Grushinsky festival
Encyclopedia
Grushinsky festival is an annual Russian bard song
festival that has been established in 1968. It takes place near the city of Samara
, on the Mastryukovo lakes. The festival takes its name from Valeri Grushin, a singer-songwriter who died during a backcountry camping trip trying to save his drowning friends.
During Soviet times, the formal oversight of the festival was performed by VLKSM. Usual participants included Yuri Vizbor
, Tatyana and Sergey Nikitins, Bulat Okudzhava
, Alexander Dolsky
, Oleg Mitayev, among others. Singer Alexander Gorodnitsky
was festival's long-term director.
The major landmark of the festival is the stage built on the raft
, in the shape of a guitar, with its fingerboard serving as a bridge to the shore. The Grushin Mountain ridge serves as natural stands for thousands of visitors. The number of visitors, as well as of participants, increased every year, starting from only 600 in 1968 to 2,500 next year, and the peak of Soviet era Grushinsky was reached in 1979 - 100,000 spectators. This record was broken in modern times: 1997 festival attracted 140,000 spectators. Similarly, the number of artists in 1969 was 20, and in 1976 it grew up to 143.
In 1980 the fest was cancelled, and would be reinstalled only on 1986. From then on it is annual contiguously.
In the late 1990s, the festival became commercialized, and broadened its format larger than only bard songs
. Some Russian rock
ers, such as Yuri Shevchuk
of DDT, now perform there as well.
Since 2007 Grushinsky split to two rival festivals of the same name. The main promoter of the fest, the Grushin Club, has moved to a venue near Tolyatti. The festival at Mastryukovo lakes is still held without their promotion.
Bard (Soviet Union)
The term bard came to be used in the Soviet Union in the early 1960s, and continues to be used in Russia today, to refer to singer-songwriters who wrote songs outside the Soviet establishment, similarly to beatnik folk singers of the United States...
festival that has been established in 1968. It takes place near the city of Samara
Samara, Russia
Samara , is the sixth largest city in Russia. It is situated in the southeastern part of European Russia at the confluence of the Volga and Samara Rivers. Samara is the administrative center of Samara Oblast. Population: . The metropolitan area of Samara-Tolyatti-Syzran within Samara Oblast...
, on the Mastryukovo lakes. The festival takes its name from Valeri Grushin, a singer-songwriter who died during a backcountry camping trip trying to save his drowning friends.
During Soviet times, the formal oversight of the festival was performed by VLKSM. Usual participants included Yuri Vizbor
Yuri Vizbor
Yuri Vizbor was a well-known Soviet bard and poet as well as a theatre and film actor.-Summary:...
, Tatyana and Sergey Nikitins, Bulat Okudzhava
Bulat Okudzhava
Bulat Shalvovich Okudzhava was a Soviet and Russian poet, writer, musician, novelist, and singer-songwriter. He was one of the founders of the Russian genre called "author song"...
, Alexander Dolsky
Alexander Dolsky
Alexander Alexandrovich Dolsky is a Soviet and Russian poet, writer, artist, and most famously known for being a bard....
, Oleg Mitayev, among others. Singer Alexander Gorodnitsky
Alexander Gorodnitsky
Alexander Moiseevich Gorodnitsky is a well-known Soviet and Russian bard and poet. Professionally, he is a geologist and oceanographer....
was festival's long-term director.
The major landmark of the festival is the stage built on the raft
Raft
A raft is any flat structure for support or transportation over water. It is the most basic of boat design, characterized by the absence of a hull...
, in the shape of a guitar, with its fingerboard serving as a bridge to the shore. The Grushin Mountain ridge serves as natural stands for thousands of visitors. The number of visitors, as well as of participants, increased every year, starting from only 600 in 1968 to 2,500 next year, and the peak of Soviet era Grushinsky was reached in 1979 - 100,000 spectators. This record was broken in modern times: 1997 festival attracted 140,000 spectators. Similarly, the number of artists in 1969 was 20, and in 1976 it grew up to 143.
In 1980 the fest was cancelled, and would be reinstalled only on 1986. From then on it is annual contiguously.
In the late 1990s, the festival became commercialized, and broadened its format larger than only bard songs
Bard (Soviet Union)
The term bard came to be used in the Soviet Union in the early 1960s, and continues to be used in Russia today, to refer to singer-songwriters who wrote songs outside the Soviet establishment, similarly to beatnik folk singers of the United States...
. Some Russian rock
Russian rock
Russian rock refers to rock music made in Russia or in the Russian language. Rock and roll became known in the Soviet Union in the 1960s and quickly broke free from its western roots. According to many music critics, its "golden age" years were the 1980s , when the Soviet underground rock bands...
ers, such as Yuri Shevchuk
Yuri Shevchuk
Yuri Yulianovich Shevchuk , born 16 May 1957, is a Soviet and Russian singer/songwriter who leads the rock band DDT, which he founded with Vladimir Sigachev in 1980. Shevchuk was born in Yagodnoye in Magadan Oblast and raised in Ufa, Bashkir ASSR, though he now resides in St. Petersburg, Russia....
of DDT, now perform there as well.
Since 2007 Grushinsky split to two rival festivals of the same name. The main promoter of the fest, the Grushin Club, has moved to a venue near Tolyatti. The festival at Mastryukovo lakes is still held without their promotion.