Awards presented to winners of the All-Russian Song Contest "The Songs Our Mother Sang to Us" at the National Centre RUSSIA

---

A gala concert and the awards ceremony for the winners of the All-Russian Song Contest for Composers "The Songs Our Mother Sang to Us" was held on 17 December at the National Centre RUSSIA. The vibrant event, dedicated to the 110th anniversary of the birth of poet and songwriter Mikhail Matusovsky and timed to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory, brought together classical traditions and the work of contemporary authors.

The evening opened with performances by the Sergei Yovsa Wind Orchestra of the Lugansk State Academy of Culture and Arts named after Mikhail Matusovsky and the Chamber Choir of the Moscow State Conservatory named after P. I. Tchaikovsky. They performed a medley of songs set to Matusovsky’s poetry and the composition "Where the Motherland Begins" – the main musical theme of the Soviet feature film "Shield and Sword".

"I remember this film very well, and when I was still a boy, I often hummed this song. I would like to thank the organisers for the idea of such a large-scale concert that connects the Soviet era with the present day. This concert is also very important because residents of the Lugansk region and other regions that have returned to being part of Russia have now definitively become part of our large country in cultural terms as well," said the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Lugansk State Academy of Culture and Arts named after Mikhail Matusovsky and Aide to the President of the Russian Federation, Valery Fadeyev.

The historical significance of the contest and the awards ceremony was highlighted by the Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, Olga Petrova.

"Thank you to everyone who made this possible, and thank you to our students for their active participation. I am confident that this evening will certainly become one of the brightest and most memorable among all the pre-New Year December evenings," Olga Petrova said.

A welcoming address was also delivered by the Rector of the National Research University Higher School of Economics and member of the Board of Trustees of the Lugansk State Academy of Culture and Arts named after Matusovsky, Nikita Anisimov. A total of 148 young composers took part in the contest, creating 154 new songs set to the poetry of Mikhail Matusovsky.

"We were even somewhat surprised by the level of interest, as Matusovsky is closely associated with Soviet identity, and few young people today know his work. Yet despite the collapse of the Soviet Union, the values and meanings that existed at that time continue to live on and remain close and understandable to the Russian soul. When we conceived this contest, we dreamed that new songs about what truly matters would once again become popular in our country. And, judging by the people gathered in this hall, I believe that this dream can indeed become a reality," said the Rector of the Lugansk State Academy of Culture and Arts named after Matusovsky, Professor and Honoured Cultural Worker of the Russian Federation, Valery Filippov.

Honoured Artist, President of the Guild of Composers of the Russian Union of Cinematographers, five-time recipient of the National Cinematography Award "Golden Eagle", laureate of the "Diamond Butterfly" Film Award and Chairman of the contest jury, Yuri Poteyenko, emphasised that the contest had become not only a creative contest but also an event that united hearts and generations around shared values.

"We live in a completely different world from the one in which Mikhail Matusovsky lived and wrote his songs. Yet the very concepts, thoughts, meanings and their depth continue to stir the hearts of people today, even though at first it seemed to us that young people nowadays are somewhat more cynical and pragmatic. I am not ashamed for a single second of the concert you will see today, or of the winners who presented a multi-genre, vibrant world of music and, most importantly, showed in their work the most essential things: how to love one’s Motherland and loved ones, and how one should feel oneself in this world," Yuri Poteyenko said.

The best performers were honoured on stage in four categories. Among professional composers, the winners were Yekaterina Yevmenyeva ("Distant Stars") from Moscow, Alexei Antonov ("Happiness") from Severodonetsk, Anna Kovaleva ("Moscow – an Unbreakable Fortress"), and Alexander Prusov ("Night Station") from Belarus. In the category for amateur composers, Denis Tikhonov ("In a Small Town") took first place, while among students of creative universities the winners were Alexander Zavarzin ("I Have Travelled So Far with You") and Yevdokiya Sandler ("The Seasons"). A creative experiment was recognised separately: in a special category for works created using artificial intelligence, the winner was Valeria Yakovleva from Lugansk with the song "I Love You Like a Cherry".

The evening’s programme became a vivid illustration of the life and creative journey of Mikhail Matusovsky. Each concert performance was framed by stories from the poet’s life. A particularly strong emotional response from the audience was sparked by the performance of People’s Artist Taisia Povaliy and jury chairman Yuri Poteyenko with the song "The Old Maple". The evening concluded with hundreds of voices from performers and audience members joining together to sing the famous "Moscow Nights".

The All-Russian Song Contest for Composers "The Songs Our Mother Sang to Us" is being implemented by the Lugansk State Academy of Culture and Arts named after Mikhail Matusovsky with the support of the Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives, the Chairman of the Academy’s Board of Trustees and Aide to the President of the Russian Federation, Valery Fadeyev, and the Institute of Heritage and Contemporary Society of the Russian State University for the Humanities. A total of 148 composers from various regions of Russia and Belarus took part in the creative contest. The jury was chaired by the renowned composer and arranger, laureate of the "Diamond Butterfly" Film Award and five-time recipient of the "Golden Eagle" Award for Best Film Music, Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation Yuri Poteyenko.