A concert dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War was held at the Magtymguly National Music and Drama Theater with a full house. The organizers of the concert were the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Turkmenistan and the Ministry of Culture of Turkmenistan.
The celebratory atmosphere began already in the theater lobby. A young accordionist wearing a military pilot’s cap played melodies of wartime songs, and monitors broadcast a documentary film about the decisive battles of the war. Under the concert poster, audience members took selfies as keepsakes with military jackets draped over their shoulders.
Songs from the war years still live in people’s hearts. Once, with their heartfelt sincerity, they warmed soldiers in the trenches. Now, while glorifying the feat of the Great Soldier, they serve as a bridge between generations. Ilya Kuzmin, a soloist from the Moscow theater “New Opera,” gave a brief interview for our newspaper before going on stage:
- “My grandfather was a frontline soldier. Therefore, when I perform wartime songs on stage, I see him in the audience. My grandfather passed away early, and many songs written in the post-war years he never got to hear. Performing concerts for Victory Day, I pay tribute to all participants of the Great Patriotic War, and above all, to my beloved grandfather.”
Among the audience that evening was war participant Sergey Tevosovich Agamyan, who turned 99 years old. When this announcement was made from the stage, the hall stood up and applauded the war veteran, who, through his heroic deeds, gave us peaceful skies.
The concert program opened with the song “Sacred War,” which resounded poignantly from the stage. It was performed by Ilya Kuzmin, the State Choir of Turkmenistan under the direction of Haydar Eminov, and the State Symphony Orchestra led by the Honored Artist of Turkmenistan Resul Gylyjov. From the very first line - “Arise, vast country…” - the song had a mobilizing effect on the city dwellers and villagers across the country. Even now, it gives listeners goosebumps with its powerful call.
Familiar songs such as “In the Dugout,” “The Sun Has Set,” “Dark Night,” “From Heroes of Past Times,” “For That Guy,” and others were performed from the stage. Boys and girls from the Children’s Choir “Friendship” of the Joint Turkmen-Russian School named after A.S. Pushkin tenderly performed the song “Katyusha.” The audience supported the young performers with warm applause.
The song “Smuglyanka” was professionally performed as a duet with Ilya Kuzmin by Anna Veliahmedova.
The symphony orchestra performed the overture from the film “Taming of the Fire” by Andrey Petrov. The bright melody with its irresistible drive illustrated Yuri Gagarin’s flight into space. Why was this piece included in a program of wartime songs? Because the Victory in the Great Patriotic War and Gagarin’s flight are the two most important facts that have become a source of national pride.
By tradition, the concert concluded with the anthem song “Victory Day,” which the audience listened to standing. This was supposed to be the final point in the program. However, due to the continuous ovations from the audience, an encore was performed - the song “How Young We Were” by Alexandra Pakhmutova.
The concert became a wonderful gift to the people of Ashgabat on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory.
