"Valenki" is a Russian-language traditional song.
It is commonly known as a Russian folk song [1] and is strongly associated with Russian folk singer Lidia Ruslanova, who presented her version with a new melody during World War II. She sang it at every concert, including on the steps of the Reichstag on 2 May 1945. [2] [3]
The earlier version belonged to the genre of Russian "gypsy dance song" [2] and was thought to originate "somewhere in gypsy camps". [4] Among the performers had been Nina Dulkevich , [2] gypsy singer Nastya Polyakova, [2] and "Queen of Russian Romance" Izabella Yurieva. [5] In fact, Nastya Polyakova is credited as the author on her 1913 gramophone record. [4]