The Ensemble's grand tour concluded with two concerts in Samara

The big tour of the Academic Ensemble of Song and Dance of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation has come to an end. The last stop was the ancient Volga city of Samara.

At the airport in Samara on June 25, 2021, the artists 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, were met by representatives of the National Guard Department of the Samara Region.

The big concert of the famous military band, held on June 26, 2021, at the Glory Square in the center of Samara, was attended by veterans of the Great Patriotic War, labor veterans, veterans of internal service, employees of the regional Rosgvardia department, and representatives of public organizations. Despite the abnormally hot weather (+36), more than 1,600 spectators gathered at the Glory Square to watch the performance of the Rosgvardia Academic Song and Dance Ensemble.

The festive atmosphere of the whole evening was created by the magnificent performance of the leading soloist of the Ensemble, Honored Artist of Russia Natalia Eliseeva, of the song "You, My Russia" (composer Serafim Tulikov, lyrics by Sergey Ostrovoy).

The ensemble's repertoire is wide and diverse, including musical works from various genres: songs by Soviet composers, popular opera classics, and folk songs.

A special response from the audience was given to the songs of the Great Patriotic War and songs of Soviet composers performed in the concert. Performed by the choir and soloists of the ensemble, the audience heard a suite on the theme of soldiers ' songs: "Song about a Russian soldier" (K. Akimov, K. Filippova)," Vasya Kryuchkin "(V. Solovyov-Sedoy, V. Gusev)," Vasya-Cornflower "(A. Novikov, S. Alymov)," Song about the Soviet Army " (A. Aleksandrov, O. Kolychev).

Russian folk songs were a huge success: "Along the Peter Street" (soloist – Honored Artist of Russia Victor Gromov), "Cossack was galloping" (soloist – Dmitry Dolgiy) and Ukrainian folk song "Unhitch, boys, the horses" (soloist -- Honored Artist of the Republic of Dagestan Kirill Nikitin).

The vocal octet of the ensemble (head-Honored Artist of the Republic of Ingushetia Sergey Bazylko) performed the popular song "Argo" (A. Basilaya, D. Bagashvili).

The audience applauded the songs "Beyond the far outskirts" (N. Budashkin, G. Akulov) and "The Best City on Earth" (A. Babajanyan, L. Derbenev) performed by Honored Artist of Russia Natalia Eliseeva.

The cheerful song "I'm Taking You to the Tundra" by composer Mark Fradkin, based on the lyrics by Mikhail Plyatskovsky, was originally "diluted" with Chukchi rap. The performance by the ensemble's soloists, Honored Workers of Culture of the Republic of Buryatia Ruslan Samozhapov and Narpol Tsedenov, received a resounding round of applause.

The audience was given a lot of positive emotions by the choir and ensemble soloists: Honored Artist of Russia Alexey Dmitriev and Honored Artist of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania Artem Melnikov, who performed the famous song "Get Lucky" by the popular band "Duft Punk".

The ensemble's ballet group showcased the vocal and choreographic composition "Kalinka" (directed by People's Artist of Russia A. Radyuk, with musical arrangements by Honored Artist of Russia A. Mazanov), as well as the dances "Home with Victory" (directed by Honored Artist of Russia A. Safronov), "Cossack Dance," and "Golden Khokhloma" (directed by Honored Artist of Russia P. Kovalev).

The concert program ended with the song "Farewell, Slavonic" (by V. Agapkin and A. Fedotov), performed by the choir and orchestra to prolonged applause from the audience.

The extraordinary popularity of the Academic Ensemble of Songs and Dances of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation is due not only to the high artistry of its artists, but also to the fact that the concert programs are tailored to the audience's preferences. At each performance, the ensemble selects the works that are most relatable and accessible to the audience.

At the concert in Samara, the most unexpected musical surprise for the audience was the performance of the song "Ah, Samara-gorodok." This song has no authors. According to experts in the field of folk music, this song originated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from the Volga region's folk songs, during a period when urban folklore was actively developing. The song gained particular popularity during the war, when it was performed by the Kazakh singer Roza Baglanova. For over 75 years, the people of Samara have considered this folk song to be the true anthem of their beloved city.

The song "Ah, Samara-Town" was performed beautifully and soulfully by the Honored Artist of Russia Natalia Eliseeva, accompanied by the ensemble's choir, and took on a new and original sound. The audience gave the artist a standing ovation.

"Samara is well acquainted with the work of this famous collective. We often see the performances of the artists of the Academic Ensemble of Song and Dance of the National Guard on our TV screens. The concert that we saw today is a great gift to the residents of our city. Dear Viktor Petrovich! Come to us, we are always happy to meet you and your wonderful ensemble!" said in her greeting the Head of the Samara City District Elena Lapushkina.

Another big concert by the band took place on June 27, 2021, at the Samara Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre.

Among the guests of honor in the hall were: Chairman of the State Duma Committee of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on Information Policy, Information Technologies, and Communications Alexander Khinshtein, Head of the Rosgvardia Department for the Samara Region, Major General Alexander Esaulenko, Chairman of the Council of Veterans of Law Enforcement Troops of the Samara Region, retired Colonel Iosif Kabersky.

At the end of the concert, the Head of the National Guard Directorate for the Samara Region, Major General Alexander Esaulenko, expressed his gratitude to the ensemble's artists. "Every performance by the Academic Ensemble of Songs and Dances of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation and its permanent musical director, People's Artist of Russia, Major General Viktor Eliseev, is always a vibrant celebration of musical and choreographic excellence, as well as military and patriotic songs. You are the best! The National Guard is proud of you!" said Major General Alexander Esaulenko in his address.

On behalf of the Council of Veterans of Law Enforcement Troops of the Samara Region, the artists were welcomed by the Chairman of the Council of Veterans, retired Colonel Iosif Kabersky.

In his response, the ensemble's leader, Viktor Eliseev, expressed gratitude to the city administration for the excellent organization of the band's performances in Samara and thanked the audience for their warm reception.

The performances in Samara marked the end of a large tour of the Academic Ensemble of Songs and Dances of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation in the cities of Crimea and the Caucasus. The audience in Anapa, Goryachy Klyuch, Krasnodar, Kaspiysk, Novorossiysk, Foros, Makhachkala, Derbent, Sevastopol, Razdolnoye, Yevpatoriya, and Simferopol applauded the artists of the renowned military musical group. The ensemble plans to prepare new creative projects and concert programs.