Russian human rights activist Irina Scherbakowa opens the International Shostakovich Days in Gohrisch (Saxon Switzerland). The globally respected German scholar and cultural scientist is co-founder of the human rights organization Memorial, which deals with the reappraisal of Stalinism in the former Soviet Union and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022.
Shostakovich is a musical chronicler of his era
She has admired Shostakovich since her childhood, Sherbakova explained in a statement from the festival, the 16th edition of which takes place from 26 to 29 June. "Dmitri Shostakovich can be described as a musical chronicler of his era. Many of his works document the horrors of the Stalin era and post-Stalinism, under which he suffered and worked."
"It is to his great credit that - in a difficult balancing act between state oppression and official recognition - he did not lose sight of the truthfulness and deep humanity in his music," emphasized the human rights activist. After the Russian attack on Ukraine, she left her home country and now lives in Germany.
