Distance competition "Greenland": when sincerity is more important than professionalism

      In the song and poetry competition "Faithful Sons of the Fatherland" (6+), which this year was held with the support of the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives, 3,375 people from 73 regions of Russia participated. Over seven months of creative competition, 222 participants became diploma winners, and 15 of them were selected as laureates. The competition brought together people who share common values: patriotism, respect for history, culture, and the traditions of our multinational country.

      The jury members noted the high level of skill among the contestants.

      It is very pleasant that over time, the age composition of the participants has changed and expanded. As they say, from young to old – shared his impressions the permanent jury member of the festival, renowned author-performer Dmitry Obukhov. – The geography is also encouraging. It is nice that the authors perform their songs not only with a guitar but also with a piano, accordion, and others. It is very good that there is a video competition. Sometimes it was difficult to determine the winners. For me, the main criterion, besides musical and poetic literacy, is honesty and sincerity. Sometimes, therefore, I had to overlook "professionals," despite seemingly flawless performances...

      The contestants demonstrated not only virtuoso mastery of musical instruments and vocal artistry but also a deep meaningful content in their works.

      – This season, I was particularly impressed by the poet Pavel Velikzhanin from the city of Volzhsky in the Volgograd region – stunning poems, all without exception, presented at the competition, – noted the permanent jury member of the festival, member of the Union of Writers of Russia Olga Yurlova. – My great respect and admiration go to the author of the words and music Alexander Sokolov from Moscow, and gratitude for the incredibly talented stories from Natalia Kolmogorova from the Samara region. They have captivated me for a long time – Anatoly Barannikov, Dmitry Bobylev, Ilya Borovsky, Vladimir Butov, Maxim Vyborov, Svetlana Nagibina, Vladimir Plekhov, Yulia Silkina, Vladimir Kholmanskikh, Valentina Tsarevskaya. The discoveries of this season – Lyubov Serdechnaya, Ilya Danilov, Ilya Vinogradov, Olga Timoshkina, Elena Shipitsina, Elena Elizarova, Vladimir Seryakov, Maria Kotlova, Irina Zenkova, Sergey Strelnikov, Dmitry Yurchuk. Of course, this is not a complete list. It is frustrating when talented texts sometimes lose due to ordinary mistakes and errors in versification.

      Participants who, while preserving the traditions of authorial song, brought fresh ideas and modern sound to it were also particularly noted. The jury emphasized the importance of such competitions for supporting talented authors and performers who help preserve the spirit of "Greenland" – the spirit of creativity, freedom, and unity.

      – "Greenland" is truly a people's festival, and the distance competition "Faithful Sons of the Fatherland" vividly demonstrates its essence, – notes the festival chairman, State Duma deputy Oleg Valenchuk. – This year we are experimenting with various formats of remote interaction with competition participants, jury members, and fans of authorial song from all over Russia. We, the organizers, cannot help but rejoice that the competition has gained popularity. This indicates that we have managed to reach people who celebrate timeless values in their creativity: love, friendship, and a sense of pride for their Motherland.