Viktor Petrovich Yeliseyev (Russian: Ви́ктор Петро́вич Елисе́ев, born June 9, 1950) is a Russian general, orchestra conductor and music teacher. He is the director of the Rosgvardia Academic Song and Dance Ensemble, one of the two Russian Red Army Choirs.

Major General

Viktor Yeliseyev
Native name
Виктор Петрович Елисеев
Born (1950-06-09) 9 June 1950 (age 74)
Allegiance Russia
 Soviet Union
Service / branchMinistry of Interior
Years of service1969 - present
RankMajor General
CommandsRosgvardia Academic Song and Dance Ensemble
Alma materMoscow Schnittke State Institute of Music
Gnessin State Musical College

Biography

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Yeliseyev was born in 1950 in Moscow, Russia to Pyotr and Serafima. He graduated the October Revolution Moscow State Institute of Music). He then served as a soldier in the Soviet Ministry of the Interior (1969–1971), after which he became the choirmaster in his former unit. In 1976, Eliseev graduated from the Gnessin State Musical College, specializing in choir conducting.[1]

 
Eliseev with North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the 2019 Russian-North Korean Summit.

Eliseev has been a part of the Ministry of the Interior Ensemble since its founding in 1973, holding various roles. He started out as a choirmaster, becoming the head choirmaster and vice-director in 1977. In 1985 he became the head of the ensemble, and in 1995 also head of the MVD Cultural Center. In 1998 he became a professor in the Moscow Conservatory.[1]

Eliseev has married three times and has two children, one from the first and one from the third marriage. He lives in Moscow.[1] In 2012 he underwent a much-publicized divorce with his then-spouse Irina.[2][3]

Performances and work

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Under Eliseev's direction,[4] the MVD ensemble produced by french impresario Thierry Wolf[5] has performed in various countries, including Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Hungary, North Korea, Italy, Greece, Brazil, Mexico, Switzerland, the UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Spain, China, Turkey and Israel. Eliseev was a jury member in the 1999 international soldiers' song contest held in Sochi.[1]

Awards and honors

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Yeliseyev (front center) with the MVD Ensemble

Eliseev is a People’s Artist of the RSFSR (1988) and a recipient of the Russian Federation Presidential Certificate of Honor.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Eliseev, Viktor Petrovich". persona.rin.ru (in Russian). Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  2. ^ "Songs and Dances of the Interior Forces". mk.ru (in Russian). April 10, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  3. ^ Zaychik, Irina (September 2012). "Irina Eliseeva: Now my Husband is Happy with Another". 7days.ru (in Russian). Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  4. ^ "Les chœurs de l'Armée Rouge ont conquis le public français". 28 March 2013.
  5. ^ "Entre vestiges communistes et "Get Lucky"…dans les coulisses des Choeurs de l'Armée Rouge". Europe 1 (in French). 2015-10-19. Retrieved 2024-10-25.