Zarifa Pashaevna Mgoyan (Russian: Зарифа́ Паша́евна Мгоя́н); (born 26 July 1983 in Leningrad, Soviet Union), known as Zara (За́ра), is a Russian pop singer, actress and social activist. Honored Artist of the Russian Federation (2016).

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Artistic career 1.2 Cultural and social activities 1.3 Charity work 2 Discography 3 Video Clips 4 Awards 4.1 Orders, decorations, and medals of Russia 4.2 Ministerial awards of the Russian Federation 4.3 Awards and emblems of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation 4.4 Public prizes and awards of the Russian Federation 4.5 International public titles, awards, and prizes 5 References 6 External links Biography

She was born in Leningrad to a Yazidi family from Gyumri, Armenia. Her father Pasha Binbashievich Mgoyan, a Candidate of Sciences in Physics and Mathematics, is employed in the machine building industry, and her mother Nadi Djamаlovna Mgoyan is a housewife. Zara also has an elder sister Liana and a younger brother Roman.

Zara attended secondary school No. 2 in Otradnoye of Leningrad Oblast. In 2000, she graduated from Gymnasium No. 56 in Saint Petersburg with a silver medal. Alongside her secondary school studies, she graduated from a children's music school with honors, specializing in piano.

Artistic career

In 1995, at the age of 12, Zara met musician and composer Oleg Kvasha, and in 1996, they recorded the songs "The Heart of Juliette", "Just Today", "Right Now…" and "Lullaby (Bye-Bye-Bye)", which got rotations on radio stations, and brought the first fame to the singer.

In 1997, Zara became a finalist of the Morning Star TV contest (Moscow) with "The Heart of Juliette", and won the Grand Prix of the Let the Children Laugh International Festival (Cairo and Port Said, Egypt). In 1998, the singer won the Grand Prix of The Hopes of Siberia contest (Omsk), the Birthday open contest for new children's song performers, and The Hit of the Year International TV Contest (both in Saint Petersburg). For two years running, Zara received the First Class Diploma and the Grand Prix at The Hopes of Europe contest (Sochi); in 1999, at the Voices-1999 festival in Sochi she got the "People’s Choice Award".

In 2004, she graduated from the Russian State Institute of Performing Arts. During her studies, Zara acted in "The Voices of the Age Gone By", "The Idiot", and "Heavenly Swallows" plays on the stage of the Student Theater on Mokhovaya.

In 2006, the singer made it to the final of the Fabrika Zvyozd on Channel One Russia, which was produced by Victor Drobysh, and in 2009 she was a finalist of the Two Stars project, where her duet with the Honored Artist of Russia, actor Dmitry Pevtsov, won second place. In 2010, Zara took part in the Ice and Fire ice show (Channel One Russia) together with the Olympic champion in figure skating Anton Sikharulidze.

In March 2011, she took part in the Star Factory. Return project.

Since early 2015, Zara is a permanent judge on the New Star all-Russian TV song contest which is held by Zvezda (TV channel) with the support of the Ministry of Defence (Russia).

The singer has recorded nine studio albums, received several Golden Gramophone Award, and diplomas of the Pesnya goda Russian TV festival.

As an actress, Zara is known for her roles in the "Streets of Broken Lights" (2001), "Spetsnaz 2" (2004), and "Favorsky" (2005) TV series, and the feature films "Pushkin. The Last Duel" (2006), "White Sand" (2011), and others.

Zara's solo concert dedicated to the 20th anniversary of her artistic career was held with success at the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow on November 24, 2016. The singer's anniversary concert program included popular songs of various genres: war songs, classical romances, folk songs, international and Russian pop hits, ethnic music, etc. Nikolay Baskov, Stas Mikhailov, Dmitry Pevtsov, Victor Drobysh, and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, with whom Zara sang La Grande Storia duet, also took part in the event. The new "Millimeters" album was released for this concert.

June, 9 in 2017 Zara and Andrea Bocelli got a special award of MUZ-TV Music Awards - "The best international duet".[1] Very soon the singer invited by Bocelli, performed at his annual concert "Il canto della terra" on the stage of Teatro del Silenzio in Toskana, where she sang "Dle Yaman", and then she took part in Bocelli's Gala concert Celebrity Fight Night in Roman Colosseum.[2]

Bocelli's words about Zara:

“ She absorbed different cultures, remade them in her personal original manner. Zara is a singer of an absolutely world class! She has a wonderful voice, passionate temper. She is both deep as a Russian soul and an appealing oriental attraction.[3] ”