Sultan Lagachev Gave First Big Fee to Mother for Home Repair
His voice tears through social media. His accordion weeps at every Caucasian wedding. His songs are played by truck drivers on long night rides—from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok. Sultan Lagachev is the most in-demand singer from the Caucasus in Russia, the author of that very «Bitter Taste». But his own story is far from the gloss of show business. It is a story about how childhood ended at age ten. How the very first fee of 500 rubles (approximately $5 at current rates), given to his mother, meant more than subsequent millions. And how a bouquet of shashlik (skewered meat) became a sign that his talent was recognized by those for whom this voice sounds. A correspondent from 26.RU spoke with Sultan about his path to fame.
Childhood Ended at Age 10
Kubina, Karachay-Cherkessia. 1995. Here, time is measured not by calendars but by natural phenomena: when avalanches come down, when rhododendrons bloom, when rams roar on pasture. The Lagachev home was like dozens of others: stone walls, carpets, the smell of tea. Sultan was born here, and he had ten years of happy childhood. But one day, everything changed.
«Father passed away early. And childhood in the usual sense ended,» Sultan says calmly, even matter-of-factly. «The moment came when you are now responsible for everything in the house.»
At age ten, he became the family«s support. School, household chores, caring for his younger sister—life narrowed to simple, hard routine. His mother became everything at once: both mother and father, and an example of strength without grand words.
«She never said it was hard. She just did it. And my sister and I learned from her—to do, not to complain.»
There was strictness. But not cold, out of love. And youthful freedoms happened, as they do, but respect for his mother remained unconditional, even though she simply took care of the home and family.
Football or Accordion
If life had gone differently, Sultan could have become an athlete. Football was his passion, wrestling—his character.
«I lived for football. My legs carried me to the field on their own. But my mother quietly yet persistently insisted: »You have a voice, son. Sing.« And I brushed it off. What singing, when you need to score goals?»
The turning point came unexpectedly when an old national accordion fell into his hands. Sultan took the instrument—and something clicked inside; he wanted to learn to play, but he didn«t go to music school. Instead, he studied like everyone else—averagely. His favorite »subject« was wrestling in the schoolyard and hiking in the mountains.
«Childhood in the mountains is a special time. We have very rich nature, what more do you need. I also went to summer camp, with warm memories and first love associated with it. And all this later went into the songs.»
But the accordion didn«t let go. From age 19, he started picking out melodies secretly, then playing in a local ensemble, performing at weddings. He brought his first fee of 500 rubles (approximately $5 at current rates) to his mother.
«She took it silently, nodded. And in her eyes was everything at once: pride, anxiety, hope. Then I understood: music could become something more than just a hobby for me.»
His first contest in 2012—a republican festival where Sultan took third place.
«For the world—nothing. For me—Olympus. We hung the certificate on the wall in my room, and it proved: my path is here.»
«Bitter Taste» Changed Everything
The path from wedding musician to the main voice of the region, heard across the country, was thorny. He recorded songs on a simple microphone, uploaded them online. Popularity came suddenly with the track «Bitter Taste», which literally exploded on social media in 2021. Sultan was only 26 years old at the time.
«It happened in one moment. The song just took off. People started recognizing me on the streets, and there were first concerts, interviews. And I was stunned by all this. After the release of the song »We Are Abazins«, elders came up to me, shook my hand, thanked me. Then I understood: your word now carries weight. And that»s a huge responsibility.«
His first major fee—500,000 rubles (approximately $5,000 at current rates), and Sultan didn«t spend it on luxuries for himself.
«I gave the money to my mother. We started repairing the house. Foundation, roof, windows. It was my best financial lesson; we invested everything in fixing up our home.»
Fame also brought amazing moments. Once, he asked his fans not to give him flowers—saying, upbringing doesn«t allow it. At the next concert, fans came out to him… with a bouquet of shashlik (skewered meat).
«I really said once: »Don«t waste money on flowers—I feel awkward accepting them, upbringing doesn»t allow it.« And I thought that was it. But at the next concert, a delegation of fans comes out to me with… a huge bundle of shashlik, wrapped in foil and tied with a ribbon. Smoke was rising, the smell filled the whole stage! I laughed until I cried. It was brilliant. They didn»t just hear—they felt it. I deeply respect and value my fans!«
This is precisely Sultan Lagachev«s recipe for success: be honest, surround yourself with good people, and work hard.
«I Relax on the Football Field»
Initial popularity came hard. It«s great when the public lifts you to the top, but staying there isn»t so easy. The singer admits there were nights when he refreshed the page with his track on a music service almost every minute to see if plays were growing or not. He got upset seeing drops in the charts.
The singer admits it was difficult to cope with this. «I used to live by stereotypes: if you»re in first place, you should always be there. If activity on social media dropped, for me it was a tragedy.«
Sport and home save him from overload and unnecessary thoughts. As Sultan says, his outlet isn«t clubs or restaurants. Football and boxing.
«I relax on the football field—I play whenever I have free time. And also boxing to blow off steam for the mind and body. As they say, two favorite sports have been with me since childhood. No thoughts about contracts, releases. Just you, breathing, and the punch. And then—home. And a little daughter who is different every day. To catch these moments, see how she discovers the world, and share these instants with my wife—that»s real life.«
By the way, Sultan«s wife—Albina, from the same village as him, and they»ve known each other since childhood. After the wedding, they moved to Moscow and already bought an apartment there. A year ago, their daughter Safina was born.
«Hooligan»s Love«
His most personal track—«Hooligan»s Love«.
«There, I am genuine. And sincerity—is the only thing that lives forever.»
Plans include new songs, collaborations, a first album in acoustic sound, which will be released in February and mark the end of a big phase.
«I always have many new songs in the works: in the arrangement stage, in sketches. In February, my first album will be released, where I»ve collected the most popular tracks from recent years. They will be in new, unusual acoustic arrangements. This album will be a line, the conclusion of a certain segment of my creative activity.«
In ten years, he sees himself in stadiums. But he dreams of something else, truly important.
«I want a school or folk music competitions in my homeland. So that children remember the language, the accordion, the roots. I want to be a bridge between tradition and modernity.»
