‘I Love You, Life’ – the musical-patriotic project to the 80^th anniversary of the Great Victory

The People's Artist of Russia, UNESCO Artist for Peace Vladimir Spivakov, the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia and the opera diva of world fame Hibla Gerzmava are dedicating to the 80^th anniversary of the Russian people's victory in the Great Patriotic War a unique musical-patriotic project, that is a concert which will be performed many a time in 2025 in various regions of the Russian Federation. The tour route includes iconic places of military glory, including hero cities (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Volgograd, Murmansk).

The nearest performances will take place in Kaluga (March, 7), Nizhny Novgord (March. 9), Murmansk (April, 11), and Severomorsk (April, 12), where the soloist will be Polina Shamayeva.

The program is titled “I Love You, Life” after the legendary song by Eduard Kolmanovsky to the poem by Konstantin Vanshenkin, being a hit and the symbol of the Soviet times. It had been sung by Soviet opera and pop singers from Georg Ots to Mark Bernes and to Iossif Kobzon. The program features much loved and well-known songs from the 1940s-1980s about the Great Patriotic War. A special place in the program is given to symphonic works by Russian and Soviet classic composers (from Tchaikovsky to Sviridov) and to epochal film sound tracks which tie the songs into a choate.

The songs born during the War times are witnesses and chroniclers of the immortal deeds of the Soviet people, the memory of which is still alive in the people's hearts. They emboldened the defenders of our country, strengthened their morale, reminding of their home and family, heartening their souls in the time of standstill. However, war songs are not only those created during the War, but also masterpieces that appeared many years after. Among them, there are songs by Vassily Soloviev-Sedoy, Andrey Eshpay, Alexandra Pakhmutova, Yan Frenkel, David Tukhmanov, Bulat Okudzhava and many others. Entering the spiritual memory of our people, they have become part of their historic consciousness and genetic code. At present, they are still known and sung.

The tour is organized by MOSCOW CONCERT LLC. The project is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and regional administrations.