Release of the album "Songs of the Northern Dvina": a contemporary take on folk music from the Northern Russian Choir

      On October 17, the new musical album "Songs of the Northern Dvina" by the State Academic Northern Russian Folk Choir was officially released on all Russian music platforms. The project won the special selection of musical audiovisual content for children and youth organized by the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives. This award confirms the high quality and significance of the project in promoting Russia’s cultural heritage among the younger generation.

      Specifically for the album, seven Russian folk songs recorded in districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast were selected, each distinguished by its own character and sound: "Prjadi, pryashka" ("Spin, little spinner"), "Tina, tina, tinushka," "Da byla Dunyusha gulliva" ("Dunyusha was lively/playful"), "Po zoryushke, po zare" ("At dawn, at daybreak"), "Kak u Sashi bylo na dubochke" ("How Sasha had it on the little oak"), "Vse cvety v pole zavyali" ("All the flowers in the field have withered"), and "Khoжу ya po travke" ("I walk on the grass"). These folk melodies received original arrangements from metropolitan composers and musicians who work with well-known Russian pop artists. The distinctive feature of the arrangements is that, while preserving the authenticity of northern folk singing, they skillfully combine traditional sound with contemporary rhythms, giving the songs freshness and relevance.

      "The project 'Songs of the Northern Dvina' makes Russian folk music more understandable and accessible to a young audience. It helps introduce young people across the country to the traditional song culture of Arkhangelsk Oblast," noted Oksana Svetlova, Minister of Culture of Arkhangelsk Oblast.

      Work on the project began last summer, in the midst of the Northern Russian Folk Choir’s tour of Arkhangelsk Oblast. Despite a tight schedule, the performers actively rehearsed the songs for the album "Songs of the Northern Dvina." "Through music we want to tell about the amazing beauty of the Arkhangelsk region. This project is aimed at preserving cultural heritage, ensuring continuity between generations, and transmitting the cultural code to the younger generation," explained Natalya Asadchik, director of the Northern Russian Folk Choir.

      The songs will be heard live at the All‑Russian Folklore Festival‑Competition named after Antonina Kolotilova, which will take place in December 2025 in Arkhangelsk, and at concert events of the Northern Russian Folk Choir dedicated to the ensemble’s 100th anniversary.

      In early October, at the Museum‑Reserve of Wooden Architecture "Malye Korely," the Northern Choir filmed material for three music videos and 14 mood videos for the songs from the album "Songs of the Northern Dvina." The created video content will be available on video hosting platforms starting November 15, 2025.

      The project "Songs of the Northern Dvina" was developed jointly with the autonomous non‑profit organization "Center for Support and Development of Creative Youth 'Planet of People'" and became one of 128 winners among 360 applicants for funding under the national project "Youth and Children."