As part of the events dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Victory, we held a literary evening honoring the masters of the stage who contributed to the victory by boosting the morale of the soldiers. The artists not only performed in the rear but also went to the front lines, sometimes interrupting their concerts to take cover during bombings.

In November 1942, a film concert was recorded, intended for the army soldiers. It featured top artists like I. Kozlovsky, L. Ruslanova, K. Shulzhenko, and L. Utyosov. The concert numbers were accompanied by comments from the film projectionist, a role played by the future King of Laughter, Arkady Raikin.
Due to time constraints, we couldn’t watch the full concert, and we had to pause to explain certain words to our foreign guests. For instance, we discussed the meaning of the song title “Vasya-Vasilyok”: Vasya is a diminutive of the name Vasily, and “Vasilyok” is both an affectionate name and a type of flower.
The song “Vasya-Vasilyok” was performed by the Red Banner Song and Dance Ensemble.

We also talked about the work of Lydia Ruslanova, a renowned performer of folk songs. In May 1945, at the foot of the Reichstag, Ruslanova sang her famous “Valenki.” We discussed what valenki are and why they became a symbol of victory.

We didn’t forget the performer whose song gave the title to our meeting, “The Blue Scarf.” The story behind the song is also quite interesting.
In the spring of 1940, fleeing from fascist persecution, members of the Polish jazz group “Blue Jazz” arrived in Moscow. At one of their concerts, composer and pianist Jerzy Petersburski played a melody that later became known as “The Blue Scarf.” Poet Yakov Galitsky wrote lyrics for this tune, and the song quickly became part of the repertoire of famous performers like Lydia Ruslanova and Vadim Kozin.

When World War II broke out, the song gained new meaning. Previously light and peaceful, it became a symbol of the past life that people were now fighting to reclaim. During the war, “The Blue Scarf” was adapted to the new reality, and in 1942, front-line poet Mikhail Maksimov wrote lyrics to the melody. His version was presented to Kladidia Shulzhenko, and this text became the final, “official” version of the song.

But even before the “Concert for the Front”,  artists were already used as presenters. For example, at the start of the Great Patriotic War, combat newsreels were filmed. In September 1941, the fourth edition of the “Combat Cinema Collection” titled “Victory is Ours!” was released. Directed by Grigory Alexandrov, the collection included three short films: one documentary, “British Fleet” (based on British newsreel footage), and two feature films, “Patriotka” and “The Order is Executed.”
Lyubov Orlova served as the master of ceremonies in this film, playing the role of Dunya Petrova — the popular letter carrier Strelka from Volga-Volga. In the guise of a Red Army soldier, she delivered front-line letters, sang songs, recited poetry, showcased combat documentaries, and exposed a disguised fascist saboteur. Against the backdrop of familiar music, new words emerged, appropriate for the time — her speech was filled with calls for resilience, courage, and inevitable victory.