Dreams of Egor Letov

“Russian rock” became one of the most notable gravediggers of the USSR. It was, of course, a huge number of other factors that influenced the collapse of the red Empire. But “non-systemic opposition”, and hung Fennec imbued a previously unknown meanings, and clearly just prepared the youth of the Soviet Union to the idea that the Empire will fall – and nothing to worry about. But “non-systemic opposition”, which imbued a previously unknown meanings; and it clearly just prepared the youth of the Soviet Union to the idea that the Empire will fall – and nothing to worry about. They say it will only get better. So, no sooner said than done. And yes the results are there.

A crime without repentance

Mass culture as a way of shaping perception of the world by every single person is still undervalued in the theoretical developments of Russian scientists. It is Russian, because our Western opponents on the basis of different subcultures have long has developed a clever algorithm. Suffice it to recall the factory of football hooliganism – all countries with “orange” conflicts of “ultras” were equally as trouble-free operation. From Milosevic and to Yanukovych, even where football is not the main demand of the spectacle is everywhere at the right moment appeared ready for anything “ultras” who had consistently opposed the current government.

But before that there were other subcultures, they were different in form, but with the exact same, “anti-systemic” content. Outwardly very different, they could even be hostile to each other. But it didn’t change anything when it needs to be all together, in unison to maintain the power that our Homeland has acted on the principle of “Falling – push, push!” It was often done unknowingly. But the destructive effect was not smaller. And the most interesting – Soviet state have nursed their gravediggers, that is, “with hands”. We can say that the ideological system of the USSR made quite a conscious suicide.

It is clear that the deep ideological crisis of the Soviet society since “the dethronement of Stalin’s personality cult” developed long ago and in many directions simultaneously. The uncertainty that the system existing in the Soviet Union is proper and produced at all levels of mass culture, ranging from books and movies. Not in vain because the first dissidents had no relation to music. But it is the music of the counterculture wave, shaped in the form of “Russian rock” became one of the most effective tools in the decay of morals and the spirit. And where there are no goals, where younger generations do not see sense to protect the heritage of their fathers – there begins the entropy.

Very good this aspect was shown in the movie Karen Shakhnazarov’s “the Vanished Empire”, and after was called “Love in USSR”. Main characters of the film are the Soviet “Golden” youth, living in Moscow, being externally in the paradigm of Communist ideology, absolutely not interested in anything that could be useful for the country in which they live. Moreover, the entire Soviet gives them a soft rejection, but the real interests are albums by Deep Purple and Rolling Stones records “on bones”, partying and playing music in my own band. The real situation in the USSR of the Brezhnev period of “stagnation” was just that. It is not surprising that later, at the end of “perestroika” this generation without hesitation stepped into a different reality. And the consequences of this step, unfortunately, is still realized not all.

In the period of “perestroika” in many cities of the Union were established rock clubs, which included almost all groups, which eventually became a cult. The absurdity of the situation that unfolded in the framework of the activities of the Leningrad rock club, Sverdlovsk and fellow of the Moscow rock laboratory is truly worthy of the pages of anthologies. Judge for you: rock music is intensive business. Anyone who has ever tried to “cobble together”

the group knows how much money you need – purchase of tools, instruments, gadgets, and the cost of the recording process – all of this comes at a price. It is, in principle, and rightly so — if you want to abuse the power, be good, to do it “their own”. But in the USSR all was differently! “Kino” and “Nautilus”, “Aquarium”, “Alice” and many others, as full-time employees of the rock clubs not only received a salary from the state, they are still albums recorded at public expense, and after riding in the tour encompasses all the “hateful scoop.” And in every town they sang about that with this system, something wrong, and it was going to die soon. Entire stadiums were going to these shows. Not a paradox it? Imagine that you educate and keep the man who systematically produces incriminating materials. You know, you read the monthly updates on his activities and approvingly nod: “Well, keep it up”. It is clear that it is a systemic betrayal of the elites, the nomenclatures of the USSR, because the project “rock clubs” could not be achieved without the involvement of the state. It is also clear that many “borderless reformers” actually just didn’t know what they were doing. And problems in the Soviet system really there were enough; it was possible to criticize wittily and convincingly. But “system” could respond only to the already dead language of Marxism-Leninism. Well, at best, boring to wave the slogan “Glory to the CPSU”. In short: the fight was clearly unequal.

But after the collapse of the USSR in the period of the disgrace and poverty of Yeltsin’s Russia, has confessed to the crime, not all. Yes and the Russian state itself did not take lessons from history for the future: and now the ex-President Medvedev pompously, with TV, he meets his “favorite musicians,” Grebenshikov, Makarevich and others like them. Those, incidentally, who now first made against the return of the Crimea to Russia, and then began to sing songs of “heroes ATO” and personally to meet with junta leaders. This time consciously, because previous examples of the consequences of the dismemberment of the Soviet Union and the shelling of the Parliament in 1993 – should be enough to excess. Apparently, it’s not enough.

Siberian sourdough

All rockers, who later became legendary, in one degree or another “suffered from the system.” That they later, the same “system” is quite successfully used, it is accepted to speak as less. Most often it is a minor administrative hassles – Shevchuk, for example, was forced from Ufa to move to Leningrad; one of the musicians of “Chaif” Vladimir Begunova, was dismissed from a policeman. But all of this only adds to the heroic biography “fighters with a mode”, raises their status. And really severe persecutions were, perhaps, only part of the Siberian group “Civil defense”: after the release of the first album took them over the comrades from the SSC. As a result vocalist and undisputed leader, Yegor Letov, was sent on compulsory treatment in a psychiatric hospital. Ally Letov’s, Kuzma Ryabinov, despite contraindications, recognized as “fit” for military service and sent to Baikonur. And here we encounter another paradox generated by the interaction of the Soviet system and the counter-culture.

Thanks to the information campaign deployed by Sergey Letov, the older brother Yegor, he was released from the hospital. Then with redoubled energy he began to record the albums “overlay” by himself. That’s because of Siberian SSC took good care that none of his colleagues did not come close to the disgraced musician. Albums released “Civil Defense” in the period from 1985 to 1989 became the real example of anti-Soviet agitation. Frank, fierce, full of powerful sound, with frank and often unprintable lyrics they enjoyed incredible demand. The army of fans “CD” has grown by leaps and bounds. And suddenly – the USSR ceased to exist.

As Letov claimed that the texts written in the Soviet period were a reflection of horror from rigidity and slowness of the state machine. But, as time has shown, they in any case have not been imbued with the poison of hatred towards their own people and to their country, on the contrary. In the early 90’s at acoustic concerts Egor Letov began to sing patriotic and the songs of “demobilization”. In the albums it appears frank nostalgia for Soviet period. And it can hardly be attributed to the principle of “I will always be against”. Apparently, seeing the grin of the new system, Letov found the courage to do what but him was capable of a few – admit the error; it is best described in the phrase “were aiming at the USSR, and was shot in Russia.” Thus, “Civil defense” became the principal conductor of reactionary thinking. Because only Letov had the courage to dedicate a song to the defenders of the Government House in 1993, to join anti-Yeltsin’s and frankly quite adequate then the National Bolshevik Party, to write, in the end, the lines “See, rise from the knees, my homeland, I can hear my Soviet Motherland sing…”.

Musicians always have his fans behind them. Often they follow the idol without looking, and not really thinking, such is the essence of subcultures. But Letov those who followed him, brought up in a Patriotic camp. And for that, I think the Lord will forgive him a lot, perfect in rock’n’roll’s oblivion. Very Russian all this: sincerely hate it, sincerely repent, try to fix. Towards the end of his musical career Letov stopped making political statements. But albums which are really patriotic, reminiscent of the greatness of Motherland in spite of everything, it’s amazing have left many. One “Starfall” is worth.

Igor Fyodorovich Letov was born in September 1964, and died in 2008. But for some reason it does not work I have to submit it in the column “bellantonio” with Shevchuk and Makarevich. But singing on the barricades for the fighters of Novorossiya – it’s simple. I am sure that he would be with us now. After all, as he sang in his last album, “In a flame there isn’t a ford…”

The trap snapped

Rock movement has long lost its destructive power, giving way to a more energetic and popular subcultures. The remnants of rock-n-roll front behaved differently in the face of new challenges. Often, moving in inertial flows, the former rock gurus continue to find fault with their country, as before. They look petty and ridiculous. Pleasant exceptions to this rule are very few. Mostly people who have already visited with concerts in Donetsk and Luhansk: Vadym Samoylov from “Agatha Christie”, Julia Chicherina and even a few honest individuals.

However, the most consistent position in relation to the situation took another sincerely repentant musician Konstantin Kinchev. In one of his last interviews he said: “What to do? To support ours and to stand for them! Any governmental agency consists mainly of rogues, crooks and thieves, so choose not particularly… from whom. All the powers are the same. But! These are OUR crooks and thieves; they must be maintained in an acute situation of the country… When the whole world with maniacal persistence accuses Russia of all sins, when the whole world demands punishment for Russia, Willy-nilly, have to unite with the Power. With OUR one, not with someone else…” Here, perhaps, nothing to add.

Artem OLHIN