A Literary and Musical Performance in Brussels Dedicated to the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War

80th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War

On May 8, on the eve of the celebration of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, the Russian House in Brussels hosted the literary and musical evening “Wait for Me, and I Will Return…”, dedicated to the heroes who fought for freedom and peace.

The main performer of the event was Russian theater and film actor Ivan Kokorin, renowned for his poetic interpretations of works about war and the human condition.

The evening began with a minute of silence in memory of those who perished in the Great Patriotic War and World War II. The audience honored the memory of those who gave their lives fighting against Nazism for peace and Victory.

The performance was presented in the form of a solo recital featuring works by Konstantin Simonov, Alexander Tvardovsky, Vasily Shukshin, Nikolai Mayorov, Gennady Shpalikov, and others. Famous lines such as “Wait for me, and I will return…” and “Do you remember, Alyosha, the roads of Smolensk” deeply touched the audience, creating an atmosphere of solemn remembrance, but also of hope, faith, and love.

A particularly moving moment was the performance of an excerpt from Tvardovsky’s poem Garmon, in which Ivan Kokorin was accompanied on the Russian accordion by professional musician Sergey Grachev — a graduate of the Saratov State Conservatory and the Bell Art Academy in Mechelen, Belgium.

Ivan Kokorin is an actor with more than 70 film roles, including The 9th Company, The Star, and The Last Armored Train. He is a reader with the Moscow State Philharmonic, a nominee for the Golden Mask award, and a curator of the acting course at Alexander Mitta’s film school.

The evening served not only as a tribute to a heroic past but also as a meaningful cultural event, uniting the audience around timeless themes — remembrance, gratitude, and humanity.