The Alexandrov Ensemble (commonly known as the Red Army Choir in the West) … Read Full Bio ↴The Alexandrov Ensemble (commonly known as the Red Army Choir in the West) is an official army choir of the Russian armed forces. Founded during the Soviet era, the ensemble consists of a male choir, an orchestra, and a dance ensemble.

The Ensemble has entertained audiences both in Russia and throughout the world, performing a range of music including folk tunes, hymns, operatic arias and popular music. The group's repertoire has included The Volga Boatmen's Song, Katyusha, Kalinka, and Ave Maria.

It is named for its first director, Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov (1883–1946). Its formal name since 1998 has been A. V. Alexandrov Academic Song and Dance Ensemble of the Russian Army (Russian: Академический ансамбль песни и пляски Российской Армии имени А. В. Александрова, Akademichesky ensemble pesni i plyaski Rossiyskoy Armii imeni A. V. Alexandrova), shortened to Academic Ensemble (Академический ансамбль, Akademichesky ensemble) on second reference.

On 25 December 2016, its artistic director, Valery Khalilov, and 63 other members of the Ensemble were killed in the Russian Defence Ministry aircraft crash of a 1983 Tupolev Tu-154 into the Black Sea just after takeoff from the southern resort city of Sochi, Russia. The Red Army Choir singers and dancers were en route to Syria to entertain Russian troops there for Orthodox Christmas celebrations.

Dark Eyes
Alexandrov Ensemble Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ochi Chyorniye

Ochi chyorniye, och strastniye!
Ochi Zhguchiye i prekrasniye!
Kak lyublyu ya vas, kak boyus' ya vas!
znat', uvidel vas ya v nedobryi chas!

Ne vidal by vas, ne stradal by tak,

A prozhil by zhizn' ulybayasya.
No uvidel vas, poteryal pokoi,
I ves' mir zabyl ya dlya vas odnoi.

Ocharovan ya, okoldovan ya
Laskoi nezhnoyu, vzorom plamennym.

By sgubili menya, och chyorniye,
Unesli navek moyo schastye vy.

Overall Meaning

The Alexandrov Ensemble's song Dark Eyes is a melancholic love song that expresses the singer's intense passion and fear for their lover. The first stanza talks about the black eyes of the lover, which are portrayed as passionate, burning and beautiful. The singer expresses their love for the lover and confesses their fear of losing them, which creates tension in their relationship. The second stanza talks about the regret the singer would feel if they never met the lover, and the joy and happiness they would have experienced if they had met earlier. The singer then goes on to confess that they have lost their peace after meeting the lover, and the whole world has faded away except for the lover. The final stanza talks about the singer being enchanted and charmed by the lover's tender love and fiery looks, and how the lover has taken away their happiness forever.

The lyrics of Dark Eyes contain elements of love, passion, fear, and regret. The use of imagery, especially the black eyes, conveys the intensity of the singer's emotions. The song also touches upon the theme of missed opportunities, as the singer regrets not meeting the lover earlier in their life. The song's overall tone is expressive of the emotional conflicts that often manifest in love relationships, and how these conflicts can lead to profound feelings of joy and sorrow.

Line by Line Meaning

Ochi chyorniye, och strastniye!
Oh, black passionate eyes!

Ochi Zhguchiye i prekrasniye!
Eyes that are burning and beautiful!

Kak lyublyu ya vas, kak boyus' ya vas!
How I love you, how I fear you!

znat', uvidel vas ya v nedobryi chas!
I met you in an unfortunate time!

Ne vidal by vas, ne stradal by tak,
If I never saw you, I wouldn't suffer so much,

A prozhil by zhizn' ulybayasya.
I would live my life with a smile on my face.

No uvidel vas, poteryal pokoi,
But I saw you, lost my peace of mind,

I ves' mir zabyl ya dlya vas odnoi.
And I forgot the whole world for you alone.

Ocharovan ya, okoldovan ya
Enchanted and spellbound,

Laskoi nezhnoyu, vzorom plamennym.
By your tender love, by your fiery gaze.

By sgubili menya, och chyorniye,
You have crushed me, oh black-eyed one,