Buranovskiye Babushki
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Headquarters | Buranovo , Russia |
| Products | Ethno-pop music |
Buranovskiye Babushki (, ; ; translating to "Grannies of Buranovo") is an ethno-pop ensemble consisting of eight senior women originating from Buranovo, Udmurtia, blending Udmurt and Russian musical traditions. They represented Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 held in Baku, Azerbaijan, where they achieved second place.
Eurovision Song Contest
Their initial participation in Russia’s Eurovision national selection occurred in 2010 with the song "Dlinnaja-dlinnaja beresta i kak sdelat' iz nee ajšon" ('Very long birch bark and how to turn it into a turban'), securing third place.
In 2012, the group won the Russian national selection with "Party for Everybody", a performance that included partial English lyrics. They amassed 38.51 points more than former Eurovision champion Dima Bilan, who finished second with "Back to Her Future". At the Eurovision Song Contest 2012, Buranovskiye Babushki received 259 points from 40 out of 41 voting countries, ultimately placing behind Sweden’s winning entry, which scored 372 points.
The ensemble declared that proceeds from their success would be allocated toward constructing a church in their hometown of Buranovo.
Fundraising for church rebuilding
In 2010, the group initiated a fundraising campaign dedicated to restoring Trinity Church in Buranovo, contributing all earnings to this cause. The original stone church, erected in 1865, was shut down by Soviet authorities in 1939 and subsequently demolished. The existing wooden church structure had deteriorated significantly.
The new brick Holy Trinity Church was completed and officially consecrated on 20 June 2016.
Members
In 2014, producer Ksenia Rubtsova terminated her contract with the original grandmothers and assembled a fresh lineup featuring eight principal grandmothers, including Anna Prokopyeva and Valentina Serebrennikova, along with twelve backup singers from various villages across Udmurtia. The former members continue their musical activities under the name "Бабушки из Бураново" (Grandmothers from Buranovo).
- Grania Baysarova (born 1949)
- Alevtina Begisheva (born 1958)
- Zoya Dorodova (born 1940)
- Valentina Pyatchenko (born 1937)
- Olga Tuktareva (born 1968)
- Nikolay Zarbatov (born 1963 or 1964)
Former
- Elizaveta Zarbatova (1926–2014)
- Natalya Pugacheva (1935–2019)
- Galina Koneva (born 1938)
- Ekaterina Shklyaeva (1937–2024)
Critical reception
Russian reviewers credited the Eurovision success of Buranovskiye Babushki in part to the influence exerted by Russian groups such as Ivan Kupala.