50th Grushinsky Festival Returns in the Samara Region with a Retro Express
The samara region hosts the 50th anniversary celebration of the Grushinsky Festival, a landmark gathering dedicated to the art of author’s songs. The festival kicks off on June 29, inviting bards and enthusiasts already aboard the journey. A retro train styled after the 1980s awaits passengers aboard the Grushinsky Express, recreating a time when the festival drew vast crowds and strong communal energy.
The Grushinsky Express carries a historic status, having been meticulously restored by specialists from the Kuibyshev railway. The six green coaches, each bearing the emblem of the Soviet era, provide an interior designed to evoke the festival’s peak decade. Inside, the atmosphere mirrors the 1980s, a period when Polyana welcomed more than 100,000 visitors who predominantly traveled to Mastryukovy Lakes by electric trains.
Efforts to recreate the original ambiance are evident in every detail: benches with closely fitted slats, wooden frames, photographs lining the walls, guitar-shaped tables, and a small stage area to host performances. On the journey, singing has long been a staple, and the event encourages spontaneous moments on stage with installed microphones for impromptu performances.
From June 29 through July 1, the express operates on a route connecting Samara to the platform named after Valery Grushin in Tolyatti, facilitating a seamless voyage to the festival domain.
Renowned performers such as Nikita Vysotsky, Oleg Mityaev, Galina Khomchik, and many others are anticipated to participate in the 50th anniversary edition of the Grushinsky Festival of Author’s Songs, contributing to a celebration that honors lyrical storytelling and musical camaraderie.
The 50th Grushinsky Festival forms a component of the Russian Art Song Marathon, encompassing a program supported by the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives and endorsed by the Samara Region Government, underscoring the event’s national cultural significance.