Sekret Uspekha (Russian: «Секрет успеха»; English: Secret of Success) was a Russian popular music talent show, broadcast on Saturdays on RTR. It was similar in format to Narodniy Artist, and was the Russian version of the British show The X Factor, created by Simon Cowell. The show is primarily concerned with identifying singing talent, though personality, stage presence and dance routines are also an important element of many performances.

Sekret Uspekha
RussianСекрет успеха
Created bySimon Cowell
Presented byAleksey Chumakov
Yelena Vorobey (Season 1)
Tutta Larsen (Season 2)
StarringVladimir Sapovsky (Season 1, 2005)
Nikolay Timokhin (Season 2, 2007) (winners)
JudgesValery Meladze
Katerina Von Gechmen-Valdek
Aleksandr Revzin
Valeriya
Tigran Keosayan
Valery Garkalin
Country of originRussia
Original languageRussian
No. of seasons2
Production
Production locationMoscow
Original release
NetworkRTR
Release2005 (2005) (Season 1) –
2007 (2007) (Season 2)
Related
The X Factor
Faktor A

There were two seasons. The first was in 2005[1] and title was won by Vladimir Sapovskiy. A second and final series was broadcast in 2007, and title won by Nikolay Timokhin.

The show was cancelled after two season because of insufficient number of viewers, but after the immense success of the X Factor series internationally, a new Russian series was launched, named Faktor A (in Russian Фактор А) after the name of Alla Pugacheva rather than Faktor X.

Series format

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There were four stages to the competition:

  • Stage 1: Auditions
  • Stage 2: Bootcamp
  • Stage 3: Visits to judges' homes
  • Stage 4: Live shows (finals)

The competition is split into three categories: vocal groups (including duos), solo singers aged 16–24, and solo singers aged 25 and over. There is, however, only one final winner.

In the initial weeks of the show, public auditions are held at various locations across Russia. Each act enters the audition room (often after waiting for hours), and delivers a stand-up unaccompanied performance of their chosen song to the three judges. If at least two of the four judges say "yes" then the act goes through to the next stage.

These auditions attract large numbers of hopefuls. Only a small selection of auditions are broadcast – usually the best, the worst and the most bizarre. Much like Pop Idol, many acts face harsh criticism from the judges.

After all auditions are complete, each of the three judges is allocated a category to mentor (supposedly at random). The contestants who survived stage one are then further refined through a series of performances at "boot camp" and at the judges' homes, until a small number eventually progress to the live finals.

In the live shows, each act performs a new song or songs each week in front of an auditorium audience as well as the judges. The songs chosen are usually pop standards or contemporary hits. Members of the public vote on the acts by telephone or text message, and this, in combination with the judges' opinions, determines which act is dismissed. The contestants are whittled away week by week until the winner eventually emerges.

Judges' categories and their contestants

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In each season, each judge is allocated a category to mentor and chooses three acts to progress to the live shows. This table shows, for each season, which category each judge was allocated and which acts he or she put through to the live shows.

Key:

  – Winning judge/category. Winners are in bold, eliminated contestants in small font.
Season Valery Meladze Aleksandr Revzin Katerina Von Gechmen-Valdek
One Groups
Queens
8 Marta
Nota Fraid
Over 25s
Vladimir Sapovsky
Vladimir Dybsky
Aleksey Kuznetsov
16-24s
Yevgeniya Otradnaya
Alexey Vorobyov
Mariya Novikova
Season Valeriya Tigran Keosayan Valery Garkalin
Two 16-24s
Nikolay Timokhin
Ilya Vasilyev
Yekaterina Antonenko
Dmitry Karpinchik
Groups
Bridge
O'Da
Just Listen
Peekaboo
Over 25s
Vitaly Gasaev
Yelena Gorskaya
Oskana Mukhina
Olga Chekadanova

Season 1 (2005)

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The first season was broadcast in late 2005. The judges were Valeriy Meladze, Katerina Von Gechmen-Valdek and Aleksandr Revzin, and the show was hosted by Aleksey Chumakov and Yelena Vorobey. The winner of the first season in 2005 was Vladimir Sapovsky, with Yevgeniya Otradnaya as runner-up.

Contestants

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Key:

  – Winner
  – Runner-up
Category (mentor) Acts
16–24s (Von Gechmen-Valdek) Alexey Vorobyov (17) Yevgeniya Otradnaya (19) Mariya Novikova (21)
Over 25s (Revzin) Aleksey Kuznetsov (25) Vladimir Dybsky (36) Vladimir Sapovsky (39)
Groups (Meladze) 8 Marta Nota Fraid Queens

Results Table

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Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Final
Vladimir Sapovsky Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Winner
(Final)
Yevgeniya Otradnaya Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Runner-Up
(Final)
Alexey Vorobyov Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Bottom
Queens Safe Safe Bottom
two
Safe Safe Bottom Eliminated
(Week 6)
Mariya Novikova Safe Safe Safe Bottom
two
Bottom Eliminated
(Week 5)
8 Marta Safe Safe Safe Bottom
two
Eliminated
(Week 4)
Vladimir Dybsky Bottom
two
Bottom
two
Bottom
two
Eliminated
(Week 3)
Nota Fraid Safe Bottom
two
Eliminated
(Week 2)
Aleksey Kuznetsov Bottom
two
Eliminated
(Week 1)

Season 2 (2007)

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The second and final season was broadcast in 2007 and won by Nikolay Timokhin, with Ilya Vasilyev as runner-up. Three new judges took sat: Valeriya, Tigran Keosayan and Valery Garkalin.

Contestants

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Key:

  – Winner
  – Runner-up
Category (mentor) Acts
16–24s (Valeriya ) Dmitry Karpinchik (21) Il'ya Vasil'yev (23) Yekaterina Antonenko (18) Nikolay Timokhin (18)
Over 25s (Garkalin) Yelena Gorskaya (28) Oskana Mukhina (27) Ol'ga Chekadanova (42) Vitaly Gasaev (36)
Groups (Keosayan) Bridge Just Listen O'Da Peekaboo

Results Table

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Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Final
Nikolay Timokhin Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Winner
(Final)
Ilya Vasilyev Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Runner-Up
(Final)
Vitaly Gasaev Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Bottom
Bridge Safe Safe Safe Safe Bottom
two
Safe Safe Safe Bottom Eliminated
(Week 9)
Yelena Gorskaya Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Bottom Eliminated
(Week 8)
O'Da Safe Safe Safe Bottom
two
Safe Bottom
two
Bottom Eliminated
(Week 7)
Just Listen Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Bottom
two
Eliminated
(Week 6)
Oksana Mukhina Bottom
two
Safe Bottom
two
Safe Bottom
two
Eliminated
(Week 5)
Yekaterina Antonenko Safe Safe Safe Bottom
two
Eliminated
(Week 4)
Peekaboo Safe Bottom
two
Bottom
two
Eliminated
(Week 3)
Olga Chekadanova Safe Bottom
two
Eliminated
(Week 2)
Dmitry Karpinchik Bottom
two
Eliminated
(Week 1)

See also

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References

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