Kuban Cossack Choir: history of formation. State Academic Kuban Cossack Choir Kuban Cossack Choir “My Quiet Homeland”

Kubansky Cossack choir belongs to the oldest and largest national groups.

This is a one-of-a-kind professional team, dating back to the 19th century. It should be noted that the second oldest folk group in chronology is the Russian Folk Choir. Pyatnitsky, who played his first concert during the centenary of the Cossack choir.

The songs of the Kuban Cossack Choir show a level of skill recognized throughout the world and confirmed by a huge number of invitations to domestic and foreign tours, accompanied by a packed hall and positive reviews from the press. This is a kind of historical monument that conveys the history of spiritual and secular culture Ekaterinodar, which also reflects the tragic events of the times Civil War. The Kuban Cossack Choir represents both the historical aspects of individuals combined with the everyday musical and singing culture of Kuban, and the dramatic side of the Cossacks as a whole, which can be accepted as an integral part of Russian history.

History of the creation of the artistic group

The year 1811 is considered to be the beginning of the creative path of the Black Sea Military Singing Choir under the leadership of the Kuban spiritual educator Archpriest Kirill Rossinsky and regent Grigory Grechinsky. In 1861 it was renamed the Military Kuban Singing Choir. It was from this period that the current Kuban Cossack Choir began not only to take part in church services, but also to give secular concerts, performing folk songs along with spiritual ones, as well as classical works. From 1921 to 1935 its work was suspended. And only in 1936, the corresponding Resolution of the Presidium of the Azov-Black Sea Regional Executive Committee confirmed the creation of a choir, known under its modern name.

Today artistic director of this choir is Viktor Garilovich Zakharchenko, who compiled about fourteen collections of Cossack songs that disappeared from artistic creativity in Kuban. It was the Kuban Cossack Choir and its repertoire that contributed to the creation of an anthology of Kuban song folklore. Today there is an entire institution under the same name - the State Scientific and Creative Association "Kuban Cossack Choir". This is the only cultural organization in Russia that is comprehensively and systematically engaged in the revival of

The Kuban Cossack Choir performs very often in Moscow, thanks to which its art has been awarded quite high awards and victories at music competitions both in Russia itself and in According to foreign critics, the choir, being a representative of Russian culture, performs equally, equally high level with groups such as Grand Theatre and the State Philharmonic Orchestra (St. Petersburg).

choral singing group

Kuban Cossack choir

Kuban Cossack Choir(full name - State Academic Order of Friendship of Peoples and the Holy Blessed Grand Duke Dimitry Donskoy, 1st degree Kuban Cossack Choir) is a choral singing group founded in 1811. This is the oldest and largest national Cossack group in Russia. The only professional team in Russia folk art, having an uninterrupted history with early XIX century. The repertoire includes Kuban Cossack, Russian and Ukrainian folk songs, as well as songs based on poems by Russian and Ukrainian poets, arranged by Viktor Zakharchenko, the artistic director of the group.

The Kuban Cossack Choir is recognized as a unique national brand of Russia. A truly historical group is a particularly valuable object of cultural heritage Krasnodar region in the field of traditional folk culture.

Story

In 1971, the Kuban Cossack Choir became a diploma winner at the international folklore festival in Bulgaria, which marked the beginning of numerous honorary titles later won at various international and All-Russian festivals and competitions.

In 1974, composer Viktor Gavrilovich Zakharchenko became the artistic director of the group, who developed and implemented the concept of a cultural institution systematically engaged in the revival of traditional folk culture. Currently, the State Budgetary Scientific and Creative Cultural Institution of the Krasnodar Territory “Kuban Cossack Choir” employs 384 people, including 133 of them are artists of the Kuban Cossack Choir.

In addition to active touring concert activities the Kuban Cossack Choir carries out systematic recording work, scientific study and stage development of traditional song and dance folklore of the Kuban Cossacks.

Repertoire

Secondary general education boarding school of folk art for gifted children named after V.G. Zakharchenko"

Almost two centuries have passed since then. Happened big changes in the social and spiritual life of Kuban, but love and careful attitude to the folk culture of the Kuban Cossacks.

As you know, Viktor Gavrilovich Zakharchenko, a great promoter of folk art and director of the State Academic Kuban Cossack Choir, has long nurtured the idea of ​​​​creating a unique children's school at the choir folk art, which would give young Kuban residents the opportunity to study and thereby preserve folk traditions and culture of Kuban. In 1985 at reporting concert children's music choral studio, having heard the performance of a creative group led by Natalya Bezuglova, Viktor Zakharchenko proposed creating a children's creative group at the Kuban Cossack Choir - a satellite of the Kuban Cossack Choir. During the work of the creative team, it became clear that it was necessary to cover all areas of folk art in order to more widely involve children in the study of Kuban folklore. We decided to teach children not only folk choral singing, but also folk dance, playing folk instruments, and arts and crafts. Viktor Gavrilovich took upon himself all organizational issues for the implementation of this idea.

Awards

Discography

The State Academic Kuban Cossack Choir is the oldest and largest national Cossack group in Russia. The only professional folk art group in Russia, which has a continuous history since the beginning of the 19th century. It is interesting to note that the next chronologically oldest folk group- The Pyatnitsky Academic Russian Folk Choir performed its first concert in the centenary year of the Kuban Cossack Choir.
The level of excellence of KKH is recognized throughout the world, which is confirmed by numerous invitations to foreign and Russian tours, crowded halls and press reviews.

The Kuban Cossack Choir in a certain aspect is a historical monument, in the forms of culture and art, capturing the military and cultural development Kuban, the history of the Kuban Cossack army, the history of the classical secular and spiritual culture of Yekaterinodar, the tragic events of the Civil War and the 30s, the history of Soviet aesthetics of the “grand style” national art. The choir represents both the history of individuals and the everyday life of the singing and musical culture of Kuban, as well as the historical heroism and great drama of the Cossacks as a whole, integral to the history of Russia.

Story:

On October 14, 1811, the foundation of a professional musical activity in Kuban, the glorious beginning creative path Black Sea Military Singing Choir. At its origins were the spiritual educator of Kuban, Archpriest Kirill Rossinsky and regent Grigory Grechinsky.
In 1861, the choir was renamed from the Black Sea to the Kuban Military Singing Choir and from that time, in addition to participating in church services, gives secular concerts in the region, performing classical works and folk songs along with spiritual ones.

In 1911, celebrations were held to mark the 100th anniversary of the Kuban Military Singing Choir.

In the summer of 1921, by decision of the authorities, the activities of the group were stopped, and only in 1936, by a resolution of the Presidium of the Azov-Black Sea Regional Executive Committee, the Kuban Cossack Choir was created, headed by Grigory Kontsevich and Yakov Taranenko, for a long time former regents of the Kuban Military Singing Choir. However, in 1937 G. Kontsevich was unreasonably repressed and shot.

In 1939, due to the inclusion of a dance group in the choir, the group was renamed the Song and Dance Ensemble of the Kuban Cossacks, which in 1961, on the initiative of N. S. Khrushchev, was disbanded along with other state folk choirs and ensembles of the USSR.

The re-creation of the Kuban Cossack Choir in the genre and structure of the State Russian Folk Choirs took place in 1968 under the leadership of Sergei Chernobay. In 1971, the Kuban Cossack Choir for the first time became a diploma winner at the international folklore festival in Bulgaria, which marked the beginning of numerous honorary titles later won at various international and all-Russian festivals and competitions.

In 1974, composer Viktor Gavrilovich Zakharchenko became the artistic director of the State Kuban Cossack Choir, who, over more than 30 years of his creative activity in Kuban, managed to fully realize his artistic, scientific and educational aspirations. In 1975, the choir became a laureate of the First All-Russian Review-Competition of State Folk Choirs in Moscow, repeating this success in 1984 at the second similar competition. Under his leadership, the choir brought to the stage the authentic song folklore of the Kuban Cossacks; in folk songs, rituals, and pictures of Cossack life, individual folk characters, looseness and improvisation appeared, and a truthful folk choral theater arose.

In October 1988, by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the choir was awarded the Order of Friendship of Peoples; in 1990, it became a laureate of the State Prize of Ukraine named after. T. G. Shevchenko, and in 1993 the team was awarded honorary title"academic".

In August 1995, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II, during his stay in Krasnodar, blessed the Kuban Cossack choir to sing at festive services in churches.

In October 1996, the Decree of the head of the administration of the Krasnodar region "On recognition of the succession of the (historical) State Academic Kuban Cossack Choir from the Military Choir of the Kuban Cossack Army" was issued.

Currently, in addition to active touring and concert activities, the Kuban Cossack Choir is carrying out systematic work on recording, scientific study and stage development of the traditional song and dance folklore of the Kuban Cossacks.

Zakharchenko, a folklorist, collected 14 collections of songs of the Kuban Cossacks, scattered and almost disappeared from the field of view of musical science and artistic creativity. Bigdaya, republished by him in his creative edition, from the standpoint of modern folkloristics. Essentially, the first, but most difficult and important steps have been taken towards creating an anthology of Kuban folklore songs.

Viktor Zakharchenko developed and implemented the concept of the Kuban Folk Culture Center created in 1990, later renamed the State Scientific and Creative Institution (SSTU) "Kuban Cossack Choir", which currently employs 506 people, including State Kuban Cossack Choir 120 people. This is the only cultural institution in the country that is so systematically, comprehensively and promisingly engaged in the revival of traditional folk culture. Since 1998, on the basis of State National Technical University, the holding of numerous festivals, international scientific conferences and readings, the publication of studies on the history and culture of the Cossacks, the release of CDs, audio and video cassettes, and intensive concert and musical educational activities in Russia and abroad have been significantly intensified.

An assessment of the multifaceted activities of the artistic director of the Kuban Cossack Choir was the assignment of high titles to him: Honored Artist of Russia (1977), National artist Russia (1984) and Ukraine (1994), Honored Artist of the Republic of Adygea (1993), laureate of the State Prize of Russia (1991) and International Prize Foundation of the Holy All-Praised Apostle Andrew the First-Called (1999), academician of the Russian Humanitarian Academy and the Petrine Academy (St. Petersburg), full member (academician), of the International Academy of Informatization, which is an associated member of the UN (1993). V. G. Zakharchenko was also awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor (1981), the Red Banner of Labor (1987), Friendship of Peoples (1998) and “For Services to the Fatherland, IV degree” (2004).

With all its activities, the State Academic Kuban Cossack Choir contributes to the revival and development of the rich cultural heritage our ancestors, spiritual and patriotic education of the population.

Compound:

The total composition of the team is 157 people; administrative staff - 16, technical staff - 24, choir - 62, ballet - 37, orchestra -18.
Founders
Department of Culture of the Krasnodar Territory.

Achievements
The art of the Kuban Cossack Choir has been awarded numerous high awards and brilliant victories in Russia and abroad. The choir is twice a laureate of the All-Russian competitions of state Russian folk choirs, a laureate of the State Prize of Ukraine named after. Shevchenko, laureate of many international folklore festivals. The merits of the choir were awarded the Order of Friendship of Peoples in 1988, and in 1993 they were awarded the title “academic”.

Representing Russian culture in the world, the choir, according to the foreign press, performs on a par with such groups as the State Symphony Orchestra St. Petersburg Philharmonic and Bolshoi Theater.

Management
Artistic director and chief conductor Kuban Cossack Choir - People's Artist of Russia and Ukraine, laureate of the State Prize of Russia, laureate of the International Prize of the Foundation of the Holy All-Praised Apostle Andrew the First-Called, Doctor of Art History, professor, composer Viktor Zakharchenko.

Director of the choir - Arefiev Anatoly Evgenievich
Chief - choirmaster Ivan Albanov
Chief - choreographer Valentin Zakharov
Choreographer: Elena Nikolaevna Arefieva
Ballet tutor - Leonid Igorevich Tereshchenko
The director of the orchestra is Honored Artist of Ukraine Boris Kachur

Prospects
In 2011, the team is preparing to celebrate its bicentenary with an all-Russian tour with a new program.

Main dates:

October 14, 1811 - the beginning of the creative activity of the Black Sea Military Singing Choir. The origins of the organization of the choir were: the spiritual educator of Kuban, Archpriest Kirill of Russia, and regent Grigory Grechinsky. The foundation of professional musical activity in Kuban was laid.

Since 1861, the Black Sea Choir has been renamed the Kuban Military Singing Choir. Since that time, in addition to participating in church services, the choir constantly gives secular concerts in the region, in which, in addition to spiritual works, Kuban folk songs and classical works were performed.

In September 1911, celebrations were held to mark the 100th anniversary of the Kuban Military Singing and Musician (wind and then symphony) choir, i.e., orchestra.

Summer of 1921 - the cessation of the activities of the Kuban Military Singing and Musical Choirs.

1925-1932 - the time of active touring activity of the Kuban Men's Vocal Quartet - the only professional group in Kuban, the basis of whose repertoire was folk songs from the repertoire of the Kuban Military Singing Choir. The leader of the men's quartet was Alexander Afanasyevich Avdeev.

1929 - the first singer of the anthem of the Kuban Cossacks “You are Kuban, you are our Motherland” and the leader of the Kuban men's quartet, Alexander Afanasyevich Avdeev, was repressed and shot.

July 25, 1936 - By resolution of the Presidium of the Azov-Black Sea Regional Executive Committee, the Kuban Cossack Choir was created, which was headed by Grigory Mitrofanovich Kontsevich (artistic director) and Yakov Mikhailovich Taranenko (conductor), both of them were regents of the Kuban Military Singing Choir for a long time.

1937 - the outstanding musical figure of Kuban, artistic director of the Kuban Cossack Choir, Grigory Mitrofanovich Kontsevich, was repressed and shot on December 12.

1939 - due to the inclusion of a dance group in the choir, the Kuban Cossack Choir was renamed the Song and Dance Ensemble of the Kuban Cossacks.

1961 - together with ten others State ensembles Soviet Union On the initiative of N.S. Khrushchev, the Song and Dance Ensemble of the Kuban Cossacks was disbanded.

1968 - the revival of the Kuban Cossack Choir under the direction of Sergei Alekseevich Chernovaya, the group was created in the genre and structure of the State Russian Folk Choirs.

1971 - The Kuban Cossack Choir for the first time becomes a diploma winner at the international folklore festival in Bulgaria.

October 14, 1974 - art direction The Kuban Cossack Choir was headed by Viktor Gavrilovich Zakharchenko.

December 1975 - The Kuban Cossack Choir took first place and received the title of laureate of the first All-Russian Review - a competition of State Russian Folk Choirs in Moscow.

Summer 1980 - the choir becomes a diploma winner at the International Folklore Festival in France.

December 1984 - the choir again took first place and received the title of laureate of the second All-Russian competition of State Russian folk choirs in Moscow.

October 1988 - By Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the choir was awarded the Order of Friendship of Peoples.

March 1990 - The Kuban Cossack Choir becomes a laureate of the State Prize of Ukraine named after. T. G. Shevchenko.

1993 - the team was awarded the honorary title "Academic".

August 1995 - Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II, during his stay in Krasnodar, blessed the Kuban Cossack choir to sing at festive services in the church.

October 1996 - Resolution of the head of the administration of the Krasnodar region "On recognition of the succession (historical) of the State Academic Kuban Cossack Choir from the Military Choir of the Kuban Cossack Army."

2006 - Jubilee year Kuban Cossack Choir - 195 years

The historical predecessor of the modern Kuban Cossack Choir is the Military Singing Choir of the Black Sea Cossack Army. Its founder was the first present of the Ekaterinodar Spiritual Board, military archpriest Kirill Vasilyevich Rossinsky.

In August 1810, he turned to the military office of the Black Sea Cossack Army with a request to create a singing choir. The proposal was approved by military ataman F. Ya. Bursak and members of the chancellery. In August, estimates were prepared for the salaries of the regent and singers, as well as funds for the purchase of costumes.

On the holiday of the Intercession Holy Mother of God October 1, 1810 O.S. The military singing choir performed for the first time in the Military Resurrection Cathedral. The first regent of the choir was the nobleman Konstantin Grechinsky. Initially, the choir existed at the expense of Archpriest Kirill Rossinsky, but in January 1811, the Governor-General of Odessa and Kherson, Duke de Richelieu, officially approved the staff, estimates and allocated money for the maintenance of the Military Singing Choir.

On October 1, 1811, on the day of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which began to be considered the holiday of the Military Choir, the group already performed as the officially established Military Singing Choir of the Black Sea Cossack Army. On December 22, 1811, Emperor Alexander I issued a decree “On the establishment of brass music of 24 musicians in the Black Sea Cossack Army,” that is, a brass band. The orchestra was named the Military Music Choir. Singing and musical military choirs developed in parallel. Rich, diverse and fruitful creative activity two choirs continued until April 1920. Their outstanding role in the spiritual, cultural and patriotic education Kuban residents cannot be overestimated. According to contemporaries, these were the best military art institutions in Russia on the periphery.

In 1860, the Black Sea Cossack army renamed Kubanskoe. The military choirs were renamed accordingly. In addition to participating in church services, the Singing Choir also gave secular concerts in Yekaterinodar and throughout the south of Russia. Sacred music, folk songs, and classical works were performed. The choir has become a forge of musical personnel for both cultural institutions and Orthodox Church, and for the army of the Russian Empire.

The activities of the choir were highly appreciated by Russian emperors: Emperor Alexander II found it “remarkable in its voices and harmony of performance,” and Emperor Alexander III expressed gratitude to the choir “for its excellent performance music programs"and ordered the military authorities to attend to the expansion and improvement of the choir.

With the Bolsheviks coming to power in Kuban, the Military Singing Choir was renamed the State Choir. However, due to the policy of repression against the Cossacks, the choir was persecuted. On April 21, 1920, the Kuban-Black Sea Regional Revolutionary Committee decided: “All military choirs and orchestras, now renamed state ones, with all personnel, libraries, musical instruments become the responsibility of the regional education department. All conductors, musicians, singers and others who have official instruments and notes must hand them over immediately. Persons hiding the above-mentioned property will be brought before a revolutionary tribunal.” In the summer of 1921, by decision of the Bolshevik authorities, the activities of the collective were finally terminated. In 1920, without recognizing new government, twenty-seven members of the Military Singing Choir, along with thousands of Kuban Cossacks, were forced to emigrate to Greece, Turkey, Serbia and other countries. There, in exile, they created several choral groups that bore the name of the Kuban Military Cossack Choir and preserved the traditions of the Military Singing Choir. At the same time, in 1925-1932. led to Kuban touring activities The Kuban men's quartet is a fragment of the former choral group. Unfortunately, the leader of the team, Alexander Avdeev, was repressed and executed in 1929.

In connection with some weakening of the policy of repression towards the Cossacks in 1936, by the Resolution of the Presidium of the Azov-Black Sea Regional Executive Committee, the State Kuban Cossack Choir was established, which was headed by G. M. Kontsevich and Y. M. Taranenko, who were regents of the Kuban Military Singing Choir before the revolution. It was they who transferred rich singing and musical traditions, folk song repertoire and your high artistic taste, thereby combining the story into a single whole

Military singing and State Kuban Cossack choir. Work in conditions created Soviet power, it was incredibly difficult. Nevertheless, G. M. Kontsevich did not lose faith in the future great mission of the newly created choir. On March 3, 1937, in the newspaper “Red Banner” he prophetically wrote: “Now the Kuban Cossack Choir has been created with 40-50 people from best votes Cossacks of villages and farms. His future is undoubtedly bright. This highly artistic group will decorate our Kuban and color the region with a bright star.” However, soon the first artistic director of the State Kuban Cossack Choir, the outstanding folklorist scholar G. M. Kontsevich, was arrested on false charges of “attempt on Stalin” and sentenced to death. The sentence was carried out on December 26, 1937. G. M. Kontsevich was rehabilitated posthumously in 1989. In 1939, due to the inclusion of a dance group in the choir, the choir was renamed the Song and Dance Ensemble of the Kuban Cossacks. With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War The ensemble was disbanded and its soloists were drafted into the Red Army. The team was recreated in April 1944 at the Krasnodar Regional Philharmonic. The first performance of the restored Song and Dance Ensemble of the Kuban Cossacks took place in September 1944. However, in 1961, on the initiative of N. S. Khrushchev, the ensemble was again disbanded along with other ten state folk ensembles and choirs of the USSR.

On October 14, 1974, Viktor Gavrilovich Zakharchenko, a folklorist scholar, choirmaster and composer who attended the school of an outstanding choral conductor Professor V.I. Minin and the patriarch of Russian folklore studies Professor E.V. Gippius. The leadership of the dance group passed to Vyacheslav Modzolevsky, then to Leonid Milovanov, and after him to Nikolai Kubar.

With the arrival of Viktor Gavrilovich to the leadership of the choir, the collective rose to the heights of creativity and gained worldwide fame. Over the 35 years of his activity in Kuban, V. G. Zakharchenko managed to fully realize his artistic, scientific and educational aspirations and lead the team to qualitatively new creative frontiers.

Today the group consists of 146 artists. During his time leading the choir, V. G. Zakharchenko turned the collective into an international-class ensemble. The geography of the choir's tours is vast; it is applauded on five continents and in dozens of countries around the world. The choir gave hundreds of concerts throughout Russia, in all former republics THE USSR. At the same time, the team regularly performs in the cities and villages of Kuban. Now he is based in Krasnodar, in his own building, specially allocated for him by the leadership of the Krasnodar region.

The choir is actively preparing for the meeting of future Olympic Games in Sochi 2014 - he is already participating in the Cultural Olympics. A cultural and Olympic project of the State Academic Kuban Cossack Choir has been prepared for the 2014 Olympics: “22 concerts of the Kuban Cossack Choir - for the XXII Winter Olympic Games in Sochi!” - this will be a special Olympic tour of the group in the capitals of the Winter Olympic Games. A fundamentally new word in the concert activities of the Kuban Cossack Choir is the preparation of large programs designed to reveal the rich potential of the group. Thus, the grandiose performance “The Great Cossack History” (in two acts and eight scenes), dedicated to the life of the Cossacks of the Zaporozhye Sich and the history of their resettlement to the Kuban, has already been prepared.

There is every reason to believe that a worthy meeting of the 200th anniversary of the State Academic Order of Friendship of Peoples of the Kuban Cossack Choir under the direction of V. G. Zakharchenko will serve further development and the prosperity of our Kuban and the great Motherland - Russia Soloviev A.A. 200 years with song Kuban Cossack Choir: history and modernity // Russian Cossacks

The influence of music on a person 15.10.2017

Dear readers, today in our section there will be interesting meeting with Russian folk song. The article was prepared by Liliya Szadkowska, a person in love with music. She is already familiar to many of you from her blog posts. Today Lilia will tell us about the famous Kuban choir, and we will listen to folk songs performed by him. I give the floor to Lilia.

Hello, our dear readers and fans. The time of vacations and bright summer impressions flew by quickly. And outside the window it’s already autumn. Each of us has our own. For some it is multi-colored and rustling, for others it is stormy and dull, for others it is thoughtful and sad, and on Irina Zaitseva’s blog - autumn is warm, cozy and homely, with healthy recipes herbal infusions And aromatic tea, a varied mass, useful information and, of course, with soulful music. We present to your attention a topic about everyone’s favorite Russian song. Enjoy your holiday!

Golden Voices of Russia

Russian song is deep
like human suffering,
sincere as a prayer
sweet as love and consolation.

It is through song that one can understand the character of a people. For a Russian person, a song is like repentance: “In the song you will cry, and repent, and submit, and lighten your soul, and the heaviness from your heart will fall like a stone.” There are so many of them, varied in genre: historical, labor, soldier, ritual, calendar, lyrical and comic... This is a real treasury of the Russian soul, its heritage and historical memory.

But the song becomes famous and popular primarily thanks to its performers. Today we invite you to listen to Russian songs performed by the Kuban Cossack Choir, the full name of which is: State Academic Order of Friendship of Peoples and the Holy Blessed Grand Duke Dimitri Donskoy, 1st degree Kuban Cossack Choir.

How a Cossack traveled around the world

I had a childhood dream, and it
came true. Looked at the world. And I was convinced:
There is no place better than Russia and Kuban...
V. Zakharchenko

This team was applauded on all continents and in crowded concert halls our vast homeland. The performance was always a delight. The choir's repertoire includes Kuban Cossack, Russian and Ukrainian folk songs, songs by composers, varied in genre and character. The Kuban Cossack Choir, led by Viktor Zakharchenko, is recognized as a national brand of Russia. Let's start our acquaintance with the fiery song “Across the Carpathian Mountains”.

Kuban Cossack Choir “Across the Carpathian Mountains”

This oldest Cossack choral group was founded back in 1811 and has its own unique story. At its origins were the spiritual educator of the Kuban, Archpriest Kirill Rossinsky and the regent Grigory Grechinsky. In 1867, the choir was renamed from the Black Sea to the Kuban Voyskovoy, which performed not only spiritual works during services, but also performed with the Cossacks folk songs, works of classical music.

The fate of the Kuban Cossack Choir is inseparable from difficult fate Kuban Cossacks and the country as a whole. So, in 1921, by decision of the Bolshevik authorities, the choir was disbanded. It was prescribed: “All conductors, musicians, singers and others who have official notes and instruments must hand them over immediately. Persons hiding the above-mentioned property will be brought before a revolutionary tribunal.”

Kuban Cossack Choir “My Bitter Motherland”

Listening to this song, the words of the great Russian writer N.V. Gogol immediately come to mind: “Rus! Rus! I see you, from my wonderful, beautiful distance I see you: poorly scattered and uncomfortable in you... But what incomprehensible secret force attracts you? Why is your melancholy song, rushing along your entire length and width, from sea to sea, heard and heard incessantly in your ears? What's in it, in this song? What calls, and sobs, and grabs the heart?..”

When the Cossack choir sings

In 1936 in the USSR the choir was recreated again, and in 1939 under choir group was also created a dancing group. The group's repertoire has been enriched with bright, original dance numbers. The Kuban Cossack Choir has a lot of ardent fans. Even in the most difficult years for the country, it seemed, when there was no time for dancing or singing, the choir sang in such a way that everything that was painful spilled out of the soul.

Kuban Cossack Choir “Lord, have mercy”

I always listen to this song with tears in my eyes. When you listen to it, you are truly imbued with the spirit and power of Russia, you are filled with them to the depths of your soul.

Agree, friends, that they are outstanding creative achievements collectives do not happen on their own. They are associated with the names of talented leaders and conductors. So, in 1968, the choir was recreated again in a new genre and a new structure under the leadership of Honored Artist of the RSFSR Sergei Chernobay. And already in 1971, the Kuban Cossack Choir for the first time became a diploma winner at the international folklore festival in Bulgaria.

Boy with a dream

In 1974, when the ensemble was again on the verge of collapse, composer Viktor Gavrilovich Zakharchenko became artistic director and chief conductor, realizing all his wildest dreams and creative ideas. This activity began with a childhood dream - the boy had a great desire to learn music.

I had to write a letter to I. Stalin himself. He wrote that the children of the village and he personally have a great desire to learn music, but at school there is not even a button accordion. Soon a commission came to the village - no, not with a button accordion, but with an inspection. The commission reprimanded the school director for insufficient attention to creative development children and left. After some time, the mother finally bought an accordion for her son: “With what excitement I touched my accordion!” Happiness knew no bounds. He even went to bed with the instrument.

The whole village encouraged him to enter the music school: some gave him soap, some gave him boots, some gave him a towel. But during the exams at the school they turned him away because he didn’t know musical notation. “I went outside as if in a frenzy. Climbed onto a high bridge. I wanted to throw myself down. The thought brought me to my senses: what about my mother without me?..”

There, on the bridge, a passer-by approached him, sobbing bitterly. Oh miracle! He turned out to be a teacher of another music school. Having learned the reason for his tears, the teacher invited Victor to play the harmonica. Hearing how selflessly the boy played, the teacher said: “You will learn from us.” After several years of study and work, V. Zakharchenko managed to realize another of his cherished dreams - he became a leader in the famous group of the Kuban Cossack Choir. Thanks to his deep knowledge, his talent, and high efficiency, he realized this too.

“The Kuban Cossack Choir is my cross, the meaning of my life...”

In the new team, V. Zakharchenko set the main goals - the revival of the classical Cossack choir and the preservation of the traditions of his people. Thus began fruitful work. The vocal abilities of the artists were honed, and each member of the choir became a pearl of rare beauty in the crown of the group. There are new songs, new dance numbers and concert programs. Over the years of work, we managed to realize all our creative and artistic aspirations.

“The Kuban Cossack Choir is my cross, the meaning of my life, for its sake every day I get up at six in the morning and go to bed after midnight.” Creative work takes a lot mental strength. It also happens: “When I’m not in a good mood, the thought of my quiet homeland always warms me up. I remember the thresholds of my father’s house.”

Kuban Cossack Choir “My Quiet Homeland”

It should be noted that despite all the ups and downs of Viktor Gavrilovich’s life, it was his faith in God that helped him survive, even at a time when his life hung by a thread. There were also unforgettable happy moments of life that fate gave him.

Kuban Cossack Choir “Ah, fate, my fate”

All his most cherished dreams came true. The work of his whole life has also come true - he conveys the spiritual culture of his forefathers to the audience through the songs of the Kuban Cossack Choir. Viktor Gavrilovich firmly believes: “All dreams come true, the main thing is to believe and strive!” I suggest you listen to another song that charges you with powerful energy, faith in everything good and lifts your spirits.

Kuban Cossack Choir “Dunya Carried the Carriage”

Do you know that:

• the choir, formed in 1811, performed before Alexander II, Alexander III and Nicholas II;
• over forty years ago, V. Zakharchenko accepted a team of 15 people, and today there are almost 150 artists - singers, dancers, musicians;
• traveling through the villages, V. G. Zakharchenko recorded several thousand Kuban songs and returned them to the audience in their original form at concerts of the Kuban Cossack Choir;
• maestro created the Regional Children's Experimental Secondary secondary school folk art of the Kuban Cossack Choir;
• The teaching staff prepares performers to work in creative teams folk art. Today at five branches (people's choral singing, folk dance, arts and crafts, wind instruments, folk instruments) 576 people study at the school, including talented children from many cities;
• V. G. Zakharchenko dreamed of performing on the stage of the Kremlin Palace, and his dream came true. Bicentennial anniversary of Kuban folk choir took place on the stage of this palace;
• The Kuban Cossack Choir traveled to all continents, where kings and presidents gave it a standing ovation. This team also performed at the G8 summit;
• the people's collective forced even the highest ranks of NATO to “dance to their tune”;
• Italian politician Silvio Berlusconi, having attended the concert, said: “The Kuban Cossack choir conquered Italy not with guns, but with songs.”

Today Viktor Gavrilovich Zakharchenko is an Honored Artist, People's Artist of the RSFSR, an honorary citizen of Krasnodar, awarded many orders and medals. He created a unique team, became an idol for the younger generation, and is an example of selfless devotion to his people, the Kuban region and Russia. The main motto of his life: “Our strength of spirit is nourished by faith - in God, goodness and justice.”