KALININ PHILHARMONIC DURING THE WAR
MUSICAL LIFE OF KALININ
(based on materials from the newspaper “Proletarskaya Pravda”)
1941
March 20
J. Taubin’s note “Ancient Instrument” talks about the harp kept in the regional museum. The author mentions the samogud gusli, the ringed gusli, widespread in Ancient Rus'. Sadko played the gusli, Russian heroes Dobrynya Nikitich, Churilo Plenkovich.
Review by A. Barantsev, teacher of secondary school No. 1, is dedicated to the literary and musical composition “Bakhchisarai Fountain”. The production took place at the Kalinin Philharmonic under the direction of its artistic director Pyotr Vasilyevich Aravin, who “connected and placed excerpts from Pushkin’s poem and Arensky’s music with sufficient tact and a sense of proportion.”
Role Girey was performed by the reader Mitrofanov, the Georgian Zarema was performed by the drama theater artist Z. A. Sherstnevskaya. The Tatar song is performed by the artist Rogozhina during the action.
(Shortly after the start of the war, P.V. Aravin went to the front - N.D.).
March 26
Musical poster
At the Philharmonic, a concert of a symphony orchestra from the works of A. Glazunov. Conductor A. Behrens, soloist N. Rogozhina. Opening speech by P.V. Aravina.
In the note “School Holidays” dated March 26, A. Komissarov lists in detail the list of entertainment events for Kalinin schoolchildren: an amateur art festival in the Palace of Pioneers, a matinee for October students and excellent students in the fifth and seventh grades classes organized there. For high school students, the drama theater gives two performances - “The Noble Nest” and “Flanders”. At the invitation of the Kalinin Philharmonic, the Moscow Puppet Theater came, under the direction of art. Goldstein. The theater will perform at the Palace of Pioneers, at the Tekstilshchik club and at the Philharmonic Concert Hall. On March 28, the Philharmonic organizes a symphony concert for high school students. The program includes works by Mussorgsky, the literary and musical composition “The Fountain of Bakhchisarai”, popular songs by Soviet composers.
In the same issue of the newspaper an article was published. hands Philharmonic Society of P. Aravin, dedicated to A. Glazunov. The author writes that the Philharmonic is preparing a special program for the 5th anniversary of the composer’s death. The symphony orchestra is working on the monumental 8th Symphony - Glazunov's last creation in this genre, and a suite from the ballet "Raymonda", which will be performed in a concert on March 26.
March 27
In the article “Holiday of collective farm culture” art. hands Philharmonic P. Aravin sums up the results of the concert festival for collective farmers, organized by the Philharmonic. The festival was a continuation of the collective farm festival of 1939. Great assistance in the organization was provided by the editors of local newspapers, who announced it in advance: the refugee “Banner of the Commune”, “Rzhevskaya Pravda”. Some proceeds from the concerts were significantly exceeded: instead of the planned 6,850 rubles. in the Kalininsky district 7800 were collected; in the Bezhetsky district, 6,500 rubles were collected. instead of the planned 5700, etc. The State Vocal Quartet (Kazakevich, Borkon, Zeizener, Tsionsky) performed at the festival; harmonica player Kolomensky-Nevsky; ballet compositions to the music of Rimsky-Korsakov (Matveev and Tedi) were performed; Russian folk tales were performed by art. Ustrugova Philharmonic, as well as Russian folk songs and ditties performed by Ryzhova.
June 1941. The Kalinin Drama Theater staged the play “Field Marshal Kutuzov”. It involved K.G. Lavretsky (Kutuzov), B.G. Chukmasov (Bagration) and V.M. Bryansky (Napoleon). The artistic director of the theater was S.V. Vinogradov.
June 18 an operetta evening has been announced. The program includes: the first acts of “La Bayadère”, “Pericola” and “The Gypsy Baron”.
June 29 the musical comedy theater’s performance of the operetta “The Nightingale Garden” was announced.
A symphony concert took place on the stage of the Musical Shell of the city garden. Starts at 20 o'clock.
In 1942, the newspaper “Proletarskaya Pravda” was not published.
1943
April 6
Performances of the Red Army Song and Dance Ensemble of the Kalinin Front were held in Kalinin with great success. At the beginning of the concert, the group performs a simple and cheerful skit. The Red Navy men came to visit the infantrymen to show their skills and find out who had the “bitter” songs and dances at the front. The competition begins. The presenters of the program act out a number of funny episodes. The listeners warmly welcome the order bearer Comrade. Kuznetsov, who perfectly performed the romance “Clip, Kiss” and “Gusli”, as well as soloist Mitsenko. Comrade Lakshtovsky “whistled” Alyabiev’s “Nightingale” perfectly. “Moscow Lyrics” performed by the order bearer Naumenko enjoyed great success among listeners. The concert ended with a mass Red Army dance, in which Rodin, Mitrofanov, Chernichenko and Golubev stood out for their skill.
June 11
A team of artists from the regional pop theater under the direction of I.V. Struzhentsov and M.F. Leonidova went on tour to the regions. The artists will give concerts in regional centers and collective farms of Maksatikhinsky, Sonkovsky, Krasnokholmsky, Bezhetsky, Molokovsky and other districts. The repertoire includes operettas “Silva” by Kalman, “Our Baby” by Sizov; sketches “Countrymen”, “Letter V”, “At the tenth bench”; scenes and duets from the operettas “The Nightingale Garden”, “La Bayadère”, “Rose Marie”; a duet about the friendship between Soviet and English pilots “O’Key”; ballet, art reading and other performances.
September 12
In the Kalinin House of the Red Army (now the House of Officers - N.D.), concerts by the People's Artist of the USSR, laureate Stalin Prize of the order bearer Maxim Dormidontovich Mikhailov. The singer opened his first concert with Chernetsky’s work, “Hail, Our Soviet Country,” full of heroic pathos. The immortal glory of the Kostroma peasant, who gave his life for the Fatherland, is conveyed by the artist in the wonderful, so-called farewell aria of Ivan Susanin from Glinka’s opera. With great skill M.D. Mikhailov performed Russian folk songs “Dubinushka”, “Along St. Petersburg”, “Ring” and others.
The concert was also attended by the soloist of the Bolshoi Theater A. Mokhova and the soloist of the Moscow Philharmonic I. Korolkov.
On the initiative of M. Mikhailov, a meeting of garrison officers with a team of artists was organized at the circus.
October 6
The newspaper “Proletarskaya Pravda” announces that on January 1, 1944, the regional state philharmonic will begin operating in Kalinin. It will include a professional folk song and dance choir (later the Song and Dance Ensemble - N.D.), an operetta ensemble and concert and variety groups.
October 12
In the summer, the pop theater performed in the regions. In two months he gave 50 performances in regional centers and collective farms. The concert crew visited the Bezhetsky, Sonkovsky, Sandovsky and Molokovsky districts.
December 22
The decision to restore the building of the regional drama theater was made by the executive committee of the regional council. 6,500 rubles were allocated for construction work. The auditorium has a seating capacity of one thousand; It is planned to build a philharmonic concert hall with 400 seats at the theater. There will be a park and a playground in front of the theater building. The rich construction resources of the region will be used for finishing the premises and cladding the facade - the most valuable types of wood, blue and pink limestone, etc. Work has begun to clear the building from debris, and construction materials are being prepared.
Concert dedicated to the memory of the great Russian composer P.I. Tchaikovsky, took place at the Pedagogical Institute. Teachers from the music school and artists from the radio committee took part in it. Before the concert, a lecture was given about the life and creative work of the composer. The musical numbers were accompanied by explanations.
1944
March 18
By the decision of the All-Union Committee for Arts under the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, the Philharmonic Society in Kalinin and the Kalinin region resumes its work. The main task of the Philharmonic is to popularize the best examples of Russian classical and folk music, as well as works of Soviet composers. The Kalinin Philharmonic has now begun organizing a small symphony orchestra, an operetta ensemble, chamber ensembles, and organizing a lecture hall in which literary scholars and masters of art will give lectures.
On March 18, in the premises of the regional drama theater, the Kalinin Philharmonic celebrates the 100th anniversary of the birth of N. .A. Rimsky-Korsakov. It will be attended by the newly created choir of Russian folk song and dance conducted by A. Kapulsky, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, soloist of the Bolshoi Theater V.R. Slivinsky. A series of concerts dedicated to the work of N. Rimsky-Korsakov will be held in the House of the Red Army, hospitals and clubs.
P. Shushkatov, director of the Philharmonic
March 21
March 18, the first concert of the Philharmonic took place at the Kalinin Drama Theater, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov. It opened with an introductory speech by lecturer Comrade Taube. The Russian Song Ensemble performed a number of choruses from Rimsky-Korsakov's operas. Farewell to Maslenitsa from the opera “The Snow Maiden” and the round dance song “The Fish Walked and Swim” from “Sadko” were performed. Young soloists of the ensemble performed several opera arias and romances by Rimsky-Korsakov. In the second part, V.R. spoke. Slivinsky. He performed the romances: “What’s in my name for you”, “Oh, if only you could”, a rarely performed aria from Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera “Kashchei the Immortal”. Kalinin singer Istomina also performed at the concert.
April 10
A concert of Bolshoi Theater soloist Ivan Pavlovich Burlak took place.
June 11
Chamber concerts of the Philharmonic took place in the Teacher's House. One of them is dedicated to an ancient romance; a number of romances were sung by the Philharmonic artist V.A. Postnikova.
June 25
A big celebration is expected in the city garden, organized by the Philharmonic. The concert involves artists of the Moscow Operetta, a song and dance ensemble, as well as soloists of the Philharmonic. Three (!) orchestras are playing. The entire collection goes to the country's defense fund.
June 28
The Moscow Musical Comedy Theater, ballet, orchestra are on tour at the Bolshoi Proletarsky Theater.
July 22
The Kalinin Regional Music School announces the acceptance of applications from citizens of both sexes for the departments: conducting-choral, vocal, piano, orchestral: violin , cello, double bass, trumpet, clarinet, flute, sections of folk instruments and button accordion. Tests are carried out from August 20 to 26, 1944. Appearance for tests is only upon call from the school. Address: Kalinin, Sovetskaya, 41/29, music school.
September 16
The Kalinin Song and Dance Ensemble participated in the All-Russian Review of Russian Folk Song Performers (director A.A. Kapulsky). In total, 38 teams from all regions of the Russian Federation came to the review. The Kalinin team reached the third round of the All-Russian Review and won the right to perform in the capital. T.A. provided significant assistance in preparing for the show. Ustinova. She put in a lot of effort, as a result of which the dance part of the ensemble, which had previously lagged behind the vocal part, caught up. The ensemble performed a number of songs recorded in the Tver province back in the 70-80s. XIX century Some songs were specially arranged by composer A. Kapulsky, for example, Volga, Rise, sunshine, Ah, you canopy, my canopy. The choir’s repertoire includes works of Russian classics, for example, “The Nightingale” and “Lamentation” by Tchaikovsky from the opera “Mazeppa”, as well as “Song of the Dark Forest” by Borodin. The costumes are made according to sketches by the artist V. Ivanov.
The team’s plans for the near future include a trip to the cities of the Kalinin region; a number of patron and open concerts in the city and on the radio. A special program will be prepared for the 27th anniversary of the Great October Revolution.
The All-Union Review Committee awarded the Kalinin Ensemble a certificate of honor and a cash prize.
October 24
An operetta ensemble was organized in Kalinin. The ensemble will conduct its work at the Bolshoi Proletarsky Theater. Now the renovation of the theater premises is being completed, the costume department and arts and crafts workshops are being re-created. The cast has been replenished with artists from Moscow, Kharkov, Tula and other cities. In the last days of October, the Kalinin audience will be shown the premiere of Kalman’s “Maritsa” and the premiere of “Bayadera”. During the season, listeners will be able to watch and listen to productions of “Wedding in Malinovka”, “Rose-Marie”, “Silva”.
S. Sergeev, director of the operetta ensemble
November 7 a performance of Kalman’s operetta “Maritsa” will take place at the Bolshoi Proletarsky Theater. Trams will be available towards the end of the performance. Collective applications are accepted.
November 15. “Maritsa.”
Reviewer L. Berg notes the significance of the event - the opening of the operetta theater in Kalinin: “We all remember the Proletarka club a year ago. Cold. Damp. Spectators in fur coats. The performers are shivering in their light concert dresses. And now there is still a war going on. But art in our country does not freeze, on the contrary, it continues to develop.”
The birth of the performance took place - the main thing that the reviewer summarizes. The design is still poor, the chorus and ballet are small, and the details in the scenes are lacking. But on the whole, the performance was created, and its director S. Sergeev can be congratulated on this. In the first cast, Maritsa is performed by I. Zakieva, in the second – by M. Pisarenko. L. Leonidov and G. Gensky are also involved in the performance; N. Kryzhanovsky and S. Shiger. The orchestra directed by N. Zakiev sounds good, the work of choreographer M. Mikhailova deserves approval.
December 31. New Year's concerts
During the winter holidays, the Kalinin Philharmonic gives many concerts for schoolchildren. A group of Philharmonic artists will perform in the clubs “Metallist”, named after Voroshilov, and the Bolshoi Proletarsky Theater with a large variety and circus program. The Pushkin concert is organized by the Philharmonic Lecture Hall. Artists of the regional drama theater and philharmonic society will perform scenes from the tragedy “Boris Godunov” and the opera “Eugene Onegin”; read Pushkin's fairy tales. “Evening of Russian Song and Dance” will show schoolchildren the Song and Dance Ensemble directed by A. Kapulsky.
1945
August 21
Admission tests have ended at the Kalinin Music School. 60 students were admitted to the conducting-choral, vocal and folk instruments departments. Among those accepted, many have secondary education.
From August 25 to 27, admission tests will be held at the Children's Music School named after M.P. Mussorgsky.
50 children with musical abilities will be accepted to study violin, piano and folk instruments. For the first time, a rhythm and dance group is opening at the school, where 30 children will study. The music college and school are staffed with qualified teaching staff.
Pogoreloye. Recently a group of artists from the Kalinin Philharmonic and the House of Folk Art went on tour here. She gave a number of concerts at the collective farms “March 8”, “Nosovo”, “Ray of Socialism” and others. Russian folk songs “Troika”, “Coachman”, “At the Well” and others enjoyed great success among listeners.
August 31
In order to popularize the art of music, the musical and literary lecture hall at the Kalinin Regional Philharmonic resumes systematic work. It has existed since November 1944, but until now lectures have been given irregularly.
Since September of this year, the lecture hall begins to work according to plan. A series of musical and literary lectures and concerts is planned for 6 months.
Qualified lecturers and actors from the Kalinin, Moscow, Leningrad Philharmonic and the regional drama theater are invited to perform in the lecture hall.
In September there will be lectures and concerts on the topics: “Russian folk song and music of the period before Glinka”, “World significance of Russian literature”; in October: “Glinka – Dargomyzhsky” and “Pushkin”; in November - “Borodin” and “Lermontov”.
Lectures and concerts will be held in the Teacher’s House, in the House of the Red Army, pedagogical institutes, technical colleges and schools. A special series of lectures and concerts will be organized for primary schoolchildren.
For the cultural service of workers, the regional philharmonic society sends concert and pop brigades to the regions. During the spring and summer, over 250 concerts were organized in regional cultural centers and reading huts by Moscow, Leningrad and Kalinin artists.
In addition to performances by professional artists, the Philharmonic organized a show of amateur performances. Concert brigades, organized from amateur artistic circles, gave more than 80 performances.
For cultural service of collective farmers during the harvest, two brigades of a song and dance ensemble, a pop brigade and other artistic groups. They will give about 100 concerts in the regions.
* * *
FROM THE HISTORY OF THE SONG AND DANCE ENSEMBLE
KALININ PHILHARMONIC
The song and dance ensemble at the Kalinin Philharmonic was organized in 1943. Apparently, the main inspiring idea of its creation was the ardent desire of the artists to help the Red Army soldiers in the fight against the enemy. In the first year of its existence alone, the ensemble gave 80 patron concerts, performing in military units, and about 100 concerts in the cities and towns of the Kalinin region - in the regional center, Bezhetsk, Torzhok, Maksatikha, Rzhev, Vyshny Volochek...
“Somewhere in the distance Shells were exploding from the city, machine guns were chattering, the explosions of mines and bombs were dull... The ruins of buildings were still smoking, deep craters were gaping. And now, almost very close to the front, under the arches of a tall building, a wide and free Russian song sounded. An unusual audience listened to her. The concert took place in a front-line hospital. And the artists performed not on stage, but in a hospital corridor,” wrote V. Borovoy, correspondent for the Kalininskaya Pravda newspaper.
Song and Dance Ensemble of the Kalinin Philharmonic. 1947
Fourth from the right in a black suit is the director of the ensemble, Alexander Abovich KAPULSKY; in the center - (possibly) choirmaster Mikhail Vasilyevich TIMOFEEV; to his right is singer and soloist of the ensemble Galina SAVINA; on the left – choreographer Nadezhda NADEZhDINA; second from the right in the same row is singer and soloist Vera GORDIENKO; accordion players are sitting - B. PAKKAS, A. GOLUBEV, V. MALAKHOV, B. ZELENOV; in the center of the dance group of the ensemble sits soloist Alexey KUDRYAVTSEV.
If we take into account the military subjects of the paintings on the walls: Mitrofan Grekov " Tachanka" (right) and Nikolai Samokish's "Fight for the Banner" (left), it can be assumed that the photograph was taken in the foyer of the House of Officers, in front of the entrance to the concert hall.
The first artistic director of the Ensemble was Alexander Abovich Kapulsky. And the first participants in the first year were no more than fifteen people. Choristers had to participate in dances, and dancers had to sing in the choir. Among them were collective farmers and weavers, sailors and drivers. Viktor Garmashov has nine escapes from German captivity. And the dancer that the team was proud of, Alexey Kudryavtsev, was an ordinary boy from Proletarka.
Dance group of the Kalinin Philharmonic Song and Dance Ensemble with soloist Alexei Kudryavtsev. 1954
A year later, the Kalinin Song and Dance Ensemble included 60 artists. In the summer of 1944, the group was invited to the All-Russian Review of Ensembles in Moscow and immediately entered the top six, along with such luminaries as the M. Pyatnitsky Choir, the Ural, Voronezh and Gorky choirs.
The jury's statements were most approving. “You have to be able to create such a team in such a short period of time! Good ensemble, good! Both the choir and the dance group perform at a high level. I watched with great pleasure the dances “Oh, you are my canopy, canopy”, “The Kalinushka was blooming near the valley”, “The girls came out to the meadow in the spring”, “Birch” and “Tver quadrille”,” said Alexander Sveshnikov.
Alexander Vasilievich SVESHNIKOV, director and conductor of the State. USSR choir.
The first choreographers of the Song and Dance Ensemble were Nadezhda Nadezhdina (future creator of the legendary dance “Beryozka”) and Tatyana Ustinova (choreographer of the M. Pyatnitsky Choir).
Choreographer Nadezhda Sergeevna NADEZhDINA
Choreographer Tatyana Alekseevna USTINOVA
The choir’s repertoire includes Russian folk songs “On the Pavement Street”, “About the Tatar Full” (arranged by N. Rimsky-Korsakov), “The Death of Ermak”. The first solo singers were Galina Savina, Antonina Kopylova, Margarita Istomina.
Soloist and singer of the ensemble Galina SAVINA
Margarita Borisovna ISTOMINA - singer and soloist of the Kalinin Song and Dance Ensemble< /p>
In the second half of the 1940s, Mikhail Vasilyevich Timofeev, who became the permanent choirmaster of the ensemble for many years, and Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Grab, a choral conductor who significantly increased the professional level of the singers, came to the Ensemble.< /p>
Singer and soloist of the ensemble Alexandra Nikolaevna Ishieva (Agafonova) says:
Singer and soloist of the ensemble Alexandra Agafonova
In the 50s, our song and dance ensemble grew to 70 people. To transport everyone to the concert, two semi-trucks were needed. One day, only one was sent from the military unit. What to do? We began to crowd into the back of the car as tightly as possible. And then another problem arose: where to put the watermelons? So tasty, sugary, truly steppe - almost everyone has them. I had to throw them off the car directly onto the ground. The watermelons fell, cracked and crumbled, revealing their bright red insides. They literally blossomed before our eyes. Like roses...
For the tour, the administrator bought us a whole carriage. A separate compartment was occupied by a dresser. At first they sewed the costumes themselves, but gradually the administration took over these concerns. Then an incident even arose: the male choristers liked the costumes so much that after the performance they went straight to the dance in their concert uniform. I had to sew blue stripes on my trousers...
It’s strange, but true: almost no one now remembers that there was a Song and Dance Ensemble in Kalinin at the Philharmonic. But over the fifteen years of its existence, the team has traveled almost the entire country. All major cities of the Baltic states, Moldova, Ukraine, Primorsky Krai and the Caucasus. The ensemble performed in the city of Kushka in Turkmenistan and Samarkand in Uzbekistan; in Karelia and Donbass; in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and Novgorod, Kursk and Yaroslavl, as well as Vladimir, Ivanovo, Uglich, Kostroma, Rybinsk, Pskov...
The composition of the group, as is usually the case, was quite varied and fluid: musicians changed especially often. To find the right ones, the ensemble inspector often had to travel to Moscow, to Pushkinskaya Street. It was there, on a narrow Moscow street, that the music labor market was concentrated. It was there that it was possible to hire musicians of rare specialties into the ensemble - for example, trombonists and trumpeters.
Song and Dance Ensemble of the Kalinin Philharmonic. Presenter – Maria MARMINOVA
But the backbone of the choir quickly formed from students and graduates of the Kalinin Music College. Alexandra Agafonova, Zoya Balakireva, Alexey Veselkov, Vera Gordienko, Antonina Gruzdeva, Maya Koroleva, Vera Kresteshnikova, Rufina Kutuzova, Ekaterina Shibaeva - all of them were soloists of the choir. Individual songs were performed by the vocal trio - Tatyana Yakovleva, Alexandra Agafonova and Vera Gordienko: “Keep your Fatherland selflessly” by I. Dunaevsky and “Come on leave” by S. Tulikov; “Under the golden moon” and “The clear sun rises.” The audience invariably “encore” the trio’s performances, rewarding the artists with long standing ovations.
Vocal trio of the Kalinin Philharmonic Song and Dance Ensemble
From left to right: Galina SAVINA, Vera GORDIENKO, Ekaterina SHIBAEVA
The ensemble's repertoire consisted mainly of songs and dances. Soviet composers and Russian folk composers, peoples of the USSR and people's democracies - this is what the poster testifies. “Copples and rifts”, “Growing on the edge of a maple tree”, “Far, far away”, “March of the 8th Chinese Army”; Czech folk song “In the Old Garden” and Polish “Three Mornings” - these are the names from the concert programs of the first post-war years.
“Hymn of democratic youth”, “Oh my mists”, “Cold waves are splashing”, “March of communist brigades”, “Nightingales”, “Roads-roads”, “Amur waves” ”, “Varyag” - songs performed in the 50s. And also “A Passing Song” by Glinka, “Verkhovina” by Kos-Anatolsky, “Broad Maslenitsa” by Smetana...
The Russian “Barynya” with bass soloist S. Grishchenko was performed in such a way that the soles themselves left the ground. This is probably why “The Lady” was always encored. In the first post-war years, the performance of the “Anthem of the Soviet Union” was considered mandatory. The ensemble also featured a reader - actress Nina Verkhovskaya-Grigorieva, who beautifully read fairy tales from the stage.
Ensemble dance group
Song and Dance Ensemble of the Kalinin Philharmonic.
Choirmaster Mikhail TIMOFEEV stands on the far right; far left – reader Nina Grigorieva-Verkhovskaya
Between tours, the ensemble members rehearsed for several hours every day. The irreplaceable and respected choirmaster and accompanist of the group was Mikhail Vasilyevich Timofeev. He learned songs with soloists and worked a lot with the choir. In the first post-war years, well-known vocal teachers in Kalinin worked with solo singers: Maria Eduardovna Lanskaya and Elena Osipovna Gauk. For rehearsals, they used the halls of the House of Officers and the Music School, and later rented premises in the Metallist cultural center.
Vocal teacher Maria Eduardovna LANSKAYA (sitting in the center) with student soloists of the Song and Dance Ensemble of the Kalinin Philharmonic - Alexey VESELKOV (sitting on the right) and Rufina KUTUZOVA (standing in the center)
Alexandra Nikolaevna Ishieva (Agafonova) tells:
Singer and soloist of the ensemble Alexandra Agafonova
During a tour in the Primorsky Territory, I was able to visit the grave of my brother Sergei. My mother and I knew from the agenda that captain-paratrooper S. Agafonov died in 1950 and was buried in the cemetery of the village of Monastyrische near the Manzovka station. But, of course, it was not possible to travel that far. And then in 1951 the ensemble came to this same Manzovka with a concert in a military unit, and at 4 o’clock in the morning officers were already meeting us on the spot. I asked how far it was to the cemetery and immediately went there. I wandered around the cemetery for a long time, but I never found my brother’s grave. Only then did Sergei’s landlady show it to me. By that time the grave had already collapsed, only a column with an asterisk sticking out, on which the surname was indicated. However, the military unit did not remain indifferent to my grief: they raised the level of the grave, put it in order, and began to take care of it.
I brought a wild flower from the grave to my mother, but I couldn’t perform that day - I was choking with tears.
Touring life was not easy, especially at first. Sometimes we had to give three concerts a day. This was the case, for example, in Sakhalin, which the ensemble traveled far and wide, and especially its southern cities and towns.
After the concert with the sailors of the Pacific Fleet
Maria Marminova joined the team in the difficult post-war 1946. Her fighting character and extraordinary organizational skills quickly made Masha an inspector of the ensemble. She supplied the performers with sheet music, assembled the choir for rehearsals, conducted concert programs, accommodated the ensemble members in a hotel, provided transportation to take the group to the concert, sent out royalties, and sometimes even lit the stoves in the carriage where the artists lived. One day there was an urgent need to organize and hold a concert, and Masha managed to notify all forty people two hours before the start.
Maria Sergeevna Klychkova (Marminova) tells:
The first big tour began in Stavropol. It was a hungry time, and our main task was to provide the ensemble with a stable schedule of concert performances. One of our concerts cost 5 thousand, which was a lot of money at that time; we had to not only recoup it, but also earn something. Here, the former first secretary of the Kalinin Regional Committee, who at that time worked in Stavropol, by the name of Boytsov, helped us a lot. He offered to perform in military units and signed an agreement with us that guaranteed payment for all concerts. It was very difficult in Stavropol back then. We traveled to the most remote corners, sometimes performing on the sand, on the ground, under the scorching sun. Returning to Stavropol, we slept right in the Philharmonic on newspapers spread out. But we were young and endured all the hardships and difficulties with dignity.
In payment for our help, Boytsov only asked for... potatoes. There, in the Stavropol region, it did not grow - it was too hot. And we “drove” home to Kalinin twice to bring bags of potatoes. But after these tours, our status as an ensemble was determined - from now on we performed mainly for the military.
“Lights are burning in the village” and “Moldavaneska”, “Harvest” from the film “Kuban Cossacks” and “Red Fleet Suite”, “Russian Dance” and “Slovak Polka” were heard in accompanied by accordion players B. Pakkas and A. Golubev, V. Malakhov and B. Zelenov.
Chorus artists
Gradually, married couples appear within the Ensemble: Grigory Sharapa and Galina Savina, Victor and Nina Garmashov, Boris Voroshilov and Klavdia Tsygankova, Valentin and Valentina Borovik. Such family unions, which develop among like-minded people, last a long time because they are inspired by professional concerns and problems.
Soloists of the Song and Dance Ensemble Galina Ivanovna SAVINA and Grigory Fedorovich SHARAP< /p>
The ensemble was disbanded in 1959. The fates of its many members developed differently. But the relationships of friendship and mutual assistance that developed in those early years bound the ensemble members until the very last years of their lives. Many of them are no longer alive. However, from small amateur photographs young and cheerful faces look at us. Among the sailors on a ship of the Pacific Fleet, against the backdrop of the palaces of Samarkand, near the city canal in Vyshny Volochyok, at the Cross in honor of the Romanovs at Cape Kushka.
Soloists of the ensemble's dance group Nina Vasilievna Garmashova and Grigory Fedorovich Sharapa
Male dance group of the Kalinin Philharmonic Song and Dance Ensemble.
Far left – Grigory SHARAP
Song and Dance Ensemble of the Kalinin Philharmonic in 1950
Poster of the Kalinin Philharmonic Song and Dance Ensemble
Ensemble dance group
Material prepared by Nina Konstantinovna DROZDETSKAYA;
photos taken from the ARCHIVE of the Tver Academic Philharmonic,
a also provided by Alexander Grigorievich SHARAPA;
images of paintings on the walls (see photo 1) identified by Olga Afanasyeva