October 30, 2024

The Music of War


The Music of War
Central Military District ensemble and Yulia Chicherina during a performance VKontakte, Central Military District ensemble

The Ensemble of the Central Military District is one of 13 song-and-dance groups under the Russian Ministry of Defense. Many were formed during World War II, initially performing at the front to boost soldiers' morale. Since then, the ensembles have performed at patriotic events in Russia and alongside Russian forces abroad, including in Afghanistan, Syria, and, most recently, Ukraine.

Since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Central Military District ensemble has staged over 600 performances in the “special military operation zone.” According to Ensemble Head Lt. Col. Anton Sholokhov, song and dance ensemble members perform at the front line daily.

The ensemble aims to attract a younger audience by sharing festival stages with popular Russian  bands like IOWA, using LED screens, and recording performances with drones. The group’s repertoire includes songs that mock the Ukrainian military and celebrate Russian soldiers' actions in Ukraine.

The ensemble collaborates with other pro-Russian musicians, including Yulia Chicherina, who is sanctioned by all EU countries. Chicherina and the ensemble previously performed for Russian forces in Syria, staging a joint concert in 2016 at the Khmeimim airbase, which has been under Russian control since 2015. Now, Chicherina continues to perform alongside the ensemble for Russian soldiers. Lt. Col. Sholokhov calls her a “combat girlfriend” and “the creative banner” of the ensemble.

Rock musician Vadim Samoilov, a former member of the popular Russian group Agata Kristi, is also a frequent collaborator. Samoilov, who calls himself a “fan of the army,” has committed to a long-term partnership with the Central Military District ensemble.

Another regular partner is Akim Apachev, a former pro-Russian war correspondent from Mariupol, who now performs propagandistic "Z-music" and filmed a video at a destroyed Ukrainian site at the Azovstal plant.

According to a former employee of the Central Military District ensemble, performers believe they bring “light and kindness,” despite promoting militarism. They receive the same salary as other Russian soldiers in Ukraine, around R210,000 a month (just over $2,000). “With a regular military contract, there’s a risk you’ll be sent to the front lines and might not live to see your second paycheck. In the ensemble, the pay is the same, but you don’t have to kill anyone. You dance, sing, and get feedback from the audience,” the former employee said.

Ensemble members also profit from military-themed performances outside the war zone. According to the independent news outlet DOXA, violinist Anna Pasta of the ensemble offers “thematic corporate party” performances featuring military songs. Her five-song set costs R30,000 ($300), while soloists from the ensemble charge R25,000 ($250) per performance.

You Might Also Like

A Singer Diversifies
  • October 20, 2024

A Singer Diversifies

The notoriously pr-Kremlin rock star Shaman has filed trademarks for alcoholic beverages, household goods, and sex toys.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 
The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955