Soviet television

[unseen]

Soviet aerobics. Rhythmic gymnastics with masters of figure skating (1986)

Spoiler!

[unseen]

Unfortunately not everything can be translated. This video will be useful mainly for those who are learning Russian. For such videos I will put a mark "in Russian" it means that for their viewing it is desirable to know the Russian language.



Alexander Ostrovsky - A play Wolves and Sheep (1973)

Staging of the State Academic Maly Theatre of USSR.

In Russian

Spoiler!

Episode 1






Episode 2

[unseen]

Russian folk dances perfomed by ensemble "Berezka" (1962)

"Берёзка"="A Birch tree"

Spoiler!

0:20 - An old Russian Waltz "A Birch tree"

7:20 - A dance picture "Farewell, Maslenitsa"

["Maslenitsa is an Eastern Slavic religious and folk holiday, celebrated during the last week before Great Lent, that is, the eighth week before Eastern Orthodox Pascha (Easter). Maslenitsa corresponds to the Western Christian Carnival, except that Orthodox Lent begins on a Monday instead of a Wednesday, and the Orthodox date of Easter can differ greatly from the Western Christian date.

According to archeological evidence from 2nd century A.D. Maslenitsa may be the oldest surviving Slavic holiday. Maslenitsa has its origins in the pagan tradition. In Slavic mythology, Maslenitsa is a sun-festival, personified by the ancient god Volos, and a celebration of the imminent end of the winter. In the Christian tradition, Maslenitsa is the last week before the onset of Great Lent.

During the week of Maslenitsa, meat is already forbidden to Orthodox Christians, and it is the last week during which eggs, milk, cheese and other dairy products are permitted, leading to its name of "Cheese-fare week" or "Crepe week". The most characteristic food of Maslenitsa is bliny thin pancakes or crepes, made from the rich foods still allowed by the Orthodox tradition that week: butter, eggs and milk.

Since Lent excludes parties, secular music, dancing and other distractions from spiritual life, Maslenitsa represents the last chance to take part in social activities that are not appropriate during the more prayerful, sober and introspective Lenten season.

In some regions, each day of Maslenitsa had its traditional activity. Monday may be the welcoming of “Lady Maslenitsa”. The community builds the Maslenitsa effigy out of straw, decorated with pieces of rags."

The text was taken from Wikipedia.]


12:53 - A dance picture "At the well"

17:39 - A dance picture "At the autumn fair"

22:08 - Russian Maidens' Round Dance "A Birch tree"

[unseen]

Pyotr Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 6. Conductor was Evgeny Svetlanov (1985)

Spoiler!

The symphony starts at 10:35.



Excerpt from Introductory speech by the conductor Evgeny Svetlanov:

There are thousands of beautiful works in world music. In order to listen to them, a few human lives would not be enough. Among them there are less known works, but there are well-known works. There are favorite works. Among these favorite works are outstanding works. Among outstanding works there are great works. Among the great works there are the greatest works. Symphony No. 6 of Pyotr Tchaikovsky is such the greatest work.

The fate of this symphony was very interesting. The composer created it at the very end of his life. And for the first time he conducted on this symphony 10 days before his death. Only 10 days ago, the Perterburg public saw Tchaikovsky, but he looked rather bad, like too old for his age… I would not like to talk about it today.

Another thing is important. This symphony at its first performance was not accepted at all by the public. People in the hall are numb, they did not know how to react to this music. It was so new to them and was so unheard of new and unlike anything they just got confused. Or they were under such a strong impression from the symphony that they did not want to applaud. This happens sometimes too.

And now we, too, often listen and perform this symphony and, as a rule, after it we don’t want to show any emotions. And as listeners, we want to sit in a chair, immerse ourselves in our thoughts, and soon as soon as we can be alone. And for the manifestation of turbulent enthusiasm, we have no internal reasons. Although the shock from the symphony is so great that it would be possible to express it all externally, but we do not want to express it.

However, contemporaries show that the symphony was not understood by the public. And indeed, even now, every time rehearsing this work, which is well known to every musician, and even more so to the orchestral musician, it still causes great difficulties at rehearsals. I can not even understand what is the reason of this phenomenon.

It is always painfully difficult to prepare it for performance. Therefore, getting great gratification from working on this opus at the same time you experience tremendous performing difficulties every time. This stimulates the constant search for. And this is correct because in such bottomless opuses, the depth of which is equal to an artesian well, and maybe even exceeds it, as in oil wells in our North. Such a bottomless opus requires total commitment. This is directly related to conductors and musicians.

Let's return to the history of the symphony. For the first time, this symphony did not receive the special attention of public. However, soon after Tchaikovsky’s death, when the conductor was Edward Napravnik, the symphony was immediately classified by the public as a great opus. Such a metamorphosis occurred with the symphony. It began to be regarded as an unattainable masterpiece.

Let's try to figure it out. The symphony of course was autobiographical. There are times when the great creator reflects in his works those phenomena that are not yet realized by him. And probably the premonition of death, the unawareness of death, some fluids that were born in the human body and psyche (I don’t want to go into mysticism), but still we cannot close our eyes to the fact that Tchaikovsky wrote a symphony before his death. So there were some grounds that still could not was fully revealed, because this symphony shocks me with its tragic elements.

I believe that the symphony is the most characteristic work by Tchaikovsky. This specificity lies in the struggle between two principles: light and dark, good and evil. All of Tchaikovsky’s music about this dialectic, about this his operas, poems, ballets, symphonies, sonatas and romances. Good and Evil going along in the course of life and forever colliding with each other. This is the dialectic of life, this is what we are born with and what we die with……..

[unseen]

Parachute jumpers (1981)

The annotation:

About young people involved in parachuting in one of the DOSAAF clubs.

Spoiler!

"DOSAAF (Russian: ДОСААФ), full name Volunteer Society for Cooperation with the Army, Aviation, and Navy, was a paramilitary sport organisation in the Soviet Union, concerned mainly with weapons, automobiles and aviation. The society was established in 1927 as OSOAVIAKhIM and from 1951 to 1991 carried the name of DOSAAF.

The stated goal of the society was "patriotic upbringing of the population and preparation of it to the defense of the Motherland". Among the means to achieve this was the development of paramilitary sports."

The text was taken from Wikipedia.

[unseen]

From Volga to Don (1980)

The annotation:

A film-journey from Volgograd to Rostov-on-Don on the waters of the Lenin Volga-Don Shipping Canal on Board a ship "Тихий Дон / Quiet Don".

Spoiler!

0:53 - Volgograd. From here we go on a voyage that was impossible 30 years ago.

1:13 - After the city begins Lenin [Volga–Don] Shipping Canal that connected the Volga with the Don.

2:28 - It was the first major peaceful construction. The wounds of the past war have not yet healed, but the Soviet people have already begun to tackle the most difficult task: to build a river, to lay a water artery that will connect 5 seas to a single system. The first caravan of ships passed here on July 27, 1952.

2:55 - Now throughout the day ships sail here.

4:20 - The canal is not only the shipping route, but also its water gave life to the arid steppes near it. We sailed 13 locks and 101 kilometers. For half a day we climbed 88 meters while remaining on the ship, then passed several water reservoirs and dropped by 44 meters.

5:34 - Here, in November 1942, the troops of the South-Western, Don and Stalingrad fronts united, closing the encirclement of the fascist troops.

5:54 - From here begins an artificial sea called Tsimlyanskoe reservoir.

6:44 - Buildings of Atommash [the USSR’s largest industrial association for nuclear power engineering] sign of the present days. Giant constructing gave a rebirth to the city of Volgodonsk (a coeval of the canal).

8:07 - Volgodonsk locks are the last on our way. We say goodbye to the canal. After that the river Don will flow.

9:14 - We sailed about 700 kilometers in two days. Here ends our journey from one river to another. The path from Volgograd to Rostov-on-Don and from Volga to Don.

[unseen]

Parisian Sketches (1971)

The annotation:

A film about one summer day in Paris.

Spoiler!

[unseen]

Sings by Dean Reed (1980)

The annotation:

TV program with the participation of American singer Dean Reed.

Spoiler!

[unseen]

About the current time and about myself. Nikolai Rubtsov (1986)

The annotation:

Poems of Nikolai Rubtsov performs by actor of the Maria Ermolova Theater Georgy Nazarenko in the film-concert.

In Russian

Spoiler!

[unseen]

Evgeny Blinov (Евгений Блинов) plays a balalaika.

1) Michał Ogiński - Polonaise;
2) Franz Liszt - Hungarian Rhapsody #2 - (1973);
3) Павел Куликов - Концертные вариации (1973).

Spoiler!

Michał Ogiński - Polonaise






Franz Liszt - Hungarian Rhapsody #2






Pavel Kulikov - Concert variations