Stepan Hiha

"Hiha" redirects here. For the New Zealand field hockey player, see Sam Hiha. For the Japanese post-hardcore band (HIHA), see Heaven in Her Arms.

In this name that follows East Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Petrovych and the family name is Hiha.

Stepan Petrovych Hiha (sometimes Giga; Ukrainian: Степан Петрович Гіга; 16 November 1959 – 12 December 2025) was a Ukrainian composer and singer.

Stepan Hiha
Степан Гіга
Hiha in 2005
Born	Stepan Petrovych Hiha (1959-11-16)16 November 1959 Bilky, Zakarpattia Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Died	12 December 2025(2025-12-12) (aged 66) Lviv, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine
Alma mater	Kyiv Conservatory
Occupations	Composer singer
Title	People's Artist of Ukraine Merited Artist of Ukraine
Website	stepangiga.com

His research interests as a professor included higher art education in Zakarpattia Oblast and the development of Transcarpathian pop music in the second half of the 20th century. He was the first person in independent Ukraine to be awarded the Golden Disc and his greatest hits were released in the 1990s and early 2000s. Additionally, he was among the few Ukrainian singers of the era who have never performed in the Russian language.

Biography

Early life and education

Born Stepan Petrovych Hiha on 16 November 1959 in the village of Bilky, Zakarpattia Oblast, he was raised in a family of modest means, with parents who worked in ordinary labour professions.

In addition to attending a secondary school, he also took vocal and bayan classes. After completing ten years of school and serving in the Soviet Army, he enrolled in the Uzhhorod Music School, where he studied for only three years (1980–1983) rather than usual four. He was a member of the Green Carpathians ensemble starting from seventh grade to the end of his studies at the music school, and eventually rose to the position of the band's leader.

After passing the external examinations, in 1983 Hiha enrolled in the vocal faculty at the Kyiv Conservatory, where he was taught by Kostyantyn Ognevy.

Hiha was granted a special permit by the Ukrainian SSR's Ministry of Culture to attend the conservatory's educational program without restrictions. As a result, he was excused from seminars and lectures but not from tests and examinations. However, this leisure time enabled his participation and victory in more than ten distinct festivals and competitions. He joined the wildly popular synthesizer group Stozhary, which functioned at the Chernihiv Philharmonic, as a soloist during his second year of the conservatory. He also performed as a soloist at the Kyiv Conservatory's opera studio, which was directed by Dmytro Hnatyuk.

Career

Hiha was recommended to join the National Opera of Ukraine as a soloist after graduating from the conservatory, but after considering all the advantages and disadvantages, he declined. This was why it took him six months to receive a credential of graduation from a higher-education school.

The Volyn Philharmonic, where the ensemble Rendezvous was formed expressly for him, was one of the proposals he received at this time for additional work. He declined, though, and went back to his home region of Transcarpathia.

Hiha began his career as a soloist with the Zakarpattia Philharmonic in 1988 and, a year later, founded the jazz-rock group Beskyd. After the band disbanded in 1991, he found himself unemployed, which prompted him to begin writing songs and exploring musical arrangement. This creative shift eventually led to the establishment of his own recording studio.

In 1993, he launched his career as a pop vocalist, and in 1995 released his debut solo album Druzi Moi (My Friends). In 1999, he founded the S. Hiha Art Agency, which includes the band Druzi Moi, the show ballet Viklen, and the ballet troupe Boomer. This was followed by two more albums: Vulytsia Natali (Natalie Street) in 1999 and Troyandy Dlia Tebe (Roses for You) in 2005.

Hiha's popularity began to decline in the 2000s, despite notable achievements during that period. In 2000, he founded the recording studio GIGARecords, marking an important milestone in his musical career.

His album Natalie Street became a breakthrough success; by 2002, it had sold over one million copies, making him the first artist in independent Ukraine to receive a Gold Disc. Alongside his artistic pursuits, he also dedicated himself to music education, becoming a professor at the Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University in 2006, and joining the Rivne Philharmonic as a soloist in 2007.

Later years and death

Although he had faded from the spotlight for some time, Hiha's music experienced a revival following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Thanks largely to the social media platform TikTok, his songs once again resonated deeply with Ukrainian audiences and gained widespread popularity. He became a sensation on social networks, where tracks including "This Dream", "Yavorina", "Third Toast", and "Gold of the Carpathians" emerged as genuine hits.

That same year, he launched extensive national and international tours in support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, further boosting his popularity and reaffirming his place in the hearts of fans. Hiha gave two concerts in Lutsk during the week of December 2022, and he returned to the city in April 2023.

Stepan Hiha died on 12 December 2025 at the age of 66, after undergoing an urgent medical operation during the previous month.

Work

Hiha collaborated with a number of poets, including Vasyl Kuzan, Vadym Kryshchenko, Stepan Haliabarda, A. Demydenko, A. Fihliuk, and A. Drahomyretskyi, among others.

As a songwriter, composer, and performer, he was known for other popular songs, including "Ostannia Nich" ("The Last Night"), "Natali", and "Koroleva" ("Queen"). His discography includes the albums Koroleva (1995) and Druzi Moi (1997). He toured extensively in France, Italy, Germany, Canada, and the United States.

Personal life

Hiha was married and had two children. His widow, Halyna, is the director of the GIGARecords recording studio and formerly served as an administrator at the Transcarpathian Philharmonic. Hiha's son Stepan and daughter Kvitoslava often perform songs set to their father's music and also accompanied him on independent tours.

Honours and awards

Hiha was awarded the following:

• Winner of the Grand Prix at the International Festival "Zoloti Trembity" (1990)
• Merited Artist of Ukraine (1998)
• Order of Prince Konstantin Ostrozhsky First Class (2000)
• People's Artist of Ukraine (2002)
• Order of Cossack Glory Third Class (2003)
• Golden Disc Award (2003)
• Order of the Nativity of Christ (2004)
• Order of Andrew the First-Called II Class (2005)
• Order of Andrew the First-Called I Class (2006)
• Order of Merit Third Class (2009)

External links

• Media related to Stepan Giga at Wikimedia Commons
• Stepan Hiha discography at Discogs