Svetlana Bobkina (Hera)
Svetlana Eduardovna Bobkina. Creative pseudonym - Gera. She was born on February 27, 1975 in Moscow. Russian singer, theater and film actress, TV presenter, soloist of the Strelki group.
Father is a chess coach.
She graduated from the music and theater school of Galina Vishnevskaya. She also studied at the Mainstream Dance School.
In 1996 she graduated from VGIK, acting department, workshop.
In 1997 she played at the Taganka Theater, among her works: "The House of Bernard Alba" (dir. M. Mnatsakanyan) - Martirio; "The Last" (dir. R. Spirichev) - Love.
In 1997, a Russian female pop group was formed "Arrows", one of the participants of which was Svetlana Bobkina, who took the stage name Hera. The Soyuz studio created a group similar to the Spice Girls and entrusted the implementation of the project to Igor Seliverstov. With the help of Leonid Velichkovsky and Vadim Fishman, during the casting at the Vysotnik recreation center in Ramenki, seven out of 4,000 girls were selected: (“Yu-Yu”), Svetlana Bobkina (“Hera”), (“Margo”), Ekaterina Kravtsova (“ Radio Operator Kat”), Maria Solovyova (“Mouse”), Anastasia Rodina (“Stasya”), Liya Bykova.
After some time, a performance took place at the Metelitsa club, where Strelka performed three songs: Mommy, New Russian Girls and New Passion, which was not included in any album. On November 29, 1997, the group's first video was released - "Mommy".
Svetlana Bobkina (Hera) in her youth
In 2000, Hera, along with other soloists of the group, starred naked in the provocative video "Dislike" - no one had done this on the Russian stage before them.
The group lost popularity in 2003-2006 due to frequent lineup changes.
Arrows - Dislike
In 2004-2006 she was a member of a duet in which she performed with Maria Korneeva (Margot). The duo recorded the single "Top Secret" and broke up due to Korneeva's pregnancy.
In 2007, she was the host of the TOP 20 program on the Bridge TV channel.
In 2009, Svetlana Bobkina and united in the duet Nestrelki, which broke up in 2012. The most notable compositions of NeShooter are Officer and Vova, come back.
In 2012 she studied at the German Sidakov School of Drama. During her studies, she played in performances: A. Ostrovsky "Handsome Man" - Zoya; A. Chekhov "Uncle Vanya" - Elena Andreevna; A. Chekhov "Ivanov" - Sarah.
In August 2015, Strelka announced the reunion of the team in the gold line-up: Ekaterina "Radio Operator Kat" Kravtsova, Salome "Tori" Rosiver, Svetlana "Hera" Bobkina, Maria "Margo" Bibilova. According to the soloists themselves, they decided to reunite after participating in one of the Disco 90s festivals. In May 2016, the "golden composition" of the group presented a video clip for the new song "A Man in Love". At the beginning of February 2017, Salome "Tori" Rosiver left the band and the group remained as a trio.
Svetlana Bobkina, Ekaterina Kravtsova and Maria Bibilova
In the fall of 2017, Strelka presented a video for the new song Adrenaline. The trio consisting of Ekaterina Kravtsova, Svetlana Bobkina and Maria Bibilova (Kat, Hera and Margo) performed at the Cinematograph karaoke bar in Moscow.
Arrows - Adrenaline
Svetlana Bobkina, under the pseudonym Bobi, is simultaneously working on a solo project. He uploads singles and videos on his personal YouTube channel.
Since 1996, he has been acting in films, making his debut as Vali in the TV series "Strawberry Cafe".
Later she starred in many other films and TV series, playing episodes and supporting roles - “Moscow. Central District" (Inga Tairova), "Other" (Lisa), "Trace" (Inessa Andreevna), "Two Fathers and Two Sons" (Zhanna), "Criminal Case" (Larisa), "The Third Duel" (Kristina), "Women's Consultation" (Irina Kolosova), etc.
The growth of Svetlana Bobkina (Hera): 165 centimeters.
Personal life of Svetlana Bobkina (Hera):
The first husband is an actor. She married him at the age of 19. But the marriage only lasted a month. As Svetlana said, it was "a spontaneous student story, which should have ended like that."
The second husband is Sam, a director, originally from the USA, he studied at VGIK. According to Svetlana, family life was difficult, primarily because of the jealousy of her husband. As a result, he left her: “I married him at the age of 26–27, but I was still a child by perception, naive and stupid. He didn’t really scoff, he was despotic. He broke me! When I was about to break down, I left."
She later began a relationship with a construction businessman named Roman. We met on vacation in Thailand.
Filmography of Svetlana Bobkina (Hera):
1996 - Cafe "Strawberry" - Valya
1999 - Let's get acquainted! - Hera, member of the Strelki group
2003 - Moscow. Central District - Inga Tairova, singer
2006 - Shindai game - singing girl (uncredited)
2007 - Other - Lisa, killer
2010 - Trace - Inessa Andreevna, chief geologist of the expedition
2010 - Gardener - Lisa
2010 - Lawyers - Alina-Vera
2013-2016 - Two fathers and two sons - Zhanna
2013 - Pyatnitsky. Chapter Three - Lukin's Wife
2014 - Criminal case - Larisa
2014 - Wanted-3 - Rimma, bandersha
2015 - Third duel - Christina, Arkady's wife
2015 - Women's consultation - Irina Kolosova
Discography of Svetlana Bobkina (Gera) in the Strelki group:
1998 - Arrows go forward
1998 - Parties in Moscow (Single)
1998 - Happy New Year! (Single)
1999 - Everything is ...
1999 - Gold
1999 - Thorns and Roses
2000 - Dislike (Single)
2000 - Arrows 2000
2001 - Arrows 2001
2001 - MegaMix
2002 - Love me harder
2016 - Sorry, goodbye, don't remember
2016 - Legendary songs
Video clips of Svetlana Bobkina (Gera) in the Strelki group:
1997 - Mommy
1998 - At the party
1998 - Holiday romance
1998 - First teacher
1998 - Moscow
1998 - Handsome
1998 - Happy New Year!
1999 - At the Party (Remix)
1999 - You left me
1999 - You left me (Remix)
1999 - Thorns and Roses
1999 - I'm good
1999 - No love
1999 - I'll be back
1999 - Happy New Year! (Remix, new version)
2000 - Boomerang
2000 - Dislike
2000 - The sun behind the mountain
2001 - Megamix
2001 - Forgive and goodbye
2002 - Twig Girl
2003 - Yugorskaya Dolina
2003 - Veterok
2003 - Happy New Year! (a new version)
2016 - A man in love
2017 - Adrenaline
Margot (singer)
Margot. Maria Valerievna Korneeva (by her husband - Potapova), also known as Maria Bibilova. She was born on October 6, 1976 in Moscow. Russian pop singer, member of the Strelki group.
Maria Korneeva, who became known under the creative pseudonym Margot, was born on October 6, 1976 in Moscow.
She graduated from the French Lyceum and is also fluent in English.
In childhood and adolescence, she was professionally involved in athletics.
She worked as a laboratory assistant at Moscow State University, taught students.
In 2002 she graduated from the State University of Management with a degree in management.
In 2005 she graduated from the Faculty of Economics of MADI.
She has worked in the tourism industry for a long time.
From an early age she was fond of music, her favorite performers were and.
Since 1997, she has become a member of the popular Russian women's group "Arrows", in which she gained fame under the pseudonym Margot.
The decision to create a team was made in April 1997 by the Soyuz studio. The girl group was created along the lines of the Spice Girls. The implementation of the project was entrusted to Igor Seliverstov, who recruited with the help of Leonid Velichkovsky and Vadim Fishman. During the casting in the recreation center "Vysotnik" in Ramenki, out of 4,000 girls, 7 were selected, the members of the team were: Maria Korneeva ("Margo"), ("Yu-Yu"), ("Hera"), Ekaterina Kravtsova ("Radio operator Kat" ), Maria Solovyova ("Mouse"), Anastasia Rodina ("Stasya") and Leah Bykova.
After some time, a performance took place at the Metelitsa club, where Strelka performed three songs: Mommy, New Russian Girls and New Passion. In the Muzoboz program on November 29, 1997, the group's first video was released - "Mommy".
As journalists noted, Margot looked the most serious of the Shooters.
In May 1998, a video for the song "Resort Romance" appeared on television, which was filmed in Cyprus. At the same time, there was a photo session of the group for the Playboy magazine. This clip was awarded at the Generation-98 festival in the Best Story nomination. In June 1998, a video for the song "First Teacher" was released.
In September 1998, the presentation of the single "Parties in Moscow" took place. The CD includes two songs: "At the Party" and "Moscow". Immediately after that, filming took place for the song "Handsome" from the next album.
Margo (Maria Korneeva) in her youth
In November 1998, a video was recorded for the song "Happy New Year!" - Russian-language version of George Michael's composition.
In early January 1999, a video was released for a remix of the song "At the Party". In the video, dancers sang along with the members of the group. Then there was a presentation of the video for the new song "You left me" and its premiere in the "Good Morning" program. The main role in the video was also played by Olga Maltseva (model of Vyacheslav Zaitsev's agency). Soon the video was banned from showing due to drug propaganda, nudity, weapons in the frame and advertising of the Vinso Grand casino, where part of the video was filmed, because of which the clip had to be re-edited. The result was a new clip "You left me (remix)". On May 28, 1999, this song received the title of "100-pound hit" from the radio station "Hit-FM".
Arrows - You left me
On April 24, 1999, the first solo concert of the Arrows of All Roads group was held at Olimpiysky, and a clip for the song Thorns and Roses was edited from fragments of the concert. At the Ovation award ceremony, the Strelki were recognized as the best pop group of 1998.
At the end of September 1999, a new video appeared on television - for the song "I'm Good". The entire clip is animated, with the exception of Strelok themselves. After some time, a video for the song "I'll Be Back" is released - a joint work of "Shooter" and Igor Nikolaev.
Arrows - I'm good
On November 1, 1999, at the Metelitsa entertainment complex in Moscow, Strelka presented a new album, Thorns and Roses. The song "I'll be back" was sung in a duet with. The presentation of the new album was also held in the North Caucasus. The group was the only one to perform in the war zone.
On April 1, 2000, a video for the song "Boomerang" was released. This clip was a continuation of last year's hit "You left me." The actor Ivar Kalninsh also starred in it, the main female role in the video was played by actress Ksenia Nazarova.
In the spring of 2000, the Strelki received the second Ovation Award as the best pop group of the year.
In July 2000, a video for the song "Dislike" appeared. In the video, the girls appeared naked. The clip received the Golden Gramophone Award.
In 2001, the group released Megamix, created from the songs "Thorns and Roses", "You Choose Yourself", "Boomerang", "You Left Me", "Mommy", "Handsome", "At the Party", "No Love" , "The Sun Behind the Mountain" and the songs "Make Me Love". The album was supported by the clip "Megamix".
On June 28, 2002, the fifth album, Love Me Stronger, was released. It includes 14 compositions, among which there is a solo song by Maria Korneeva (“You are only mine”).
The Strelka group was wildly popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The whole country adored the seven soloists. Not a single disco could do without any song of the girl group. Together, the artists worked for about ten years. The group lost popularity in 2003-2006 due to frequent lineup changes.
Since 2004, Maria Korneeva has been a member of the duo "Bridge", in which she sang along with Svetlana Bobkina. But the duo broke up after the release of the first single "Top Secret".
In August 2015, Strelka announced the reunion of the golden team: Maria "Margo" Korneeva, Ekaterina "Radio Operator Kat" Kravtsova, Salome "Tori" Rosiver, Svetlana "Hera" Bobkina. According to the soloists themselves, they decided to reunite after participating in one of the Disco 90s festivals.
In May 2016, the "golden composition" of the group presented a video clip for the new song "A Man in Love". In early February 2017, Salome "Tori" Rosiver left the band and the band remained as a trio.
Maria Korneeva develops her jewelry brand.
The growth of Margot (Maria Korneeva): 175 centimeters.
Personal life of Margo (Maria Korneeva):
Married. Husband - Alexei Potapov, a businessman, was one of the sponsors of the Strelka group. She dedicated the song “I found my happiness” to him, later renamed “You are only mine.” They got married in August 2001.
In 2006, she gave birth to a son, Fedor.
In 2011, daughter Alice was born.
As the singer noted, the birth of children plunged her into everyday worries, which took a lot of energy. “A year after the birth of Alice, I realized that two children are no longer one at all. Especially such children of different ages with a difference of five years. A year later, I realized that I live in hell: everyone needs something, they need different things, and no one gives anything away in terms of emotions. The older one is jealous, the younger one is constantly in her arms, her hands hurt, her back dries up. Then her husband comes, who also needs attention, "said Margot.
Fedor and Alice - children of Margo (Maria Korneeva)
Loves books. Her favorite reading is mysticism.
Filmography of Margo (Maria Korneeva):
2006 - Playing in Shindai episode (singing girl in the oligarch's car)
Discography of Margo (Maria Korneeva) in the Strelki group:
1998 - Arrows go forward
1998 - Parties in Moscow (Single)
1998 - Happy New Year! (Single)
1999 - Everything is ...
1999 - Gold
1999 - Thorns and Roses
2000 - Dislike (Single)
2000 - Arrows 2000
2001 - Arrows 2001 (Reissue)
2001 - MegaMix
2002 - Love me harder
2016 - Sorry, goodbye, don't remember
2016 - Legendary songs
Video clips of Margot (Maria Korneeva) in the Strelki group:
1997 - "Mommy"
1998 - "At the Party"
1998 - "Resort Romance"
1998 - "First teacher"
1998 - "Moscow"
1998 - "Handsome"
1998 - "Happy New Year!"
1999 - "At the Party (Remix)"
1999 - "You left me"
1999 - "You Left Me (Remix)"
1999 - "Thorns and Roses"
1999 - "I'm good"
1999 - "No Love"
1999 - "I'll be back"
1999 - “Happy New Year! (Remix, new version)"
2000 - "Boomerang"
2000 - "Dislike"
2000 - "The Sun Behind the Mountain"
2001 - "Megamix"
2001 - Forgive and Goodbye
2002 - "Twig Girl"
2003 - Yugorskaya Dolina
2016 - "Man in Love"
We found out what Kat, Hera and Margot did after fame and why, after 10 years of silence, they decided to return to the stage.
“You left me”, “At a party of best friends”, “Thorns and roses” - who does not know these hits? At the end of the 1990s, Strelka quickly broke into the Olympus of domestic show business and became one of the most popular bands in the country. However, in 2007 the group broke up, and each of the soloists began their own journey. The life of the girls developed in different ways: someone succeeded in business, someone - in the role of a mother, and someone - on the stage of the theater.
Now, after 10 years of silence, the Strelka group is returning to the stage. And in the golden composition: Hera, Margot and Kat. The editors of Woman's Day spoke with each of them and found out how their life developed after deafening fame.
How the main girl band of the 90s appeared
They came to the casting on the ad. There was a set in a group like the Spice Girls, which took place in the Ramenki cultural center. The selection was difficult, took place in several stages, as a result, seven girls were selected, including Kat, Margot and Hera. This is where their career began...
Kat:
Not all of us were connected with music, for some it was the first life experience, as for Margo. I graduated from a music school, but I didn’t make any bets on it. I liked the stage, but nothing more. Another thing is Gera, who sang for 10 years in the opera and in the children's theater of Galina Vishnevskaya.
Gera:
Just in the year when I got into Strelka, I graduated from VGIK. At that time, it was difficult to get into the theater, graduates were reluctant to take, so I decided to try my luck at the casting. Moreover, the recruitment took place literally around the corner of my house.
Margo:
Between ourselves, we became friends immediately, even during the casting. I remember walking with Gera along Ramenki and reasoning: “No, well, we are the coolest, if they don’t take us, the group will not succeed!”
And then rumors spread that in fact the group had already been formed and had been touring for a long time. And the casting was needed to divert eyes ... They said that the girls paid money to get into the group: 10 rubles (then this amount was considered decent).
Fortunately, the speculation turned out to be untrue, and after a while, the producers gathered seven participants, who were so carefully selected, to congratulate them on a new stage in their lives.
Contract and strict discipline
Margo:
The first contract with us was signed for five years, and then it was extended for another year. The paragraphs were very funny, and now it can be read as an anecdote. If today someone offered the artist such a contract, this smart guy would have every chance of being behind bars.
Kat:
Since we were contract artists, the lion's share of the money went to the producers. During the project, we did not buy apartments, cars and other benefits. We were young and did not understand much, we were content with the energy that the audience gave us.
Gera:
If then I had the brains of today's man, I would be able to turn the situation in my favor. And then we just had discipline and clearly defined terms of the contract.
The Strelok soloists had no right to anything, including getting married, having children, leaving a hotel room unaccompanied during the tour ... And this is only a small part of the strict points. They didn't have a life, they had a schedule. Sometimes the girls were settled in such hotels that it’s even scary to imagine. But looking back, they do not regret those times. On the contrary, they remember this period with a smile. In addition, they had the opportunity to travel around Russia three times and meet many wonderful people.
First tour and fame
Kat:
Thank God that we were not fined after these tours. We limited ourselves to an educational conversation, during which it was announced that we were behaving incorrectly.
Margo:
There were many musicians, famous artists who reacted something like this: “Oh, girls, hello!”, and we, in turn, “Oh, boys, hello!” In general, the situation developed logically: seven young girls from 16 to 23 years old, simple, cheerful, they, of course, did not close their mouths throughout the entire tour. Only Alena Sviridova was sad, no one paid attention to her.
Kat:
After the clip "Mommy" was released, they began to recognize us on the street. I had blue hair then, so it was easy to recognize me. I still remember the feeling of happiness when I got into the car and two girls began to whisper: “Look, this is Strelka. I ran to the rehearsal screaming that they recognized me! It's like they gave me a million dollars on the subway for nothing.
Margo:
Well, when we walked in a crowd, we always attracted a lot of attention. Always laughed. Both on planes and on trains ... This, by the way, has not changed so far!
Gera:
True, now we can control ourselves, if people ask to turn down the volume, we do not let it go past our ears. And before, when we flew out on a plane full of artists, everyone “cried” for us, because we were very loud and emotional.
Margo:
It is a pity that there is not a single video from the chronicle from our tour, because before there was no Internet. Why, there were no telephones either, we used pagers. Everything remains only in our memory.
What Strelki have been doing for the past 10 years
After the contract ended, Margo and Hera did not say goodbye to the stage. They created their own group (moreover, Hera wrote songs herself) and performed for some time. Then Margo got pregnant. At that time she was 30, the baby was long-awaited, and, choosing between a career and a family, she chose the latter. After the birth of Fedya, Margo decided to rest for two years and enjoy family life. When the son grew up, there was time to think about work. True, this time the ex-soloist of the popular group found the strength to master a new profession.
Margo:
I thought about trying to become a hairdresser. I went to courses at a very famous academy, graduated and started working. I received clients at home, but in the end I realized very quickly that I was not proud of this business. She put the scissors aside and went to get married a second time. Yes, life didn’t work out with Fedya’s dad, we broke up, and soon after that I met a wonderful man with whom I am still happy. To him I gave birth to a daughter, Alice, and again plunged into family worries.
However, the once popular singer did not allow herself to sit idle. Since childhood, Margo has been needlework, sewing dresses and suits, knitting sweaters, embroidering the whole thing with applications from morning to night. Creating something new with your own hands was at the level of physical need.
Margo:
At one point, the idea came to me to create furniture from scratch. I myself went to construction markets, bought plywood, came home and took up tools. Planed, carved, hammered nails and enjoyed the process. I have a bedside table of my own production, a chair and a couple of pieces of furniture at home. This activity did not continue for a long time, because the workshop was located right in my hall ... Then I turned my attention to costume jewelry. She created her own brand and began to make jewelry from what she found in special markets. Sometimes some beautiful little thing, a bead or buttons, which also came into use, came across under the arm. The products were presented in beauty salons and in the online store.
I managed to try myself as a fashion designer. But when Strelka reappeared, I devoted my time to music.
Kat left the group not of her own free will - she was fired by the producers due to financial disagreements. This news was then a real blow to the young talented singer.
It so happened that one day her phone went silent, there was no need to go anywhere, hurry, run. The depression began ... The group meant too much to her, because she became a member of it at the age of 17 and during many years of work, the team became a second family.
Only six months later, thanks to specialists and her mother, who sounded the alarm in time, Kat was able to get out of depression. Then she was sure that she would never return to the stage.
Kat:
In 2004 I got pregnant. And that became my lifeline. I started moving forward again. I tried to sing, but quickly realized that a solo career was not for me. It was then that the opportunity arose to open my own cooking, which I did. Until the second pregnancy, I was engaged in this business. Things were going great until I realized that I had to make a choice between raising children and working. But I didn't have to think long. For my boys, I would sacrifice anything.
I sat down at home and began to think about what to do so that there was enough time for everything. I started looking into the profession of a lawyer. In fact, I graduated from the institute in this specialty, but since I studied for a long time, and even in absentia, I did not have any special skills. However, fate dealt another blow: the father of my children was sent to prison. At that moment, I had to not only raise all my old legal knowledge, but also acquire new ones.
Kat's wedding with the father of her children took place in a pre-trial detention center after 15 years of a happy life together. At the same time, a series of other trials awaited her ahead: raising children alone, fighting for an apartment that they are still trying to take away from her, and much more, which is still hard to remember. But the saddest thing is that, having gone through all these trials, Kat did not succeed in maintaining a relationship with her husband ...
Kat:
When he was transferred from the pre-trial detention center to a real prison, he asked me to come, but I refused, I had reasons for this ... After some time, I received a notice that he had decided to get a divorce. I didn't interfere. At the beginning of this year, we officially ceased to be husband and wife. Today I can say that the worst is over. My children support me, I have Strelka again, and I am sure that I will cope with all the problems. The main thing is that loved ones are alive and well, and the rest can always be changed.
Hera has been associated with creativity all her life. From childhood, she sang in the children's musical theater of Galina Vishnevskaya, then entered VGIK, then passed the competition at Strelka ... After the group broke up, she continued to make music, and also began to play in the theater, act in films and sometimes teach lessons acting skills.
In general, everything turned out well in the girl’s career. And she can talk about work for a long time. But he tries not to support topics about his personal life. Only for us, the artist made an exception: she spoke about two failed marriages and what she had to go through to find true love.
Gera:
I have been married twice. The first time was when I was a student at VGIK. And it was a story of a creative union and reckless youth. He was an actor. The second time I became the director's wife. And it turned out to be very difficult too ... After marriage, he asserted himself. All offensive words were directed in my direction. At some point, I even began to be afraid of him. Fortunately, it so happened that we broke up.
For five years I did not find the strength to start a new relationship. I believed that I would never find true love. At some point, she turned to a psychologist for help. It was an important step in my life, thanks to which I was able to take a fresh look at the world and, first of all, at myself. In addition, I began to understand people, the nature of my desires, I made interesting friends, and then ... I met a man with whom we have been together for quite a long time.
Gera:
We are not afraid of the prospect of once again immersing ourselves in the world of show business, going on tour, disappearing in studios, filming clips. Even despite the fact that we have children and families. For your favorite work, you will always create ideal conditions that allow you to combine everything. This is very interesting and exciting, primarily because we now dictate the terms of the game ourselves.
Margo:
Our families took the news well. I had to explain a lot, because my husband did not know me as Margo. We met at a time when the group had not existed for a very long time. So it was an interesting twist for him. I was wondering how he would react. I thought it would be strongly against it, it would begin to dissuade, but it turned out the opposite. Beloved supported and approved my choice, for which I am very grateful to him.
Kat:
My children also had no idea that the whole country once knew their mother. They saw the truth with their own eyes when they got to the same concert in 2015. We were under the strongest impression, then climbed into the Internet and finally realized how much fame our group had. Today they are very happy to go with me to concerts in Moscow and even give advice, tell me what is now in trend in the world of show business.
Gera:
We believe that we can again climb to the top of the musical Olympus. We have faith, desire, ideas and support from loved ones. No one knows what song to release, there is no exact blueprint for success, but if a person has a goal that he believes in, he will definitely go where he wants to go.
In the 90s, there were many hysterical hits about a broken heart: either Toni Braxton moaned in the shower under Ubreak My Heart, or Gwen Stefani hysterically asked Don't Speak, but the seven "Shooter" (or "Shooter") answered for the drama in the vastness of Russia , as they called themselves then), whose loudest hit - "You left me" - forever entered the history of Russian pop music.
The status of "Russian Spice Girls" with a clear distribution of roles, coupled with a clip of sticky hits about parties of best friends, mommies and handsome deceivers, allowed Strelka to remain in the Russian pop elite for several years and easily fill Olimpiyskiy with loyal fans in 1999- m.
With the advent of the millennium, the group began to reshuffle, the repertoire from hooligan-playful turned into a collection of purely ladies' experiences, and the producers were carried away by creating "reserve lineups" and "sister" projects, like "Shooter International", which were remembered only by the rehashing of Sexual Revolution in the company of Boris Moiseev. The original Strelka broke up in 2004, but last year they unexpectedly succumbed to persuasion to perform at the next combined concert in the style of the 90s. The night of nostalgia was successful, and four members of the "golden line-up" decided to resume their concert activities: Maria (Margot), Svetlana (Hera), Ekaterina (Radio operator Kat, or just Kat) and Sali (Tori). At the new Strelok concerts, in addition to the classic hits, you can also hear the novelty “Man in Love”, from which we learn that “men in love are not looked into the eyes (“because you can’t look at the sun”).
Popular
Soloists of the Strelki group now
Tori, Kat, Margot and Hera
We met with the soloists of the Strelka group and found out how each of them got into the group, what they did after the breakup of the team, and what they expect from the reunion. We also contacted Yulia Beretta and Liya Bykova, who told us why they did not join their former colleagues.
Fox, Stasya, Mouse, Julia Beretta, Margo, Hera and Kat
Photo from personal archive
Remember how you became the Strelka?
Margo: We all have a common history. There was a casting. Our future producers saw the wonderful Spice Girls and decided to do something similar in Russia. In 1997, they advertised everywhere: in newspapers, magazines, on television. They were looking for girls who could sing, dance, look good, have acting skills and could read poetry. 4000 people came. And so they took the best, ta-dam!
What poems did you read at the casting?
Kat: I showed the light bulb.
Gera: I sang “Closing the Circle” by Chris Kelmi and “The Winter Just Ended” by Alena Sviridova. She danced a dance from jazz-modern choreography and read a fable.
Margo: I couldn’t think of anything to sing for me, and Leonid Velichkovsky (Producer of the group. — Note. ed.) said: “Sing “cherry-cherry”. I sang: “Cherry! Cherry!". Danced to George Michael Fast Love. I was later told that our producer says to our future choreographer Lyuba: “Look how well the girl dances.” And Lyuba is like: “No” (laughs). And I carefully watched the clip, learned all these rapper movements. In fact, I danced cool! And I also read the fable, but got confused in the text. I did not work out with acting, in general.
Tori: I also went through a casting together with the girls, sang, read a fable, I don’t remember what. I was selected, I was supposed to be the eighth member, but I decided not to go to the group, I refused. And then, two years later, when Mouse and Stasya left the group, she came to a new audition. I prayed so much that they would not remember me! She came in, called her name, and they told me: “Where have you been for two years?!”. Seliverstov (Igor - the second producer of the group. - Note. ed.) remembered, found out and said that everything, the casting for the rest is over.
What a long audition!
Gera: Four whole rounds! It all started in March 1997, and on May 9 the participants were approved. The first concert was scheduled for the evening of graduates, and we prepared for four hours every day for a month.
Cat: It just so happened that it was my own graduation, I graduated from high school that year.
The chemistry between the members was great - no worse than the Spice Girls. Did you work fast?
Margo: No. The producers had big problems with us. We didn't exactly match what they wanted. A month later, they gathered us and threatened: “So, now you all go home, we will look for new ones.” They handed out images to each and said: “Here you will be an angel, you are rock, you are sexy.” And home: "Go think." I got sexy. Christmas trees, I'm sexy?! That's it! As a result, I “failed” into this image.
Gera: And as for ourselves, we became friends right away. To be honest, already at the casting, our five went together - even without the Mouse. Already there they realized that we were the main ones at the casting. We knew that we would stay. We understood what the producers needed and that we were suitable. I immediately understood which girls I was competing with for a place in the group, looked at them and exhaled: “Not competitors!”
What was the most memorable moment of your career with Strelka?
Margo: First tour. We went with Ivanushki, Roma Ryabtsev, Alena Sviridova and Zhenya Osin to Kursk by bus.
Kat: Our concert at the Olimpiyskiy in 1999. I couldn't calm down for three days after that.
Gera: I also have an Olympic. There is a feeling that we have gathered a full hall, everyone with posters, they know the songs. We gathered for an after-party in a very cool restaurant. I went in there and I see all these important aunts and uncles who are still at the helm, and they shake hands with us: they say, well done, girls. I felt mature and important.
Margo: I have the entire concert — failure in memory. I only remember that I sang a solo song in such a black super-dress with a cutout and dedicated it to the one who was in the hall, only to him alone of all. I prepared very seriously. I don't remember anything else.
Gera: What about the stage pool? You should have jumped. In the end, no one jumped into it!
Margo: I don't remember anything at all.
Gera: I'll send you a video. And on that day, a fan gave me three bouquets. In the morning 100 white roses and one red, at the concert 100 red and one white, and after 100 white and one red. Here were the men! Nice-beautiful.
Why did they break up?
Margot: That was in 2004. We were already six years old then, and the contract was signed for five. In 2003, the producers brought us together and offered us another year. Gera and I stayed, Yuli Beretta and Kat were no longer in the group at that time. From the main composition there was still a Fox. We worked, and in 2006 the contract had already ended, and Gera and I assembled our own duet "Bridge".
Gera: In general, the main work ceased in 2002. Time began to change, the music was different, and our producers did not notice this at all. And when they noticed, they realized that they needed to do a complete upgrade, and this meant a lot of investment. They did not want to and scored on everything.
Then Arrows International appeared?
Gera: They showed up earlier. On the same wavelength with us. With us at some point were ...
Tori: Yes, they never went!
Margo: When Julia and Kat left us, young people began to recruit into our group, “to fill holes”. And when we left, it was all over. The new girls worked for a long time, almost until 2010, but, in fact, they just sang covers. Shooters International had its own "young" party, its own affairs, its own songs. Here, I remember, they sang with Moiseev.
Who did what when it was all over?
Margo: Hera and I became the duet "Bridge". They performed for 2 years, then I gave birth to a child, then a second. Along the way, she was engaged in creativity and the creation of her own jewelry - a brand B.B. Love which I currently manage.
Gera: I returned to the profession. She graduated from the theater, began acting in TV shows and movies. I went to advanced training, plunged into the theatrical life. And she began to try herself as a composer, wrote songs, performed, acted, played.
You, Hera, also had the project “Non-Arrows” with Yulia Beretta ...
Gera: Yes. It was a short project, like a joke. That's why the title was so funny.
Kat: After leaving the group, I gave birth to two sons and organized a business that is completely unrelated to show business. Now I combine creativity with commerce. I'm going to go back to law school. In view of my entire life situation, this will be very relevant. Now I finally understand how it works, otherwise I used to be a part-time student and didn’t really learn anything.
As I understand it, the sons followed in your footsteps?
Kat: Almost. The elder recently starred in Yeralash and, so I suspect, will go into acting.
Tori: After Strelok, I also continued to engage in creativity. She opened her own vocal school. I am raising three children. She sang, worked all this time for Evgeny Viktorovich Osin. All in all, it didn't go far.
Often, probably, they were tormented by the question of the return of Strelok ...
Gera: In every interview: "When, when?" And I said: NEVER. That's right, "never say never."
And how did it all work out?
Gera: We called our former producer Leonid Velichkovsky from one radio station and asked if it was possible to gather us for the "Disco of the 90s", where all the stars of that time were, except for us. He decided to try. And all of a sudden, we all fit together. We decided to joke, make fun, “remember youth”. And after the concert, we sat in the dressing room and realized that everything went so well that it would be great to continue.
Margo: Without words, we understood each other that this was a new beginning.
But not everyone decided to return ...
Gera: Half of us live abroad, and one girl sings herself.
Do you know what those members of the “golden line-up” who are not performing with you now are doing?
Gera: Lisa lives in London, Stasya lives in Holland and practices yoga. Leah lives in Australia and also just gave birth. A Mouse in Turkey with her husband and child.
And what about Julia Beretta? Is this a sore point?
Margo: No, we don't have any sick questions. She has been performing solo for the past 12 years, she no longer needs the Strelka group. Call now Alena Apina to the Combination group - she won’t go, she doesn’t need it.
And recently, Yulia sang the songs "Shooter" in the "Olympic" ...
Tori: She wants to sing these songs, she likes them. And we like it. Good songs!
You have always comic-“boyish” songs (like “Handsome” and “Mommy”) went hand in hand with lyrical compositions: “Boomerang”, “Thorns and Roses” and so on. What kind of music should we expect from you now?
Gera: So far we have released one song - "Man in Love". But besides this, they shot the comedy Instagram mini-series "Babki-Style". This is a bullshit story. So, as far as songs are concerned, we can't say yet.
Margo: We are waiting for the resonance from the "Man in Love". Soon we will shoot a video, we plan to release a mini-album in the fall. And touring.
Fans in social networks demand to finish the trilogy of clips “You left me” and “Boomerang” and again call Ivars Kalnins to the video. How do you like the idea?
Gera: For us, this story ended back then, but for fans, it seems, no. (Laughs)
Margo: We wrote at the end "To be continued." It was intrigue. But we promised a sequel about this girl. And this girl is no longer very interesting to us. She is already a grandmother, why talk about her?
How was the fate of Leah Bykova and Yulia Beretta from Strelok
Leah: I left the group back in 98, and not after the breakup: I worked in the group for only a year. There were several reasons. Maybe the realities of Russian show business were a little traumatizing. And I was still in my third year at the Faculty of Translation at Moscow State Linguistic University, studying Chinese and English. The study outweighed. In 2000, I went to study in Australia and received a master's degree in finance from UNSW. I took root, since then I have been living and working in Sydney and raising a child.
Julia Beretta: The reason for my leaving the group was the end of the contract with the producers, and the Strelka project for that period, it seemed to me, had already exhausted itself. I went solo. Then I began to actively act in films and study. Graduated from GITIS, workshop of Nifontov. To date, I have about 30 films and one play to my credit. Not far off, by the way, and the second. And two more music albums. The author of most of the songs on my second disc was Andrey Gubin. 15 clips, participation in various television projects and more. Last November I became a mother...
Why didn't you return to the group? Because, firstly, the Strelka group is a production project that involves young, gambling, crazy girls, and I'm not like that anymore! Secondly, I put a lot of effort and time into my personal project - Yulia Beretta. Thirdly, it’s more interesting to realize your creative plans than to dance to someone else’s tune, and indeed the women’s team is, as you understand, always difficult!
And for many years, with the permission of the producers, I have been performing at my concerts songs from the repertoire of the group that my fans want to hear: “At the Party” and “You Left Me”. By the way, I myself wrote several songs for the group, which became hits at that time: "Boomerang", "We'll have time", "Moscow", "Spring". From a certain moment, she became the official owner of the exclusive rights to the music of these songs. Moreover, then none of the girls thought about returning to the group. Now they are reunited, and I sincerely wish them all the very best! Good luck and new hits. Since today it is much more difficult to climb to the top of the charts and resist there.
Interesting...
I want to know everything that happens in the life of stars.
OK
We have sent a confirmation email to your email.
