The Alexandrov Red Army Ensemble gives a concert
in the Heinz-Steyer Stadium, Dresden, Germany,
9th of September, 1948.
-
- Concert scene
-
- Flowers for the performers
-
- Circle of dancers
-
- Dance solo
-
- Dancing Women
-
- Dancers
-
- Boris Alexandrov Conducts
-
- The Choir
-
- Attentive audience
-
- Dancers
-
- Enormous audience
-
- Standing room only
-
- Full house
-
- View of the audience
-
- Audience
-
- View of the concert venue
-
- Audience members
-
- Women presenting flowers
-
- Helping with the flowers
-
- Flowers for the orchestra
-
- Boris Alexandrov
-
- Boris Alexandrov
-
- Boris Alexandrov (left)
-
- The Banner
-
- Part of the orchestra section
-
- The audience applauds
-
- Presenting flowers
-
- Some of the audience
-
- The stage
-
- The Choir
-
- Taking a Bow
-
- Boris Alexandrov
-
- Young girl presents flowers
-
- Flowers from a little admirer
-
- View from the Stage of the Babayev & Pankov duet.
-
- Babayev & Pankov
-
- Victor Nikitin sings Kalinka
-
- Victor Nikitin sings Kalinka
-
- Victor Nikitin
-
- Victor Nikitin
-
- Boris Alexandrov and the Ensemble
-
- Boris Alexandrov and the Ensemble
-
- Remarks
-
- Boris Alexandrov shakes hands with the host
-
- Greeting Boris Alexandrov (left) and the Ensemble
-
- Young boy with flowers
Listen to Nikitin singing “Heidenröslein” in German at this 1948 concert.
The Alexandrov Ensemble 
[…] when Nikitin made the live recording of Heidenröslein in German. This is a very rare soundtrack. Dresden concert, […]
I was moved to see the ruined cathedral in the background, as I guess that was all that remained in the centre.
My father was saddened when the RAF policy changed in World War II to killing civilians, and towards the end of the war he asked to be transferred from a bomber pilot to a London desk job. All his friends had been killed by then, anyway. I don’t think any RAF pilots were proud of the Dresden action. I understand that most of the Dresden audience in 1948 would have been refugees who were moved in in 1946, as 25,000 Dresden civilians had died in the war. Boris was right to want peace when the war was over.
Dear Linda,
I am deeply moved by your remark. I’m very impressed by your fathers courage to remain true to himself when the world was indulging in hatred. It must have been incredibly difficult to keep that level of compassion in in the lunacy of World War II.
When the Frauenkirche in Dresden was rebuilt, the son of one of the Bomber Pilots made the peace cross (as you probably know): “After the attacks on Dresden, the knowledge of what had really happened in the war never left him. All his life, he was haunted by the memories; he became a pacifist… this seven-metre-tall gilded steel cross is the pinnacle of my career. It was like putting together an extremely complicated puzzle in which the past and the future neatly fit into one another.”
http://www.frauenkirche-dresden.de/alansmith+M5f41a065bdb.html
My father, who became an architect after the war, also created a church spire. Search on Wikipedia UK for “Church Army Chapel, Blackheath”.
Warmest regards form Dresden and thank you so much for these photos!
The “cathedral” in the background is actually a cigarette plant. Nowadays it’s restored and a place where fairytales are told and performed. What touches me so much, there are many buildings missing between the stadium (which has been renewed because of the female soccer WM). But there are still ruins in Dresden and every time I pass them I swear to do every thing I can to prevent war.
Love from Dresden
Christiane
Hi Christiane. You might like to read this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dresden
It tells a lot about what has survived in the city, and how much has been renewed. I guess that is the peace we want. I hope it stays that way.
They’re still building. The old castle is almost ready and the royal collection is brought to the original place. If someone wants photos from Dresden today, just tell me. I took and still take loads.
Hi Christiane. If you would like to take a photo in 2010 of the site of the 1948 Ensemble concert, that would be great. If you would like to upload it to Wikipedia as your own work, here:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Upload
then we can use it on the Wikipedia page about the Ensemble, and we can also use it here. Thank you!
Thank you, Christiane, for such a nice and interesting comment!
I will take these photos and inform you when I’m ready.
Thank you!
Thank you very much for the 1948 peace concert gallery and your wonderful blog. To sing and prepare songs in German was such a great commitment to peace from Victor Ivanovich Nikitin – and quite brave at that time. It must have been a light in these dark days.
[…] 1948 Concert […]
[…] Haus, Dresdens Schauspielhaus, wieder seine Pforten und im Heinz-Steyer-Stadion gibt das Alexandrow-Ensemble ein […]
[…] Haus, Dresdens Schauspielhaus, wieder seine Pforten und im Heinz-Steyer-Stadion gibt das Alexandrow-Ensemble ein […]