In the middle of the twentieth century, the whole country sang her songs. The voice-bell of Helena Velikanova was heard from every window. For several years she shone on stage, and then suddenly disappeared. There were rumors that Furtseva herself forbade her to speak. What really happened to the great singer?
Biography of Helena Velikanova
The future artist was born on February 27, 1923 in the city of Moscow. The family did not live well, but for that time it was the norm. In the large metropolitan courtyard of their house, everyone was in about the same position. The girl grew outgoing and friendly, which always attracted other children on the site. She studied well at school. Her vocal abilities were noticed by teachers, and in 1941 Gelena entered the music school. But the war did not give her the opportunity to obtain the necessary knowledge. Together with her mother, Gelena Velikanova left for Tomsk, where she soon lost her and was left alone. Unable to engage in vocals, she enters the Institute of Transport Engineers. However, teachers insist on her return to Moscow. Such talent should not disappear. In addition, the girl did not have a penchant for mathematics.
Gelena Velikanova returns to the capital in 1944. She managed to enter the Glazunov Music College, where for 4 years she has been practicing her singing skills. Then followed the first success. Lyric songs "Marinique", "Letter to Mother", "Little Mary" become her hallmark. Later, she will turn to a deeper material and begin to perform compositions on verses by Yesenin and Matveyeva.
Voice of the heart
The real success came to Helena Velikanova after such songs as “Girls are standing”, “Lilies of the valley”, “Gypsy”. Critics negatively perceived such straightforward and comic compositions at a time when the country needed patriotic hymns. For them, a special term was even coined - “lily of the valley art”. The song was called bourgeois vulgarity.
Oscar Feltsman did not consider his poems too frivolous and continued to write for the singer. Ordinary people fell in love with “Lilies of the Valley”, and later they were quail by many performers not only in the Union, but also abroad. Songs of Helena Velikanova sounded at all dance floors. Despite criticism and bullying, the girl continued to sing for the people.
Unformatted singer
They criticized not only the musical creativity of the artist, but also her concert outfits. A long black dress on the floor and gloves to the elbow aroused real indignation at Furtseva. The Minister of Culture sharply spoke about her appearance and called her a "non-Soviet" singer. Gelena did not go on about the party and continued to wear dresses with bare shoulders. She always painted styles for her outfits. Polish blood and self-esteem did not allow her to wear Soviet consumer goods. However, all these troubles did their job - after several years on the stage, she loses her voice. The common cold and improper treatment deprived her of the greatest wealth.
Personal life of Helena Velikanova
Once at a concert, the singer met with the poet Nikolai Dorizo. Feelings flashed instantly, and soon their romance was discussed throughout Moscow. The daughter Elena was born in the marriage, but six years later the couple divorced. The woman did not forbid the girl to see her father, although the separation from her husband did not go quite smoothly. The second time Gelena married the famous director Nikolai Generalov. This union lasted 12 years.
Other activity
In addition to performing on stage, a talented woman managed to star in several films. These were episodic roles. More often, she was offered to perform songs for the characters or record compositions for the credits. In 1986, she was offered a place as a vocal teacher at the Gnesins' Music College. For 10 years, she taught new talented performers to improve their singing abilities. The most favorite student of the great singer was Alla Perfilieva, whom the country knows under the pseudonym Valery.
Tragic death
On November 10, 1998, all fans of Gelena Velikanova were supposed to gather in the House of Actors for her creative evening. But people did not wait for their idol - the woman died on the threshold of her bathroom. Probably, before leaving, she looked into the room, and at that moment her heart stopped. At 75, Gelena never complained about her health and looked much younger than her age. The many hopes and creative plans of this great woman remained unfulfilled.