Pesnya goda

Pesnya goda (Russian: Песня года), meaning Song of the Year, is an annual televised music festival and gala in Russia, honoring standout songs from the previous year. The event began in the Soviet period, and prior to the dissolution of the USSR also included songs in languages other than Russian.

Pesnya Goda
Current: 50th Annual Pesnya Goda Music Gala
LocationMoscow
CountryRussia
Presented byAngelina Vovk and Yevgeni Menshov
Reward(s)all laureates receive a diploma, the main category winner receives the Pesnya Goda award trophy
First awarded1971 (1971)
Television/radio coverage
NetworkChannel One Russia (1995–2004)
NTV (2005)
Russia-1 (2006–present)

First held in 1971, it became the main event of the year for Soviet singers and musical groups. Pesnya goda is traditionally recorded in December and aired on television in early January, as part of the New Year's festivities. Programme One (later Channel One Russia) was the official broadcaster through 2004; the festival is now broadcast on Russia 1.

History

In many ways, the history of Pesnya goda mirrored the history of the former Soviet Union. The songs selected for the initial festivals were strictly censored and required to be consistent with the social norms established by the Communist Party. The performers were all conservatory graduates in good standing with pristine reputations and conservative looks; the same case fell also for the VIAs whose songs were also featured. Over time as Soviet society became more liberal and in the 1980s during the era of perestroika, the festival began to include a broader range of musical styles, song lyrics, and performers. In 1971 and 1972 it aired in black and white and via videotape; starting 1973, the program was prerecorded in color, and today is shot in digital video and high definition.

In the 1990s, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Pesnya goda festival was reborn in 1993 and became part of the new society's New Year's tradition, providing an escape from the harsh socioeconomic realities of life in Russia in the 1990s. In the 2000s, the festival became a television extravaganza featuring the most commercially successful and popular artists of Russian pop and rock music.

All performers included in the televised final of the festival are considered "winners" and referred to as such in the media. The two performers that have received the most inclusions in Pesnya goda are Lev Leshchenko, who was in 48 festival (each year from 1971 to 2022, except for 1989, 2005, and 2007), and Sofia Rotaru, who was in 46 festival each year from 1973 to 2021, except for 2002. Other artists that have been perennial Pesnya goda winners include Iosif Kobzon (41 times)), Valentina Tolkunova, Edita Piekha, Laima Vaikule, Igor Nikolayev, Irina Allegrova and Alla Pugacheva.

The best known hosts of the festival are Angelina Vovk and Evgueny Menishov, who hosted it from 1988 until 2006; Anna Shilova and Igor Kirillov, who hosted it from 1971 until 1975; and Svetlana Zhiltsova and Alexander Maslyakov, who hosted it from 1976 until 1979. The most recent hosts are Lera Kudryavtseva and Sergey Lazarev, who have hosted since 2007.

Until 1991, the festival was hosted at the Ostankino Technical Center Concert Hall, with exception of 1985 when it was held at the Dynamo Palace of Sports. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Pesnya goda moved to the State Kremlin Palace until 2005 and then Olimpiyskiy Sports Complex.

The first rap song featured in the festival came in 2019, with the rap performance of Russian pop-singer Egor Kreed (with popular singer Philip Kirkorov).

In 2021, the festival's 50th anniversary, Pesnya goda held a special golden jubilee event.

Records and statistics

Appearances in finals
NO. Name Finals
1 Lev Leshchenko 48
1 Sophia Rotaru 46
2 Joseph Kobzon 41
3 Valentina Tolkunova 25
3 Laima Vaikule 25
3 Igor Nikolayev 25
3 Irina Allegrova 25
4 Edita Piekha 22
4 Larisa Dolina 22
4 Anzhelika Varum 22
4 Leonid Agutin 22
5 Alexander Serov 21
5 Valery Meladze 21
6 Vyacheslav Dobrynin 20
6 Alla Pugacheva 20
6 Oleg Gazmanov 20
7 Alexander Buinov 19
8 Kristina Orbakaitė 18
9 Dmitry Malikov 16
9 Alsou 16
9 Natasha Koroleva 16
10 Valeriya 15
10 Nikolay Baskov 15
11 Nadezhda Babkina 14
11 A-Studio 14
12 Jasmin 13
13 Muslim Magomayev 12
13 Big Children's Choir 12
13 Lyube 12
13 Tatiana Ovsyenko 12

See also

References

    Further reading
    • Red stars : Personality and the Soviet Popular Song, 1955-1991 author: David MacFadyen, editor: Montreal : McGill-Queen's University Press, ©2001.
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