Irina Saltykova: “It’s not a woman’s business to think about work. The singer has been giving concerts depending on her mood lately, she hardly goes to social parties, and recently rumors have spread that she is moving to live in Italy...
The only marriage of the famous singer Irina Saltykova with the singer Viktor Saltykov became fatal in her fate. On the one hand, she owes her husband the surname under which she became famous, on the other, Irina says that Saltykov betrayed her twice. The first time was when he cheated, the second time was when he refused to take care of their common daughter Alice. Irina almost never talked about it, but after a difficult separation from her husband, she had to fight for her life, and then for her happiness. Irina Saltykova spoke about her fate in broadcast by Boris Korchevnikov .
“My insignificance idolizes you,” the future husband wrote to her after a few days of dating. They met in Sochi: Irina was vacationing there with a friend and bought tickets to a concert of a group unknown to her, Forum. She had one, but very provocative dress - with a deep neckline and bare back, red, and red shoes - it so happened - of different sizes. They were sitting in the gallery, but the musicians noticed them. Alexander Nazarov invited the girls to a restaurant where the group was performing in the evening, and said a prophetic phrase about Irina: “Vit, she fell in love with you.” Victor immediately made an appointment for the next day. Ira thought he was modest and well-mannered: “He bought me because he was very frank; you won’t talk to everyone about your mother or your childhood.” When leaving, I asked to be in touch and called immediately. And Ira realized that she was not just “another fan”...
Irina found out about her pregnancy at a late stage: in the USSR “there was no sex”; no one prepared young girls for adult life. Irina didn’t tell anyone, not even Victor, only one friend, who advised her to have a doctor to perform an “artificial birth” at her home. When in the morning on the appointed day Irina was already getting ready to leave, Saltykov guessed everything and did not let her go anywhere. “I’m not married,” Irina retorted. “Then we’ll get married,” said Victor.
The wedding took place a year and a half after they met. The celebration was fully paid for by the bride’s parents: “Saltykov only had a tape recorder.” They lived normally for a year. Alice was 9 months old when they had their first fight. Irina raised her daughter without nannies, without diapers, and without ready-made baby food - it took a lot of time to prepare it. And she also prepared breakfast, lunch and dinner for her husband. I was very tired. “And he came one day and said that he was tired of pasta as a side dish for cutlets. I burst into tears and threw the pasta on the floor. And he danced on it and went around the apartment to deliberately stir up dirt. That was our first scandal.”
They separated for the first time after five years. Irina herself asked her husband to leave - he had already started drinking a lot and even raised his hand to her. She called the police five times. Victor was taken away, then released, he was angry with his wife. On tour, he cheated on her, but she didn’t know about it then. One day Saltykov, as usual, showed up drunk in the morning, demanded that his wife talk to him, she refused, and he began to fight. Irina’s semi-paralyzed father (one of his arms and legs had failed), who was in the house, stood up and almost strangled his son-in-law. After this, Victor got scared and behaved decently for a while.
That time they spent three months apart. Victor called drunk and cried. Sober - no. Irina has a man. Victor felt this and began to ask to return. And then the apartment where he lived was robbed - all the equipment was taken away, including all three televisions, which he took with him from the family nest when leaving (“Aliska had to watch cartoons at the neighbors’ place”). He called at midnight and asked Irina to come. And she, to the surprise of her new friend, went. They made peace, although the singer knew that at that time Victor also had a “young lady” - he still lives with her. And then Irina forced her husband to call that friend in front of her and say that she was there to “pass time,” and that his wife was dear to him: “I’m so harmful.”
The condition for returning to the family was sobriety: “Viktor was coded, and for a year we lived luxuriously.” Then it all started all over again and lasted two years. “I invited him to return to Ira. He called her on November 22, and on December 2 she was already pregnant. The girl was a fan of the Forum group - before that, at the age of 17 or 18, she dated Nazarov, an old married man,” says Saltykova.
While the Saltykovs were together, Victor loved Alice very much. After the divorce, he could not come to terms with Irina’s popularity and her wealth (“This always worried him most”) and, unable to hurt her directly, did it through Alice. He came only for his daughter’s 20th birthday, and not alone, but with his new wife and their children. Irina herself suggested this - she wanted to improve their relationship with Alisa, but it didn’t work out.
Irina had a hard time with the divorce: she was raised in such a way that family comes first, a woman must endure, a child must have a father. Now she no longer thinks so, but then she exhausted herself - to the point of serious illness. At 28 she and Victor separated, and at 30 she was given a terrible diagnosis. The artist doesn’t like to talk about her oncology: “I wasn’t happy in my life after I was 19, when I left my parents, so I had no regrets. I was only worried about my parents and daughter. But I also hoped that they would be cured.” The daughter became the incentive to overcome the disease. “Alice is generally ‘to blame’ for all my successes,” Saltykova laughs.
On October 15, 1994, Irina kicked Victor out of the house, and on January 31, 1995, she recorded her deafening hit “Gray Eyes.” After the divorce, Irina did not have a serious relationship for six years - she found herself married to work. 20 thousand dollars for that video were given to her - as a loan - by a man who was “just a friend” at that time. Then they had a short affair, and then he demanded to repay the debt - ahead of schedule. Irina’s new friend helped “deal” with the old one - “in terms of concepts”. The first serious relationship - six years of civil marriage - was with a businessman, about whom the artist speaks only in superlatives. One “but” - he was married, his wife lived abroad. Out of respect for both, Irina still does not mention his name: “But now I know that good men exist, and we can hope.”
“We started a romance with Pashka. We were similar, we had fun together,” says Irina about her relationship with the hockey player Pavel Bure. “But the romance was short-lived: he lived in America, visited on visits.” Then a gigolo appeared in her life, to whom she gave six years. She lived for today and believes that she was to blame for everything. He turned out to be a drug addict, and she didn’t even know about this. Irina calls this “businessman” her biggest mistake.
Why doesn't Victor want to communicate with his eldest daughter? How does Alice feel about her father's absence in her life? Did Saltykov try to return to Irina? What does it say about the Saltykovs’ marriage? Alexey Glyzin? Why didn’t Irina’s romance with Pavel Bure work out? And how she kissed Bodrov Jr. V "Brother-2"? Answers to these and other questions are in the program "The Fate of Man".
Recently, at a buffet reception at an event, young people came up to me and said: “Ira, how do you manage not to change with the times? You just get better." I answer jokingly: “Well... Thanks to champagne. This is an excellent means of youth,” and I point to the glass in my hand.” Well, what could I tell them? (Laughs.)
- Irina, are there other versions of why you really don’t change much with age?
The main version, which is also true: I have an easy character. Positivity, the absence of envy and malice towards others prevent people from aging. This is absolutely true! I know how to be happy for others, not compare other people’s achievements with my own, not gloat and achieve what I want without relying on anyone. I believe that all people are good. In my youth I was tougher: one mistake, and I broke off relations with the one who made it. And now I understand and accept people. And if they say about someone: “He is this and that,” I defend him. And in general I treat people well. Although... There was only one “set-up” in my life when, in response to kindness, I received a “slap on the head.” This refers to my divorce. Then I, essentially still a girl, naively batting my eyes, believed that everything in this world was cute, beautiful, decent. The reality turned out to be cruel, I understood the lesson perfectly: life is not as sweet as it seems, you need to be careful with people, not to trust. This revelation was not painless; the scar on my heart remained for life.
Thank God, it doesn’t bleed, and there were no other similar situations. But just in case, I don’t let anyone close to me, I stay with people at arm’s length. I have one and only friend, with whom I have been friends since the 1990s. I trust her.
- But it’s hard to live like that...
Don't tell me. We react emotionally only to the actions of loved ones; strangers do not hurt us much. It is difficult for them to make me angry and lose my temper, even when something out of the ordinary happens.
I'll tell you a recent incident. A friend, the owner of a beauty salon, with whom we spent a lot of time together, called and, as if by the way, said: “Ira, come, they will make you up, comb your hair and shoot you on the cover of a magazine for our salon and for social networks.” It turns out that this is an advertisement for her establishment! I felt funny, I didn’t know how to react, but I refused, citing being busy. They don't serve me there for free.
With parents Valentina Dmitrievna and Ivan Alekseevich. Photo: From the personal archive of Irina Saltykova
- Well, the young lady wanted to monetize her friendship, but for some reason you are against it.
She probably should have offered something different. I approach this with humor, I’m not offended, but I draw conclusions. For me, friendship is when they are not looking for benefits, when they can break down and come help at any time of the day or night. Do you know what amazes me? It seems to many: Saltykova is a calculating bitch. In fact, we still need to look for such a decent person, even if it sounds immodest. People have been gossiping about me all my life, spreading ridiculous gossip, I’m used to it.
- For example? What was the last thing that surprised you?
I got a new car, which I drove to a certain salon on business. And it began: “Saltykova has a new lover.”
Yes, I bought it myself! (Laughs.) But shouldn’t we tell everyone we meet about this? I personally am not at all interested in who drives what car and where it came from.
But I would rather think that you bought the car yourself because you give the impression of an independent and independent woman.
I want to completely confuse everyone, so I will tell some that I bought the car myself, and others that it was a gift from a lover. Or even two! (Laughs.) If people have nothing to talk about, then let them talk about me. Indifference is more unpleasant, but interest, even of this kind, amuses.
Ira, in the mid-1990s, your songs came from every window! And in any commercial tent there were cassettes with your photo on the cover. Are you ready for such incredible popularity?
I don’t know how to explain the fact that people still come up on the streets, even abroad, say hello and say: “Ira, thank you. We remember and love your songs." Popularity is a serious test; now I would not like to be at its peak, which occurred in the mid-1990s. I worked from morning to evening: 35 concerts a month - can you imagine the workload? In 1995, I remember, I showed up at home for a day and again - for about thirty days on tour. It’s amazing that I had enough strength and emotions to work hard, I can’t find another word. Why do I need this life now? Don't want! My mother stayed with my daughter then, I am grateful to her for that. From the perspective of an adult, I think this is abnormal. In general, children of famous people have a difficult time.
- Children of famous people have a hard time. But Alice is smart, strong and coped with difficulties. With daughter. Photo: From the personal archive of Irina Saltykova
- Did your daughter tell you about this?
No, Alice never spoke out on this topic, but I think there was a problem. Especially considering that she is also the daughter of divorced parents who do not communicate with each other. This always affects the child. The press did not spare us, Aliska got it in this sense, she had to read a lot about her family. But she is smart, strong and coped with difficulties.
Irina, how did it happen that you, without being a professional singer, having performed one single song “Gray Eyes”, immediately became a noticeable figure in show business? Who helped?
In October 1994, I divorced Saltykov and began to figure out how to live further and what to do. I had a small business - commercial tents, but this was not a woman’s business... I remember that I was completely confused, did not understand where to go to work, and decided to turn towards show business, which is closer and clearer than everything else. I consulted with someone I knew. She said that she would like to try to record a good song - maybe ask Igor Nikolaev? They answer me (I don’t remember who it was): “Ir, you don’t know Oleg Molchanov?! He writes such good songs! I can introduce you." A week later a significant meeting took place. Oleg brought the song “I Throw Flowers on the Asphalt”; by the way, no one has recorded it yet. I liked the phrase, but not the song itself. The second place was "Gray Eyes". “They tell me: “You’re crazy!” And I say: “I’ll figure it out myself,” - some kind of nonsense, I thought.
Oleg says with conviction: “You don’t understand, it will be a hit, let’s record it.”
I decided to take a risk. This happened on February 1, 1995. Oleg is delighted. Shouts: “Ira, you’re cool! Let's shoot a video now." I didn’t want, I didn’t believe in great success. Oleg not only convinced me, but, one might say, forced me to continue working. The song was broadcast on August 27, and in the fall I went on a big tour around the country.
- Is it true that you almost sold your apartment to film the video?
No, the video cost about $20,000 at that time, I borrowed that amount. Nowadays young directors will film whatever you want for two rubles, but times were different then.
- Twenty years ago, was it easier to break into the stage?
It was always difficult - and every year it seemed: now everything is completely impossible. Nevertheless, as you can see, new faces come, and the people themselves choose whom to listen to. By what rules, I don’t know. They noticed me, which means they found something interesting: in the performance, in the songs, in the appearance, in the end. In the same year as me, Andrei Gubin entered the starting line, and much more money was invested in his promotion. There were other artists whose names no one will remember.
After the first broadcast of “Gray Eyes,” tours began, record companies wanted to buy the album. Where did I get it from? There was one more song, “A Doll’s House,” and that was it. I go to Molchanov: “What should I do?” He promised to write a few more songs in a month. At discos, where they were most often invited to perform, they had to sing “Gray Eyes” and “A Doll’s House”, twice each, in different arrangements. In general, my appearance on the stage turned out to be a pure gamble. (Laughs.)
The first solo concert took place in Nizhny Novgorod. By that time, there were already a dozen songs in the repertoire, but still not enough for an hour and a half concert. I performed “Gray Eyes” four times in a row, and after that I was not invited to Nizhny for several years. Well, so what, I had to earn money, I raised a child alone.
“I decided to take a risk, although I didn’t believe in great success. On August 27, the song “Gray Eyes” was heard on air for the first time, and in the fall I went on a big tour. Photo: Arsen Memetov
- And apparently you dreamed of becoming a famous singer?
I didn't mean to! And she did practically nothing to become one.
Well, of course! And the “Blue Eyes” video is so frank that it was even banned from showing on federal channels. Who suggested focusing on sexuality? It was the right move; it was impossible not to remember you.
I never had a director, producer or any advisors. You either have sexuality or you don’t. But it’s difficult for me to evaluate myself objectively. I can only say one thing: no one taught me, and I didn’t play. And she took her first steps on the stage on a whim. She spared no expense on costumes for the dancers or on productions.
Now, of course, it all looks different, I see many mistakes in the performances of those years: in vocals, and in movements, and in the same clothes. But the songs were good, with smart and deep lyrics:
Listen, little sister, it's time for you to grow up.
Where and with whom did you disappear until the morning today...
I'll just look into your eyes and silently hug you,
For now, little sister, you don’t need to know the truth.
My grandmother can't sleep again,
But nothing bad will happen to me:
She will pray for me
He will take the evil one out of trouble.
- Vital!
Sometimes I make fun of it and at parties, when someone is being clever, I say: “I’ll read you poetry.” And I begin:
It's hard to be lonely, but it's easy to be free
To be a draw, to be distant,
Toaka a star, yes.
It's hard to be lonely, smart and crazy
Be gentle and cruel sometimes, yes.
Everyone listens carefully, making guesses to which famous poet the poems belong. And I continue: “These eyes, these blue eyes...” And people laugh. I was lucky: the songs were really worthwhile. I completely trusted their authors - Molchanov and Arkady Slavorosov. He was a very cool poet, a genius! Rest in peace…
Ira, you mentioned Alisa, your daughter. She is already 29 years old and has been living abroad for a long time. Because of your constant absence while the girl was growing up, did the relationship deteriorate?
No, Aliska and I are very close. I suspect that subconsciously she probably distanced herself from my popularity and wanted to get away from the attention of her family. He has been living abroad for 13 years. At first, when she just went to school in France, it was difficult for me, I was very bored... And then I realized that leaving was good for Alice. Excessive maternal care and concern interferes with adolescents. They must experience life with their own hands. The daughter graduated from the University of London (Queen Mary University of London) with a degree in drama and another in vocal. Remained in Britain to live. He writes poetry and prose brilliantly, mostly in English, and sings beautifully. I say this objectively, not as a mother. Her vocals are wonderful, listen to them. (Enables phone recording.)
- I was naive, I believed that everything in this world was sweet, beautiful, decent. Reality turned out to be cruel (1998). Photo: From the personal archive of Irina Saltykova
- Impressive! Does Alice perform somewhere or sing for herself?
No, of course not for myself. Talita (this is her pseudonym) so far mostly performs at private events and in clubs. But he thinks little about earning money, like most creative people. (With a smile.)
Alice amazes me. She knows that I still want to work, but where can I get good songs? Sing all sorts of nonsense? Don't want. Once I shared that my creativity had probably come to an end, I would finish singing old songs in group concerts and retire.
And suddenly Alice calls and says: “Mom, I’m giving you a gift.” And he sends a new song, “Following Me,” written especially for me. It has a deep meaning, the music is interesting, it is fundamentally different from everything I sang before - that’s what makes it interesting! I was happy: I could finally show my vocals. And those who say: “Oh, Saltykova, what other vocals?” - they will be surprised. My voice, by the way, has a large range, I need to practice, but I’m lazy. But the potential is huge. Alice knows about this. In general, I recorded it and, under my daughter’s pressure, made a video, but our television is biased, so we’re just having fun, not counting on a wide response.
Soon Alice wrote another song, better than the first:
The word "but"
It changes everything, turns it upside down
upside down.
This is a "but"
Just the word "but"
You repeat “but”...
The light will illuminate your face in my shadow.
You close the door without turning the keys.
Fear has penetrated through you, your head is in the sand -
Hiding in lies without learning your lesson.
You can’t say it directly, because the truth gnaws.
Hiding under your skin...
There's a lot to think about here. Alice said that she would not write to me about love, because I had already sung everything about it. And then the other day she sent a third song. Simply gorgeous! I call: “Aliska, I’m proud of you!” I'll be flying to London soon to record. I understand that millions of people remember and love my old songs. Some will understand the new ones, some will not, but I want to show a different level of Irina Saltykova. Alice inspired me, although I didn’t expect or ask for help from her at all.
- Doesn’t your daughter want to make a name for herself in Russia, try her hand at the same “Voice”?
I persuade her, but she says: “Mom, wait, give me time.” She has her own thoughts on self-realization. At her age, I didn’t listen to anyone either. Alice is a mature person, I once raised her, now she raises me. Thanks to my daughter, she manages to look at the world from different angles and accept someone else’s position without being categorical. When Aliska drew a tattoo on her back, I was upset. For what?! Over time, what to do with it? And then I looked carefully - but it’s beautiful! Alice more or less calmly accepted the decision to change her hair color from a natural blonde to a brunette. This is her private matter. When should you experiment, if not in your youth?
- Is she not going to get married yet? At her age you had a family...
Once we were talking about men, and in response to her statement that it was not at all necessary to get married, I exclaimed: “Alice, I want to realize myself to the fullest and wait for my grandchildren!” She calmly says: “Mom, let’s be honest... Can your experience of family life be called good?” “Normal experience,” I answer. - “Well, I don’t want the same thing. I have my own life."
I immediately did not agree with this position; I myself grew up as a Soviet girl. I wanted marriage, borscht and children. I didn’t think about self-realization at all then, but this is important. In general, after thinking about it, I decided: there is no need to impose my own vision of a happy life on my daughter. Today she understands and feels this way, and that’s good. Maybe when he falls in love, everything will change.
- Today I live enjoying myself, regardless of the presence or absence of a man nearby. Agree, not every married woman can boast of the same. Photo: Arsen Memetov
- Ira, tell me honestly, did you yourself receive from men the amount of love that you would like?
Although hundreds of novels are attributed to me, in fact there were only two serious ones, not counting marriage. And all of them are long-lasting. I lived in marriage for seven years, then I had relationships with two men. Each lasted six years. Immediately after the divorce, there were, of course, fleeting romances that are not worth talking about. Then I perceived men as pests and did not trust them. Then she began to choose the wrong ones, choosing the weak, the led. Unconsciously, apparently hoping that such people would not hurt me.
Finally I met a fantastic man whom I still remember to this day. Noble, well-mannered, educated, intelligent...
I looked after her in such a way that it seemed to me that I was a queen in a fairy tale. But our romance did not affect everyday life; if we settled under the same roof, I don’t think it would have worked out as a family. After we broke up, I again made the mistake of connecting my life with a weak, complex man. When she broke up with him, she laughed: “Well, Irina Ivanovna, have you played enough?”
Now I have become smart and understand that I need a strong shoulder. In addition, you need to believe not in words, but in actions, analyze them, noticing little things: how well-mannered the chosen one is, how educated he is, how he relates to his parents, to strangers. But I always lived one day at a time, not paying attention to anything at all, and this is wrong. That's why the result is like this. But I don’t complain, thanks to life for the lessons. Another question is that it would be better if I completed them a little earlier.
Today I feel absolutely happy, regardless of the presence or absence of a man nearby. I live enjoying myself. Agree, not every married woman can boast of the same. In the morning I woke up, looked out the window of my country house at the sun-drenched meadow and thought: “How beautiful!”
Not everyone will brag, that's for sure. And yet there are probably a lot of men around you. Are you not thinking about starting a family?
There are millions of lonely women. There are a lot of brides both in their twenties and in their thirties. I try not to make plans for the future: whatever happens. I’m definitely not going to strain myself for men. I need someone who will appreciate me without any tricks. And who will not irritate me in the first minute of the conversation. But so far I meet more and more men with a minus sign. Uneducated, ill-mannered, not...
But I need one with a plus sign! But I am sure that everything will be fine for a self-sufficient, happy woman.
Education: graduated from Moscow State University of Economics, Statistics and Informatics
Family: daughter - Alisa (29 years old), musician, playwright
Career: On February 1, 1995, she recorded her first song, “Gray Eyes,” with music by Oleg Molchanov and lyrics by Arkady Slavorosov, which became a hit. Since the summer of the same year - a solo career.
She starred in the films: “Brother 2”, “Wings”, “Kulagin and Partners”, etc.
Calling him a “ram” and a “goat” in the studio. The singer cannot forgive her ex-wife for his wild lifestyle and neglect of their daughter Alice, which, according to her, became the reason for their divorce. Viktor Saltykov voiced a different opinion in the studio. According to him, Irina is a bitch, and even excellent external data does not compensate for her bad character, which she is not going to change.
The other day, the Rossiya 1 TV channel showed a new program by Boris Korchevnikov called “The Fate of a Man,” in which Irina became the heroine. The singer again touched upon the topic of her relationship with Victor, once again recalling his first letter to her, in which young Victor wrote: “My insignificance idolizes you.” “As I prophesied!” - she laughed in the studio.
Saltykova said that she and Victor got married a year and a half after they met. She admits: their romance developed rapidly, and everything led to a pregnancy that she did not want. True, she found out that the singer was expecting a child quite late, at 12 weeks. At this time, it was only possible to have an “underground” abortion, and Saltykova had already decided to do it, but Victor stopped her. The young singer proposed to his beloved and reassured her that everything would be fine. Although Irina says that even his bandmates were against him getting married. At that time, this was practically prohibited for soloists of popular youth groups.
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By the way, Irina emphasizes: she is categorically against abortion. She always tells her 28-year-old daughter Alice not to do this under any circumstances:
listal.comAs I say to Alice now: “Under no circumstances, never from anyone. You made a mistake, something happened to anyone... Just give birth. 500 are all ours.” These are the two main and most serious things in life, everything else is nonsense.
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However, the relationship quickly faded away and, despite the fact that the couple lived 8 years of marriage, love passed away already in the third year of their life together. The husband, according to Saltykova, drank a lot, raised his hand to her and took less and less part in their family life. And at the end of the relationship, he had another Irina - a woman who later became his second wife. Saltykova could not forgive the betrayal, and they divorced.
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Irina says that the divorce happened a month after her dad died. This time was incredibly difficult for her. She lost a lot of weight and literally began to waste away before our eyes. While in America, I decided to go to the gynecologist and get tested. He asked her when was the last time she did this. The singer replied that she did not remember. The doctor laughed and asked why she even decided to do this.
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When Irina, 30 at the time, had already returned to Russia, she suddenly received a call from an American clinic and was stunned by the news about a malignant tumor. Saltykova did not specify what type of oncology it was, but she told the studio how difficult it was to pull herself together and not lose heart.
I blamed myself for everything. I exhausted myself. Honestly, I didn’t even think: “If I’m gone, that’s it, it’s over.” I wasn’t worried about this at all, I was worried about my parents, about Alice, that, God forbid, she would be left without me. And then I had confidence that I would be cured.
However, after her divorce from Saltykov, Irina did not change her last name. Her first studio album was released in 1995. In 1996, she won the Golden Gramophone award for the song “Gray Eyes”; in the same year she released her second album.
Despite the fact that after the release of the “Secret for a Million” program, most commentators on the Internet condemned Saltykova’s cheeky manner of communicating with her ex-husband and called her a “habalka,” the singer also did not remain silent on “The Fate of a Man.” This time she talked about Victor’s current wife, Irina, to whom the singer left her.
Russia 1We broke up with him then, I had a boyfriend, and Saltykov somehow felt it. And then one day he calls me at night and says that the apartment where he lived was robbed. He asked me to come. My boyfriend asks me: “Are you going to go? Why do you need that?" I say I'll go. He: “Well, everything is clear.” Well, in general, Saltykov and I made peace then. But I was harmful, I know. He already had this young lady, Ira. I made him call her and tell her that all this time he was with her for fun, and that he only really cared about me. And he called! So he loved it. Then he was coded, and for a year we lived luxuriously. And then he started drinking again, and the same thing started happening. I kicked him out again and finally said: “Call your Irka.” He called her on his birthday, November 22. And in early December she was already pregnant. And before that, she met with Nazarov, the director of the Forum group, an old, married man. And she was 18 or 17 years old. I call this "easy behavior." But Saltykov has a different version. But the time has come to shut him up, as long as you can listen to this nonsense.
Irina Ivanovna Saltykova is a Russian singer, actress, businesswoman, whose popularity peaked in the second half of the 90s. Performer of the hits “Gray Eyes”, “Blue Eyes”, winner of the “Golden Gramophone” (1996) and “Ovation” (1998) awards.
Irina Saltykova (before Sapronov’s marriage) was born on May 5, 1966 in the Tula region, in the city of Severo-Zadonsk. The girl grew up in a simple, poor family: her father Ivan Alekseevich Sapronov worked as a machinist, and her mother Valentina Dmitrievna worked in a kindergarten. Irina has an older brother, Vladislav, born in her mother’s first marriage. When the girl turned 11 years old, the family moved to Novomoskovsk, Tula region.
Until the age of 12, Irina was seriously involved in rhythmic gymnastics; the girl even managed to pass the standard for a candidate for master of sports. At competitions, Sapronova repeatedly received prizes. In addition to sports, she was fond of handicrafts and attended sewing and knitting clubs.
After graduating from school, the future singer entered a construction college, where she was a student from 1981 to 1985. After technical school, the girl was supposed to leave for assignment in Tula, but decided to try her luck in the capital. Purposeful Irina continued her studies at the Moscow State University of Economics, Statistics and Informatics, which she graduated in absentia in 1990. Exact sciences were given to Irina with ease, the graduate defended her diploma with “excellent” marks, despite this, fate prepared a different scenario for the girl.
Music
In 1989, Irina Saltykova became the soloist of the then popular group “Mirage”. In the group, where, in addition to Irina, she began performing, the singer stayed for three months, after which she got a job in the Delhi variety show. By that time, the artist was already married and had a daughter.
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In 1993, Irina tried to start a business, for which she purchased trading tents. The business failed, and troubles in family life pushed the girl to a solo singing career. Saltykova had to sell the tents, and the proceeds were spent on the release of the first song.
Saltykova’s full-fledged singing debut took place in 1994 at a concert that took place in the capital on the stage of the Warsaw cinema. Then Irina performed the song “Let Me Go,” which was later included in the first album.
A few months later, the singer recorded her debut composition “Gray Eyes”, composed and written by Oleg Molchanov and Arkady Slavorosov. This hit became Saltykova’s calling card. The singer's inexpressive vocal abilities were more than made up for by her attractive appearance and seductive behavior. For that time, the video for the song “Gray Eyes” turned out to be provocative, filled with erotic meaning.
In 1995, the first album of the same name was released, which sold out in huge quantities, second only to the collection. The songs “Yes and No” and “Clear Falcon” also become hits. A year later, the artist received the Golden Gramophone award for the musical composition “Gray Eyes.”
The stunning success was cemented by the release of Irina’s next disc, “Blue Eyes” (1996). The video was not inferior to the singer’s previous video in terms of the piquantness of some scenes, so the management of the ORT TV channel did not dare to air it. But in 1997, the ambitious artist held two solo concerts - at the Moscow Rossiya Concert Hall and the St. Petersburg Oktyabrsky Concert Hall, and then went on a tour. Irina, who is short (height 159 cm, weight 51 kg), knew how to excite the audience with her own songs and dances.
A year later, Saltykova was still traveling around the country giving solo concerts. In 1998, the artist’s next album, “Alice,” was released, dedicated to her daughter. Irina shot videos for songs from the disc “By-bye” and “White Scarf”. The musical compositions of the disc turned out to be more soulful and lyrical, for which the album received the national Ovation award. At the turn of the century, the artist starred in a photo shoot for the Russian version of Playboy, which caused a stir among fans of the publication. The magazine's management decided to expand the circulation.
In 2001, Irina Saltykova released another album “Destiny” with the hits “Sunny Friend”, “Ogonki”, “If You Want”, “Strange Love”, “Alone”, video clips for which were created by popular music video directors Igor Korobeinikov and Vladislav Opelyants. Teasers for the fifth album “I am yours” in 2004 were clips for the songs “I miss you”, “I am yours”, “Hello-hello”, “Knock-knock”, released a year earlier.
In total, Irina Saltykova released six albums, the last of which was “Byla was not…” (2008). In 2009, together with Diane Martel, an American video director and choreographer, the artist released the video “Tears of Glamor,” in which she showed fans her impeccable physical shape.
Movies
Having conquered the singing Olympus, Irina Saltykova decided to try herself in cinema. The singer had her first chance to star in a feature film in 2000, when the director invited the singer to the film “Brother-2”. Then Irina got a secondary role, but the artist’s work was positively assessed by viewers and critics.
In 2001, Saltykova again starred as herself, but in Igor Korobeinikov’s film “Wings”. The film combines fiction, reportage and documentary filming. In 2002, the singer appeared in Stanislav Mareev’s action film “Russian Special Forces”. This time the actress got the main role of an FSB agent. The same year, the film “Provincials” was released, in which the star again played herself. Then a break began in Saltykova’s acting biography.
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From 2005 to 2011, the singer starred in the series “Kulagin and Partners”, in 2009 she participated in the project “Give Youth!” The main roles in the popular sketch show were played by actors from the STS and TNT TV channels - , . In 2011, with the participation of Saltykova, the series “Pilot of International Airlines” was released.
In 2008, Irina Saltykova released two books - “Encyclopedia of Beauty from Irina Saltykova” and “A Great Gift for Supergirls from Irina Saltykova.”
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In the second half of the 2000s, the singer opened her own style salon “Irina Saltykova”, which was located on Savvinskaya embankment. The artist benefited from her concert experience, when she had to sew costumes, do makeup, and choreograph dances herself. In addition to selling branded clothing, the salon employees provided tailoring and repair services for casual and outerwear. At the beginning of 2015, Saltykova closed the company due to unprofitability.
Personal life
Irina met her future husband on vacation in Sochi. At that time (1985) Saltykov was a very popular performer, the lead singer of the Forum group. The whole country knew the band’s songs “Let’s Call,” “Island,” and “White Night.” The meeting happened by chance, like in a fairy tale. Irina and her friend went out for an evening walk along the embankment; young people walked towards them, one of whom presented the girl with several bouquets of flowers. This charming stranger turned out to be Victor.
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The wedding of Irina and Victor took place in 1987, the girl took her husband’s surname. That same year, the couple had a daughter, Alice. The couple's marriage lasted 8 years. The crisis in the relationship of the spouses coincided with the creative crisis of Viktor Saltykov. The singer's popularity turned out to be fleeting. This pushed the artist to go to great lengths. Irina had to endure her husband’s drunken brawls and even assault. However, the singer learned a lot from her relationship with Saltykov. Marriage gave her a daughter and life experience. The artist took up music despite her husband.
Later in her personal life, Irina Saltykova did not experience a lack of attention from men, but none of the romances ended in marriage. In the late 90s, the girl was credited with a relationship with a representative of the criminal world. In 2000, the singer was spotted several times in the company of a Russian hockey player. The artist’s last chosen one was an entrepreneur named Igor, whose relationship Irina stopped hiding in 2013.
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In 2016, Saltykova posted on her own account in “ Instagram"joint photos with the actor, after which Irina’s fans suggested the existence of a close relationship between the artists. What added piquancy to the situation was the fact that Alexander is married and has no intention of getting a divorce.
Irina Saltykova now
In 2016, Irina Saltykova returned to show business. The artist released the album “Previously Unreleased”, as well as the single “Follow Me” by video director Alisher. At the anniversary concert organized in honor of the cult film “Brother 2,” Irina Saltykova acted as co-host of showman Oleg Garkusha. The program of the gala event included songs for the film - “Colonel” (“Bi-2”), “Earth” (“Masha and the Bears”), “Secret” (“Agatha Christie”), “TuLuLa” (), “Life Line "("Spleen") and others.
In the same year, with the participation of the artist, and also on Channel One, the premiere of the show “Without Insurance” took place. Irina easily coped with rhythmic gymnastics exercises, the artist performed on a balance beam and did a routine with clubs. Master of Sports in sports acrobatics Nikita Onishchenko regularly appeared in a duet with the singer.
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At the end of the summer of 2017, the singer presented a new song “The Word “But””, and also gave an interview for the newspaper “Source of News”, where she said that she would only marry a real colonel. The artist began a creative collaboration with her daughter Alisa, who is now creating musical material for her mother’s solo project. Alisa lives in two countries - Russia and England, and writes music for the English-speaking public, but for the sake of her mother she made an exception. The girl called one of the songs “Girl - B.”
Discography
- 1995 - “Gray Eyes”
- 1996 - “Blue Eyes”
- 1998 - “Alice”
- 2001 - “Destiny”
- 2004 - “I’m yours”
- 2008 - “It was not there...”
- 2016 - “Previously unreleased”
Filmography
- 2000 – “Brother-2”
- 2001 – “Wings”
- 2002 – “Russian special forces”
- 2002 – “Provincials”
- 2005-2011 – “Kulagin and Partners”
- 2009 – “Give youth!”
- 2011 – “International Airlines Pilot”