Moscow Nights (Podmoskovnye Vechera)

There is an interesting story how Zhenya Kanaeva decided to choose ”Moscow Nights” for her Ribbon 2008. Before the season 2008 Irina Viner – head coach of Russian National Gymnast Team – went to China and visited one restaurant. At the door of the restaurant there was a bell singing the melody of Moscow Nights. And she says that every time when somebody entered the restaurant, all the visitors would start to smile and sing the song together with the melody. So this way she understood that Moscow Nights is a right song for the Olympic Program for China. On her return to Novogorsk she said: ”Zhenya, I know which music we shall choose for your ribbon!”

Moscow Nights (Podmoskovnye Vechera)

In 1955 two experienced Russian creators, Vasily Solovyov-Sedoi (composer) and Mikhail Matusovsky (lyrics) wrote a song called "Leningrad Nights." But a powerful force requested a change. The Soviet Ministry of Culture thought something about evenings in Moscow might be more appropriate, and so the lyrics and title were changed.

Zhenya Kanaeva with ribbon

Vasily Pavlovich Solovyov-Sedoi (1907 – 1979) was a Russian classical composer from Saint Petersburg (Leningrad). Originally named Solovyov, when he entered the Russian "Composer's Union" he added the suffix "Sedoi", meaning grey-haired, to avoid confusion with another composer with the same surname. Besides “Podmoskovnye Vechera“ (“Moscow Nights”) he composed other famous song “Solovi “ (“Nightingales”).

Vasily Solovyov-Sedoi

Mikhail Lvovich Matusovsky (1915 - 1990) was Soviet poet, a winner of the USSR State Prize (1977). He is famous for his lyric poems many of which became lyrics of the popular songs: "School Walz", "In the Damp Earth-Huts", "The Sacred Stone", "The Windows of Moscow", "Don't Forget" and "Moscow Nights".

Mikhail Matusovsky

Vladimir Troshin was the singer and actor who first recorded "Moscow Nights," (1956) giving the song its initial burst of fame.

Vladimir Troshin - Moscow Nights, single

The song became very popular in 1957 after the International Youth Festival which was held in Moscow. That time the song became an anthem of the festival and touched the hearts not only of Soviet people, but also the hearts of many foreigners.

Dmitri Hvorostovsky - Moscow Nights

In 1961 the British jazz group, Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen, recorded an instrumental version called "Midnight in Moscow." They even played it when on tour in Moscow. It did extremely well on the charts of the Western world. This version peaked at number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in early 1962; in March that year, and it spent three weeks at number one on the American Easy Listening chart.

Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen - Midnight in Moscow

The Russian pop singer Vitas recorded a version of the song with his counter-tenor voice. He performed it at several Chinese festivals before its release on Masterpieces of Three Centuries, released on November 25, 2010.

Vitas - Masterpieces of Three Centuries, album

“Moscow Nights” is a Russian song, one of those best known outside its homeland. This song made an entry into the “Guinness Book of World Records” as the song most frequently sang in the world.

Moscow Nights (Podmoskovnye Vechera)

Moscow Suburban Nights, lyrics

No rustling’s heard in the garden deep,
Till the dawn everything’s so quiet,
If you only knew how dear to me,
All these Moscow Suburban Nights.

Waters flowing or not flowing,
Made of lunar silver, the river runs,
There is sound of song, or there is no sound,
In the quiet nights all are at once.

Why, o darling mine, shy and quick is your glance?
Bowing low your head, you look apart?
So hard for me not tell at once,
Or to express everything in my heart.

And the morning yet is getting close an’ now,
And, my darling, please, be so kind,
Ever not forget all these summer nights,
Those suburban Moscow Nights.

No rustling’s heard in the garden deep,
Till the dawn everything’s so quiet,
If you only knew how dear to me,
All these Moscow suburban Nights.

Zolotoe Kol'co - Podmoskovnye Vechera, single

Podmoskovniye vechera (Подмосковные вечера)

Original Transliteration

Не слышны в саду даже шорохи,
Всё здесь замерло до утра.
Eсли б знали вы, как мне дороги
Подмосковные вечера.

Речка движется и не движется,
Вся из лунного серебра.
Песня слышится и не слышится
В эти тихие вечера.
.
Что ж ты, милая, смотришь искоса,
Низко голову наклоня?
Трудно высказать и не высказать
Всё, что на сердце у меня.
.
А рассвет уже всё заметнее.
Так, пожалуйста, будь добра.
Не забудь и ты эти летние
Подмосковные вечера.

Moscow Nights