I. Elizabeth Rives- Russian Olympics
II. Fallon O'Malley- Rap & Politics
III. Ryan Klopp- “My game could have been better”- Russian chess prodigy stuns World Champion
IV. Rodrigo Arias- Molchat Doma
V. Undra Tsend- Diversity in Rap
VI. Pavel Parkhimovich- Discussion with Sasha Orlova
Russian Olympics
Elizabeth Rives
As a sophomore during my first year at William & Mary who was taking RUSN 304, I was able to participate in the 2019 Russian Olympics. The first-year Russian language students played Russian Jeopardy, the second-year students performed scenes in Russian, and the third-year students had debates in Russian. As a third-year student, my group, including myself, and 2020 RPSS graduates Catherine Green, Alexa Medina, and Kayla Shirley, argued that Catherine the Great would be the ideal mate for Vladimir Putin. We argued that they would have a lot more in common than other candidates, such as Baba Yaga. I'm looking forward to the remote 2021 Russian Olympics this year. I wish we could host them in an auditorium again with the entire department!
Here are some slides from our winning debate:
Compatibility:
(slide by:) Kayla S., Matchmaker and Strong Witch
Astrology (Signs):
Catherine (Taurus);Putin (Libra)
Both under the sign of Venus
Common Hobbies:
They love horses and to annex Crimea
Baba Yaga:
Good Candidate?
No!
Scorpio? Terrible!
Beautiful? No!
City? <---> Forest?
Putin does not want to be in a long distance relationship!
Rap & Politics
Fallon O'Malley
Rap has been an increasingly popular genre among the Russian youth since the fall of the USSR. Artists from the region, such as Husky, FACE, Noize MC, and Oxxxymiron have not only advanced rap and hip hop music as an accepted artform in Russia, but have also been able to project political and cultural messages through their music. The impact of the hip hop and rap genres have been widespread due to the desire for people to have a social outlet. This is especially important for the youth because it allows them to express themselves and spread social awareness about the issues that are important to them to their communities. Finding common experiences and frustrations with life is a great opportunity for connection. Not surprisingly, people begin to realize that they aren’t alone and can find a sense of belonging with these artists or fellow listeners. Across the board, the environment and experiences of each rapper is integral to their voice and expression, which translates directly into their choices of content and lyrics. Rap continues to lend a widespread following by the Russian youth because the messages resonate. Further, social networking has allowed a new generation of artists to emerge, who are actively shaping contemporary culture and are beginning to utilize this outlet as a possible vehicle for change.
Political opinions transmitted through music and other forms of art is not a new phenomenon. For instance, the famous femenist group Pussy Riot would use punk rock performances as a form of political protest beginning in the early 2010s and have now built up an expansive following online from their activism. Mobilization potential is an important effect of music on political culture. A member of the group Pussy Riot explained in a recent interview in February that “It’s not a music band, it’s a movement.” This sort of movement is a direct use of music for protest, whereas rap artists today primarily use indirect forms of dissent by the offering of their opinions. These opinions happen to touch upon political subjects and people can choose to listen to them or not. Political expression through music is also a global activity. This can be seen in past and present American rap music, for instance. Moreover, there is no discrimination when it comes to content and this is seen all over the world.
Today, Russian rap artists are specifically facing increasing censorship and scrutiny by the Kremlin. In 2018, this became a forefront issue, as fears of anti-government rhetoric led to the cancellation of over 30 concerts and official performances by government officials. Efforts of the Russian government to divert the narrative and control widespread dissent can also be seen in the promotion of certain artists. Pro-Kremlin rappers, such as Timati, continue to release new state-sponsored content in an effort to divert attention from oppositional artists. In fact, one of Timati’s tracks entitled “Москва” received 1.4 million dislikes shortly following its release on YouTube, making it the most disliked Russian-lanugage video on the site. Although Russian officials have tried to inhibit anti-government expression through rap, it hasn’t halted the reach or activity of the industry. Much like any system of expression, rap will continue to make a mark by “raging against the machine,” even if it has to retreat underground for a period.
Цитаты:
Нью-Йорк Таймс. 2019. Русская Молодежь Нашла Рэп. Кремль Обеспокоен. [online]
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/21/arts/music/russia-rap-hip-hop.html
Хьюман Райтс. 2019. Россия: Цензура музыки молодого поколения. [online] Вотч https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/02/28/russia-censorship-younger-generations-music
Медуза. 2019. Проправительственная мелодия двух рэперов стала самым ненавистным российским музыкальным видео, которое когда-либо публиковалось на YouTube. [online] https://meduza.io/en/shapito/2019/09/09/just-an-awful-song
“My game could have been better”- Russian chess prodigy stuns World Champion
Ryan Klopp
Magnus Carlsen is inevitable. Since claiming the title of World Champion in 2013, the Norwegian legend has been universally regarded as not only the strongest chess player in the world, but one of the greatest of all time. Perhaps the most impressive part of his reign is that, in perhaps the world’s most mentally strenuous sport, he seems to only be getting better with age- indeed, he recently set a record by going unbeaten for over two years (July 2018- October 2020). This level of dominance at the game’s highest level of competition is just as historic as it sounds. But when 18-year-old Andrei Esipenko met him at the 2021 Tata Steel Masters, often nicknamed “the Wimbledon of Chess”, that changed. Esipenko decisively beat Carlsen, and while he didn’t win the tournament, the man who might just be Russia’s brightest young prodigy has officially arrived on the world stage.
When interviewed after his victory, Esipenko could barely believe it himself, commenting that "I think it's one of the best days in my life…I still can't get it. Maybe tomorrow I will realize it, that I won." Renowned commentator Peter Doggers called it perhaps the biggest upset of Carlsen’s reign as World Champion, and among the biggest in all of chess in the last decade. Prior to his game against Esipenko, Carlsen had not lost to a player rated below 2700 (generally considered the threshold for World Championship contender status) since 2015, and had lost to a teenage opponent only twice in his eight-year reign.
What comes next for the young prodigy? It’s too early to say, but his fame has skyrocketed among Russian chess fans and even among the general public, with several mainstream media outlets interviewing him upon his return to his home country. One thing is for sure — Russia hungers for a new champion of her own, having gone fourteen years without the title, the country’s longest drought since 1927. Esipenko has solidified his place as one of Russian chess’ true stars, and as perhaps his country’s greatest hope of once again bringing the crown home to Moscow.
Sources:
https://www.chess.com/news/view/2021-tata-steel-chess-tournament-round-8
https://www.vesti.ru/article/2521306
Molchat Doma
Rodrigo Arias
I am a very picky music listener. In the past year, I have only added 3 new bands to my regular playlist. One of those bands is Molchat Doma— a Belarussian Post-Punk Rock band whose sound is reminiscent of Joy Division and Kino. The band’s lineup consists of Egor Shkutko (vocals), Roman Komogortsev (guitar, synthesizer, drum machine), and Pavel Kozlov (bass guitar, synthesizer). The trio began releasing music in 2017 and since then have toured all across the former Soviet Union as well as the rest of Europe.
Molchat Doma’s songs tend to be very melancholic and gloomy. They dwell on the not-so-great situation in their home country as well as the harsh realities of life. In Obrichen—a track on their latest album Monument, a man is telling someone, possibly a lover, that they’re tired of loving themselves and that they want to be embraced but they know they are forever doomed to heal their wounds alone. This dark tone combined with the track's incredible danceability makes Molchat Doma a staple in the Russian Doomer subculture. In recent times, it's become a meme on Tik Tok where angsty teens use the band’s music to evoke ‘Soviet Vibes’ as said by Pitchforks’ Cat Zhang. Some people have criticized Tik Tokers for romanticizing Post-Soviet suffering. Despite the meme status, I recommend everyone to listen to Molchat Doma because in addition to the good tunes, the band’s music allows for a bit of insight into young Belarussian life.
Source:
https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/how-belarusian-post-punks-molchat-doma-became-a-tiktok-meme/
Diversity in Rap
Undra Tsend
Having done my fair share of listening to fantastic Russian music and songs curated by Russian-speaking artists, I have come to find and appreciate a certain niche that I’ve particularly enjoyed and continue to derive inspiration from. While doing my homework, cooking, running, and et cetera, I consistently shift towards rap and pop artists, namely Jah Khalib and Alihan Dze, both Russian-speaking artists who have made waves in the rap industry.
Bakhtiyar Mamedov, known professionally as Jah Khalib, is a Kazakh-Russian singer and rapper signed under both SBA Production and Warner Music Group. His songs Leila and Medina, with the latter remaining my most favorite in regards to melody and music video production, have garnered millions of plays and views on various entertainment platforms such as Youtube and Spotify. In his early childhood, he attended a music school and played saxophone while growing his fondness for rap. As his career skyrocketed with each album release, Jah soon became known not only in Kazakhstan and Russia but also in other post-Soviet countries.
Alihan Dze, a Buryat rapper based in Russia, is signed under ERHYME Production and produces music in both Russian and Buryat languages, effectively gaining fans from all over Russia, Central Asia, and Mongolia, respectively. Alihan is an underground hip-hop artist and his music videos have garnered millions of views on Youtube, namely the song “Mend Amar” (a form of greeting in the Mongolian language) which celebrates Buryat culture, traditional garment, and strong community. While producing songs domestically, he has attracted the attention of international artists and has worked with them. With a presence on Youtube, Soundcloud, and Spotify, all it takes for more success is for people to pay attention to the cultural and artistic creativity stemming from these (and more) talented rappers. In general, these two artists have changed my perception of culture and music in general, which increased my knowledge and appreciation for the increasingly diverse Russian music.
Discussion with Sasha Orlova
Pavel Parkhimovich
I talked to Sasha Orlova about what she has been doing over the past year and this is her story:
Sasha Orlova was a Russian fellow at W&M in 2019. However, after the pandemic began in late 2019, Sasha’s experience at W&M ended by the summer of 2020. The pandemic certainly became an unprecedented time for everyone including Sasha and other International fellows that had to adjust to the new norm. Sasha also was offered an opportunity to work with Professor Sasha and Lena Prokhorov’s on Putin’s Russia Through Cinema course. During her stay in the U.S., Sasha realized that she did not have a lot of time left to stay in the U.S so she used her time wisely by traveling to places such as New Orleans, and Los Angeles to visit some of her friends and exploring new places.
Afterward, Sasha took her repatriation flight back to Moscow from Los Angeles. Once Sasha arrived in Moscow, she visited Saint Petersburg to see her family and friends a few times. However, most of the time she stayed in Moscow, where most of her friends and family live. Sasha was also looking for a job once she returned to Moscow but was briefly teaching Russian online during the pandemic at Herzen State University alongside her professors.
She applied to work in Singapore as a Russian teacher. She sent all of her documentation and went through the interview process of acquiring the Russian teacher position. Sasha was very interested and determined to work in Singapore. She put a lot of effort into contacting the University and applying for the position itself. One of her students at W&M even recommended that she should apply for this position. Sasha received her letter of acceptance in August to work in Singapore.
Sasha is now in Singapore under quarantine for two weeks due to strict COVID-19 regulations that everyone must follow. She is planning on starting her job in mid-February teaching Russian to elementary school students as well as adults from 18-80 years old. People in Singapore wish to study Russian for various reasons and some enjoy it as a hobby. Others learn the language for professional purposes, such as diplomats or people who work in the business field.
Sasha is driven towards working in Singapore compared to Herzen State University because of the diversity of students that Singapore offers. Sasha loves trying new things and learning about different cultures which made her decision very easy among her other options. She is ready to adapt and learn much more in-depth about Singapore’s culture. Sasha will miss her friends and family, but she adapts to her environment well and is looking forward to getting more work experience for her career and aspiration to pursue her Ph.D. in the future.