Pravedu from Organ Live by SPIEVY, Olga Podgaiskaya

The song 'Pravedu Rusalačku' celebrates Mermaid Week in the Belarusian agricultural calendar, a time when mermaids—seen as the spirits of drowned people rather than mythical creatures with tails—are honored. These mermaids, depicted as beautiful women with bright eyes and sometimes metal breasts, personify lost children and adults. In Belarus, there's a rich tradition of appeasing these spirits with songs and guiding them to the forest. This is done to protect the harvest from spoilage and to shield the young men from enchantment. Passed down through generations, this tradition has birthed countless variations of mermaid songs and portrayals, each reflecting the unique dialects and regions of Belarus.

Experience the performance by the choir SPIEVY z-pad mosta, under the direction of Rusia Shuma, as they show a version of the traditional Mermaid Week song at St. Alexander's Church in Warsaw, accompanied by:

Olga Podgaiskaya – organ
Vitaly Appow – soprano saxophone

✦ Female choir and Belarusian ethnic songs ✦