The rockers' lament

UNESCO Courier, March, 1991 by Aleksandr Sokolansky

Rock is more than music, it's a way of life," said Boris Grebenshikov, a leader of the Russian rock movement in the 1980s-a time when most Russian rockers were well acquainted with poverty, underground existence and persecution.

Rock music became assimilated into Russian culture between the late 1960s and the late 1970s, when it was perceived as bearing a dynamic and attractive image of Western civilization. To listen to this kind of music or to play in a rock group was a relatively safe form of dissidence.

In the early days even the most rudimentary equipment was in short supply, and for rockers access to a stage or concert hall was difficult. Singing to guitar accompaniment in private apartments became a tradition which is still widespread today. The movement was strongly influenced by such immensely popular poets and songwriters as Vladimir Vysotsky, Bulat Okudiava and Aleksandr Galich. Rock lyrics, rich with social and political meaning, are usually more important than the music itself.

Russia's rock generation belonged to a culture of dissatisfaction, disillusion and frustration. "We know a new dance, but we have no legs. We went to see a new film, but they suppressed it," sang the Leningrad group Aquarium, expressing all their resentment at a way of life which disgusted them but seemed unchangeable.

In the early 1980s the rock generation established close contact with young post-avant-garde artists, poets, film and theatre directors. They lived and worked in the same underground atmosphere conducive to an active exchange of ideas. In this period rock music grew into a unique and original phenomenon of Russian culture. Tastes were shaped by such groups as Aquarium, Kino, and Zoo, whose lead singer Mike Naumenko included both traditional rock 'n' roll and captivating ballads in his repertoire.

Popularized clandestinely and through the samizdat press, Russian rock gradually established itself as authentic modern folklore. It mocked official light music and came into direct confrontation with the cultural establishment of an authoritarian society. The repressive campaign that was launched against rockers in 1983 wrecked many lives but failed to crush the rapidly developing movement. By the mid-1980s the rock movement was still working underground but it had already developed a production network and a recording industry.

In the mid-1980s the social climate relaxed somewhat, giving rise to a new wave of optimism. Perhaps the world had still not changed for the better, but people had at least acquired a certain freedom in their relations with it. The new frame of mind was characterized by a spirit of solidarity and a desire for action. Rock music rapidly evolved a less aggressive, more thoughtful philosophy.

Then, at last, it came out into the open. Rock records were issued, mass concerts were held, television programmes were devoted to rock music, and groups toured the country. Paradoxically, however, legalization of rock music was followed by a period of decline. In a more open society, rock ceased to be a universal language of communication between non-conformist youth. Many intellectuals also lost their enthusiasm for it. Perhaps Russian rock was capable of anything except becoming just another art form. The new generation wants soft drinks; rock is too strong a brew.

Nevertheless, a few Russian rock groups are entering the 1990s with confidence. The most prominent among them is DDT, whose lead singer Yuri Shevchuk claims he is ready to meet any challenge. Perhaps the swan song of Russian rock has not yet been sung.