Moscow suffered enormous losses during the Great Patriotic War. Tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians fought and died in the city itself and its surroundings, with many streets and districts forever linked to both feats of heroism and tragedy. Hundreds of military graves and monuments dedicated to the defenders of the Motherland are located on the territory of Moscow honoring Red Army soldiers, partisans and civilians who suffered from the Nazi occupation and bombings.
Today in Moscow, on holidays and ordinary days alike, people visit memorials, mass graves, and obelisks to honor the memory of the heroes and victims of the war. They come because they remember and revere the feat of their ancestors. They also came today to see the Every Third commemorative concert in the Grand Hall of the Kremlin Palace. This poignant musical and poetic program, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Belarus' liberation from the Nazi invaders and to the memory of the over three million civilians and prisoners of war who perished during the Great Patriotic War, left no one unmoved.
For a long time, it was believed that Belarus lost every fourth resident; however, the updated data show that the war claimed every third life.
The concert featured both well-known Soviet songs about the war and Victory and contemporary pieces. The program included unique archival footage and photographic documents, while its poetic foundation was Anatoly Vertinsky's “Requiem for Every Fourth One”. The program premiered in May 2024, also in Moscow, on Poklonnaya Hill. To mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, a series of requiem concerts was held in Minsk this April at the Palace of the Republic. The event was attended by audiences from all regions of Belarus.
Today in Moscow, on holidays and ordinary days alike, people visit memorials, mass graves, and obelisks to honor the memory of the heroes and victims of the war. They come because they remember and revere the feat of their ancestors. They also came today to see the Every Third commemorative concert in the Grand Hall of the Kremlin Palace. This poignant musical and poetic program, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Belarus' liberation from the Nazi invaders and to the memory of the over three million civilians and prisoners of war who perished during the Great Patriotic War, left no one unmoved.
For a long time, it was believed that Belarus lost every fourth resident; however, the updated data show that the war claimed every third life.
The concert featured both well-known Soviet songs about the war and Victory and contemporary pieces. The program included unique archival footage and photographic documents, while its poetic foundation was Anatoly Vertinsky's “Requiem for Every Fourth One”. The program premiered in May 2024, also in Moscow, on Poklonnaya Hill. To mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, a series of requiem concerts was held in Minsk this April at the Palace of the Republic. The event was attended by audiences from all regions of Belarus.
Was there something new for viewers in Russia?
Every concert has its own specific things, said Vladislava Artyukovskaya, the chief director of the Every Third concert, the Artistic Director of the Youth Variety Theater. “We cross out 'Every Fourth' and write: 'Every Third.' The investigations are ongoing. Our prosecutor's office is conducting them. Therefore, every concert differs as the new data comes in,” she explained.
The concert at the Kremlin Palace featured the most recent documentary evidence regarding the genocide of the Belarusian people during the Great Patriotic War. “Of course, the venue itself suggested that we would amplify the performance. More people are involved here, and we are doing it on a larger scale,” she said.
Anna Blagova, the author and performer, explained that in Belarus, the theme of the Great Patriotic War and the Great Victory is a very intimate and sacred part of history. She emphasized that in her country, this sacred day is always observed with particular sorrow. “On this day in our country, not only are the well-known wartime and post-war songs heard, but we also honor the memory of the heroes and write new compositions, new songs. In fact, the commemorative concert itself is a tribute to the Soviet soldiers who died for the sake of peace on our Belarusian land today. It is a great honor and joy for us to be guests here today on the great Russian land, in the Kremlin Palace, and to bring here our own perspective, our feelings, our memory,” she said.
A special role in this project was assigned to Artyom Pinchuk, who played the role of the Contemporary - the entire narrative thread runs through his account. “My character is a Belarusian who lives in our time and is experiencing this war, telling the viewer about it. The main emotion of the concert passes through me, through my acting emotions. It's important to convey the feeling that was already embedded in the concert - this conversation about the Great Victory, about the numerous sacrifices. It's a mix of pride and, unfortunately, pain,” he said. “This project is truly large-scale. It's a great responsibility to present it in the Kremlin, because the team is huge, yet very cohesive. It was very difficult to pull it all off, but we are here.”
The actor believes it is very important for Belarus and Russia to discuss this topic together and to see this concert jointly.
Head of the Main Department of State Special Cultural Events and Professional Art at the Culture Ministry Yekaterina Usova added that in 2025, a large number of events dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Soviet people's Victory in the Great Patriotic War were implemented in the cultural space of the Republic of Belarus. “They were large-scale, they were intimate. There were exhibitions, concerts, absolutely diverse events, but what we have brought to the State Kremlin Palace today is an absolutely special project, and it is very personal,” she noted. “It is told from the perspective of every third Belarusian who died during the Great Patriotic War. It is told from the perspective of the families who preserve this memory. And we would like this project to find a response in the hearts of Muscovites and visitors of the Russian capital.”
What was the feedback from Muscovites?
The commemorative concert is primarily intended to ensure we forget nothing and we pass this memory on to our children, Nadezhda Vinokurova noted as she was leaving the Grand Hall. “We are the generation that still met the veterans, but our children, unfortunately, no longer want to understand anything. If you don't tell them in childhood about the importance and significance of this topic, we could lose everything,” she emphasized, adding that the concert evoked a great deal of emotion. Nadezhda admitted that she is usually a cheerful person, but during the concert and while sharing her impressions, she couldn't hold back her tears.
Marina Krais came to the concert with friends and brought her teenage children. She echoes the opinion that conveying such information to children is very necessary and needs to be done right now. “It is very important to convey to children the events that fascism led to, and to tell them about the feat accomplished by our countries. They must remember. We know this from the original sources, but they no longer do; they have almost never met the veterans. That's why such concerts are very important and timely,” she said.
Tatyana Skirdina noted that the concert moved her deeply. “The heroes brought tears to my eyes. There were, of course, memories of how we used to visit veterans, but now there are fewer and fewer of them. It's very sad,” the woman said. “The more such concerts, the better. In general, you need to perform, perform, and perform again, so we do not forget our history. And we will be happy to see that.”
The Kremlin Palace also hosted BelTA’s exhibition “Destinies Folded in a Triangle” and the Partisans of Belarus exhibition by the Belarus Segodnya the publishing house. Guests were also able to sample various types of wartime breads: Stalingrad bread, siege bread, and others.
The program at the Kremlin Palace was shown with the support of the Standing Committee of the Union State, the Ministries of Culture of Belarus and Russia, the Ministry of Defense of Belarus, and the Roskontsert company.
Photos by Vitaly Pivovarchik/BelTA
Follow us on:
