Mitya Fomin (full name — Dmitry Anatolyevich Fomin, born January 17, 1974, Novosibirsk) is a Russian singer, actor, songwriter and producer who first gained widespread fame as a member of the popular group Hi-Fi, and later as a successful solo artist. His career path is a vivid example of how a person can change professions, follow an inner calling and achieve success in a completely different field.
Early years and education
Mitya was born into an educated family. His father was an associate professor at a telecommunications institute, and his mother worked as an engineer and patent specialist. From early childhood, he grew up in an atmosphere of respect for education and hard work; he has a sister who later moved to Italy.
After finishing school, Dmitry enrolled at the Novosibirsk Medical Institute, which he successfully graduated from with a degree as a pediatrician. Despite doing well in his studies, he began to realize during his student years that medicine was not his true calling. The dream of the stage and creativity took over.
A couple of weeks before his final state exams, he went to Moscow and passed the entrance auditions to several theater schools at once:
— VGIK (Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography),
— Shchepkin Higher Theatre School,
— GITIS (Russian Institute of Theatre Arts),
— Moscow Art Theatre School-Studio.
After receiving his medical diploma in Novosibirsk, he returned to Moscow the very next day and became a student of the acting faculty of VGIK, where the competition was more than 70 applicants per place. Being accepted to VGIK became a turning point in his life.
Meeting the producers and the road to Hi-Fi
The move to Moscow brought Dmitry new contacts — it was at VGIK that he met his fellow Novosibirsk natives:
— producer Eric Chanturia,
— composer Pavel Yesenin.
They were the ones who invited Fomin to join a new music project — the group Hi-Fi.
Hi-Fi: a decade of success (1998–2008)
1998 became the second “star” birthday for Fomin. The group’s debut album «Pervyy kontakt» (“First Contact”) instantly made the project popular throughout the CIS.
The success was so rapid that, having studied at VGIK for only six months, Dmitry was forced to leave the institute — it was simply impossible to combine full-time studies with an intensive touring schedule.
Over 10 years in Hi-Fi, the group released numerous hits, including:
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«Besprizornik»
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«Ne dano»
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«Pro leto»
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«Chyornyy voron»
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«Glupye lyudi»
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«A my lyubili»
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«Beda»
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«My ne angely»
These songs were everywhere — on radio and television, in clubs, at concerts and in the cars of millions of listeners. Hi-Fi became a cult group of its era.
The beginning of a solo career (2008–2010)
In 2008, Fomin’s contract with Hi-Fi came to an end, and in 2009 he finally left the group, choosing to pursue a solo career.
While still a member of Hi-Fi, Mitya had already built creative ties with songwriters and producers, which made the transition to a solo project much smoother.
On March 1, 2009, he signed a contract with producer Maksim Fadeev.
From the material proposed for the project, Fadeev approved the song «Dve zemli» (“Two Lands”), which went on air at “Russkoye Radio” at the end of March.
A music video followed, quickly reaching first place in the “Russkaya desyatka” (“Russian Top Ten”) chart on MTV.
The collaboration with Fadeev was brief — about six months — but it helped Fomin establish himself as a solo artist.
Already after parting ways with the producer, Dmitry released successful singles:
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«Vot i vsyo» (“That’s It”) (2009)
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«Vsyo budet khorosho» (“Everything Will Be Fine”) (summer 2010 — a real radio hit)
First solo album and career development (2010–present)
On July 29, 2010, Fomin released his first solo album «Tak budet» (“So It Will Be”).
In the autumn of the same year, the video for the song «Perezimuyem» (“We’ll Make It Through the Winter”) was released and became one of his most popular music videos.
From that moment on, Fomin firmly established himself as an independent artist.
He:
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actively tours across Russia and the CIS,
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releases new songs and music videos,
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performs at major festivals and events,
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collaborates with various producers and songwriters,
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develops himself as a music producer as well.
Conclusion
Mitya Fomin is an artist who made the journey from practicing pediatrician to nationwide music star. His story is an example of courage, hard work and faith in one’s true vocation. His years in Hi-Fi brought him fame, while his solo career proved his artistic independence and creative potential. Today, Fomin remains an in-demand singer, producer and a bright representative of the Russian pop scene, continuing to delight his audience with new releases and live performances.
