Biography Valentyna Korzhova

Valentyna Korzhova

Year of birth: 1951
City of birth: Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine
Origin: Servitka Roma
Education: Secondary

Main areas of activity: stage art (dance, choreography), pedagogical activity, development and preservation of Roma culture, public activism in the cultural sphere.

Key contribution: an outstanding dancer and choreographer who made a significant contribution to the development of Roma stage dance; continuer and heir to the legacy of one of the oldest Roma artistic dynasties in Ukraine (the Korzhov ensemble, founded in 1937); founder of a charitable school of Roma dance (since 2006); co-founder of the NGO “Romske Shatro” (Roma Tent).

Impact: became a role model for Roma girls, proving that a professional stage career can be combined with the preservation of traditions; enriched Roma dance with new choreographies while preserving its authentic foundation; through her school and work in the ensemble, she ensured the transmission of unique artistic traditions from the older generation to the younger one.

“And when I saw this ensemble, I understood everything: what I would be in this life — only an artist, and my place is only here, on stage.”

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Biographical Information

Valentyna Korzhova is a legendary Roma dancer, choreographer, and the continuer of the legacy of one of Ukraine’s oldest artistic dynasties. Her life is a story of incredible dedication to the stage and the struggle for the right to creative self-realization against rigid traditional constraints.

Early Years and Upbringing

Valentyna was born in Kramatorsk into a large family of Servitka Roma. Her father was a blacksmith, and her mother was a fortune-teller. The family transitioned to a settled lifestyle shortly before her birth in 1951. Her childhood was marked by the memory of the genocide: her father, who managed to escape from a column being marched to execution by the Nazis, spent his entire life searching for his missing brother and raised his four children along with his own.

From childhood, Valentyna dreamed of the stage and was involved in a theater studio. At the age of 17, after seeing a performance by a Roma ensemble, she definitively decided to become an artist. This decision met with fierce opposition from her father, who considered the profession of a dancer a disgrace for a Roma girl and brutally beat her with a whip in an attempt to stop her. However, this did not break her: after finishing school, she secretly ran away from home to Kharkiv to join the ensemble of the legendary Nina Korzhova.

Becoming an Artist

Arriving in Kharkiv, Valentyna came under the care of Nina Korzhova and became part of the famous artistic dynasty. In the ensemble, she met her future husband, Yuriy Korzhov. Her father eventually consented to the marriage, fearing his daughter would run away again and wishing to preserve her reputation.

Valentyna Korzhova became the lead soloist and choreographer of the collective, which her husband began to lead at the age of 23. She created unique choreographic productions, enriching traditional Roma dance with elements of Indian and Eastern plasticity. At the same time, the artistic family adhered to key Roma traditions, particularly respect for their elders.

Activities and Contributions

For decades, the Korzhov ensemble toured throughout the Soviet Union and abroad. Valentyna recounts that their art was less appreciated in Ukraine than in other republics, and during foreign trips, they were constantly under the surveillance of the KGB due to mistrust of the Roma.

After concluding her active stage career, Valentyna Korzhova opened a charitable school of Roma dance in 2006 to pass on her experience and knowledge to the youth. She is also a co-founder of the cultural and educational non-governmental organization “Romske Shatro.” Together with other national communities, she participates in charity concerts in support of the Ukrainian military. The artistic dynasty’s legacy is continued today by her son, Roman Korzhov.