One Man's Martyrdom Didn't End His Story or His Music

The 1930s were very difficult years for Christians in the lands of Russia. Thousands laid down their lives for their faith. Among these was Georgy (pron: Gay-or-ghee) Slesarev, first violinist of Moscow's prestigious Bolshoi Theater Orchestra.

They Could Not Stop the Music is the story of one believer who, rather than choosing to hide his faith and make life easy for himself, his wife and two children, chose to let his light shine in the midst of one of the darkest periods in history when being a witness meant, more often than not, martyrdom. But for this servant of Christ, hiding his faith was never an option because he saw his position in the world-renowned musical body as a direct assignment from God. He had been placed there to be His witness, which eventually led to Georgy's arrest and confinement in a Siberian Gulag. 

The twist in Georgy's story, however, is sparked by the opportunity he was given to return to his position with the orchestra and to his family. The condition: He would have to sign a document promising never to share about Christ again. Even though Georgy refused to sign the document and was subsequently executed, they tried but they could not stop the music.