Victory Day 2012
May 9th is celebrated every year in Russia as Victory Day to commemorate the victory in 1945 over Nazi Germany in World War II. Leonid Kharitonov wholeheartedly thanks all veterans for their service and their sacrifices!
This lighthearted, morale boosting song, Vasya-Vasilyok, was composed by Anatoly Novikov in 1942 and was very popular for many years. In 1965, Kharitonov and tenor Ivan Bukreev were chosen to perform it, and its popularity revived and expanded even outside of Russia.
Poor Vasya (Vasily)! His girl hasn’t written to him in weeks. His fellow soldiers try to cheer him up with some good-natured teasing and words of encouragement. (Be sure to turn Captions (CC) on in your YouTube player to view the subtitles! It’s the red button on the right side of the player’s tool bar.)
Victory Day 2012,
Dear Mister Kharitonov,
my father lost his father in the east-front, his never has been a nazi just a poor german man who didn’t want to make war against others humains.
When in 1949 my father was a little boy, aged 8 years old, he tried to learn russian -- and dreamed to go one day to russia to search his father -- older, he knows theat there was no hope -- but in the time, he loved the russian language and culture -- and studied it in university, in West-Germany. When I was a little baby, he sang to my old russian songs…. and now, he is dead since a few years, i hear your songs and I’m dreaming and remembering him….
Thank you -and love and peace to our countries
Verena
Our countries were truly allies once; they were never truly enemies. May we all truly be friends…and I wish you, in turn, a happy Memorial Day!