Many fans are interested in the personal life and biography of Irina Saltykova. The Russian performer and actress became known to the general public in the second half of the 90s, after she recorded and performed the song “Blue Eyes.” Then there were other musical compositions, which almost always became hits.
Childhood and youth
Irina was born in a small town in the Tula region called Novomoskovsk. The family did not live well: the father of the future singer was a machinist, and her mother worked as a teacher in a kindergarten.
Irina Saltykova with her mother
The talented and purposeful girl did not sit still for a minute. Until the age of 12, Irina was fond of rhythmic gymnastics, won many competitions and even passed the KMS standard.
Irina has years of sports experience behind her.
In 1981, Irina graduated from school and entered a construction technical school, which she successfully graduated after 4 years. Having received the specialty of a secretary-typist, the girl refused to work as assigned - the Tula native was attracted by the capital and the opportunity to get a higher education at one of the Moscow universities. The choice fell on the Moscow University of Economics, Statistics and Informatics, which Irina graduated from in 1990.
Daughter Alice
As Saltykova Sr. herself admits, she did not want her daughter to follow in her footsteps. Mother had a desire for Alice to study architecture. However, her daughter also chose the path to the stage. She was educated in France and Switzerland. There she studied at the acting department and received an education in the vocal field. Now she is a young singer living in London. Saltykova’s daughter records her first songs under the name Alisa.
Carier start
Irina always loved to sing and dreamed of reaching a professional level. A fateful resort meeting with the then popular singer Viktor Saltykov helped. The young people's whirlwind romance was followed by an official wedding ceremony and the birth of a child.
Viktor Saltykov (sitting) and his group “Forum”
In 1989, Victor, not the last person in musical circles, recommended Irina to the Mirage group - they just needed girls to replace Natalia Gulkina and Margarita Sukhankina who left VIA. For three months, Irina, together with Tatyana Ovsienko, performed to a soundtrack, then left the group and took up housekeeping and raising Alice.
Irina Saltykova (in
Irina did not remain a housewife for long - Victor’s group was losing popularity, and the financial situation of the Saltykov family was inexorably deteriorating, so the girl got a job at the Delhi variety show. In 1993, Irina bought several market pavilions and became the owner of a small business selling clothes and cosmetics, which Irina’s friend brought from the UK.
At this time, the relationship between the spouses began to deteriorate: Victor began to drink and become promiscuous, there was not enough money, and Irina’s creative ambitions remained unfulfilled. Constant quarrels were followed by divorce and the collapse of the business: Victor’s dancers worked as sellers in the tents.
Irina and Viktor Saltykov shortly before the divorce
After a series of failures in her personal life and business, Saltykova realized: now or never! She sold the outlets and her husband's gifts, which included a ring with 27 diamonds. The proceeds were enough to start the singer's career. Irina Saltykova’s solo debut took place in 1994 on the stage of the Moscow cinema “Warsaw”; the singer performed the song “Let Go.”
On February 1, 1995, Irina recorded her first song, “Gray Eyes.” A video clip was quickly shot, provocative and erotic, especially by the standards of those years. Immediately after the video aired, Irina received offers from recording studios. Irina signed a contract with the Soyuz studio, and in the same year the singer’s first solo album, Gray Eyes, was released.
Irina Saltykova - “Gray Eyes” The slender blonde began to appear on the covers of glossy magazines, and with each new photo shoot her popularity grew. Saltykova relied on her stunning appearance and was right. The girl was often compared to Pamela Anderson, specifically noting the contrast between her mediocre creativity and bright appearance.
Irina’s video was not allowed to air for being “excessively sexy”
On the way to success
Despite the lack of musical education, in 1988 Saltykova, under the patronage of her husband Viktor Saltykov, was invited to perform as part of the Mirage group, which was then experiencing another change in composition. This experience was truly a combat one, because everything had to be learned literally on the fly. Irina does not hide the fact that at first she had to perform to a soundtrack, pretending to be her own singing. The girl turned out to be a good student and grasped all the nuances of domestic show business on the fly. Her bright, sexy appearance also helped her. All this led to her first success - Irina began to be recognized on the street.
The departure of Tatyana Ovsienko from the group allowed Saltykova to become the only soloist of the popular group. Thanks to popular love, the singer ended up in the finals of the prestigious song festival “Song of the Year”. Such success was not a joy for the husband, who insisted on his wife leaving the stage. A little later, the singer gained experience performing in the Delhi variety show.
Career blossoming
In 1996, the singer’s second album, “Blue Eyes,” went on sale. The title song of the album quickly became a hit, but the video of the same name was not allowed on television. The ORT channel refused to broadcast the video, citing the singer’s “excessive sexuality.” Irina Saltykova - “Blue Eyes” In 1997, Irina held her first two solo concerts in Moscow and St. Petersburg, then went on a long tour throughout Russia and the CIS.
Saltykova is as impressive on stage as she is in the photo.
The third album, released in 1998, was called “Alice”, in honor of her daughter.
Creative experiments led Saltykova to softer, romantic lyrics, as a result of which the album sold out much faster than the previous one and was awarded the honorary Ovation Prize.
Irina Saltykova - “White Scarf”, 1998 In 2000, Irina Saltykova starred in Playboy magazine. The public liked the candid photo shoot in a cowboy style so much that the edition had to be reprinted several times.
New creative stage
Despite her ongoing concert activity, Irina is less and less satisfied with her repertoire, and the new songs that are offered to perform are not interesting to her. But one day her own daughter turned to her, who specially wrote the composition “Following Me” in Russian. The singer really liked it and made her look at her work from a different perspective. A video was shot to support the song. A second song written by Alisa is currently being prepared. Saltykova admits that she again began to feel harmony and is confident in the success of the endeavor, which happens quite rarely for her.
Film roles
In 2000, the director of the film “Brother 2” Alexey Balabanov contacted Irina and invited her to film the sequel to the cult film. The singer played the girlfriend of Sergei Bodrov’s character, while the role was a cameo, that is, Saltykova played herself.
Irina Saltykova in the film “Brother-2”
In 2001, she again appeared on screen in the musical film “Wings” by Ilya Korobeinikov. The plot of the film is a creative trial of Irina Saltykova, during which two angels decided the fate of the singer. The tape did not receive mass distribution.
Still from the film “Wings”
The premiere of the next film with Saltykova took place in 2002. Irina, together with Vladimir Turchinsky and Igor Lifanov, played the main role in the action film “Russian Special Forces”. The fearless FSB lieutenant performed by the singer was not inferior to her partners: the girl demonstrated the art of hand-to-hand combat and shot accurately with both hands, remaining incredibly attractive.
Irina Saltykova in the film “Russian Special Forces”
The last film before the long break was the film “Provincials”, which tells about the adventures of a couple who came to conquer the capital.
In 2005, she appeared in the series “Kulagin and Partners”, and in 2009 - in the sitcom “Give Youth!”.
Business
In the early 90s, Irina had to sell her business (those pavilions on the market) in order to raise money to record her first video. In 2010, the already established singer decided to change her priorities and went into business, remembering the skills from the past. As a result, the “House of Beauty and Style of Irina Saltykova” appeared on one of the capital’s embankments - a fashion boutique with designer clothes from the singer, combined with an atelier and a beauty salon.
House of beauty and style of Irina Saltykova
In 2015, Irina had to sell the business, as the singer herself said, due to the difficulties of running a small business in Russia.
Personal life of Irina Saltykova
In 1986, while on vacation in Sochi, Irina met her future husband, Viktor Saltykov. A 19-year-old girl and her friend were walking along the embankment; a group of young people was walking towards them. One of them unexpectedly handed her several flower bouquets at once.
Irina Saltykova with her husband
It was Viktor Saltykov, the lead singer of the popular group “Forum” in those years. The charming, financially secure and talented singer won the girl’s heart, according to Irina, “arranged a fairy tale for her,” surrounding her with love and care. In 1987, Irina gave birth to Victor’s daughter Alice and took up housekeeping - the husband believed that the wife was obliged to sit at home and fan the coals of the family hearth.
Alisa Saltykova (left) with her father
In 1993, the marriage of Irina and Victor broke up. The spouses were not stopped by 8 years of marriage and a common child. Irina was tired of constant scandals, assault and drunken brawls. The last straw was another prank of her husband - on October 15, 1994, Victor got drunk before the concert and, not realizing anything, crawled onto the stage. The performance ended in failure, after which Irina filed for divorce.
Irina and Viktor Saltykov
Since then, the Saltykovs have practically not communicated. Alice stayed to live with her mother and for a long time did not want to know anything about her father, considering him a “traitor.” In 2021, a reconciliation between the father and 28-year-old daughter took place. “My policy is not to hold a grudge against anyone, including my father,” said the girl, an accomplished singer who performs in London clubs under the pseudonym Alisa.
Irina Saltykova's daughter Alisa followed in her parents' footsteps
After breaking up with Victor, Irina went into all sorts of troubles - the media kept reporting about the blonde’s next love affairs. In 2000, it became known about an affair with Pavel Bure, but their relationship did not result in anything serious.
Irina Saltykova and Pavel Bure did not date for long
Saltykova has repeatedly stated that she does not intend to get married. “We [enviable brides] are not interested in this. We want for the prince and no less!” – this is how Irina answered questions about her personal life. In 2010, the woman revealed to the general public her “secret husband” - businessman Igor, with whom the singer was in a civil marriage.
Irina with her “secret” husband Igor
Personal life after marriage: short novels, rumors about relationships with Pavel Bure and Alexander Dyachenko
In the artist’s personal life, passions have not subsided to this day; she has been credited with having affairs with many Russian and foreign celebrities.
Irina’s first relationship began four years after the divorce; she still does not name her lover. It is known that he was a successful entrepreneur; the singer dated him for six years. Nothing serious came of this; the businessman was already legally married.
Then there was a civil marriage with a man who was much younger than the singer, she also lived with him for six years. But, as it turned out, he didn’t need her, but her fame and glory.
According to the singer, Pavel, like no one else, knew how to cheer her up
For some time Saltykova was with Pavel Bure, but this relationship turned out to be fleeting. Short meetings and frequent separations led to a breakup. There was an affair with actor Alexander Dyachenko; the artists met on the set of the film “Brother-2”.
Irina hid her relationship with actor Alexander Dyachenko for a long time
Now the singer’s heart is also not free, she admitted this on Lera Kudryavtseva’s TV show “Secret for a Million”.
