Russian Chants: From Peter the Great to Elisabeth I

On Friday, the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography of the Russian Academy of Sciences (the Cabinet of Curiosities), St. Petersburg, will host the presentation of the book "Russian Chants: From Peter the Great to Elisabeth I. 1689-1762", issued by the St. Petersburg Composer publishing house.

The book contains spiritual works of the epoch of Peter the Great and his daughter, said Svetlana Tairova, the director of the publishing house. Hand-written note collections from the manuscript archives of the Russian National Library, formed the basis of the edition.

The collection includes spiritual poems of different genres /chants, psalms and songs/ - glorifying, panegyric, drinking, pastoral and love songs. Most songs were composed in religious schools in the 17th-18th centuries in Russian and Latin and were dedicated to festive events.