In 1992, he was awarded a diploma at the Golden Stag International Pop Song Festival in Brașov, Romania.
[1] His mother, Alexandra Vasilievna, was a teacher in Siberia, and his father worked at the construction site of the Abakan-Taishet Railway.
[2] From 1977 to 1981, Victor studied at the S. I. Taneyev Musical Institute of Kaluga [ru] majoring in piano.
By 1982, Korolev had been drafted to the Soviet Army, where he was stationed in Belarus as a private in missile forces,[1][3] where he considered himself "fortunate" to participate in the military orchestra.
[2] According to Korolev, army musicians in the orchestra had special privileges including time off and the ability to see films in theater.