The Sokolovsky gypsy choir (Russian "Соколовский хор") was founded by Count Orlov-Chesmensky in the 1770s who called on Ivan Sokolov, leader of the Roma among his serfs, to perform at his estate outside

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

. The enslaved Roma people were granted their freedom in 1807, and Sokolov became the first in a dynasty of Roma choir leaders. The choir performed at the prestigious Yar restaurant in Moscow ("Соколовский хор у Яра"). When his descendant Grigory Sokolov died leadership passed to Nikolai Shishkin.ЛЕГЕНДА О СОКОЛОВСКОЙ ГИТАРЕ (старинная цыганская легенда)
(По книге "Сказки и песни, рожденные в дороге: цыганский фольклор", составители: Е. Друц и А. Гесслер) Главная редакция восточной литературы изд-ва «Наука», г.Москва 1985г. Many staples of the Russian traditional ''romans'' song have Roma origins.

Leaders of the choir

* Ivan Trofimovich Sokolov (Иван Трофимович Соколов 1740s-1807) patriarch and founder of the choir. * Ilya Sokolov (Илья Соколов) * Grigory Sokolov * Nikolai Shishkin

References

Russian choirs Romani musical groups Romani in Russia 1770s establishments in the Russian Empire {{Europe-band-stub