Presidential Library held screening of documentary film about composer Valery Gavrilin

On October 30th, the Presidential Library hosted a screening and discussion of the new documentary film Gavrilin's Music - Today and Forever. The event featured the composer's son, Andrey Gavrilin, and granddaughter, Anastasia Gavrilina, in attendance.

Valery Gavrilin was a Soviet and Russian composer who composed symphonic, choral, and chamber works, as well as songs and music for films. He was awarded the USSR State Prize and was a People's Artist of the RSFSR. This year, he would have turned 85 years old.

Although the future composer was born and raised in Vologda region, his creative path is inextricably linked with St. Petersburg. In this city on the Neva River, he studied at the Leningrad Special Music School of the Conservatory (now known as the Secondary Special Music School affiliated with the St. Petersburg Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory). After completing high school, he enrolled in the Conservatory and later taught at its Music School for several years.

Valery Gavrilin is forever etched in the history of Russian and world music as a great composer. His works include the choral symphony Chimes, which has become a classic. People's Artist of the USSR Vladimir Vasiliev has staged the television ballets Anyuta and House by the Road to Gavrilin's music, and director Alexander Belinsky has staged the ballet The Marriage of Balzaminov based on his music.

After the documentary screening, a discussion was held. The author of the project, President of the St. Petersburg Heritage and Perspective Foundation and Executive Secretary of the Commission for Creative Heritage, Valeria Gavrilina and Galina Efimova, winner of the St. Petersburg Government Prize for Culture were attending the event. The creators of the film, screenwriter and director Alla Fesenko and cinematographer Oleg Mochalov, also were present.