A literary-musical performance organized by the World Organization of Writers (WOW) took place as part of the Red Square Book Festival in Moscow, commemorating the 80th anniversary of Victory Day. The event nearly filled the main presentation hall at GUM.
At the heart of the performance was “The Oath”—a newly released poetry collection by Alexandra Ochirova, a poet with 16 published books, a scholar, and a prominent public figure. The book offers a profound reflection on war, the cost of life versus the cost of heroism, the grief of mothers, and the memory of generations. These themes, previously scattered throughout her various works, are now woven together in “The Oath.”
During the Red Square event, held in a theatrical format, the finalists of the 7th season of the nationwide student literary competition “Class!” were also announced.
“The theme of war is very personal to me,” said Alexandra Ochirova.
“In my family, we’ve always fought for our homeland. My grandfathers were awarded the Saint George Cross in World War I, and my mother was a sniper on the frontlines…”
Renowned Soviet actor Alexander Goloborodko, a longtime collaborator of Ochirova, delivered poems in memory of those who never returned from war, imbuing each word with power and emotion. He also performed the song “Shadow”, composed by Igor Kartashev using Ochirova’s verses. Kartashev, both an actor and composer, sang it himself.
The ensemble for the literary-musical performance was curated by Margarita Al, president of WOW and close colleague of Ochirova. It included musicians, poets, singers, admirers of the poet’s talent, and personal friends.
Themes of war followed one another—blockade, the horror of Auschwitz, national pride.
The poem “Unfinished Flights”, dedicated to wartime pilots, was read by Lieutenant General Valery Ochirov, Hero of the Soviet Union, Afghan war veteran, and Alexandra’s husband.
Grigory Ordzhonikidze, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, composed music for Ochirova’s poem “Sleep, Child”, which was performed for the first time by jazz singer Valeria Mironova, a finalist on The Voice. Then, Ochirova herself took the microphone, giving a powerful reading.
The evening culminated with the recital of “The Oath”, a hymn of hope concluding with the words:
“With us are God, faith, and Russia. May she remain alive…”
To conclude the evening, Margarita Al, President of the World Organization of Writers—which unites authors from over 160 countries—announced the creation of a new international honor: the World Prize “Russian Cosmism”, dedicated to literature, culture, and philosophy.
