MUSIC FESTIVAL AS AN EXPERIENCE OF PRESERVING THE CULTURAL MEMORY OF THE PEOPLE (RECONSTRUCTION OF THE URAL MUSIC FESTIVALS OF THE 1930S – 1970S).

The article reconstructs the process of origin and development of the festival movement in the Urals in the 1930s – 1970s in the music and concert sphere. The history of some of the largest festivals is viewed in the context of the formation of the Soviet festive culture and the goals of the Soviet cultural policy. The authors highlight the main holidays, for which the philharmonic society prepared musical programs - the anniversaries of the October Revolution of 1917 and the formation of the USSR, the birthday of V.I. Lenin. Since the late 1930s, the scope of musical programs has steadily increased. More and more organizations were involved in the creative process - philharmonic societies, theaters, libraries, clubs, art centers, departments of public education. The concert space has expanded from the «palaces of culture» and concert halls of the city to the central squares of the city, open spaces outside the cities and villages. In the 60s, favorable conditions for the development of the music industry were formed. Philharmonic music programs turn into mass celebrations, and then into regional festivals of professional, folk and amateur art. These events covered all audiences - schoolchildren, young people, factory workers and agricultural workers, the intelligentsia. Festivals acquired names, received vivid coverage in periodicals. Sometimes preparations for such celebrations took 1–2 years, and the festivals themselves could “travel” by train or car to regional cities and large villages during the whole jubilee year. By the 70s, the Ural music festivals reached the All-Union level, and also acquired international cultural ties. Special attention is paid to the forms of education, the repertoire of groups, geography and the organization of festivals. These festivals are considered by the authors as an instrument of popularizing and educating the “right” values among the people; they were supposed to activate mass practical activities. Ideas that sounded in musical-verbal and visual form from the stadiums, the stage of theaters during the festivals for a long time will be significant and memorable for a whole generation of people in our country. Therefore, a music festival can be considered not just a form of bringing people to the world musical heritage and educating people, but also an effective way to preserve the cultural memory of a people. The article uses archival materials, including those not previously introduced into scientific circulation, which help to understand the significance of these festivals for the regional culture of the Soviet period.