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Yulya Sings Russian and Gypsy Songs

Yulya
Album cover for the release Yulya Sings Russian and Gypsy Songs.

This Monitor album contains previously unreleased demos from Russian chanteuse Yulya, recorded in her apartment on a home tape machine and released in 1966, a year after her death. Among the selection of Russian popular songs are several that express the sorrowful plight of the Romani (gypsy) people of Russia. Liner notes, written by her husband, former American diplomat Thomas P. Whitney, include brief background information about Yulya and lyrics in Russian and English.

*Content Advisory: While some Roma have and continue to use “Gypsy” as a self-identifier, many consider the term offensive or a racial slur. Romani people are a minoritized ethnic group in Europe who have been persecuted for centuries, and the term “Gypsy” has been used in violent and racist ways. For more information, see these resources from the European Roma Rights Centre, RomArchive, and Amnesty International.
- Anna Kate Cannon, 2021–22 Dumbarton Oaks Fellow at SFR, and Dr. Adriana Helbig, professor of Music at the University of Pittsburgh, contributed to the research and writing for this statement.
For our policy on controversial recordings, please see our Frequently Asked Questions page.

Track Listing

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101
Yulya
02:14
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102
Yulya
01:59
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103
Yulya
02:52
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104
Yulya
02:59
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105
Yulya
03:11
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106
Yulya
02:37
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201
Yulya
02:16
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202
Yulya
01:28
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203
Yulya
02:18
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204
Yulya
02:05
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205
Yulya
02:13
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206
Yulya
02:55