Russian Songs in Russian History

Maxim Kravchinsky will be introducing his audiences to the rich heritage of song in Russian folklore.

Few people know that the last Russian Czar Nicolay II, loved popular music. This traditional music told the epic history of Russia. The music, in Chanson style, runs deep in Russian culture going back to the 9th century. The Czar applauded the great bass Fedor Shalyapin and gypsy singer Varya Panina, and cried in his palace listening to the folk songs of Nadezhda Plevitskaya. After the tragic death of the Royal Family most of his favourite singers sadly finished their lives in exile. Never in the tumultuous history of Russia have the Russian people stopped singing.