Elina Nechayeva radiates elegance with every step

Text: Kadri Eisenschmidt, Media Station Photos: Laura Nestor, Martin Kirikal Published: 18 / September / 2018

Elina Nechayeva (26) has achieved more than just 8th place in the Eurovision Song Contest this spring. The beloved soprano has brought classical music closer to the wider audience and shown with playful ease how to tie timeless elegance with light and popular electronic music.

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The singer's daily work is voice training, which is why Elina takes a singing lesson every day. In addition, she plans and organises her own concerts and performances. Much of it is master classes, concerts, various opera roles and contests. With regard to the latter, there is a need for travel, both within Europe and, for example, to South Korea or New York. Fortunately, there is also a bit of time to discover new places in between work.

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Elina, what destination would you always recommend?

One of my favourite destinations is undoubtedly St. Petersburg. It is beautiful and majestic all year round, but for me it is especially close to my heart in summer, the season of the white nights. There are many museums in St. Petersburg and it is packed with culture, but one of the most magical spectacles is to ride a boat on the river in the evening, when the city is lit up, and see the opening of the bridges.

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For people visiting Estonia from far away, I would recommend going to Kadriorg in Tallinn. The EV100 (Estonia's 100thanniversary) is a good time to visit our homeland, but in addition, Kadriorg is celebrating its 300thanniversary this year. The magnificent Catherine's Palace, KuMu – the Kadriorg Museum of Art, and the Japanese Gardens, which emit a special tranquility, lie right next to the heart of the city centre. In addition, there are several restaurants in the immediate vicinity. During the summertime, Kadriorg Park hosts great open-air concerts. Because there are not many bogs in the rest of Europe, for those who have more time, I would advise you to take a one-hour drive from Tallinn to Kakerdaja Bog, which is an especially beautiful place on a warm autumn day.

What are your tricks to make travelling easier and take care of yourself while travelling?

It is true that the dry air inside an aeroplane can have a devastating effect on the voice of a singer, which I can not afford, especially when travelling. Therefore, I use air humidifiers over my nose and mouth – the plastic mask, Humidiflyer – when flying. It may look a bit bizarre, and sometimes people ask if everything is alright with me; it is just necessary for my voice. In addition, I have drinking water with me. In order to make the flight more comfortable, I always have warm socks, and on longer flights I have socks with silver thread, which improve the blood supply, with me in my cabin luggage. As for beauty products, water spray for my face, lip balm and hand cream are important for me.

One of my favourite destinations is undoubtedly St. Petersburg. It is beautiful and majestic all year round, but for me it is especially close to my heart in summer, the season of the white nights. 

In general, I like flying and travelling and it is a pleasure that we have our own airline that allows people the freedom to travel and fly. The fact that this can be done directly and conveniently from Tallinn is a bonus. For longer flights, I use my free time on the plane to study notes and listen to parts, and I do not generally have problems with jet lag. One thing that is really great is that in places with a warmer climate, I hit the high notes even better.

Article was published in Nordica´s in-flight magazine Time Flies  (summer-autumn 2018).