Ensemble Lepota

Russian Folk

Lepota is a polyphonic Russian vocal group whose members live in Berlin. Lepota performs folk music in authentic village style. The Repertoire of Lepota contains old Russian, White Russian und Ukrainian Songs, witch are in an oral improvisational tradition handed down from generation to generation. For three years Ensemble Lepota has been present on the international scene in Europe breeding prestigious venues. Lepota took part by Festivals for ethnic Music such as World Culture Festival 2011 and Karneval der Kulturen 2012 in Berlin.  Having introduced western audiences to Russian traditional music, the Ensemble has become a figure of Berlin’s world music culture.

LEPOTA was founded in October 2010 in Berlin by Elena Mironova as a vocal group for authentic Russian folk music. Lepota is an international music formation whose members come from Russia and White Russia. The work of the group is based on authentic recordings of village songs and chants that they collected from archives or on trips through rural Russia. 
For many centuries, these folk songs were an essential component of village life in Russia and were handed down orally from one generation to the next. The last generation to have taken active part in this tradition is now over 80 years old. Many of these songs are no longer heard, not even in rural areas. The aim of the group is to preserve this unique musical culture and keep it alive in a modern, urban context. 
Many of the songs in the repertoire of the ensemble were originally sung for the major holidays or festivals such as Easter or weddings. Others were customary for festivals marking the changing of the seasons, like mid-summer or thanksgiving.  Some of the songs are performed a cappella to a dance, the others are accompanied by authentic folk instruments such as the overtone flutes, the Russian ocarinas and harmonica. 
LEPOTA is a creative Project based on the latest results of research by folklorists and ethnomusicologists. The singers perform the songs in the old regional dialects of Russia and appear in concert wearing magnificent traditional costumes, some of which are over 100 years old. 

  • Folk music of Russia
  • Russian Cristmas
  • Russian Carnival
  • Rite of Spring
  • Russian Wedding
  • Workshop in traditional Singing, Dancing and Crafts