Engalceva Valeria

About

Valeria Engalîceva, professionally known as Lerika, was born on April 7, 1999, in Olomouc, Czech Republic, into a Russian family, and began singing at the age of four. Her talent was discovered by her kindergarten teacher, and in her childhood, she participated in numerous international music competitions, winning awards such as first place at "Orpheus in Italy" (2008), "Kiinotavrik" in Sochi, and "Slavianski Bazaar" in Vitebsk. Her major achievements include representing Moldova at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2011 with the song "No-No," where she achieved 6th place (Moldova's best result at the time), and Russia in 2012 with "Sensatsiya," ranking 4th, becoming the first artist to compete twice for two different countries. After moving to Russia at the age of 13 with her family, she settled in Moscow and continued her career in the pop genre, releasing singles such as "Pogoda razgulyalasy" (2009), "Lyubov" (2013), and "Serdtse znayet" (2014), in languages like Russian, English, and Romanian. She collaborated with renowned artists such as Vera Brezhneva, Polina Gagarina, and Timati, participating in events like New Wave Junior and charity concerts. In 2022, she competed in the tenth edition of the show "Vocea României," reaching the Battles rounds in Irina Rimes' team, and in 2023, she graduated from the Moscow Art Theatre School. Valeria speaks fluent Russian, English, Romanian, and French, and her Moldovan origin from Bălți, where she initially lived with her grandmother, marked her artistic beginnings. Her parents, Andrei and Alla Engalîchevi, have constantly supported her career development, and she is part of the group "Republica Kids" and the musical theater "Menestreli". Today, active in the Russian Federation, Lerika continues to compose and perform, dreaming of new international collaborations in the pop music field.