Back in the U.S.S.R.: Russian Popular Music in the Times of Military Censorship

Abstract

The article deals with the field of popular music in Russia in the aftermath of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 focusing on the changing public perception and governmental response towards musicians who have taken an anti-war stance. It also documents and examines the efforts of state ideologists to create a patriotic music scene that could silence dissenting voices. The framework used juxtaposes contemporary tactics with Soviet-era practices of policing popular music. The music market in post-Soviet Russia has received relatively little attention among scholars. Following the trajectories outlined in the study of this area by (Biasioli 2023, Kryzhanouski 2022, Kukulin 2021, Wickström, Steinholt 2009), the paper offers a critical analysis of the current official discourse on Russian popular music. It examines the work of modern music censorship, which has emerged as the primary mechanism governing the Russian popular music market since the full-scale invasion began.