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Flag map of UPR with borders presented by Ukrainian delegation. Photo by Rimrome. Wikimedia Commons.

10 Most Famous Ukrainian singers

Ukraine has a rich history of musical talent. Singers from the country span genres like opera, aria, and pop. Many of them sing multilingually and tour across Europe and the United States. From the National Opera to the 2022 Grammy Awards, vocalists from the beautiful country Ukraine have left their mark on the world of music.

1. Ruslana

Ruslana Stepanivna Lyzhychko winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2004. Azerbaijan, Baku Buta Palace. Photo by Vugar陌badov.

Ruslana Stepanivna Lyzhychko, known as Ruslana, is a modern-day Ukrainian vocalist with many talents, including producing, conducting, dancing, and voice acting. Born in Lviv, she has produced records in English, Spanish, and Latin alongside her native language. Like Solovianenko, she earned the Peoples鈥� Artist of Ukraine award and several other accolades.

Her career began with a song competition in Belarus in 1996, and later she received nominations for Ukrainian Singer of the Year. However, she rose to fame primarily by winning the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest with her song 鈥淲ild Dances.鈥�

2. Max Barskih

Mykola Mykolaiovych Bortnyk, born in Kherson, is a Ukrainian pop singer who uses the stage name Max Barskih or Mickolai. Max is the world鈥檚 most well-known Russian-language singer, though he also sings in partial or full English and Ukrainian.

His start began on the talent show Fabrika Zirok 2 and after he gathered attention through MTV Europe. Since the beginning of career in 2010, he has released seven albums and over 35 singles and has been nominated for over 50 awards.

3. Ani Lorak

Photo by Daniel Aragay. .

Kitsman-born Karolina Myroslavivna Kuiek, known professionally as Ani Lorak, is a Ukrainian singer, entrepreneur, and actress whose career began with her first contract at just 15. At the start, she wanted to use the pseudonym Karolina for her TV and music appearances, but that name was unavailable, so she chose Ani Lorak, the same name read backward.

Lorak鈥檚 international stardom began with the song 鈥淪hady Lady鈥� at the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest. Since then, not only has she recorded 12 studio albums, but she earned the title of Peoples鈥� Artist of Ukraine.

4. Anatoliy Solovianenko

Anatoliy Solovianenko was a Donetsk-born tenor singer and soloist at the National Opera for over 30 years. To this day, he is one of Ukraine鈥檚 most critically-acclaimed singers, having sung in New York, the UK, and throughout Russia.

His debut began by winning a local talent show in 1962, after which he received an invitation to the National Opera of Ukraine. During his career, he recorded 18 LPs, primarily arias. He earned the Peoples鈥� Artist of Ukraine award in 1967 and a Badge of Honor from the Ukrainian president in 1993.

5. Sofia Rotaru

At the Kremlin Grand Palace in Moscow, former Russian cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, the first human to walk in space, kisses the hand of Ukrainian pop singer Sofia Rotaru during a gala ceremony April 12, 2011 marking the 50th anniversary of the launch of Yuri Gagarin as the first human to fly in space. The ceremony, which was attended by dignitaries and Russian and American space officials, was highlighted by remarks from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Photo by NASA.

Sofia Rotaru represents a legacy of multitalented performances across the former USSR. She is a singer, songwriter, dancer, film producer, and fashion designer with 40 years of active stage time.

Rotaru鈥檚 career began with an invitation to perform at the State Kremlin Palace, and she continued to produce albums into her 60s. Her particularly diverse and extensive song repertoire includes tracks in various languages, including Romanian, Bulgarian, Russian, and Ukrainian.

6. Natalia Mogilevskaya

Kyiv-born Natalia Mogilevskaya is a Ukrainian theater actress, singer, and TV producer with lots of acclaim within the country. She first polished her musical talent in a circus academy before enrolling in the Kyiv National Institute of Culture and Arts.

Upon graduation, she began to release albums and later appeared in television shows. She was granted the title Honored Artist of Ukraine in 2001 and has sold millions of album copies worldwide, especially her first release, 鈥淟a.鈥� Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma awarded Mogilevskaya the title National Artist of Ukraine in 2004.

7. Verka Serduchka

Andriy Mykhailovych Danylko is a stage performer, singer, and comedian who entertains under the drag alias Verka Serduchka. As Serduchka, born in Poltava. Danylko first reached the world stage through the Eurovision Song Contest.

He earned the title of Peoples鈥� Artist of Ukraine in 2003 and has appeared in movies and TV shows. Since the start of his career, Danylko has sold over 600,000 records and continues to devote himself to music.

8. Olya Polyakova

Ukrai艅ska drag queen Verka Serduchka, maj 2017. Photo by Serecki. .

Olya Polyakova is a singer and media personality. She started her singing career as a teenager performing at the Bakhus restaurant in her hometown of Vinnytsia. Polyakova released her debut single, titled 鈥淪uper Blonde,鈥� of which she is sometimes nicknamed.

She later competed to represent her country in the Eurovision Song Contest but was not selected. Regardless, Polyakova has won multiple awards. Her most recent album, Koroleva nochi (Queen of the Night) included multiple hits. One, 鈥淟ed tronulsya,鈥� won Best Song at the 2020 Music Platform Awards.

9. M茅lovin

MELOVIN representing Ukraine with the song “Under the Ladder” during a rehearsal before the second semi final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 in Lisbon. Photo by Roger Dewayne Barkley. Wikimedia Commons.

Kostyantyn Mykolayovych Bocharov got his start in singing by winning the competition X-Factor Ukraine鈥檚 sixth season. He represented Ukraine in the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest with his single 鈥淯nder the Ladder.鈥�

After Bocharov鈥檚 success in Eurovision, he began to produce studio albums and singles. His music spans pop genres with some electronic and rock inspirations. Though Bocharov鈥檚 musical career is relatively fresh, he has already impacted his country with his passion and songs.

10. Oleksandr Ponomariov

Oleksandr Ponomariov was the first Ukrainian citizen to ever represent the country in the Eurovision Song Contest (in 2003). His talent as a pop artist has garnered him the Singer of the Year award seven times in Ukraine.

Ponomariov is recognized as an Honored Artist of Ukraine, and in 2006, he received the title of Peoples鈥� Artist of Ukraine. In 2011, he worked as a music trainer on the show Voice of the Country, inspiring more young musicians to follow their dreams.