“Malitva” by Oleg Molchan with the Pesniary Flavor

In 2025, the esteemed composer Oleg Molchan would have celebrated his 60th birthday. In honor of this jubilee year, Irina Vidova and Ray Records present new releases of the legendary “Malitva.”

Irina Vidova’s duets with Vadim Kosenko, Akim Tyshko, and Andrey Usanov have revealed new patriotic and lyrical facets of the piece. During his lifetime, Maestro Molchan enjoyed a fruitful collaboration with these artists.

Today, a new release of “Malitva” is being issued, featuring Anatoly Kasheparov. He is a favorite of the audience and the “golden voice” of the ensemble Pesniary. Oleg Molchan and Anatoly Kasheparov shared a warm personal and creative friendship. They were also united by a deep respect for the creator of Pesniary, People’s Artist of the USSR Vladimir Mulyavin. Together, they supported him through even the most challenging moments in the legendary ensemble’s history.

“A friend in need is a friend indeed,” says Irina Vidova. “Our family experienced this firsthand. It was Anatoly, his wife Larisa, and Vadim Kosenko who repeatedly visited Oleg in the clinic during his final months. I am grateful to them for ensuring that, during such a difficult time, Oleg was surrounded by friends who shared his spirit, and that these encounters brought mutual joy.”

This recording of “Malitva” is particularly valuable because, alongside Vadim Kosenko, the addition of Anatoly Kasheparov’s unique voice enriches the authentic Pesniary flavor. The unmistakable energy of the ensemble, which was imbued and cultivated by its musical director, Oleg Molchan, is felt even more intensely here.

The premiere of Oleg Molchan’s “Malitva,” set to the poetry of Yanka Kupala, took place in the summer of 1994. Even now, more than three decades later, no work has emerged that matches “Malitva” in musical and spiritual profundity. Today, this song is cherished as a national anthem of Belarusians. (https://olegmolchan.com/2-45/)

The recording of “Malitva” features Anatoly Kasheparov, Irina Vidova, Vadim Kosenko, Akim Tyshko, and the vocal group Chisty Golos under the direction of Maestro Oleg Molchan himself.