Irina Brzhevskaya

Irina Brzhevskaya was a Russian pop singer and soprano, popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She started her musical career as a bassist and singer in the band Integral, led by Bari Alibasov. In 1987, she began her solo career and released her first album, My Blue-Eyed Girl, in 1988. The album was a success and spawned several hit singles, such as My Blue-Eyed Girl, Night Taxi, and Alyoshka. She followed up with two more albums, Night Taxi (1990) and Devchonka-Devchonochka (1993), which also featured popular songs, such as Devchonka-Devchonochka, Evening-Evening, Hair Cloud, Golden Domes, Short Summer, Dunya-Dunyasha, and In the Evening on a Bench. Her songs were characterized by catchy melodies, romantic lyrics, and her distinctive tenor voice. She was one of the most popular singers of her time and performed at various concerts and festivals, such as Song of the Year, Morning Star, and Golden Gramophone. She also appeared in several TV shows and movies, such as The Last Hero, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, and The Golden Calf. She was awarded the Order of Friendship of Peoples in 1991 for her contribution to Soviet culture. However, her career and health declined in the mid-1990s, due to alcohol abuse, financial problems, and legal troubles. She suffered from acute pancreatitis and a stroke, which left her partially paralyzed. She died on April 17, 2019, at the age of 89, and was buried in Moscow. She is remembered as one of the most beloved and talented singers of her generation.