Dmitry Sitkovetsky: Keeping the Flame

Dmitry Sitkovetsky
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Soviet Russia. The 1970s. A young violinist from a renowned musical family flees his homeland in search of freedom. This is the story of Dmitry Sitkovetsky — a family memoir, a portrait of the Russian intelligentsia, and a journey through music and exile.

Episodes

  1. Chapter I: The Son Of

    EPISODE 1

    Chapter I: The Son Of

    In this episode, Dmitry revisits his childhood – the first sounds of music in his mother’s womb, the early loss of his father and an audition with a prominent violin teacher.   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dsitkovetsky/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dmitrysitkovetskyThreads: https://www.threads.com/@dsitkovetsky Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dmitrysitkovetsky/Website: https://www.dmitrysitkovetsky.com This episode was produced by Libo/Libo: https://libolibo.me/

    21 min
  2. Chapter II: The Great Russian Violin School

    EPISODE 2

    Chapter II: The Great Russian Violin School

    This chapter takes a behind-the-scenes look at a system that produced countless talents. Dmitry recalls his experiences with Soviet musical training.  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dsitkovetsky/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dmitrysitkovetskyThreads: https://www.threads.com/@dsitkovetskyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/dmitrysitkovetsky/Website: https://www.dmitrysitkovetsky.com This episode was produced by Libo/Libo: https://libolibo.me/

    18 min
  3. Chapter III: Beating the Soviet System

    EPISODE 3

    Chapter III: Beating the Soviet System

    Dmitry paints a portrait of a Brezhnev-era child’s double life: acting the part of model pioneer in front of teachers and rebelling the moment authority’s back turned — seeking out forbidden writers, music, and ideas.   This episode asks: How do you navigate a society where authority controls every facet of life? Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dsitkovetsky/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dmitrysitkovetskyThreads: https://www.threads.com/@dsitkovetskyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/dmitrysitkovetsky/Website: https://www.dmitrysitkovetsky.com Episode cover: a fragment of a photograph from the Central Music School in Moscow, 1961–1972. This episode was produced by Libo/Libo: https://libolibo.me/

    22 min
  4. Chapter IV: The Guru

    EPISODE 4

    Chapter IV: The Guru

    A determined search for alternative lifestyles and opinions in the Soviet Union led the almost-18-year-old Dima to meet a man who presented himself as a spiritual guru, and  became a kind of father figure to him. What followed was an 8-year-long, deeply twisted relationship. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dsitkovetsky/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dmitrysitkovetskyThreads: https://www.threads.com/@dsitkovetskyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/dmitrysitkovetsky/Website: https://www.dmitrysitkovetsky.com This episode was produced by Libo/Libo: https://libolibo.me/

    24 min
  5. Chapter V: The Escape

    EPISODE 5

    Chapter V: The Escape

    A first-hand account of escaping Soviet Russia — complete with diversion, persuasion, and a whole lot of chutzpah. This episode was produced by Libo/Libo: https://libolibo.me/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dsitkovetsky/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dmitrysitkovetskyThreads: https://www.threads.com/@dsitkovetskyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/dmitrysitkovetsky/Website: https://www.dmitrysitkovetsky.com This episode was produced by Libo/Libo: https://libolibo.me/

    19 min
  6. Chapter VI: The First Ten Days in New York

    EPISODE 6

    Chapter VI: The First Ten Days in New York

    Dmitry arrives at JFK International Airport and is immediately swept up in the whirlwind of artistic New York: Juilliard, auditions, and scraping together enough money to survive in the city. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dsitkovetsky/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dmitrysitkovetskyThreads: https://www.threads.com/@dsitkovetskyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/dmitrysitkovetsky/Website: https://www.dmitrysitkovetsky.com This episode was produced by Libo/Libo: https://libolibo.me/

    13 min
  7. Chapter VII: Becoming a Westerner

    EPISODE 7

    Chapter VII: Becoming a Westerner

    Dmitry remembers his firsts — first car, first movie, first concert. This episode is a reflection on the events that reshaped one refugee’s Soviet mindset. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dsitkovetsky/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dmitrysitkovetskyThreads: https://www.threads.com/@dsitkovetskyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/dmitrysitkovetsky/Website: https://www.dmitrysitkovetsky.com This episode was produced by Libo/Libo: https://libolibo.me/

    23 min
  8. Chapter VIII: Two Brothers

    EPISODE 8

    Chapter VIII: Two Brothers

    Once there were two cousins. They were like salt and pepper. One had dark hair; the other was blond. One practiced the violin, while the other preferred the guitar. One left the country and started from scratch in the West; the other stayed in the USSR and pioneered Soviet art rock. They hadn’t spoken to each other in years, until they finally reunited. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dsitkovetsky/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dmitrysitkovetskyThreads: https://www.threads.com/@dsitkovetskyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/dmitrysitkovetsky/Website: https://www.dmitrysitkovetsky.com This episode was produced by Libo/Libo: https://libolibo.me/

    21 min
  9. Chapter IX: Bach

    EPISODE 9

    Chapter IX: Bach

    Dmitry explores the structure and content of this extraordinary work. Bonus story: how he spent the best two months of his musical life in the virtual company of Glenn Gould and J.S. Bach. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dsitkovetsky/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dmitrysitkovetskyThreads: https://www.threads.com/@dsitkovetskyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/dmitrysitkovetsky/Website: https://www.dmitrysitkovetsky.com This episode was produced by Libo/Libo: https://libolibo.me/

    16 min
  10. Trailer: Keeping the Flame

    11/21/2025

    Trailer: Keeping the Flame

    Dmitry Sitkovetsky is a Soviet-born violinist, transcriber, and conductor. In this series, he revisits his journey from a privileged musical upbringing within an oppressive society to the new life he forged as an émigré. Through his reflections — and the music that shaped him — his story unfolds against the backdrop of the cultural and political currents of the late 20th century. https://www.dmitrysitkovetsky.com/ This podcast was produced by Libo/Libo: https://libolibo.me/

    2 min

Trailer

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Soviet Russia. The 1970s. A young violinist from a renowned musical family flees his homeland in search of freedom. This is the story of Dmitry Sitkovetsky — a family memoir, a portrait of the Russian intelligentsia, and a journey through music and exile.

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