SaddleBrooke Freethinkers is proud to have Doctor Anastasiia Gordiienko of the College of Humanities at the University of Arizona speak on “The Underworld Song in Russia: From the Slums to the Kremlin” on Sunday, February 13 at 10 a.m. at the MountainView Ballroom with coffee social at 9:30 a.m. Masks are mandatory.
Over the last few centuries, underworld music repeatedly and successfully has adapted to changing sociopolitical situations in Russia. As a result, a paradox has emerged: underworld music (called shanson in Russia) currently is being acknowledged and utilized by the Russian government, and yet, is still linked to criminal culture. This talk examines the symbiotic relationship between the shanson and the Kremlin: the reciprocal relations between the genre and Putin’s regime that sometimes take grotesque forms, such as police officers performing the emblematic criminal song about a gang murdering a traitor on national television; underworld, heavily argotized songs performed on the State Kremlin Palace stage; or Putin shedding a tear during a shanson band performance. In short, in today’s crime-ridden Russia, the underworld song has found an officially approved home. Such a paradox may be illuminated, if only in part, by the specific nature of Putin’s cultivated public persona.
Anastasiia Gordiienko holds a Ph.D. degree in Slavic Literature, Film, and Cultural Studies from the Ohio State University (2018). Her interests are in the intersection of Russian politics, history, culture, and identity. Her monograph (forthcoming 2022, The UW Press) covers the progression of the shanson (Russian underworld music) from a subcultural expression to a commercially successful vein of contemporary music and also delves into some manifestations of a paradoxical quid pro quo synergy between the shanson and Putin’s politics.
SaddleBrooke Freethinkers provides a forum for the responsible search for truth and meaning in understanding and solving human problems by apply science and reason. We believe that tolerance, compassion, equity and civility should characterize interactions among people and organizations. We strive to achieve these goals through meetings, lectures and discussions.
SaddleBrooke Freethinkers meetings are held at the MountainView Ballroom on Sunday mornings with coffee social starting at 9:30 a.m. The program begins at 10 a.m. For dates and subjects go to our website at SBFreethinkers.wordpress.com. If the meeting is on Zoom, it will be only available to paid members.
You can become a member of the SaddleBrooke Freethinkers for $15 per calendar year. This fee includes all lectures and other Freethinkers events like the book club and social events. Lecture program runs Jan-Apr and Oct-Dec. Lectures are open to all SaddleBrooke residents and their guests as space is available. Non-members are encouraged to make a $4 donation to defray costs. Attendees are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items or cash donations for the Tri-Community Food Bank.
For questions, please email us at saddlebrookefreethinkers@gmail.com.
