On March 18, a gala concert of the University Student Spring entitled Gala, Cancel It, was held on the main stage of Bldg. 10. Before the performances of the contestants, Vitalii Ageyenkov (the Institute of Arts), in the role of Creative Valeryevich, announced – after all creative directions showed their items, one of them would be closed. In order to maintain their festival direction, the performers had to do their best on stage.

The programme started by the members of the Paribashte team Valeria Bochkareva (the Faculty of Sociology) and an undergraduate Anastasia Glotova (the Institute of Philology and Journalism). In the genre of clowning, they showed a sketch about a freshman and his tutor.

The guests of the festival were welcomed by Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Organisational Work Anton Golovchenko. ‘More than a thousand participants have gathered at Student Spring. Directions, which includes 60 nominations and 250 prize-winners. I was very pleased to meet the participants of the concert with their parents in the building. This is very symbolic, because 2024 is dedicated to the family. Our region will host the Russian Student Spring for the first time, and I invite each of you to become a part of this event.’

Vitalii Ageyenkov, accompanied by the IIchnitsa vocal and instrumental band of the Institute of Arts, performed the Marathon Runner song and held a warm-up activity for the audience in the hall. Immediately after that, he presented a joint performance with Roman Isayev (the Institute of Physics) – a short film about how important light is.

The programme included Russian folk art, of course. Anastasia Bulgakova (the Faculty of Mathematics and Mechanics) performed the Magpie dance with a pot of porridge, Vladimir Filin (the Institute of Arts) played the Smuglyanka song on an accordion, and the Meridian folk choreography group danced a quadrille and the Sailors dance.

SSU dancing groups and solo performers presented their best items. The Art-Mix modern choreography group showed three dances at once, unlike each other. Veronika Frolova (the Institute of Philology and Journalism), a member of the Paribashte group, performed a pantomime dance with a suitcase, and Ekaterina Belova (the Institute of Philology and Journalism) performed a national Chinese dance. Evgenia Prudnikova (the Institute of Physics) showed a dance with acrobatic elements, another acrobatic item was performed by the band of the Bad Guys original genre.

The university theatre groups, ViVaT and Paribashte, pleased the audience with their performances.

The vocal direction at the gala concert was presented by the Light band and the SSU Vocal Band, as well as solo singers Alexander Zhumagaliyev (the Institute of Chemistry), Kristina Zubkova (the Faculty of Mathematics and Mechanics), Alexander Vaitsul (the Faculty of Mathematics and Mechanics) and Irina Plotnikova (the Institute of Chemistry).

Vitalii Ageyenkov and his puppet entertainer Nikolai performed a prosaic text about the life of a serf entertainer. Semyon Katyshev (the Faculty of Biology), in the form of a courier, read poems by Marina Kabanova (Head of the Office of Social Work) from the stage and recite a variety monologue.

The Yummy creative association showed a scene about the confrontation between two creative schools of Saratov State University, headed by Vitalii Ageyenkov and Nikita Krivosheyev. The Russia, Go On song performed by the SSU Vocal Band and the Show Must Go On hit, presented by the Young Queen band, completed the final concert of the SSU Student Spring.

The most anticipated event of the evening was the awarding ceremony. As part of the gala concert, the best nominees in all directions were awarded – six instrumentalists; fourteen contestants of the Media direction, twenty theatregoers; fourteen winners of the original genre; seventeen dancers and choreographic groups; and thirty-five singers and groups.

According to the results of the two stages of the Student Spring – the Programmes and the Directions, the following educational units of the university became the best:

Grand Prix – the Institute of Philology and Journalism;

I place – the Institute of Physics;

II place – the Institute of Arts;

III place – the Faculty of Foreign Languages and Language Teaching Methods.

The main censor of the evening, Creative Valeryevich, noting the efforts of all performers and groups, made his decision. He announced that he was going to close all six directions in order to reopen them, along with a new direction – CFW in the Student Spring.

‘The Student Spring has ended, a new stage is ahead – the Regional and All-Russian ones, which will be held in Saratov. Come to our concerts!’ Head of the SSU Student Club Mark Pinkhasik summed up the results of the gala concert.

The full list of prize-winners of the 2024 SSU Student Spring