by Timur Utsayev, Grozny. Exclusively for VK
Alexander Khloponin, Russian Plenipotentiary Presidential Envoy to the North Caucasian Federal District, has supported organization of a concert at the State Ensemble of Chechen Dance Vaytsakh and State Academic Kuban Cossack Chorus, which marked its 200th anniversary in late 2011, in Grozny. It was part of the interregional art program Kunaki, according to which the Kuban chorus gives joint concerts with other groups of the North Caucasus. Victor Zakharchenko, the art director of the Cossack chorus and the initiator of the program, commented on the role of people’s art in modern Russia in an interview with VK
- Victor Gavrilovich, what role does people’s art play in harmonizing interethnic relations?
- In order to form the right view about people, you need to see its national culture. Every national has own disadvantages, problems, controversies, but the best is in its culture. The position of the Chechen leader is clear and the country’s, together with the country’s president they note that a consolidated Russia is the most important thing. The country is multinational, each nation is distinct, we live in a single state and must love it, take care of it and protect it. Let’s take the Soviet Union in 1941-1945. How all ethnicities united and were protecting their land!. We should do our best to understand each other, respect, urge tolerance. Tolerance is good, but it is not enough. In order to learn about people you need to learn their national culture.
- What should be done for popularization of the cultures of peoples of the North Caucasus?
- There has been a show on the Kultura TV Channel recently, demonstrating speeches of national groups, the Vaynakh and the Kuban Cossack Chorus were there. I believe there should be more such shows and more guest performances around Russia. Creative teams need to visit each other, communicate more. It would be nice if united ensembles from various republics organized joint performances. Vladimir Putin said in his article on the ethnic issue that we should open TV channels for culture, broadcast more, because Russia has many talented people, many republics, nationalities. Talented artists should not hide, people’s art should not be wasted. Presentation of people’s art should not only be organized in domestic republics, but abroad more often.
As for me, for example, the notion of Kunak is clear, I know Adygs, Cherkessians. We have been Kunaks with one of the peoples, a talented musician and composer Aslan Nekhayev for 30 years. All Caucasian groups should develop singing skills as well, by the way, I am aware that 4 volumes of music of peoples of the North Caucasus are an amazing work. Aslan Nekhay supervises the spectacular ensemble Islamey and they sing. We are familiar with Georgian music, but there is no Chechnya and Dagestan for some reason. If dances prevail, it is very good, but there is music as well. Contrasts should be added – first dances and then singing. It is impossible for no one to be singing in Chechnya, there cannot be an absence of the ancient time. It exists, if there are people working in ethnography, research. All creativity should be supplemented with a certain word, it always carries a meaning.
I have been presented with a book in Dagestan recently. I saw brilliant scenarios in it, I learned something new about Dagestan at that point. Certainly, a word is needed, about history, about heroes, about dignified national poets, ornamental arts.
The orchestra should supplement the vocals. Such steps should lead to national opera. This is how Russian music developed, Italian opera developed, as well as ballet. Future generations, children and even those who have not been born yet should develop this way.
- What experiences did you get from the Grozny concert and the program itself?
- They were the best experiences, because there was the atmosphere of a real festival. There is always a city behind such groups as Vaynakh. There is the power of the spirit, mastery. If anyone says something bad about an ethnicity, the person is wrong, an ethnicity always has great, bright features we must know about. All our Caucasian national traditions are splendid. The dances are admirable, with great mastery of song performance, music. It merges together. Merges into a spiritual ascent, an iridescent ascent. Art of any ethnicity is unique. Every ethnicity has own culture, own art, but, unfortunately, we show little and know little about each other. Such ensemble as Vaynakh should be well-known in Russia and all over the world. Art brings peace, great spiritual energy. It is essential for us to know each other in communication eye to eye, rather than through false information. So that we could see, hear, feel our Kunak brothers and our great professionals. The art of glorifying its art. This requires more communication. The Kuban Cossack Chorus had few joint concerts. We have a lot of songs and dances in this program. After watching the Vaynakh ensemble I found out that people do not work for money solely, they do it because they love that art. It lives inside them, their blood, genes. This art does not belong to an ethnicity developing it only, great art should be given as a gift to all peoples. Our classic writers Tchaikovsky, Pushkin and national ballets are shown all over the world. I would like to wish Vaynakh to continue moving on, create, search, add and develop, every time one of its actors or groups reaches a new benchmark, but without swelling with importance.
The creative team has not visited Chechnya and Dagestan for 30 years. The framework of the Kunaki creative program at the theater and concert hall of Grozny held a ceremony of exchange of credential titles of Kunaks.
