Oleg Skripka

Oleg Skripka - Ukrainian musician and public figure

Date of Birth: 05.24.1964

Place of Birth. Education.

Born in the city of Khodjent in Tajikistan in a family of Ukrainian resettlers (Father - doctor, Mother - kindergarten teacher). He lived in the Central Asian republic for almost eight years. In 1972, the family moved to Kirowsk in the Murmansk region.

At school, Oleg had no problems, particularly science subjects came easily to him. On his mother's advice, he learned to play the bayan at a music school (he graduated with honors). In 1986, he graduated from the Kyiv Polytechnical Institute.

Career.

Even in school, Oleg founded his first rock band. He formed another one at the institute while still being a student. He played in the band and participated in performances. Initially, all this was at the level of amateur theater, during his free time (at that time, he still dreamed of becoming a radio technician).

After graduation, Oleg Skripka began working at the 'Quant' plant. Around this time, he realized that music was not just a hobby for him. The idea of creating a professional band emerged in May 1986. In October 1987, a stable lineup for the rock band 'Vopli Vidoplyasova' (VV) was formed, which included Oleg's friends Alexander Pipa, Yury Zdorenko, and Sergey Sakhno. That same year, the first hit 'Tantsi' was written, which won at the Kyiv Rock Festival Rock Parade.

1988 was marked by several notable debuts, including a joint concert with the American band Sonic Youth.

In 1990, VV went on tour in France and Switzerland. The following year, the group moved to France. In 1991, they released their first official album - 'Abo - Abo'.

In December 1996, the 'Vidoplyasovtsy' returned to Kyiv and released the albums 'Krayina Mriy' and 'Muzyka' in 1997. A period of numerous tours began, and within a short time, the group regained its old fans and seriously expanded its following. During its existence, the band has released about twenty albums and compilations, many hits that are considered classics of national rock, and it rightfully carries the status of a cult band. It is also very popular outside Ukraine (especially in Russia).

Oleg Skripka is not only a great musician but also a serious and respected social activist. In 2004, he was actively involved in the Orange Revolution. In August 2005, he rejected the title 'Honored Artist of Ukraine' awarded to him on the occasion of Independence Day by President Viktor Yushchenko.

In recent years, he has been dedicated to popularizing the Ukrainian language and Ukrainian folk songs. He was the initiator of the 'Rock Sich' festival. He initiated and implemented a serious cultural project - the EthnoFestival 'Krayina Mriy'. He actively fights against audio piracy.

He has also tried his hand as an actor, playing in the play 'Natalka Poltavka' at the I. Franko Theater in the capital and performing in the New Year musical 'Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka'. In 2007, he performed very successfully in the project 'Dancing with the Stars - 2' on the 1+1 television channel.

In 2012, the musician became a coach on the talent show 'The Voice of the Country' on the 1+1 channel. He later took on similar roles in the 'The Voice Kids' show, where children aged 6 to 14 learn the secrets of successful performances on the 'adult' stage. His ward, seven-year-old Anya Tkach, won the show by a significant margin.

In 2013, Skripka initiated a large-scale project - the 'Montmartre on Andriyivsky Descent' festival.

Since 2016, Skripka has been hosting the program 'Land of Dreams' on Radio Land FM. Together with 'VV', he actively supports soldiers at the front. The band performs in Marinka, Konstantynivka, Selydove, Debaltseve, and takes care of the fighters of the Dnipro-1 regiment.

Discography.

2001 - 'Inkolі'. 2004 - 'Vidrada'. 2009 - 'Serce u Mene Vrazlive'. 2010 - 'Shchedrik' (Single). 2011 - 'Zhorzhna'. 2011 - 'Humanisti' (with Les Podervyansky). 2016 - 'Ukraina' (Single).

Personal Life.

First wife - the Frenchwoman Marie Ribo, they lived together for seven years. They met when she moved to Paris in the early 1990s. When the musician decided to return home, the marriage fell apart. Marie did not want to leave her homeland.

Second wife - Natalia Sid, Oleg met her in 1997 after his return to Ukraine. The couple (married around 2005) has four children: sons - Roman (born July 25, 2005) and Ustim (born February 4, 2008), and daughters - Olesia (born June 21, 2010) and Zvezdna (born October 11, 2012).

Hobbies. Active recreation, tourism.

05.23.2022