… Olga is an intelligent artist of a subtle mind. She has invented a new style! …Of all plays that I saw in Nurmes, it is her Three Wedding Tunes that would be the greatest success if seen by the western progressive audience. Apart from the new style, it inheres in some perspectives that we are not yet aware of.
Stefan JUHANSSON, ANTRE, SWEDEN
An Udmurt actress shows all man’s life from birth to death. Watching and listening to her performance makes you believe in the sincerity of folklore and folk tradition. That is why the Three Wedding Tunes is an exciting aesthetic experience absorbing you whatever place and time are. These tunes took their exams facing the portraits of all Finnish presidents in an old audience hall of Nurmes high school. And only Ahtisaari, the current one, was absent.
Kaisu MIKKOLA, KALEVA, FINLAND
… The Three Wedding Tunes performed by Olga Alexandrova became the hit of the festival.The performance is of intimate nature and abundant in primitive force. All the text being in Udmurt, it was not difficult to get the idea, for the artistic means of expression were so emotional and universal.
Andres HEINAPUU, KULTURILEHT, ESTONIA
… A young woman, born in I963, suddenly managed to border on the centuries-old primitive culture of her folk and left aside the future x-Qeneralion or the Enlightenment and Renaissance epochs. Olga Alexandrova’s performance, technically perfect and worked out to the last detail, showed her born capacity for melting shamanism and the perception of a modem man. Olga Alexandrova has the right to enter the coming millennium.
Matti UNT, RAHVA HAAL, ESTONIA
Olga Alexandrova has several roles. In fact «Three wedding tunes» is a representation of all circle of life, in which the actress is the Creator, the Mother-earth and the interpreter of a creation. The Udmurt’s ideology is animated and Olga’s performing was animated too.
Livia Veetol HOMMIKULEHT, ESTONIA
… For me this performance was the best in the festival. Olga is bright and intuitive actress. She created her own language of symbol, which is laconic and very expressive.
Lee Unt PUHAPAEVALENT, ESTONIA
The soloperformance of Olga Alexandrova captivates spectators, staggering although a spectator doesn’t know the Udmurt language. Meaning of songs, prayers and spells became quite clear because of mood and plain symbolism of the performance created by the actress.
Pyaivi Kapiaynen KARAJALAINEN, FRANCE
«Three Wedding Songs» is played on the unknown for me language Udmurtian that is spoken in Udmurtia, Russia. But there is no need for languages to appreciate this minimalistic and proud show. Sole alone on stage Aleksandrova creates a universe of music, voices, dances and faces. The round drum she carries in her hand and in her folkloristic dress is all she needs to character the circle of life. With two small wooden dolls for her help she grabs the viewers and sings the story of life’s three weddings; marrying life, woman and death. Unexpectedly skillful and earnestly simple.
Danjel Andersson
(Swedish Newspaper «Dagens Nyheter», August 11, 1998)
