On This Day, May 21, 1979…
Elton John became the first western act to play the former U.S.S.R., when he kicked off a four-night stand at the Bolshoi Oktyabrsky (Great October) Concert Hall in Leningrad.
On This Day, May 21, 1979: Elton John becomes first western act to play U.S.S.R
May 21, 2026 | 11:15 AM
After the opening night concert, Elton was reportedly asked to tone down his show and refrain from playing a cover of The Beatles’ “Back in the U.S.S.R.,” but he continued to keep the song in his set.
The Leningrad shows were followed by four shows in Moscow at the Rossiya Concert Hall, with the final night broadcast live in Europe by the BBC.
Songs played during the shows included “Your Song,” “Daniel,” “Rocket Man,” “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” and more.
The concerts were recorded for a documentary, To Russia… with Elton, that featured footage from the final Moscow show.
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