What choirs did the Kuban Cossack Choir create? State Academic Kuban Cossack Choir

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 wind music from 24 musicians in the Black Sea Cossack army,” that is brass band. The orchestra was named the Military Music Choir. Singing and musical military choirs developed in parallel. The intense, varied and fruitful creative activity of the 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 was renamed the Kuban Army. 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 was performed folk songs, classical works. 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 Russian emperors: Emperor Alexander II found it “remarkable for 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 stopped. In 1920, not recognizing the 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 Kuban men's quartet - a fragment of the past choir 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 their high artistic taste to the newly formed State Kuban Cossack Choir, thereby combining history 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 scholar and folklorist 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 the 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. Management 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 of 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 management 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 concert activities The Kuban Cossack Choir is preparing large programs designed to reveal the rich potential of the collective. So, the grandiose performance “Big 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 Kuban.

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 Kuban Cossack Choir is one of 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 the spiritual and secular culture of Yekaterinodar, which also reflects the tragic events of the times Civil War. The Kuban Cossack Choir presents how historical aspects individual personalities in combination 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 creation artistic group

The year 1811 is considered to be the beginning creative path Black Sea Military Singing Choir under the direction 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 along with spiritual songs and folk songs, 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 the artistic director of this choir is Viktor Garilovich Zakharchenko, who compiled about fourteen collections of Cossack songs that have 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).

The soloist of the Kuban Cossack Choir, Sofya Bovtun, should have seen how many tears the audience shed while listening to the song “Low Sun”! She does it so touchingly, as if she were retelling her story to people:
“I’m in a hurry to get to you,
I won’t find Tai
I'll see the mountain
I'll start crying..."
And people at choir concerts not only cry, not only empathize with the heroes of the songs, applaud without sparing their palms, stand up and shout “Bravo!”, they also sing along with the artists.

But tell me, dear readers, when last time did you sing Cossack songs? How often do you do this? And in general, do you sing? And once upon a time in Kuban Cossack families not a day went by without a song. They accompanied a person’s life in work and on holiday, in joy and sorrow. After all, song is the soul of the people.

And if you listen to the new concert program of the Kuban Cossack Choir “Big Cossack History”, with which the illustrious group is now touring Russia, then in front of you, as if on a fairy-tale carpet, will be woven unusual picture. Here and historical events different centuries, military exploits of the Cossacks, the glorious gift of Empress Catherine, the work of developing new lands. And with what colors are the song stories about love and fidelity, the spiritual aspirations of the Cossacks decorated! And all this from the 17th century to the present day, from the Dnieper to Far East, in Russian and Ukrainian. Famous hits and works that were performed for the first time. Even the flavor of the culture of the neighboring Circassians is organically woven into this canvas.
It seems that it was no coincidence that the artistic director of the choir, Viktor Zakharchenko, chose such a program. After all, with these tours he drew an end to two of his creative anniversaries. Forty years ago he headed the Kuban Cossack Choir. That time was far from the best period of life creative team. They then tried to turn the choir into a pop music hall. And Viktor Gavrilovich managed not only to defend the traditional folk art, but also to make the collective one of the best choirs in Russia. By the way, it was then that the song “Rospryagaite, boys, horses!” was first heard, which became extremely popular.

A creative activity Viktor Zakharchenko turned 50 this year. After graduating from the Novosibirsk Conservatory, the aspiring composer became the chief choirmaster of the Siberian Russian folk choir. Here he did a lot research work, recorded thousands of folk songs. According to Viktor Gavrilovich, these years prepared him for the main task of his life - the revival of Kuban song traditions. By the way, these days the Kuban choir sings just for the residents of Siberian cities.

But let's return to past performances. Concert hall"October" of St. Petersburg, Palace of the Republic of Minsk and main stage Russia - Grand Kremlin Palace. What do you think unites viewers like this? different cities? Love for folk song - the song that preserves our historical and spiritual roots. Many people picked up the melody and sang their favorite words along with the choir.

The audience stood up and greeted the anthem of the Krasnodar region “You, Kuban, you are our Motherland”, laughed heartily at the scenes from “Varenichki” and the dispute between rival whistlers in the song “Dunya Kept the Carriage”, and greeted the soloist Viktor Sorokin with an ovation and did not want to let go . The song “When We Were at War” was clearly not enough for the audience. Even "The Farm", performed by Victor for the first time, did not save him. At all concerts there was a request to perform “Spring will not come for me,” which was not included in the program. As a result, Viktor Zakharchenko gave up, inviting the audience to compete with the choir in her performance. The people really liked this proposal. But the audience still failed to sing the Kuban choir.

The authors of the song “My Bitter Motherland”, which premiered on tour, presented a big surprise to the audience. Composer Alexandra Pakhmutova and poet Nikolai Dobronravov performed it together with the Kuban Cossack Choir.

—“Oh my God, Pakhmutova herself,” the six-thousand-strong hall of the Kremlin Palace gasped in surprise and burst into applause when Alexandra Nikolaevna walked onto the stage without an announcement, sat down at the piano and began to accompany the artists.

The Black Sea Fleet Song and Dance Ensemble came from Crimea to specially congratulate Viktor Zakharchenko on his creative anniversaries. This was a reciprocal gesture of solidarity of the Black Sea sailors Kuban choir for their support of the Crimeans in the troubled February and March days, when Crimea was returning to its native Russian harbor.
The Kuban Cossack Choir always ended its performance with “Farewell of the Slav”. And here the audience could no longer restrain their emotions. The hall stood up in St. Petersburg, and in Minsk, and in Moscow. To the thunder of applause, together with the singers, everyone unanimously sang the immortal lines:
“We are all children of a great power,
We all remember the covenants of our fathers.
For the sake of the Motherland, honor and glory
Don’t feel sorry for yourself or your enemies!”

, USSR , Russia

City Language of songs

Russian Ukrainian

Supervisor Compound

choir - 62, ballet - 37, orchestra - 18 people

Kuban Cossack Choir Kuban Cossack Choir

Kuban Cossack Choir(full title - State Academic Order of Friendship of Peoples Kuban Cossack Choir listen)) is a choral singing group founded in 1811. 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 - artistic director team. The most popular folk song chorus - “Harness the horses, boys.”

Management

The artistic director and chief conductor of the Kuban Cossack Choir is People's Artist of Russia and Ukraine Viktor Gavrilovich Zakharchenko.
The director of the choir is Honored Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation Anatoly Evgenievich Arefiev.
Chief choirmaster - Vladimir Aleksandrovich Kapaev
Chief choreographer
Choreographer - Elena Nikolaevna Arefieva
Ballet tutor - Leonid Igorevich Tereshchenko
Orchestra leader - Igor Prikhidko

Compound

The total composition of the team is 157 people:

choir - 62
ballet - 37
orchestra - 18
administrative staff - 16
technical staff - 24

Awards

Discography

“In the Kubanskaya village” (1990) Gramophone record. Folk songs of the Black Sea and linear Cossacks
"Kuban Cossack Choir. Songs of Victor Zakharchenko" (1991) Audio album with songs of the Kuban Cossack Choir.
“You are Kuban, you are our Motherland” (1992) Audio album with songs of the Kuban Cossack Choir.
“Kuban Cossack Choir” (1992) Audio album with songs of the Kuban Cossack Choir.
“Kuban folk songs” (1992) Gramophone record.
“There in the Kuban” (1992) Gramophone record. Folk songs of the Black Sea and linear Cossacks.
“Kuban Cossack Choir” (1992) Gramophone record.
“Folk songs of Kuban villages” (1992) Gramophone record.
“Harness the horses, boys” (1997) Video cassette with a recording of the concert of the Kuban Cossack Choir in the KZ named after. Tchaikovsky.
“Kuban Cossack Choir” (1999) Video cassette recording of a concert of the Kuban Cossack Choir in the Cultural Center “Ukraine” Kyiv.
"Kuban Cossack Choir in the Kremlin." First edition (2003) Video album with a concert of the Kuban Cossack Choir at the State Kremlin Palace.
“Russia, Rus', save yourself, protect yourself” (2003-2004) Double audio album with popular folk and original songs performed by the male choir of the Moscow Sretensky Monastery, the Kuban Cossack choir such as “Black Raven”, “Kalinka”.
“Copyright. Songs by Viktor Zakharchenko based on poems by Russian and Ukrainian classical poets” (2004) Double author’s album based on poems by Russian and Ukrainian classical poets.
"Kuban Cossack Choir in the State Kremlin Palace with the concert program “We are Cossacks with you” (2004) Video version of the concert of the Kuban Cossack Choir in the State Kremlin Palace with the program “We are Cossacks with you.”
“Bread is the head of everything” (2004) Video version of the concert “Bread is the head of everything” (performance August 2004 at the Rossiya State Central Concert Hall, Moscow).
“In minutes of music” (2005) Double audio album with songs of the Kuban Cossack Choir.
“The Kuban Cossack Choir sings. Folk songs Black Sea Cossacks. The fire burns beyond the Kuban” (2005) Double audio album with songs of the Kuban Cossack Choir.
"Songs Great Victory"(2005) Music album, released for the 60th anniversary of the Victory, contains ancient Cossack marching and lyrical folk songs, popular songs from the Second World War.
Multimedia disc dedicated to the 195th anniversary of the Kuban Cossack Choir (2006)
“Let’s remember, brothers, we are Kuban people!” (2007) Double audio album with Kuban songs.
Christmas concerts of the Kuban Cossack Choir and the Moscow Sretensky Monastery Choir (2007) Double video album with a Christmas concert of the Kuban Cossack Choir and the Moscow Sretensky Monastery Choir.
“They don’t trade the Motherland, Prince!” (2008) Anniversary album of V. Zakharchenko.
“Musical tribute to Ukraine. Black Sea folk songs of Kuban villages" (2008) Gift edition includes four audio discs. 1. Black Sea folk songs of Kuban villages. 2. Black Sea folk songs of Kuban villages. 3. Songs based on poems by Ukrainian poets. 4. Songs of Viktor Zakharchenko and folk songs of Kuban villages.
“Unharness, lads, the horses...” (2008) Double audio album of popular songs “Unharness, lads, the horses!” performed by the Kuban Cossack Choir. The album also includes original works by Viktor Zakharchenko.
“Songs by Viktor Zakharchenko based on poems by Russian poets.” (2009) Anniversary issue. Double audio album dedicated to the 35th anniversary of Viktor Zakharchenko’s creative activity in the Kuban Cossack Choir.
"Author's concert of composer Viktor Zakharchenko in the Hall of Church Councils of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior." (2009) Anniversary issue. Double audio album dedicated to the 35th anniversary of V. Zakharchenko’s creative activity in the Kuban Cossack Choir.
“Anniversary concert at the State Kremlin Palace. Kuban Cossack Choir is 195 years old!” Recorded October 26, 2006 (2009) The Kuban Cossack Choir is 195 years old! Anniversary issue. Dedicated to the 35th anniversary of V. Zakharchenko’s creative activity in the Kuban Cossack Choir.
CD “For Faith and Fatherland” (2009) Audio album of songs performed by the Kuban Cossack Choir with the same name concert program at the State Kremlin Palace, dedicated to the 64th anniversary of the Great Victory. Dedicated to the defenders of Russia.
“Concert of the Kuban Cossack Choir at the State Kremlin Palace with the participation of N. Mikhalkov.” Recording of the concert April 11, 2003 (2009)
A video album with a concert of the Kuban Cossack Choir in the State Kremlin Palace with the participation of N. Mikhalkov, as well as an audio album “For Faith and the Fatherland.”
“For Faith and Fatherland” (2009) Video album with a concert of the Kuban Cossack Choir in the State Kremlin Palace with the program “For Faith and Fatherland”, as well as an audio album “Nobody but Us” songs by Alexei Melekhov.
CD “Golden voices. Anatoly Lizvinsky sings.” (2010) Musical album, released for the 200th anniversary of the Kuban Cossack Choir.
CD “Golden voices. Marina Krapostina sings" (2010) Musical album, released for the 200th anniversary of the Kuban Cossack Choir.

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Notes

An excerpt characterizing the Kuban Cossack Choir

This was a batch of recruits recruited from us and sent to the army. You had to see the state in which the mothers, wives and children of those who left were, and hear the sobs of both. You will think that humanity has forgotten the laws of its Divine Savior, who taught us love and forgiveness of offenses, and that it places its main dignity in the art of killing each other.
Goodbye darling and good friend. May our Divine Savior and his Most Holy Mother protect you under His holy and powerful protection. Maria.]
- Ah, vous expediez le courier, princesse, moi j"ai deja expedie le mien. J"ai ecris a ma pauvre mere, [Ah, you are sending a letter, I have already sent mine. “I wrote to my poor mother,” the smiling m lle Bourienne spoke quickly in a pleasant, rich voice, burring in r and bringing with her into the concentrated, sad and gloomy atmosphere of Princess Marya a completely different, frivolously cheerful and self-satisfied world.
“Princesse, il faut que je vous previenne,” she added, lowering her voice, “le prince a eu une altercation,” “alternation,” she said, especially graceful and listening to herself with pleasure, “une altercation avec Michel Ivanoff.” Il est de tres mauvaise humeur, tres morose. Soyez prevenue, vous savez... [We must warn you, princess, that the prince has sorted things out with Mikhail Ivanovich. He is very out of sorts, so gloomy. I'm warning you, you know...]
“Ah l chere amie,” answered Princess Marya, “je vous ai prie de ne jamais me prevenir de l"humeur dans laquelle se trouve mon pere. Je ne me permets pas de le juger, et je ne voudrais pas que les autres le fassent. [Ah, my dear friend! I asked you never to tell me in what mood my father was in. I will not allow myself to judge him and I would not want others to judge him.]
The princess looked at her watch and, noticing that she had already missed the time she should have used to play the clavichord by five minutes, she went to the sofa with a frightened look. Between 12 and 2 o'clock, in accordance with the routine of the day, the prince rested, and the princess played the clavichord.

The gray-haired valet sat dozing and listening to the prince's snoring in the huge office. From the far side of the house, from behind the closed doors, difficult passages of Dussek's sonata were heard twenty times repeated.
At this time, a carriage and britzka drove up to the porch, and Prince Andrei got out of the carriage, dropped off his little wife and let her go ahead. Gray-haired Tikhon, in a wig, leaned out of the waiter's door, reported in a whisper that the prince was sleeping, and hastily closed the door. Tikhon knew that neither the arrival of his son nor any unusual events should have disrupted the order of the day. Prince Andrei apparently knew this as well as Tikhon; he looked at his watch, as if to see if his father’s habits had changed during the time during which he had not seen him, and, making sure that they had not changed, he turned to his wife:
“He’ll get up in twenty minutes.” “Let’s go to Princess Marya,” he said.
The little princess gained weight during this time, but her eyes and short lip with a mustache and smile rose just as cheerfully and sweetly when she spoke.
“Mais c"est un palais,” she said to her husband, looking around, with the expression with which one speaks of praise to the owner of the ball. “Allons, vite, vite!... [Yes, this is a palace! – Let’s go quickly, quickly!...] - She , looking around, smiled at Tikhon, her husband, and the waiter who saw them off.
- C "est Marieie qui s" exercise? Allons doucement, il faut la surprendre. [Is this Marie exercising? Hush, let's take her by surprise.]
Prince Andrei followed her with a courteous and sad expression.
“You have grown old, Tikhon,” he said, passing, to the old man who was kissing his hand.
In front of the room in which the clavichord could be heard, a pretty blond Frenchwoman jumped out of a side door.
M lle Bourienne seemed distraught with delight.
- Ah! “quel bonheur pour la princesse,” she spoke. - Enfin! Il faut que je la previenne. [Oh, what joy for the princess! Finally! We need to warn her.]
“Non, non, de grace... Vous etes m lle Bourienne, je vous connais deja par l"amitie que vous porte ma belle soeur,” said the princess, kissing the Frenchwoman. “Elle ne nous attend pas?” [No, no, please ... You are Mamzel Burien; I already know you from the friendship that my daughter-in-law has for you. She is not expecting us?]
They approached the door of the sofa, from which they could hear the passage being repeated again and again. Prince Andrey stopped and winced, as if expecting something unpleasant.
The princess entered. The passage broke off in the middle; a cry was heard, the heavy feet of Princess Marya and the sounds of kisses. When Prince Andrei entered, the princess and princess only once a short time those who saw each other during the wedding of Prince Andrei, clasped their hands, firmly pressed their lips to the places where they fell in the first minute. M lle Bourienne stood near them, pressing her hands to her heart and smiling piously, apparently as ready to cry as to laugh.
Prince Andrey shrugged his shoulders and winced, as music lovers wince when they hear a false note. Both women released each other; then again, as if afraid of being late, they grabbed each other by the hands, began to kiss and tear off their hands, and then again began to kiss each other on the face, and completely unexpectedly for Prince Andrei, both began to cry and began to kiss again. M lle Bourienne also began to cry. Prince Andrei was obviously embarrassed; but it seemed so natural to the two women that they were crying; it seemed that they did not even imagine that this meeting could take place otherwise.
- Ah! here!…Ah! Marieie!... – both women suddenly spoke and laughed. – J"ai reve cette nuit... – Vous ne nous attendez donc pas?... Ah! Marieie,vous avez maigri... – Et vous avez repris... [Ah, dear!... Ah, Marie!... – And I saw it in a dream. – So you weren’t expecting us?... Oh, Marie, you’ve lost so much weight - And you’ve gained so much weight...]
“J"ai tout de suite reconnu madame la princesse, [I immediately recognized the princess,] - inserted m lle Burien.
“Et moi qui ne me doutais pas!...” exclaimed Princess Marya. - Ah! Andre, je ne vous voyais pas. [But I didn’t suspect!... Oh, Andre, I didn’t even see you.]
Prince Andrei kissed his sister hand in hand and told her that she was the same pleurienicheuse [crybaby] as she always was. Princess Marya turned to her brother, and through her tears, the loving, warm and gentle gaze of her large, beautiful, radiant eyes at that moment rested on the face of Prince Andrei.
The princess spoke incessantly. Every now and then a short upper lip with a mustache would fly down for a moment, touch, where necessary, the ruddy lower lip, and again a smile would be revealed, shining with teeth and eyes. The princess told an incident that happened to them on Spasskaya Hill, which threatened her with danger in her position, and immediately after that she said that she had left all her dresses in St. Petersburg and would wear God knows what here, and that Andrei had completely changed, and that Kitty Odyntsova married an old man, and that there is a groom for Princess Marya pour tout de bon, [quite serious,] but we’ll talk about that later. Princess Marya still silently looked at her brother, and beautiful eyes there was both love and sadness. It was clear that she had now established her own train of thought, independent of her daughter-in-law’s speeches. In the middle of her story about the last holiday in St. Petersburg, she turned to her brother:
– And you are determined to go to war, Andre? – oia said, sighing.
Lise shuddered too.
“Even tomorrow,” answered the brother.
– II m"abandonne ici,et Du sait pourquoi, quand il aur pu avoir de l"avancement... [He leaves me here, and God knows why, when he could get a promotion...]
Princess Marya did not listen to the end and, continuing the thread of her thoughts, turned to her daughter-in-law, pointing at her belly with gentle eyes:
- Maybe? - she said.
The princess's face changed. She sighed.
“Yes, I guess,” she said. - Ah! It's very scary…
Lisa's lip dropped. She brought her face closer to her sister-in-law's and suddenly began to cry again.
“She needs to rest,” said Prince Andrei, wincing. – Isn’t it true, Lisa? Take her to your place, and I’ll go to the priest. What is he, still the same?
- Same, same; “I don’t know about your eyes,” the princess answered joyfully.
- And the same hours, and walks along the alleys? Machine? - asked Prince Andrei with a barely noticeable smile, showing that despite all his love and respect for his father, he understood his weaknesses.
“The same clock and machine, also mathematics and my geometry lessons,” Princess Marya answered joyfully, as if her geometry lessons were one of the most joyful experiences of her life.

From WIKIPEDIA - Kuban Cossack Choir (full name - State Academic Order of Friendship of Peoples Kuban Cossack Choir) is a choral singing group founded in 1811. 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 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 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 classical secular and spiritual culture of Yekaterinodar, the tragic events of the Civil War and the 30s, the history of Soviet aesthetics? grand style? national art. The choir represents the history of individuals and the everyday life of singing and musical culture Kuban, and historical heroics and big drama Cossacks as a whole, integral to the history of Russia. 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 a two-time laureate All-Russian competitions state Russian folk choirs, laureate State Prize 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.