On November 30, 2025, a truly remarkable event took place in Sacramento for the Slavic Christian community of California. For the first time, the city hosted an evening of Christian songwriters and song performers in live sound —without backing tracks, sound filters, and technical substitutes. Only live voices, live accompaniment, live music, and a genuine testimony of craftsmanship.
This evening became not merely a musical gathering, but it was the beginning of the Festival of Original Christian Hymns in California, launched by the First Slavic Baptist Church of Sacramento. It was here where songs born in prayer, personal spiritual experience, and deep reflection on God were heard.
The idea for this evening belonged to Alexander Vivsik and Igor Voronov—people for whom Christian songs is not a stage format, but a form of ministry. Their vision brought together songwriters, composers, and performers who were ready to come before listeners without embellishment, offering what truly lives in their hearts.
The hosts of the evening were Lidiya Vashchilina and Vladimir Mysin, who created a warm and trusting atmosphere in which each song sounded like a confession, and every word found a response in the hearts of those present.
Authors and performers of their own works included: Roman Dzhulay, Artur Tsipan, Filipp Dragnev, Veniamin Protsyuk, Oksana Polishchuk, Sergey Zubchenko, Vasiliy Kadoshnikov, Pavel Ostapenko, Alexey Semeryuk, Alexander Fomenko, Vladimir Mysin, Nadezhda Garkusha, Lidiya Vashchilina, Dmitriy Uzun, Vyacheslav Mikhalchuk, as well as the group “Khvala” (“Praise”).
Each performance was accompanied by live instrumentation, giving the songs special depth and authenticity. Galina Mistyuk (violin), Gennadiy Vashchilin (guitar), and Pavel Ostapenko (button accordion/bayan) provided spontaneous instrumental support for the participants. The hall was filled with a silence rich in attentiveness, a prayerful spirit, and gratitude to God. Many listeners noted that the evening became a spiritual experience for them, not merely a musical event.
The evening demonstrated that original Christian songwriting is alive, in demand, and essential, and that the live-sound format restores music’s true power—the ability to touch the soul.
This event became the first step on a long path toward organizing the Festival of Original Christian Hymns in California. Even now it is clear: it has a heart, a voice, and a blessed future.
The evening was marked by remarkable diversity: different genres, varied performance styles, and unique vocal timbres created a cohesive yet vibrant and richly colored soundscape. From lyrical, prayerful ballads to dynamic hymns of praise, each song had its own character, mood, and spiritual message, making the evening especially profound and memorable.
One of the participants, Vasiliy Kadoshnikov, blessed each participant with a small jar of honey. The church also arranged fellowship over a cup of tea after the service.
A recording of the creative evening can be viewed at the following link:
https://youtu.be/Iphv3AuVozU
Lidiya Vashchilina
