In the second half of the 1950s, Dmitri Shostakovich helped the folklorist and the researcher of music of East European Jews Moisеy Beregovski to get rehabilitation. A few years later the composer made efforts to promote the collection of Jewish Folk Songs for publication. The article explores the relationship between these two outstanding figures of Soviet musical culture. We try to get answers for some questions: could Shostakovich and Beregovski make the acquaintance while studying at the Petrograd Conservatory? what was the help of the composer? could Shostakovich’s music have been influenced by the folk tunes collected by Beregovski? The work introduces previously unknown archival documents.
I greatly appreciate Olga Digonskaya for her wise advice and invaluable help in working on the article.