On the second day of the Tsiolkovsky International Space Film Festival, April 13, one of the festival’s key musical events took place in the Grand Atrium of the State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics in Kaluga - the heroic epic Onward to the Stars!, composed and conducted by People’s Artist of Russia Pavel Ovsyannikov, written for large symphony orchestra and academic choir.
The epic tells the story of the Soviet space program and its pioneers. At its center stands Yuri Gagarin, a symbol of courage and determination. The work vividly depicts key milestones in Gagarin’s life: his childhood, wartime years, studies at the aviation school, flight preparation, the historic spaceflight itself, the period of international recognition, and his tragic death.
This is not merely a chronological retelling but a true artistic creation that immerses the audience in the spirit of the era. It brings to life the figures of early cosmonauts and helps the viewer grasp their contribution to human history. Special attention is also given to the achievements of two prominent scientists, Tsiolkovsky and Korolev, whose ideas and innovations laid the groundwork for space exploration and discovery.
“Yuri Gagarin’s spaceflight is an event of global significance. The idea for this work came about after a street poll conducted among Moscow youth. When asked who Yuri Gagarin was, half of the respondents answered that he was a relative of Polina Gagarina. A wonderful singer, but it is sad that such a great achievement is being forgotten,” said Pavel Ovsyannikov at the TASS press conference.
“Yuri Gagarin’s spaceflight is an event of global significance. The idea for this work came about after a street poll conducted among Moscow youth. When asked who Yuri Gagarin was, half of the respondents answered that he was a relative of Polina Gagarina. A wonderful singer, but it is sad that such a great achievement is being forgotten,” said Pavel Ovsyannikov at the TASS press conference.
To stage the performance, the museum had to accommodate 200 performers, a large technical crew, and, of course, the audience. The project’s general producer and artistic director was Igor Ugolnikov, People’s Artist of Russia and president of the Tsiolkovsky International Space Film Festival. Stage direction was led by Galina Vlasenok, Honored Artist of Russia.
The epic was hosted by Igor Ugolnikov, Honored Artist of Russia Nonna Grishaeva, and Honored Art Worker of Russia Gediminas Taranda. Yet the performance in the Grand Atrium would not have been possible without the musicians - all of them from Kaluga. The patriotic musical stage production featured ensembles and soloists of the Kaluga Regional Philharmonic:
S.T. Richter Symphony Orchestra (Artistic Director and Principal Conductor – Honored Artist of Kaluga Region Alexey Lavrentyev)
Academic Dance Ensemble (Artistic Director – Honored Cultural Worker of Kaluga Region Elena Terebilenko)
Governor’s Wind Orchestra (Artistic Director and Principal Conductor – Honored Artist of Kaluga Region Sergey Orlov)
Sergey Kalyuzhny – bayan
Natalia Mishchenko, Honored Cultural Worker of Kaluga Region – domra
Irina Samoylova, Honored Artist of Kaluga Region – soprano
Dmitry Bashkirov, Honored Artist of Kaluga Region – tenor
Darya Mednikova – mezzo-soprano
Students of the VORTEX school-studio at the Academic Dance Ensemble
S.T. Richter Symphony Orchestra (Artistic Director and Principal Conductor – Honored Artist of Kaluga Region Alexey Lavrentyev)
Academic Dance Ensemble (Artistic Director – Honored Cultural Worker of Kaluga Region Elena Terebilenko)
Governor’s Wind Orchestra (Artistic Director and Principal Conductor – Honored Artist of Kaluga Region Sergey Orlov)
Sergey Kalyuzhny – bayan
Natalia Mishchenko, Honored Cultural Worker of Kaluga Region – domra
Irina Samoylova, Honored Artist of Kaluga Region – soprano
Dmitry Bashkirov, Honored Artist of Kaluga Region – tenor
Darya Mednikova – mezzo-soprano
Students of the VORTEX school-studio at the Academic Dance Ensemble
Also participating:
The Kaluga Municipal Chamber Choir of the Kaluga House of Music (Artistic Director – Margarita Kulaeva)
Choir of the Kaluga Regional Music College named after S.I. Taneyev (Principal Choirmaster – Andrey Mitrokhov)
Vadim Simonov – guitar
Dmitry Vinokurov – bass guitar
The Kaluga Municipal Chamber Choir of the Kaluga House of Music (Artistic Director – Margarita Kulaeva)
Choir of the Kaluga Regional Music College named after S.I. Taneyev (Principal Choirmaster – Andrey Mitrokhov)
Vadim Simonov – guitar
Dmitry Vinokurov – bass guitar
The Tsiolkovsky International Space Film Festival and the heroic epic Onward to the Stars! are held with the support of the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives.