Friends!

Today’s day, 117 years ago the outstanding Ukrainian singer Ivan Kozlovsky was born. Although he lived in Moscow the most part of his life, he always loved and appreciated his motherland. "My soul is in Ukraine" - he said. And he confirmed this in practice, recorded discs with Ukrainian songs, made performances with an orchestra of Ukrainian folk instruments, he opened a music school in his native village and every year invited children singers for a visit. He was not afraid to perform songs that his soul sang, though he could be punished for that. For example for Shevchenko’s words, "I don’t care".

Ivan Kozlovsky was born on March 24th, 1900 in the Marianivka village near Vasil'kov town. Ivan’s father was a tailor, he loved to play the accordion. The son also loved music - from birth was endowed with exceptional hearing and melodic voice. Therefore, at 8 years the boy was sent to Kyiv, where he began singing in the choir of Mikhailivskiy Zolotoverhiy Cathedral. They say that Mykola Lysenko heard him once and noted his exceptional talent.

Later he was interested in theater – when he was 15 years Ivan Kozlovsky participated in productions of the Society of Ukrainian actors as chanter. In 1917, the boy entered the Kiev’s Institute of Music and Drama. He made his debut in the theater Kozlovsky Sadowski - in the role of Andrew in the opera "Zaporozhets beyond the Dunai". In addition, Ivan sang in the choir of Alexander Kosice. Ivan’s brother Fedir together with the choir went on tour abroad, and Ivan himself did not go because he was drafted into the Red Army. The choir did not return to Ukraine, because Soviet power appeared at that time. The brothers saw each other in half a century, and because the brother did not return, Ivan was not allowed to go to tour abroad.

When the service in the army came to an end, Ivan’s voice came there again - now in Kharkov and Sverdlovsk Opera theatre and later - in USSR Bolshoy Theater. The first role for him was a small party of Fool in the opera "Boris Godunov." He made his hero from the secondary to a main character because of his voice and charisma. And now the actors around the world try to repeat his manner of representation of the image, because then he made a furor.

In 1920 Kozlovsky married the actress Alexandra Hertsyk. She perfectly played lyrical roles and was 14 years older than her lover. Their relationships ended also lyrically - after 14 years of marriage, Ivan left his wife for a young movie star - 20-year-old Galina Sergeeva. But their marriage eventually fell apart. Galina had several men and married last in her 76 years, but Kozlowski remained alone. And had many admirers and two faithful friends - secretary Nina and research assistant Olga.

In 1954 Ivan left the Bolshoy theatre, and continued to perform solo concerts. In 1970, to his anniversary Kozlovsky made a gift to himself - recorded the disc named "Ukrainian Christmas carols." But a significant part of this edition in the Ukrainian SSR was destroyed.

Ivan Kozlovsky died on December 24, 1993 of pneumonia in the Kremlin hospital. The last book he read was about Vasilkov town. Together, we have to remember that Ivan Kozlovsky - a remarkable man for Ukraine. Whatever the Russians would now assign his talent to the treasury of its history, Kozlovsky always stressed that he was - Ukrainian. This is not written in Russian biography of the singer, but we know that from the words of people close to him.

All his life Ivan Kozlovsky dreamed of spreading the Ukrainian folklore all folk songs and stories. I think the best honor his memory will be what we do every day - love and recite Ukrainian.