Another Slavic Song Contest behind us (many photos)
This year’s edition of the Slavic Song Contest was exceptional – it was dedicated to Ukraine. The young performers performed only Ukrainian songs (and Polish songs referring to the situation in Ukraine). Academic teachers of Russian studies from the Institute of Slavic Studies stand in solidarity with Ukraine – Russians are the organisers of all editions of the Slavic Song Contest and other concerts to date and planned for the near future. As a gesture of solidarity, students of Russian studies sang in Ukrainian, not Polish. The students of Russian studies are the second-year students leading the contest – Zosia Kaczyńska and Estera Dzieniszewska.
This unique contest brought together lovers of Slavic songs and the highest authorities of the rectors, deans and institutes in the Music Hall of the University of Wrocław. The students were applauded, among others, by the Acting Rector of UWr, Prof. Jan Sobczyk, the Vice-Rectors: prof. dr hab. Patrycja Matusz and prof. dr hab. Tomasz Kalisz, Senior Rector Prof. Adam Jezierski, and Senior Vice-Rectors: Prof. Jan Burdukiewicz and Ryszard Cach. Professor Adam Jezierski acted as both accompanist and performer. Known for his love of classical music, he played a beautiful piece by a Ukrainian composer on the organ. In the audience sat and the main prize was presented by the Dean of the Faculty of Letters, prof. Arkadiusz Lewicki, and the Director of the Institute of Slavic Studies, Prof. Oleh Beley. This year’s Slavic Song Contest featured both soloists and ensembles – UWr students performing songs in Ukrainian and Polish. Outside the competition, the finalists of the previous editions and special guests performed.
The participants were judged by the chairman of the jury – dr Mateusz Wiśniewski – an academic teacher of Bohemian studies of the Institute of Slavic Studies, the vice-rector of UWr, prof. Patrycja Matusz, the vice-rector of UWr, prof. Tomasz Kalisz, the director of the Institute of Slavic Studies, prof. Oleh Beley, a representative of the Centre for Culture and Arts in Wrocław, Mr Arkadiusz Włodarski, a representative of the Consulate of the Czech Republic, Ms Lena Ignasiak, a singer, the owner of the Voice Art Centre ART VOICE Anna Majkut-Polańska and Andrzej Walus – a musician, as well as sponsors and award donors.
The concert was opened by high school students from the oldest public high school 1 LO in Wrocław. They presented fragments of different works in one logical whole. These included excerpts from both classic and contemporary songs. The students, perhaps future students of the University of Wrocław, as noted by Vice-Rector Tomasz Kalisz, were prepared by dr Nadiia Melnyk former student of the Instute of Slavic Studies and doctoral student at the Faculty of Letters, currently a Russian language teacher at this high school. All high school students were presented with university backpacks by the Vice-Rector for Student Affairs, prof. Tomasz Kalisz. Soloists – Hanna Pluta, Vladyslav Nesterchuk and their tutor dr Nadia Melnyk, the vice-rector also presented them with diplomas of recognition and beautiful sweatshirts with the University logo. This year, the level of participants was very high.
The deserved, 1st Prize of the Dean of the Faculty of Letters (PLN 2000) was won by an exceptionally talented student of IDiKS Sofiia Poplavska. Already during Sunday’s rehearsal the participating students augured for her to win this top prize. Sofiia sang a beautiful song by the Ukrainian band the Hardkiss Prirva.
The prize pool was won by the 3rd year student of Russian Studies Mikołaj Klyta who with his beautiful bass sang OKiS award (PLN 500), the award of anonymous lover of Slavic songs (PLN 500) and the Audience Award. He was the most applauded participant in the NSS. Nikolai performed both in the competition part, presenting Дивлюсь я на небо – one of the first two songs performed in space on 12 August 1962 on board the Soviet spacecraft Vostok-4 by the first Ukrainian cosmonaut Pavel Popovich. Mikolaj also performed in the non-competitive part of the competition, presenting, together with the accompanist Rector Senior, a Ukrainian romance Взяв би я бандуру, which is also very popular in Poland. The song was performed by both men for the first time at the Melodies of Three Generationsconcert in the autumn.
Vice-rector Patrycja Matusz founded and presented her prize (PLN 1000) for the most beautiful singing foreigner or student Roman Vishtal (PLN 1000). Roman is studying Digital and Web Publishing at the Institute of Information Science and Library Science. As stated by the students of the Institute of Slavic Studies, it would be good for this amiable student, endowed with a beautiful voice, to take up a second course of study at the Institute of Slavic Studies. Roman Vishtal sang with a beautiful voice an equally beautiful song, very popular in Ukraine, entitled Я піду в далекі гори.
The deputy director of the Institute of German Studies, professor Urszula Bonter, surprised everyone, both the audience and the jury, by awarding her prize not to the performer, but to the accompanist, a brilliant multi-instrumentalist Stanislav Marinchenko. The director appreciated the professionalism and commitment of our accompanist, who accompanied practically all the participants in the competition. It is thanks to him, among others, that so many participants have been awarded. The director’s decision was met with surprise and applause from the audience.
The audience appraised the performance of two bands with real enthusiasm. The jury divided the evaluation of the audience, awarding Maciej Ogrocki with a team of croats from the Institute of Slavic Studies (Alicja Stużyńska, Gabriela Staszak, Łukasz Olbert and Magdalena Bajko) them the Third Prize of the Institute of Slavic Studies Directorate (PLN 1 000) and the Prize of the Honorary Consul of the Czech Republic, Mr Arkadiusz Ignasiak. The band presented an extremely different piece from the other participants. With a truly lancer-like fantasy and incredible sense of humour the band’s frontman Maciej Ogrocki performed an Odessa song in Polish Соня подарите поцелуйчик.
Students of musicology, biotechnology and Polish studies performed on the stage of Oratorium Marianum for the first time Stanisław Roguż, Agnieszka Granosik, Filip Jaźwiński and Olga Horwat. These young people singing in the university choir Gaudium won the hearts not only of the audience, but also of the jury. These talented young people were also applauded with real enthusiasm by the students in the Botanical Garden at the traditional after party. This quartet performed the poignant piece Пливе качаat the highest possible level. This much-maligned song has become the unofficial anthem, performed in memory of the fallen Euromaidan activists of the so-called Celestial Hundred and others who died during the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine. The quartet won the 2nd Prize of the Wrocław Anima Club – in the nearest future the band will invite us all to their recital in this very club. The quartet also won recognition and an award from the owner of the Kozacka Chatka. Stanislav Roguzh a member of the ensemble also won individual prizes for his performance of a very moving and heart-rending song by the pop-rock band Друга Ріка entitled Secret. Stanisław individually won the Prize of the Honorary Consul of the Czech Republic, Mr Arkadiusz Ignasiak (PLN 500). For years, the Consul has funded two equal prizes of PLN 500 each. Stanisław Roguż also sang the award of Anna Majkut – Polańska – the owner of the Art Voice Art Centre. The Anna Majkut-Polanska award was also won by the first year starostina of Russian Philology Julia Skoczylas for the Polish song from the repertoire of Sannah and Igor Herbut Mamo tyś płakała and Emilia Żarnowska a third-year student of National Security at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Wrocław for the song Dumka na dwa serca.
Second-year student of Russian Studies Patryk Malinowski for a beautiful performance of a piece in Ukrainian На калині мене мати колихала won the award of Galina Asatryan, the owner of the restaurant Armine.
A real spiritual feast were the performances of the graduates of the Institute of Slavic Studies as well as senior rector Adam Jezierski and third-year student Mikołaj Klyta. Invited guests performed outside the competition during the jury deliberations. We marvelled at the beautiful voices and the perfect choice of repertoire. Lubov Moroz, who has performed many times as an student of the Institute of Slavic Studies on the stages of the Aula Leopoldina and the Oratorium Marianum, presented a beautiful piece that she had never had the opportunity to present to the public before. The piece is Балада про мальви, a beautiful and moving piece, brilliantly performed by our graduate. Hailed as an angelic voice, Martyna Dubińska performed a song from Budka Suflera’s repertoire Jest taki samotny dom in a beautiful arrangement and with the support of multi-instrumentalist Stanislav Marinchenko.
The non-competition part was also concluded by a graduate of Russian Philology Natalia Ciołka who has won awards in several editions of the the contest performing together with a Lemko band Prypadok and in a duet with Łukasz Hnatyszyn. This time we heard a beautiful prayer in a very surprising arrangement. Natalia is the author of both lyrics and music. Her performance of the song No War moved the audience to tears. An exceptional song ended this unique edition of the 19th Slavic Song Contest.
It should be mentioned that during the competition donations were collected for Ukraine. The money jar, filled to the brim, was handed over to the director of the Institute of Slavic Studies, Prof Oleh Beley. The money will be donated to one of the foundations supporting freedom-fighting Ukrainians.
We would like to thank Ms Dominika Hull for the beautiful posters and invitations and Mr Wojciech Głodek for the new, interesting diplomas presented to our participants. The entire team of the Communications Department for their help and support at every stage of organising the Contest.
