Happy New Year 2021!

New Year's Eve and Christmas are among the most beloved holidays for Russians, both children and adults. However, this year, the holiday is special. The coronavirus pandemic has brought about changes in our lives and plans. The restrictions imposed by the pandemic have had a significant impact on the activities of creative groups.

Despite the objective difficulties, the Academic Song and Dance Ensemble of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation under the leadership of Viktor Eliseev continues to work on new projects and programs, records musical works, creates new arrangements of favorite songs in the recording studio. The Ensemble's traditional New Year's greetings to the Russians were no exception. This year, "Yeliseyevtsy" found an original (and very relevant) form of congratulations-they recorded a music video "A Christmas tree was born in the forest", performing this New Year's song beloved by all Russians ... online.

The story of "Christmas tree" is interesting — the most popular children's song today was created as a Christmas song and only later became a New Year's song. It was loved by both children and adults for its beauty, simplicity, and joy of the New Year's mood. We've been familiar with this song since we were very young. Many people consider the music and lyrics of this song to be folk, but this is not the case. The lyrics were written by Raisa Adamovna Kudasheva, and the music was written by Leonid Karlovich Bekman.

In 1903, the children's magazine "Malyutka" published Raisa Kudasheva's poem "The Christmas Tree." Two years later, L. K. Bekman composed a melody for it on his daughter's birthday. Leonid Karlovich was a scientist and agronomist. Despite his lack of formal musical training, he played the piano by ear, improvised effortlessly, and sang excellently. His wife, the pianist Elena Bekman-Shcherbina, who graduated from the Moscow Conservatory with a gold medal, transcribed the melody into sheet music.

During the First World War and the revolution, the song was forgotten, and it wasn't until 1941 that a New Year's Eve poetry collection edited by E. Emden was published, giving the song a second life.

The performance of the song "A Christmas Tree Was Born in the Forest" by the artists of the Academic Ensemble of Songs and Dances of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation has already become a good New Year's tradition.

Exactly one year ago, in December 2019, the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 held a New Year's interactive historical quest for children and adults called "The Victory Tree. New Mission." The participants had to complete a secret mission and solve military mysteries in order to find themselves at the "Victory Tree" of 1945. The most amazing gift for the participants and guests of the Victory Christmas Tree New Year's Eve celebration was the "The Christmas Tree Was Born in the Forest" flash mob performed by the choir of the Academic Ensemble of Songs and Dances of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation.

Following the traditions of our team, the orchestra and choir of the Academic Ensemble of Songs and Dances of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation wish the people of our country a Happy New Year 2021!

The conductor is the Artistic Director and Chief Conductor, People's Artist of Russia, Major General Viktor Eliseev.

Health and Happiness to you in the New Year!