Highlights from the life of Freddie Mercury in photos

On November 23, 1991, Freddie Mercury made an official statement that he had AIDS. The next day, on November 24, the legendary musician died of bronchial pneumonia, which developed against his background. Today, 30 years after the death of the singer and composer, we remember the life of the great Freddie in photographs.

Freddie on his fourth birthday in Zanzibar in a prayer cap and with a traditional wreath.

On the way to the Fire Temple for a birthday celebration. Usually the family went there by taxi, but Freddie's mother Jer says that on that day she wanted her son to have a rickshaw ride in his memory.

From the age of seven, Freddie attended St. Peter's School in Panchgani, India. He even received the "Best Student" award.

Freddie studied at Ealing Art College with Peter Townsend and Ronnie Wood. It was here that he started thinking about making a career in the music world. In his last year of study, he joined the Ibex group. In this photo, he is relaxing with the rest of the group in Kensington.

A photo shoot for the Queen group at Freddie's apartment in Holland Park.

Freddie during a photo shoot at Primrose Hill in north London in September 1974.

Freddie with his parents Jer and Bomi Bulsara during their visit to his Kensington apartment.

Freddie backstage at a concert in London in November 1974.

These photos were taken by Queen guitarist Brian May on a stereo camera. "I carried this camera with me almost everywhere," says May— "These photos can be viewed in the "magic eye" mode. The result is a fully plausible 3D image."

The "duck House" on the edge of Lake Geneva in Switzerland became Freddie's refuge from the paparazzi at the end of his career. Here he recorded his last compositions with Queen and wrote the last song A Winter's Tale.

Concert in red leather pants and with iconic armbands.

Concert in New York as part of the "Night at the Opera" tour. Freddie fell in love with this city during the time he rented an apartment here. He told friends that it was in New York that he could feel like an "ordinary person."

At a concert in the UK as part of the "Night at the Opera" tour.

Freddie's 39th birthday in Munich, Germany. He invited close friends to a masquerade party, and then shot a couple of videos from the event for the clip of his solo single Living on My Own. However, then his record company banned the showing of this clip. The world saw the full version only with the re-release of the track itself in 1993.

Work on the first solo album Mr. Bad Guy in Munich.

All the photos in this post were taken from the book "Freddie Mercury. The great pretender."

Freddie Mercury's mom with a book in which all these photos were printed, including those that had never been published before.