Valentina Tolkunova was a Russian singer best known as the voice on the
popular TV show 'Good night, children'. Her lovely delivery of the
lullaby 'Sleepy toys' has been bringing peace and happiness to millions
of children going to bed.
She was born Valentina Vasilevna Tolkunova on 12 July 1946, in Armavir,
Krasnodar province, Russia. Her family moved to Moscow one year after
she was born. Young Tolkunova had poor eyesight, but had perfect pitch
and impeccable diction. She was fond of singing. At the age of 10 she
won a singing competition at her school district. From 1964 - 1967 she
studied singing and choir directing at the Moscow State Institute of
Culture, then she studied at the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music,
graduating in 1971.
Since her stage debut in 1966, Valentina Tolkunova had a successful
stage career with the Yuriy Saulskiy big band
in Moscow. In 1972 she became an instant TV celebrity after her
memorable appearance with songs by
Vladimir Shainskiy and
Lev Oshanin. Later she went on to perform at
numerous official Soviet functions and annual celebrations of the
Communist Revolution, the Victory Day and other high-level political
events. Her touring schedule included concerts in Japan, India,
Finland, Germany, USA, Canada, Australia, Israel and many other nations
around the world.
In 1971, Tolkunova made her film debut in
Mikhail Ancharov's
Den za dnyom (1972). Then she
went on to work with the best composers, filmmakers and songwriters in
Russia, such as Mikael Tariverdiev,
Oskar Feltsman, Nikita Bogoslovskiy,
Ilya Kataev, Aleksandra Pakhmutova
and many others. In 1973 she appeared singing a song by
Vladimir Vysotskiy in _Chyornyy
prints (1973)_ by director Anatoly Bobrovsky and later earned wide
recognition as the voice on the TV show 'Good night, children'. She
also sang in the popular cartoon
_Zima v prostokvasino (1984)_
by director Vladimir Popov. From 1989 - 2010 she was artistic director
of Moscow Theatre of Musical Drama.
Valentina Tolkunova recorded twelve albums which sold millions of
copies. She was designated Honorable Actress of Russia and People's
Actress of Russia, and also received numerous awards and decorations
from the Soviet state and from the Russian government. Tolkunova was
active in various charitable projects in Russia and internationally.
She sang for dignitaries and politicians, such as
Mikhail Gorbachev and
Pope John Paul II and other
international figures. Among the highlights of her career were
performances with Montserrat Caballé,
Iosif Kobzon and many other popular
singers.
After a five-year marriage to composer Yuri Saulsky, she was married to
writer Yuri Paporov and the couple had one son. In spite of her poor
health, Valentina Tolkunova toured actively in Russia and in republics
of the former USSR. On February 19, 2010, she had to interrupt a
concert tour in Belarus due to urgent hospitalization. She died of a
coma caused by brain tumor on March 22, 2010, in Moscow, and was laid
to rest next to actors, Vladislav Galkin, Yuri Stepanov and Igor
Starygin, in Troekurovskoe cemetery in Moscow, Russia. Her death caused
a considerable mourning in Russia and in republics of the former Soviet
Union, where millions know her songs by heart.
