THE OTHER RUSSIA:
Music And The Disaffected Youth
By Trevor K. McNeil
Mother Russia
Russia is a different kind of place. It boasts the world’s largest land mass. It is the only place that stopped an invasion by both Napoleon and Hitler. It is also one of the most insular nations in the world. Significantly it is a Slavic language. It has it’s own unique alphabet derived from Cyrillic script for Old Church Slavonic. It is also functionally unilingual, the vast majority of Russians, unless they have lived or were educated elsewhere, speak only Russian.
No Discord
It would be tempting to say “The Russians” in the grand narrative sense, it is however, far more accurate to say the Russian government, which is itself divided and distinct. To the point that there are technically two people in charge at any given time. Quite apart from the political sphere, there is also the everyday civilian dimension in which most people live. While there are certainly many who fall into line with Putin’s way of thinking, either naturally or because they have been swayed by propaganda, there are many who do not. Which really only stands to reason, it being a statistical impossibility that in a country of hundreds of millions that the majority would completely, or even strongly, agree with those in power.
Give Me Music
One of the lesser known aspects of Russian culture is its large and diverse music scene. One of the most popular genres is a modern incarnation of Russian folk music. Some mix it with elements of rock music, like the infectiously catchy and usually upbeat Otava Yo. Others are more traditional like Igor Resteryaev who sticks to accordion and vocals, in a style that can veer from the pensive to the goofy depending on the song.
Punk on the Olga
Punk has played a major part in Russian music culture since the1980s, when things started to really go south for the Soviet Bloc. Pioneers like DK, Sektor Gaza and Distemper, laying the groundwork for current bands like Pussy Riot.
Folk Metal
Russian music also has its hybrids. One of the most popular of these is Folk Metal. Another intentional blending of traditional and modern, combining heavy guitars and drums with traditional Russian instruments such as the accordion, the lute and various types of hand drum. The vocals tend to be female, usually mixing clean tones with some surprisingly deep growls such as Arkona. Others are more melodic such as Grai, with blended clean female vocals. Typically there are two vocalists, one of whom also plays traditional instruments against a modern, Heavy Metal backdrop.
Similar Timelines
The most telling aspect of modern Russian society, oddly, is found in its youth culture and the rise of what is is referred to as “disaffected youth.” Russia has seen many of the same youth subcultures as the West, on roughly the same timeline; including Hippies starting in the late-1960s and Punks kicking off in the early 1980s. The primary exception to this is Goth. Goth, while starting in the late-1970s did not manifest in Russia until after Putin came to power. Though the most pertinent subculture, in terms of taking the Russian society as a whole is the Gopniki.
Gopniki
Gopniki is the most salient and longest-lasting of Russia’s youth subcultures. The group comprises mostly of uneducated, urban males up to 30 years old. The group has certain similarities with British Chavs, including copious alcohol consumption, mostly consisting of cheap domestic beer. One of the most notable things about the Gopniki is their fashion sense, generally consisting of dress shoes, a flat cap and a black-market knock off of an American name-brand tracksuit, particularly Nike. There are few better metaphors for the state of modern Russia than this. A group of young people playing at indulging American-style capitalist excess while, in reality, only being able to afford a cheap imitation of it.
