In the 76th year of life this world left the singer and people’s artist of Ukraine Nina Matvienko, now her voice will sound in heaven. Bashny.Net

She was called the voice and soul of the Ukrainian people. All her life she carried light, goodness and Ukrainian folk song. Her voice fascinates, surprises and inspires. Nina Matvienko didn’t live to see her 76th birthday for just two days. On October 8, Tonya Matvienko, the daughter of Nina Matvienko, on her Instagram page reported the tragic news.



The life of Nina Matvienko was not easy. She grew up in a family with 10 other children. She was the fifth child and at the age of 4 looked after her younger brothers and sisters. The singer recalled: I was born in such a family, where I saw nothing human. Only on holidays when Dad wasn't drunk and they sang with Mom. At the age of 11, her parents decided to send Nina to boarding school. The family was very poor and could not support all the children. The girl had a very accommodating kind character, and her parents decided that it would be easier for her there. For Nina, it was a real school of life, which brought up in her resistant to the blows of fate character.



Despite the fact that Nina was very fond of singing and dreamed of entering the Ukrainian folk choir named after G. Verevka, after the boarding school had to go to work for “Himmash”. There she went from a payroll girl to a pupil of a cranemaker and a copyist. And then I heard that in Zhytomyr there is a selection for a pop vocal ensemble. But the authentic manner of singing Nina Matviyenko did not suit pop collective singing, and she was not taken. Therefore, in 1966, Nina Matvienko still signed up in the studio of the choir named after G. Verevka. In 1968 she became his soloist. So began her career as a singer.



Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Instagram: Today, a truly people’s artist of Ukraine left us. In every sense of the word. Applause for her unique voice sounded in all corners of our country, in the United States, Canada, France, Poland, South Korea, Mexico, Latin America and many other countries. Her authentic and truly magical voice, her folk lyrical and ritual songs will always remain with us. Carols, bounties, freckles, bathing, harvesting, ginning, wedding songs and lullabies in her performance. Her “Magic Violin”, “Wild Geese”, “Soul Kvitka”... It will live forever in our culture, our music, our memory.



Nina Matvienko was not only a singer with a unique voice. She wrote her own poems, stories and essays. She wrote the history of the folk choir named after G. Verevka. She acted in films and television plays, played in the theater. Since 1989 she has been a member of the Community of Cinematographers of Ukraine. She led an active civilian life. She took part in projects dedicated to the popularization of Ukrainian culture and Ukrainian folk costume.

“The most beautiful man, the soul of the nation, whose voice is with us forever. We love and remember, Svyatoslav Vakarchuk wrote.



Nina Matvienko has always lovingly received guests in her home. She shared life advice and experiences with young, talented people. She was always ready to listen, comfort, support.

The life of Nina Matvienko Potap today recalled how Nina Matvienko told him about the little Nastya Kamensky. Nina Matvienko together with her mother Nastya were in the choir named after G. Verevka. “Nina Mitrofanovna, I cry like I cried when you sang. The sun and the voice of the nation, how happy I am to have known you, to have heard your singing in life, on stage and at the table. Your stories about Nastya's childhood. I love you with all my heart. Thank you for your talent, may God embrace you.



Nina Matviyenko was married to artist Pyotr Gonchar - the son of Ukrainian sculptor, artist and collector of Ukrainian master art Ivan Gonchar. They had three children - Ivan, Andrei and Antonina. Two sons followed in their father’s footsteps and became artists, while Antonina inherited her mother’s voice and became a singer. In 2005, his son Ivan decided to become a monk and made tonsure. Andrei is an artist and icon painter. In 2007, on the anniversary of the 60th anniversary, Nina Matvienko sang with Tonya. This concert will forever remain in the hearts of many Ukrainians. Soul and sincerity of execution fascinated then and now.



Nina Mitrofanovna is a very close person for our family, she always remembered my grandfather with incredible warmth and love, he taught her Ukrainian language in Soviet times at the Shevchenko University. These are our last pictures. I felt something serious was coming. She offered to help with the doctors, but Nina Mitrofanovna refused. I want to thank you for the entire Ukrainian culture. Thanks to your talent, tenderness, femininity, you were able to give Ukraine such a beautiful and tender face through your songs. Legend of the Ukrainian stage. Always alive, always beautiful! wrote Natalia Mogilevskaya in her blog.