Biography
Viktor Klimenko is a Finnish singer, who made himself known as the “Singing Cossack”. Klimenko was born in Karelia. A few years after his birth, his family moved to Finland. There, he became a musician and appeared in several films, mostly appearing as himself. The Eurovision Song Contest 1965 was his first appearance outside of Finland. In 1970, Klimenko released the album “Stenka Rasin” across Europe. The album, containing Russian songs, went gold in the Finnish market—the first record to do so in Finland. Later, it was certified platinum. This success was followed by a decade of concerts around the world. Klimeno had nine more gold records and one more platinum record. Klimenko rebranded himself as a Gospel singer in 1980, after having a personal religious revelation.
