The finale of the first «Hommage. Watch Russia» ceremony was dedicated to two names – Stas Namin and Maxim Dunayevsky.
They became laureates of the prestigious «Hommage to the Elders,» an accolade with which Watch Russia recognises individuals whose decades of creative work have become part of the collective memory of several generations.
Stas Namin has long been active across multiple domains – music, theatre, art, and culture. «Flowers», «Summer Evening», «We Wish You Happiness» are just parts of a vast creative biography. Over the decades, he has founded bands, festivals, theatres, and projects, discovered new talents, and consistently pushed the boundaries.
For Maxim Dunayevsky, time has a different effect: his music has long lived independently of the films, plays, and credits it once accompanied. Just a few bars from «The Three Musketeers,» «Carnival,» «Mary Poppins,» or «The Flying Ship» are enough to bring back a slice of one’s own life along with the melody. Each listener has their own list. Dunayevsky himself approached the conversation about time with characteristic self-irony. Recalling how in his youth awards and honours eluded him, the composer quoted Omar Khayyam:
«Missed out on an award? – Forget it!
Days racing by in a chain? – Forget it!
The wind is careless: in the eternal Book of Life, It might not have stirred that particular page…»
He then summed up his own conclusion: «I’ve come to realise: to receive awards, one must live a long time. In my youth, I had no awards – I just lived and worked. Then, at some point, the awards began to pour in. I think my friend Stas, who also received a wonderful award today, can confirm this. Therefore, I say to everyone: live long, so you can receive many awards – if, of course, you want them. Thank you very much for this award. And long live music!»
The theme of time became the focal point at the ceremony’s finale. After presenting the «Hommage to the Elder,» laureates from all categories—representing various generations, professions, cities, and cultural institutions—retook the stage. The ceremony was hosted by Russian musician, trumpeter, and television presenter Vadim Eilenkrig. Concluding the evening, he encapsulated what had been expressed throughout the ceremony by the laureates and their presenters: «Today, we saw people from vastly different professional worlds come together. It became apparent how individual work with time eventually merges into a collective entity—a place, a performance, a melody, a memory. Watch Russia has been telling such stories all year, and today, its protagonists gathered here. It was an exceptionally beautiful award ceremony. I wish it many years of life. And see you at the ‘Hommage. Watch Russia’ in 2027.»
«Hommage to the Elders» has become a separate honorary category of the new award «Hommage. Watch Russia». The project itself is conceived as a way to showcase modern Russia through its people, places, and initiatives of various scales – from new cultural projects to those whose influence has been measured in decades. The inaugural «Hommage. Watch Russia» award ceremony took place on 12 October at the Yermolova Theatre in Moscow.
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