Balalaika Day is an international holiday of folk musicians. The triumphant return of the balalaika
We often associate countries or even entire continents with certain musical instruments. We say Africa, and immediately huge drums appear in front of us. We remember Spain, and a guitar appears before our eyes. And what, according to the majority, is musical symbol Russia?
...Now the balalaika is dear to me
Yes, the drunken tramp of a trepak
In front of the threshold of the tavern.
A.S. Pushkin, "Onegin's Travels"
Of course, the balalaika. Let us remember the well-known folk song “There was a birch tree in the field.” There are these words there: “I will make three whistles from a birch tree, and the fourth - a balalaika.”
And in another folk song “Ah! Street, wide street” it is sung: “As soon as I enter, I will enter the new vestibule, I will play the balalaika!” There are also riddles about the balalaika: “It grew in the forest, was taken out of the forest, cries in your arms, and whoever listens, jumps.” There is another mystery:
Along the belly is the road,
There is anxiety between my legs,
There's a hole in the middle
And the game will begin
There won't be a hole -
There will be no game.
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| Sergey Zimin "To the fair", 2010 |
Our brother Isaika is a balalaika without strings.
In words it’s like a gusli, in reality it’s like a balalaika.
Numerous ditties and choruses were performed most often to the accompaniment of a balalaika tune.
The balalaika is buzzing,
It’s a pity to wake up my dear...
Balalaika - beep
She ruined the whole house.
Like this balalaika
I hang flowers
So that this balalaika
Played about love.
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| Yuri Korchagin "Wandering Musicians" 1983 |
Balalaika, copper strings,
Something has become dusty,
Have a drink or something for conversation?
Oh, how it has accumulated.
The balalaika started playing
“Tryndi-bryn” began to jingle,
Well, let's pour it
Tea with caramel!
Somehow I'm tired of something
I should have tea with you,
Balalaika fogged up
Should I start drinking vodka?
I decorated the balalaika
Stars, sparkles,
Uncle Vasya got attached,
Like, play Tchaikovsky.
Pavel Malov
Don't be afraid of the fire
Don't walk away
Ah, be jealous of me
Only for ringing strings.
I've walked around the whole world
With a flying song,
And I came to tell you
Just in case, I:
Maybe you like it
The role of my mistress?
I'll give you my whole life,
Except for the balalaika.
At my girlfriend's
There are dreams in the strings.
I walk with her
To go on a date with my sweetheart.
Play, play, balalaika,
A star hangs over the forest.
Ah, balalaika, balalaika, balalaika -
Russia's amazing daughter!
The idea of the holiday came from the president of the Russian Club of Populist Musicians, Dmitry Belinsky.
The historical basis for choosing the date was the first documentary mention of the balalaika in the document “Memory from the Streletsky Prikaz to the Little Russian Prikaz,” which dates back to June 23, 1688, which, among other things, reports that in Moscow “the Arzamas townsman Savka was brought to the Streletsky Prikaz Fedorov's son Seleznev and Shenkursky to the district of the palace Vazheskaya volost, the peasant Ivashko Dmitriev, and with them a balalaika was brought so that they rode on a driver's horse in a cart to the Yau Gate, sang songs and played the balalaika and the guard archers who stood at the Yau Gate on guard, scolded.”
Another mention of the balalaika dates back to October 1700 in connection with a fight that took place in Verkhoturye district. According to the testimony of the coachmen Pronka and Alexei Bayanov, the courtyard man of the steward of the governor K.P. Kozlov, I. Pashkov, chased them and “beat them with a balalaika.”
It is also believed that the balalaika was first mentioned during the reign of Peter I (late 17th century). Then the balalaika was common among peasants. It was played by buffoons who entertained people at fairs. These were not quite the same balalaikas as we are accustomed to imagine them today. They differed greatly in shape and structure, especially since there was no standard yet and each master made the instrument in his own way. Therefore, balalaikas could be round, triangular, or quadrangular. The strings on them were also in different quantities - from 2 to 5.
Next written source, which mentions the balalaika, is a “Register” signed by Peter I, dating back to 1714: in St. Petersburg, during the celebration of the clownish wedding of “prince-papa” N. M. Zotov, in addition to other instruments carried by the mummers, four were named balalaikas. J. Shtelin said about Peter I that “from his very young years he had no opportunity to hear anything other than the rough sound of drums, a field flute, a balalaika...”
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| Igor Sidorov "Semyon" |
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| Vera Vataga "At the Samovar", 2007 |
The Russian folk instrument was repeatedly heard in the apartments of the imperial palaces (for example, balalaika numbers were included in the celebrations on the occasion of the coronation of Catherine II; the Oryol landowner incognito played folk songs and tunes at the court of Nicholas I; according to the historian N. Eidelman, Paul I himself played the balalaika). In Amsterdam, even Elector Sophia of Hanover danced to it with her daughter Sophia Charlotte, Elector of Brandenburg, and her son, Crown Prince George Louis, the august heir to the English throne...
Andrei Bolkonsky was a real virtuoso in playing the balalaika, and he learned this art of playing from his father, Count Bolkonsky... ("War and Peace", Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy)
Once upon a time to Leo Tolstoy Yasnaya Polyana the famous balalaika player Boris Troyanovsky arrived, they had an interesting conversation, recorded by the writer’s secretary D. P. Makovitsky: “... During the breaks, between playing, they had conversations, Lev Nikolaevich said that there are advantages of the violin and voice and there are advantages of the balalaika. In the violin and voice there is tone, the main thing is to get to the very point of tone; in the balalaika - technique and rhythm. Then Lev Nikolaevich noticed to Troyanovsky that in his transcriptions of Russian songs on the balalaika - for example, “The Lady” - there is a change in tempo, and this violates the character. To this we played “Beer Berry” again. When they played “The Moon Is Shining,” Lev Nikolaevich beamed with a smile...”
TO early XIX century includes a composition for balalaika - variations on a Russian theme folk song"The Spruce Forest, My Spruce Forest", written by a great lover of the balalaika, famous opera singer Mariinsky Theater N.V. Lavrov. Variations published on French and dedicated […] to composer A.A. Alyabyev. On title page The publication indicates that the work was written for a three-string balalaika, which indicates the wide popularity of the three-string instrument at that time." Thus, the work of N.V. Lavrov is so far the first original piece of the written tradition in the history of the balalaika.
In the Ukrainian language the word is first attested in diary entries early XVIII century, telling about “a Tatar playing a balabaika.” This form of “balabaika” is also present in southern Russian dialects and Belarusian language. The very name of the instrument is curious, typically folk, the sound of syllable combinations conveying the nature of playing it. The root of the words “balalaika”, or, as it was also called, “balabaika”, has long attracted the attention of researchers due to its kinship with such Russian words as balakat, balabonit, balabolit, balagurit, which means “to talk about something insignificant, chatter, razzle-dazzle, empty ringing, scribbled" (go back to the common Slavic *bolbol of the same meaning, compare the similar onomatopoeia barbarian). All these concepts, complementing each other, convey the essence of the balalaika - a light, funny, “strumming”, not very serious instrument.
There is no unambiguous point of view on the origin of the balalaika. It is believed that the balalaika has become widespread since the end of the 17th century. Possibly comes from Asian domra. According to M.I. Imkhanitsky, the balalaika came to folk life to replace the disappeared domra: “The people needed a plucked string instrument and, above all, to accompany dance music. They needed a tambour-shaped string instrument with a ringing, rhythmically accurate sound that encourages dancing. And most importantly, the instrument was as simple as possible to make […]. Balalaika XVII - XVIII centuries was nothing more than a folklore version of a professional instrument - the domra […]. It was in the amateur essence of making the balalaika, the conditions of its existence, that the attitude towards it lay: it became an attribute of frivolous performance, buffoonery. V.V. Andreev has been fighting hard for a long time.” Another version of how the balalaika appeared is interesting: “...When the sitar was brought to us from India, this instrument was not widely used at first. Large, inconvenient, 18 strings. But over time, our craftsmen it has been improved. Firstly, we reduced the size for ease of wearing under a sheepskin coat in winter frosts. Secondly, a lot of unnecessary strings were removed. It became possible to tune quickly while getting a hangover. Those who did not have time to recover from a hangover came up with the “shaky hand” style of play. And to make it more convenient to fight at a dance club, they invented 2 sharp corners. This is how the balalaika appeared." Among the people, the balalaika came into use after, by the decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich “On the correction of morals and the destruction of superstitions,” all Russian folk musical instruments were destroyed: domras, harps, pipes and pipes...
It was “a long two-stringed instrument, had a body about one and a half spans in length (about 27 cm) and one span in width (about 18 cm) and a neck (neck) at least four times longer” (M. Guthrie, “ Dissertation on Russian antiquities").
Great Ukrainian writer Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol says that they used “...Moldovan pumpkins, called gourds, from which they make balalaikas in Rus', two-stringed light balalaikas, the beauty and fun of an agile twenty-year-old guy...”
For more than a century and a half, the balalaika occupied a worthy place in the life of Russian people, brightening up their difficult fate. It was in tune with its time, replacing the harp, whistle, and bagpipes, subsequently losing its position first to the guitar and then to the harmonica. “The development of harmonium production is interesting in the same way as the process of ousting primitive folk instruments and the process of creating a wide, national market; without such a market there could not be a detailed division of labor, and the cheapness of the product would not be achieved. Thanks to the cheapness of harmonies, the primitive stringed folk musical instrument was almost universally replaced - balalaika" (Lenin V.I. Complete collected works. 5th ed. T.18 - M., 1961. - P.158).
TO end of the 19th century century, significant changes occurred in the evolution of Russian folk instruments. Modern look the balalaika acquired thanks to the musician-educator, the son of a poor Tver landowner Vasily Vasilyevich Andreev, who studied violin in St. Petersburg with the famous violinist Galkin, and after hearing his employee Antip play the balalaika, he became a sincere admirer of this instrument (even having given up the violin) and masterfully owned it, and masters V. Ivanov, F. Paserbsky, S. Nalimov and others. Andreev suggested making the soundboard from spruce, and making the back of the balalaika from beech, and also shortening it (to 600-700 mm). In the spring of 1886, Vasily, with the help of St. Petersburg violin maker V.V. Ivanova created the first concert balalaika with five mortise frets, gut strings, a body made of echoing mountain maple and an ebony neck. Andreev s great success gave concerts in St. Petersburg, playing the balalaika, and thus contributed to the growth of the popularity of this instrument.
There is a legend that Vasily Vasilyevich designed an improved concert balalaika and brought his drawings to the famous St. Petersburg violin maker V.V. Ivanov. Ivanov felt insulted and flatly refused to make a “peasant balalaika.” Then Andreev took out his old balalaika, bought at the market for 35 kopecks, and masterfully played a folk song on it. Ivanov gave up, but agreed to make the balalaika only under conditions of complete secrecy. It was with this concert balalaika that Vasily Andreev captivated the St. Petersburg audience. Two years later, Andreev created the “Circle of Balalaika Lovers,” which later turned into the “Great Russian Orchestra” - the first orchestra of Russian folk instruments that gained worldwide fame.
In the 70s, according to Andreev’s drawings, St. Petersburg music master F.S. Paserbsky created the chromatic balalaika prima and its varieties. In his hands, the balalaika acquired the form in which it has survived to this day. The family of balalaikas made by F. Paserbsky (piccolo, primu, alto, tenor, bass, double bass) became the basis of the Russian folk orchestra. Later, F. Paserbsky received a patent in Germany for the invention of the balalaika.
For the first time in the history of music, a balalaika sounded from the stage in December 1886. And it was in the hall Assembly of the Nobility. The success was complete. The next day, the St. Petersburg Newspaper wrote with surprise: “V. Andreev’s magnificent playing on the balalaika makes you forget about the base origins of this instrument”... In the fall of 1918, Andreev undertook a long trip with his group, renamed “First folk orchestra", along the Northern and Eastern fronts civil war. He also performed in front of the legendary Chapaevites. But this trip was the last for Andreev: he caught a bad cold and died on the night of December 26, 1918...
When the Greek created the harp, he thought about a woman.
When Italian master created a violin, he thought about a woman.
When the Spanish master created a guitar, he thought about a woman.
What was the Russian master thinking about when creating the balalaika?
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| Diego Rivera Still-Life with Balalaika. 1913 |
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| V.V. Andreev |
Moreover, Andreev planned to create a family of balalaikas of different sizes, modeled on a string quartet. To do this, he invited the masters: Paserbsky and Nalimov, and they jointly developed a whole family of balalaikas: piccolo, treble, prima, second, viola, bass, double bass. From these instruments the basis of the Great Russian Orchestra was created, which subsequently traveled to countless countries around the world, glorifying the balalaika and Russian culture. In 1889, St. Andrew's balalaika players appeared at the World Exhibition in Paris. Their triumph was extraordinary. “The first performances had hardly ended, and new fashionable perfume “The Moon is Shining” and ladies’ toilet soap “Under the Apple Tree” appeared in fashionable stores in Paris. Even Andreev’s pointed galoshes became an item of Parisian fashion...” On the day of the orchestra’s 25th anniversary, in his welcoming speech, F.I. Chaliapin, addressing Andreev, said: “You have warmed up an orphan girl, a balalaika, from your kind, warm heart. From your care and love, she grew into a wonderful Russian beauty who conquered the whole world with her beauty...”
During this period, composers finally paid attention to the balalaika. For the first time the balalaika was performed with an orchestra. Of the balalaikas, only the prima is a solo, virtuoso instrument, while the rest are assigned purely orchestral functions: the second and viola implement chord accompaniment, and the bass and double bass perform the bass function.
It got to the point that in other countries (England, USA, Germany) orchestras of Russian folk instruments were created based on the Great Russian model. In the USA, a “Joint Stock Company for the Exploitation of Balalaikas and Gusli” even appeared.
However, in the United States there is still a ban on the sale of Russian balalaikas. The history of the issue dates back to pre-war times, when Franklin Roosevelt signed a secret decree banning balalaikas in the country for a period of 10 years. This happened in 1940 and since then the decree has been regularly extended. Since 2000, by Clinton's decree, the ban has been extended to Alaska, which was the only place where sales were allowed, because. The balalaika is considered a folk musical instrument in Alaska. At the time of Roosevelt, these lands did not yet have state status, so the ban was circumvented thanks to loopholes in the law. On October 2, 2010, US President Barack Obama extended the ban on the sale of balalaikas in the United States for another decade. The reason for the ban was formally the fact that the balalaika was banned in Tsarist Russia Orthodox Church and the state because it “allows you to mock the authorities.” Of course, in the USSR the ban was lifted, but in the USA this extremist instrument remained banned. In fact, the ban on the sale of balalaikas is the US response to the demarche of the then USSR, which banned the sale of cowboy hats. In 1954, hats were allowed to be sold in the USSR, but the ban on the sale of balalaikas in the USA remained. Today is integral part Jackson-Vanik amendments. Today the ban remains in an incomplete form. Playing the balalaika is not prohibited, although you must have a special license to do so. Mass sale of this tool and industrial production are not permitted. Single private sales are permitted. That’s why J. Flynn’s book “How to Make a Balalaika,” which was published in 1984, enjoys fantastic popularity and has already gone through 9 reprints. For an ordinary American who wants to enjoy the sounds of a balalaika, there is no other way than to make one himself...
The balalaika is also known in Japan.
Before Andreev turned the balalaika into a concert instrument, it did not have a constant, widespread system. Each performer tuned the instrument in accordance with his manner of performance, the general mood of the pieces being played, and local traditions.
The system introduced by Andreev (two strings in unison - the note “E”, one - a quart higher - the note “A” (both “E” and “A” of the first octave)) became widespread among concert balalaika players and began to be called “academic” . There is also a “folk” system - the first string is “G”, the second is “E”, the third is “C”. With this tuning, triads are easier to play, but its disadvantage is that it is difficult to play on open strings. In addition to the above, there are also regional traditions of tuning the instrument. The number of rare local settings reaches two dozen.
The group "White Day" is one of the first "folk" groups who, in the early 90s, began to actively perform "branded" music on Russian balalaikas. Now "White Day" has made a "reboot" old program"Balalaika in Rock", giving it more drive, eccentricities, show and so on.
Balalaika Day is celebrated professional performers playing various Russian folk musical instruments, creative teams, just amateurs, populist musicians of Europe, Latin America, Australia, USA, South Africa, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and, of course, Russia.
Since 2010, a festival in honor of the holiday has been held in Crimea. Throughout June, performances by folk musicians are organized here, ending with a large gala concert on the 23rd.
In March 2013, officers asked Shoigu to remove balalaikas from military units, since they had never received either balalaikas or domras.
According to the annex to the staff of military units, adopted back in the 1990s and still in force, every company leisure room should have musical instruments, which in practice have not been available anywhere for a long time. However, inspectors can always punish commanders for failure to comply with a directive if they wish.
The Main Organizational and Mobilization Directorate (GOMU) of the Ministry of Defense stated that following the results of the 2012 training year, hundreds of proposals were received from assistant unit commanders for working with personnel to cancel outdated applications: “In the end school year, and this is November–December, brigade commanders, their deputies, including personnel assistants, as well as heads of military branches and services are required to submit proposals for optimizing the staff of brigades and their units. This time there are especially many complaints about balalaikas with domras.”
It is curious that even army historians find it difficult to say when and why balalaikas and domras appeared in applications. Most likely, this clause in the appendices to the state serves as a means of keeping unwanted officers on a short leash.
Olya Polyakova’s stunning video is a kitsch parody of the Korean PSY’s “Gangnam Style” video, which has become a trend in global showbiz, of modern advertising and of traditional stereotypes in the Western world’s ideas about Russian culture.
- This is our answer to Kim Jong-un! - Olya says, forgetting, and most likely not knowing, that the grandson of the Great Juche has nothing to do with PSY and is unlikely to know about his existence, as well as about Olya herself...
“While some are trying to imitate “Gangnam Style,” we will show the whole world what the real “Russian Style” is capable of - mindless and merciless!” - declares the singer.
The installation of a monument to the balalaika on September 23, 2011 in the city of Bezhetsk, Tver region, at the beginning of the linden alley, was timed to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding musician, a native of these places, V.V. Andreeva.
In September 2014, they installed in Khabarovsk sculptural composition, donated by the Chinese Harbin in honor of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of sister city ties. A red pipa and a yellow balalaika look great together. Especially against the background of a peaceful blue sky.
Girls also love the balalaika:
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| Bogdanov-Belsky Nikolai Petrovich. Village friends. |
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| Istvan Macsai, Woman with balalaika |
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| Kevin Beilfuss "Girl with a Balalaika" |
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| Rurik Vasilievich Tushkin "At the samovar" 1991 |
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| Lyapkalo Victor. Musical lady with balalaika |
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| Ukrainian TV presenter and singer Vesta Sennaya |
| crazy girls from the craziest Norwegian group"Katzenjammer". |
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She knows how to cry and laugh, sing plaintive songs and lash out with satire. Tender, affectionate, perky, crafty, playful, sweet, kind, mocking, sincere... No matter how many epithets you pick up - they are all about her - a simpleton with three strings, an instrument with a huge soul - the balalaika. She has been a symbol of Russia since ancient times, having gone through a difficult path from musical toy mob to national and worldwide recognition.
On June 23, the world celebrates an unofficial, but already firmly established holiday in the calendar - the Day of the Balalaika or folk musicians. Let's strike the strings to listen to the voice of this amazing multifaceted instrument!
Where did the balalaika come from?
Who can say exactly when a person uttered his first word? When did the poem or song first come together? At first these were only impulses of the soul and heart, and only then did they demand to strengthen the voice with the sound of instruments. The balalaika most likely came from the east, from the Asians or Tatars. Its progenitor is domra or dombra with a rounded “butt” and a long neck. Over time, it changed, acquired a triangular body shape (this made it easier to manufacture) and firmly settled among the people.
Presumably the balalaika appeared in Rus' in the 11th-13th centuries, and the first written mention of it can be read in the 17th century manuscript “Memory from the Streletsky Prikaz to the Little Russian Prikaz.” It is from the date of June 23, 1688 that the “life” of the Russian instrument is now conventionally counted, because there is no accurate information left. And there are reasons for this.
Church condemnation of popular “demonic vessels”
The balalaika, along with domras, beeps, and gusli, was widely distributed among the people and was almost never used among rulers. These instruments were loved by buffoons who roamed the Russian land, singing songs, nursery rhymes, and performing performances, often full of humor, satire, and criticism of the ruling circles.
That is why the church disliked folk instruments and more than once issued decrees banning “vessels of the devil” and “demonic games.”
They exterminated the “vespers of fortune” in Moscow, destroyed them in the provinces, where the cruel decrees of Tsar Alexei flew: “And where domras and surnas, and whistles, and harps, and haris, and all sorts of fortune-telling demonic vessels appear, order everything to be taken out and, having broken them, demonic games, order them to burn.”
Christianity came to Rus' from Byzantium. New musical culture recognized divine chants accompanied by a bell and completely condemned instrumental music. Folk instruments have fallen silent in cities for a long time, but is it possible to kill a soul? Balalaika was buried and lived in simple houses, danced at weddings and felt comfortable on the ruins.
The triumphant return of the balalaika
A fresh stream entered the 18th century and the original Russian art was gradually being revived. The voice of folk instruments is sounding louder. Appears in noble estates court orchestras, virtuoso musicians, and the balalaika comes out of the shadows and gradually becomes a Russian favorite from an instrument of the mob.
Ivan Khandoshkin is considered the first famous balalaika musician. He made the body of a balalaika from a pumpkin and glued it inside with crystal powder, causing the sound to flow loudly and silvery.
But the musical singer truly emerged from the shadows and began to sound loud in 1886. Vasily Andreev, a Russian nobleman, performed on stage, and from then on the balalaika art began to expand and spread at an unprecedented pace.
Andreev first created the “Circle of Balalaika Lovers”, and later transformed it into an orchestra. Three years after his first performance, Andreev and the orchestra travel to Paris, where, in modern terms, he simply tore Europe apart. Parisian fashion was captured by perfumes with the names of Russian folk melodies, and even the musician's galoshes, copied by enterprising Parisians, were considered an item of the highest chic.
Vasily Andreev not only popularized the Russian balalaika, but also improved the instrument. He worked closely with cabinetmaker Nalimov, who created masterpieces based on the musician’s drawings, earning himself the nickname of the Russian Stradivarius.
Germany and France, England and America were conquered by Russian orchestras. The balalaika became fashionable and in demand, it appeared in stores abroad, and those who wanted to learn how to play it did not dry out.
This is how the Russian game became a cult object and turned into a symbol.
Interesting fact: the balalaika is banned... in the USA
Despite the popularity Russian miracle still did not escape further repressions. In 1940, a secret decree was issued in the United States for a period of 10 years, prohibiting the sale of balalaikas in America. It was signed by President Roosevelt.
Only Alaska, which was not yet a state at the time the decree was written and where the balalaika is still considered a folk instrument, escaped the punitive measure.
You won’t believe it: 74 years have already passed, and the decree has been regularly extended by all subsequent presidents! The now living Obama has extended the sales ban until 2020.
But even this harsh document is not a decree for the balalaika: it continues to sound in distant America. It is not prohibited to play on it, although you need to get a special license, and you also need to make it yourself. In 1984, John Flynn wrote the book How to Make a Balalaika. It is extremely popular and has already been reprinted 9 times!
Festival of folk musicians
Do you think modern world got bogged down in electric guitars and forgot about the people's favorite? Maybe the balalaika is not so popular these days, but numerous orchestras and even virtuoso musicians have not disappeared on Russian soil!
Every year, on June 23, a grandiose festival is held in Crimea, where famous and not so famous balalaika players come to celebrate Balalaika Day as it should be: fervently, cheerfully, widely. And she sounds, the Russian balalaika, sings and shows her talents, and virtuoso musicians show their skills. After all, they exist - real, mind-blowing! You listen to them and admire them.
Alexey Arkhipovsky is called the Russian Paganini, because when he plays the balalaika, he works real miracles. Listen and admire his genius talent:
And this is lit and rocked by Ukrainian musicians - Anton Kargatov and Alexander Tulinov. Crazy charisma, virtuosity and delight!
Love and appreciate your roots and your culture. They contain strength and originality, inexhaustible energy and heritage, which you need to be proud of and pass on to your descendants.
Wow, balalaika! Russian violin,
The laughter of a stream and the routine of rain,
The song is separation, the dance is smile,
And a completely boring need.
The information age does not spoil us with the sounds of live music. Here and there you can hear electronic melodies created using computer programs, and the instruments used are an electric guitar and a synthesizer. However, thanks to the Internet, you can download audio recordings of classical compositions and enjoy the eternal sounds of the harp, violin, flute, and piano. If you are not a fan of such masterpieces, try to plunge into folk motives. One of musical instruments, “steering” here is the balalaika. On June 23, a holiday dedicated to her is celebrated all over the world - Balalaika Day.
history of the holiday
In the register of official events of such an event as Balalaika Day, not provided. True, this situation in no way detracts from the importance of the holiday for lovers folk music– those individuals who cannot imagine their life without a cheerful musical instrument. Actually, thanks to the latter, Balalaika Day appeared. This happened 6 years ago, in 2008. The initiator of the first musical event was the president of the Russian club of folk musicians, Dmitry Belinsky. Thereby wonderful person, who is also an Honored Artist of the Russian Federation and director of the Russian Concert Quartet “Skaz”, Balalaika Day acquired annual status and united balalaika players from all over the world under his wing. Other name significant date– International holiday of folk musicians, because it is they, these creative people, demonstrate to us, mere mortals, all the power and beauty of the range of sounds extracted from the strings of a specific musical instrument.
Balalaika Day is celebrated by both individual musicians and entire groups.. He is no stranger to self-taught balalaika players who strum the “three-string” in free time and for the soul. On June 23, this significant date is remembered in different corners planets: in the countries of Latin America, in the sultry African continent, in the States, on the steppe expanses of Kazakhstan, in distant, green Australia, in prim Europe.
The very first Balalaika Day coincided with two specific events. First of all, June 23, 2008 marked exactly 125 years since Vasily Andreev, the musician who founded the first one, met the balalaika. National Orchestra Russian folk instruments, and his own conductor. And secondly, on this day balalaika players celebrated the 320th anniversary of the first mention of the musical instrument in historical documents. We can say that on July 23, 2008, the development process began modern game on a Russian folk instrument.
It is likely that someday the International Day of Folk Musicians will receive the title of official, at least in our country. In the meantime, the government does not see the need to include such a date in the register of public holidays, as representatives of the Ministry of Culture reported in a letter to the already mentioned Dmitry Belinsky in response to an attempt by an enthusiast to achieve justice for the folk instrument.
History of the balalaika
The “three-string”, to which the inhabitants of our country have always shown special respect, has existed for more than one century. If you delve into history, it turns out that this instrument is not Russian at all. According to one version, the balalaika is the prototype of the dombra, the national instrument of the Kyrgyz-Kaisaks; according to another, the idea of creating a musical “toy” was successfully borrowed from the Tatars. In any case, this is a very ancient attribute, because it was mentioned in Arab sources from 921: the author, the historian Ibn-Fatslan, describes in his work the spied funeral of a Russian prince in Volga Bulgaria.
Among traditional items The musical instrument “eine Laute” (from the point of view of A. Kotlyarovsky - actually, a balalaika) was also placed in the grave of its owner by his subjects. It is unknown how reliable this fact is, because domestic historians they name a completely different date of origin of the instrument - 1715, and are inclined to believe that its creators were peasants. From them, the balalaika fell into the hands of buffoons and spread thanks to folk merrymakers throughout the country.
However, the people's joy was short-lived. Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, observing all this “disgrace,” ordered the destruction of any musical instruments, including the “three-stringed” one, and those who dared to disobey were flogged or even exiled to Little Russia. After the death of the ruler national instrument returned, but after some time he was banned again. Only in mid-19th century, the balalaika finally “joined” the ranks of domestic musical instruments. It turned out this way thanks to the nobleman Vasily Andreev, who accidentally heard the sounds of a “three-string” at his servant Antipas. And he liked this music so much that he decided to make the balalaika the most popular in Russia. Andreev succeeded - both young and old fell in love with the balalaika again.
Unfortunately, playing the Russian folk musical instrument has not received such relevance in our time. Regularly organized balalaika concerts are of interest only to a narrow circle of people. The names of famous modern balalaika musicians are known: Kuznetsova V.A., Zakharov D.A., Boldyreva V.B., Gorbachev A.A.
- Why was this peculiar musical instrument called so strangely - the balalaika? It turns out that initially its name sounded slightly different - balabaika. Expressions similar in meaning and verbal configuration: “to joke”, “to babble”. There are many words, but the meaning is the same - to talk about idle things. As a result, it turns out that this musical instrument is intended for fun and entertainment.
- The balalaika should be stored in a dry living area. Dampness causes the instrument to deteriorate and fail. It is strictly prohibited to ventilate the room where the balalaika is located when there is rain outside the window or simply high air humidity.
- back side medals - hot and bright sunlight– is also undesirable. The fact is that under the influence of targeted heat, be it not even the daylight, but any source, for example, a heating system battery, the balalaika will certainly dry out, the body will burst, and it will become impossible to play on it.
- At one time, on the initiative of the nobleman Vasily Andreev, the same one who did a lot to popularize the balalaika, a whole clan of folk musical instruments was created, differing in size and, accordingly, sound. Two Russian masters were engaged in this: Nalimov and Paserbsky. The result of this creative union There were now seven types of balalaikas: piccolo, treble, prima, second, alto, bass, double bass. The Magnificent Seven made up fundamental basis Great Russian Orchestra.
Be happy, dear balalaika players! On Balalaika Day, I would like to wish you prosperity, inspiration and always good weather: what’s outside the window, what’s in the house, what’s in the soul!
There are state symbols, and there are national ones. Each nation can boast of its own original creativity, character and flavor. Moreover, music has always been not just a way of self-expression, but also the soul of any people. The Russian soul sounds in the strings of the balalaika. However, World Balalaika Day is celebrated far beyond the borders of the country, because there is no such three-stringed balalaika anywhere in the world.
Russian Balalaika Day
Surely, Russian Balalaika Day will seem comical to you and completely unlike any other. But professional performers of folk music, masters of playing folk instruments, celebrate it quite seriously.
date International Day balalaika coincides with the first mention of this instrument in history. It was 23 that the unusual three-stringed instrument was first mentioned, and then all folk music reached a completely new level. One could safely celebrate a day dedicated to any other folk instrument. But it is the balalaika that reflects the originality of the soul of a Slavic person.
World Balalaika Day was first celebrated in 2008. Currently, this date is not just celebrated in music schools and other educational institutions. In Crimea, for example, since 2010 they have been organizing events dedicated to the Day balalaikas. This is a real folk music festival that lasts about a week.
As part of the celebration of International Balalaika Day, festivals, outdoor concerts and simply folk music evenings are organized. Often, during such events, new talents are discovered and people get acquainted with folk instruments. Although Russian Balalaika Day is not a solemn date, it may well become another reason to touch a little folk art and pass on a little of this mood to your children.
The register of official events does not include such an event as Balalaika Day. True, this situation does not in any way detract from the importance of the holiday for lovers of folk music - those individuals who cannot imagine their life without a cheerful musical instrument. Actually, thanks to the latter, Balalaika Day appeared. This happened 6 years ago, in 2008. The initiator of the first musical event was the president of the Russian club of folk musicians, Dmitry Belinsky. Thanks to this wonderful person, who is also an Honored Artist of the Russian Federation and director of the Russian Concert Quartet “Skaz”, Balalaika Day acquired the status of an annual event and united balalaika players from all over the world under his wing.
Another name for this significant date is the International Festival of Populist Musicians, because it is they, these creative people, who demonstrate to us, mere mortals, all the power and beauty of the range of sounds extracted from the strings of a specific musical instrument.
The very first Balalaika Day coincided with two specific events. First of all, June 23, 2008 marked exactly 125 years since Vasily Andreev, the musician who founded the first National Orchestra of Russian Folk Instruments and its conductor, met the balalaika. And secondly, on this day balalaika players celebrated the 320th anniversary of the first mention of the musical instrument in historical documents. We can say that on July 23, 2008, the process of developing modern playing on the Russian folk instrument began.
It is likely that someday the International Day of Folk Musicians will receive the title of official, at least in our country. In the meantime, the government does not see the need to include such a date in the register of public holidays, as representatives of the Ministry of Culture reported in a letter to the already mentioned Dmitry Belinsky in response to an attempt by an enthusiast to achieve justice for the folk instrument.
History of the balalaika
The “three-string”, to which the inhabitants of our country have always shown special respect, has existed for more than one century. If you delve into history, it turns out that this instrument is not Russian at all. According to one version, the balalaika is the prototype of the dombra - the national instrument of the Kyrgyz-Kaisaks; according to another, the idea of creating a musical “toy” was successfully borrowed from the Tatars. In any case, this is a very ancient attribute, because it was mentioned in Arab sources from 921: the author, the historian Ibn-Fatslan, describes in his work the spied funeral of a Russian prince in Volga Bulgaria. 
Among the traditional objects placed in the grave of the owner by his subjects was the musical instrument “eine Laute” (from the point of view of A. Kotlyarovsky, in fact, a balalaika). It is not known how reliable this fact is, because domestic historians give a completely different date of origin of the instrument - 1715, and are inclined to believe that its creators were peasants. From them, the balalaika fell into the hands of buffoons and spread thanks to folk merrymakers throughout the country.
However, the people's joy was short-lived. Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, observing all this “disgrace,” ordered the destruction of any musical instruments, including the “three-stringed” one, and those who dared to disobey were flogged or even exiled to Little Russia. After the death of the ruler, the national instrument returned, but after some time it was again banned. Only in the middle of the 19th century did the balalaika finally “join” the ranks of domestic musical instruments. It turned out this way thanks to the nobleman Vasily Andreev, who accidentally heard the sounds of a “three-string” at his servant Antipas. And he liked this music so much that he decided to make the balalaika the most popular in Russia. Andreev succeeded - both young and old fell in love with the balalaika again. 
Unfortunately, playing the Russian folk musical instrument has not received such relevance in our time. Regularly organized balalaika concerts are of interest only to a narrow circle of people. The names of famous modern balalaika musicians are known: Kuznetsova V.A., Zakharov D.A., Boldyreva V.B., Gorbachev A.A.
Interesting facts about the balalaika
- Why was this peculiar musical instrument called so strangely - balalaika? It turns out that initially its name sounded slightly different - balabaika. Expressions similar in meaning and verbal configuration: “to joke”, “to babble”. There are many words, but the meaning is one - to talk about idle things. As a result, it turns out that this musical instrument is intended for fun and entertainment.
- The balalaika should be stored in a dry living area. Dampness causes the instrument to deteriorate and fail. It is strictly prohibited to ventilate the room where the balalaika is located when there is rain outside the window or simply high air humidity.
- The other side of the coin - heat and bright sunlight - is also undesirable. The fact is that under the influence of targeted heat, be it not even the daylight, but any source, for example, a heating system battery, the balalaika will certainly dry out, the body will burst, and it will become impossible to play on it.
- At one time, on the initiative of the nobleman Vasily Andreev, the same one who did a lot to popularize the balalaika, a whole clan of folk musical instruments was created, differing in size and, accordingly, sound. Two Russian masters were engaged in this: Nalimov and Paserbsky. The result of this creative union was seven types of balalaikas: piccolo, treble, prima, second, viola, bass, double bass. The Magnificent Seven formed the fundamental basis of the Great Russian Orchestra.
