Talking the City With Singer Kamaliya

Kamaliya is the blonde pop singer who also won the Mrs. World pageant in 2008. She’s a household name in Ukraine, and for a while there her video was in constant heavy rotation on that big video screen above the intersection, across the street from the Arena complex. (Whether her presence up there caused a higher incidence of traffic accidents, we can’t say.) She’s also a woman of substance, and we caught up with her to talk about the city she lives in.

Kamaliya, what place do you like best in Kyiv? I like Pechersk, especially the Pechersk Lavra. It’s a wonderful and amazing place. I also like Koncha Zaspa, because of the natural atmosphere out there. Those are the most interesting parts of Kyiv as far as I’m concerned. And there are so many places to hang out in here. You can visit restaurants, nightclubs, theatres and lots of other good places you can think of. I’ve always lived in Kyiv. My family and a whole lot of my friends live here, and whenever I leave Kyiv I feel like something good has been snatched away from me, so I’m always in a hurry to come back. I definitely can’t stay away for too long. Having travelled a lot, how would you compare Kyiv to other capitals? Well, all the capitals I’ve been to are really beautiful in their own way. But when you compare Kyiv with them, you see that Kyiv is really an exception, it stands out among state capitals. Kyiv’s an ancient city that’s been around for centuries, with beautiful landscapes and surrounded by the smooth-flowing Dnipro. It’s a city with a nice aura. In the summer it’s always warm and there’s a mixture of people from all parts of the globe. The people who live here are very sensual. It’s a historic city, going back to the days of the Kyiv Rus. How did it feel to win the Mrs. World pageant? I feel great. I feel like I scored another point in my life. My view of the situation is that hard work and success go together. I really put in a lot of time practicing before the contest. I’ve won a lot of beauty contests, but Mrs. World isn’t something you can come and grab easily, because you’re not the only one participating. When the final result was announced, and I was declared the winner, I couldn’t believe it. It was like a daydream. I was motionless, dumbfounded, totally confused. Then, when they announced it the second time, I realised it was for real. I leaped for joy and was shedding tears. Since winning, my life has changed tremendously. My work schedule has changed, I have too many responsibilities, I don’t even have time for myself, people all over the globe are trying to reach out to me, my music is still out there waiting for me, there’s my family, my film work and so on. Winning has doubled my activity level. What are your plans for the future? I want to stay the course. I’m a musician, I’m working seriously on my new album, which will come out this year. Also, singing at various concerts and travelling any time there are Mrs. World contests anywhere in the world. And I’ll also take care of less privileged kids by supporting fundraising organisations. My passion in life is children, I want the children around me to be happy and I want to give them my best, at all times. I believe that happiness is the basis of human existence.