The title ‘Honorary Citizen of the town of Yelets’ was established in 1971, when the town celebrated the 825th anniversary of the first mention in the Nikon Chronicle.
The title was given to famous townspeople. It symbolized an exceptional form of expression of appreciation and gratitude of society for activities for the benefit of the town, as well as a tribute to people who have special merits to the Fatherland.
Composer Tikhon Khrennikov was one of the first to receive the title of Honorary Citizen of Yelets. The town administration signed a decree on December 9, 1971, and the musician was awarded a diploma and a ribbon in next June, during his visit to his small homeland.
The Yelets residents awarded the composer the title of ‘Honorary Citizen of the town of Yelets’ to thank Khrennikov for his contribution to the cultural development of his native town: his assistance in organizing a music school and a music college in Yelets (contemporary children’s art school No. 1 and the Art College named after T.N. Khrennikov) as well as support of Yelets musicians at the all-Union level. The composer never forgot about his small homeland: for example, every year, on June 10, he tried to meet his birthday in Yelets, bring a performance from the capital’s theater, a famous symphony orchestra or famous singers, and make a gift not so much to himself as to his fellow townsmen.
Khrennikov said: ‘Yelets is the most sacred place for me on earth’, he said more than once. ‘Earlier in my youth, and now the most pleasant thing for me is to come to Yelets and walk along its streets. The town atmosphere and everything that I was brought up on, that musical culture of the Russian province — it is all in my music…’
When Khrennikov learned that he had been awarded the title of honorary citizen, he was very grateful for the honor. The musician said to the Yelets residents: ‘My life lies all before you. And I wish only one thing: not to shame my fellow townsmen, my homeland, to bring joy to people’. Many years later, in an interview with the composer, he was asked which of his awards he considered most important to himself. He thought about it and chose the ribbon ‘Honorary Citizen of the town of Yelets’ from 120 awards.
The title was given to famous townspeople. It symbolized an exceptional form of expression of appreciation and gratitude of society for activities for the benefit of the town, as well as a tribute to people who have special merits to the Fatherland.
Composer Tikhon Khrennikov was one of the first to receive the title of Honorary Citizen of Yelets. The town administration signed a decree on December 9, 1971, and the musician was awarded a diploma and a ribbon in next June, during his visit to his small homeland.
The Yelets residents awarded the composer the title of ‘Honorary Citizen of the town of Yelets’ to thank Khrennikov for his contribution to the cultural development of his native town: his assistance in organizing a music school and a music college in Yelets (contemporary children’s art school No. 1 and the Art College named after T.N. Khrennikov) as well as support of Yelets musicians at the all-Union level. The composer never forgot about his small homeland: for example, every year, on June 10, he tried to meet his birthday in Yelets, bring a performance from the capital’s theater, a famous symphony orchestra or famous singers, and make a gift not so much to himself as to his fellow townsmen.
Khrennikov said: ‘Yelets is the most sacred place for me on earth’, he said more than once. ‘Earlier in my youth, and now the most pleasant thing for me is to come to Yelets and walk along its streets. The town atmosphere and everything that I was brought up on, that musical culture of the Russian province — it is all in my music…’
When Khrennikov learned that he had been awarded the title of honorary citizen, he was very grateful for the honor. The musician said to the Yelets residents: ‘My life lies all before you. And I wish only one thing: not to shame my fellow townsmen, my homeland, to bring joy to people’. Many years later, in an interview with the composer, he was asked which of his awards he considered most important to himself. He thought about it and chose the ribbon ‘Honorary Citizen of the town of Yelets’ from 120 awards.
