Russian folk song ‘Valenki’* is a well-known musical work that embodies the vibrant spirit of folk art. It is not only an integral part of Russian culture, but also one of the musical pieces with winter mood. For many listeners, the song ‘Valenki’ is inextricably linked with the name of singer Lydia Ruslanova. It was she who performed it during the Victory Concert in early May 1945 on the steps of The Reichstag. The song was often announced as a Russian folk song, and it is listed as such in some song collections.

There are two versions regarding the authorship of the song ‘Valenki’. According to the first, it originated in a gypsy camp and is considered an ancient gypsy folk dance song. The second version names the gypsy singer Nastya Polyakova, soloist of the Yar restaurant choir, as the author. In 1913, she recorded ‘Valenki’ on a gramophone record, on which she was listed as the author. The gramophone record was released by ‘Gramophone’. In the lyrics of Nastya Polyakova's song, Russian words alternate with Romani (Gypsy) words. The success was staggering, and the record sales were enormous. The matrices from which the records were pressed wore out rather quickly, but listeners' desire to buy records with this song grew, thus Nastya Polyakova recorded ‘Valenki’ once more, this time in Germany for the “Beka-Grand-Plastinka” company.

Some sources indicate that Nastya was the first singer to record this song. However, there is a recording of ‘Valenki’ dated 1911, performed by Nina Dulkevich, a St. Petersburg performer of Russian and Gypsy romances, only then the song was called ‘Ah, you, Kolya, Nikolai.’

Nastya Polyakova, her brothers, and the Yar choir emigrated to Paris, which could have resulted in the song being banned. However, Nina Dulkevich continued to sing it and brought Valenki back into the concert repertoire. In the early 1930s, Dulkevich and Ruslanova repeatedly performed in the same concerts. But at that time, only Nina sang Valenki, and the song was not yet in the repertoire of Lidia Andreevna Ruslanova.

Since 1922, ‘Valenki’ has been performed by the ‘white gypsy’ Isabella Yurieva, and on May 3, 1939, the song was recorded by Bolshoi Theatre soloist Vera Makarova-Shevchenko accompanied by guitars, which made the melody sound more romantic.

 All these versions of the famous song differ significantly from the one created and performed by Lidia Ruslanova. The singer first sang ‘Valenki’ in her own way during one of the battle-field concerts in 1942, and recorded this version in 1943. In Ruslanova's performance, the song sounded completely different – both the melody and the order of the verses were different. She changed the rhythm of the gypsy song so that we perceive ‘Valenki’ as Russian folklore. In the interpretation of Lidia Ruslanova almost nothing remains of the original melody; it bears no resemblance to previously known versions of this work.

The singer performed this song at a fast tempo, with the expansiveness characteristic of her voice. Despite its overall simplicity, the composition contains elements of humour, as well as lyricism and even a touch of drama. It tells of the sorrows of love, poverty and hardships of life, conveying all this through the image of felt boots as a symbol of simplicity and everyday life.

Lidia Ruslanova was one of the most popular singers in the USSR, and her style of performing Russian folk songs is still considered the gold standard. Lidia Andreevna transformed a gypsy dance song into a work with a deep Russian soul.

*Valenki (felt boots) are soft boots made of felted wool, designed to be worn in severe frosts on dry snow.