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3rd Annual Russian Winter Festival
Trafalgar Square, London, 13 January 2007, 11am - 6.30pm
“The Festival is a success! I can safely say that from the fantastic atmosphere in the audience here, the excitement of the performing artists and the friendliness of the huge crowds. Will we have another Festival next year? But of course! The Russian Winter Festival has already become a London tradition and the British so love their tradition, particularly when it is as unusual, exciting and vibrant as this one!”
Sergei Kolushev, the event’s mastermind and Chairman of the organiser Eventica
The Russian Winter Festival, a unique and popular celebration of Russian culture, music and dance - the largest of its kind outside of the Russian Federation - took place for the third successive year before a delighted audience on Trafalgar Square on Saturday 13 January 2007.
Nothing could deter the eager crowds from flooding to London’s iconic centre for the third annual Russian Winter Festival - neither high winds predicted nor occasional drizzle had the crowds running for cover. On the contrary, spirits were high as this celebration of the Russian ‘Old New Year’ kicked off in the spirit in which the event is intended – with community participation.
“My name is Ksenia (originally from Moscow, but now a new Londoner) and I would like to thank you for this festival. Thank you for the amazing atmosphere that you bring, thanks for the artists - great ones, sharing their drive and passion, thank you for giving us the possibility to meet so many Russians, to talk to them and thank you especially for bringing a little feeling of home, even if the snowflakes are fake, to London.
[..]I really had the time of my life and will surely invite all my friends to the Festival in 2008.”
Ksenia, Russian Londoner
Designed initially to reflect the dramatic impact that Russia and Russians have had on London in recent years, not only in the sense of those living here, but also in the growing business and economic links to our fair isle, the Russian Winter Festival proved, as always, a colourful celebration London’s great cultural diversity. The festival seeks to introduce to Britain the riches of Russian culture and art and bring appreciation and understanding of our neighbours.
“I am pleased London is staging the Russian Winter Festival for the third year. This cultural event in Trafalgar Square underlines the friendship and the economic and cultural links that have been established between the Russian people and the people of London since the fall of the Iron Curtain. The festival is an example of how London welcomes the culture of every part of the world to our city and that we see culture and business going hand in hand.”
The Mayor of London Ken Livingstone
On a stage specially positioned under Nelson’s watchful gaze, young Russian Londoners (School Znaniye, Musica Nova and Young Ballet) availed early festival goers with renditions of songs well known to all and proudly danced their way through a number of classics, before teenager Daria Kirilishina stole the show with her surprisingly powerful soprano. As anticipation rose, so did the numbers of eager Londoners who had come with families, young and old, to experience the colourful extravaganza of eclectic Russian folk. The cultural uniqueness of the Ulyanovsk Cossack Soul folk ensemble wowed the audience dressed in shaggy woollen hats and full length ethnic sleeveless coats, impromptu gifts of which were presented to Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, during the official speeches! Not to be outdone, the Chuvash State Ensemble of Song and Dance then followed with their kaleidoscopic whirlwind tour of Chuvash art. A spiritual hush descended eerily on the Square during the performance of the Danilovskiy Monastery Choir – an ecclesiastical first in the history of the Russian Winter Festival and a digression that proved popular with members of the public who flocked to purchase CDs of the choir from the souvenir, arts and crafts filled kiosks positioned at the back of the Square on the terrace in front of the National Gallery. Artisans and the Moscow State Children’s Puppet Theatre vied for space among the eager crowds to show their art, the Moscow City Committee for Tourism entertained the crowds with traditional Russian children’s games and brave musicians strolled about strumming balalaikas and performing on traditional Russian wooden instruments including wooden spoons!
“I just want to let you know how much I enjoyed the Russian Winter Festival yesterday, in particular the Danilovskiy Monastery Choir – they were magnificent!”
Clare Cookson
By innovating and adding new themes each year, the Russian Winter Festival 2007 included sporting elements at this high profile cultural event. Famous sporting personalities Irina Slutskaya (figure skater), Irina Rodnina (figure skater), Svetlana Khorkina (gymnast) and Evgeniy Plushenko (ice skater) appeared on the stage throughout the day and information on Sochi – Russia's Candidate City for the Winter Olympics 2014 - was available to the public from their marquee on the North Terrace. The ice hockey goal proved a big hit with children who compensated for the lack of real British ice and snow with the artificial simulated winter sports game! No wonder then that the crowd worked up an appetite for the traditional Russian food on sale…. Shashlyk (meat kebabs Russian style); Borsch (Beetroot soup); Meat dumplings; Russian Salad; Kabanosi (sausage); Blini and Beef Stroganoff with rice.
The next act to the stage hit just the right note with our cultured crowd – Gzhel the Moscow State Academic Theatre of Dance. They looked the part in their luxurious furs (photos of which quickly hit the newsstands) and lavish costumes designed to look like the style of porcelain design after which the ensemble is named, while dancing the dance of angels, with intriguing and original Moscow Circus acts providing the time for them to perform the quickest of costume changes. Nadezhda Babkina and her group Russian Song proved the crowd pleaser they were during their first visit to the Square in 2005 – an old favourite of the traditional balalaika lovers with their immense vocal talent, vibrant costume swirling and unbeatable energy and drive.
Since the inception of the festival in 2005, we have been please to welcome British Veterans who served in the Russian Convoys. The event has always reflected a military component and this year the presence of the esteemed Veterans was complemented by the performance by the Suvoroskiy Military Cadets who proved streets ahead in their enthusiastic, immensely amusing and frankly knock-out performance of lively jazz compositions on brass and drums.
“I have come every year to your Russian event and I have to say that the Suvorovskiys are the best act ever”
English Festival guest
The rest of the day saw a change in tack with a surge of younger interest on the Square. Dima Bilan, Russia’s Eurovision Song Contest winner and MTV Award Best Performer and Best Artist of the year, had to fight his way to the stage through numerous gifts of roses and cuddly toys. After his performance, Pelageya graced the stage with her usual vocal prowess. The rest of the day saw performances from the young and delightful Ranetki, up and coming Tokio and Siberia. Headliners Nogu Svelo found themselves playing to a view of snow, still falling from the special New Year moment at which the Kremlin bells were heard and the Russian flag projected across the Square. The penultimate act, veteran Garik Sukachev couldn’t not project his full rocker image in style, but the delights of DJs Vengerov and Federoff’s scantily clad dancers proved no anti-climax for the evening’s finale. The Russian Winter Festival 2007 was presented by Tanya otherwise known as Tutta Larson of MTV and Ben Scotchbrook of ITN London, who was referred to in an ITV London broadcast from the Square as “London's very own Red Coat-ski". Both did a fantastic job teaching members of the audience to speak Russian and stirring a terrific response from the gathered hordes, as well of course at introducing the acts.
“The whole Russian experience [...] has been a real blast-ski”
joked Ben after the event.
“Not only going over there [to Russia] for the pre-event filming which I saw as a ‘life-experience'... but also getting to do a bit of compering in front of 10,000 people in Trafalgar Square....”
The organizers wish to thank the event Sponsors, traditional Russian vodka Green Mark, Western Union, Cisco and the Mayor of London, the Mayor of Moscow, the Moscow City Committee for Tourism and the Federal Agency of Culture and Cinematography of the Russian Federation for all their support and on behalf of everyone involved wish you all a very happy and successful Russian Old New Year!
Over 75,000 visitors were clocked into the event over the course of the day.
