Reznik explained why songs about the heroes of the Northern Military District are ignored on television

“This is a big question for TV management”

Celebrities continue to state that their songs about the heroes of the Northern Military District are not aired by television channels and radio stations. Ilya Reznik knows about this problem like no one else. A famous poet not long ago wrote a requiem about the fallen heroes of a special operation. But not a single federal channel took it into rotation. Ilya Rakhmielevich explained to MK correspondents why this is happening.

“It’s not news to me that patriotic songs are not shown on TV or played on the radio,” says Ilya Rakhmielevich. “Unfortunately, this has been happening in our country for many years. The state must now pay close attention to this problem. I consider it a big mistake on the part of the heads of radio stations and television channels not to broadcast songs about the heroes of the Northern Military District. How they explain it is a big question for them. God is the judge of everyone. Russia is a great country. We will win: we have no other choice. Because God is with us.

— You wrote a lot of patriotic songs. They weren’t aired before either?

— I have been dealing with the topic of raising children and youth, patriotism in the absence of ideology, which was destroyed along with the pioneers and the Komsomol in 1991 during the collapse of the USSR, since 2000. No one was doing this then. It was not fashionable because patriotism was not paid for. On February 22, 2000, I flew to Chechnya. My original program took place at the airfield in Khankala. This was a joint trip on Defender of the Fatherland Day with then-acting President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. We visited hospitals and spoke to the soldiers. And the military generals – Kazantsev, Troshev, Shamanov – asked me in the tent over a flask of tea: “Why don’t you write something for us, for the army?” And I wrote “Anxious Waltz” (the anthem of the security forces of the CIS countries) and “To Serve Russia” (now the anthem of the Youth Army) in collaboration with Eduard Hank.

— “To Serve Russia” has become a big hit: everyone seems to know it…

— Now it sounds every year on Red Square on May 9. But it began to sound 16 years after it was written. This song had a long journey – it was simply not broadcast. I still have photographs of the premiere of this song. This happened on May 9, 2000 in the Moscow region at a meeting of KGB veterans. After the Victory Parade and the first inauguration of Vladimir Vladimirovich, we performed it for the first time in the clearing. Our President sang with us. He became the first performer. But how long it took the song to reach airplay and fame!

– What was the problem?

– I don’t know. They didn’t show everything. It has always been very difficult with patriotic broadcasts. We held ten “Serve Russia” programs in the Kremlin, the author of the idea was my wife. Each year there were 5,736 spectators. Central channels had difficulty giving time for broadcasts. They were shown in a very reduced format and outside the rating time. They even broadcast it at 7 am once. Both the President of Russia Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and His Holiness the Patriarch sent a letter of welcome to our program. But no one needed anything on television. But we didn’t stop, we held concerts, gathering our artist friends who could perform for free.

— Were there people who asked for money?

– Certainly. Almost all of our “greats,” for example, Vaikule, announced fabulous fees. My wife and I had to look for money from sponsors. Because the broadcast required invited “stars”: otherwise television did not want to show the concert at all, even in a truncated version. New names are not interesting on TV. They justified it by saying that they wouldn’t watch it. One day the same Vaikule promised to come and sing a few songs. Then she said that she had a cold and didn’t want to go. Then she came, but without ballet. She said that the dancers were late for their flight from the USA. As a result, I sang two songs to the soundtrack. I sold the apartment for the debts incurred after these programs. Because we didn’t earn anything: tickets were distributed free of charge to cadet corps, military schools, orphanages, boarding schools and schools. And after ten years of these gorgeous (according to the reviews of all viewers) programs, we stopped holding them. Because there was simply nothing left to do. But I continue the patriotic theme in my work. The song “Loved Ones Don’t Die” performed by Aziza about the fallen heroes of the Northern Military District is proof of this.

– They didn’t take her on TV either!

– Yes. Although everyone on television knew perfectly well that the song was out. Wonderful composition. When Aziza sings it, tears appear even in the eyes of men. Such songs must be played on the air. But on television they think it’s not a format. “Loved ones don’t die. And they remind themselves of themselves, in everyone’s breath, every hour. They don’t die, they stay. And they warm the Father’s house. And they cry and laugh with us while we breathe and live…” Such works are necessary for our society. We must think about the younger generation. Together with our ideological inspirer Leila Adamyan, we continue to educate our little artists from “Little Country” in the spirit of patriotism. I am calm for these children. Although we do not have broadcasts: we are not invited to rallies, concerts and various large patriotic events. But we mind our own business. Growing the future for our country. And we don’t do this for budget money.