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Meetings in Chernobyl, part II

It seems to me that I’m back to Chernobyl fandom. Thanks to wonderful @johnlockismyreligion and “Take me home”, that I have already read two times (I only don’t understand why I decided to read it when fic was finished... I’m soooo slow) Sooooo, I promised to all of you, and especially @elenatria and @litttlesilkworm post about Alla Pugacheva concert in Chernobyl. Hope you really enjoy it, maybe someone even wants to write a songfic!

In the middle of summer, 1986 to Chernobyl Nikolai Ryzhkov (Chairman of the Council of Ministers) and Victor Chebrikov (yeah, it's our Charkov) arrived for inspection in Chernobyl. They asked liquidators, if they need something, like products or any other requests. Many people wanted to "oranges, alcohol and Alla Pugacheva". Chebrikov promised to organize the concert.

Pugacheva remembers when she got a call from KGB she was a little scared, though could find a witty answer to an invitation to Chernobyl:

"Didn't you find another option to destroy me?"

Of course, she agreed to go, but didn't make someone from her team to go with her, it was absolutely on free will. Many of her close friends and colleagues refused to go, they were really afraid of radiation. Still, her then-boyfriend (and also novice singer) Vladimir Kuzmin joined Alla.

(Alla Pugacheva - in the center, with a ribbon on head, Vladimir Kuzmin - second from the right)

The concert was on 8 September 1986 near Zelenyy Mys, in the field. Special scene was build, though it was open space, where could accommodate about 7000 viewers. Those who couldn't find a seating place, watched the concert from the roof of the scene, from cranes, trucks, excavators.

The concert was filmed, but only one hour was on air, though Alla performed about three hours. Many parts of the performance were cut. For example, at the beginning of the concert she told to the liquidators:

"I understand, all of this is hard for you, you are risking your life, your health… I don't want you to think about it right now. Have a rest and a take a break!'' – these words were cut, because reminding about risks was forbidden. Also, Alla performed a song “Delu vremya” (words from phraseologism that can be translated in English like “Business before pleasure”). There is a phrase in the song: “hey, you are up there!” While performing, Alla pointed to those who were watching the concert from the roof. Still, authorities thought it was allusion to the government. Nevertheless, Alla insisted that this song was in TV-version.

Thankfully, very touching part, when Alla invites one from the liquidators for dance, was in the TV-version, though authorities didn't like this gesture and scolded her for inappropriate behavior.

In order to show Alla all of the appreciation to her, that she went to Chernobyl, and to «take her in the liquidator family» at the end of the concert then director of Chernobyl power plant Eric Pozdyshev (in Wiki I read that he was the director after the accident till 1987. If I'm wrong, hope someone correct me)` gave to Alla a liquidators suit and some kind of diploma – "for valiant and selfless work in the liquidation of the Chernobyl accident". Instead of words of gratitude, she told a well-known to us phrase:

"Serve the Soviet Union!"

I don't know exactly which and how many songs were in the whole three-hours concert, but from TV-version I would like to highlight three of them – «Dve zvezdy» (Two Stars), «Belye Cvety» (White Flowers) and «Million Alyh Roz» (A Million of Red Roses)

Alla performed "Two Stars" for the first time with Vladimir Kuzmin during the Chernobyl concert. As I think, this song fits very well with Valoris, because it is about two souls (stars), who were fallen into the morning garden and couldn't back to heaven. I interpret as Boris and Valery couldn't back to normal life after Chernobyl. Other words from the song, two voices in the silence like voices of Valery and Boris, only true voices between all of the lies about Chernobyl. And, the saddest words from the song, about stars that couldn't reborn and should be burned down until falling to the ground. Just like Boris and Valery, who will die soon, "burn down" from the radiation. Two Stars is very popular now in Russia and usually performed at weddings.

"White Flowers" is veeeeery sad song (for this reason not so popular) about the parting. For me, it is also about Valoris, about the period after the court. "I have no regrets, I'm not expecting you back, I'll take the path to the garden with silver sand" – like Valery expresses his feelings after the court, understands, that he will never see Boris again "These white flowers I'll put it by the window, And then you will forget that I'm all alone. You will forget and go away; it will rain after you, You will not come to stay to cheer me up" – also Valery's doubts and fears after the court, that Boris will forget him and doesn’t want to see him at all.

"A Million of Red Roses" is not so symbolic. Still it is also a sad story of love. A painter sold all of his properties in order to impress an actress with a million red roses. Unfortunately, they have only one evening, then she left and he lived all his life alone. It is one of the most popular Alla's songs all over the world, as I know. During the concert, liquidators sang it together with Alla.

After the concert for Alla was made special reception with local authorities (I don't know if among them were Valery and Boris… maybe yes?), when she was offered something like cocktail (one third of pomegranate juice and two thirds of pure alcohol). Rumor has it, she decided to drink only pure alcohol.

Some time after the concert, Alla lost her voice for several months and got thyroid disease. Now, she regrets a little that went to Chernobyl, because this trip affected her health very badly. Also, as she told, she didn't know the whole truth about the danger of radiation, because authorities before the trip even promised to her that she wouldn't be in the affected area. Only on her way to Chernobyl on the train she understood that all over there was affected area.

TV-version of the concert

#chernobyl #meetings in chernobyl #soviet music #soviet singers #chernobyl concert #alla pugacheva #valoris #liquidation #liquidator #chernobyl hbo

Muslim Magomaev — Nocturne

Inspiring, to say the least🎶

@detectiveoscarwilde

#music #love songs #soviet singers #muslim magomaev

You said that a number of soviet bands and singers went to Pripyat in 1986 with concerts in order to cheer and inspire liquidators (writing Valoris fic about one of this concerts) - Could you elaborate on that? None of us knew there were concerts in Pripyat during the liquidation.

So, one of the first Joseph Kobzon went to Chernobyl. He had a couple of concerts in the end of May and the biggest on June 1th, 1986 in the Chernobyl administration building. The concert lasted almost four hours! The building was very close to the core, and both Kobzon and liquidators didn’t wear the masks. Joseph - in order to sing better, liquidators followed the lead. He talked there with participants of the Afghanistan war, who found Chernobyl much more horrifying, because there you don’t see the enemy.

This concert open the series of “Meetings in Chernobyl”, you can find one-hour video of Kobzon’s performance on Youtube (search Концерт Кобзона в Чернобыле). This record was broadcasting all over the USSR. Unfortunately, I can’t find more information about Kobzon in Chernobyl, just want to add: he died about a year ago, and suffered from prostate cancer since 2005. Maybe it’s because of Chernobyl, who knows.

The second was Valery Leontiev. He had two concerts - in Chernobyl Culture House (also very close to the core) and in Zelenyy Mys. Unfortunately, we don’t have videos from these performances, though the filming was made, but for unknown reasons it was degaussed. Culture House was very small and intended for 300-350 viewers, but on the Leontiev’s concert there were about 7000 viewers, who listened under the windows or watched the concert from the monitors installed on buses. Specially for those people Valery performed one song outside.

Although it was prohibited, people gave him flowers and small gifts, and Valery accepted them, because didn’t want to offend his audience. Maybe, he just didn’t fully understand the danger of radiation, as a lot of usual people at that time. He just wanted to cheer liquidators, so he freely hugged and greeted them.

Then he performed in Zelenyy Mys. The concert began about midnight and lasted till the dawn. There were about 4000 viewers. Valery freely answered the questions and performed songs in response to requests from the audience. Valery and his film crew didn’t have protective suits and mask too, as Kobzon, so they almost weren’t protected from radiation. Fortunately, Valery is alive now, he is 70 years old. Still, after Chernobyl concerts he also had health problems. On September 8, 1986 Alla Pugacheva (hope someone heard about her, it is like Madonna for the USSR, Russia and all post-Soviet space) performed in Zelenyy Mys. About her I want to make a special post, because there are a lot of interesting facts about her visit to Chernobyl. And about her concert I’m writing a fic now. Just wanted to add: all of the singers went to Chernobyl of their own free will and could have refused to perform in the radioactive zone. Still, they wanted to be with their people, their fans. As Kobzon said: “"I used to take a lot on myself since childhood. If the war in Afghanistan - I’m first to go there, Chernobyl is me again. Not in order people say: look, how brave he is. I'm just used to being where it's hard”.

#chernobyl #meetings in chernobyl #soviet music #soviet singers #chernobyl concert #joseph kobzon #valery leontiev #liquidator #liquidation