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Stepan Hiha

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Stepan Hiha
Степан Гіга
Hiha (left) in 2005
Born
Stepan Petrovych Hiha

(1959-11-16) 16 November 1959 (age 65)
Bilky, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Alma materKyiv Conservatory
Occupations
  • Composer
  • singer
AwardsPeople's Artist of Ukraine
Merited Artist of Ukraine
Websitestepangiga.com

Stepan Petrovych Hiha (Ukrainian: Степан Петрович Гіга; born 16 November 1959) is a Ukrainian composer and singer. His research interests as a professor include higher art education in the Transcarpathian Oblast and the development of Transcarpathian pop music in the second half of the 20th century.[1] He was the first person in independent Ukraine to be awraded the Golden Disc and his greatest hits were released in the 1990s and early 2000s. Additionally, he is among the few Ukrainian singers who have never performed in Russian.[2]

Early life and education

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Stepan Petrovych Hiha was born on 16 November 1959 in the village of Bilky, Zakarpattia Oblast.[3] He was raised in a family of modest means, with parents who worked in ordinary labour professions.[4] In addition to attending a secondary school, he also took vocal and bayan classes. He completed ten years. He enrolled in the Uzhhorod Music School after serving in the Soviet Army. He was a member of the "Green Carpathians" ensemble from the seventh grade to the end of music school, and he eventually rose to the position of team leader. He studied for only three years (1980–1983) at the Uzhhorod Music School rather than four. He passed the external exams, and in 1983 he enrolled in the vocal faculty at the Kyiv Conservatory, where he was taught by Kostyantyn Ognevy [uk].[5]

Hiha was granted a special permit by the Ukrainian SSR's Ministry of Culture to attend the conservatory's educational program without restriction. As a result, he was excused from seminars and lectures but not from tests and examinations. However, this leisure time enabled participation in and victory in over ten distinct festivals and competitions. He joined the wildly popular synthesis group "Stozhary" (at the Chernihiv Philharmonic) as a soloist during his second year of the conservatory. He also performed as a soloist at the Kyiv Conservatory's opera studio, which was directed by Dmytro Hnatyuk.[5]

Career

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Hiha was recommended to join the National Opera as a soloist after graduating from the conservatorium, but after considering all the advantages and disadvantages, he declined. This is why it took him six months to receive a credential of graduation from a higher education school. The Volyn Philharmonic, where the ensemble "Rendezvous" was formed expressly for him, is one of the proposals he receives at this time for additional work. He declines, though, and goes back to his home region of Transcarpathia.[5]

Hiha began his career as a soloist with the Zakarpattia Philharmonic in 1988 and, a year later, founded the jazz-rock group Beskyd. After the band disbanded in 1991, he found himself unemployed, which prompted him to begin writing songs and exploring musical arrangement. This creative shift eventually led to the establishment of his own recording studio, GIGARecords. In 1993, he launched his career as a pop vocalist, and in 1995 released his debut solo album Druzi Moi ("My Friends"). In 1999, he founded the S. Hiha Art Agency, which includes the band Druzi Moi, the show ballet Viklen, and the ballet troupe Boomer.[3] This was followed by two more albums: Vulytsia Natali ("Natalie Street") in 1999 and Troyandy Dlia Tebe ("Roses for You") in 2005.[5]

Hiha's popularity began to decline in the 2000s,[6] despite notable achievements during that period. In 2000, he founded the recording studio Hiha-Records, marking an important milestone in his musical career. His album Natali Street became a breakthrough success; by 2002, it had sold over one million copies, making him the first artist in independent Ukraine to receive a Gold Disc. Alongside his artistic pursuits, he also dedicated himself to music education—becoming a professor at Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University in 2006 and joining the Rivne Philharmonic as a soloist in 2007.[3]

Although he had faded from the spotlight for some time, Hiha's music experienced a revival following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Thanks largely to the social media platform TikTok, his songs once again resonated deeply with Ukrainian audiences and gained widespread popularity.[6][7] He became a sensation on social networks, where tracks like This Dream, Yavorina, Third Toast, and Gold of the Carpathians emerged as genuine hits. That same year, he launched extensive national and international tours in support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, further boosting his popularity and reaffirming his place in the hearts of fans.[8] Hiha gave two concerts in Lutsk during the week of December 2022, and he returned to the city in April 2023.[7]

Hiha has collaborated with a number of poets, including Vasyl Kuzan, Vadym Kryshchenko [uk], Stepan Haliabarda [uk], A. Demydenko, A. Fihliuk, and A. Drahomyretskyi, among others. As a songwriter, composer, and performer, he is known for other popular songs such as "Ostannia Nich" ("The Last Night"), "Natali", and "Koroleva" ("Queen"). His discography includes the albums Koroleva (1995) and Druzi Moi (1997). He has toured extensively in France, Italy, Germany, Canada, and the United States.[3]

Personal life

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Hiha is married and has two children. His wife, Halyna, is the director of the GIGARecords recording studio and formerly served as an administrator at the Transcarpathian Philharmonic. Hiha’s son and daughter, Kvitoslav, often perform songs set to their father’s music and also accompany him on independent tours.[5]

Honours and awards

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Hiha has been awarded the following:[1][5]

  • Winner of the Grand Prix at the International Festival "Zoloti Trembity" (1990)
  • Merited Artist of Ukraine (1998)[9]
  • Order of Prince Konstantin Ostrozhsky First Class (2000)
  • People's Artist of Ukraine (2002)
  • Order of Cossack Glory Third Class (2003)
  • Golden Disc Award (2003)
  • Order of the Nativity of Christ (2004)
  • Order of Andrew the First-Called II Class (2005)
  • Order of Andrew the First-Called I Class (2006)
  • Order of Merit Third Class (2009)[10]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Академія культури і мистецтв". Академія культури і мистецтв (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 1 May 2025.
  2. ^ Громлюк, Ілона (8 March 2025). "Степан Гіга. Як артист у свої 65 став кумиром молоді". BBC (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 1 May 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d Потушняк, Н. П. (12 December 2007). "Ґіґа Степан Петрович". Encyclopedia of Modern Ukraine (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  4. ^ "Сьогодні ювілей у легенди української сцени Степана Гіги". zakarpatpost.net (in Ukrainian). 16 November 2024. Retrieved 1 May 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Гіга Степан Петрович". PMG.ua (in Ukrainian). 30 November 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2025.
  6. ^ a b Бородіна, Вікторія (23 September 2024). "В руках тримав не тільки мікрофон: Степан Гіга в 64 роки пригадав, ким працював до популярності". Один факт (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 1 May 2025.
  7. ^ a b "«Ворог боїться нашого слова, пісні, нації»: у Луцьку знову запалив Степан Гіга. Фото". Волинські новини (in Ukrainian). 20 April 2025. Retrieved 1 May 2025.
  8. ^ "Степан Гіга". Pop Ukraine (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 1 May 2025.
  9. ^ "ро відзначення нагородами України працівників культури і мистецтва". Office of the President of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). 20 February 1998. Retrieved 1 May 2025.
  10. ^ "Про відзначення державними нагородами України". Office of the President of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). 30 November 2009. Retrieved 1 May 2025.
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