Vladimir Mulyavin. Great Maestro’s Legacy expo in Minsk

Dozens of concerts, exhibitions and meetings were held in Belarus and abroad to mark the 75th birthday of the great maestro People’s Artist Vladimir Mulyavin in 2016. The history of the legendary Pesnyary band that has become a trademark of the country and its talented founder continues to impress people around the world. The exhibition Vladimir Mulyavin. Legacy of Great Maestro opened in Minsk in February 2017.

The signature style of the band is modern arrangements of folk songs and tunes, melodious singing, a very rich repertoire of Belarusian songs, and of course the distinctive style and appearance of the musicians, particularly their unique stage costumes. The National History Museum invites its visitors to take a peek at the backstage life of the band and learn about the process of creating looks for Pesnyary. By the way, Vladimir Mulyavin used to take an active part in the process, and each of the looks had to get his approval.

The exhibition opened with a presentation of the unique collection of stage outfits of the ‘Belarusian Beatles’. The collection features folk costumes, szlachta (nobility) costumes, official costumes decorated with cornflowers, and even the jeans costume that Vladimir Mulyavin used to wear. The centerpiece of the exhibition are sketches of 17 costume concepts. Eleven of them were created for Vladimir Mulyavin’s rock opera ‘Pesnya o Dole’ (Song of Fate) that was debuted at the Belarusian State Philharmonic 40 years ago.

The exhibition also showcases music instruments, handwritten music sheets, photos and posters. The biggest hit of the exhibition is Vladimir Mulyavin’s double neck guitar well-remembered by fans of the band around the world.

Photos by Oksana Manchuk