The talented Moldavian composer Oleg Milstein stands at the origins of the Orizont collective, popular in Soviet times. Not a single Soviet song contest or festive event could do without a group that was formed on the territory of Chisinau.
At the peak of their popularity, the musicians traveled all over the Soviet Union. They performed in TV programs, recorded long plays and were active participants in prestigious music festivals.
History of creation and composition of the group
It has already been noted above that Oleg Sergeevich Milshtein became the "father" of the vocal and instrumental ensemble. From early childhood, he studied music, and after graduating from school he entered the Chisinau State Conservatory.
At the time of the creation of Orizont, Oleg already had enough experience on stage. He knew about the stages of the formation of a musical group. All organizational moments fell on his shoulders.
Soon about a dozen violinists, four representatives of the so-called rhythm group, as well as vocalists represented by Nina Krulikovskaya, Stefan Petrak, Dmitry Smokin, Svetlana Rubinina and Alexander Noskov joined the VIA.
When the line-up was formed, Oleg Sergeevich set about creating the image of the team. He wanted the artists to look like a single entity. In addition, he was responsible for composing music and organizing concerts.
Throughout the time, the composition of the vocal-instrumental ensemble has changed from time to time. Someone left the Orizon because they were not satisfied with the terms of cooperation, someone simply could not stand the tight schedule. There were also those in the ensemble who, after leaving, took up a solo career.
The vocal and instrumental ensemble in full force first appeared on the stage in 1977. It was this year that the artists became invited guests of the prestigious "Martisor" fest, which took place on the territory of Moldova. The audience warmly accepted the newcomers. Many noted that they are excellent on stage. The audience was also pleased with the fact that each of the participants of the "Orizont" "knew" their work. This is easy to explain: everyone who became part of the group was a certified musician or vocalist.
At the end of the 80s, the popularity of the band began to gradually fade into decline. Month after month, the group became smaller by one or more musicians. Most of the former members of Orizont went abroad after the breakup, and someone was simply dragged out by life's problems.
In this situation, Oleg Sergeevich, with the help of musicians Nikolai Karazhii, Alexei Salnikov and programmer Georgy German, assembled a new group. As a result, Alexander Chioara and Eduard Kremen became the leaders of the team.
The creative path and music of the Orizont group
"Orizont" opened to their fans an amazing world of music, where, against the background of modern pop choirs, a wonderful synthesis of author's compositions, as well as elements of national folklore, sounded. They were not afraid to experiment, so at the end, the fans enjoyed really original compositions.
Cooperation with Central Television and All-Union Radio turned VIA's life upside down. The musical compositions that sounded on the air every day attracted the attention of the “big fish”. Soyuzconcert and Gosconcert became interested in the vocal and instrumental ensemble.
The peak of the group's popularity passed after they agreed to take part in a joint tour with Helena Loubalova. At the same time, the musicians managed to leave the contest "With a song for life" with a victory in their hands. Thus, "Orizont" was in the center of increased attention from the Soviet music lovers.
A number of concerts that took place in the very center of the Soviet Union only strengthened the authority of the vocal and instrumental ensemble. At the same time, the popular poet Robert Rozhdestvensky took a step towards newcomers. He invited all the participants of the VIA to celebrate his own anniversary. The celebration took place in the main hall of the House of Unions.
The team did not bypass participation in international competitions and festivals. This provided the guys not only with financial stability, but also with all-Union recognition. The popularity of Orizont went far beyond the Soviet Union.
At the end of the 70s, the first full-fledged LP was released at the Melodiya recording studio. The debut album was warmly received not only by fans, but also by music critics. A review of some of the compositions included in the album was published in a prestigious Soviet publication.
During this period, employees of the creative association "Ekran" offered the participants of the vocal and instrumental ensemble to shoot a concert film. The film was directed by Felix Semenovich Slidovker. He managed to convey the general mood of the group. At the same time, the composition “Kalina” thundered on the air, which in the end became almost the hallmark of the musicians.
Problems with the Moldovan authorities
The musicians became participants in the prestigious Song of the Year competition. However, the top leadership of Moldova from the creativity of the participants of the VIA, to put it mildly, was not enthusiastic. After the film "Moldavian sketches" was released on TV screens, relations between the authorities and "Orizont" worsened altogether. The vocal-instrumental ensemble was under strong pressure. The musicians had no choice but to meet the authorities. They were forced to move to the Stavropol Territory.
The musicians were received warmly in the Stavropol Territory. They were able to give several concerts in the capital of the USSR. In addition, the leader gave the go-ahead for the recording and further screening of the third film with the participation of the soloists of Orizont.
In the 80s, a presentation of a new collection took place. We are talking about the disc "My bright world". After recording the disc, the musicians were included in the ranks of the brightest representatives of the pop scene. At that time, Orizont was out of competition. During this period of time, they collaborate with Soviet stars, agreeing to record interesting collaborations.
The solo programs of Soviet artists aroused genuine interest among the foreign public. Soviet music lovers, in turn, were looking forward to the release of a new disc.
The vocal and instrumental ensemble was distinguished by excellent productivity. The musicians regularly released new LPs. So, at the end of the 80s, the musical piggy bank of the band consisted of 4 full-fledged records, 8 minions and 4 CDs.
The decline in the popularity of the Orizont team
The guys for a long time managed to hold the position number 1 on the Soviet stage. But, everything changed at the moment when such bands as Laskovy May, Mirage, etc. began to appear on the stage. Pop groups that managed to create really trendy tracks pushed the vocal-instrumental ensemble aside.
The leader of Orizont tried not to despair. During this period of time, for his wards, he writes an unrealistic number of new compositions. Then another worthy collection "Who is to blame" comes out. Activity and the desire to do everything possible to maintain popularity did not help Orizont.
In the mid-90s, the band members felt acutely that their work was no longer in demand. It seemed that every day the public was getting colder and colder towards them. VIA began to disintegrate. The soloists of "Orizont" were looking for their happiness "on the side". Most of them have chosen solo careers.
Nowadays, fans remember the work of the vocal and instrumental group thanks to social networks, as well as numerous records, photos and videos.
Orizon at present
A rich creative heritage does not allow fans and music lovers to forget about the existence of the once popular vocal and instrumental ensemble Orizont. The band can often be seen on stage.
In 2021, it became known that Orizont resumed its creative activity. How many new soloists joined the group. This joyful event became known on the rating show "Hi, Andrey!".
In addition, VIA became an invited guest of Born in the USSR. Performances on the local channel generated a lot of comments. And by the way, not all of them were positive. Someone highly appreciated the talent of the singers, but it seemed to someone that it was better for them not to go on stage.
