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Today is a special day for “Russian-Speaking California.”
For me personally, it is a joy and a great honor. I spent several years searching for my favorite singer — that velvet voice that shaped an entire generation. And finally, it happened.

We are speaking with the legendary Aida Vedishcheva, whose voice feels like part of so many people’s personal history.

At the end of the interview, we’ll announce her upcoming benefit concert on December 7, 2025, in Los Angeles.
But let’s begin at the beginning.

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How the Interview Began

Vitaly Ataev Troshin:
Aida, good afternoon! It is a great happiness for me to speak with you. I’ll be honest: for the last five years I’ve been literally searching for you — in San Francisco, Los Angeles, West Hollywood. After a rather unpleasant TV segment about you, I kept asking everyone, “Where is Aida? What did they do to her?”

But today everything is different. A different atmosphere, a different aura. Sitting in front of me is the real, living, healthy Aida Vedishcheva — with the same young, velvet voice.

Aida Vedishcheva:
Good afternoon, my dear friends. Good afternoon, Vitaly. You speak about me in such a way that I feel shy. I didn’t know you, didn’t know you had ever been interested in my art — but it turns out you were. And now we have this opportunity to talk.

I am an honest person, so I will speak honestly. My life had both joy and deep pain. I will share both — along with the plans I have today.

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Childhood: War, Doctors, and the First Protest Against the “White Coat”

Vitaly:
Let’s start from the very beginning. When and where was Aida Vedishcheva born?

Aida:
I was born June 10, 1941, in Kazan. My parents were from Kyiv.
My father was originally from Poland, my mother — a native of Kyiv. They lived in Kyiv, but my father was a smart man: a year before the war, he received a professorship in Kazan and moved the family there.

Both were dentists.
My father — a professor of therapeutic dentistry, author of a textbook still used for many years.
My mother — an oral surgeon.

June 22, when the war was announced, my mother was still in the hospital after giving birth.
She had a frightening dream the night before: the sky filled with cockroaches, and in their midst — the face of Christ. She screamed so loudly she woke the entire clinic. And the next morning the war began.

Vitaly:
So you essentially grew up in a military hospital?

Aida:
In a medical family — yes. In a wartime atmosphere — also yes. My mother was a military surgeon. There was no frontline in Kazan, but wounded soldiers were brought there from the front.

My mother operated on their faces: torn noses, ears, lips… I saw these soldiers.

I was raised by a nanny — my mother spent days and nights in the clinic. She would run home with her gown covered in blood. I remember that for the rest of my life. And when I was told, “You will be a doctor,” I answered:

“I’ll be anything — even a cleaning lady — but not a doctor. A teacher — maybe. But a doctor — never.”

In the end, for my father’s sake, I completed the Pedagogical Institute of Foreign Languages, where I studied English and German.
I received my diploma, worked — and then left for Moscow to pursue my real dream.

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Music From Early Childhood: Jazz in a Wartime Home

Vitaly:
Did music appear early in your life?

Aida:
Very early. We had a huge extended family — around fifteen–seventeen people living under one roof, plus the nanny and me. And everyone was musical.

They sang jazz:

“Swing, swing, swing, everybody start to swing…”

I was two or three years old, singing and dancing among adults. Life was hard, but music and humor saved us.

My mother was also an extraordinary cook. Feeding such a crowd would have been impossible if not for the parents of the soldiers she saved — they brought wagonloads of potatoes, cabbage, carrots… My mother baked pies, and that’s how we survived — with singing.

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“I Was Born an Artist, but They Wanted Me to Be a Doctor”

Vitaly:
When did you first realize you wanted to be an artist?

Aida:
I was born an artist. I always dreamed of the stage.

My parents forbade everything — everything was “not allowed.”
I dreamed of performing.

My father knocked on the door when I came home from school, put on my mother’s high heels and sang:

“Jamaica, Jamaica…”

And he would say:

“Idochka, you won’t get far on ‘Jamaica’ and high heels. Study.”

But I still followed my own path. The phrase that became my credo is from Ralph Waldo Emerson:

“Do not go where the path may lead.
Go instead where there is no path, and leave a trail.”

I translated it for myself as:

“Не иди путём, который тебя ведёт.
Иди своим путём и оставь свой след.”

And I believe I did leave my trail — in Russia and in America.

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If You Compare Young Ida and Today’s Aida

Vitaly:
If you compare little Ida (Ida Weiss) and today’s Aida Vedishcheva — what stayed the same?

Aida:
Love.

Above all — love. I always loved deeply: my mother, my family, people around me. When my parents took me to summer camp, I cried as if the world were ending.

If I could talk to my 10-year-old self, I’d say:

“Be obedient…”

But truthfully — I would still choose the same path.

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Jewish Heritage and Faith

Vitaly:
You often mention your Jewish heritage. How did you experience it as a child?

Aida:
I didn’t.
We were not taught religion — it was dangerous. My father was a professor, my mother a doctor.

I knew one thing: I was Russian, born in Russia, speaking Russian.
My birth record said the same.

Faith came later.
Now I believe deeply in God. That faith is what holds me up today. My husband recently passed away — a devastating loss — and only my faith helped me survive.

I always speak with God. In the morning:

“Thank You for opening my eyes. Bless this day.”

At night:

“Thank You for the day.”

This is not poetry — it is my way of living.

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TikTok, YouTube and “Aida Online”

Vitaly:
Many will be surprised: do you really watch TikTok?

Aida (laughs):
Sometimes. I don’t sit there for hours, but I do check it — I’m curious.

I also love YouTube. Fantastic doctors, lectures, so much interesting content.
And of course, all those videos with me — sometimes funny, sometimes strange. But let them sing and record — God bless.

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The Story of the Shchukin/Theatre School and Why Everything Worked Out

(Note: Щепкинское училище = The Mikhail Shchepkin Higher Theatre School — accepted transliteration: Shchepkin Theatre School)

Vitaly:
Let’s talk about the story with the Shchepkin Theatre School.

Aida:
I was sixteen. Still studying at the Pedagogical Institute, but I decided:

“I want to test my talent. I’m going to audition for Shchepka.”

I passed several rounds: singing, piano (I’m a trained pianist), dramatic reading… everything was going well.

When the committee learned I was already effectively a certified teacher, they gently said:

“Finish your institute, then come back.”

They never said I wasn’t good enough — on the contrary. They congratulated me.

But fate decided differently.
Almost immediately I was “spotted” by agents from the Oryol Philharmonic, and soon became their soloist. Then Irkutsk, then other philharmonics, and then — Moscow.

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Advice for Young Artists

Vitaly:
What would you tell young people applying to theater schools today?

Aida:
If you want to be an artist, someone must tell you:

“You are a diamond.”

Talent alone is not enough. You need breakthrough force and belief in yourself.

If you are “very good” — it is often not enough.
Art is brutal.

If you feel you have:

• a real voice,
• dramatic talent,
• the heart of a dancer or performer,

and if you are ready to fight to the end — go for it.

But if you want a calm life, family, stability — wonderful. Then be happy in another profession.

Being an artist is extremely hard. I hardly saw my family — my husband toured, I toured, my son was raised by his grandmother.

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“Kidnapping, Caucasian Style,” Alexander Zatsepin and the Story of the Missing Credits

Vitaly:
The most widely discussed topic is the story of Kidnapping, Caucasian Style. They say you cried at the premiere because your name wasn’t in the credits.

Aida:
Yes, that’s true.

The premiere hall was packed. The film begins, the song “Words of Love” plays — it’s my voice — and my name is nowhere in the credits.

Composer Alexander Zatsepin treated me wonderfully. He said in interviews:

“I loved Aida. I didn’t need anyone else — her voice was perfect.”

He promised my name would be in the credits.
Apparently, director Leonid Gaidai decided otherwise.
I was deeply hurt.

Later, when Zatsepin urgently needed a recording, he phoned me at night:

“Aida, come right now. We need to record immediately.”

I said:

“I’m exhausted; I just flew back from the Far East. And after Kidnapping, Caucasian Style — I don’t want to record for film anymore.”

Only when he promised:

“You will be in the credits,”

I agreed. I recorded “Words of Love” in one take.

But again — my name wasn’t there.

And then a certain woman began to publicly claim she was the one singing. I dislike scandals, but it is painful to watch someone try to rewrite history and take credit for my work.

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Siberia, the Far East, and Lake Baikal

Vitaly:
Where were your most distant Soviet tours?

Aida:
Everywhere.
Kamchatka, Magadan, Anadyr, the Far East, Vladivostok…
Siberia — a special love.

My father worked as a professor in Irkutsk, at the faculty of therapeutic dentistry. Irkutsk and Baikal — magical places.

I still remember the frost patterns on windows. No one but the Almighty could draw such wonders.

Baikal is the deepest, most beautiful lake.
The fish — grayling, smelt — they brought it to us fresh from the water. Pine nuts — my son still eats only Baikal ones.

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Emigration: Soul First, Body Later

Vitaly:
About your emigration. You said you were already “spiritually here” long before you physically moved.

Aida:
Yes. My soul was here.

I remember arriving in Las Vegas. I walked into the ladies’ room and saw portraits of all the Hollywood stars on the walls. Mae West in her hats, my beloved Doris Day, Marilyn Monroe…

I didn’t want to leave.

It felt like:

“I lived here before. This is my world.”

When my husband and I first arrived in New York, we stood on 49th Street — and I fell in love with the city instantly. It was sparkling clean at the time, full of light and youth.

Later we bought a motorhome and traveled across America on wheels, not planes. I changed costumes right inside the RV — then walked out to the stage. Those were happy years.

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“I Will Be Buried Where I Was Born — Russia. But My Soul Will Live With God.”

Vitaly:
A delicate question. Where would you like your final resting place to be — here or in Russia?

Aida:
If I am honest — I would like to be buried where I was born, on that land. But I don’t insist; I wouldn’t dare to ask.

But I don’t believe in the grave as a destination. The grave is the body; the worms. But the soul is alive and eternal.

I know only one thing:
My soul will go to God.
And that is what matters.

My late husband is buried in San Diego, in Old Town. As soon as he passed, I said:

“I cannot live here anymore.”

And I moved him to that beautiful, peaceful cemetery hill.

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The Four Husbands — Angels, Not Men

Vitaly:
You call each of your husbands “angels.” Why?

Aida:
Because each brought me to a new stage of life.

1. My first husband — Vyacheslav Vedishchev, an acrobat, creator of an original act.
   He saw me in Oryol, asked the musician:
   “Who is she?” —
   “A star. I don’t know what she’s doing here.”
   He brought me to Moscow, married me, gave me a Moscow residence permit — without which no one would speak to you. We had a son.
2. My second husband — Boris, a pianist and composer.
   He was the first to tell me:
   “Aida, you must leave. Look what they’re doing to you here.”
3. My third husband — an American millionaire, a deeply religious man.
   He brought me to America, showed me the world, introduced me to American society and faith.
4. My fourth husband — Jay Markov (Markova), my last husband.
   He discovered me through a videotape, sought me out, and we built a life in California. A man of profound faith, he prayed day and night. His recent passing is my great sorrow.

Each of them was my angel.

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Cancer, Chemotherapy, and the Doctor Who Saved Her Life

Vitaly:
You mentioned that you are a cancer survivor.

Aida:
Yes. I was diagnosed almost the same time as Savely Kramarov — he in March, I in May. He passed away after the first or second chemotherapy.

I underwent surgery and then full chemotherapy. After each round I said:

“I’m not going back. That’s it, thank you, I’m done.”

And yet — I kept going.

My doctor was Dr. Lyudmila Berr. She saved me.
She calls me a heroine, but for me — she is the heroine.

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Savely Kramarov and the Cemetery Near San Francisco

Vitaly:
You attended the opening of Savely Kramarov’s monument near San Francisco.

Aida:
Yes, though I did not attend the funeral — I was touring in Kyiv and Israel. I was present when they unveiled the monument. Sculptor Shemkin created it; the Panorama newspaper and Alexander Polovets organized everything.

Savely was a genius comic actor. America was hard for him — the language, the accent. He appeared in one film but never found a major opening. He suffered greatly from this.

He died of cancer.
We were diagnosed almost simultaneously — but our outcomes were different.

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“I Was a Millionairess — But Never Saw a Penny”

Vitaly:
People on TikTok and YouTube think you must have become rich — your record sales were enormous.

Aida:
I was a millionairess — Soviet style.

The “Melodiya” record company sent me to Sopot for the “millionaires’ contest” because my records sold more than 30 million copies. I became a laureate, met George Marjanovich, Radmila Karaklajich, European stars.

But:

“I was paid only once — 10 rubles for performing the song.
The millions went into other pockets. And we know whose.”

So yes — I was the first Soviet millionairess who never saw the millions.

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America, the Statue of Liberty, and Her Creative Legacy

Vitaly:
You often speak about your main creative legacy — the project “Lady Liberty.”

Aida:
Yes, it is my legacy.

I was the first woman in the world to embody the Statue of Liberty on stage. I created the musical-theatrical show “Lady Liberty for the New Millennium.”

I appeared in the crown, with the book and torch — not just theatrically, but to reveal the story of Frederick Auguste Bartholdi, the true creator of the statue.

Later, after September 11, I wrote and performed a new musical — “Singing Liberty”, dedicated to the tragedy and those who died. One storyline was about the son of my friend, who died on the 106th floor of the tower.

All materials — scores, libretto, costume, documents — are now housed in the Statue of Liberty Museum and in the Library of Congress, under the name Aida Vedishcheva / Aida Markova.

For an émigré from the USSR — that is a miracle.

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Will There Be a Book?

Vitaly:
People ask whether you will write a book. You have enough stories for ten volumes.

Aida:
Everyone tells me this.
And I do have enough stories.

But… I don’t really want to.

People today barely read books. Yes, electronic ones exist — but writing “about myself” does not interest me.

My friend in New York, Ilyusha from Liberty Publishing, keeps begging me. I’m tired of refusing.

Maybe one day someone will write a book based on our conversations.
Maybe you.

But I personally don’t want to sit down and write memoirs.

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How to Keep Your Voice After 80

Vitaly:
You’re over 80, and your voice sounds like a girl’s. What’s the secret?

Aida (laughs):
I don’t drink anything special or smear anything.
The secret is simple:

Don’t drink, don’t smoke, and don’t fool around.

No late-night parties, no self-destructive habits.

Of course I do vocal exercises, monitor my health — blood pressure, thyroid, vitamins. But the main things are very simple.

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The Benefit Concert in Los Angeles — December 7, 2025

Vitaly:
Let’s announce the most important news: on December 7, 2025, your benefit concert will take place in Los Angeles. What will it be?

Aida:
Honestly? I’m afraid to talk about it.

I had promised myself:
my last major concert was in 2011, at age 70 — in Moscow, Ukraine, Israel, and New York. After that I said:

“That’s it. Let the young ones perform.”

But after my husband passed, I couldn’t cope.
And I heard a voice inside:

“Work. Work again.”

And I agreed.

What to expect:

• It will be an evening of memories.
• There will be greetings,
• Other artists will perform my songs.
• And yes — I will sing as well. My voice is fine.
• Though dancing like I used to — no, health and age say otherwise.

I will share stories, show videos, footage from my youth. People will see me at my peak on screen and as I am today — in person.

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A Message to the Younger Generation

Vitaly:
This interview will be watched worldwide. What message would you like to leave to young people?

Aida:
Two things.

First:

Speak with God and with the Universe.

If you sincerely thank and ask — you will receive answers. Maybe not immediately, maybe not in the form you expect — but you will.

Second:

Don’t follow someone else’s trail. Walk your own path and leave your own mark.

Don’t imitate others:

• “This singer is good — I want to be like her.”
• “This actor is great — I’ll copy him.”

Look at what God gave to YOU.

Find your own talent, your own mission.
Five fingers on your hand — all different, each with a purpose. People are the same.

Choose your own path — even if it is harder.
Only then will you truly leave a trace of your life.

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Vitaly:
Dear friends, this has been “Russian-Speaking California” and our remarkable guest — Aida Vedishcheva.

Information about the December 7, 2025 benefit concert in Los Angeles is available below this video and on our website.

Aida, thank you for your honesty, your time, and your voice — the voice that for many is “like melted childhood ice cream.”

Aida:
Thank you, my dears. Remember:
Love, believe, and follow your own path.