Lena Katina and Julia Volkova talked about t.A.T.u.’s reunion on “Volya’s Show” on the episode that aired September 21, 2025. Here are the most interesting fragments from the interview.
About the first fallout: “We started to annoy each other“.
In Lena’s words, in the 2000s her and Julia spent a lot of time together. And at some point they began to “just annoy” each other.
“In 2009 I was in a relationship, I wanted peace and quiet. I came in and said that I am leaving the group, that I love you, but I need time to live for myself and for my family”, says Julia Volkova about the first breakup of the band.
In 2012, 2013, and 2014 Lena and Julia got together for one-time performances. They had a fight after the Sochi Olympics because of “everyday life”. In 2016, 2022, and 2023 they also individual performances together. In 2025 the redhead and brunette announced the band’s major comeback.
“Time passed, our managers had a lot of request. Fans wrote in from all around the world”, explains Julia Volkova. “We have a lot of plans, but we want to announce them gradually. In the summer we had a big concert in Crimea, and are planning a concert in Moscow”.
“It it possible that we will have two concerts in Moscow because the first date sold very well”, added Lena Katina.
Julia Volkova’s operation: “One vocal cord is paralyzed”.
Julia Volkova said that in the passed years she has gone through two oncologies.
“During one of the operations the doctor the doctor damaged my vocal cords. I didn’t speak for a year at all. I did not have any hope that I would sing. I have had a huge amount of operations all around the world. The last one was a year and a half ago in Korea. This is my long journey in life”, says Volkova. “It will never be how it used to be. One of my vocal cords is paralyzed. Today this is the voice I have, and I like it very much. I accepted it and learned to live with it. I sing live and we are recording songs.”
Sting and t.A.T.u.: The singer recorded a bass guitar part on “Friend or Foe”.
t.A.T.u.’s comeback was supported by British singer Sting on his social media. Not many know that the legendary artist recorded bass guitar for their song “Friend or Foe”. This composition was part of t.A.T.u.’s second album, “Dangerous and Moving”.
“We were part of the same label as Sting, Marilyn Manson, Eminem, The Pussycat Dolls, The Black Eyed Peas. We worked and collaborated, it was cool”, Julia Volkova recalls.
The age limit of t.A.T.u.’s concert is 16+.
The 40-year old singers underscored that they no longer perform several of their old “provocative songs”. The age limit for their concert is 16+.
“Because we honor traditions and respect the laws of our country. The song ‘Ya Soshla S Uma’ is performed in English – ‘All The Things She Said’. Its meaning is not as explicit”, says Julia.
Lena added that kisses have not been part of their concerts for a long time. Julia has been married twice. Lena is now happily married for a second time. Each one has two children.
“My youngest, Samir, will turn 18 this year. My daughter, Vika, will turn 21 on September 23rd. She is a third-year institute student. I talk to them on the same level. It is important for me to have a friendship with them, not to be a mother-mentor and a mother hen. To lecture them and fight, that is not my thing”, admits Volkova.
“I am not a mother hen, but rather a mentor mother. I lecture, I constantly scream at the older one who is in the 4th grade. At 10 years old puberty started, I learned to live with it. But I work with it. I read a lot of literature and talk to specialists. It isn’t always possible to stay calm and I run out of patience. That is when the hysteria starts”, admits Katina.