Old New Year (poem)

The author of the poem, describing the gap between the New Year and the Old New Year , calls it the “gap between the times”, referring to some old time and new, present. By the old time, the author understands the period in the history of Russia until January 31, 1918, that is, until the date when the Gregorian calendar was introduced instead of the Julian one and, accordingly, the New Year was celebrated in a new style. But despite the fact that this is a “chasm”, the author says that it was precisely at this period that the old and the new time existed in parallel, for example, “The hood of the Patriarch turned shame on the hood”.

Here is the "Old New Year", a famous poem. What is it about, why is it? In Russia, the year begins twice, and it turns out:
first to thirteenth
the gap between times

Everyone understands the logical side of such a metaphor. But this is only the entrance to the poem. And then the poet offers this "gap between times" to imagine, feel, relive. He shows us the free flight of his feelings:
instead of the Vernadsky metro
swirling tree
imperial scene
spinning Pavlova

- Introductory article by G. Trubnikov to the book “Andrei Voznesensky” in the series “The New Library of the Poet”

The poem was published in the collection "Stained Glass Master" in 1976.

The first song in the poem was written by Stas Namin in 1983. With the group “Flowers”, he shot a video clip for this song, which was not broadcast in the USSR and first aired only in 1986 in the USA . The song has not gained popularity.

In 1985, Igor Nikolaev wrote music for a shortened version of the poem, and it was performed by actor Alexander Abdulov in the musical film Stained Glass Craftsman, which was entirely based on the work of Andrei Voznesensky. But the song gained real popularity after its release in 1987 on the air in the television program "Morning Mail" .

According to Igor Nikolaev, this song could not get on the air because of one line. In the midst of the anti-alcohol campaign, the editors did not miss the line: “I buried champagne in the snow in the garden, I’ll go out with caution, and suddenly I won’t find it.” Nikolaev and Abdulov had to call the author, asking them to redo the text. Andrei Voznesensky right there, on the phone, dictated a politically correct version: “I’ll come out with caution, I won’t find him” ^[1] .

• Accident - First through Thirteenth on YouTube

• The full text of the poem