Bolschoi Don Kosaken

The Cossacks have a long history. The term “Cossack“ comes from the Tatar language and means “free man.“ In the 16th century, the Cossacks settled from the steppes along the Dnieper, Dniester, Don, and Volga rivers in present-day Ukraine and Russia. They were gifted farmers, excellent horsemen, and deeply religious people. They expressed their passion for life in songs, especially choral singing. Cossack singing could be heard in all situations—at religious masses, private celebrations, or even in preparation for battle.

After the October Revolution of 1917, many Cossacks emigrated to the West, including the conductor Sergei Jaroff, who founded a men's choir in a camp in Turkey. The songs, full of longing and misery, but also full of hope, were the only thing the men had brought with them from their homeland.

The current director of the Bolshoi (German: “great“) Don Cossacks, Professor Petja Houdjakov, now ninety years old, has succeeded in further developing the tradition of Cossack singing, which consists of deep basses (basso profundo) and high tenor voices (falsetto), and transforming it into a mystical sound experience.

For 45 years, the Bolshoi Don Cossacks' concert, featuring sacred Russian, Ukrainian, and international songs, has been an integral part of the pre-Christmas season in Vienna, putting audiences in the mood for Christmas.