OREANDA-NEWS. On May 5 the Hermitage Garden and the Novaya Opera Theater hosted the festive events dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Soviet Victory in the Great Patriotic War coinciding with the 175th anniversary of Pyotr Tchaikovsky.

The musical and historical event called For the Sake of Life and Love became the finale in the triennium project of Gazprom Transgaz Moscow dedicated to the promotion of the great Russian composer’s creative work.

A numerous audience including the leadership and representatives of the Moscow Government’s Department of Culture, Gazprom, Gazprom Transgaz Moscow and local residents gathered in the Hermitage Garden specially decorated like a park of the forties of the last century. Veterans of the Great Patriotic War and residents of specialized boarding schools and orphanages under the patronage of Gazprom Group were the most important guests.

‘For the Sake of Life and Love’ – joining two generations.

The guests enjoyed genial sunshine, fresh air and hot porridge from the mobile kitchen trailer.

The Moskvichka (Moscowite) drummer girl show made the festival particularly solemn.

Blossoming May, Rio-Rita and symbolic Lilies-of-the-Valley – popular waltzes, foxtrots and quadrilles of the past performed by the wind Representative Military Honorary Guard Band, and animators dressed in the costumes of the forties invited everybody to dance.

It was impossible to withstand…

Everyone interested could take a commemorative Victory picture.

Children drew Peace.

The most grateful and inspired audience – veterans – listened to the songs of their wartime youth.

Event organizers – Vyacheslav Mikhalenko, Director General of Gazprom Transgaz Moscow, Alexander Bespalov, Head of Gazprom’s Department and Evgeny Bezborodkin, Deputy Director General for Human Resources Management and Corporate Security of Gazprom Transgaz Moscow.

The Victory theme was furthered by the immortal music of Pyotr Tchaikovsky performed by the orchestra of the Novaya Opera Theater conducted by Andrey Lebedev.

The concert was led by renowned musical expert Artyom Vargaftik, who told about Tchaikovsky’s creative work and unfolded the details of the Silvery Lily-of-the-Valley project in his unique inimitable manner.

The first round of the project opened with the concert of the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra headed by Vladimir Fedoseev, People's Artist of the USSR at the Tchaikovsky State Memorial House in Klin (Moscow Region) on November 6, 2013.

Welcome by Vyacheslav Mikhalenko, originator of the Silvery Lily-of-the-Valley project.

In 2014 the second, regional round of the project was successfully implemented. As part of the project the series of concerts and composer memorial evenings were held throughout the company’s activity region – in Kaluga, Yelets, Belgorod, Voronezh and Bryansk. Among the Silvery Lily-of-the-Valley project participants were the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra, Alexander Gindin, pianist and Honored Artist of Russia, Voronezh Symphony Orchestra, RockoCo ensemble of young musicians led by Denis Kalinsky and David Handel, American conductor.

Alexander Kibovsky, Minister of the Moscow Government and Head of the Moscow Department of Culture dwelled on the importance of the project within celebrating two anniversaries – the 70th anniversary of Victory and the 175th anniversary of Pyotr Tchaikovsky.

Festive addresses were followed by music. The Passions of ‘Maid of Orleans’ (Valeria Pfister, soloist of the Novaya Opera Theater).

Revelations of Prince Gremin (Vladimir Kudashev, a leading bass of the theater).

The symbolic 1812 Overture composed by Pyotr Tchaikovsky also dedicated to the 70th Anniversary of Victory, but in another war – with Napoleon.

And an iconically festive, evergreen Concerto No. 1 for piano and orchestra by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Piano part – Alexander Gindin, Honored Artist of Russia.

Grateful spectators including veterans from Moscow, the Moscow Region and structural units of Gazprom Transgaz Moscow enjoying the art of Pyotr Tchaikovsky.

A musical and educational festive event held in the Hermitage Garden on May 5, 2015, became the third and final round of the project.