VIA “Skarby” appeared in the Kremenchuk Palace of Culture “Dormash” in the mid-70s.
Before his sudden death, the founder of the team and its permanent leader was a graduate of the Kyiv Institute of Culture – Nikolai Ivanovich School.
Nikolai passed away on April 29, 2007.
According to the doctors, the cause of death was heart failure.
The corpse of the musician was found in pharmacy area 89.
The body was in the forensic morgue for more than a week (there were May holidays). The musician’s relatives thought that Nikolai was in the country. No one was looking, and especially not worried. We were not too worried about his long absence, our musician friends were not worried either, because their leader could be anywhere and with anyone.
The television studio “Visit”, turning to the residents of Kremenchuk, asked for help in identifying the corpse of an unknown person. Only then did they get excited and fussed?
He was just over fifty.
Nicholas was buried at the Novo-Reevsky cemetery.
The coffin with the body was lowered into the grave to applause. Many had tears on their cheeks.
A favorite of Kremenchuk women, a charming and optimistic mustachioed handsome Ukrainian, under two meters tall, a man selflessly devoted to art, music, his homeland, and his beloved city, Nikolai School will forever remain in our hearts.
“Skarbs” have always strived for refinement, skill, and professionalism, imitating in many ways, and in no way inferior to the legendary Belarusian “Pesnyary”. The VIA kept a poster presented to the head of the team – Nikolai Shkola by Vladimir Mulyavin and “Pesnyar”, signed by them, with autographs and wishes.
The talented singer Gennady Zhukov sang in “Skarbakh”, the entertainer Valentin Stasyuk performed, in the VIA, as a boy, and the ex-soloist of the Freestyle group – Sergey Dubina (pseudonym – Dubrovin) began his activity. Sergei performed many songs that sounded throughout the country and abroad (“Oh, what a Woman” and so on. In 1996, Sergei Dubrovin and the Freestyle group became Laureates of the “Song of the Year” contest).
The ex-soloist of VIA “Skarba” Gennady Zhukov recalls: “In the early 80s, we went to Ternopil, to the republican competition. We prepared the song “Ukraine”, and a few more songs that were best rehearsed and which sounded great. But, the songs were in -Russian, and we were very worried and worried. Kolya was nervous and couldn’t find a place for himself. Television, cameras, cameras, a full hall. When they performed, they sang, the hall did not let us go, and they applauded for a long time while standing. The first place, nevertheless, was won by another team I remember one of the organizers said: “Here, a real Ukrainian folklore group! Nuggets! They need to be promoted.” Nikolai always demanded from us coherence, a professional approach, and musical literacy, despite the fact that we were an amateur group.”
Source: https://www.05366.com.ua/