The Svetlanov Legacy Charity and the Evgeny Svetlanov International Conducting Competition supported The Unquenchable Torch, a literary-musical performance commemorating Soviet Yiddish poets, members of the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee who were executed under the Stalinist regime.
This poignant program, first performed at Carnegie Hall in New York in 2022, unites pianist Evgeny Kissin and actor Veniamin Smekhov in a powerful tribute where poetry, music, and memory converge.
Through Kissin’s recitations in Yiddish and Smekhov’s eloquent Russian translations, the performance revives the voices of poets such as Peretz Markish, David Gofshteyn, Lev Kvitko, and others — writers silenced during the Stalinist antisemitic campaign. It honors both the enduring legacy of the Yiddish language and the memory of the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee.
Evgeny Kissin, one of the world’s most acclaimed pianists, and Veniamin Smekhov, a renowned actor, director, and screenwriter, undertake the vital task of restoring these voices for today’s audiences. Their collaboration sheds light on the traditions of Jewish culture and the nearly forgotten Yiddish language, once spoken by millions and a source of inspiration for countless poets and writers.
The Unquenchable Torch is more than a performance — it is an artistic journey that speaks to the resilience of memory and the power of culture.
PERFORMANCES
28 October 2023 — Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France
23 November 2023 — Centre Communautaire Juif LaÏc, Brussels, Belgium