Irina Ponarovskaya

Irina Ponarovskaya is a popular Russian singer and actress known for Menya eto ne kasaetsya (1976) by director Gerbert Rappaport. She was born Irina Vitalievna Ponarovskaya on 12 March 1953, in Leningrad (St. Petersburg), into a Russian-German family. Her father, Vitali Ponarovsky, was music director for a variety show in Leningrad, her mother, Nina Arnoldi, was a concert pianist. Young Ponarovskaya was fond of music, from the age of 4 she studied piano under the tutelage of her parents, then studied piano at the Leningrad School of Music. From 1971 to 1978 she studied piano and singing at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, graduating in 1978 as a pianist and singer. That same year, Ponarovskaya appeared as Euridice in the rock-opera 'Orpheus and Euridice'. She made her film debut as Regina Korabelnikova in Menya eto ne kasaetsya (1976) by director Gerbert Rappaport. During the 70s and 80s, Ponarovskaya made numerous appearances on Soviet television as a popular singer. She was a singer with the pop-band 'Poyushchie gitary', then made her own show and toured all-over the former Soviet Union. During the 90s, she hosted a television show in Russia. In the course of her singing career, Ponarovskaya made six albums with various labels. Outside of her acting profession, she was involved in fashion and art business. Irina Ponarovskaya was married three times and has two children. She is sharing her time between her two residencies, one in Russia, and one in Norway, where she owns an art gallery.