Valenki
Boots, Валенки
The "valenki " is a traditional Russian winter footwear, made of felted wool. They had been brought to Russia by the Turkish an Mongolian tribes, in the XII-XIII centuries. As those boots were very warm, they became very popular soon, but it was only the rich people who could afford them, because they were really expensive. With the industrial production of the valenki, that started at the first half of the 19th century, they became cheaper and affordable for most Russians.
The valenki were not waterproof and were used for walking on the dry snow. Later they were used with the galoshes to keep the water out, or attached to the leather boots, or to rubber soles. Nowadays these valenki are still being produced, but they have lost their attractiveness as they are being associated with the traditional, rustic style of clothing. They have been replaced by the new and modern boots. Another reason is that winters in the most densely populated Russian areas have become milder in the recent years. The winter weather is often wet and people can not wear the valenki as earlier, when the winters used to be very cold. |
The origin of the popular Russian folk song is not quite clear, neither is a "correct" text existing for it, as the singers used to perform the song according to their own wishes and insights. This is what makes "Valenki" a true Russian folk song. There is also nothing known about the time it was created. Some sources say that the song is an old dance song, that has its origin with the Roma gypsies from the Czech city Tabor. The fact is not to be denied that the song appeared together with other gypsy songs, and that already in the nineteenth century, it was an integral part of the repertoire of the famous Moscow restaurant "Yar", where the famous Sokolovsky Gypsy Choir performed.
As such it remained very popular, and also at the beginning of the twentieth century, many performers included it in their program.
As such it remained very popular, and also at the beginning of the twentieth century, many performers included it in their program.
In 1911 the song, sung by the famous songstress Nina Dulkevich, was recorded for the first time on a disk with the company "Gramophone" in Saint-Petersburg. It was titled "Ach you, Nick, Nicholas" ("Ах ты, Коля, Коля-Николай"), and was sold under the label "Zonophone", that was property of the same company. In 1913 "Gramophone" released another record on which the song was called "Valenki", and sung by the solo singer of the restaurant "Yar", Nastya Polyakova. In this edition the song became very popular among all Russian social strata, it was even as famous as the Russian валенки (valenki) themselves.
Later Nastya Polyakova would re-record the song "Valenki" for the company Beka-Grand-Record in Germany, and deliver her musical production in Russia. |
Nastya Polyakova
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Since the song was recorded and performed by a Gypsy singer, some musicologists concluded that it was a Gypsy song. Yet, there were no further indications that the roots of "Valenki" would lie in the Gypsy music, the more as in the restaurant "Yar" the Gypsy songs were performed from all sorts of origins: Russian, Ukrainian, adaptions of the Western European songs ... And this vision was also refuted by others, who claimed that the song had the real musical form of the true Russian folk song. Therefore they called it irrelevant to regard "Boots" to be a Gypsy song.
In 1917, with the October Revolution, the song "Valenki" was on the top of its popularity. However, the specific non-revolutionary direction of the song, and the fact that it was impossible to find out what regime it glorified, put the song in a difficult position. In additon, the ideological struggle against the "Gypsy in Soviet art" appeared in the approaches. Yet, the decision was made in favor of the song, based on the fact that the Roma-people had been affected by the powerful class of the Russian Empire. The fight against the "Gypsy" was canceled, but in the meantime Nastya Polyakova and her brothers, together with all the people of the "Yar"-choir, had left for Paris.
From that time Nina Dulkevich took "Valenki" in her repertoire again, and at the beginning of the 1930's, she and Lidya Ruslanova repeatedly performed together in the same concerts, in which Nina performed "Valenki". |
Lidya Ruslanova performs Valenki
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In the early years of the Great Patriotic War, the World War II, Lidya Ruslanova performed in many front-line teams, and it was on such occasion that she sang Valenki for the first time. She performed it in a completely new way, with her own characteristic voice, and in a rapid pace. In this embodiment, the dashing melody, and the cheerful words of the native song, at the front began to be perceived as a kind of victorious songs. From that moment on, Lidya Ruslanova permanently included "Boots" in her repertoire in front artists brigades, and the song enjoyed phenomenal success with the soldiers. "Valenki" in the performance of Lidya Ruslanova was even that popular, that some sources mentioned her as the author of the song.
When in 1945 the defeated Berlin was taken by the Russian army, Lidya Ruslanova was also there, together with the troops, and by the soldiers she was asked to put her signature on the walls of the Reichstag, together with the signatures of the soldiers and the officers, which she did. During the concert that was given at the Brandenburger Tor, she sang "Boots", on request of all the surrounding soldiers. The song was greeted with a loud applause and the songstress had to repeat it several times.
It is said that the Marshal Zhukow awarded the songstress the Order of the Patriotic War, removing it from his own chest. Maybe this is a legend, but it is a fact that he awarded Lidya Ruslanova the Order of the Patriotic War Level I, in Berlin, in August 1945. In 1947 however, as Zhukov fell out of grace of his political leaders, the Order was taken back from the songstress, as being given illegally, because she had not served in the army as a soldier. Among the wide public, the song has become the attribute of Lidya Ruslanova`s creativity and performing manner. That is why nearly no one other famous performer dares to sing the song as the organic part of the repertoire. There are occasional performances of the song by some folk manner singers, like Pelagea, Nadezhda Babkina. Instrumental versions prevail in scenic performances. The motive has been included in many accordion arrangements on the folk themes. |
Russian text
Валенки да валенки, Ой, да не подшиты стареньки, Нельзя валенки носить, Не в чем к миленькой сходить. Валенки, валенки, Эх, да не подшиты стареньки, Валенки да валенки, Эх, да не подшиты стареньки. Ой, ты, Коля, Коля, Николай, Сиди дома не гуляй, Не ходи на тот конец, Ох, не носи девкам колец. Валенки да валенки, Эх, да не подшиты стареньки. Валенки, валенки. Чем подарочки носить, Лучше б валенки подшить. Валенки, валенки, Эх, да не подшиты стареньки. Валенки да валенки, Эх, да не подшиты стареньки. Суди, люди, суди, Бог, Как же я любила, По морозу босиком К милому ходила. Валенки да валенки, Эх, да не подшиты стареньки, Валенки, валенки, Эх, да не подшиты стареньки. |
Transliteration
Valenki da valenki, Oy, da ne podshity staren'ki, Nel'zya valenki nosit', Ne v chem k milen'koy skhodit'. Valenki, valenki, Ekh, ne podshity staren'ki, Valenki da valenki, Ekh, da ne podshity staren'ki. Oy, ty, Kolya, Kolya, Nikolay, Sidi doma ne gulyay, Ne khodi na tot konets, Okh, ne nosi devkam kolets. Valenki da valenki, Ekh, da ne podshity staren'ki. Valenki, valenki. Chem podarochki nosit', Luchshe b valenki podshit'. Valenki, valenki, Ekh, da ne podshity staren'ki. Valenki da valenki, Ekh, da ne podshity staren'ki. Sudi, lyudi, sudi, Bog, Kak zhe ya lyubila, Po morozu bosikom K milomu khodila. Valenki da valenki, Ekh, da ne podshity staren'ki, Valenki, valenki, Ekh, da ne podshity staren'ki. |
English text
Valenki, the valenki, Oh, the old unmended valenki, They do not preserve the heat, No shoes to meet my sweet. Valenki, valenki, Oh, the old unmended valenki, Valenki, the valenki, Oh, the old unmended valenki. Oh, you, Kolya, Kolya, Nikolai, Stay in and look at the sky, Do not come to that street end, Oh, looking for a new girlfriend. Valenki, the valenki, Oh, the old unmended valenki, Valenki, valenki. Instead of your gifts to wear, I`d my valenki repair. Valenki, valenki, Oh, the old unmended valenki, Valenki, the valenki, Oh, the old unmended valenki. Judge you, people, Judge Thou, God How strong I loved him, Barefoot in frost I got Used to walk to meet him. Valenki, the valenki, Oh, the old unmended valenki, Valenki, valenki, Oh, the old unmended valenki. Translated by Alexander |
Sources:
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Валенки_(песня) ;
http://cyclowiki.org/wiki/Валенки_(песня) ;
http://music-education.ru/polnaya-istoriya-pesni-valenki/; http://www.karaoke.ru/artists/ruslanova-lidija/text/valenki/ ;
https://shkolazhizni.ru/archive/0/n-27828/ ;
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Валенки_(песня) ;
http://cyclowiki.org/wiki/Валенки_(песня) ;
http://music-education.ru/polnaya-istoriya-pesni-valenki/; http://www.karaoke.ru/artists/ruslanova-lidija/text/valenki/ ;
https://shkolazhizni.ru/archive/0/n-27828/ ;