"Vdol po Piterskoy" (, "Down the Piterskaya Road") is a song created by Russian singer Feodor Chaliapin based on Russian folk songs.
Shalyapin created the song by combining three folk songs. It consists of two melodically distinct parts. The first one combines yamshchik's song ëÃÂôþûàÿþ ÃÂøÃÂõÃÂÃÂúþùû:
and the folk dance song ëÃÂþ ÿøÃÂàñÃÂûðû. The second, fast-paced part is based on the dance chastushkas of Volga Region ëÃÂÃÂüÃÂÃÂúðû.
Vladimir Gilyarovsky, a Russian journalist and writer, devoted a chapter of his book Moscow and Muscovites to the song.
Later that expression became a catchphrase meaning âÂÂto do something in plain sightâ (to ride, to fly, etc.). Nikolai Dobronravov, a Russian poet, used the phrase in his song "You know what a guy he was" dedicated to Yuri Gagarin.
In fact, there was no such Piterskaya Street; It was a colloquial reference to the Tverskaya-Yamskaya street ("Tverskaya yam road"), now Tverskaya Street
Some works of such composers as Tchaikovsky or Stravinsky contain themes based on ëVdol po Piterskoyû.
The song was further popularized by the Alexandrov Ensemble. It also appeared in the repertoires of Yuri Gulyayev, Leonid Kharitonov, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Sergei Lemeshev, Vladimir Matorin, and Muslim Magomayev.