LETTER OF THE SOUL: DELIVER IN PERSON

      Personal correspondence has become a museum rarity these days, but every soul keeps a diary throughout their life. The accumulated experiences are kept from prying eyes, but there are moments when silence is not an option. In the new song and video "I Write a Letter of the Soul," Natalia Gordienko tells a love story that can transcend centuries. The lyrics were written by Mikhail Gutseriev, but the artist finds reflections of her personal experiences within them.

      "This is an amazing song, and it’s about me. In my life, love has gone through the entire spectrum of emotions: from the happiest moments to the greatest disappointment. And when I read the lyrics and heard the music, I realized that I dreamt of performing this song, even though it is vocally challenging. My dream has come true, and I am immensely grateful to my authors for this," says Natalia Gordienko.

      The music for the song was composed by Maxim Fadeev. In collaboration with Mikhail Gutseriev, he released "I Will Definitely Return" with his own vocals, as well as "On the Blue Lakes" (2023) and "Phone Call" (2024) performed by Natalia Gordienko.

      The song "I Write a Letter of the Soul" has a dramatic plot: she loves, he does not. It seems the breakup is inevitable, but not this time. Every passion has its price – this is what Mikhail Gutseriev writes in the original version of the poem "Letter of the Soul," and the heroine is ready to pay.

      "I have fought for love for a long time, I won’t give it up, even if it hurts..."

      The director of the video reinterpreted the song's content through the connection of times. In the video, the talented choreographer (actor and director Pierre Burel) struggles to find the key to staging the performance. Accidentally discovered letters from the 19th century give the master an impulse for inspiration.

      "This is my first work in a music video, but I didn’t need much convincing," says Pierre Burel. "I am from Normandy, but I studied in St. Petersburg and practiced choreography for five years; I even have size 42 pointe shoes. We quickly found common ground with the director and the young ballet artists involved in the shoot. And although I play a strict character, his staging is dedicated to a great love that has passed through the centuries."

      Natalia Gordienko plays a young beauty in the video, being prepared for a wedding with an older groom, reminiscent of the painting "Unequal Marriage." But by fate's will, the bride meets a young officer.

      "We meet at a ball, fall in love, and start secretly writing letters to each other. And all this tenderness, sensuality, and love we transfer – we write letters of our souls, love in a moment that freezes and remains on paper. And decades, centuries later, these letters are found by the choreographer-director, the ballet master," shares Natalia Gordienko.

      The filming of the video took place in February in sunny but cold St. Petersburg. The role of the groom was played by the famous Soviet and Russian theater and film actor Igor Ivanov. The role of the officer was performed by actor Viktor Mikhailov, who had previously appeared in music videos for his own musical group.

      Like a personal diary, the letter of the soul is not meant for public reading. But in the form of a song and video, it will surely reach its recipient.

      Listen to the song, watch Natalia Gordienko's video "I Write a Letter of the Soul" on digital platforms!

      Mikhail Gutseriev – "I Write a Letter of the Soul" (lyrics to the song):

      Verse

      I will throw my heart on the altar.

      My soul lives, suffering.

      I scroll through my days of sorrow,

      And the sun melts, turning to stone.

      I won’t allow myself to leave for another,

      Forgetting you is very hard for me.

      I have fought for love for a long time,

      I won’t give it up, even if it hurts.

      Chorus

      I write a letter of my soul,

      I’m tired of your beautiful lies.

      I’m afraid to admit that there is no love,

      I live in the embrace of longing.

      Verse

      You are not ready to love seriously,

      Don’t say that I am free.

      I ask myself the question:

      Why am I feeling so bad?

      In the solitude of nights

      I trade time for hours.

      I trade life for ten days –

      The story of my love.

      Chorus

      I write a letter of my soul,

      I’m tired of your beautiful lies.

      I’m afraid to admit that there is no love,

      I live in the embrace of longing.

      I write a letter of my soul,

      I’m tired of your beautiful lies.

      I’m afraid to admit that there is no love,

      I live in the embrace of longing.

      I live in the embrace of longing.