90 years of joy, kindness, and positivity: a creative evening dedicated to the anniversary of Yury Entin held at the National Centre RUSSIA

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On 24 August the National Centre RUSSIA hosted the interactive event "World of Poetry: Speak like Entin" as part of the traditional original cycle "Masterpieces. The Best of Russia". Guests experienced the poetic legacy of the country — this time through the work of the outstanding poet Yury Entin, who just three days earlier had celebrated his 90th birthday.

"'Speak like Entin' — that is the name you gave your project. Well, I am Entin myself! So here I say: 'There is nothing better in the world than for friends to roam the wide world together. Those who are friends are not afraid of worries, any road is dear to us.' They say I have a light touch, so the success of your project is guaranteed," promised the main figure of the event in a special video address to the audience.

Yury Entin is the author of numerous children’s songs that have become part of the cultural heritage of several generations. Among his most famous works, recognised widely both in Russia and abroad, are "The Beautiful Faraway", "If There Were No Winter", "Winged Swings", "The Ray of Golden Sun", "I Want to Fly", "The Forest Deer", "Chunga-Changa", "There is Nothing Better in the World…" and "Tell Me, Snegurochka". In addition to his poetry, Yury Entin is the scriptwriter of many popular animated films, including the musical cartoon "The Blue Puppy" and the famous trilogy "The Bremen Town Musicians". 

A lecture-journey about Entin’s work was presented by journalist and video director Denis Denisov, Editor-in-Chief of the Yury Entin Creative Centre and Director of the "The Beautiful Faraway" Foundation for the Development of Children's Song, as well as the poet’s personal assistant. He also explained why songs with lyrics by Yury Entin are a unifying link across generations.

"These songs became the result of the creative union of very talented people. One could say it was a happy coincidence that so many gifted, remarkable, young, ambitious and at the same time professional people came together at one time, in one place. That is why these works struck a national chord and resonated in people’s hearts. Back then both young and old enjoyed these songs, and despite the changing times and the new technical and even aesthetic means of life, we Russians still preserve a common core and cultural code that is passed from generation to generation. That is why today’s children respond to these songs in the same way — with delight," said Denis Denisov.

The event was attended by Yury Entin's family members and representatives of different generations. Another secret of Entin's popularity was revealed by his daughter Yelena Ekonomova.

"I think the secret lies above all in the fact that his songs are very kind, bright and always cheerful. My father has a marvellous sense of humour, and children always feel it, while adults sometimes even find some additional subtext in them. And of course, my father’s lyrics always carry goodness. It is no coincidence that his Bremen Town Musicians sing: 'We bring people laughter and joy.' That is why these songs are easily passed down from generation to generation," explained Yelena Yuryevna. 

The audience asked how Yury Entin created his major works, how his collaboration with composers developed, why the record "The Bremen Town Musicians" was played to holes, and how the poet's creative "restlessness" and other personal qualities led him to success.

"I can hardly believe that Grandpa Yura is 90 years old, because he still has the same zest as always. I already have three children of my own, and in kindergarten I always tell every teacher, every music teacher, and encourage every child to grow up with Grandpa Yura’s songs. Because such good and positive words, which sound in all these songs, should be heard by every child," said Marina Chelbakova, Yury Entin's granddaughter.

The creativity of Yury Entin continues to inspire generations and encourages young people to think about the future, believes his great-grandson Kirill.

"My great-grandfather gave me a wealth of musical experience. I sang many of his songs and still know some of them by heart. I simply love listening to music — I am a real music lover. And of course, from my great-grandfather I inherited kindness and everlasting positivity. I am proud to have such a great-grandfather and very glad that he is still with us, giving the whole family the motivation to rejoice. I believe it is very important for the modern generation to listen to songs with his lyrics: for example, in the song 'The Beautiful Faraway' there are words that are important for everyone — 'And today what have I done for tomorrow?'" noted the young man. 

The evening's programme included performances by artists. The children’s music theatre "Domisolka" presented a medley based on famous songs with lyrics by Entin, and Kamila Gafetdinova, actress of the Moscow Theatre Studio of Vsevolod Shilovsky, offered her interpretation of the song "The Road of Kindness".

The audience not only remembered Entin's works but also actively participated in the creative process, discovering new interpretations of iconic pieces. The evening concluded with a joint performance of the song "Bu-ra-ti-no".

The creative evening "Speak like Entin" became part of the large-scale poetic cycle "World of Poetry", which demonstrates Russia's rich literary heritage through the synthesis of art and modern interactive technologies.

Detailed information about the events within the cycle is available on the official website of the National Centre RUSSIA. Follow the updates in the "Events" section.