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Family of Mstislav Rostropovich marks 85th anniversary of his birth

An exhibition titled "Vishnevskaya-Rostropovich at the confluence of their fate" will be held at the Glinka museum of music culture

MOSCOW, March 27 (Itar-Tass) —— The family of world famous cellist and prominent public figure Mstislav Rostropovich have visited his grave in the Novodevichye Cemetery in Moscow on Tuesday. Widow of Russia's First president Boris Yeltsin Naina Yeltsina joined the family to pay homage to the outstanding person and musician.

Friends, colleagues, numerous people who admired Rostropovich brought flowers to his grave. "The more years pass the closer my father becomes to me," said daughter of the celebrated musician Olga Rostropovich. "The telephone has been ringing incessantly since early morning. During a rehearsal my father seemed to be in the concert hall. He continues to draw his friends and fellow thinkers to stay by his side," Olga Rostropovich said.

An international music festival named after Mstislav Rostropovich is opening at the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatoire tonight. The Rostropovich festival, which is third in succession, will be held on a particular large scale this year. Concerts dedicated to Mstislav Rostropovich will be held in cities and countries, which cherish the memories of the celebrated maestro and which were dear to him - St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Saratov, Orenburg, Voronezh, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, France, Great Britain.

A monument to Mstislav Rostropovich, which will be unveiled in Bryusov pereulok in Moscow on March 29, is going to be the most important event of the festival. The monument was designed and built by sculptor Alexander Rukavishnikov and architect Igor Voskresensky.

 An exhibition titled "Vishnevskaya-Rostropovich at the confluence of their fate" will be held at the Glinka museum of music culture. On display are documents from Rostropovich' personal archives, his numerous awards, photographs, music sheets and other unique exhibits.