Irina Osaulenko Ukrainian pop singer, older sister of Natasha Koroleva. Date of Birth: 09.09.1968 Country: Ukraine

Biography of Irina Osaulenko

Irina Osaulenko is a Ukrainian pop singer and the older sister of Natasha Koroleva. She was born in Kiev, Ukraine, into a family of choral conductors, Vladimir and Ludmila Poryvai, who were associated with the choral ensemble "Svitoch" at the Teacher's House. From a young age, Irina sang in the choir and later studied piano at a music school. She went on to graduate from the Kiev Gliere Music College, majoring in choral conducting.

During her time at the music college, Irina became acquainted with the musicians of the Kiev band "Mirage," who were working with the renowned Kiev composer Vladimir Bystriakov. In the summer of 1986, Irina and the members of "Mirage," with the support of Vladimir Bystriakov, went to relax and work in Dagomys, near Sochi. It was there, on the dance floor, that Irina Osaulenko's singing career began.

In 1987, the band "Mirage," including Irina's sister Natalia Poryvai, traveled to Moscow to participate in the all-Union competition "Golden Kamerton," where they received a diploma. Irina and her mother were also present at the competition.

In 1989, Natalia moved to Moscow, where the famous composer and singer Igor Nikolaev recorded several songs with her. Natalia became known to the public as Natasha Koroleva. It was in the same year, 1989, that Irina Osaulenko's career took off. That summer, the idea of ​​creating a solo project called "Rusya" emerged, and Irina decided to take on this stage name. The musicians of the band "Mirage" participated in the recording of the first songs for the album "Vorozhka." Rusya's first concerts took place in Lviv in October 1989. Upon returning to Kiev, buoyed by success, Rusya recorded her second album, "Christmas Night." In the summer of 1990, her album "Forgive Me, Mama" was released. It was during this time that she became the first Ukrainian pop star to have a sold-out concert at the Palace of Sports in Kiev.

In early 1991, Rusya went on tour to the United Kingdom, and during this time, her new albums "Cinderella" and the Russian-language "Little Happiness" were released. In May of the same year, Rusya performed three solo concerts on the main stage of the country, the Ukraine Palace of Culture in Kiev. In the summer of 1991, Rusya performed at stadiums for the first time. At the end of 1991, she signed a contract with a Canadian record company to release her album in Canada. Rusya spent two years in Toronto, recording her self-titled album "Rusya."

Upon returning to Ukraine, Rusya recorded two new albums, "Kyivlyanochka" and a retro album, "Cheremshina." She then embarked on concerts in Canada and the United States and participated in well-known music festivals. In 1997, she recorded the albums "My American" and the Russian-language "White Lace." In 1998, a major concert tour of Rusya and her sister Natasha Koroleva, called "Two Sisters," took place in Russia and Ukraine. After that, Rusya disappeared from the Ukrainian music scene for a long time. In 2007, a compilation album of Rusya's greatest hits was released, making it her first album available for purchase on iTunes Store. In 2008, it was released in Russia. In March 2009, she released a completely new album, "Small Gifts."

Irina Osaulenko is the daughter of Vladimir Archipovich Poryvai and Ludmila Ivanovna Poryvai. Her sister is Natalia Vladimirovna Koroleva. She is married to Konstantin Osaulenko and has three children: Vladimir (1988-1999), who had cerebral palsy and passed away at the age of 11, Matvey (2004), and Sofia (2006), whose godfather is Igor Nikolaev.