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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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
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