Taras Garinoldovich Petrynenko (born 10 March 1953, Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR) is a Ukrainian musician, singer, composer, and poet. He is the author of the song "Ukraine", which has become a kind of unofficial anthem of Ukraine. Most famous songs: "Song about a song", "Lord, have mercy on us", "There beyond the horizon", "My love", "New Year", "We have not finished talking", etc. People's Artist of Ukraine (1999).
Son of Diana Petrynenko and Harinald Petrynenko. Nephew-in-law of Ivan Palyvoda.
Taras Petrynenko was born in 1953 in Kyiv.
He began his musical career in 1969 with a performance on the dance floor with the band "Aeneas", which consisted of students of the Mykola Lysenko Ten-Year Music School. In 1970, the band made its debut on television and for almost two years was the undisputed leader of Ukrainian rock music.
In 1971, Taras Petrynenko created a new band called Dzvony, which merged with Aeneas in 1974. The newly formed VIA "Vizerunky Shlyakhiv" added to the lyrics of "Dzvony" (Petrynenko) and folk-rock of "Enei" the patriotic songs of the members of the Union of Composers. In early 1975, the band recorded a giant disc at the Melodiya record label. The band was immediately invited to join Ukrkoncert, where they performed under the name Hrono for almost a year.
After serving in the army, Petrynenko briefly led the famous Mriya ensemble, but after being banned from performing his own songs (including Song about a Song), he moved to Russia with the band Charivni Guitars.
Since 1982, he has worked in the Tula-based Red Poppies ensemble, which at the time consisted exclusively of Ukrainian musicians. It was here that he wrote his first Russian-language hits - Trace of a Faded Star, Flying Bird, Once Upon a Morning, and I'll Be Back Soon.
In 1987, Petrynenko left Chervonyi Maky and, together with Valerii Smaglii, re-established Grono at the Kyiv Concert Hall. Guitarist I. Shablovsky also returned to the band. Singer Tatiana Gorobets came from the Kyiv Variety Theatre. At first, the group's repertoire duplicated that of the Maks with the addition of several Ukrainian-language pieces (in particular, "Song about a Song"), but soon the song "Ukraine" (originally titled "While We Love") appeared, which premiered on the First Channel of Ukrainian Radio in a morning news and music programme (hosted and edited by O. Butko). Butko, music editor O. Vasyliev), whose call signs the song's melody began to serve later, and others, and Petrynenko quickly became a leader of the Ukrainian pop scene.
In 1989, he released the album "I'm a Professional Slave", which was somewhat politicised and distributed by the Kobza label. Interestingly, everyone considered Hrono to be a pop group, even though the entire album was arranged in the style of progressive rock.
1991 р. Petrynenko began recording the album Lord, Have Mercy on Us for Audio Ukraine, which was completed only two years later. The reason for this was the breakup of the band Hrono - the accompanying musicians did not return from a foreign tour. However, this did not affect the quality of the album - in 1993, it was recognised as the best in Ukraine.
In 1995, Petrynenko hosted the programme "Lullaby for Adults" on Ukrainian central television for some time. In the summer of 1997, at the Tavriya Games VI, Taras Petrynenko received the Golden Firebird All-Ukrainian Award in the field of music and mass entertainment in the Living Legend nomination. At the end of the year, Nova Records released Taras Petrynenko's third solo album, My Love, and also distributed his previous album.
In 1999, for his personal contribution to the development of national culture and art and significant creative achievements, Taras Petrynenko, the soloist-vocalist of the Kyivshchyna concert and creative organisation, was awarded the title of People's Artist of Ukraine.
In 2003, the Atlantic label included Taras Petrynenko in the cohort of rock musicians and released a collection of his songs in the series "Rock Legends of Ukraine".
In the autumn of 2004, Taras Petrynenko took part in the Orange Revolution, where he repeatedly performed his songs on the Independence Square.
He is a member of the Taras Shevchenko National Prize Committee (since December 2016).
Musician and composer Taras Petrynenko continues to work on new songs, gives concerts in Ukraine and abroad.
Albums
1976 - C60-06699 (LP) Taras Petrynenko and VIA "Vizerunky Shlyakh"
1989 - Kobza (MS) Taras Petrynenko and the group "Grono" - "I am a professional slave"
1993 - NT960 (MC) Taras Petrynenko and Tetyana Gorobets - "Lord, have mercy on us"
1998 - Nova Records - NR 0024-4 (MC) Taras Petrynenko - "My Love"
"Taras Petrynenko and Tetyana Gorobets - Collection of Selected Songs"
2003 - Atlantic Music (CD) "Rock Legends of Ukraine. Taras Petrynenko"
Awards
Laureate of the Taras Shevchenko National Prize of Ukraine (1996) - for significant achievements in the development of modern Ukrainian pop song, concert and performance activities of recent years;
Honoured Artist of Ukraine (1996);
People's Artist of Ukraine (1999) - for personal contribution to the development of national culture and art and significant creative achievements, soloist-vocalist of the concert and creative organisation "Kyivshchyna"
Order of Freedom (22 January 2019) - for significant personal contribution to state-building, strengthening national security, socio-economic, scientific, technical, cultural and educational development of the Ukrainian state, significant labour achievements, many years of conscientious work
Order of Merit (Ukraine) (16.01.2009)
