On February 23, the Hvorostovsky Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre will present a festive concert for Defender of the Fatherland Day titled Twelve Centuries of Courage.

“The programme takes audiences on a journey through twelve centuries of Russian history — from the epic age of medieval legends and The Tale of Igor’s Campaign, through the heroic eras of the Empire, the Civil War, the Great Patriotic War, and on to the complex realities of modern Russia. Opera, romance songs, film music, and contemporary pieces will share the stage that evening. You’ll hear powerful choral works by Sergei Prokofiev and Georgy Sviridov, arias by the stern heroes of operas by Alexander Borodin and Mikhail Glinka, as well as songs about officerly honour by Yan Frenkel and Oleg Gazmanov — and much more. Each era will speak in its own distinctive voice,” said concert director Daniil Dmitriev.

Alongside arias from the operas Prince Igor and A Life for the Tsar, and excerpts from the cantata Alexander Nevsky, the programme will feature songs and music from classic Soviet films such as Gardemarines, Forward!, At Home Among Strangers, Say a Word for the Poor Hussar, Two Soldiers, and New Adventures of the Elusive Avengers. The audience will also hear wartime favourites such as Katyusha, as well as late-20th and early-21st-century hits including For You, Motherland! by Igor Matvienko and Officers by Oleg Gazmanov, among others.
Soloists include Honoured Artists of Russia Vera Baranova and Anna Kiseliova, along with Zoya Rzheplyanskaya, Anna Kharitonova, Alexandra Cherpakova, Vladimir Alexandrovich, Alexei Bocharov, Denis and Eugeny Grechishkin, Yuri Zabolotnov, Sevastian Martyniuk, and Alexander Mikhaliov.

The programme will also feature a ballet piece — the Adagio from César Cui’s opera The Prisoner of the Caucasus, performed by Elena Mikheecheva and Yegor Osokin.

The show will conclude with a grand performance of the State Anthem of the Russian Federation, with all participants joining together on the stage of the Krasnoyarsk Opera House.