Memorable dates of Russia: To the 140th anniversary of the birth of S. V. Rachmaninoff

April 1, 2013 it is marked the 140^th anniversary of the birth of the world famous composer, pianist and conductor Sergei Rachmaninoff.

The Novgorod expert of Rachmaninoff, a research scientist and philanthropist Valery Demidov recorded video lectures on the topic of a sudden – “Where Sergei Rachmaninoff was born?” It is of a considerable interest in the museum, so the plans of the Presidential Library - to make an electronic version of this extraordinary lecture. It also considers the issue about the date of birth of the composer, who argued that the documents had a mistake, and in fact he was born not on March 20, but March 21 (April 2) 1873. Rachmaninoff himself celebrated his birthday on April 2 - this date is stamped on his grave in the Kensico Cemetery in New York.

The art heritage of Sergei Rachmaninoff has gone around the world in major ways, and in the simple song sketches of his native land – the Novgorod region. Artists of priceless heritage experience piety of each sheet of score by the great composer. But in their native lands, where he grew up and developed as future composer, for many years has not been developed the importance of the environment, which is largely shaped the soul and boundless of musicality of little Rachmaninoff.

For a long time no one could locate the very house of their parents in the Onego Novgorod district, where Sergei Rachmaninoff spent the first eight years of his childhood. Now impenetrable forests near the village Zakharins do not have any buildings.

Among fellows of Rachmaninoff was such a rare man who discovered the house foundation, a well and a tree that recall the young composer. This is about Valery Vasilievich Demidov, who for many years has been collecting and cherishing the memory of Rachmaninoff in the Novgorod region.

At home, Valery Vasilievich Demidov is a widely known man. He is a Novgorod musicologist expert, historian, writer, scientist and explorer, discoverer, museum collector, curator and philanthropist and a member of the International Rachmaninoff Society in London, an honored worker of Russia, teacher of the S. V. Rachmaninoff Novgorod Regional College of Arts, founder and director of the Unique Museum of A. S. Arensky, A. K. Liadov and S. V. Rachmaninoff - composers of the Novgorod Land, the former center of skomoroshesky art of ancient Rus.

That honor of sensational discovery in 1995 in St. Petersburg of two original collections of songs and romances (as determined handwriting examination) was belonged to Demidov, which previously belonged to Sophia Alexandrovna Butakova, the grandmother of Rachmaninoff and then to Lyubov Rachmaninoff, his mother. The works, featured in the collections, reflect the musical atmosphere of a typical Russian noble family of the second half of the last century. Their undeniable value is that by the sound of the music, in particular, was brought up the next great Russian composer, famed throughout the world not only the Novgorod region, but also Russia.

On the initiative of V. V. Demidov, the restoration of the Rachmaninoff places in the city, and especially his mother’s grave on Christmas composer cemetery began. During the war, on the place fell bomb... Now near the restored tombs it is growing lilac bush, which was loved by his mother and son. The inscription on the headstone: “To Mother, given the world a genius”.

Valery Vasilievich Demidov made a significant contribution to the development of Rachmaninnoff study, especially of kid’s and Novgorod period of life of the great composer. Crowning effort to perpetuate the memory of the illustrious countryman was the establishment in 2009 in Novgorod of a beautiful monument to S. V. Rachmaninoff (the author - known sculptor Alexander Rukavishnikov). The return of “the Russian composer” to his homeland continues.