Svetlana Nazarenko, known as Aya from the group "Gorod 312", is preparing to return to the stage after a massive stroke she suffered in early 2023. On October 17, the singer will turn 56, and her fight for health has become an example of incredible resilience.

Before her illness, Aya was a star in Kyrgyzstan, releasing a CD in the mid-90s. Working at Radio Piramida brought her together with Dmitry and Leonid Pritula, with whom she founded the group "Gorod 312", named after Bishkek's telephone code. Moving to Moscow and the birth of her daughter Katya from sound engineer Alexey Lesnikov did not break her. The group became famous throughout Russia after the single "Ostanus" was featured in "Day Watch".

Five years ago, Aya released a solo single "Vremya", but assured fans that she was not going to leave the group. She explained that in her solo project she works with other authors and arrangers, creating songs with "women's stories, a woman's view on everything that happens in life and inside the human soul. From hysteria to acceptance. From despair to self-forgetfulness."

After celebrating the group's 20th anniversary and Aya's participation in the final of the "Avatar" show, in March 2023, "Gorod 312" announced a suspension of concert activities. The musicians explained this by the lead singer's health problems after suffering from COVID. The "creative break" dragged on, and a year later the group introduced a new lead singer – Diana Makarova, a star of "The Voice". Diana emphasized that she does not plan to permanently replace Aya, but only helps the group to continue working. Nazarenko supported this decision: "Concerts will go on, Diana will perform as the lead singer. Please accept her, but don't compare her to me. She will help us out for now. I will not sit idly by, I will take care of my health, thank God, I will have time for that. Thank Diana for this too. The guys should work. It seems wrong to me if everyone sat and waited for me to recover. It's not easy for them either, but we are together. As soon as I understand that I have recovered, we will definitely make an announcement."

However, fans did not accept the new lead singer, demanding Aya's return and suggesting that she was forced out of the group. In reality, the situation was much more serious than the public imagined.

In September 2025, Svetlana Nazarenko frankly told Andrey Malakhov about her illness. She had coronavirus four times, which led to a cerebrovascular accident. In early 2023, before a concert, Aya had a nosebleed, and then severe headaches began. Despite this, she performed, and after the concert went to an event. Already at home, repeating the same phrase, she aroused her husband's suspicion. "My husband says: 'Is everything okay? You seem not to hear me, you say the same thing, as if you're drunk.' I took a pill, fell asleep, and woke up due to terrible vomiting. Then an ambulance was called, my husband immediately said: 'My wife has all the signs of a stroke.' I was taken to the hospital by ambulance and immediately admitted to intensive care. They said: 'She is in critical condition, we don't know if she will survive. She has a massive stroke'," Aya shared on the "MALAKHOV" show.

For several days, doctors fought for her life. The left side of her body was paralyzed, and she had problems with speech and movement. "I advise everyone to get an ultrasound of the deep veins so that there are no blood clots anywhere. Because for some, like me, a blood clot can break off. It just blocked the vein that supplies the brain, and part of my brain died," the singer said. Doctors were amazed that Aya survived such a massive stroke and late seeking of help. Aya herself believes that her deceased parents fought for her and her friends prayed.

Rehabilitation has been going on for 3.5 years. "Everything happened at the end of February, and on May 5, I already started going out with a cane. The rehabilitation specialists are simply amazing, how they drag us there! After all, the fear of falling, it doesn't go away. The cane is gone, I took it to the hospital when I was for a check-up. I said, if someone doesn't have money, let them take it, but only for a while, so that the person recovers faster," Aya joked last autumn.

Aya expressed great gratitude to the group for their support, noting that they always agreed: if someone leaves due to health reasons, they can return. Now Svetlana Nazarenko is actively recovering and preparing to return to the stage, demonstrating incredible strength of spirit and will to live.