Beloe Zlato and the Five Year Plan

I came across this group quite recently. At first I thought they were part of the tidal wave of Ukrainian propaganda, but then realised that they are actually a Russian folk ensemble. Their name, Beloe Zlato, means ‘white gold’. They are one of those quirky groups that I’m irresistibly drawn to. Just about everything they do is set against an agricultural background. It’s all a bit Stalinist and Five Year Plan-ish. To give you a flavour, this first track is called Tractor Girl

Once you’ve done your 15 hour day on the tractor you then have to go and pick vegetables…

Beloe Zlato seem to have been around for the last 10 years. Over that time, the lineup has changed, but three of the girls have been there for a long time keeping the group active (Daria Luneeva, Valeria Grigorieva, and Maria Baranenko). They don’t always take part in the Five Year Plan out in the fields, and can sometimes be found in the government store…

The ensemble are a bit of a one trick pony and seem to be some kind of construct, propaganda or otherwise. Let’s get back onto the collective farm…

Whatever Beloe Zlato are, they make pleasing harmonies, and sometimes they even sing in English…

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