The correspondent of Turmush spoke with this talented musician.
Olga was born in 1986 in the Belarusian city of Molodechno.
“I started playing the violin after teachers from the music school came to our kindergarten looking for students. I was chosen, and that became my motivation to continue my studies. At first, my parents didn’t want me to, but then they agreed. If teachers for the flute or guitar had come to the kindergarten, I might have chosen one of those instruments. But apparently, fate has it that I will play the violin for my whole life,” she shared.
In addition to the violin, Olga is also proficient in the piano.
“The piano was the second mandatory instrument in music school. Unlike the violin, you can play it on your own. In my childhood, I had an instrument at home, and I loved performing popular melodies from movies and cartoons. I would take sheet music from my teacher and print them out; I still have a lot of them,” she said.
According to Olga, her choice of Karakol was dictated by its beautiful nature.
“Before moving here, my husband and I spent about five months in Bishkek, but we decided that Karakol was a more suitable place to live. In the capital, there was smog, high rent, and a dry climate. Here, the air is clean, the views are wonderful, and I love to pick mushrooms and cook with them. The rent is also more or less acceptable. We have been here for three months, and I found a job, as well as a side job in my field,” she reported.
Gallery: Olga Anikeenko.
She actively participates in the cultural events of Karakol and was awarded a certificate of appreciation from the local authorities for her contribution to the development of culture.
“Previously, I also participated in competitions at the regional and national levels in Belarus and often placed in the top spots. I always get nervous on stage, and even now, at the age of 38, that excitement hasn’t left me,” Olga noted.
Currently, Anikeenko plays in the ensemble “Muras” and in the folk orchestra at the Tumanov Music College.
“I am invited to perform solo in restaurants in Karakol. We perform songs like ‘Tabar Belem’, ‘Turkistan Kayryktary’, ‘Suyugha Taazim’, ‘Kusalik’, ‘Tan Bulbulu’, and others. I mainly sing Kyrgyz songs with the group ‘Muras’. I didn’t encounter difficulties in performing, except for the sudden changes in time signatures in the notes, but I am good at sight-reading, which I was taught in music school. I especially like the song ‘Jailoodo Kalgan Bir Eles’: both the vocals of our singer Ulan and the arrangement by our conductor Temir Kurmanbekovich,” she said.
In the future, Olga plans to obtain Kyrgyz citizenship and continue developing her creative career.
