"Guards of Music" performed successfully in the Republic of Mari El

The creativity of the Academic Order “For Merit in Culture and Art” of the Song and Dance Ensemble of the Troops of the National Guard of the Russian Federation under the direction of the artistic director and chief conductor, People's Artist of Russia, Major General Viktor Eliseev is loved in all corners of our vast Motherland. The Ensemble is constantly expanding the “geography” of its tours, giving its art to residents of an increasing number of cities in Russia.

Today - March 21, 2025 - the “Eliseevites” were greeted by the capital of the Republic of Mari El - the city of Yoshkar-Ola.

For the artists of the Ensemble - this is the first visit to an ancient city with a great dramatic history - Yoshkar-Ola was founded in 1584 by order of Tsar Ivan the Terrible to protect the southeastern borders of the Muscovite state from raids by nomadic tribes. During the Great Patriotic War, due to the city's rear position, many local enterprises were repurposed for the production of military products, the city received a large number of evacuees,  

In 1984, in honor of the 400th anniversary of the city, for its important role in Russian history, the "Red City" (this is how the name "Yoshkar-Ola" is translated from Mari) was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor. 

There were no free seats at the Mari State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater named after Eric Sapaev today. Hundreds of Yoshkar-Ola residents and guests of the republic's capital came to join the art of the "Eliseevsky" Ensemble. The guests of honor of the event were members of the government of the Republic of Mari El, employees of the Russian Guard Directorate for the Republic of Mari El, participants of the SVO and their family members.

The concert program was based on military-patriotic compositions, songs about the Motherland, about the glory, pride and honor of the Russian people. The concert featured songs beloved by Russians: the vocal and choreographic composition "Valor and Honor" (music and lyrics by A. Zaitsev, production by Honored Artist of the Republic of North Ossetia - Alania Ivan Zhelnov, soloist - Honored Artist of Russia Alexey Dmitriev), "March of the Artillerymen" (T. Khrennikov - V. Gusev), "Song of War Correspondents" (T. (M. Blanter - K. Simonov, soloist - Honored Artist of the Republic of Dagestan Alexey Kholyavko), "Smuglyanka" (Y. Shvedov - A. Novikov, soloist - Honored Artist of the Republic of Ingushetia Grigory Yakovlev), "Let's Get Up" (Y. Dronov, soloist - Evgeny Nasonov), "I Was Born in the Soviet Union" (O. Gazmanov, soloists - Honored Artist of Russia Alexey Dmitriev and Honored Artist of the Republic of Dagestan Alexey Kholyavko), "I'll Go Out into the Field with a Horse at Night" (I. Matvienko - A. Shaganov, vocal octet under the direction of Honored Artist of Russia Sergey Bazylko) and other patriotic works.

The audience warmly received the performance of a medley of soldier's songs (composition by A. Kukharenko, soloists: Honored Artist of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic Alexander Kokhov, Honored Artist of the Republic of Ingushetia Igor Safonov, Honored Artists of the Republic of North Ossetia - Alania Mikhail Zarayev and Evgeny Yakhin, soloists of the Ensemble : Konstantin Kuzmin, Denis Khludnev, Alexey Bosykh, Mikhail Mamonov, Viktor Lezhnin).

The Ensemble is confident - acquaintance with folk art helps to strengthen friendship and mutual understanding between people of different nationalities. Therefore, not a single concert program of the "Eliseevites" is complete without folk songs and dances. Russian folk songs were performed on the stage of the Mari Opera and Ballet Theater today: "Korobeiniki" (lyrics by N. Nekrasov, soloist - Honored Artist of Russia Alexei Volzhanin) and "Skakal Kazak" (soloist - Dmitry Dolgy).

The highlight of the concert, of course, was the sparkling vocal and choreographic composition "Gypsy Fantasy" (composition and arrangement by I. Golubev, I. Kadomtsev, production by Artur Bogdanov, soloists: People's Artist of Russia Natalia Eliseeva, Honored Artist of Russia Alexei Dmitriev, Evgeniy Nasonov).

The Ensemble's ballet group also brilliantly performed the dance “Home with Victory” (production by Honored Artist of Russia A. Safronov, arrangement by A. Zarkov, soloist - Vsevolod Krepsky), the dance “Golden Khokhloma” (production by Honored Artist of Russia P. Kovalev), the step “Walk along the Black Sea Coast” (arranged by N. Druzhenkov, lyrics by A. Novozhilov, choreography by A. Bogdanov, soloists: Honored Artist of Russia Alexey Dmitriev and Roman Nepomnyashchikh) and the vocal and choreographic composition “Kalinka” (directed by People's Artist of Russia A. Radyuk, arranged by Honored Artist of Russia Alexey Mazanov, soloist - Honored Artist of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic Alexander Kokhov).

A cheerful note was added to the palette of emotions created by the artists of the Ensemble by the humorous song “I'll Take You to the Tundra” (M. Fradkin - M. Plyatskovsky, soloists - Honored Artists of the Republic of Buryatia Norpol Tsydenov and Ruslan Samozhapov).

The concert ended with the legendary march “Farewell of Slavyanka” (V. Agapkin, A. Fedotov) performed by the choir and orchestra of the Ensemble.

The concert was hosted by Honored Artist of Russia, Honored Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation, Colonel Igor Shustikov.

Tomorrow - March 22, 2025 - another concert of the “Eliseevsky” Ensemble will take place at the Mari State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater named after Eric Sapaev. The artists of the famous group will repeat the concert program for everyone who could not come to the concert today.