RPT - US Chorus Sings Russian Songs To Commemorate Victory Over Nazi Germany

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th May, 2020) The famous Schiller Institute chorus in New York City will participate in an online Immortal Regiment action on Saturday to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany by rendering Russian songs, the chorus founder and co-director Diane Sare told Sputnik ahead of celebration.

Russia celebrates Victory Day on May 9 - the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany by Soviet forces in 1945. The festivities traditionally include a military parade on Moscow's Red Square.

The first Immortal Regiment, a Russian tradition that commemorates the millions of people who died fighting against Nazi Germany during the Second World War, gathered in 2012 in the Russian city of Tomsk, and the tradition has since spread to over 80 countries, including the United States.

This year, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the postponement of the annual military parade and other festivities in central Moscow due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Russian community in the US and its American friends decided to organize the Immortal Regiment on May 9 using social networks and other online platforms.

IMPORTANCE OF IMMORTAL REGIMENT

The Immortal Regiment is an important demonstration of people's memory and respect to those who sacrificed their lives to the Victory, Sare said.

"I am really glad that someone decided to do this. It is very dangerous to forget history," she added.

The chorus participated in this ceremony since its beginning in New York at the 70th anniversary in 2015. Singers wanted to strengthen ties between the US and Russia.

"We really wanted to start doing something to pull our nations together. When we talked about it, I found out there were many people in the chorus whose fathers or grandfathers fought in the war, who really liked the idea of doing something to commemorate these people," Sare said.

Diane's relatives did not fight in World War II, as she grew up in a pacifist family.

"Ironically, my father ended up in Vietnam, and my sister ended up in Iraq, but this is another story already," she acknowledged.

Sare noted that she likes the idea of the Immortal Regiment because it is a celebration of happiness, not sadness.

"If you make a major sacrifice or even give your life than it should be something for the good. We have been singing the Russian Anthem, American Anthem, having pictures with veterans, and it was great," she added.

This year, large gatherings in New York City are banned due to the coronavirus pandemic, but organizers decided to launch the Immortal Regiment online.

"I am eager to see it," Sare said.

The Schiller Institute Chorus plans to sing the famous Russian song "Katyusha" - of course, in the Russian language.

"Some of us just learned the words for 'Katyusha,' so we will participate in the Immortal Regiment this year with that song," Sare added.

The upcoming celebration will be specifically important because this is one of the last chances to express their gratitude for veterans, Diane noted.

"This is probably the last major anniversary of that war that these people will still be alive [for]," she said. "Many people do have fathers, grandfathers, uncles who fought in World War II and want to commemorate the partnership that defeated Hitler."

RUSSIAN ANTHEM IN MEMORY OF ALEKSANDROV ENSEMBLE

The Schiller Institute Chorus began referring to Russian music in December 2016, when 64 musicians of the world famous Alexandrov Ensemble died as a result of the Tu-154 plane crash near the Russian resort city of Sochi.

The Academic Ensemble of Song and Dance of the Russian Army named after A.V. Aleksandrov, Russia's biggest military and folk music ensemble, was two times awarded with the Order of the Red Banner, the first Soviet military decoration. The choir was founded by Gen. Maj. Aleksandr Aleksandrov, a prominent Soviet artist and composer. From 1946 to 1987, the ensemble was headed by his son, Gen. Maj. Boris Aleksandrov.

"This news just really broke my heart," Sare said. "I was talking to some of my friends with the chorus, and we decided to lay a wreath at the Russian Consulate in New York. Then we learned the Russian National Anthem."

The chorus has rendered the Russian Anthem for the first time along with the ceremonial unit of the New York Police Department. It has happened at the annual ceremony in honor of the Alexandrov Ensemble at the Tear Drop Memorial dedicated to the victims of terrorism in the state of New Jersey.

"Now we sing the Russian Anthem every year," Sare said.

SHOWCASING AMERICANS' RESPECT FOR RUSSIANS

This April, the chorus has recorded another Russian song "Tri tankista' (Three Tank Crewmen), which has been blowing up the Russian American social networks.

"That was our intent - to show that we love Russians," Sare said.

She expressed confidence that most Americans love other nations and want to keep good relations with them.

"The Schiller Institute is named after Friedrich Schiller because it was Schiller's belief that the way to reach people and make them better is through beauty and arts," Sare recalled. "Our chorus really wants to do that. We want to create a society, which is committed to justice and certain high regards for the dignity of humanity."

When starting to learn the new song, the American singers did not realize its length.

"We sat down and found out that it is seven verses," the co-director laughed.

"There are a couple of members of our chorus who have studied Russian, [and] we found a wonderful video from a movie of a little boy singing it," Sare said.

That boy had a wonderful clear pronunciation, so the chorus used the video as a model to practice, she added.

Everyday American audiences are accepting Russian songs very warmly, Sare noted.

"People really want peace, they are just regular humans who want to express friendship to others. And they do not consider singing Russian songs as something unusual," she concluded.