Shirma Grigory Romanovich biography. The meaning of the screen Grigory Romanovich in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, BSE

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Grigory Romanovich Shirma(belor. Rygor Ramanavich Shyrma; aliases: R. Baravy, Vuchycel; cryptonyms: V.M.; V.-h; G. Sh.; R. Sh.;) (-) - Soviet Belarusian choral conductor, composer, teacher, musicologist-folklorist, musical ethnographer, musical publicist and music and public figure. People's Artist of the USSR (). Hero of Socialist Labor ().

Biography

At the end of the war he was mobilized into the army. He graduated from the Chuguev Military School in the Kharkov region. He served with the rank of ensign in Turkestan.

After the reunification of Western Belarus with the Belarusian SSR in the year Shirma organized and led the Belarusian Song and Dance Ensemble (with - State Academic Choir of the Belarusian SSR, with - State Academic Choir of the Belarusian SSR, with - named after G. Shirma). Since the beginning of the war, the team was on tour in the RSFSR, from where they went to the Caucasus, and then to Krasnoyarsk. Here Grigory Shirma was arrested by the NKVD and was in prison until March of this year. Afterwards he was transported to Lubyanka, where interrogations were carried out until August. Released at the request of Y. Kolas to P. Ponomarenko and sent under the supervision of the NKVD to Northern Kazakhstan, where he worked as a high school teacher.

Family

While still in Novogolskoye, Grigory Shirma met his future wife, school teacher Claudia Ivanovna Raevskaya. After marriage, she sang in the chapel for thirty years. Daughter Elena.

Creation

Grigory Romanovich Shirma is the author of recordings, harmonizations, musical arrangements and publications of about 5,000 Belarusian folk songs, articles and studies on Belarusian art, folklore and choral performance. Compiler of numerous folklore collections, including:

"Belarusian folk songs" (1929)
"Our Song" (1938)
“Belarusian folk songs, riddles and proverbs” (1947)
"Belarusian Songs" (1955)
"School Songbook" (1957)
“Selected songs from the repertoire of the State Choir of the BSSR” (1958)
“Two hundred Belarusian folk songs” (1958)
“Belarusian folk songs” (vol. 1-4, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1976)
“The State Academic Choir of the BSSR Sings” (1966)
“Belarusian folk songs (for choir)” (vol. 1-2, 1971, 1973)
“Song is the soul of the people: Journalism; Folklore; Music; Literature: 1929-1939; 1944-1974" - Mn., 1976
"Song is the soul of the people: From the literary heritage." Mn., 1993.

Essays

"Belarusian Rhapsody" for symphony orchestra
Piece for violin on the theme of a carol from Pruzhany district “The Gift of White Rus'”
Music for the play “Hell” by Vasily Shashalevich
Arrangements of Belarusian folk songs for voice and piano, for mixed choir.

Awards and titles

Memory

The State Academic Choir of the Belarusian SSR founded by him, the Pruzhany Children's Art School, the Brest State Music College, as well as streets in Pruzhany and Minsk are named after Grigory Shirma.
The G. Shirma Museum has been opened in Pruzhany, and an exhibition is dedicated to G. Shirma in secondary school No. 150 in Minsk with choral specialization
Memorial plaques are installed on the houses where he lived in Vilno, Grodno, Minsk (house number 19 on Sovetskaya Street)
In 1991, an artistic marked envelope dedicated to the conductor was published
Nil Gilevich’s poem “The Heart of Uncle Gregory” is dedicated to G. Shirma.

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Notes

Excerpt characterizing Shirma, Grigory Romanovich

– You are absolutely right, Isidora. As I told you earlier, the “powers of this world,” who created the false history of mankind, “put” on the true life of Christ the alien life of the Jewish prophet Joshua, who lived one and a half thousand years ago (from the time of the story of the North). And not only himself, but also his family, his relatives and friends, his friends and followers. After all, it was the wife of the prophet Joshua, the Jewish Mary, who had a sister Martha and a brother Lazarus, the sister of his mother Maria Yakobe, and others who were never near Radomir and Magdalene. Just as there were no other “apostles” next to them - Paul, Matthew, Peter, Luke and the rest...
It was the family of the prophet Joshua who moved one and a half thousand years ago to Provence (which in those days was called Transalpine Gaul), to the Greek city of Massalia (present-day Marseille), since Massalia at that time was the “gateway” between Europe and Asia, and it was the easiest way for all those “persecuted” in order to avoid persecution and troubles.
The real Magdalene moved to Languedoc a thousand years after the birth of the Jewish Mary, and she was going Home, and did not run away from the Jews to other Jews, as the Jewish Mary did, who was never that bright and pure Star that the real Magdalene was . Mary the Jewess was a kind but narrow-minded woman who was married off very early. And she was never called Magdalene... This name was “hanged” on her, wanting to unite these two incompatible women into one. And in order to prove such an absurd legend, they came up with a false story about the city of Magdala, which did not yet exist in Galilee during the life of the Jewish Mary... This whole outrageous “story” of the two Jesuses was deliberately mixed up and confused so that it would be too difficult for an ordinary person to find out to the truth. And only those who truly knew how to think saw what a complete lie Christianity was telling - the most cruel and bloodthirsty of all religions. But, as I told you earlier, most people do not like to THINK for themselves. Therefore, they accepted and accept on faith everything that the Roman Church teaches. It was convenient this way, and it has always been this way. The person was not ready to accept the real TEACHING of Radomir and Magdalene, which required work and independent thinking. But people always liked and approved of what was extremely simple - what told them what to believe in, what could be accepted, and what should be denied.

For a minute I felt very scared - the words of the North were too reminiscent of the sayings of Caraffa! .. But in my “rebellious” soul I did not want to agree that the bloodthirsty killer - the Pope - could be at least truly right about something...
“This slavish “faith” was needed by the same Thinking Dark Ones in order to strengthen their dominance in our fragile, still nascent world... so as to never allow it to be born again... - the North continued calmly. – It was precisely in order to more successfully enslave our Earth that the Thinking Dark Ones found this small, but very flexible and vain Jewish people, understandable to them alone. Due to their “flexibility” and mobility, these people easily succumbed to foreign influence and became a dangerous tool in the hands of the Thinking Dark Ones, who found the prophet Joshua who once lived there, and cunningly “intertwined” the story of his life with the life story of Radomir, destroying the real ones. biographies and planting fake ones, so that naive human minds would believe in such a “story”. But even the same Jewish Joshua also had nothing to do with the religion called Christianity... It was created by order of Emperor Constantine, who needed a new religion in order to throw a new “bone” to the people leaving control. And the people, without even thinking, swallowed it with pleasure... This is still our Earth, Isidora. And it won’t be long before someone manages to change it. It won't be long before people want to THINK, unfortunately...
– They may not be ready yet, Sever... But you see, people open up to “new things” very easily! So doesn’t this show precisely that humanity (in its own way) is SEEKING a way to the present, that people are striving for the TRUTH, which there is simply no one to show them?..
– You can show the most valuable Book of Knowledge in the world a thousand times, but it will do nothing if a person does not know how to read. Isn't it true, Isidora?..
“But you TEACH your students!..” I exclaimed with anguish. “They didn’t know everything right away either, before they came to you!” So teach humanity!!! It's worth it not to disappear!..
– Yes, Isidora, we teach our students. But the gifted ones who come to us know the main thing - they know how to THINK... And the rest are still just “followers”. And we have neither time nor desire for them until their time comes, and they turn out to be worthy of one of us teaching them.
Sever was absolutely sure that he was right, and I knew that no arguments could convince him. Therefore, I decided not to insist any longer...
– Tell me, Sever, what of the life of Jesus is real? Can you tell me how he lived? And how could it happen that with such a powerful and faithful support he still lost?.. What happened to his children and Magdalene? How long after his death did she manage to live?
He smiled his wonderful smile...
– You reminded me now of the young Magdalene... She was the most curious of all and endlessly asked questions to which even our wise men did not always find answers!..
The North again “went away” into its sad memory, again meeting there with those for whom it still so deeply and sincerely missed.
– She was truly an amazing woman, Isidora! Never giving up and not feeling sorry for herself, just like you... She was ready at any moment to give herself up for those she loved. For those whom I considered more worthy. And simply - for LIFE... Fate did not spare her, bringing down the weight of irreparable losses on her fragile shoulders, but until her last moment she fought fiercely for her friends, for her children, and for everyone who remained to live on earth after death Radomir... People called her the Apostle of all Apostles. And she truly was him... Only not in the sense in which the inherently alien Jewish language shows her in her “sacred writings”. Magdalene was the strongest Sorceress... Golden Mary, as people who met her at least once called her. She carried with her the pure light of Love and Knowledge, and was completely saturated with it, giving everything without a trace and not sparing herself. Her friends loved her very much and, without hesitation, were ready to give their lives for her!.. For her and for the teaching that she continued to carry after the death of her beloved husband, Jesus Radomir.
– Forgive my meager knowledge, Sever, but why do you always call Christ Radomir?..
– It’s very simple, Isidora, his father and mother once named him Radomir, and it was his real, Family name, which truly reflected his true essence. This name had a double meaning - the Joy of the world (Rado - peace) and the Bringer of the Light of Knowledge to the world, the Light of Ra (Ra - do - peace). And the Thinking Dark Ones called him Jesus Christ when they completely changed the story of his life. And as you can see, it has firmly “taken root” to him for centuries. The Jews always had many Jesuses. This is the most common and very common Jewish name. Although, funny as it may be, it came to them from Greece... Well, Christ (Christos) is not a name at all, and in Greek it means “messiah” or “enlightened one”... The only question is, if in The Bible says that Christ is a Christian, then how can we explain these pagan Greek names that the Thinking Dark Ones themselves gave him?.. Isn’t it interesting? And this is only the smallest of those many mistakes, Isidora, which a person does not want (or cannot!..) see.
- But how can he see them if he blindly believes in what is presented to him?.. We must show this to people! They must know all this, North! – I couldn’t stand it again.
“We don’t owe people anything, Isidora...” Sever answered sharply. “They are quite happy with what they believe in.” And they don't want to change anything. Do you want me to continue?
He again tightly fenced himself off from me with a wall of “iron” confidence in his rightness, and I had no choice but to nod in response, not hiding the tears of disappointment that appeared... It was pointless to even try to prove anything - he lived in his own “ the right" world, without being distracted by minor "earthly problems"...

– After the cruel death of Radomir, Magdalena decided to return to where her real Home was, where once upon a time she was born. Probably, we all have a craving for our “roots”, especially when for one reason or another it becomes bad... So she, killed by her deep grief, wounded and lonely, decided to finally return HOME... This place was in mysterious Occitania (today's France, Languedoc) and it was called the Valley of the Magicians (or also the Valley of the Gods), famous for its harsh, mystical majesty and beauty. And there was no person who, having once been there, would not love the Valley of the Magicians for the rest of his life...
“I’m sorry, Sever, for interrupting you, but the name Magdalene... didn’t it come from the Valley of the Magicians?..,” I exclaimed, unable to resist the discovery that shocked me.
– You’re absolutely right, Isidora. – North smiled. - You see - you think!.. The real Magdalene was born about five hundred years ago in the Occitan Valley of the Magicians, and therefore they called her Mary - the Magician of the Valley (Mage-Valley).
– What kind of valley is this – the Valley of the Magicians, the North?.. And why have I never heard of such a thing? My father never mentioned such a name, and none of my teachers spoke about it?
– Oh, this is a very ancient and very powerful place, Isidora! The land there once gave extraordinary power... It was called the “Land of the Sun”, or “Pure Land”. It was created man-made, many thousands of years ago... And two of those whom people called Gods once lived there. They protected this Pure Land from “black forces”, since it contained the Gates of Interworldliness, which no longer exist today. But once upon a time, a long time ago, this was the place where otherworldly people and otherworldly news came. It was one of the seven “bridges” of the Earth... Destroyed, unfortunately, by a stupid mistake of Man. Later, many centuries later, gifted children began to be born in this valley. And for them, strong but stupid, we created a new “meteora” there... Which we called Raveda (Ra-ved). It was like the younger sister of our Meteora, in which they also taught Knowledge, only much simpler than we taught it, since Raveda was open, without exception, to all gifted ones. The Secret Knowledge was not given there, but only what could help them live with their burden, what could teach them to know and control their amazing Gift. Gradually, various wonderfully gifted people from the farthest ends of the Earth began to flock to Raveda, eager to learn. And because Raveda was open to everyone, sometimes “gray” gifted people also came there, who were also taught Knowledge, hoping that one fine day their lost Light Soul would definitely return to them.

Grigory Shirma (I. Nisnevich)

Belarusian professional musical art knows many famous names of artists whose creative activity left a bright mark on the history of national culture of the Soviet era. However, it is difficult to name among them a name that would enter so organically into the life of the people as the name of Grigory Romanovich Shirma.

He has a happy fate, “our Shirma” - as Grigory Romanovich is lovingly called by people who know his amazing art. After all, few creators of beauty can experience the satisfaction that the results of their creative work are equally needed by enlightened music connoisseurs and the most seemingly unprepared audience of listeners. But it’s worth getting acquainted with the flow of letters that go to G. Shirma every day from all corners of our country and from abroad, and it will become clear that this is so, that his song enters every home as a friend and fellow traveler.

Having written “his song,” I couldn’t help but think: is such a definition legitimate? After all, the field of creative activity of this artist is primarily folklore: collecting, studying, processing and performing. And yet one can rightfully speak specifically about “Shirma’s songs.” For we were able to recognize the beauty of the songs we heard thanks to the enchanting interpretation of the creations of the people by this inimitable artist. And the lines from the address to G. Schirme Leningrad poetess M. Komissarova. She speaks of him as a person “whose melodious hands inspired the Belarusian song so that once you love it, you will never stop loving it.”

G. Shirma is the founder and until 1970 the permanent (for thirty years) director of the State Academic Choir of the Belarusian SSR. Responding with his art to the demands of life and time, Shirma sees art as a means of communication and mutual understanding between people, and creates works for the masses. That is why, when compiling concert programs for his choir, G. Shirma always sought to “avoid cheap effects that corrupt the viewer and lower his aesthetic level.”

G. R. Shirma is the first and undoubtedly the best performer in the country, a passionate promoter of the choral creativity of Belarusian composers. He enriched the academic style with a folk style of performance. He owns truly unsurpassed examples of interpretation of choral music by almost all authors of the republic. But along with them, works by composers from all Union republics occupy a significant place in the repertoire of his chapel. Suffice it to say the names: D. Shostakovich and D. Kabalevsky, V. Voloshinov and M. Chulaki, Y. Solodukho and M. Koval, E. Kozak and A. Lensky, O. Taktakishvili and A. Pashchenko, N. Dremlyuga and A. Flyarkovsky, G. Sviridov and A. Nesterov, N. Kolessa and M. Burkhanov, A. Zhilinsky and E. Arro, A. Harutyunyan and A. Kolosov, V. Salmanov and V. Muradeli... But this is far from a complete list of those whose works found a sensitive interpreter in the person of Grigory Romanovich Shirma. Is this why many composers in the country gave him the right to perform their choral works first and dedicated many of them to this artist?

More than two decades ago, during the second decade of Belarusian literature and art in Moscow, Alexander Fadeev wrote to Grigory Romanovich: “Everything is under your control - isn’t this happiness in art?.. Once again I would like to say that in your person our country can be proud of one thing of the best teachers and educators, guardians and successors of the very best that choral art can give us." As if echoing these words, the lines from Aram Khachaturian’s letter sound: “Your high art is recognized by all our people. It seems to me that with your creativity and all your activities you occupy one of the honorable places in the history of Soviet choral art. Thinking about you, I vividly remember our meetings, you as a charming person and a fanatic of your choral business..."

How does Grigory Romanovich Shirma achieve such artistic heights?

Anyone who was present at the working rehearsals of this wonderful master paid attention to “Shirmov’s” strict, restrained, almost imperceptible gesture. It is this gesture that makes the chapel sing with that rapture when the official “must sing” is replaced by the creative “I want to sing.” Those present at rehearsals always see how the conductor, already in the process of preparatory work, is able to convince the performers that his disclosure of the artistic image corresponds to the author’s intention. Screen is patient and persistent: he rehearses until his demand is accepted by every performer.

Due to the fact that the purity of intonation depends on the correct sound production, G. Shirma, when working on his works, pays special attention to the correctness of the vocal position taken by the singers. When working with a group, he devotes a lot of time to developing correct singing breathing with each individual artist, making sure that the “inhalation” corresponds to the tempo, character of the music, the texture of the work, and the “exhalation” corresponds to the length of the musical phrase. Each artist at Shirma is obliged to perform a phrase meaningfully and expressively, to achieve the beauty of the sound, its roundness, and the diction must certainly be clean and clear. Shirma's work on dynamics is inextricably linked with the text of the work, which must correspond to the emotional mood of the singer, helping to reveal the general ideological and artistic concept.

The impression of exceptional tenderness and sound “mystery” is left by the shades of piano and pianissimo that the artist achieves. The upper limit of the sound is most often determined by forte. Much attention in Shirmov’s programs is paid to the tonal diversity of the repertoire: “repetition dampens the team,” he emphasizes.

One cannot help but recall the activities of Shirma - an art researcher, an internationalist researcher, revealing the richness of the spiritual world, the history of his people in relationships with other related cultures and, above all, with Russian, Ukrainian and Polish. For the first time, he collected and examined samples of folk art, in which various historical eras and events from the life of the Belarusian people were recreated in a diverse and colorful way, and friendly ties with Volyn, Kiev and Lviv regions were reflected. These are examples of folklore, testifying to the social orientation and revolutionary spirit of Belarusian folk art.

One can cite a number of very striking and important features of G. Shirma’s research, the basis of which was five thousand samples of uniquely beautiful melodies and poetic aphorism of texts that Grigory Romanovich collected from all corners of Belarus, creating on their basis a unique encyclopedic collection of folklore records. His research is imbued with the idea that all inexhaustible riches must be transferred into living musical and poetic practice. That is why G. Shirma, with full creative dedication, works on fundamental volumes of his research and on repertoire collections of choral works intended for a wide circle of amateurs, on school songbooks and on detailed programs for professional choral groups. In each of these works, the author states: a song should not only cultivate musical taste and abilities, but spiritually and morally elevate a person.

Speaking about Shirma’s intensive and versatile work, one cannot pass over in silence his active social activities. He always feels the pulse of time, the rhythm of the era, understanding the demands put forward by modernity and striving to fulfill them. At the beginning of the century, he, the son of a semi-poor Belarusian peasant from the Brest region, achieved the opportunity to become a teacher and bring the light of knowledge to the children of his people. G. Shirma felt the need to get involved in a great socially significant cause. The thousands of kilometers that he walked on the roads of Belarus in search of immortal examples of folk art, monuments of glory, adversity and struggle of his people, gave him the opportunity to realize his own place in this struggle. Then there was intense, dangerous revolutionary educational activity in the years when Western Belarus suffered under the yoke of the Belopol bourgeoisie. Grigory Romanovich remembers police persecution and prison, unemployment, and the ban on speaking his native language and singing native songs. But it was during this period that G. Shirma became one of the leaders of the Belarusian School Association, an organizer of national educational institutions, performances and concerts with a national repertoire, a lecturer, and the author of articles in which the spiritual strength of the people was glorified. He called on his compatriots to fight for the high ideals of equality, freedom and justice, to oppose those who oriented the population of Western Belarus towards the bourgeois West. His thoughts and hopes were directed to the East - to the country of victorious socialism. And liberation came from there.

G. Shirma had a hard time in those years, but occasionally there were happy moments. Isn’t it a blessing to create student choirs from Belarusian students, publish the first poetry collections of Maxim Tank, poems by Pilip Pestrak, Mikhas Vasilko and song collections of folklore recordings?! Isn't it a joy to promote the works of composers? N. Churkina And N. Aladova, whose songs sometimes penetrated from Soviet Belarus into the territory of the Polish bourgeois state?!

In those same years, Shirma worked on creating choral arrangements of Belarusian folk songs in collaboration with such major masters as A. Grechaninov, M. Gaivaronsky, K. Galkauskas, A. Koshits. In articles related to the problems of folk music art, Shirma sharply opposes those who define Belarusian folk songs as “dreary and mournful”, who, supposedly fighting to preserve the “originality” of the song, in fact strive for primitivism of arrangements and do not select the best , what was created by the people during their history. Restoring the historical and scientific truth, the author of these articles points out that many wonderful examples of Belarusian folklore are erroneously, or even deliberately, attributed to neighboring peoples. In March 1939, the Belarusian Chronicle published an article dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the creative activity of Grigory Romanovich Shirma under the conditions of the Belopolska occupation of Western Belarus. Its author rightfully wrote: “The example of Shirma shows that in order to enrich our spiritual wealth with true cultural achievements, we must first of all maintain a living connection with the people and not lose faith in their future, despite very unfavorable and downright fatal living conditions. In the field of collecting folk art and making it public, no one in our country has done as much as G. Shirma... Everyone is waiting for his advice or help... He never worked selfishly... You can even talk about the whole period created by him" ( in the development of Belarusian art. - I. N.).

During the Great Patriotic War, being already the creator of his famous choir and performing concerts for home front workers and frontline soldiers, G. Shirma fought for the triumph of victory with his word. He wrote: “To awaken among the people a sense of pride and admiration for their native creativity, to bring the culture of song to the liberated lands - this is the task that our team sets for itself. The song is the soul of the people, its living history. The song is the weapon that the great ideas, calls him to fight for his Motherland. The people live, and with them lives their wonderful song, which calls for revenge and hatred." One confirmation of this is a review of the performance of one of Shirma’s own military songs - “Cold Waves Are Splashing”, sent to Grigory Romanovich by the sergeant major of the Soviet Army after the concert. He writes about the enormous impression that the song made on him, calling people to fight and teaching them hatred of invaders.

After the end of the war, conducting intense creative and scientific activity for over thirty years, performing hundreds of concerts in all corners of the country, Shirma simultaneously created fundamental works on folklore, including four volumes of “Belarusian folk songs, riddles and proverbs”, the collection “Two Hundred Belarusian folk songs", a four-volume book "Belarusian folk songs", "Anthology of Belarusian folk songs", a two-volume book "Belarusian folk songs arranged for choirs".

The venerable musician continues to be even more actively involved in social activities: He has rightfully acquired a reputation as an extremely fair, sensitive person. That's why everyone turns to him. who is worried about something in their public or personal life. That is why fellow citizens elected Grigory Romanovich so many times as their envoy to the Grodno and Minsk city Councils of Working People's Deputies, to the Supreme Council of the Byelorussian SSR. That is why for so many years he was entrusted with heading the composers' organization of Belarus and being its representative in the Secretariat of the Board of the Union of Composers of the country. We often see the musician at the head of the jury of shows and festivals; he performs at scientific symposiums, creative conferences, and youth meetings. The epigraph to all his statements as a speaker and publicist could be taken as follows: “What have you done, artist, what contribution have you made to make the music sound even brighter, more powerful, more invincible? A Soviet communist artist cannot help but think about his affairs with the whole country ". G. Shirma emphasizes with particular force the importance of art in the ideological struggle. He fights for the folk against the pseudo-folk, for the development of the community of Soviet musical cultures.

The name of the People's Artist of the Soviet Union, twice laureate of the State Prize of the BSSR Grigory Romanovich Shirma is known and loved far beyond the borders of his native land. For his art is for many, many contemporaries an example of serving people, fulfilling the artist’s duties to society.

Shirma Grigory Romanovich, born January 20, 1892 in the village. Shakuny, Pruzhany district, Brest region. Hero of Socialist Labor (1977).

In 1918 he graduated from the Siedlce Teachers' Institute. Since 1926 he taught at the Belarusian gymnasium, directed choirs, and participated in the activities of the “Belarusian School Association” in Western Belarus. Organizer (1940) and director (until 1970) of the Belarusian Song and Dance Ensemble, later transformed into the State Academic Choir of the BSSR. In 1966-1976 - Chairman of the Board of the Union of Composers of the BSSR. Author of songs and choral arrangements of Belarusian folk songs. Laureate of State Prizes of the BSSR (1966, 1974). Honored Artist of the BSSR (1946). People's Artist of the BSSR (1949). People's Artist of the USSR (1955).

Lit. Op.: Belarusian folk songs. Vilno, 1929; Our song. Vilno, 1938; Belarusian folk songs, riddles and sayings, vol. 1. Minsk, 1947; School songbook. Minsk, 1957; Two hundred Belarusian folk songs. Minsk, 1958; Belarusian folk songs, vols. 1-4. Minsk, 1959-1976; Belarusian folk songs for choir, TT. 1-2. Minsk, 1971-1973; Song is the soul of the people. Minsk, 1976.

Lit.: Nisnevich I. G. Grigory Romanovich Shirma. L., 1971 (2nd ed.).

Grigory Romanovich Shirma (Belarus. Rygor Ramanavich Shyrma; pseudonyms: R. Baravy, Vuchytsel; cryptonyms: V. M.; V.-ch; G. Sh.; R. Sh.; January 21, 1892, village Shakuny (now Pruzhansky region of Belarus) - March 23, 1978, Minsk) - Soviet Belarusian choral conductor, composer, teacher and musicologist-folklorist. People's Artist of the USSR (1955), Hero of Socialist Labor (1977).

Gregory was born on January 21, 1982 in a family of poor peasants. As a child, he worked as a shepherd, but in addition to this, he studied literacy since childhood. At the age of six he could read and read a lot. He firmly decided that he would study at school. At the age of 13 he entered the Pruzhany City School. He graduated from college and then attended teacher courses for two years. Soon he was appointed teacher at the Gaunt two-year school in Sventyansky district. Two years later he passed the exam at the teacher's institute in Sedlec.

In 1914, he, the teachers and students of the institute were evacuated to Moscow and then to Yaroslavl. In 1917, he was mobilized into the active army. After a short course, he became a platoon commander of the First Turkestan Workers' Company. In 1918 he was demobilized. For four years he worked as a teacher in a village in the Voronezh region. In 1922, he and his parents returned to their native places. After the Peace of Riga, this territory went to Poland. Gregory was categorically forbidden to engage in teaching activities, despite the fact that teachers were sorely needed in these parts. Grigory began working as a lumberjack. In 1924, he organized the first Belarusian folk choir in Pruzhany. That's when Shirma's new talent began to emerge. The choir soon began to enjoy wide popularity. The young leader was invited to a teaching position at the Belarusian gymnasium in Vilna.

Grigory begins to work on collecting Belarusian song folklore of the Vilnius region. He understood that painstaking work could preserve folk art. Unfortunately, two years later the Belarusian gymnasium was closed due to Polish policies. For the next ten years, Gregory refused any government positions. Soon he organized the choir of the Belarusian Union of Students, the level of which was quite high. He participates in ethnographic expeditions around the Vilna region. He himself collected more than three thousand folk songs. This is a truly unique collection. There is no equal in the world for the richness and uniqueness of the material in Shirma’s song collection.

Rygor Shirma published Maxim Tank’s poetry collection “At Stages” in 1936. The collection's circulation was completely confiscated by the police, but this did not stop Shirma from continuing to publish books. Soon people saw other works by Maxim Tank and other Belarusian writers. As a result, the police became very interested in Rygor. He was arrested several times. He served his sentence in a prison in Vilna. When Western and Eastern Belarus were reunited, Gregory was involved in the leadership of the choir in Bialystok. Soon a Belarusian singing and dance ensemble was organized, headed by Shirma. The team went on a long tour around Russia. The Second World War began and many members of the ensemble went to the front, while others continued to work. Soon Belarus was liberated and the ensemble began performing in Minsk. The team also toured abroad. In 1950 it was transformed into the State Choir of the BSSR. Five years later they received an even more respectable name: the State Choir of the Belarusian SSR. Since 1978, the ensemble bears the name of its founder. Until the end of his days, Rygor Shirma was the permanent leader of this team. He died in March 1978.

SHIRMA GRIGORY ROMANOVICH

Grigory Romanovich [b. 8(20).1. 1892, village Shakuny, now Pruzhany district of Brest region], Soviet choral conductor, folklorist and musical and public figure, People's Artist of the USSR (1955), Hero of Socialist Labor (1977). Member of the CPSU since 1959. In 1918 he graduated from the Siedlce Teachers' Institute. He carried out extensive cultural and educational activities in Western Belarus, and was persecuted by the authorities of bourgeois Poland. After the reunification of Western Belarus with the BSSR, he organized (1940) and headed until 1970 the State Academic Choir of the BSSR (originally the Belarusian Song and Dance Ensemble). Chairman of the Board of the Union of Composers of the BSSR (since 1966). Since 1910 he has been collecting Belarusian folk songs. Compiler of a number of folklore collections ("Belarusian folk songs", vol. 1-4, 1959-76, etc.). 2 volumes of his choral arrangements of Belarusian folk songs were published (1971-73). Deputy of the Supreme Council of the BSSR of the 4th-9th convocations. State Prize of the BSSR (1966 and 1974). Awarded 2 Orders of Lenin, the Order of the October Revolution, 2 other orders, as well as medals.

Lit.: Nisnevich I.G., Grigory Romanovich Shirma, 2nd ed., [L., 1971].

Great Soviet Encyclopedia, TSB. 2012