Natalia Lyubomyrivna Buchynska is a Ukrainian singer.
Early life and education
Natalia Buchynska was born on 28 April 1977 in Lviv, Ukrainian SSR. Her father was a dentist and mother worked as a commodity specialist. Although her parents were not musicians, they loved music and enjoyed singing at home, which was the reason she loved music and the Ukrainian song. In her childhood her first performances were for family and friends at home. At five years old, the family moved to Ternopil. She sang in the school choir, and attended voice lessons three times a week, developing her talent at an early age. Through the eleventh grade, she participated in an artistic group, which performed at the Ternopil Cultural Center, "Berezil". She graduated from the Ivan Franko Ternopil high school in 1994. Buchynska wanted to pursue a musical career, but completing her education and performing were not possible in Ternopil. She entered the Ternopil Academy of National Economy, now the National Economic University, specializing in audit and control, graduating in 1998. In 2003, she graduated from the National Academy of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. In 2005, she completed her studies at the Kiev National University of Culture and Arts as an Artistic Director.
Musical career
In her first year at the university, Buchynska took part in many vocal competitions and musical festivals. In 1995, she won first prize in the contest "Miss Academy", and in February of that year finished first in the "Chervona Ruta" Festival. Buchynska, participated in many festivals, including "Young Halychyna", "Spivanochka – Jazzochka", "Song will be among us", "Melody", "Song Vernissage", "Doliy" and was winner of "Song of the Year" from 1995 to 1998. In 1998 she moved to Kiev, at the request of the State Song and Dance Ensemble of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. After auditioning, she was chosen as a soloist. There she met her future director and producer Leonid Radchenko. In this same year, her song "Listen, the rustling rain" became "Song of the Year". In 2004 Buchynska became the youngest People's Artist of Ukraine. She performed at over 800 concerts. Her repertoire includes over 160 songs. She performs songs in Ukrainian, Russian, Armenian, English and French. Her songs are mainly written by Nicolo Petrasha, Yuri Rybchynsky, Ruslan Quinta, Vladimir Matetskiy, and others.
Personal life
In 2001 she married a serviceman, Oleksander Yakushev, and in 2002 gave birth to a baby girl, Kateryna. As a soloist in a musical ensemble, Buchynska was awarded a special rank of Lieutenant of Internal Service. She took an oath of allegiance to the Ukrainian people, and in 2004 she graduated from the Kiev Academy of Internal Affairs with a rank Police Major.
