The concluding chord of the celebration of the 510th anniversary of the Alexandrov Kremlin and the town was the Solemn Closing Ceremony organized by the museum-reserve “Alexandrovskaya Sloboda.” “For the first time we are celebrating the town’s true age together with the town. For this, the museum’s staff did tremendous work—both scholarly and organizational. It received support from government agencies and the wider public. And now we hope that such a respectable age, in harmony with its rich history, will become a powerful impetus to increase Alexandrov’s tourist appeal and economic development,” shared the director of the museum-reserve “Alexandrovskaya Sloboda” and the initiator of changing the historical date, Alla Sergeyevna Petrukhno.
The Ceremony itself began with a performance by the ensemble of Russian and Cossack song “Sloboda.” The official segment, featuring congratulations from the museum’s friends and the district administration, was adorned with a colored sand show. Thanks to Marina Sagulina, a member of the Moscow Union of Artists, key historical events that made Sloboda famous—including the “birth” of the kremlin from which the documentary count is made—were presented to the guests over 15 minutes. By the way, Marina Vyacheslavovna is one of the few Russian artists who performs live sand painting using a six-color palette. Also, on the large screen the audience saw a colorful clip—a reel of the most vivid events of this landmark year.
To congratulate them on this milestone came the museum’s creative partner and admirer Sergey Volchkov. He had already performed at the Tsar’s Court of “Sloboda” twice—in 2014 and 2018. And of course, when the question arose of which artists to invite to the landmark event, they immediately thought of the winner of “The Voice,” who has spoken so warmly about the museum. Before the Ceremony began, Sergey Volchkov recalled his concerts at the Museum of Ivan the Terrible: “When they called me, I thought I would perform again in my favorite museum with its amazing acoustics and such a warm reception. You know, I have over three hundred solo concerts, but I can’t even remember some of the cities. But the ‘Alexandrovskaya Sloboda’ is impossible to forget. By the way, it was there that I first performed with ‘live accompaniment’ in this lineup—piano and saxophone—and since then we often gather as such a trio, as we do now. Thank you very much for inviting me to the jubilee. This year is full of milestones—I turned 35 and in August I was awarded the title Honored Artist of the Russian Federation. When I’m 40 and you are 515—I’ll gladly come; I’m always happy to return here!”
Succinctly and very aptly, the overall emotions about the celebration and the year’s events addressed to the museum director A.S. Petrukhno were expressed by her deputy M.K. Rybakova: “Everything is possible for you! Even the most unreal!” The hall supported these words, eloquently applauding while standing.
