Zhanna Friske with her family
Photo: Personal page of the hero of the post on the social network.
It’s hard to believe, but the former soloist of the group “Brilliant” Zhanna Friske has not been with us for nine years. The singer died of a rare brain tumor, glioblastoma, on June 15, 2015, after several years of a difficult battle with the disease. And on July 8, Zhanna would have turned 50… On the eve of the anniversary, at the Muz-TV Award, which took place on June 14, the star was posthumously awarded the title of “Legend of Russian Popular Music.” To spend a memorable evening, Zhanna’s sister Natalya even went on stage and, together with other former “brilliants”, performed her sister’s hit “And there is white sand in the sea.” Then an image of Zhanna, created using neural networks, appeared on the big screen. The singer’s father, Vladimir Borisovich, watched what was happening from the audience, and at some point his heart sank with emotion. Fortunately, 71-year-old Friske received help in time. A few days before Zhanna’s anniversary, KP.RU called Vladimir Borisovich and interviewed him about everything: how native stars live, how they will celebrate the singer’s birthday, whether they will see the grandson Plato (Zhanna’s son from Dmitry Shepelev) and who will be their granddaughter. Luna, their daughter, looks like Natasha Friske.
We bought Plato’s share in Zhanna Friske’s apartment.
Vladimir Borisovich, you were presented with a plaque in memory of Zhanna at the Muz-TV awards. Where will you keep the award?
The award was placed in his apartment on Krasnaya Presnya. This is only his fourth Muz-TV record, now all the awards are next to each other. Many of his other figures are kept there as well: “Golden Gramophone”, MTV, etc.
I know that when you saw Zhanna, recreated by neural networks, your heart sank…
I didn’t know that it would be recreated. When I was invited, they said that there would be a block dedicated to Zhanna at the awards ceremony. And when I saw this, I was at first taken aback. And I took it all in emotionally. There, the audience turned on the lights, many began to cry… As a result, my heart sank. She told me: “You’ve turned white.” And I felt like I couldn’t breathe. But she didn’t take any medicine with her. Then Natasha appeared: “Dad, what’s wrong with you?” I said: “Daughter, I feel bad.” As a result, the guys gave me a pill and cold water and I walked away a little. Then it hit and it seemed normal. Afterwards I talked to the journalists and it seemed to cheer me up a little. And when we returned home, I realized that I still felt bad.
You said that the prize was brought to Zhanna’s apartment. You didn’t change anything there?
Yes, we only do cleaning periodically. Natasha and her wife come there 1-2 times a month, clean, water flowers and pay utility bills. And I rarely go there, because everything in that apartment reminds me of her and it becomes very difficult. In nine years I came two or three times.
You are not selling your apartment because it is Plato’s legacy? (son of Zhanna Friske – editor’s note)
Well, look, we bought Plato’s share so that the apartment would not disappear… Otherwise, Plato would have been left with nothing. Because we do not know how many more children Shepelev will give birth to (Dmitry Shepelev and designer Ekaterina Tulupova had a son, Tikhon, in 2021, and the couple is also raising Ekaterina’s daughter from her first marriage, Lada – editor’s note). .. Of the money that his mother left to Plato, there is nothing left. Zhanna put funds for her son in a special children’s account so that Plato would receive them when he turned 18. And Shepelev took out the money and bought a minibus. Therefore, thank God, last year we bought his share of Zhanna’s apartment.
Dmitry agreed so easily? You just paid him and that was it?
We reached an agreement with him through a lawyer. The fact is that several years ago we paid Rusfond all the money he was missing…
Yes, I remember that there was a loud and rather confusing story. They say that they received more money than they spent on treatment, and then you, that is, Zhanna’s relatives, were asked to return the rest…
Yes, the balance was 21 million rubles. In addition, we paid 1.5 million to the bailiffs. But the fact is that we still don’t know where that money went. It all looked like a fraudulent scheme. We were suing… The bailiffs wanted to put Zhanna’s apartment up for sale. In the end, I sold everything I could. But we kept those apartments. But Shepelev didn’t pay a cent, although he had access to the missing funds. As a result, my lawyer suggested that he transfer Plato’s share in his daughter’s apartment to us as payment for the debt. He understood perfectly well that if he had covered the debt with Rusfond, he would have paid more. And I haven’t seen Shepelev himself for a hundred years.
Did I understand correctly that the apartment on Krasnaya Presnya is like a memory of Zhanna and that Plato will get it anyway?
I don’t know yet whether Plato will keep everything or whether I will divide it between him and Natasha. The fact is that this apartment is expensive, it was renovated according to a special project. In theory, we can sell these apartments and use part of the profits to buy Plato an apartment of the same size, but without fancy finishes, and transfer the rest to Natasha. We’ll see. Or I’ll just divide it in half.
They kept Joan’s fur coats and dresses to show them to Plato
I remember that some of Zhanna’s things also remained at your house in Balashikha…
Yes. On the third floor, the entire 18-square-meter dressing room is filled with her stuff. I think there are 12 or 13 fur coats in there alone. Lots of shoes, including some she didn’t even wear. Three large boxes of concert dresses, not to mention that the closet is completely full.
Why didn’t you sell or give away some of the items?
We want to wait until Plato grows up and, God willing, wants to come and visit us. We want him to see everything in its original form, to feel the atmosphere in which his mother lived. And then we will think about what to do about it.
Plato is already 11 years old, if my memory serves me right. How long has it been since you saw your grandson?
The last time I saw Plato was when he was 2 years and 8 months old.
Plato
Photo: Personal page of the hero of the post on the social network.
So you’re just looking at your grandson from social media photos?
If friends send it to us. And I, Natasha and Olga (Vladimir Borisovich’s wife and Natasha and Zhanna’s mother – editor’s note) were offline… We can’t log in from our accounts.
So you only communicate through a lawyer?
We don’t communicate at all! These people have nothing sacred or human. When Zhanna died, her mother (Dmitry Shepelev’s mother) whispered on the street: “You will never see the girl again in this life.” And Olga, my wife, heard and asked: “How can you say that?” Shepelev’s mother immediately left. This is some kind of horror. Yes, I myself am a very emotional person, but I don’t understand all this. And it is very difficult not to react to this.
He spends all his time with his granddaughter.
Let’s talk about the good things. Tell us about your granddaughter Luna (On April 8, 2022, Natasha Friske gave birth to a daughter from her common-law husband, from whom she later separated – Ed.). I saw photographs, Luna is very similar to Plato.
Yes, very similar. Sometimes when he starts playing, his facial expressions are like Plato’s. And he also has an ear and a sense of rhythm. And when he does something, he sticks out his tongue like I did when I was a child. And Platoshka does this too. Although sometimes I still forget myself and Natasha or my wife tells me: “Hide your tongue.”
Natasha Friske with her daughter Luna and her mother Olga Vladimirovna
Photo: Personal page of the hero of the post on the social network.
How do you like to spend time with your beloved granddaughter?
It’s good that she was born. I don’t even worry about Plato so much anymore. My heart doesn’t break like it used to, because there’s the Moon. Now she replaces everything for me. Firstly, she looks like. Secondly, the girl is very affectionate. When she wakes up, she immediately shouts: “Vova! Where’s Vova? She used to call me grandfather, but now she just calls me Vova. And when, for example, she needs to leave us to go home or to kindergarten, she shouts: “Vova, Vova.” And Natasha tells her: “No, not Vova, but kindergarten.” She immediately starts crying. Luna can be naughty, like all children, and then she sits next to you, hugs you and puts her head on your shoulder or stomach. So that grandfather is just around. We have mutual love. She is already picking cherries and strawberries in our garden. A pool was installed for her. It’s fine with her, you forget about all the problems.
Who does he resemble in character?
In terms of character, he is one hundred percent Natasha, just like her. With all these antics, he behaves the same way. As soon as you have a quarrel with her, she immediately runs to her mother. As soon as she quarrels with her mother, she runs to me. Little Natasha did the same: you scolded her, and she said: “I will tell my grandmother how you offended me.” And vice versa, she declared to her grandmother: “I will tell mom and dad…”
Do you have any similarities with Zhanna?
First of all, let’s tell you about our aunt. She knows. As soon as she hears a song, she immediately goes to the speaker or the TV and looks at it intently. And if there is some kind of catchy composition, then she starts dancing. He knows all her songs. Well, how does he know? Even if she is in another room and we turn on Zhanna’s songs, she immediately runs in and looks. She has a good ear. She goes to the synthesizer 5-6 times a day, turns on and off some rhythmic melody. Now I am teaching her to press the keys, as I once taught Plato. In addition, in kindergarten they learn some movements, make a swallow. She comes home and repeats everything. Yes, there is definitely something musical and artistic in her, as in me and Zhanna. She is an actress in her own right. Cunning monkey.
Vladimir Friske with his daughter Natasha and granddaughter Luna
Photo: Personal page of the hero of the post on the social network.
Luna and Plato don’t have birthdays coming up?
Yes, they are one day apart, Plato was born on April 7th and she was born on the 8th.
Would you like Luna to become a singer like Zhanna?
Whoever she is, she will become. It will be her choice. There was a time when I wanted Zhanna to be an artist. I took her to all the castings. Natasha is no longer like that. But Natasha is completely different, she was purely daddy’s daughter, she never left my side. And Zhanna visited all the nurseries, kindergartens, clubs, all the places she could. I see that Plato resembles his mother: he is just as musical, has a sensitivity for the guitar and plays well (the boy’s parents sometimes post videos of him playing on social networks – editor’s note). I sent the video to my friends in Odessa, and they said: “Listen, Vova, at 20 I didn’t play as well as he did at 9.5.” It was a few years ago when he recorded his first video, where he played guitar with Deep Purple or Metallica. I don’t remember exactly.
Zhanna’s birthday will be celebrated in a country house.
Vladimir Borisovich, do you often dream about Zhanna?
I used to dream about it very often, but now sometimes. Sometimes I dream about something like this, and once, Zhanna, we are talking to her… Then I wake up in the morning, I start to remember, but dreams are quickly forgotten. Recently I dreamed about something again: she was with her friends, we were at a lake. I often saw her and me at sea. After all, I took her abroad since she was little.
Zhanna and Natasha Friske
Photo: Personal page of the hero of the post on the social network.
Then I asked about Plato and Luna’s birthdays. Do you and Zhanna also have dates close by?
Zhanna would have turned 50 on July 8. And I will be 72 on July 13.
How will you celebrate?
I’ve been celebrating at home lately, in the yard. Good musicians are coming, Valera Sumishevsky, for example. 37 people have already signed up. God willing. The yard is big, there’s a platform with a stage right next to the pond. Usually our place is noisy, everyone sings and plays. And the neighbors come out specifically to listen to us. I myself am a professional musician (Vladimir Friske is a singer and keyboard player – editor’s note) and my friends are the same.
We will also celebrate Zhanna’s birthday at our house. Usually her friends come, Olya Orlova and some fans always come. First they come to the grave, then they come to visit us. Last time about 18 people gathered in our yard. This time I don’t know how many there will be. And on July 8, the traditional concert “Zhanna Friske – I’m close!” will be held at the Green Theater (in Babushkinsky Park – editor’s note). Admission is free for everyone.
Meanwhile
Natalia Friske has no plans to return to the stage
38-year-old Natalya Friske performed the song “And there is white sand in the sea” together with other former “brilliants” at the Muz-TV award. Natalya, who bears a striking resemblance to Zhanna, looked so harmonious on stage that many wondered: will she really return to show business?
“I don’t want to go back on stage, it’s not my thing at all. I feel closer to being with a child. And I only went for Zhanna. But I didn’t know that she would be awarded a prize and I only saw the number with her image at the rehearsal. At the end I burst into tears. I am very proud that Zhanna received this award. I remember my sister every day. And our similarities are often talked about. The older I get, the more I look like her,” Natalya Friske told KP.RU.
Recall that Zhanna Friske sang in the group “Brilliant” from 1996 to 2003. And Natasha joined the team in 2007 and stayed there for about a year. At the same time, the younger Friske said that she was not created for show business and exhausting tours.
Natalya with her daughter
Photo: Personal page of the hero of the post on the social network.
Now Natalya owns a small permanent makeup studio and is raising her daughter Luna. She doesn’t like to talk about the baby’s father.
“Luna is a girl with a lot of character. I don’t know who she is. And in appearance she looks like a grandmother. Art, probably like my aunt. If Luna wants to become a singer, then, of course, no one will forbid her. This will be her path. But I think it is unlikely that she will choose this direction,” Natalya Friske shared with KP.RU.
