VICTOR KLIMENKO A man with  an unforgettable voice Artiste Viktor Klimenko is Russia's present to the Finnish people and to the world. He is an artiste, whose broad repertoire allows to build a variety of concert and performance packages.
Would you like to hear the melancholy of gypsy music, the longing of Russian romances or the gems of Hebrew melodies? Or perhaps the favourites of sacred music, the best loved hymns of all times or the nostalgia of electric gospel?
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BIOGRAPHY

Viktor Klimenko
- Russia's present to the Finnish people and to the world

Viktor Klimenko is an artiste and a Cossack. This best known emigrant in
Finland has made an indelible impression on the Finnish show business
and the Finnish gospel music. The broad repertoire of the never-the-same
artiste include melancholic gypsy songs, passionate Russian romances,
nostalgic electric gospel, best loved Hebrew dances and the gems of
gospel.

His Cossack family originating from southern Russia has made a long trek
from the river valley of Kuban during the bloody years of the Soviet
regime, but the love for the red dust of the Steppes and for the horses'
shining flanks is still alive and strong in Viktor's heart. And still
his songs echo the old stories told by the campfire.

Viktor Klimenko's road to success began in the early 1960's as a pop
singer and an actor. The triumphal march of Viktor the Cossack began at
the end of the same decade. Tremendous popularity accompanied the wild
and romantic Cossack as he rode through Europe in the 1970's. Russian
romances pleased the ear of the audience and impressive shows attracted
the curious crowds.

Viktor Klimenko's rise to fame as an interpreter of Slavic music fell on
the era of cold war. In the world that seemed to consist of only camps
of NATO and Warsaw Pact, he spoke a language which was understood in
both camps: the language of love, the language of music and songs, which
breaks through hostilities.

Adopting gospel music into the repertoire was not just following the
trend in fashion for him. In 1980 Viktor experienced a dramatic change
in his life when he had a spiritual awakening. He knows the Saviour he
sings about. A born again Christian, he faced new challenges and visions
- since then he has travelled around the world as an interpreter of
gospel music and a preacher. As an artiste he became even more
unconstrained and his interpretations acquired a new glow.

Viktor Klimenko has held concerts on all continents. The fall of the
Soviet Union opened the doors even to his closed homeland. He holds the
discriminated and passed by of this world close to his heart: refugees
from all countries, Jews that live scattered all around our broken
world, Russian Jews that have spread into Europe, Israel and the United
States, and gypsies that are the most discriminated and deprived of all
people in many countries.
The matured artiste now lives the best part of his career. His
interpretations have become deeper and there can always be found new
tones in his "white" Russian voice. He can build up a concert out of the
most loved tunes. Unforgettable moments can be spent listening to
Cossack songs, gypsy music, Hebrew melodies, hymns, gospel songs,
electric gospel or the gems of classical music. His performance can be
the highlight of a wedding party, or the greatest consolation for the
mourning at a funeral.

Viktor Klimenko's way to interpret shows great artistic skill.

Viktor Klimenko is a man with an unforgettable voice.

Viktor Klimenko
1942	Born at a POW camp in Svetnavalka, Russia, to a Cossack family, which was expelled from the river valley of Kuban in southern Russia, emigrated to Finland
1963	Recording "The Country of Thousand Lakes" (Tuhansien järvien maa)
1964	Recording "Isn't Somebody Dearest to Everybody" (Jokaiselle joku on kai rakkain)
1965	"The Sun Sets in the West" (Aurinko laskee länteen), representative of Finland at the Eurovision Song Contest in Naples.
1966	A contract with Helsinki Municipal Theatre
1969	LP "Stenka Rasin" - released in over 60 countries   - sold over 50,000 copies in Finland   - the sales shocked the Finnish LP industry
1972	LP "Milaya"
1972	The first artiste with two sold-out concerts at Finlandia Hall
1973	Performed at the legendary Berns Salon in Stockholm
1973	Begins to perform at Hamburger Börs in Stockholm
1973	Finnish citizenship given by president Urho Kekkonen
1973	LP "Country & Eastern"
1975	LP "May I have the pleasure?" (Saanhan luvan)
1975	LP "The Most Beautiful Christmas Carols" (Kauneimmat joululaulut) (available on CD)
1977	LP "Do Dna"
1978	LP "Shine, Glow, Love! / Nadya" (Loista, pala, rakasta! / Nadja)
1980	A contract with Lido in Paris
1981	LP "Jesus is the Lord" (Jeesus on Herra), which went gold in Finland and also in Sweden as the first Finnish artiste
1982	LP "The Feast of My Lord and My God? (Minun Herrani ja Jumalani juhla)
1983	LP "Hallelujah - Jesus is Coming" (Halleluja - Jeesus saapuu)
1985	LP "Jerusalem - the Apple of My Eye" (Jerusalem - Minun silmäteräni), most widely spread of all recordings in Finnish, Swedish, English and Russian versions (available on CD)
1992	First concert at the world famous Odessa Opera House
1993	CD "The Land of Pilgrim's dreams" (Matkamiehen unten maa)
1994	Collection CD "Viktor Klimenko TREASURES" (Viktor Klimenko Aarteet), 22 most popular songs
1995	CD "Hymn for Love" (Hymn till Kärleken)
1996	Collection CD "Viktor Klimenko 20 Favourites Isn't Somebody Dearest to Everybody" (Viktor Klimenko 20 suosikkia Jokaiselle joku on kai rakkain)
1997	iCollection CD "Viktor Klimenko 20 Favourites Stenka Rasin" (Viktor Klimenko 20 Suosikkia Stenka Rasin)
1997	Collection CD "Viktor Klimenko The Best 1" (Viktor Klimenko Tähtikooste 1)
1997	Invited to the concert on the Independence Day of the State of Ukraine as an emigrant representative
1999	CD "Vine" (Viinipuu)
1999	CD "O, Holy Night" (Oi Jouluyö)
2000	Performed to over 50,000 people in Novosibirsk and at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow
2000	Collection CD "Viktor Klimenko The Best 2" (Viktor Klimenko Tähtikooste 2
2002	CD "The City Over There Viktor Klimenko & The Angels" (Kaupunki tuolla Viktor Klimenko & The Angels)
2002	Concert at Finlandia Hall (60 years of age and 40 years as an artiste)
2003	Collection CD "Viktor Klimenko The Pearl of the Black Sea 40 Most Popular Songs" (Viktor Klimenko Helmi Mustanmeren 40 Suosituinta kappaletta)
viktor.klimenko@pp.nic.fi  or viktor.klimenko@hotmail.com

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