Margarita Sujankina
Photo: Personal archive
For Margarita Sukhankina, the outgoing year 2023 has become truly fateful. She finally received the title of Honored Artist of Russia, which she had been waiting for for many years. However, the year 2024 will also be eventful for the singer. Margarita will celebrate her 60th birthday, on the eve of her big anniversary, the artist has already launched a new program and songs. Her adopted son, Seryozha, will graduate from school and now preparations for final exams are in full swing. In an interview with KP.RU, the lead singer of the Mirage group talked about raising her son and daughter, her relationship with Natalia Gulkina (with whom they had a strong fight after Gulkina left Mirage) and her new title.
Photo: Personal archive
– Margarita, what needs to be done to receive the title of Honored Artist of the Russian Federation? On what principles is it given?
– In short: you have to work hard all your life. Do what you love, work honestly. Give your all to the audience when you go on stage. Give your heart and your soul. Here is the fundamental principle.
– When did you receive it and in what environment did it take place?
The decree of the President of the Russian Federation number 895 on the award of the title of Honored Artist was issued on a beautiful day, in the sense that it was a symmetrical date: 11/23/23. The most solemn presentation, when you receive a plaque and a box, has never happened before. I’m waiting for this day. And all my friends and fans are waiting too. They say everything will happen within a month.
Photo: Personal archive
– Why are some artists awarded degrees almost at the age of 30, while others have to wait another 30 years?
– This question is not for me. I think there are some who earn this honorary title in another way. From somewhere in the media we learn that this or that artist has received a title. Sometimes the question arises: when did he manage to earn it? This is also a mystery to me. But someone, apparently, somehow manages to do it. I do not know how. Apparently, you have to ask the young artists honored themselves. I’m confused here.
– Next year is your anniversary. How are you preparing?
– On the eve of the New Year, Christmas and also the Year of the Family (as Vladimir Putin announced the future year 2024), I prepared the musical composition “Time to Remain Human” for family listening. I dedicated the song to my parents! He also released a dance hit for the country’s dance floors, “Disco,” which the entire country is already singing. Next year is mine, because I was born in the year of the Dragon. Many “MUSIC CONNECTED US” music programs are planned with my team. There will be several more premieres of the musical “Mirage” with the permanent author of all hits, Valery Sokolov. In general, I can’t stand anniversaries and I don’t like birthdays either. I am always 25 years old, I am always young and beautiful.
Photo: Personal archive
– Tell us about the children Valery and Sergei. How old are they now? How do they study?
– My children are already adults. We’re ok. Serezha will finish school this year, Lerochka will finish school next year. The children are 14 and 15 years old respectively. If we talk about her hobbies and interests, Lera is a seamstress, she loves to make jewelry, boxes, postcards and strange gifts with her own hands. Her hands, as they say, grow from that place. She does wonderful things that are purely childish. Well, Seryozha, in a purely masculine way, helps a lot around the house. The house is big, there are many animals, so we have a lot to do here.
In addition, both Seryozha and Lera are in the cities, go to classes, have a large number of medals, go to competitions, championships, tournaments, championships and take prizes. In short, they don’t have much free time, let’s say. They come home late from school because they have a lot of extra classes, especially Seryozha, because this year there will be final exams, everything is very serious.
– Are the children already thinking about their future profession? Maybe they want to follow in your footsteps?
– No, they don’t want to. Children have hearing, but there are no prerequisites for any of them to start singing. They love music, they go to various clubs, have parties, shows and dance. They find all this interesting, my children are quite creative, but there is no such thing for them to follow my path. Although maybe I could help them in some way, but knowing how thorny this path is, that the strongest survive here and that you really need to be something of yourself, then this is good. We will do something else. We are thinking about a career, but I don’t want to announce any plans now. They are still in development and we are keeping them secret.
– Are Sergei and Valeria friendly? Don’t they fight?
– They say bad words, of course. They fight. Anything can happen. But they adore each other. If someone leaves (for example, Lera to a competition, on an excursion, or Seryozha to go out with friends), they miss each other very much. Especially Seryozha. In a word, they are like “not spilling water.” They have wonderful family bonds and I really cultivate them. In our family we talk a lot about this topic, I repeat that, in general, you will never have anyone closer, that you are brother and sister and you should support each other, be constantly in contact and fight as little as possible. possible. So in this sense we are doing well.
– What kind of mother are you? Strict? How do you like to spend time with your children?
– Mom, I’m strict and demanding. Of course, I turn a blind eye to some things, especially since now children are going through puberty and their character is changing. There are disagreements and friction periodically arises. I communicate a lot with children. I try to spend as much time as possible with them, to be constantly in touch. Know as much as possible about what is happening in their lives. I don’t really want surprises, so I always try to stay alert. Consequently, we talk a lot. If there is an opportunity to go somewhere together, we walk and relax. I understand that a couple more years will pass and the children will fly out of the nest and I really want everything to go as well as possible for them, both at work and in their personal lives.
Photo: Personal archive
– I read that in 2013 their biological parents wanted to take them away. Was there just one attempt or were there more?
– This was the only attempt, and I still didn’t want to take anyone. They just brought in the parents, it was like a TV channel sensation, I don’t even know what to call it. But in fact, no one needed it. And taking into account that now neither the mother nor the father of the children are alive (due to various circumstances they died at different times, it was quite a long time ago), then, in general, today no one is worried. We, thank God, sleep peacefully. In reality, we used to sleep peacefully. And then my children had the prospect of being absolutely orphaned, which did not happen.
-How did you tell the children that they were adopted?
– It’s very simple: I sat down and told it. The children know this and for some time now they have been breathing with complete peace of mind. And I told you this because, as always, there were friendly people. At school, a girl from Seryozha’s class began to pester him with various difficult questions. And my boy came home crying, he didn’t understand what was happening, what they wanted from him. And the girl simply terrified him, to say the least. I had a conversation with this girl’s mother. Mom turned out to be the same, not very smart, as she turned out. In a word, at some point I simply sat the children down and told them everything so that, in general, they changed their attitude to this topic. So today my children know everything thanks to their biography: where they come from, what and how. But they don’t want to remember the past, because we lead a normal and quiet life. We try to take care of each other. Yes, in fact, they don’t remember anything, because they were very young; After all, we have lived together for more than ten years. They were little then, and little by little the events of yesteryear faded from their memory.
Photo: Personal archive
– Have you still not communicated with Natalia Gulkina? Much has been written about her conflict. But I still ask: what was the main reason?
– Actually, it’s a long story. Many examples can be given here. But, the result is the same. As they often write during a divorce: they separated because they didn’t get along. That’s how it is with us. But in general, it was so long ago, I have such an active family and a creative life that I don’t want to return to conflict situations, confrontations or remember some omissions. I have been living a wonderfully active life for the past ten years. I’m fine.
– Could you make peace with Gulkina?
– I forgave her a long time ago. If I meet her today on the street or in the hallway, I will smile with complete sincerity, I will greet her and I will not pass her by. I have excellent relationships with everyone. I love my friends and enemies alike. Because they both make me stronger. This is my philosophy. I wish you all only health.
– Now there is actively talk about artists who left Russia. Have you stopped treating any of your colleagues because of their position?
– The fact is that I don’t have many friends among my colleagues. And those friends who are, fortunately, are all here. This is a very happy story for me.
Photo: Personal archive
– Some are against forgiving those who left. Others sympathize with them. And you?
For me, Homeland and mother, let’s say, are completely equivalent concepts. You don’t choose your homeland, like your mother. “Where you were born, you fit” – there is a wonderful Russian proverb. I don’t want to beat myself in the chest with my fists, but I will remain with my people, with my country, until the end. That’s why I’ll never leave here. I had the experience of being married to a foreigner, he was a Yugoslav who lived first in Germany and then in Switzerland. I have traveled a lot, I know what it is like to live abroad, what it is like to live abroad. And I always understood that I could never live there. Therefore, it is clear to me that I will live only in Russia, and only with Russia are some of my plans for my future life possible.
– Now many people condemn Alla Pugacheva, who left for her young husband. But if you found yourself in a situation like this, what would you do?
– You know, the big question here is who went to whom. I wouldn’t openly get involved in or talk about another person’s life. As you know, this is darkness. Here it is difficult to say where the legs grew from and who went to whom, what happened and from what. I can say to myself: I probably just wouldn’t have found myself in a situation like that. Because I have my own clear position, my own views, and for someone to drag me somewhere like that, this cannot happen; I’m not a sheep on a thread.
– The New Year is soon. Can you share your vacation plans?
“If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans”, I never tire of repeating the phrase that I live by today. I’m not making any plans. December is definitely a very busy month for me, there are a lot of performances and filming with my team. There will be work on New Year’s Eve. After the holidays, I plan to find time in January to go on vacation with my children to warm countries. Now I’m selecting dates and tours. I can say that I love celebrating the New Year: it is my favorite holiday. And 2024 is called the Year of the Family, and I want all the inhabitants of my beloved Russia to have families, children, so that we all make each other happy, so that all problems are as far away from us as possible and understand. , positivity, friendship, love come: all the eternal concepts that every person needs. I also wish all my friends, acquaintances, as well as strangers and those who don’t like me, that they are all healthy. It’s the most important thing! I really want to see my little dragon; after all, this is my year!
THE NAIS IS OFFICIAL EDITOR ON NAIS NEWS