Bedros Kirkorov, pop singer, People's Artist of the Russian Federation. Biography

Bedros Kirkorov (birth name Krikorian) He was born in 1932 in the Bulgarian city of Varna. The parents of the future star were descendants of Turkish Armenians who moved to Bulgaria. The head of the family worked as a shoemaker and, together with his wife, sang in the city choir. When Bedros grew up a little, mom and dad began to take him with them to performances and rehearsals. Soon the boy joined the creative team himself, although he initially wanted to become a dancer.

The mentors immediately noted Kirkorov's powerful tenor. His voice stood out so much from his peers that he was nicknamed the Trumpet, and the conductor asked the young performer to sing more softly at each lesson.

Despite his outstanding vocal abilities, Kirkorov did not immediately decide to connect his life with music. At the age of 17, he graduated from a vocational school with a degree in shoe design. The mother of the future artist insisted on getting a "real" profession, believing that the stage would not bring her son a real income.

Color in the mood: Leps in pink, Buinov in dark glasses, Kirkorov with tattoos

How did secular Moscow spend the last week

After graduation, Kirkorov worked in his specialty for several years, but continued to take private vocal lessons and performed with the choir of the shoe company where he worked. At the age of 18, he managed to become an intern at the Varna State Opera. The young singer was entrusted to perform the role of Alfred Germont in the opera La Traviata, but during the preparation for his first performance he was drafted into the army.

Initially, Kirkorov was sent to serve in the border troops, but soon transferred to a military ensemble, in which the artist managed to perform at the World Festival of Youth and Students in 1955. After his return, Bedros rejoined the opera company, finally performing the cherished role of Alfred and many other works.

In the early 1960s, Kirkorov's performances attracted the attention of Soviet composer Arno Babajanyan, who was on vacation in Varna. Impressed by the singer's talent, the maestro offered him a musical education in the USSR. Bedros went to Moscow and was immediately enrolled in the second year of GITIS.

As the artist himself admitted, it was not easy for him at first, because he did not know Russian well. His mentor Boris Pokrovsky even threatened to expel Kirkorov after the first semester for his poor command of the language. However, the performer managed to overcome this obstacle.

During his studies, Kirkorov began working at a Moscow concert, performing songs in Russian, Bulgarian and Italian. He has collaborated with renowned orchestras led by Vladimir Fedoseev, Yuri Silantiev and Eddie Rosner.

In 1966, Kirkorov became a participant in the variety program "Melody of Friends", in which artists from socialist countries performed. They were accompanied by the RSFSR State Variety Orchestra conducted by Leonid Utesov. It was he who invited Bedros to perform a solo program "Sofia – Moscow, Moscow – Sofia", dedicated to the friendship of the peoples of Bulgaria and the USSR. Subsequently, this program turned into a calling card of the performer, and the song "Alyosha" about the monument to Soviet soldiers in Plovdiv became a hit of its time.

In the 1970s and 80s, Kirkorov worked at the Moscow Regional Philharmonic, and in 1984 joined the Anton Arensky Novgorod Regional Philharmonic. The audience remembered his participation in charity concerts and patriotic actions. In 1992, the singer became the first foreign citizen in history to receive the title of Honored Artist of Russia, and in 2012 he was awarded the title of People's Artist of the Russian Federation.

In the 2000s and 100s, Kirkorov appeared on television, was a member of the jury of children's and youth creative contests. In 2021, the artist took part in the Mask show, singing the song "If I were a Sultan." Despite the fact that he practically did not hide his voice, the judges, among whom was the singer's son Philip Kirkorov, did not recognize him in a suit, deciding that he was a young man in front of them.

Bedros Kirkorov — personal life

Kirkorov met his first wife, Victoria Likhacheva, during a tour of the Mosconcert. In 1964, while performing in Sochi, the artist noticed a pretty girl in the front rows. Later, she came over to get an autograph, and Bedros almost immediately invited the beauty to marry. The novel developed rapidly, and in the same year the lovers legalized their relationship. And in 1967, they had a son, Philip, who later won fame as the "king of Russian pop."

Kirkorov was married to Likhacheva for 30 years. In 1994, his wife died of cancer.

Lyudmila Smirnova became the artist's second wife in 1997. Kirkorov first met her shortly before Likhacheva's death — during a tour in the Novgorod region, the woman volunteered to show the guests the local museum. A few years later, their second meeting took place in Moscow, which marked the beginning of a romantic relationship.

In 2002, the couple had a long-awaited daughter, Ksenia. However, the girl was born prematurely and died two weeks later. This event was a heavy blow to the family of Kirkorov and Smirnova. In 2023, there were rumors that the artist had a new lover, a young nurse Olesya. But the singer himself denied these speculations.

Bedros Kirkorov — death

Bedros Kirkorov's death was announced on his Telegram channel by his son Philip Kirkorov.

"I'm not a child anymore. Today, on March 18, 2025, at 3:37 p.m., my dad, People's Artist of Russia Bedros Kirkorov, passed away, but you will never leave your heart," he wrote.

Ekaterina Uspenskaya, Kirkorov Jr.'s representative, told Izvestia that cardiac arrest was the cause of death. The performer was 92 years old.

Singer, People's Artist of Russia Larisa Dolina, in a conversation with Izvestia, called Kirkorov Sr. a talented and sincere person.

"Bedros lived a very beautiful, decent life and was an example for his son. He was a very good man, and Philip learned a lot from him — kindness, optimism, and talent," she shared.