2025 № 4 (55)
TV Project ‘Pesnya Goda’ (Song of the Year): A Look from the Future
UDC 7.091.4
BBC 85.36
DOI: 10.51678/2226-0072-2025-4-264-299
For cit.: Gloushakov Ya.V. TV Project ‘Pesnya Goda’ (Song of the Year): A Look from the Future. Hudozhestvennaya kul’tura [Art & Culture Studies], 2025,
no. 4, pp. 264–299. https://doi.org/10.51678/2226-0072-2025-4-264-299.
(In Russian)
Gloushakov Yaroslav V.
PhD (in Art History), Senior Lecturer, Department of Music Theory, Gnesins Russian Academy of Music, 30–36, Povarskaya Str., Moscow, 121069, Russia
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0267-0599
ResearcherID: O-2260-2017
TV Project ‘Pesnya Goda’ (Song of the Year): A Look from the Future
Abstract. This article is dedicated to the prominent artifact of Soviet mass culture — the main song television project of the USSR, a country where one of the most democratic genres of art — the mass song — was born. The development of mass communication tools and technological progress, particularly television, created unique conditions for the transformation of this genre. The concept of the TV project Song of the Year involved the annual performance of the most popular songs of the past year, with broadcasts during prime time (December 31 or January 1) ensuring maximum viewership. The article analyzes the conceptual foundations of the project, its repertoire and structure, as well as the dynamics of changes throughout its existence. The results obtained allow for an assessment of the role of the Song of the Year project in shaping Soviet mass song and reveal trends in its transformation, noting changes both in the themes of the songs and festival dramaturgy. The conclusions drawn provide an opportunity to evaluate the final stage in the development of the genre of Soviet mass song, whose century-long journey has come to an end.
Keywords: USSR, mass song, ‘Pesnya goda’ (Song of the Year), variety art, TV project, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s
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Received 05.06.2025
Accepted 16.08.2025
