Holy Mother Russia

Overview

This second programme in the series explores the power of religion and faith in Russian music. Russia is at once devoutly Christian and deeply pagan, but under the Soviets both faith and magic received the deep-freeze treatment. What has emerged since the thaw is inspiring and alarming in equal measure. Filmed in Moscow, Kiev, St Petersburg and the holy sites of Sergevev Pasad and Bogolyubovo, during Easter festivities, we look at how a preoccupation with things spiritual infuses all Russian music from Musorgsky and Rimsky Korsakov to Prokofiev and Gubaidulina.