The festival will last till May 11 and will include over 90 events in 19 Russian cities, reports the website of the Kultura state broadcasting company (www.cultcorp.ru). Its program is devoted to the most important date in the Russian history, the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe.
Traditionally, the festival offers a general idea about the artistic legacy of an outstanding composer of the past. This year the Mariinsky symphonic orchestra will present three symphonies by Sergei Rakhmaninov.
The main event of the festival will be Sergei Prokofiev's opera War and Peace staged by Andrei Konchalovsky.
Another important event of the festival will be a concert of the United Youth Orchestra of the countries that participated in WWII, created specifically for the anniversary. On May 7 it will perform in the Conservatoire Big Concert Hall, and on May 9 at the Poklonnaya Mountain, offering a program of Russian and West European classics.
With support from the Moscow Patriarchy, the festival again offers an interesting chorus program with performances of Russian, Ukrainian, Georgian and Bulgarian choirs. During the "Chime Week" concerts of bell music will be given in churches in the historical center of Moscow and for the first time in Russian regions.
During the Easter week the festival's participants will give charity concerts in the Moscow State University, in city hospitals, rehabilitation centers and cultural centers of war veterans.
The festival is held with the blessing of Russian Patriarch Alexy II.
