Zhanna, we miss you: the best quotes, words from loved ones, memories of Dmitry Shepelev
Exactly four years ago, Zhanna Friske died after a long illness. The news about the cancer the star suffered from came as a real shock to the public: the artist always looked great, was in excellent shape, and led a healthy lifestyle. In addition, she was very in demand and popular, becoming one of the few ex-members of girl groups who managed to achieve success in a solo career. Today we decided to remember what Zhanna was like by selecting the most interesting quotes from her interviews over the years, as well as vivid statements about her from her friends, relatives and colleagues.
About creativity:
My songs don't have any deep meaning. Just a mood - I want people to smile. So that during the concert they don’t think about the problems left at home and at work, that tomorrow is the end of the world. I want you to tune in to something light and light. My music is dance music and does not imply depth. Not everything in this life has to be complicated, and not everything needs to be looked for for meaning. (Top Beauty, 2012)
Of course, there are all sorts of moments, but I never wanted to give up the stage and creativity completely. It’s just that sometimes you get so tired that you want to postpone some shooting and just relax at home. But I understand perfectly well that people are waiting for me, and I will not allow myself to let them down. This is my job, and I take it seriously. (Starstory.ru, 2007)
About marriage:
I don't want to get married. (Laughs.) If you are talking about love, then what does marriage have to do with it? For me, these are completely different things; the official registration of a relationship means absolutely nothing. You can’t renounce anything, maybe someday I’ll put on a white dress and marry the man I love. But definitely not in Moscow, not in the presence of hundreds of guests, without a train and an ocean of flowers. At concerts I always tell the girls: “If you believe in the prince, he will definitely come. All your cherished desires come true, unless, of course, you doubt it.” (“Television Week”, 2012)
Let us remember that Zhanna never officially got married: in recent years she had a relationship with TV presenter Dmitry Shepelev. In April 2013, their son was born, but the couple did not marry.
About parents:
Believe it or not, I lived with them until I was twenty-four, and they controlled my every move. Until I was sixteen, my friends had to ask my dad to ask me to go for a walk in the evening. And when the first night discos opened in Moscow, my father himself took me to the club, and then waited until midnight while we were having fun to take me back home. (Peoples.ru, 2006)
Zhanna Friske with her mother
Someone in their youth pulls out the jackpot - meets their prince and lives with him until old age. My parents have been together for 39 years, I couldn’t be happier when I look at them. Although dad has such a complex character that mom should have erected a monument a long time ago. (“Television Week”, 2012)
My father is very proud of me and, at every opportunity, he tells all his friends and strangers who his daughter is. Although he pretends that he is dissatisfied with me, that I have not yet achieved what I can. (“Home”, 2006)
Zhanna Friske with her father
About working in the group “Brilliant”:
We couldn't complain about being sick and not go on stage because of it. We overcame difficulties within the team, and that happened. We had to deal with thousands of completely different people, from presidents to thieves. And we found a common language with everyone. And these were still the 90s, a special time, a real “tough guy”. And we, four young girls, swam like chips in the ocean. Thus, in the period from 20 to 28 years old, my character was developed, and with it the understanding that if I need it, I will break through the wall with my head and achieve my goal. (Top Beauty, 2012)
Zhanna Friske, Yulia Kovalchuk, Anna Semenovich, Andrey Grigoriev-Appolonov with his wife Marina
Friske joined the group “Brilliant” in 1996, at first she was a choreographer in the group, then she became a soloist. She left the team in 2003 - due to the desire to start a solo career.
About revealing outfits:
Of course, soul and body are inseparable. But there are laws of the profession. And few people are interested in me in a long closed dress. Because I initially positioned myself as a very specific commercial product - the Zhanna Friske brand. Although I can tell you that getting naked is becoming more and more difficult every year. (Elle, 2006)
About appearance:
I consider my appearance ambiguous. Someone, seeing me, gets lost and is afraid to even speak. And someone, I know this for sure, considers me a young lady with ordinary appearance. It all depends on the eye of the beholder. I am what people see me as. Sometimes, looking in the mirror, I think: “An ordinary girl, nothing special,” and sometimes, when everything in life is going well, when I am in harmony with myself and the world, I rejoice: “I look great!” (“Home”, 2006)
About men:
The men allowed themselves to lose their leading positions. And that’s why we so often hear: “Oh, there are few real men!” How would you like it? Here He stood next to you - and you felt that next to you was a Man with whom you, so independent and independent, felt comfortable and calm. Psychological male strength in everything: in thoughts, in actions, in understanding a woman, her strengths and weaknesses. (Elle, 2006)
For me, a real man is one who came and won. In this behavior, I feel the absolute masculine principle - I begin to tremble... But usually there is a downside - great pride, and sometimes - excessive aggression and cruelty. If a man is too open, then he is usually frivolous. I'll tell you a secret - I still get embarrassed when I see someone I like. And I’m not ashamed of this. This is wonderful! (Starstory.ru, 2007)
About motherhood:
I want to have two or... even three children! When this happens, there will be a long break in my career, because I don’t want to combine both. In this sense, I understand Olga Orlova’s choice when she took a break and devoted herself to her son. I’m not even afraid of the option of having a child out of wedlock, although this is a completely extreme case. Parents are unlikely to approve. I also believe that children should grow up in a full-fledged family. (Peoples.ru, 2006)
Zhanna Friske (right) with her sister, mother and son
About age:
I'm not afraid of age. I change every day and am grateful for every wrinkle that is on my face... I did Botox injections, but I realized that it doesn’t suit me: with it I can’t express my emotions. I decided that even if I have some wrinkles, I will use my face. On stage I need facial expressions. I’m telling you, I’m not afraid of getting old. (OK!, 2010)
What qualities Zhanna had - her relatives and friends talked about it and continue to talk about it in interviews and on social networks.
Vladimir Friske, father:
Despite the huge number of concerts, my daughter never complained that she was tired. I have never seen Zhanna’s tears, she never showed that she felt bad or was having a hard time. Not in childhood, not now.
And there is one more quality I like in my daughter. I always taught her to never insult people or respond to rudeness with rudeness. He said: “If you don’t like a person, just move away. But don’t argue with him.” And Zhanna will never show that someone is unpleasant to her; in extreme cases, she simply stops communicating.
Zhanna was fearless. I remember teaching Zhanna to swim. He took the boat and began to throw it into the river. She is floundering... I see that she is already running out of strength, I will snatch her out of the water, let her catch her breath and let her go again.
Olga Orlova:
I have never heard from any other group how much fun we had on our tours. Zhanna and I always spent vacations, work, tours, and any free time in Moscow together. I’m happy that I was there when Zhannochka got sick, because these two years were still fun for her and me. We reminisced about past times. We laughed until we cried. And it was a wonderful time. She will always remain like this for me - cheerful, beautiful, dear and good friend, with whom I have lived a lot and, as they say, there is something to remember, but nothing to tell, because it simply cannot be done. Of course, all these secrets will go away with me.
Sergey Lazarev:
Zhanna is a sincere person. She never speaks badly of anyone or discusses rumors. And she managed to maintain this valuable quality, having been in show business for so many years! But she herself will always call, congratulate you on your new song, and rejoice at your success.
Anna Semenovich:
The last time I spoke with Zhanna was a few weeks before the New Year. We discussed our personal life, she talked about her son, about how happy she was to hear the patter of his feet in the morning. Then she advised me to become a mother and admitted that she dreams of a daughter. She had serious plans for her life.
Max Pokrovsky:
I have two options for how to describe Zhanna: noble and thoroughbred. But I like the word “thoroughbred” better, because it includes the first definition.
Dmitry Malikov:
One day I called her and offered to record a song. And she agreed, although at that time she was already deeply pregnant. Zhanna arrived at the studio, and she literally smelled of warmth, home and comfort. We sat for a long time, drank tea and eventually recorded a very light and magical song.
Yulia Kovalchuk:
I have a thousand photographs of us, and in each of them you exude divine warmth and feminine wisdom. I’m still trying to learn something from you, because you are an encyclopedia... And you certainly know more than all of us about the world in the heart and head...
Ksenia Alferova:
When I remember Zhanna, the first feeling that arises is incredible warmth! When she was nearby, you somehow slowed down unnoticed. I began to speak more quietly, fuss less, I just wanted to be close, it was warm, calm and cozy. She was always so real, wise and warm-hearted. I caught myself thinking that I wanted to be somewhat like Zhanna. So feminine, soft, whole. She dreamed of having a child for so long and was, I think, one of the best mothers in the world.
Ksenia Novikova, former colleague in the group “Brilliant”:
Zhanna is an optimist in life, and she taught me to approach everything with humor.
She was like an older sister to me. I first started going to nightclubs with her, she warned me how to avoid getting into a bad situation, she simply led me by the hand. When I wrote the lyrics to the song “And I kept flying,” Zhanka was very proud of me. “Our Ksyusha wrote this,” she told everyone. I was extremely pleased with this.
Dmitry Gorodzhiy, concert director:
I was lucky enough to work with Zhanna for seven years. In 2007 there was New Year's Eve, haymaking, as we say. The end of December, five concerts per evening... You need to go to perform, but there are traffic jams. What to do? I tell Zhanna: “You need to either take an ambulance with flashing lights, or take the subway.” She says into the phone: “Dim, what if someone needs this ambulance? To kid?". I just stopped short, began to stutter, and said: “Zhann, I’m sorry, I was wrong.” This is what Zhanna is all about. She ended up taking the subway. They put a hood and glasses on her, the dancers shielded her from the crowd, it was rush hour, but, of course, they recognized her and started taking pictures...
Natalya Friske, sister:
We did not consider her sick... we never felt sorry for Zhanna, and she asked for it. She said: “Yes, I am sick, but not disabled. For me it's like a cold. We can handle it!” But it didn’t work out for us...
After the tragedy, Dmitry Shepelev released a book called “Zhanna,” where he told the story of his relationship with the singer and her struggle with the disease. Here are some quotes.
Dmitry Shepelev at the presentation of the book “Zhanna”
About dating:
Night club. A big and cheerful company. Dancing, laughter, champagne, kisses, in a word, everything as usual - dolce vita... Suddenly, a whisper runs from one to another in the club: “Zhanna, Zhanna...”. I turn around. Under the supervision of security, a short girl with a jumping ponytail of reddish hair walks along the wall towards the DJ console. Later I find out: that night she was just passing by and came in to say hello to an old friend who played in this club. Soon everyone forgot about Zhanna. I was the only one who froze and couldn’t take my eyes off her. It seemed that there was no music, no noisy company, no this club, no this city, no me - nothing. I stood and looked at her, frozen, with a stupid glass in my hand. And I didn’t understand myself: what was happening? Is that even me?
...looking at her then, for the first time I thought: how different we are. I have ambitions and nerves, I am aggressive and intolerant. And she is calm and bright, smiling and friendly with everyone who comes her way, be it a make-up artist, a producer, a bodyguard or a store clerk. Getting to know Zhanna was a good lesson for me not only in how I feel about myself, but also in how I relate to others. And now, left without her, I feel very clearly that her love for life, for people, patience and attention to even the most random people I meet now live in me. This is another lesson from my Zhanna. She changed me dramatically. Thanks to her, I became different and undoubtedly became a better person.
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About relationships:
We spent these two carefree years that fate had allotted to us together. There was no one nearby or even on the horizon: no parents, no friends, just us. Yes, I knew that she had a mom and dad, but we didn’t even know each other before the illness. Of course, he knew about the existence of Jeanne’s friends and acquaintances, but only from snatches of her phrases. We even met someone from time to time. I introduced her to my friends too. But still we were alone, not letting anyone into our quiet and happy life and not advertising it in any way.
About Zhanna's pregnancy:
We laughed like children who learned that there would soon be rides and ice cream, began to take funny selfies, fool around on camera in order to remember and preserve this happy moment for both of us: an early September morning, when the sun outside the window melts the first autumn fog, and we We found out that there are now more than two of us.
About the birth of Plato:
Zhanna is the most tender mother. Examines the baby and talks to him. He feeds and doesn’t let go of his hands. Happily falls asleep with the baby. Beautiful, as always... I'm off to the flight again. I take pictures of Plato so that in a few weeks I can compare how he has grown. At the airport, I take a farewell photograph of my happy, smiling Zhanna. I don’t yet know that I will never see her like this again.
Dmitry Shepelev with his son
About the disease:
Zhanna is unusually weak and sleeps almost all the time. She seems unable to take even twenty steps. The serious illness also gave rise to personal changes. Now sometimes, instead of an adult, conscientious woman, there is a stubborn teenager in front of me. I literally persuade her to get up, take at least a few steps, and going outside is already a big victory. A hundred meters of walking means several days of persuasion. It's hard for her. Everything is really hard: eating, walking, sitting. Alas, life is hard for her.
About Zhanna's relatives:
In this book, I consciously try to avoid mentioning Jeanne's relationships with her immediate family and my relationships with these people. I also avoid commenting on scandalous topics, which the media so diligently multiplied and continue to do so after the death of Jeanne, not without the help of her father, mother and sister. I consider talking about this humiliating and unworthy of the memory of my woman. I promised myself to remain silent, because I couldn’t say anything good about these people. Throughout our short acquaintance, Zhanna avoided or strictly limited communication with them, and our joint meetings were never discussed. Her illness forced a rapprochement, which, unfortunately, did no one any good. I can only state one thing: none of the members of Zhanna’s family did anything during the two years of her illness that could save the lives of their daughter and sister. Searching for clinics, attending physicians, searching for a second opinion, accompanying specialists, nurses, physiotherapists, nutritionists, medical flights, ambulances, working with tests, foreign business trips and consultations, searching for medications - nothing. But they more than compensated for this with appearances on television channels and newspapers.
About support:
Our request turned into a giant wave of love and support. Unprecedented in its scope. Only then did we understand how important it is not only what you do personally, but also what a powerful force the mental, emotional support of many thousands, millions of people has, how life-giving and saving collective prayer can be. How empowering it is. How it inspires confidence. Literally - rises above the circumstances. Zhanna was supported furiously! Sincerely and with all my heart. It was like magic. Unimaginable. Thank you!
About the missing money:
In the summer of 2020, when neither doctors nor common sense left my wife more than a few weeks to live and Zhanna herself was in a coma, more than twenty million rubles remained in the account where all the charitable funds were collected. According to a written agreement between Zhanna and Rusfond, in the event of her death, all the money was to go to the fund in order to help seriously ill children in need.
In the spring of 2020, the message that these funds had disappeared plunged me into a state of shock. To my deepest disappointment, all subsequent appeals from Rusfond to the investigative authorities were in vain and did not help to return this vital money, which has not been found or returned to this day. According to the information I have, as reflected in Jeanne's bank statements, all charitable funds were withdrawn a few days before her death. Only Jeanne herself and her mother had access to this account.
I believe that what happened was not just theft. Firmly knowing that the health and life of not only Zhanna, but also many children depended on the collected money, the thieves not only cleaned out the account, but crossed an unacceptable line, which in my value system I equate to murder. This money - a reflection of human responsiveness and nobility - could do a lot of good. Alas, they decided to dispose of them differently. I am convinced that what was stolen will not bring happiness to these nonhumans. And you will never be able to wash yourself away from what you have done.
About Zhanna's death:
I tried to prepare as best I could. I tried to imagine this moment, because there was no longer any doubt - everything was just a matter of time. I read a lot from medical to spiritual, carefully questioned others, probing... Everything turned out to be useless.
The moment when you find out that everything is over paralyzes you, makes you dumb, stunned and completely empty. It is difficult to say whether this news brought long-awaited relief. Probably not. Instead of relief came emptiness. And then the pain.
Frankly speaking, I hardly remember the next few months: the plane to Moscow, it seemed, sympathetic glances from everywhere, empty attention, some words - after all, none of us know what to say at such moments - noise, bustle, people... And then ringing silence. And only me, emptiness and pain.
About my son:
...I tell Plato about my mother every day: about her habits, favorite places in the city, our life before he arrived - about everything. Just recently, together we chose photographs of Zhanna, which now stand in our house. I want my son to know: he has a mother, she is nearby and will never leave him. And on birthdays and other holidays I always say: “Mom and I congratulate you...”
The son of Zhanna Friske and Dmitry Shepelev - Plato
Let us remind you that Zhanna Friske disappeared from the public eye in the fall of 2013. A few months later, the first articles began to appear in the press that the star was seriously ill: paparazzi photographed her in a wheelchair. Soon, the artist’s family had to confirm the information; they reported that Zhanna had been diagnosed with glioblastoma, an inoperable brain tumor.
Channel One raised funds for the singer’s treatment, and she underwent several courses of treatment in foreign clinics. However, the singer was unable to overcome the disease: on June 15, 2020, she died in her home in the Moscow region. Zhanna was 40 years old, her only son Plato is now six years old.
After Friske’s death, several scandals broke out at once: the parents and the star’s lover Dmitry Shepelev could not agree on the upbringing of Plato. It also became known that a large sum of money that was collected by television viewers for Zhanna had disappeared. The singer’s family was never able to document that all the money was spent on treatment. According to the latest information in the media, the artist’s parents can pay off a debt of 21 million rubles by transferring to the charitable organization Rusfond for temporary use the rights to use Zhanna’s image and name, as well as the rights to her songs.
