"...Flies, flies through the sky flock tired, flies in the fog in the end of the day. And in that row is a small gap, perhaps, this space is for me..." This was the last song, which Mark Bernes, a wonderful singer, performed forty years ago.

This time the work of one of the most popular artists of the last century, Mark Bernes, became the theme of our family club meeting. He died forty years ago but his songs are still alive. For us, the older generation, this name means a lot. Mark Bernes began acting in 1937, played different characters in 55 films and was awarded with the State Prize of the USSR.

His songs sounded in many films and became extremely popular. Mark Naumovich was not only an artist, but also the creator of a whole school of new intellectual style in pop art. Of the fifty songs that were in his repertoire, forty were customary written for Bernes. It was him who suggested the idea, the theme and the image.

Matvey Blanter, Nikita Bogoslovsky, Jan Frenkel, Alexander Eshpay, Eduard Kolmanovsky and other famous composers wrote songs for Mark Bernes. Great poets such as Rasul Gamzatov, Konstantin Vanshenkin, Evgeniy Dolmatovsky andEvgeniy Yevtushenko collaborated with him.

Bernes always appeared on stage in a strict and simple manner. Approaching a microphone and looking at an audience he welcomed everyone with the wide, open smile, like greeting well-known people. He sang easily, as if continuing some current conversation. Everything was of great importance in his performance, every gesture, movement, appearance, gesticulation, turn of the head. This is how we remembered him.

The members of the Family club listened to the story about the work of the remarkable actor with great interest. They delightfully sang the songs from the motion pictures, which were discussed. Few more our favourite songs from Mark Bernes’s repertoire were sung by entire club at the conclusion of the meeting, accompanied by Ludmila Kirchner.

Ida Bukina