He scandalized with Pugacheva and was Kuchma's favorite: where is Mykola Hnatiuk now, whom everyone knew in the 90s

Ukrainian singer and 90s star Mykola Hnatyuk celebrates his 71st birthday today. The Honored Artist of Ukraine, who used to gather stadiums of fans, was born on September 14, 1952.

As exclusively reported by OBOZ.UA, a year ago Hnatiuk lived in Ukraine, but probably moved to Germany at the end of 2023, where his only son lives. This was told by the singer's brother Anatoliy, who last saw his relative shortly before the full-scale invasion: "He now lives in Germany, he went to visit his son. We have good, brotherly relations. He is 12 years older, and I always listen to him. Moreover, he is a very wise man - he has always been like that."

Mykola Hnatiuk gained fame when he won gold at a Ukrainian pop singing competition. The singer was 26 years old at the time. Later, he took third place at an all-Union competition, which opened the way for him to go abroad. While participating in Intervision in Sopot, where Hnatiuk won first place, a curious situation occurred involving Alla Pugacheva.

According to the artist, the jury, chaired by a Russian pop star, tried to prevent the Ukrainian from winning first place because they had their own "winner." On the eve of the Ukrainian singer's performance, Pugacheva invited him to a party to get him drunk. But Hnatiuk realized what was going on and quietly left the restaurant through the back door.

For a long period of time, the Ukrainian artist worked and lived in Germany, later returning to his homeland. Hnatiuk's son Oleksandr was born abroad. In an interview with OBOZ.UA, the famous Ukrainian actor Serhiy Kalantai called his friend a man of the era and a favorite of Ukraine's second president, Leonid Kuchma. "The entire former Soviet Union admired him. I cannot say how he lives now. I only know that he has become very religious," Kalantai said. "He is very human, sociable, loves to tell jokes, and is very good at it. He is generally very interesting to listen to."

A few years ago, the singer announced the end of his musical career. It was rumored that his decision was prompted by his passion for faith. It's worth noting that in the past Mykola Hnatyuk studied at a seminary and created several albums with a religious tone. However, last year the singer returned to showbiz under a new name - "Anastasiy".

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