Alexey Kuznetsov is a Ukrainian singer with an operatic voice, participant and winner of the first season of the X-Factor talent show. He was born in the Donetsk region, in the town of Makeevka, but grew up in the small suburb of Novofurmanovo. Mother Lyubov Antonovna and father were working people. True, my father received a severe spinal injury and became a disabled person of the first group, even when Alyosha was a very young child. By the way, the family also brought up youngest daughter Catherine.

With sister Ekaterina | Official VK group

At the age of three, little Kuznetsov first heard opera on TV and fell in love with this genre. After that, he began to go out onto the staircase landing and “develop his voice” by listening to the returning echo. When the boy was taken to audition for a music school, the teachers noted his absolute ear for music, thanks to which he hears all the subtleties of classical compositions. That is why they fascinate Alexey so much.

After graduating from a music school with a guitar degree, Alexei Kuznetsov’s biography could have been supplemented by studying at the Kharkov Music College, but there the teachers advised the guy, whose voice had just begun to break, to wait a year. The young singer returned home and began to intensively practice boxing.

In fact, Kuznetsov had been fascinated by sports for a long time, but now he took it very seriously and by the age of 17 he had passed the standards for the title of Master of Sports. It is curious that the guy always felt sorry for his mother, who did not approve of her son’s choice of a combat sport, and only told news related to boxing after the fact. One day he called her and told her that he was at a competition. Lyubov Antonovna began to ask not to go, to which she heard: “It’s all over, I won and became a champion.”

After 11th grade, Alexey enters the Donetsk Music College, where he studies in the “Academic Vocal” department, and at the same time trains at the Donetsk National academic theater Opera and Ballet named after Anatoly Solovyanenko. And at the age of 19, Kuznetsov’s athletic character manifested itself in achieving goals in the musical field: the young singer-boxer went to the casting of the X-Factor show, which was destined to radically change his life.

TV show

At the qualifying casting in Donetsk, “Adagio” by Alexey Kuznetsov created a real sensation. The young performer performed successfully at other stages and eventually went on live broadcast as part of the team of mentor Elizaveta Ivantsiv, better known as a singer. Alexey continued to captivate the audience further, reaching the final, where he performed in a duet with one of the best tenors of our time, the Italian Alessandro Safina.

At the gala concert, the presenter of the project announced the winner of the first X-Factor show in the history of Ukraine, and it was Kuznetsov. The singer decided to spend the winning prize of two million hryvnia (about 5 million rubles) on his father’s treatment and partly on his further training in opera.

Alexey Kuznetsov now

During last stages show “X Factor” Alexey Kuznetsov signed a long-term contract with the famous recording company “Sony Music Russia”, which promised him all kinds of support, including the release of his debut album. But after some time, Alexey officially terminated the agreement because he did not see the obligations fulfilled.

Kuznetsov, from 2012 to the present day, has been taking vocal lessons and attending master classes from the world's best opera teachers. He studied in Austria, Italy, Romania, and the United States. And the performances of the Ukrainian tenor could be appreciated by viewers from countries such as China, Switzerland, Hungary, Spain, Cyprus, Kazakhstan and many others. Alexey again sang a duet with Alessandro Safina, this time at his solo concert in Kyiv. In addition, he took part in the musical television broadcast “The Song Unites Us!” organized by the First Ukrainian National Channel, which is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest vocal marathon in the world.

It was Kuznetsov who was given the honor of performing the national anthem of Ukraine during football championship Euro 2012 before the match with the Swedish national team, as well as before the boxing match for the WBA world champion title. The young singer also performed at the anniversary of fashion designer Pierre Cardin, and performed the role of Claude Frollo in the Ukrainian adaptation of the legendary musical “Notre Dame de Paris”.

Personal life

The personal life of Alexey Kuznetsov has long been connected with one girl, to whom the singer is now married. Long before the fame that fell on him, Alexey met Ekaterina Semenova, who was his friend sister Kati.

Kuznetsova’s beloved is also a creative person. As a child, she studied classical choreography and even studied ballet in London. Then she returned to Ukraine, entered Kiev University and began working as a fashion model.

Later, Alexey and Ekaterina got married. Not long ago, a photograph of Kuznetsov with a little two-year-old girl spread around the World Wide Web. Many fans wondered where the singer suddenly got a daughter. It turned out that everything is much simpler: the photo shows the tenor’s goddaughter, and Alexei Kuznetsov is still only dreaming about his children.

Where and how does X Factor winner Alexey Kuznetsov live?

Let Argentina and Spain carry Lionel Messi in their arms, Makeyevka now also has national hero no smaller scale. The best singer of the X Factor, Alexey Kuznetsov, made his way onto the Kyiv stage from the distant suburb of Makeyevka - Novofurmanovo. Having learned about the victory of our fellow countryman, we went to small homeland triumphant.

The tenor’s parents’ modest private house huddles on the very edge of a huge field between Makeevka and Khartsyzsk. In the village, everyone knows the address of the winner of the TV show - after all, a good-natured 19-year-old with a boxing background and the appearance of a professional bodyguard charmed not only his fellow countrymen, but the whole of Ukraine. When we arrived in the village, Alexei’s mother, Lyubov Antonovna, was in Kyiv with her son, and we found his father and godmother at home. “During the finale of the show, I had to go on a shift at the mine - almost all the neighbors work there,” says Anna Mikhailovna, the winner’s godmother. “So, after the slaughter, the first thing my men asked was not when the bus was coming home, but how did our Lekha sing?” This used to only happen at super-important football matches.”

Novofurmanovo is a harsh working-class village, with life bustling only around the kiosks on the edge of the streets. And the guy hid his passion for vocals for a long time so as not to laugh. “This is the outskirts, it has its own customs. So Lech went to boxing to stand up for himself. And then how big he was... For the age of 16, I gave him a pound weight (16 kg), a year later I bought 24 kg, and the next year he asked for 32 kg,” recalls Yuri Kuznetsov, the winner’s father.

And although along the way Lesha still completed his studies at music school, in this field everything was not as smooth for him as in sports. After graduating from 9th grade, the guy went to enroll in the Kharkov Music College, but the professor at the audition advised Kuznetsov to “keep quiet” a little - his voice was still going through teenage withdrawals. And only after graduating in 11th grade, Alexey’s talent was adequately appreciated at the Donetsk Music School. Now student Kuznetsov has one more year left to study in the vocal department. “The professors say he needs to go abroad. Let it be, of course, what's in it for the guy? And there, maybe he will achieve success, like his idol Pavarotti. He will return from Kyiv one of these days, and we will discuss all the plans. After the victory, we didn’t really talk yet—I only congratulated him. His younger sister Katya also started singing. There is already talk about some kind of competitions. Well, we’re just glad,” Yuri Kuznetsov smiles.

Lesha himself admitted to us after the victory that his most A big dream- put my father on his feet. Therefore, he will first spend all his energy and money on his treatment. Now Kuznetsov Sr. is in a wheelchair due to a spinal disease. He was injured while digging a well in his yard 18 years ago. Therefore, I could not go to support my son at the show - Lesha’s mother and sister Katya were in Kyiv. And Yuri Anatolyevich kept his fists for his most beloved singer in the world in front of the TV.

The whole of Novofurmanovka is eagerly awaiting Alexey’s return from Kyiv. “He promised us that with the winnings he would bring us here good road, and most importantly, he will build a new gazebo, where the whole street gathers, and Leshka himself made his debut here,” laughs Anna Mikhailovna. Godmother Kuznetsova tells this story with special pleasure. At first, the guy hid his vocal lessons from his neighbors and went into the field to sing. Fortunately, right behind the gate there is an endless wasteland. And only this year, on May 9, his godmother boasted of his success in vocals. “This lump?” - no one believed it. Anna Mikhailovna ran home, woke up Alexei and dragged him to the gazebo, where a good half of the street was just celebrating the holiday. When Kuznetsov thundered: “Victory Day, how far it was from us...”, goosebumps ran down the spine of those gathered, and the entire second half of the street joined in hearing the voice. Front-line songs were ordered to Lesha until late in the evening.

Alexey's teachers from Donetsk music school They rate the guy’s chances on the world opera stage very highly. “Actually, we are preparing him for a career in the West,” Sergei Gontov, Lesha’s teacher and Honored Artist of Ukraine, admitted to us. — This show was a success even before Ukraine and was held in 30 countries. The audience there, including those from the world of music, know well what first place means. True, Kuznetsov is closer to opera or classics than to the stage. That is why in many numbers he was not fully revealed, because the repertoire for the performers was selected by the TV channel.”

The winner himself is still cautious about his plans: “I was incredibly tired, the last broadcasts I was only thinking about how to quickly learn the words of the song and sing without forgetting anything. We had to sing foreign languages! But I love Italian and speak it well. And during the project I often repeated to myself that I am not sacrificing anything here, but only gaining,” explained Kuznetsov.

(PHOTO) The winner of the vocal show “X Factor” on the STB channel, 19-year-old Alexey Kuznetsov, who won 2 million hryvnia, found himself in bondage to the production company Sony Music Russia.

He is going to terminate the contract, which he concluded before the finale of the show under pressure. The mother of Alexei Kuznetsov told the Segodnya newspaper about this.

“A few days before the final, my son called me and said that representatives of Sony Music Russia had brought him, Masha Rak, Vova Tkachenko and Sasha Krivoshapko a contract to sign. I asked him not to sign anything, but he replied: “We were told that if you don’t sign, you’ll be kicked out of the project,” recalls Lyubov Antonovna.

As explained on STB, the official partner of the X Factor is Sony Music Entertainment (Sony Music Russia is one of the company’s divisions).

According to the terms of the talent show, all finalists are required to sign a preliminary contract. Otherwise, they may lose the right to further participation in the project, and his place will be taken by a participant from the previous stage of selection for the show.

After the show, X-Factor winner Alexey Kuznetsov and project finalist Alexander Krivoshapko began working under a contract with Sony Music Russia.

Lyubov Antonovna stated that because of the signing of this contract, her son found himself in unfavorable conditions for him.

“Sony Music is asking such fees for him - much more than five thousand dollars that Alexey was left without concerts. That’s why STB doesn’t take him on its tours. In addition, he wasn’t even paid for the corporate party he worked through; the May Day party still hasn’t been paid for. They refuse other lucrative offers for him, and their son is not even informed about this,” the mother shared.

According to her, the company forgot to warn Alexey about the upcoming concerts in six cities of Ukraine from the end of May together with Alexander Krivoshapko, although the posters have already been posted.

“And Alexey has a session now - he is in his third year at the Donetsk Music College, and he cannot rush back and forth,” the mother explains why her son is forced to abandon the tour.

As a result, according to the mother, they are now preparing documents for the court to terminate the contract.

“Yes, indeed, we had some difficulties with our ward Alexei Kuznetsov. But I’ll tell you right away - he was notified about the upcoming tour in advance,” said Anton Kudrevich, a representative of Sony Music Russia.

“Why he is behaving this way now is a mystery to us. Now we are looking for someone to replace him,” he added.

According to the mother of Alexei Kuznetsov, according to the contract signed by his son, he, as an artist, belongs to the recording company for life.

Alexander Krivoshapko also commented on his contract with Sony Music Russia.

“Sony Music promised me the following: by May 2011, shoot a video and release a single. They promised me a concert tour, high-quality soundtracks and costumes. The company fulfilled all its obligations to me. Some of them are even ahead of schedule,” said Alexander Krivoshapko.

“I don’t know what Lesha is dissatisfied with, with whom, as the winner of the X-Factor, in theory, the company should be involved even more than with me. I think it's all about unhealthy ambitions. More than once he said that he was “one of best singers peace." It seems to me that Lesha has become a star. And, by the way, he knew in advance that we would have a joint tour,” emphasized Alexander Krivoshapko.

As for the rate that the artist receives for a performance, for Krivoshapko, like for Kuznetsov, it is 30% of the fee for performances (70% is received by the producer). Sasha himself spoke about this.

For example, if the fee is 5 thousand dollars, then the artist receives 1.5 thousand dollars. There can be up to five concerts per month. Although usually, as the producer of the winner of the project “Factory. Superfinal” by Alexei Matias - Vlad Baginsky, for young performers the rate is only a tenth of the fee.

14:30 10.01.2011

I hope everyone received their Christmas presents. But the main surprise for all those infected with the X Factor was the final broadcast of the show. On Saturday . As you all know, it was Alexey Kuznetsov. Having attended the gala concert, I finally understood why STB people did not allow annoying journalists to approach him. Under a carefully rehearsed image " simple guy“A young man with a conservatory education was hiding.

On Saturday, all the participants of the show performed at the finale; they were gathered a few days before the gala concert in the training camp and the best numbers of the first season were rehearsed with them once again. As far as I understand, the rehearsals were not very grueling: a day before the concert, my spies spotted Dima Skalozubov and Masha Stasiuk walking around the Globus in search of Christmas gifts. The participants also arrived at the concert without much haste. Vova Tkachenko, who opened the broadcast, rushed at the same time as me exactly 25 minutes before the start.

What kind of place are they offering her? Fifth jury member? No, we won’t have her as a fifth, our table is small.

What if instead of Kondratyuk?

There is Pugacheva, and this is wonderful. But there is Borodyansky - and whatever he decides, so it will be.

“Ukraine’s Got Talent” will start soon. What's new?

First of all, we have very interesting participants. I'm sure you haven't seen anything like this before. For me it was just a culture shock. We starred in an advertising campaign: we are astronauts and are saving the entire planet.

Having said goodbye to Oksana, I stomped to the car and saw a luxury jeep parked nearby. The X-Factor winner Lesha Kuznetsov was loaded into it. And not alone. The winner gallantly helped the perhydrol blonde sit down, and he got behind the wheel.

In addition to the “main” blonde, who sat next to the driver, there was another one already waiting in the car. I don’t know who Kuznetsova is yet, but I promise to find out. As for the beauty in the front seat, I realized that this is exactly the girl that Alexey joked about in a conversation with journalists. I also realized that a simple guy from a village at the age of nineteen, no matter how much he wanted, could not drive a car worth 35 thousand dollars. And again the question about the aunt-deputy popped up in my head. And I also thought that all Masha Rak’s hopes for the common family budget were self-deception.

And Alexey, having warmed up his iron Savraska, rushed off into the night with a chic blonde to celebrate the victory.

Alexey Udovitsky (“Battle of Psychics”) and Galina Pilyutikova watched what was happening on stage with special attention

Andrey Nikolov (X Factor producer) dressed up for the last live broadcast

Vova Zavadyuk gave Elka a gift...

...silicone handbag

Igor Kondratyuk could hardly hold back his tears

A number from the category of surprises - a singing spruce

And another singing judge - Seryoga with his own “children” on the backs

Masha Rak's third outfit

Victory!

Song of the Winner

Taras Kraskin (fashion designer) walked backstage with bruises on his face. Looking for a new boyfriend?

Because they are a team!

Tala Onischuk is a tasty morsel for competing channels

These two comrades spoiled the mood of many spectators by blocking the passage to the toilet

MediaNanny.

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The first season of the X Factor show has ended, and for some reason the country cannot calm down - there are still discussions about the fairness of voting on the STB channel.

The winner of the first season of the X Factor show was Alexey Kuznetsov, a 19-year-old boxer with almost operatic vocals.

However, many of our compatriots strongly doubted that he won honestly. Perhaps this is why the Internet continues to receive a stream of materials with provocative headlines: “Kuznetsov has a luxurious apartment in Kyiv.” “Aleksey Kuznetsov’s dear aunt is a people’s deputy of Ukraine.” “Kuznetsov studied vocals in Madrid”... Members of Kuznetsov’s family clarified the situation

MYTH No. 1. He studied vocals in Milan

Along with his wild popularity, Alexey Kuznetsov, a guy from the deep Makeevka province, was hit with a lot of all kinds of gossip. One of the most common myths: “Kuznetsov is far from a beginner singer. He has a conservatory behind him! Is this fair to other participants? And, besides, Alexey is already studying vocals in Milan... Madrid, Marseille.

Apparently, someone really wants it to be this way,” says Alexei’s mother Lyubov Antonovna. - What fables we haven’t heard about this! We fight back as best we can, constantly refuting various information, but rumors are still stronger than the truth.

Mom - Lyubov Antonovna

As Alexey himself admits, “I didn’t graduate from any conservatories.” And he has never been to Madrid or Milan either, although he does not hide the fact that he would like to go there to study and it is in the homeland of his idol Luciano Pavarotti that he dreams of continuing to improve his vocals. This is exactly what Lesha intended to spend part of the money he won on the project. In the meantime, he is a third-year student at the Donetsk Music College.

MYTH No. 2. This young man is a rich Buratino with an apartment in the capital

They say and write that he has a luxurious apartment, which Kuznetsov allegedly acquired in Kyiv, without even waiting for the promised millions in prize money. Viewers were confused by the plot shown in one of the last X Factor broadcasts, when the participants, accompanied by the producer, went to visit their home.

So, unlike the first broadcast of the project, this time the Kuznetsovs met the film crew not in a modest house, but in a luxurious apartment with expensive furniture. “We are being deceived! Where does a guy from a poor family get such apartments?” - viewers of Internet forums became interested.

For a film crew of nine people, traveling from Kyiv to Makeevka to film a story in a few minutes was inconvenient and, in principle, unjustified. Therefore, the TV channel decided to rent an apartment in the capital for a day and conduct filming there,” says Lyubov Kuznetsova. — Alexei’s sister Katya and I were specially invited to Kyiv a day earlier before the Saturday broadcast. Filming took place in the center of Kyiv, along Mikhailovskaya Street. Of all the project participants, we really only went home to see Masha Rak, because she lives closest to everyone, in the Kyiv region.

And the Kuznetsov family lives on the outskirts of the remote village of Makeevka - Novo-Furmanovo. The conditions are far from luxurious! Not even all the amenities in the house... As Alexey said, he does not intend to get an apartment even after receiving two million... The dream, for the realization of which he is ready to spend money, is completely different for Kuznetsov. He wants to improve the health of his father, who suffered a spinal injury 18 years ago and now moves only in a wheelchair...

Alexey with his parents

MYTH No. 3. His aunt is a people's deputy of Ukraine

“This is perhaps the craziest thing I’ve ever heard about myself!” - Alexey admits. His mother also denies this information.

“Neither I nor Alexei’s father have any sisters, and therefore Lesha has aunts, too,” says Lyubov Antonovna. — Lesha’s dad only had a brother, but he is no longer alive. I only have cousins. One of them, a housewife, lives in the Chernigov region. The rest of the sisters are from the Vinnytsia region, one lives and works in the village, the second is a nurse in a hospital, the third is a courier in court. Even distant relatives related to people's deputies or to the assistants of people's deputies, there is not and never has been in our family.

MYTH No. 4. Kuznetsov has a cool foreign car

After the last broadcast of the X Factor, photographs of Kuznetsov getting behind the wheel of a jeep appeared on some websites. Young man accompanied by two girls. The question of who these mysterious blondes are, where did a simple guy from the village get a jeep and, most importantly, where did he go with them in supposedly his own car to celebrate the victory - all this provoked various rumors.

“One of the girls is my younger sister Katya,” says Alexey. - And the second is her friend, also Katya. And this car is hers. My sister and mother always came to support me at the performance, and even more so at such an important event as the super final.

Katya invited her friend to the gala concert. When after the broadcast we all left the set together, the girls offered to go with them by car so as not to jostle with everyone on public transport. I agreed. Since I drive a car, the girls offered to drive for me. Like, let the winner take us today. We did not even imagine that such a story could develop from this situation.

Considering what the future of the channel is preparing for the winner of the X Factor, interest in the person of Alexei Kuznetsov will not cool down soon. According to the winner, he has many obligations to the show organizers:

firstly, a three-year contract with STB, which has the exclusive right to promote Alexey as an artist.

In February, a new show will start on STB - Dancing with the Stars. Kuznetsov was invited to this project as a participant, and subject to passing the casting, soon Alexey will not only sing, but also dance.

According to preliminary data, this show is designed for 16 broadcasts and, possibly, in addition to Kuznetsov, X-factor graduates Alexander Krivoshapko, Vladimir Tkachenko and Masha Stasyuk will also participate in it.

Obviously, Kuznetsov also has another contract - with Sony Music. It is there that the winners of the X Factor projects record their first albums. So Lesha won’t have to rest anytime soon. For just a few days, STB promises to let him go home for the holidays.

The winner of the X Factor show Alexey Kuznetsov marries his sister's best friend, 23-year-old Katya Semenova

The young people met before the start of the X Factor show. And Katya became one of the first to congratulate the guy on his victory in the project.

Katya used to do ballet and even studied this art form in London.

Now she has returned to Ukraine, working in modeling business, and also studies at one of the Kyiv universities. Semenova is a future tax police officer.

Recently, during one of the press conferences, Lesha said that he had been dreaming of a family for a long time. And the guy is only 19 years old!

And recently Alexey was noticed in one of the jewelry stores, where he was choosing wedding rings. Kuznetsov’s acquaintances confirm: the guy proposed to his beloved, and she agreed.

The winner of the X Factor show, Alexey Kuznetsov, plans to follow in the footsteps of the Russian nightingale - Nikolai Baskov.

Alexey has long loved classical music.

“I listen to a lot of tenors, classics - this is where I start my career, and this is probably where I’ll end it. Opera for me is the highest of the arts. Not everyone can sing the classics. Great people like Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Juan Diego Flores, Vittorio Grigolo, Giacomini, Mario del Monaco...

Well, I can name many, but there will be no more than 100 people from all over the planet. These are great singers who can sing in such a way that people become enlightened. This music is for the higher part of the brain. Monarchs and kings listen to this music. This is real, living art that cannot be duplicated. I will learn this and glorify this kind of music,” said Alexey.

However, Alexey will build his career on the stage.

“I cannot name Nikolai Baskov opera singer. Yes, he sang the part of Lensky at the age of 18. But all students sing this part in educational institutions - it was included in the program of musical educational institutions for passing exams. It's not heavy. And now Nikolai simply sings pop repertoire in a manner close to academic,” says Alexey.

“Opera singers sing completely differently. But I don’t blame Nikolai - it’s good that he had the opportunity to express himself in a different genre. Now I also have opportunities, and I want to make the most of them,” says Kuznetsov