Frequently asked questions
The Artist
Q: How old
is she?
A: She was born on April 22, 1985 in Yevpatoria, a town on the Crimean
peninsula, in Ukraine, which was then a part of the Soviet Union.
Q: Did she
win the contest?
A: She won semi-finals with this performance, and then proceeded to win
the finals (and the whole contest) with this one.
The Story
Q: Why do
people cry?
A: It's rather hard to explain to a person who's country has never been
invaded. Consider one simple fact: nearly every single person in that
audience has lost a relative (whether close or distant) in that war. Try
looking at the recap of the events depicted, provided below -- maybe it
will help?
The events
in the video?
* 0:00-1:30:
A peaceful evening somewhere in the eastern USSR (whether Ukraine, Russia
or Belorussia, it's not clear from the picture). He and she are sitting
in the city park, a large Christian Orthodox church can be seen in the
distance.
* 1:30-2:00: A lightpole-mounted radio speaker appears and announces German
invasion into the USSR (June 22nd, 1941), German bombers appear in the
air. She's scared and crying. A patriotic song calling all citizens to
arms is played, and her mate obvuiosly heads out to protect the Motherland.
* 2:00-2:20: Troops are marching out of town, boarding trains and heading
out to the frontlines.
* 2:20-3:05: The kid is born and she takes care of him during the long
nights; her tears disappear, replaced with a loving smile.
* 3:35-3:40: Not quite clear. Could either mean that she and her kid end
up under German air raid facing the scary turnmoil, but escape alive.
Or, it could represent him battling with the enemies (in the wartime propaganda
pictures, German Nazi were often depicted with those ugly pointy noses).
* 3:40-4:10: She receives a letter from the frontlines. Could it be from
him? She's hopeful.
* 4:10-4:40: The letter announces that he's dead. The harsh news turn
the beautiful girl into a sorrowful old lady.
* 4:50-5:05: His grave. Some people in the comments claimed that it's
a Monument to Unknown Soldier. The confusion is understandable, given
that these monuments were made to resemble the soldier graves (only scaled
up). In other countries, it is common to mark their fallen by crosses;
in the USSR, it used to be a wooden or metal pyramid (obelisk) crowned
by a star. I am unable to find a photo of one from 1940's, but here's
a more recent one to give you a general idea. See also this and this (frames
from a movie).
* 5:05-5:30: We can see an old lady mourning him; I would assume it's
his mother. Soon she's joined by our girl and their little son.
* 5:30-6:40: A citi razed to the ground by the war is slowly rebuilt.
* 6:40-7:10: She oftentimes looks out of the window, still hoping that
was a mistake and he is not actually dead and will one day return...
* 7:10-7:40: She sees his image in the glass... In that image, he wears
the Russian sailor's uniform so we can conclude he was a sailor.
* 7:40-8:10: Their little son joins his mom in looking out of the window...
he also wears the kid version of sailor's uniform, so he'll obviosly go
in his father's footsteps...
* 8:10-END: Conclusion of the... movie? "You are forever beside us.
1945."
Q: What
did she spell out in the end?
A: "?? ?????? ?????" (in Russian). Different translations are
possible, the one I think is the best is "You are forever beside
[me/us]"; can also be translated as "You are always near",
"You are always close", "You are always next to [me/us]",
etc.
Q: What
does 1945 mean?
A: The year when World War II (or, more precisely, the Great Patriotic
War which is relevant for the USSR/Russia/Ukraine) has ended. This number
has a very special meaning for Soviet people/Russians/Ukrainians, a reminder
of a great victory earned in great struggle, at the cost of great losses.
The Music
Q: The opening
music? (@ 0:00)?
A: Cirque du Soleil -- Jeux d'Eau
Q: What
does the radio announcement @ 1:40 say?
A: This is the actual historical broadcast making citizens of the Soviet
Union/Ukraine/Russia aware of the German invasion on June 22nd 1941. See
the original recording.
Q: What
is the jingle precluding the radio announcement (@ 1:27)?
A: It is a Soviet-era radio jingle that precluded newscasts since 1939.
It's the first few chords of "?????? ?????? ??? ??????" ("Broad
My Dear Country Is") -- listen to the full song on YouTube, read
Wikipedia article (in Russian, use Google translate to read if you want).
The MP3 of the jingle itself can be downloaded here.
Q: What
is the song @ 1:45 playing along with the radio announcement?
A: "????????? ?????" ("The Sacred War"), an inspirational
song written in 1941 shortly after the German invasion of the USSR; it
has been later famously performed by the A.V. Alexandrov's Red Army Choir.
Read more about it on Wikipedia. Watch video on YouTube. Sovmusic.ru has
it as an MP3 file.
Q: What
is the song @ 2:25?
A: "?????? ????" ("Dark Night") performed by Mark
Bernes. Watch original performance video on YouTube. Sovmusic.ru has it
as an MP3 file. Translation from Wikipedia:
A dark gloomy night
only bullets whistle in the steppe
only the wind roars in the wires
the stars dimly shine
In the dark
gloomy night
you my beloved I know do not sleep
and at the childs crib out of sight
you wipe a tear
How I love
the depth of you sweet eyes
how I want
to press against them now with my lips
The dark
gloomy night
separates us my beloved
and the cold dark steppe
has lain between us
Death doesn't
freighten me
I've met her not once in the steppe
and here now
it is circling above me
You are
awaiting me
and at the cribb do not sleep
and so I know
nothing will happen to me
Q: I was
wondering who the artist is that plays the intense music at 3:19 into
the video.
A: "Harmageddon" by Apocalyptica from the "Inquisition
Symphony" album
Apocalyptica has covered many Metallica songs
Q: I want
to know te name of that AMAZING music in 3:41 till 5:05?
A: "Auschwitz-Birkenau" by John Williams from Schindler's List
Q: Anybody
know what the song at 5:07 is called?
A: "???????" ("Cranes"). This is a song of a soldier
who lived to see the end of war and is now mourning his fallen comrades.
Full song here. Read Wikipedia article. Translation (googled somewhere
and improved by yours truly to rhyme better):
It seems
to me sometimes that all the soldiers,
Who never came from bloody fields of war,
Were not just laid into the dirt, but turned
Into the cranes of color snow-white.
So they
are flying ever since those ages;
They call to us, and may be that is why
We hear their cries, so full of burning sadness
And we stop, silent, gazing at the sky.
The flock
is flying, crying, sad and tired,
Through fog, through mist, in quiet light of dawn
And I can see that there is a gap amongst them.
Was it reserved for me? It could be so...
There will
be day and I will fly right there,
There will be day -- and maybe it is close.
And from the skies above I will be sending
Same call for those of you I left below.
Q: 6:10
till the end?
A: Nothing Else Matters by Apocalyptica from the "Inquisition Symphony"
album