is located in the eastern part of Ukraine, southeast of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on the Dnieper Rive ...
. With her project Wild Energy Ruslana supports the use of
renewable energy Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy ...
. She regards the energy of the sun, the water and the wind as an energy independence. The project gradually developed into this bigger meaning. Ruslana wants to make people aware of the dangers of
global climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...
. In September 2018, she was appointed as global ambassador for renewable energy by Global100RE. After large regions in Western Ukraine were hit by a flood in July 2008 Ruslana set up the co-ordinating and relief centre ''Carpathians. Flood. SOS! 2008''. The aim of the centre is to create a database of the people in need, to provide emergency humanitarian help and to collect and distribute donations both from the public and from other Ukrainian artists and sportsmen to support the victims of the flood.


Discography


Ukrainian-language studio albums

* 1998: '' Myt' Vesny – Dzvinkyj Viter'' * 1999: ''
Ostannie rizdvo 90-kh ''Ostannie rizdvo 90-kh'' ( uk, Останнє різдво 90-х, Last Christmas of 90's) is an album by the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 The Eurovision Song Contest 2004 was the 49th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It ...
'' * 2001: ''
Najkrashche ''Найкраще'' ''(The Best)'' is an album by the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 The Eurovision Song Contest 2004 was the 49th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Istanbul, Turkey, following the country's ...
'' * 2002: '' Dobryi vechir, tobi...'' * 2003: '' Dyki Tantsi'' * 2006: '' Tance s vlky'' * 2008: '' Amazonka'' * 2012: '' Eyforiya'' * 2013: '' Miy Brat! (razom!)''


English-language studio albums

* 2004: ''
Wild Dances "Wild Dances" is a single by Ukrainian singer-songwriter Ruslana. The song, representing , won the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 held in Istanbul with a score of 280 points. A Ukrainian-language version called "Dyki tantsi" () was released in Russ ...
'' * 2005: ''
Wild. Club'in ''Wild. Club'in'' is the name of Ruslana's remix album that contains remixes of tracks from her 2004 ''Wild Dances (album), Wild Dances'' album, and a couple of other songs as well, such as Wind Song and Drum 'n' Dance. For the remixes was organis ...
'' * 2008: '' Wild Energy'' * 2013: '' My Boo (Together!)''


DVDs

* 1998: ''Rizdvo z Ruslanoju'' (Christmas With Ruslana) * 1999: ''Ostannje Rizdvo 90-h'' (Last Christmas of the 90's) * 2002: ''Rizdvjani Legendy'' (Christmas Legends) * 2003: ''Na Rizdvo do L'vivs'kogo'' (Christmas with L'vivians) * 2008: ''
Wild Energy. Amazon. Wild Dances ''Wild Energy. Amazon. Wild Dances'' is the first DVD compilation by the Ukrainian singer Ruslana. It contains several of her music clips from 2000 to her releases in 2008. Video clips from the "Wild Dances" and "Diki Tantsi" are bonus tracks on ...
''


International Singles


Awards and nominations


Music videos

* ''Ty'' (1998) * '' Myt' Vesny'' (1998) * ''Svitanok'' (1998) * ''
Balada pro princessu "''Balada pro pryntsesu''" (''A ballad about princesses'') is a song of Ukraine, Ukrainian singer Ruslana released in 1998. Clip

"Balada pro pryntsesu" clip was the first animated videoclip in Ukraine. {{authority control Ruslana song ...
'' (1998) * ''Kolyskova'' (1998) * '' Znaju Ja'' (2000) * ''Proschannya z disko'' (2001) * '' Dobryi vechir, tobi...'' (2002) * ''
Kolomyjka The kolomyika ( uk, кoлoмийкa, pl, kołomyjka; also spelled kolomeyka or kolomeike) is a Hutsuls, Hutsul (Ukraine, Ukrainian) music genre that combines a fast-paced folk dance and comedic rhymed verses. It includes a type of performance da ...
'' (2003) * '' Oj, Zagraimy, Muzychenku'' (2003) * ''
Wild Dances "Wild Dances" is a single by Ukrainian singer-songwriter Ruslana. The song, representing , won the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 held in Istanbul with a score of 280 points. A Ukrainian-language version called "Dyki tantsi" () was released in Russ ...
'' (2004) * ''
Dance with the Wolves "Dance with the Wolves" is a song from Ukrainian singer Ruslana’s fifth studio album ''Wild Dances'', and was released on 11 January 2005. Two music videos were made for the song. During the shootings, Ruslana had to be in a cage with wild w ...
'' (2004) * '' Ring Dance with the Wolves'' (2005) * ''
The Same Star "The Same Star" () is a single by Ruslana, featured on her 2004 studio album ''Wild Dances''. The arrangement and recording were done by EGO WORKS /HIT FACTORY, Miami, United States. Ruslana devoted ''The Same Star'' to her husband, the love of ...
'' (2005) * ''V rytme serdtsa'' (2005) * '' Dyka Enerhija'' (2006) * ''Moon of Dreams (feat. T-Pain)'' (2008) * '' Vohon' chy lid (Vse ne te)''(2008) * ''Silent Angel'' (2008) * ''Wow'' (2011) * ''Sha-la-la'' (2011) * ''Davaj hraj'' (2012) * ''Tse – Ey-phori-Ya'' (2012) * ''Rachmaninov'' (2013) * ''It's Magical'' (2017) * ''My viter'' (2020)


Filmography


Television


Film


See also

* Eurovision Song Contest 2004 * Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest *
Ruslana's Charity Concert The Heart Of Europe Concert was a concert held on May 18, 2005, in Kyiv's Maidan Nezalezhnosti as part of Eurovision Song Contest 2005 opening. It was translated live on at least two national TV channels 1+1 (channel), 1+1 and Inter (TV channel), I ...
* ''
Wild Energy. Lana Spouses Maryna Yuryivna Dyachenko (born 23 January 1968) and Serhiy Serhiyovych Dyachenko (14 April 1945 – 5 May 2022) (Marina Yuryevna Dyachenko (Shirshova) and Sergey Sergeyevich Dyachenko) (rus. Марина и Сергей Дяченко, ...
'' (book) *
Ultratop 50 number-one hits of 2004 These hits topped the Ultratop 50 Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium. Ultratop is a non-profit organization, created on the initiative of the Belgian Entertainment Association (BEA), ...


References


External links


Ruslana's official website

Ruslana's official Facebook page

Official YouTube channel


Listening


Ruslana interview
from NPR ''All Things Considered'' program, 7 April 2008 , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Ruslana 1973 births Living people Musicians from Lviv Hutsuls Eurovision Song Contest winners Eurovision Song Contest entrants for Ukraine Warner Music Group artists Ukrainian voice actresses Ukrainian conductors (music) Recipients of the title of People's Artists of Ukraine Recipients of the International Women of Courage Award English-language singers from Ukraine Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 2004 Ukrainian pop singers MAD Video Music Awards winners World Music Awards winners Slavianski Bazaar winners Lviv Conservatory alumni Fifth convocation members of the Verkhovna Rada Independent politicians of Our Ukraine Bloc People of the Euromaidan Ukrainian folk-pop singers Censorship in Russia Ukrainian people of Russian descent Recipients of the title of Merited Artist of Ukraine 21st-century Ukrainian women singers 21st-century Ukrainian women politicians 21st-century conductors (music) Women members of the Verkhovna Rada