# The Voice (Russian TV series)

The Voice (Russian: Голос) is a Russian singing competition television series broadcast on Channel One. Based on the original The Voice of Holland, it has aired eight seasons and aims to find currently unsigned singing talent (solo or duets, professional and amateur) contested by aspiring singers, age 17 or over, drawn from public auditions. The winner is determined by television viewers voting by telephone, SMS text, and The Voice App.
The winners of the twelve seasons have been: Dina Garipova, Sergey Volchkov, Alexandra Vorobyova, Hieromonk Fotiy, Darya Antonyuk, Selim Alakhyarov, Petr Zakharov, Asker Berbekov, Yana Gabbasova, Alexander Volkodav, Viktoria Solomakhina, and Bogdan Shuvalov.
The series employs a panel of four coaches who critique the artists' performances and guide their teams of selected artists through the remainder of the season. They also compete to ensure that their act wins the competition, thus making them the winning coach. The original panel featured Dima Bilan (seasons 1–3, 5–6, 10), Pelageya (seasons 1–3, 6, 10), Alexander Gradsky (seasons 1–4, 6, 10), and Leonid Agutin (seasons 1–3, 5–6, 10). The coaching panel for the current thirteenth season features Basta (seasons 4, 7, 9, 11, 13–), Polina Gagarina (seasons 4–5, 8–9, 11–), Hibla Gerzmava (season 13–) and Anton Belyaev (seasons 11–). Other coaches from previous seasons include Grigory Leps (seasons 4–5), Ani Lorak (season 7), Konstantin Meladze (seasons 7–8), Sergey Shnurov (seasons 7–9), Valeriy Syutkin (seasons 8–9), Vladimir Presnyakov (seasons 11–12), and Zivert (season 12).
The Voice began airing on October 5, 2012, as an autumn-winter TV season program. The show proved to be a hit for Channel One. So far, the series has aired for thirteen seasons.

## Conception

An adaptation of the Dutch show The Voice of Holland, Channel One announced the show under the name Голос (The Voice).
In each season, the winner receives ₽1,000,000 (approx. USD 16,000) and a record deal with Universal Music Group.

## Selection process and format
### Blind auditions

Each season begins with the "Blind Auditions," where coaches form their team of artists (12 artists in season 1 and since season 7, 14 artists in seasons 2–6) whom they mentor through the remainder of the season. (There was a rule in seasons 3–5 that coach who complete his/her team firstly can add to his/her team still one artist). The coaches' chairs are faced towards the audience during artists' performances; those interested in an artist press their button, which turns their chair towards the artist and illuminates the bottom of the chair to read "Я выбираю тебя" ("I Want You"). At the conclusion of the performance, an artist either defaults to the only coach who turned around or selects his or her coach if more than one coach expresses interest. Eleventh season features block button which will prevent a coach from being chosen by the contestant.

### Battles

In the "Battle Rounds," each coach pairs two of his or her team members to perform together, then chooses one to advance in the competition. In season 1, coaches were assisted by celebrity mentors. In the first season, coaches sit alongside their respective advisors in the battle stage. A new element was added in season two; coaches were given two "steals", allowing each coach to select two individuals who were eliminated during a battle round by another coach. However, since the seventh season (just like in the first season) each coach can't steal artists.

### Knockouts

In the Knockout Rounds, a pair of artists within a team are selected to sing individual performances in succession. They are not told until a few minutes prior to their performances who their partner is. At the conclusion of the performances, coaches would decide which one of each pair gets to advance to the next round. Starting with season two each coach pairs three artists into one knockout with two contestants from the trio advance to the next round. However, since season 7 only one contestant from the trio advances to the Top 12. But the coaches were given one "steal" (just like in the previous seasons' Battles).

### Live shows

In the final live performance phase of the competition, artists perform in weekly shows, where public voting and coaches' decision s narrow to a final group of artists and eventually declares a winner. In season one the coaches have the power to save one artist that had not received the public's vote in the Quarterfinal. In later seasons artists were saved by Votes' summa (Public's vote + Coach's vote). In deciding who moves on to the final four phase, the television audience and the coaches have equal say. With one team member remaining for each coach, the contestants compete against each other in the finale, where the outcome is decided solely by public vote. One contestant from each team would advance to the final four.

### Addition

Since season 7, alongside the determining of the winner, television viewers vote for the Best coach using The Voice App and HbbTV option in their TV sets.

## Coaches and presenter
### Coaches timeline

Timeline of coaches :
| Coach | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons |
| Coach | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| Dima Bilan | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Pelageya | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Alexander Gradsky † | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Leonid Agutin | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Basta | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Polina Gagarina | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Grigory Leps | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Ani Lorak | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Sergey Shnurov | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Konstantin Meladze | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Valeriy Syutkin | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Vladimir Presnyakov | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Anton Belyaev | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Zivert | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Hibla Gerzmava | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* Coaches gallery
* Dima Bilan (2012–14, 2016/17, 2021)
* Pelageya (2012–14, 2017, 2021)
* Alexander Gradsky† (2012–15, 2017, 2021)
* Leonid Agutin (2012–14, 2016/17, 2021)
* Basta (2015, 2018, 2020, 2023, 2025–)
* Polina Gagarina (2015/16, 2019/20, 2023–)
* Grigory Leps (2015/16)
* Ani Lorak (2018)
* Sergey Shnurov (2018–20)
* Konstantin Meladze (2018/19)
* Valeriy Syutkin (2019/20)
* Vladimir Presnyakov (2023/24)
* Anton Belyaev (2023–)
* Zivert (2024)
* Hibla Gerzmava (2025–)

### Presenter

Timeline of presenter :
| Presenter | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons |
| Presenter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| Dmitry Nagiev | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Yana Churikova | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* Presenters
* Dmitry Nagiev (2012-2021)
* Yana Churikova (2023―)

## Series overview

Team Dima Bilan
  Team Pelageya
  Team Alexander Gradsky
  Team Leonid Agutin
  Team Basta
  Team Polina Gagarina
  Team Grigory Leps
  Team Ani Lorak
  Team Sergey Shnurov
  Team Konstantin Meladze
  Team Valeriy Syutkin
  Team Vladimir Presnyakov
  Team Anton Belyaev
  Team Zivert
  Team Hibla Gerzmava :
| Season | Year | Winner | Runner-up | Third place | Fourth place | Winning Coach | Presenters | Coaches   (chair's order) | Coaches   (chair's order) | Coaches   (chair's order) | Coaches   (chair's order) |
| Season | Year | Winner | Runner-up | Third place | Fourth place | Winning Coach | Presenters | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 1 | 2012 | Dina Garipova | Elmira Kalimullina | Anastasiya Spiridonova | Margarita Pozoyan | Alexander Gradsky | Dmitry Nagiev | Dima Bilan | Pelageya | Alexander Gradsky | Leonid Agutin |
| 2 | 2013 | Sergey Volchkov | Nargiz Zakirova | Gela Guralia | Tina Kuznetsova | Alexander Gradsky | Dmitry Nagiev | Dima Bilan | Pelageya | Alexander Gradsky | Leonid Agutin |
| 3 | 2014 | Alexandra Vorobyova | Yaroslav Dronov | Alexander Bon | Mariam Merabova | Alexander Gradsky | Dmitry Nagiev | Leonid Agutin | Pelageya | Alexander Gradsky | Dima Bilan |
| 4 | 2015 | Hieromonk Fotiy | Mikhail Ozerov | Olga Zadonskaya | Era Kann | Grigory Leps | Dmitry Nagiev | Basta | Polina Gagarina | Alexander Gradsky | Grigory Leps |
| 5 | 2016 | Darya Antonyuk | Alexander Panayotov | Kairat Primberdiev | Sardor Milano | Leonid Agutin | Dmitry Nagiev | Dima Bilan | Polina Gagarina | Leonid Agutin | Grigory Leps |
| 6 | 2017 | Selim Alakhyarov | Timofey Kopylyov | Ladislav Bubnar | Yang Ge | Alexander Gradsky | Dmitry Nagiev | Dima Bilan | Pelageya | Alexander Gradsky | Leonid Agutin |
| 7 | 2018-19 | Petr Zakharov | Amirkhan Umaev | Rushana Valieva | Shaen Oganesyan | Konstantin Meladze | Dmitry Nagiev | Basta | Ani Lorak | Sergey Shnurov | Konstantin Meladze |
| 8 | 2019-20 | Asker Berbekov | Anton Tokarev | Iv Nabiev | Arsen Mukendi | Konstantin Meladze | Dmitry Nagiev | Valeriy Syutkin | Polina Gagarina | Sergey Shnurov | Konstantin Meladze |
| 9 | 2020 | Yana Gabbasova | Oleg Akkuratov | Dmitry Vengerov | Vasily Pasechnik | Polina Gagarina | Dmitry Nagiev | Basta | Polina Gagarina | Sergey Shnurov | Valeriy Syutkin |
| 10 | 2021 | Alexander Volkodav | Alisher Karimov | Ernar Sadirbaev | Elina Pan | Pelageya | Dmitry Nagiev | Dima Bilan | Pelageya | Alexander Gradsky | Leonid Agutin |
| 11 | 2023 | Viktoria Solomakhina | Elmira Divaeva | Irina Syshchikova | Lyudmila Serebryakova | Polina Gagarina | Yana Churikova | Vladimir Presnyakov | Polina Gagarina | Basta | Anton Belyaev |
| 12 | 2024 | Bogdan Shuvalov | Georgy Russkikh | Alexey Sulima | Anastasia Sadkovskaya | Polina Gagarina | Yana Churikova | Vladimir Presnyakov | Polina Gagarina | Zivert | Anton Belyaev |
| 13 | 2025 | Current season | Current season | Current season | Current season | Current season | Yana Churikova | Basta | Polina Gagarina | Hibla Gerzmava | Anton Belyaev |

## Best coach

| Season | Best coach | Best coach | Best coach | Best coach | Best coach | Best coach | Best coach | Best coach |
| Season | First place | First place | Second place | Second place | Third place | Third place | Fourth place | Fourth place |
| 1−6, 10 | From seasons 1 through 6 and 10, the public didn't determine the Best coach. | From seasons 1 through 6 and 10, the public didn't determine the Best coach. | From seasons 1 through 6 and 10, the public didn't determine the Best coach. | From seasons 1 through 6 and 10, the public didn't determine the Best coach. | From seasons 1 through 6 and 10, the public didn't determine the Best coach. | From seasons 1 through 6 and 10, the public didn't determine the Best coach. | From seasons 1 through 6 and 10, the public didn't determine the Best coach. | From seasons 1 through 6 and 10, the public didn't determine the Best coach. |
| 7 | Sergey Shnurov | 34% | Konstantin Meladze | 30% | Basta | 24% | Ani Lorak | 12% |
| 8 | Sergey Shnurov | 40% | Konstantin Meladze | 28% | Polina Gagarina | 19% | Valeriy Syutkin | 13% |
| 9 | Basta | 31% | Sergey Shnurov | 28% | Polina Gagarina | 23% | Valeriy Syutkin | 18% |
| 11 | Basta | 47% | Polina Gagarina | 23% | Vladimir Presnyakov | 20% | Anton Belyaev | 10% |
| 12 | Polina Gagarina | 32% | Vladimir Presnyakov | 31% | Anton Belyaev | 23% | Zivert | 14% |
| 13 | Basta | | Polina Gagarina | | Hibla Gerzmava | | Anton Belyaev | |

## Reception

| Season | Season | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Average |
| Season | Season | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Average |
| | 1 | 5.5 | 6.9 | 7.0 | 7.8 | 8.8 | 8.4 | 8.0 | 8.4 | 7.7 | 7.4 | 7.7 | 9.2 | 7.7 | – | – | – | – | – | 7.73 |
| | 2 | 9.5 | 8.6 | 8.9 | 9.4 | 9.5 | 10.0 | 9.4 | 9.1 | 9.1 | 8.3 | 9.4 | 9.0 | 8.5 | 9.1 | 9.2 | 9.5 | 9.8 | – | 9.19 |
| | 3 | 7.9 | 8.0 | 8.8 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 9.4 | 8.7 | 7.8 | 6.5 | 7.8 | 8.4 | 7.4 | 7.6 | 6.3 | 6.7 | 7.6 | 8.2 | – | 7.9 |
| | 4 | 8.4 | 7.3 | 7.2 | 6.6 | 7.0 | 7.7 | 7.5 | 7.2 | 6.8 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.1 | 5.7 | 5.5 | 6.0 | 6.6 | – | 6.77 |
| | 5 | 6.8 | 7.1 | 7.3 | 7.7 | 8.6 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 8.0 | 7.7 | 6.3 | 7.1 | 6.9 | 6.8 | 6.6 | 5.8 | 6.2 | 6.0 | 6.3 | 7.08 |
| | 6 | 6.5 | 6.2 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 6.3 | 6.2 | 6.6 | 6.4 | 6.0 | 5.9 | 5.7 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 5.8 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 5.5 | 5.86 |
| | 7 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 5.2 | 5.9 | 5.5 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 5.3 | – | – | – | – | – | 4.87 |
| | 8 | 5.9 | 5.2 | 5.4 | 5.0 | 5.6 | 5.3 | 5.1 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.8 | – | – | – | – | – | 5.02 |
| | 9 | 5.0 | 4.8 | 5.0 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | – | – | – | – | – | 4.78 |

### Seasons average: Ratings

The first season premiered on October 5, 2012 with a 5.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic. For its average season rating, the show was in the Top 5 at a 7.73 ranking.
The second season premiered on September 6, 2013 with a 9.5 in the 18–49 demographic. It was up from last season's premiere by 4.0 rating scores.
The third season premiered on September 5, 2014 with a 7.9 in the 18-49 demographic. It was down from last season's premiere by 1.6 rating scores.
The fourth season premiered on September 4, 2015 with an 8.4 in the 18-49 demographic. It was up from last season's premiere by .5 rating scores.
The fifth season premiered on September 2, 2016 with a 6.8 in the 18-49 demographic. It was down from last season's premiere by 1.6 rating scores.
The sixth season premiered on September 1, 2017 with a 6.5 in the 18-49 demographic. It was down from last season's premiere by .3 rating scores.
The seventh season premiered on October 12, 2018 with a 5.2 in the 18-49 demographic. It was down from last season's premiere by 1.3 rating scores.
The eighth season premiered on October 11, 2019 with a 5.9 in the 18-49 demographic. It was up from last season's premiere by .7 rating scores.
The ninth season premiered on October 9, 2020 with a 5.0 in the 18-49 demographic. It was down from last season's premiere by .9 rating scores. This is the lowest rated season premiere to date.
    Each Russian network television season starts in late August and ends in late May.
| Sea- son | Timeslot (MSK (UTC+03)) | # Ep. | Premiered | Premiered | Ended | Ended | TV season | Viewers (ratings) |
| Sea- son | Timeslot (MSK (UTC+03)) | # Ep. | Date | Premiere viewers (ratings) | Date | Final viewers (ratings) | TV season | Viewers (ratings) |
| 1 | Friday 9:30 pm (eps. 1–4, 6–9, 11–12) Sunday 9:20 pm (ep. 5) Friday 7:50 pm (ep. 10) Saturday 9:30 pm (Final) | 13 | Oct 5, 2012 | 5.5 | Dec 29, 2012 | 7.7 | 2012/13 | 7.73 |
| 2 | Friday 9:30 pm (eps. 1–5, 7–17) Saturday 9:20 pm (ep. 6) | 17 | Sep 6, 2013 | 9.5 | Dec 27, 2013 | 9.8 | 2013/14 | 9.19 |
| 3 | Friday 9:45 pm (eps. 1–13) Friday 9:35 pm (eps. 14–17) | 17 | Sep 5, 2014 | 7.9 | Dec 26, 2014 | 8.2 | 2014/15 | 7.90 |
| 4 | Friday 9:30 pm | 17 | Sep 4, 2015 | 8.4 | Dec 25, 2015 | 6.6 | 2015/16 | 6.77 |
| 5 | Friday 9:30 pm | 18 | Sep 2, 2016 | 6.8 | Dec 30, 2016 | 6.3 | 2016/17 | 7.08 |
| 6 | Friday 9:30 pm | 18 | Sep 1, 2017 | 6.5 | Dec 29, 2017 | 5.5 | 2017/18 | 5.86 |
| 7 | Friday 9:30 pm (eps. 1–12) Tuesday 8:00 pm (Final) | 13 | Oct 12, 2018 | 5.2 | Jan 1, 2019 | 5.3 | 2018/19 | 4.87 |
| 8 | Friday 9:30 pm (eps. 1–12) Wednesday 8:00 pm (Final) | 13 | Oct 11, 2019 | 5.9 | Jan 1, 2020 | 4.8 | 2019/20 | 5.02 |
| 9 | Friday 9:30 pm | 13 | Oct 9, 2020 | 5.0 | Dec 30. 2020 | 4.5 | 2020/21 | 4.78 |