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- The disease almost put an end to his career: how Oleg Gazmanov became one of the most popular artists in the country
The disease almost put an end to his career: how Oleg Gazmanov became one of the most popular artists in the country
Oleg Gazmanov, one of the most famous Russian pop performers, celebrates his 75th birthday. Over the decades of his career, he went from a graduate of the marine engineering college to a National Artist of Russia, creating dozens of popular songs and forming a recognizable stage image combining lyrics and patriotic themes. Read more about the artist's biography in the Izvestia article.
Oleg Gazmanov: childhood, education and early years
Oleg Gazmanov was born on July 22, 1951 in the Kaliningrad region and grew up in the post-war period, when social and educational guidelines were largely related to technical professions and applied specialties. His father Mikhail Semyonovich Gazmanov is a military man who participated in the Great Patriotic War as part of the Third Belorussian Front, and after that graduated from the Pushkin Higher Military Engineering and Construction College in Leningrad (on its basis the St. Petersburg Military Engineering and Technical University was established). In 1972, Mikhail Gazmanov retired with the rank of major of the construction troops, and in 1983 he died of a stroke.
Pop singer, composer and poet, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Oleg Mikhailovich Gazmanov at a concert dedicated to the celebration of the 850th anniversary of Moscow. Column Hall of the House of Unions, September 1997
Mother Zinaida Abramovna Gazmanova (nee Altshuler) served as a nurse during the war, then worked as a nurse in a hospital. After the end of the war, she became a cardiologist and internist. Oleg Gazmanov's parents divorced, after which his father remarried, and the musician had a younger brother and sister on his father's side.
As a child, the future artist studied at several schools in Kaliningrad. He practiced gymnastics, but was forced to stop training due to injury. At the same time, he was awarded the title of "Master of Sports".
In 1973, Gazmanov graduated from the Kaliningrad Higher Marine Engineering College with a degree in refrigeration and compressor machines and installations. After graduation, he served near Riga at mine and torpedo depots, then worked as a teacher at KVIMU.
How Oleg Gazmanov came to the stage
In 1981 Oleg Gazmanov graduated from the Kaliningrad Music College in guitar class. During his studies, he was a member of the Atlantic vocal and instrumental ensemble. For this band, he wrote the song "White Snow", which was performed by Valery Leontiev at the Song of the Year festival in 1990. Later, the musician performed in the band Visit, played in the rock bands Divo and Galaktika, and created music and lyrics.
And in 1983, Gazmanov moved to Moscow. He became widely known a few years later thanks to the song "Lucy", which was performed by his six-year-old son Rodion. After that, the artist began writing compositions for such performers as Valery Leontiev, Masha Rasputina, Vladimir Presnyakov Jr. and others.
Oleg Gazmanov's main songs and creative achievements
Oleg Gazmanov's creative biography is largely connected with compositions that have gained wide popularity in different periods of the development of the Russian stage. His repertoire was formed at the junction of lyrical and patriotic themes, which provided him with a stable presence in television and concert spaces.
People's and Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Oleg Gazmanov (left) and bass guitarist of the band "Squadron" Valentin Lezov during the online concert "My Clear Days"
Among the first songs performed by Gazmanov himself are "Putana", "Squadron", "Sailor" and "Yesaul". They were included in the debut album "Squadron" (1991), after which his first tour took place. Oleg Gazmanov's most popular songs also include "My Clear Days", "Forward, Russia", "Officers", "My Only Bright One", "Darkie" and "Went on a Spree". These compositions consolidated the performer's characteristic stage image and began to be regularly performed at major concert venues, as well as in the framework of television projects at the federal level.
In 1989, he created the Squadron group. The keyboardist and vocalist of the band Galina Romanova performed songs written by Gazmanov, and after the success of "Seamen" he also created the song "My Sailor" for her.
In 1995, Gazmanov received the title of Honored Artist of Russia, and in 2001 — People's Artist. His awards include the Order of Honor (2006), the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, IV degree (2012), and other state and professional awards. He is also a member of the Public Council of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
In 2002, Gazmanov became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. During his career, he became the winner of the Song of the Year festival 15 times, received the international World Music Awards, as well as four Golden Gramophone awards for the songs "This Day", "At Dawn", "Fog" and "Take Away" (duet with Sofia Rotaru). In 2021, he was a member of the jury of the Voice 60+ show. In November 2022, he initiated the Rodniki project to support patriotic songs, which received a presidential grant of 17 million rubles.
Oleg Gazmanov's family and personal life
Oleg Gazmanov's personal life has been in the public eye for many years, but the artist himself has consistently divided the professional and private spheres, focusing on creative activities and concert work. It is known that he was married twice.
Singer Rodion Gazmanov, son of Oleg Gazmanov and his first wife Irina
His first wife was Irina Gazmanova. The marriage lasted from 1975 to 1997. Rodion's son was born in this union (July 3, 1981), who became a musician and TV presenter.
After his divorce from his first wife, Irina Gazmanov, he left her all the jointly acquired property and a car, and continued to financially support her for more than 20 years. He explained this by saying that he was already earning steadily and did not want his son's mother to live in difficulties. Separately, he was engaged in the education of his son Rodion, paying for his studies in England, and then at the financial academy.
Later in his life, Marina Muravyeva appeared, who was previously married to Vyacheslav Mavrodi, the co-founder of MMM. He met her during a tour in Voronezh. Their relationship developed gradually, they lived together for a long time and formalized their relationship after the birth of their daughter Marianne in 2003. The singer adopted the son of Philip's wife, who became an entrepreneur and co-founder of the Fura cargo transportation service. In July 2026, Marianne married a businessman.
Interesting facts about Oleg Gazmanov on his 75th birthday
Oleg Gazmanov dreamed of entering the Bauman Moscow State Technical University. He abandoned this idea because it was difficult for his mother after the divorce of his parents. An additional role was played by the advice of a friend who himself did not enroll in a university in the capital and convinced him to choose a seaman, where they provided housing, food and a profession. As a result, Gazmanov received a degree in refrigeration and compressor installations, even taught at a college for a while, but then finally changed his field of activity and went into music.
The turn to creativity turned out to be largely related to a personal story: in his youth, Gazmanov fell in love with a girl, whose attention he was able to attract when she heard him playing the guitar. This prompted him to take up music more seriously. Although the relationship did not work out, it was then that he finally became interested in the stage and realized that science was not so close to him. Later, the artist said that music gives an instant response: either the recognition of the audience, or its harsh reaction, and it was this feeling of a live result that turned out to be important to him.
Like many aspiring artists, Gazmanov combined creativity with part-time jobs. In Kaliningrad, he studied at a music college during the day, and in the evening he performed in restaurants where the atmosphere was far from calm — the port city, sailors, noisy companies and frequent conflicts. Later, in Moscow, he had to take on any job, including unloading wagons. The artist himself emphasized that he did not see anything shameful in this, because the main goal was to stay afloat and move towards the dream.
In 1995, Gazmanov suffered a clinical death — he was electrocuted at the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Artek children's camp. According to the artist, he "found himself at a point where there was no color, no smell, no sound," and the thought of an unfinished album helped him come back to life.
Singer Oleg Gazmanov performs at the ZHARA International Music Festival in Baku, July 29, 2017.
In 2017, Gazmanov almost ended his musical career due to a tumor on his ligaments. The singer tried for a long time to solve the problem without surgery, but the treatment did not bring results. At the same time, according to doctors, the chance that the artist would no longer be able to sing after the operation was 30-40%. Fortunately, the operation was successful, and after a long period of recovery, Gazmanov returned to the stage.
The Gazmanov family is also known for its attention to sports and discipline. The artist follows a strict regime and does push—ups every day, increasing their number with age - now it corresponds to his years. He emphasized that he tries not to miss workouts even when ill, and considers such regularity an obligatory part of life. The artist is also known for his energetic manner of performing. On stage, he often demonstrates his signature flips and splits.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
