Elena - Countess Domozhirova welcomes you to KALINKA - a focus in Edinburgh for those interested in Russia whether it be for its famous vodka products or its vast cultural heritage....!
Aside from her aristocratic heredity, Elena is one of Russia's foremost academic experts on folklore and folk music - traditions that were nearly lost after the Russian Revolution in 1917 because they were deemed "contrary to the cause". Most folk songs were either religious or praised life under the Tsar so they became a banned art-form and the Secret Police checked theatres, concert halls and restaurants to make sure that no-one sang anything "illegal" or gave a performance glorifying "unapproved" history....
The effect of this over 70 years of the communist system was to deprive the Russian people of much of their "roots" in a similar way to the Highland Clearances in Scotland. Old songs, dances, ceremonies and traditions were forgotten and lost. During the latter years of Brezhnev's rule when certain regulations began to be relaxed it was finally recognised that Russia was close to being a country without any folklore history! A new academic faculty was hurriedly created, and a search began for expert musicians who were able to undertake the task of "recreating" Russian folklore....
