While Tahoe is best known for its outdoor sports such as skiing in the winter and hiking and playing on the lake in the summer, here at the lake we are also treated to our share of cultural offerings to expand our mind and souls. You just have to keep your eyes open. A recent example was the St. Petersburg Men’s Ensemble, which performed at the First Baptist Church of Tahoe City on April 13th.
With just four voices the Russian singers filled the church with powerful music. They sang songs and hymns from a variety of nations, and then after an intermission treated us to a round of Russian songs, which were a true highlight. The Russian songs included several dancing tunes that carried my imagination along to visions of Russian dancers swiftly high kicking with raucous crowds cheering them on from old movies. Also included were two funny songs, which I’m sure would have been even funnier if I could speak Russian, but you could still get the gist of it even with the language barrier.
The singers were brought to the Tahoe region from the Ukraine as a fundraiser for the Tahoe Cross Country Ski Education Association through a connection with local cross country skier Valentin Alexandrov. There was actually a good sized group of local Russian speakers not only enjoying the music, but there was delicious Russian sweets and breads, and painted wood dolls and trinkets available for sale after the show. Hopefully, they will come back next year.
Looking for cultural events at Lake Tahoe? Pick up a copy of Tahoe Weekly, which always showcases upcoming activities at the lake, or click on gotahoenorth.com for a calendar of upcoming events.
Here’s a few May Events:
May 23 US Human Spaceflight: Past, present and future at Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences at Sierra Nevada College in Incline.
May 25th Made in Tahoe Festival, at the Village in Squaw Valley