Para Normalnykh (Пара Нормальных) is a Ukrainian pop group formed in 2007 in Kyiv. The original lineup was a duo consisting of Anna Dobrydneva and Ivan Dorn. The group gained widespread recognition thanks to songs such as «Happy End», «Не улетай», «Скандал», «Возвращайся», «Вставай» and other tracks that received heavy airplay on Ukrainian radio stations and music television channels in the late 2000s.
The music of Para Normalnykh combined pop, pop-rock, elements of soul, funk, R&B and dance music. One of the project's defining features was the constant interaction between its two vocalists — male and female — structured as both a musical and stage dialogue.
The group had two principal lineups. From 2007 to 2010, Anna Dobrydneva performed alongside Ivan Dorn. After his departure, Artem Mekh became the male vocalist, and the group continued its activity through the 2010s before reuniting after a break in 2016.
Formation of the group
Anna Dobrydneva and Ivan Dorn met in 2006 at a Jamiroquai concert in Kyiv. Both already had musical experience at the time, although they came from different creative backgrounds.
Dobrydneva trained as a choir conductor, studied classical vocals and piano, sang in the rock bands Mournful Gust, «Стан» and «Карна», worked as a church choir director and took part in various stage projects.
Dorn graduated from music school with a specialization in piano, took part in vocal competitions and, in the mid-2000s, enrolled at the Kyiv National I. K. Karpenko-Kary Theatre, Cinema and Television University.
The joint project was named Para Normalnykh and officially appeared on the Ukrainian music scene in 2007. The group began working with the production center Catapult Music.
First success and Happy End
One of the first songs to define the duo's career was «Happy End».
The track received extensive radio and television rotation. It topped the «Sheremetyevo-Boryspil» chart on Gala Radio, appeared in the rankings of Love Radio and M1, and gradually became the signature song of the original lineup.
During this period, the group also released:
- «Возвращайся»;
- «My Honey»;
- «Скандал»;
- «Вставай»;
- «Не улетай»;
- «Эй, бэйба» with D.Lemma.
The combination of pop melodies, light humor, male and female vocals and vivid music videos made Para Normalnykh one of the most noticeable young Ukrainian pop projects of the late 2000s.
«Я придумаю Happy End»
On October 4, 2008, the group released its debut album «Я придумаю Happy End».
The album brought together the duo's early songs and material that Anna Dobrydneva and Ivan Dorn were actively performing at concerts and on television.
During the group's first year, its songs appeared on numerous music compilations distributed in Ukraine and other post-Soviet countries.
In 2008, Para Normalnykh performed at the festivals «Tavriyski Igry» and «Chornomorski Igry». At the beginning of 2009, the group embarked on its first major tour of Ukraine.
New Wave 2009
In 2009, Anna Dobrydneva and Ivan Dorn represented Ukraine at the international young performers competition New Wave in Jūrmala.
During the competition, Para Normalnykh performed Personal Jesus by Depeche Mode, Mikhey's «Сука-любовь» and their own Happy End.
The group ultimately shared 6th–7th place.
Participation in New Wave expanded the duo's recognition beyond Ukraine and coincided with the period of most intensive touring by the original lineup.
«Скандал во время рекламы»
In April 2010, the second studio album «Скандал во время рекламы» was released.
The album became the final major full-length release of the Anna Dobrydneva and Ivan Dorn period.
The group's material at the time combined pop-rock with R&B, disco, soul and piano ballads. Among the best-known tracks were «Скандал», «Не улетай», «Дай мне разгадать тебя» and «Happy End».
Ivan Dorn's departure
In summer 2010, Ivan Dorn left Para Normalnykh and began a solo career.
Dorn himself explained that his departure coincided with the end of his contract and emphasized that even when he joined the project he had planned eventually to develop his own music.
His subsequent solo career grew to a much larger scale: songs such as «Стыцамэн», «Бигуди», «Северное сияние», «Тем более» and others formed an entirely separate chapter in the artist's career.
Artem Mekh
Anna Dobrydneva's new partner became Artem Mekh, a Ukrainian singer and songwriter who had previously taken part in the television project «Фабрика звёзд — 3».
Mekh studied music at the Reinhold Glière Kyiv Institute of Music. Before joining the group, he trained in vocals, piano and dance.
Artem joined Para Normalnykh in summer 2010. Therefore, contrary to some later biographies of the group, he was not a founder and was not part of the original lineup.
«История любви» and the new lineup
The first new song by Anna Dobrydneva and Artem Mekh was «История любви». A music video was filmed for the track in 2010.
Part of the group's older repertoire was also re-recorded with the new male vocalist.
In August 2010, the updated lineup participated in the Ukrainian national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2011.
Mekh's arrival did not mean a complete imitation of the Dorn period: the duo gradually developed new material and a more clearly contemporary pop sound.
«Ах, Ира» and «По улицам Москвы»
In 2011, the songs «Ах, Ира» and «По улицам Москвы» were released.
The latter became one of the most recognizable tracks by the second lineup and received its own music video.
In the following years, the duo continued releasing new material:
- «Невеста»;
- «Вендетта»;
- Love Is;
- «Беги-беги» and other tracks.
On digital platforms, much of the material from this period was later compiled into the release «Невеста».
Hiatus in 2014
In May 2014, the management of Para Normalnykh and Artem Mekh officially announced the end of their collaboration.
The team stated that it was searching for a new male vocalist, but a fully established new lineup never emerged.
Anna Dobrydneva did not announce that she was leaving Para Normalnykh. At the same time, she began actively developing a solo project and releasing her own songs.
Artem Mekh also focused on his independent career.
Return of Anna Dobrydneva and Artem Mekh
After a break of approximately two years, in November 2016, Dobrydneva and Mekh announced that they were resuming their joint work under the name Para Normalnykh.
One of the first releases of the new period was the song «Мы».
In 2017, the group presented «Как мы любили». The music video was directed by Viktor Skuratovsky.
The song attracted a notable online audience and became the group's best-known release after the reunion.
Later releases
Over the following years, Para Normalnykh's catalog was expanded with several standalone digital singles.
Among them:
- «Как воздух» — 2018;
- Odnalife — 2018;
- «Ти знов моя» — 2019;
- «Банки грабувати» — 2019;
- «Наши дни» — 2019;
- «Лоукосты» — 2020.
«Лоукосты», released on April 3, 2020, remains the group's most recent new single in its main official digital catalog.
End of the active period
After 2020, Para Normalnykh did not return to regular new releases. Anna Dobrydneva and Artem Mekh focused on their independent projects, while the group effectively ceased active studio work.
Dobrydneva continued her solo career in Ukraine and, after the beginning of Russia's full-scale aggression, became actively involved in charitable and volunteer initiatives. In 2025, she released a Ukrainian-language version of «Скандал».
Artem Mekh develops the electronic project Will Armex, under which he works as a performer, producer and DJ.
By the mid-2020s, Para Normalnykh is regarded primarily as a music project whose active period has ended, although its catalog remains available on streaming platforms.
Group members
Anna Dobrydneva
Anna Dobrydneva is the vocalist and the only member connected with all major periods of Para Normalnykh, from the group's formation in 2007 to its later releases.
Before the group was formed, she worked across a wide range of musical styles, from classical vocals to heavy rock. The contrast between her powerful female voice and the male vocals first of Ivan Dorn and later Artem Mekh became the basis of the group's sonic identity.
Ivan Dorn
Ivan Dorn was the male vocalist of the original lineup from 2007 to 2010.
With him, the group recorded its debut album «Я придумаю Happy End», the album «Скандал во время рекламы» and its major early hits — Happy End, «Не улетай», «Скандал», «Возвращайся» and «Эй, бэйба».
Artem Mekh
Artem Mekh was the male vocalist of the second lineup and joined the group in summer 2010.
With him, the group recorded «История любви», «Ах, Ира», «По улицам Москвы», «Невеста», «Вендетта», Love Is, «Как мы любили», «Наши дни» and other songs.
After the duo's active period finally ended, he continued his music career under the name Will Armex.
Musical style
Para Normalnykh was never limited to one narrowly defined form of pop music, and different periods of the group's work combined elements of several genres.
The duo format remained its defining feature. Male and female vocal parts could function as a dialogue, an argument or two different perspectives on the same story. This structure worked especially well in romantic songs and became one of the group's most recognizable characteristics.
Studio discography
- «Я придумаю Happy End» — 2008;
- «Скандал во время рекламы» — 2010.
Digital catalogs also include the 2013 release «Невеста», which brings together material by the second lineup, although the group's core historical discography traditionally consists of two studio albums.
Para Normalnykh in Ukrainian pop music
Para Normalnykh emerged during a period of rapid development for the Ukrainian pop scene in the late 2000s. The original lineup created the group's best-known early catalog and at the same time became an important stage in Ivan Dorn's career.
The project did not end after his departure: Anna Dobrydneva and Artem Mekh retained the duo format and created their own series of songs, including «По улицам Москвы», «Невеста» and «Как мы любили».
The group's history spans two distinct periods linked by the constant presence of Anna Dobrydneva. From «Happy End» and «Не улетай» to the later digital singles «Наши дни» and «Лоукосты», Para Normalnykh maintained its core concept — a pop song built around the interaction of two vocalists.
The most notable legacy of Para Normalnykh is associated with Ukrainian pop culture of the late 2000s and early 2010s. Songs such as Happy End, «Не улетай», «Скандал» and «По улицам Москвы» remain the group's most recognizable works, while the project itself became an important early chapter in the careers of Ivan Dorn, Anna Dobrydneva and Artem Mekh.
