Komsomolskaya Pravda: "Prime Minister opens Tchaikovsky Competition"
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin had the honour of opening the concert: "The International Tchaikovsky Competition is important for preserving the nation's status and asset," Vladimir Putin said. "This year the contest will be broadcast live for the first time, allowing hundreds of thousands of people to view the competition for young musicians."
The official part of the opening was brief. Everyone wanted to hear the performance by the National Philharmonic of Russia conducted by outstanding musician Vladimir Spivakov. After the orchestra played the first chords of the Russian anthem, experts breathed a sigh of relief. They feared the renovation might compromise the acoustics.
Nigina Beroyeva
