‘Moscow, Cheryomushki’ is an operetta in three acts by Dmitri Shostakovich. It is sometimes referred to as simply ‘Cheryomushki’ which is a district in Moscow full of cheap subsidized housing built in 1956. The word is also commonly used for such housing projects in general. The satirical plot dealt with a topical theme geared to one of the most pressing concerns of urban Russians, the chronic housing shortages and the difficulties of securing liveable conditions. The work was completed in 1958 and received its premiere in the capital on 24 January 1959.
Shostakovich compiled an orchestral suite with music from the operetta. Dutch arranger Jos van de Braak transcribed three of these movements in a suite for Symphonic Band: ‘A spin through Moscow’, ‘Waltz’ and ‘Dances’.