No stranger to social singing at celebrations such as weddings, family parties, and gatherings, Polina grew up in a home where songs were frequently sung at table after eating borsht and drinking homemade wine. Her grandfather, a veteran of the second war played bayan (button accordion) and her mother, a professional singer would often sing for hours while Polina listened with the hungry ears of a child, learning deeply rooted traditions throughout her childhood years. As she grew up and learned the repertoire and trade, she was chosen by her mother to be her accompanist, often taking overnight trains to far reaches of the Steppes, to play to dark theatres with wildly responsive audiences.

Polina’s Russian Song repertoire covers Russian romances from the 19 Century, Tchaikovsky, Glinka, Alabyev to folk: lyric and epic songs, ritual calendar songs for pagan holidays, exorcism and sibylline song, circle dances, wedding songs, weeping songs all with correct attention to history and style.

Her training at Kazan State Conservatory gave her an academic perspective and the skills to arrange Russian Folk Song for classical choir (SATB). She has sung her arrangements of Russian Folk Songs all over the Former Soviet Union, Europe and the Americas including solo song and

Polina is a highly experienced song workshop leader. She has taught at international seminars in London, St Petersburg, Paris, Kiev, Kazan and many other European cities, also with the Natural Voice Practitioners Network in the UK. She regularly teaches in Brighton and is an Artist representative for the Brighton Sacred Music Festival.