The Story Behind the Musical 'Junona and Avos': Real Events3 photos

The story behind the musical ‘Junona and Avos’ is based on real events from 1806 and the relationship between two people—Russian Count Nicholas Petrovich Resanov and Conception Arguelo (Conchita). He was 45 years old, and she was 15. They were of different religions, but they got engaged on June 11, 1806. Unfortunately, Count Resanov passed away on March 1, 1807, during his journey. Conchita kept waiting for him for the rest of her life.

The creation of this musical began in 1978 when composer Alexey Rybnikov showed his musical ideas to director Mark Zakharov, including the use of Orthodox hymns.[1] The director was impressed by these melodies and decided to develop a show based on them, using the ancient Russian story of 'The Tale of the Igor Army' as inspiration.

Mark Zakharov turned to poet Andrei Voznesensky for help with the script. However, Voznesensky wasn’t interested in the idea at first but eventually agreed to collaborate and suggested using his own poem ‘Avos’ about the love between Count Resanov and Conchita. The next day, Zakharov decided to use Voznesensky’s poem as the basis for the musical.

The libretto was further developed in the theater itself, simultaneously with the production, taking into account specific actors. From the beginning, Mark Zakharov intended for this new show to be a rock opera combined with religious music—an unusual choice in the anti-clerical Soviet Union. However, due to censorship concerns, the genre was changed to ‘modern opera’.

The story follows Count Resanov as he organizes a voyage to America on the ships ‘Junona’ and ‘Avos’, where a Russian settlement is struggling to survive in harsh conditions on Alaska.

This poetic love story explores the themes of noble and passionate love, romance and intimacy, as well as the challenges faced by a couple separated by distance and other obstacles.