with the Finnish band Leningrad Cowboys in Helsinki, Finland where they performed on the Senate Square in front of 70,000 listeners, and in Berlin. In the German capital, the concert of the Leningrad Cowboys with the ensemble took place on the central Lustgarten and gave the former Red Army's farewell to Berlin and the whole Germany an optimistic overtone. The Finnish concert was made into a rockumentary Total Balalaika Show by film director Aki Kaurismäki. That year they also made a CD and played a concert with French singer Jean-Jacques Goldman. The ensemble and the Leningrad Cowboys performed "Sweet Home Alabama" at the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards. Today, the ensemble is led by Honoured Artist of Russia Vyacheslav Korobko, who has been leading it since 2003. Over the years, the ensemble has collaborated with many popular artists and producers including David Foster, Jean-Jacques Goldman and Steve Barakatt. Until 1969, the standard uniform for the ensemble choir, soloists and orchestra was the tunic and riding breeches. On 1 January 1970, this was changed to dress uniform, and there have been further variations to the dress uniform as used by the ensemble since 1970. Eurovision Song Contest 2009 In 2009, The Aleksandrov Red Army Choir took part in the Eurovision Song Contest when the contest was hosted in Moscow as part of a collaboration during the First Semi Final, Featuring The Red Army Dance Ensemble, Moscow Military Music School, Gipsy Theatre Roman as they performed some known Russian folk songs as they get joined by 2003 Representatives t.A.T.u who performed "Not Gonna Get Us" as the final portion of the interval act. 2016 plane crash On 25 December 2016, a Russian Defence Ministry Tupolev Tu-154 carrying 64 members of the Alexandrov Ensemble Choir went down off the coast of Sochi, Russia while en route to Latakia, Syria for a Christmas celebration with the troops deployed at Khmeimim military base. The plane crashed with no survivors. After 5 weeks, the choir was reformed anew in time for Defender of the Fatherland Day celebrations on 18 February 2017. That first concert in weeks marks also the birth of a new era for the Ensemble, with its first international tour following the crash with concerts not just in Russia but also in select European countries. Most of the new members joined through auditions held on 15 and 27 January 2017 by the Ministry of