5 interesting facts about romance "What I have to say" by Alexandra Vertinsky

Famous actor and singer Alexander Vertinsky carried over a lot of difficulties. In 1914, of his own accord. set off at the front to work as an orderly. The artist could not stand idle in Moscow, knowing that people were dying at the front, so he decided that he would save them.

Background

In a year at the front Vertinsky made more than 35,000 dressings, and he would have liked to help even more wounded, but he was wounded itself. After that, Alexander had to return to Moscow, where it was relatively quiet. However, the horrors of war the artist remembered for life. He personally saw how the war were dying not soldiers, but boys who didn't even want to go to war. This left a huge imprint on the artist's work.

While many popular cultural figures rejoiced of the Revolution, there were those who sang about all its horrors, about the horrors of the Civil War, the most terrible war, because on both sides of the barricades sit those who still yesterday were neighbours, friends, brothers. Vertinsky sang about what he himself had experienced. For this, his work received a great esteem in the people and a great dislike of the power that started the revolution.

A tragic event, described in song, took place on 26 November 1917 in Moscow at the Church of the Great Ascension at Nikitsky Gate.

On this day, Metropolitan Evlogii buried 300 Moscow junkers and students who had died in battles with the Bolsheviks. Notes and poems published Progressive News Publishing House. The text began with the dedication "To Their Bright Memory".

Facts about the song

There are many stories and legends associated with the romance. Because of its fame, but also because of the courage of the author who not afraid to write such a romance, various theories quickly began to spring up around it, many of which did not correspond to the truth.

The controversy over who the song is dedicated to

After the release of the romance. emerged There are different versions of who Vertinsky dedicated his work to. The most famous one is based on the memoirs of Konstantin Paustovsky. The writer was at a performance of the artiste in Kiev in 1918. In his book. have lines like this:

"This song is about the Junkers who died in Borschagovka, about the young men who died fighting against a vicious gang."

But the battle of a group of Kiev volunteers against Petliura's detachment, about which Paustovsky writes, took place in December 1918.

Repression because of a song

There is a legend that Alexander Vertinsky because of the romance was summoned to the Cheka, headed by Dzerzhinsky. The artist stated:

"It's just a song, and then, you can't forbid me to feel sorry for them!"

The Chekist allegedly parried:

We'll stop you from breathing if we have to.

Acknowledgments this fact no. But Vertinsky was indeed summoned to the Extraordinary Commission. And the phrase "let's ban breathing" in general. consistent with to the spirit of the time. Many artists at that time intimidatedespecially those who could undermine "revolutionary" sentiments among the people.

The impact of the song on white soldiers

Shortly after writing the romance Vertinsky left for the South occupied by the White Guards. In Odessa, the singer met with General Yakov Slaschev. The military man then told me that "What I have to say" is extraordinary popular from his soldiers. They were going to die to it.

A recording of a romance in exile

Being in exile, Alexander Vertinsky recorded the romance on a record of the German company "Parlafon".

Grebenshchikov's performance

"I don't know why or who needs it" is considered one of the most significant pacifist works. Alexander Vertinsky's romance has been performed by many contemporary artists.

In the late '80s, a song sung Boris Grebenshchikov. Then the romance fit the theme perfectly war in Afghanistan.

And in February 2014, Grebenshchikov, performing in Smolensk, said before performing a romance:

"All the time I can't help but think that, some people very close to us are killing others."

There was a rejoinder from the audience, "Peace be with them!" Grebenshikov said sadly replied:

"And they don't want him. Neither those on one side nor those on the other."