From Sevastopol to Leningrad
Alexander Alexandrovich Bronevitsky was born in 1931 in Sevastopol. As journalist and biographer Fyodor Razzakov writes in his book “How Idols Love,” Alexander’s father, Alexander Semenovich, was Belarusian, and his mother, Erika Karlovna, was Latvian. Most of the men in the Bronevitsky family were naval officers. However, Bronevitsky Jr. was not attracted to either the art of war or even the sea. He dreamed of a musical career. In the first half of the 1950s, Alexander left his hometown for Leningrad, where he entered the conservatory for a composition class. While still a student, Bronevitsky created the first independent vocal ensemble in the history of the USSR called “Lipka”. Its participants were mainly people from various Eastern European countries. Among them was Edita Piekha.
Biography of Edita Piekha
The biography of Edita Piekha began in the suburbs of France, in 1937. Father - Stanislav Piekha - worked as a miner and died from severe dust in his lungs. Her mother, Felicia Korolevska, was a housewife, so Edita’s older brother, Pavel, also went to work as a miner at a young age to support his family. However, three years later he was diagnosed with tuberculosis and soon died. Then the mother marries a second time, and the girl has a brother, Jozef. The whole family returns to Poland. Now Edita Piekha is a happy grandmother of her grandchildren: Stas and Erica, as well as great-grandchildren: Pavel and Vasilisa.
The girl had to learn Polish, since she knew her native French and, additionally, German perfectly. In the last class of the educational institution, Edita wins a competition held for students. The prize was a referral to any institute in the USSR. Thus, Edita ended up in Leningrad and became a student at the Zhdanov Institute. In order to combine studies and performances in the choir, the girl had to switch to the correspondence course and abandon the sports section.
We can say that Edita became famous literally overnight. As a participant in the New Year's concert, she performed the song “Red Bus” in her native language and captivated everyone with her mesmerizing timbre of her voice.
Until 1976, Piekha was a constant vocalist of the Druzhba ensemble, under the direction of Bronevitsky. “Edita Piekha funeral, photo” - these were the headlines that filled the first pages of the yellow press after her departure from the group. Fortunately, this turned out to be another invention of unscrupulous journalists. The singer simply began performing solo concerts.
Meeting with Piekha
At that time, Edita Piekha was studying at the Zhdanov Leningrad University and, like many students, was involved in amateur performances. She sang in the choir of the Polish community, at whose performance Bronevitsky noticed her. Alexander invited Edita to his ensemble. As the artist herself later recalled in her autobiographical book “From the Heart,” she was late for the first rehearsal. Nevertheless, Bronevitsky liked Piekha’s voice, as well as herself. The young people began dating, and a few months later they got married. In 1961, Ilona was born.
Edita is in many ways Bronevitskaya
Edita Stanislavovna Piekha still reproaches herself for her divorce from Alexander Bronevitsky. The singer believes that it was this circumstance that accelerated his decline. San Sanych died at fifty-seven. He died in a Nalchik hotel without having time to dial the ambulance number. This summer the master of the Soviet stage would have turned 75 years old.
His Galatea decided to celebrate the anniversary by going to the authorities for the first time in her life - asking to hang a memorial plaque on her husband’s house.
Galatea with a Polish accent
- Sasha, like Pygmalion, gave birth to his Galatea. I was then a tavern singer, and he was called the bearer and distributor of bourgeois ideology in the country. He was the conductor of the Polish community choir and was the first to see something in the lanky girl who had been wearing the same blouse for several years (there was simply no other!). At first they called the ensemble “Lipka”, and only then they became “Druzhba”. They never told me: eat some porridge, do this! They told me: this is good, this is bad! All! And then I dug like a miner, because I really am a miner’s daughter. I was learning to walk on stage, he saw everything: “You’re detonating!” I recorded myself on a tape recorder, studied with a vocal teacher - he listened to everything. He was strict, explosive, and could lose his temper and yell. But when a woman gives birth, she also screams. And he gave birth to every song, every performer.
Guilty without guilt
- Yes, it’s my fault that I left him. Women's logic was misleading. I thought I could love someone else. It turned out that I couldn’t fall in love after him! I invented these loves for myself and thereby shortened his life. Therefore, I want to do something to dot the i's. I dream of unveiling a memorial plaque on the house where he lived. Bronevitsky was a great man! He did something that had never happened before. “Friendship” gave impetus to all vocal and instrumental ensembles. And “Orere”, and “Singing Guitars”, and “Songmakers”. Zhenya, Bronevitsky’s brother, told me: “You see, old woman, if I had not listened to Shura, then in my life I would never have been able to make a revolution in “Singing Guitars” with Tolya Vasilyev!”
Black wedding dress
— We got married on December 8, 1956. We lived on Grechesky Avenue in a communal apartment. One of the nine rooms was occupied by military sailor-officer Alexander Semenovich Bronevitsky with his wife and two adult sons. San Sanych proposed to me right on the stairs. And I am 174 cm tall (there were no such tall girls in Leningrad back then!), 59 kilos... I thought: “No one else will make such an offer to me. And then, what a great man, what a talent he is, he plays the piano!” I was happy to be getting married and in love to the core. Although the Polish practicality spoke in me: “Agree, otherwise no one else will offer!” We came to the registry office of the Smolninsky district. I was in some kind of black dress. Guests: Andrei Petrov, artistic director of the military ensemble Nikolai Kunaev with his wife, San Sanych’s parents. In the evening I ran into the kitchen and cried bitterly: I dreamed of getting married in a white dress! There was no way to buy it with a scholarship...
Chucha, Gazus and Babon
“Of course, I had no idea when to give birth or how to regulate it. I was supposed to give birth in 1957. Naturally, I had to have an abortion. Then in 58, 59, 60... I came to Bronevitsky’s mother Erika Karlovna and knelt down: “Mom, if I give birth, will you take her up? I can’t take her on tour! Or let’s give the child to my mother, in Poland, but then she will be Polish, and not the daughter of your son Shura.” My mother-in-law told me: “What did you hide before, that you could give birth? And if you can, then give birth!” The girl was born in 1961, her mother-in-law named her Ilona, until she was eight months old I was a mother, and then Bronevitsky sent a telegram: “We’re dying on tour without you!” The people want to see Piekha!” The daughter stayed with her grandmother, where she was raised until the age of fifteen. Ilonka always considered her her mother, and I was not jealous, on the contrary, I was very grateful. When my daughter gave birth to a girl, she came to me for advice: “What to name?” And I said: “Remember who raised you? Let your daughter be Erica.” By the way, Ilona (when she grew up) also went on tour with us. She adored her father and called him “my Chucha.” She is generally a master at inventing names. Dad is Chucha, grandmother is Gazus, son is Shmucha, I am Mamon, Stas is Babon...
Thief Snot and an expensive fur coat
“One day we went on tour, and when we returned to our then apartment on the outskirts, in Kupchin, we discovered that everything had been completely taken out. I remembered that my new fur coat had a mark: one loop was broken. The police combed all the thrift stores and found this fur coat, and then the person who sold it there. When the thieves were brought to the confrontation, they kept asking to take a photo of them with Edita Piekha, because they really love me as a singer. I still haven’t forgotten the name of one of them - Rudomazin. And in Irkutsk, a man named Soplya pulled my wallet out of my bag. I came to the hotel, all in tears. They pulled out more than a thousand rubles - an amount unheard of at that time. Only I had the money, I created matriarchy. And then Bronevitsky honestly admitted that he had a stash of 25 rubles. “If it weren’t for me, we’d be starving right now!” - Shura laughed.
Jealousy, passion and Magomayev
- He was terribly jealous. Hereditary disease. The sailor dad, returning from a voyage, interrogated his beautiful wife. San Sanych absorbed this poison into himself. Then I learned to forgive, just not pay attention to it. I tried to explain that there was no one to be jealous of, but he didn’t understand. And when a person really appeared that I really liked, he was not jealous of him. I didn’t understand that I was a conspirator... I was mercilessly jealous of others: “You’re crying, that means you’re to blame! You are silent, which means you are to blame!” - “But I was at the hairdresser!” - “Prove it!” He came up with brilliant excuses. Once she flew to Cannes as the record holder for the circulation of the Melodiya company, the second winner was Muslim Magomayev, but for some reason they didn’t take Bronevitsky. I came up with the idea of buying Shura a ticket to Cannes to be together. Imagine, at night I sleep in a room on the fifth floor, the window is open. Suddenly I wake up: someone is breathing above me! I turn on the night light - Shura is standing there with a menacing face: “Tell me, where is Magomayev?!” He climbed through the window like a monkey. And there were many such cases. I arrived in Sochi earlier, and suddenly runs up from behind and hits me on the back: “You’re going to see your lover on a date!” So I’ll rip it off for you!”
Vain words
“When we were leaving, I said: “You will fall in love with a woman 25 years younger than you!” She will cheat on you!” And then I uttered such a terrible phrase, I still can’t understand where it came from: “You will die like a dog under the fence!” That's how it all happened. She didn’t like him and constantly went on sprees with different companies. When Shura died in Nalchik, locked in a hotel room, at the door, with a telephone receiver, his passion was “relaxing” in a restaurant. I remembered everything. No, I didn’t wish that for him... The phrase just flew out of my heart because he was so unfairly jealous of me. It all turned out ridiculous. In general, he had an absurd and sad fate. Later we met, communicated, looked for each other, and, perhaps, if he had not passed away, we would have met in a new capacity.
Creative Union
But Alexander Bronevitsky became for Edita Piekha not only the legal spouse and father of her daughter, he gave her, as they say, a start in life. The artist’s debut performance as part of the Bronevitsky ensemble, which took place on New Year’s Eve within the walls of the conservatory, caused a storm of applause. Since university teachers were also in the hall, Piekha did not remain without their attention. Soon, the first video clip in the Union was shot for the song “Chervonny Bus” performed by Edita, and for Bronevitsky’s international group Piekha came up with a new, more sonorous name “Friendship”. On the eve of the next festival of youth and students, the ensemble came in handy. So, thanks to Bronevitsky, Piekha conquered the Soviet stage. In addition, Alexander Alexandrovich, being a professional composer, himself wrote songs for his wife. Among the most famous hits of the vocalist based on Bronevitsky’s music are “Veronica”, “Road”, “Clouds” and many others.
Active and happy
Ilona Bronevitskaya tries not to think about the age indicated in her passport. Yes, it is stupid, in her opinion, to say that every age is beautiful; all the brightest things were still in youth. However, the singer would not want to return there, because she likes herself exactly as she is now - wise and understanding of everything.
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Ilona Aleksandrovna is a very cheerful person who tries to find balance in everything. She cannot be sad for a long time, and she does not even know what depression is. The main thing in life is to rejoice and be happy, and happiness is a momentary state that you need to be able to grasp, the star believes.
Bronevitskaya’s life is very eventful; the artist is in great demand as a presenter and as a public figure. But at the same time, she still manages to devote a lot of time to her family. Ilona Alexandrovna has two children - son Stas Piekha and daughter Erica, who have already given her grandchildren.
Opala and the revival of “Friendship”
Despite the popularity of the ensemble in the Soviet Union and even abroad, its performances were banned in 1959. According to Edita Piekha, the authorities accused the group members of imitating the bourgeois West. Only 2 years later, thanks to the intervention of prominent musical figures, Bronevitsky managed to restore the composition of the group. Although from time to time attacks on Alexander Alexandrovich and his brainchild continued. However, the team existed for more than 30 years, until the death of its creator.
Carier start
On New Year's Eve from 1955 to 1956, Bronevitsky's student ensemble performed at the Leningrad Conservatory. Along with him was Edita Piekha, who then sang the song “Red Bus” (“Autobus czerwony”) in Polish, the author of the work was Vladislav Shpilman. This was an unprecedented triumph for the young student. That same night she performed “The Red Bus” four times as an encore, and the next day the whole of Leningrad learned and started talking about her and the other artists of the ensemble. Active concert activity of young people began. This brought great joy to all members of the team, but combining constant performances and studies turned out to be incredibly difficult. The solution was a correspondence form of education, but in order to obtain the right to it, Piekha had to personally travel to Moscow and ask permission from the USSR Minister of Education himself.
Edita Piekha sings
Having achieved her transfer to distance learning, the talented student continued her path to the singing Olympus. In 1956, she became a soloist of the ensemble, which was called “Friendship”. Moreover, Edita herself came up with this name before the group’s performance at the Philharmonic on International Women’s Day on March 8, 1956. “Friendship” existed for twenty years, during which time almost all the participants came and left the team, and only the leader - Alexander Bronevitsky - and the soloist - Edita Piekha - remained unchanged.
Edith-Marie Piekha and the Druzhba ensemble
In 1959, a big problem happened for the ensemble: it was banned. The reason, according to the top management, was Druzhba’s propaganda of jazz, which in the Soviet Union was considered an alien and hostile musical direction. In addition, the dissatisfaction of the authorities was caused by the specific manner of speaking of the ensemble's lead singer Edita Piekha, who always had a noticeable Polish accent. High officials suspected this was a deliberate distortion of the Russian language. Alexander Bronevitsky could not come to terms with the loss of his brainchild and just give up. He got the “Friendship” show right at the Ministry of Culture, and it had an effect. The officials were pleased with what they saw and heard and allowed the ensemble to continue its activities. “Friendship” returned to the stage, albeit with an updated lineup. Only Edita remained in her place and continued her stellar journey.
Marie Piekha and the Druzhba ensemble
While in this ensemble, she released over twenty giant discs. The authors of her songs were the most popular composers of those years - Alexandra Pakhmutova, Mark Fradkin, Vladimir Uspensky and others. Piekha also achieved foreign recognition. Several of her songs were released by French, Cuban, Polish, German and other foreign record labels. Together with “Friendship,” Edita toured dozens of countries around the world, even such exotic ones as Bolivia, Peru, Honduras, Afghanistan, and Mongolia. Before Piekha, not a single artist from the USSR had visited some of these countries. French composer, impresario and director of the Parisian Olympia concert hall Bruno Cockatrice invited the Soviet singer to perform on this grandiose European stage. Piekha conquered Olympia twice. In Cuba she received the honorary title “Mistress Song”. But perhaps the most significant of Edita Piekha’s “victories” is that she was the very first of all the artists of the Soviet Union to sing in New York at Carnegie Hall.
Edith-Marie Piekha - Honored Artist of the USSR
The year 1968 was marked for Edita Piekha by three outstanding events. First, she won the political song competition at the IX World Festival of Youth and Students in the Bulgarian capital Sofia. The song “Huge Sky” brought success to the singer, for which the jury awarded three gold medals. In addition, the Committee for the Fight against Fascism, operating at that festival, organized a corresponding competition, in which Piekha also won with the song “Next!” by composer V. Uspensky. Well, as if in addition to the above joyful events in the artist’s life, she received citizenship of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in the same 1968.
Edita Piekha - winner of the political song competition
Death behind a locked door
By the time of Bronevitsky’s sudden death, the couple had already separated, despite the fact that they had lived together for 20 years. After the divorce, Piekha left her ex-husband’s team and organized her own group. Bronevitsky continued his work as part of “Friendship”. A year later, Alexander Alexandrovich married again. His wife was Irina Romanovskaya, a musical theater artist who was 20 years younger than him. It was she, according to Edita Piekha, who on April 13, 1988 locked Bronevitsky in a hotel room in the city of Nalchik, where they were both on tour, and went to a party. The man went to bed, but at night he felt ill. He wanted to call, but fell near the locked door with the receiver in his hand. He was found in this position early in the morning. 56-year-old Alexander Bronevitsky died of a heart attack.
Solo career
The beginning of Edita Piekha’s solo career dates back to 1976, when she left Friendship. This was preceded by a separation from Alexander Bronevitsky, who was not only her leader, but also her husband for many years. Having gone into free swimming, Piekha creates his own ensemble, headed by a graduate of the Leningrad Conservatory, Grigory Kleimits. With her own team, the artist not only successfully performs on stage, but is also involved in active social activities.
Edita Piekha - pop star
Thus, Edita Stanislavovna initiated performances by artists for the Moscow Olympics-80 fund; provides funds for the installation of a monument to children killed in the Great Patriotic War; helps orphanages. The singer does not stand aside from the war taking place in Afghanistan in those years. To support Soviet soldiers, she travels with concerts to distant and hostile countries: in 1983 and 1986 she visited Kabul, Jalalabad, Bagram, and Kunduz.
Edita Piekha
Edita Piekha's family
Edita Piekha's family is constantly replenished with new family members. Her only daughter Ilona gave birth to two children. The People's Artist has already become a great-grandmother twice. Her grandson Stas Piekha had a son, Peter, in 2014; and granddaughter Erika Bystrova gave birth to a girl, Vasilisa, in 2013.
Despite her venerable age, Edita Stanislavovna loves walking. When the opportunity arises, she enjoys spending time with her large family: in the fresh air, on the site where there is also a two-story country house.
Children of Edita Piekha
Many listeners, fascinated by the singer’s beautiful contralto, want to find out as much information as possible about this truly great woman. One of the questions that interests people is Edita Piekha’s children, how many there are, what profession they chose for themselves.
The honored artist gave birth to one child, in her first marriage - a daughter, to whom she and her husband gave the name Ilona. From an early age, my daughter went on tour with her famous mother, her father taught her vocals, so it would probably be unnecessary to say that Ilona followed in the footsteps of her star parents.
Personal life of Edita Piekha
The personal life of Edita Piekha is as eventful as her biography. During her long pop life, the singer repeatedly went with concerts to Afghanistan, Peru, Bali, and went on tour in many countries around the world.
The songs performed by the singer formed the golden fund of the Soviet and Russian stage. She recorded about twenty discs, which were later reissued in many countries. Edita Stanislavovna’s repertoire includes more than five hundred songs. The artist herself admitted that she never counted the songs she sang, she simply did what her soul wanted all her life - performed songs.
