A concert of the Ensemble was held in the city of military valor of Azov

Krasnodar, Armavir, Tuapse, Novorossiysk... – these southern Russian cities are covered with the glory of military and labor feats during the Great Patriotic War. In May 2023, these cities hosted concerts of the Academic Ensemble of Song and Dance of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation, led by the Artistic Director and Chief Conductor, People's Artist of Russia, Major General Viktor Eliseev, dedicated to the 78th anniversary of the Great Victory. Today, on May 17, the Ensemble's artists were welcomed by the city of military valor Azov

During the Great Patriotic War, 40,000 people from the Azov region went to the front, and only 18,000 returned home. The city, which was captured by Nazi forces in July 1942, continued to live and fight for 190 days. The residents of Azov joined the People's Militia en masse. Seventeen Azov residents were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, and five residents became full кавалерами of the Order of Glory. In February 2023, it was 80 years since the complete liberation of Azov from the German fascist invaders. The residents of Azov cherish the memory of the city's heroic history.

The Azov City Palace of Culture was crowded today. Veterans of military operations, representatives of public organizations, and residents of the city came to meet the artists of the Rosgvardia Song and Dance Ensemble. The festive concert was also attended by representatives of the city administration: Alexander Savko, Deputy Chairman of the 6th convocation of the City Duma, and Tatyana Bakumenko, Head of the Department of Culture and Arts of the Azov Department of Social Development.

As in the previous concerts of the Rosgvardia Song and Dance Ensemble, which took place as part of a tour dedicated to Victory Day, the program of today's concert was based on songs about the Great Patriotic War. The footage of war newsreels accompanying the performance of war songs left a deep impression on the audience.

The concert opened with the patriotic song "You, My Russia" (music by S. Tulikov, lyrics by S. Ostrovoy) performed by the People's Artist of Russia Natalia Eliseeva.

"Song of frontline correspondents "(M. Blanter – K. Simonov, soloist – Honored Artist of the Republic of Dagestan Alexey Kholyavko), "Russia free" (A. Novikov – S. Alymov, soloist-Honored Artist of Russia Alexey Volzhanin), "Smuglyanka" (A. Novikov-Ya. Shvedov, soloist- Mikhail Mamonov), Russian folk music the song "Skakal Kazak" (soloist-Dmitry Dolgiy), the Russian romance "Ne dlya me" (N. Devitte – A. Molchanov, soloist – Honored Artist of the Republic of Ingushetia Igor Safonov), the Ukrainian folk song "Unhitch your Horses, lads" (soloist – Kirill Nikitin) - performed by the choir, orchestra and soloists These musical compositions, beloved by many generations of Russians, were met with sincere applause.

The Suite on the themes of soldiers' songs was performed by soloists: Honored Artist of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic Alexander Kokhov, Honored Artist of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania Evgeny Yakhin, Alexey Bosykh, Mikhail Zaraev, Mikhail Mamonov, Igor Safonov, and Ruslan Abdrafikov, accompanied by the Ensemble's choir and orchestra.

The Vocal Octet of the Ensemble (headed by Honored Artist of the Republic of Ingushetia Sergey Bazylko) performed the song "I'll Go Out to the Field with a Horse at Night" (I. Matvienko - A. Shaganov).

The sparkling dance compositions "Home with Victory," "Cossack Dance," and the sailor's dance "Yablochko," performed by the Ensemble's ballet group, elicited a wave of emotions from the audience.

People's Artist of Russia Natalia Eliseeva soulfully performed the lyrical song "What You Were Like..." (music by Isaak Dunayevsky, lyrics by Mikhail Isakovsky) from the film "The Kuban Cossacks".

In the repertoire of the Song and Dance Ensemble of the National Guard, there is always a place for a cheerful joke and good humor. The humorous song by composer Mark Fradkin, based on the lyrics by Mikhail Plyatskovsky, "I'm Taking You to the Tundra," performed by the Ensemble's soloists, Honored Cultural Workers of the Republic of Buryatia Ruslan Samozhapov and Norpol Tsydenov, is one of the concert numbers that audiences love.

The audience was also delighted by the fiery performance of the vocal and dance composition "Gypsy Fantasy" (arranged by I. Golubev and I. Kadomtsev, soloists: Natalia Eliseeva, Alexey Dmitriev Evgeny Nasonov).

The brilliant performance of the trio of balalaika players (led by Ivan Stepanov) of the cheerful musical composition "Old Banjo" left no one indifferent.

The festive concert traditionally ended with the "Farewell to the Slavonic" march (V. Agapkin – V. Lazarev).