Katya

Researcher team meets Katerina Petrovna Chestneishina (Katya), one of the younger Cherenovo singers. Researcher Polina Proutskova met and recorded Katya with Cherenovo Ensemble in 2005. Unfortunately this time Katya was not in Cherenovo when Cherenovo ensemble was recorded (see Posidelki). Researcber team were kindly offered to stay at Katya's house. (They were especially impressed when offered fish soup and alcohol for breakfast next morning.) In this event Katya talks about her time in Cherenovo Ensemble, about the USA tour of the Ensemble, Katya's family members are introduced and briefly interviewed. This is only part of the recordings with Katya, the rest can be found in the National Sound Archive at the British Library.

07 26 2006 0:00:00

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07 26 2006 0:18:09

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Interview: Katya talks about the Cherenovo ensemble, her parents and learning songs.

Katerina Petrovna Chestneishina remembers how she joint Cherenovo ensemble. All the old songs she learnt in the ensemble, from Alexandra Fiodorovna Kashina. Her parents didn't have time to sing, they worked very hard.She has been with the ensemble since then and ´took part in nearly every performance they did. Katya knew some of the songs from the repertoire of the Cherenovo ensemble before, but most of these old songs she learned in the ensemble. She joint the ensemble together with Lydia ????. On their way home they would sing and learn these songs together all the way of 3 km. Katya's mother scolded with her: 'Why did you get it in your mind to run away for 3 km to sing? You work all day, you ??dezhurish? at night, you don't sleep! ' But Katya went on ' running away' to sing. Then they were joint by the singers from Glubokoe. These singers started to sing as ensemble 3 years earlier: Appolinaria Mikhailovna Shubina, Alexandra Fiodorovna Kashina, Elizaveta ??? Chestneishina, Maria ??? Baskakova. Before Katya joint the ensemble she didn't sing old songs. Most of them she learnt from Alexandra Fiodorovna Kashina, the oldest singer in the ensemble today. Katya remembers the birthday of Ekaterina Petrovna Lysakova in Glubokoe that they celebrated all together. And this year Natalia Petrovna Baskakova has an anniversary.Her parents didn't have time to sing. They worked very very hard, sometimes they would stay in the field overnight to finish work. Her mother was 3 when her parents died, she used to live with her brothers. No time to sing songs, all the time working.Katya herself worked in the Kolkhoz for 40 years. But she always went on tour with the ensemble, except last year when they went to S. Petersburg and she was in the hospital. When they went on tour, her daughter used to look after the house and cattle. Appolinaria Mikhailovna Shubina had a husband who was in charge when they were on tour.

07 26 2006 0:00:00

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07 26 2006 0:04:24

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Interview: Katya talks about America

Katerina Petrovna Chestneishina and all the singers of Cherenovo ensemble liked America very much. They particularly liked the people: they were friendly, welcoming, generous, ready to help. She tells stories how she was afraid to fly, how they got lost, how she was in a hospital, remembers other Russians they met there. Katya went twice to the USA with the ensemble. Second time she was unwell on the plane. Then they were not afraid to fly, today she would never do it again. At that time the planes didn't fall down so often. Then Katya confesses that she was afraid even then.The singers liked America: people were friendly and welcoming, the meals were excellent. The first time they went they were less excited, but the second time they really enjoyed it. They suffered from jetlag in the beginning. They had an interpreter, a girl from Moscow who married an American. They liked her very much. They were placed in a hotel apart from all other groups from Russia. They got a bit scared - what if no one comes for them? But then a Russian woman came to take care of them. She told them about her life in America. She was very friendly and helpful.They were treated with bananas (which were rare in Russia), but Katya herself don't liked them, though other singers enjoyed them. From other groups they heard that these were taken care of really badly, so Cherenovo singers were lucky. The interpreter also lived in the same house with them. They also liked the restrooms in America, mirrors everywhere - you sit on the loo and see your bottom in the mirror - that was fun! Everything dispensable: towels, soap. And the beds!Did Katya (Ekaterina Petrovna Lysakova) told you how she met an American? They warned her: don't get involved with him! He wouldn't leave her alone until next morning. Then she turned him off.And wherever they went they didn't see any drunk people. The only time they saw two African Americans drinking, but they were drinking cognac! They must have been rich!They also visited a weaving factory where Tereshkova used to be.When Katya fell unwell, she was brought to a hospital and the doctor was so great! He examined her completely and told her not to be afraid, it was just something with her stomach. He gave her a bottle of pills and she was afraid that she won't have enough to pay for it, but he didn't charge her a penny for it - what a kind person! Some say bad things about America, but in they experienced it different. Yes they like the people a lot.They also met two Russian military officers from Moscow, who were fed up with America and planned to go back to Russia in a year. There are so many Russians in America! Katya's cousin's wife has a brother, who emigrated with his whole family from Belorussia to America. They hired a teacher to learn that language: you have to know the language, otherwise you can get lost.The first time they were in America there was a firework and everyone from the hotel went to see it. Only Katya and Polina stayed. Then they saw the firework and decided to go there too. They left the hotel and went somewhere - but where? They got lost, but luckily they met an interpreter who knew them - a nice woman was she! Yes, they liked it in America! Alexandra Fiodorovna Kashina only went to America the first time, the second time she didn't.

07 26 2006 0:04:24

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07 26 2006 0:14:21

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