CLASSICAL MUSIC FESTIVAL ON THE CASTLE RUINS

09 August 2021

A classical music festival was opened in the ruins of a 13th century castle near Kaliningrad.

Brandenburg Castle in the village of Ushakovo became the first architectural monument in the region, which was decided to save with the help of classical music. On Thursday evening, 05 August, the Cantata festival opened here. The idea of the event is that the stars of the opera, choral and symphonic stages are to perform on the stages near the ruins of historical monuments. The money raised from ticket sales will be used to preserve and restore them.

The organizers of the festival dedicated it to the 800th anniversary of Alexander Nevsky. That is why the concert program was opened by the cantata Alexander Nevsky by Sergei Prokofiev, and Ushakovo was chosen as the venue for the concert. The castle of the Teutonic Order, founded in the XIII century, is the same age as the Russian prince.

The festival will run until 09 August. In Kaliningrad, the organizers have planned concerts on the island of Kant and near the Amber Museum, and in the region - near the ruins of the Gerdauen castle. The program includes the choral composition All-Night Vigil by Sergei Rachmaninoff, the sextet for strings Recollection of Florence by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, the oratorio Messiah by Georg Handel and the final opera gala concert.