DAY OF MOURNING

Today is a Day of Mourning in Russia.

Our heartfelt condolences to the Russian people and to the families of those who died in the tragic plane crash off the coast of Sochi. Each lost life is precious. Each great talent is irreplaceable. This is not just a Russian tragedy. It is a tragedy for every decent human being in the world, for all civilized humanity.

Today we are mourning all those who have died, each one of them. Slightly paraphrasing Stalin, 92 is just a number. Individually, their loss is a tragedy 92 times over.

I have a personal stake in this tragedy. My family’s connection to the Alexandrov Ensemble. My Godfather Alexander Petrovich Biryukov was its erstwhile member. I personally knew many of the Ensemble members. All of them have long been dead by now. I have not known any of the new cast, those who have perished over the Black Sea. But they are as dear to me as those whom I used to know, because the Alexandrov Ensemble is not just a list of exceptional names. It’s an all-time legend that will be kept alive as long as Russia endures.

There will be other members that will fill the ranks of those who died. The continuity of life is not only a biological phenomenon, but spiritual – if not first, then foremost.

There is no doubt that the great Ensemble will be reborn, and as triumphant as ever. The dead will forever be its part, as they enter history.

May God grant their souls eternal peace and their names among the living – eternal glory.

Alexander and Galina.