This Ain’t No Disco

Some schoolchildren thus learned about the existence of Time Machine and DDT.

The Telegram channel Caution, Moscow, citing the parents of students as it sources, writes that a blacklist of artists whose songs are forbidden to play during school disco parties has been distributed in Moscow schools. The list includes artists who have spoken out against the special [military] operation, and some of them have moved abroad.

In the screenshot posted on the Telegram channel, the section is titled “Forbidden music.” In addition to Zemfira and Valery Meladze, it features several dozen artists, including Morgenshtern,* Oxxxymiron, Aquarium, Boris Grebenshchikov, B2, Face, Noize MC,* Little Big, Ivan Dorn, Vera Brezhneva, and Svetlana Loboda. However, the list does not replicate the list of “undesirable” artists that was published in the media this past summer. In any case, Monetochka is not on [the new list].


“Thematic disco parties. We’re going to be holding thematic disco parties quite soon. Every class has a theme. The head boys and head girls of each class should chip in 10 tracks (identifying which class it is). But let’s not forget that the music has to be danceable. Forbidden music: Morgenshtern, Noize MC, Manizha, Oxxxymiron, Nogu Svelo, DDT, Time Machine, Louna, Aquarium, Valery Meladze, B2, Face, Zemfira, Little Big, 2Mashas, Alekseev, Max Barskhikh, Vera Brezhneva, Boris Grebenshchikov, Anacondaz, Nerves, Kasta, Alone in a Canoe, Okean Elzy, Ivan Dorn, Dorofeeva, Svetlana Loboda, Monatik, Potap & Nastya Kamenskikh. There must be no mention of alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, narcotics, or adult content [in the songs]!”


According to the parents, the list of banned artists was delivered to the head boys and head girls of classes, who are in charge of the musical program at the New Year’s dance parties. “The children reacted normally. They said, ‘Well, no means no.’ They asked questions about who DDT and Time Machine were and what they sang. But they did want to listen to Morgenshtern,” the parents said.

The [Moscow] Department of Education told Moskvich Mag that they “did not restrict schoolchildren in their choice of music, did not make stop lists, and did not identify performers who were not desirable to feature at events.”

* Has been placed on the Justice Ministry’s list of “foreign agents.”

Source: “Zemfira and Meladze: blacklists of artists for discos issued in Moscow schools,” Moskvich Mag, 15 December 2022. Translated by TRR

Russia’s Musical Blacklist

Vera Musaelyan (Aloe Vera) is one of the pop musicians on Russia’s black list.

Fontanka.ru has come into possession of a list of musical performers whose performances in Russia were allegedly considered undesirable. According to our information, the document has been circulated among promoters.

Some of the musicians on the list have, in fact, had difficulties organizing concerts since the start of the special military operation (due to their public stance on it), while others have simply left the country. The list was provided to us by one of the musicians who found themselves on the stop list.

Fontanka.ru contacted a number of concert organizers. Although they admitted having heard about the list, most of them refused to continue the conversation. One of our sources, however, confirmed that the list was authentic. But he clarified that the list was amended and supplemented daily. However, even without it, “all producers know perfectly well” which musicians they can work with and which they cannot.

We publish the list in the form (including peculiarities of spelling) in which it was submitted to us:

  • rap artist Noize MC (Ivan Alexeyev)
  • rap artist Oxxxymiron (Miron Fyodorov)
  • DDT (soloist Yuri Shevchuk)
  • Time Machine (soloist Andrei Makarevich)
  • Aquarium (soloist Boris Grebenshchikov)
  • Kasta (soloists Vladislav Leshkevich, Mikhail Epifantsev, Andrei Pasechny)
  • B2 (soloists Alexander Uman, Yegor Bortnik)
  • Accident (soloist Alexei Kortnev)
  • singer Zemfira (Zemfira Ramazanova)
  • singer Valery Meladze
  • Dmitry Spirin (ex-soloist of the band Cockroaches)
  • Anacondaz (soloists Artem Khorev, Sergei Karamushkin)
  • Louna (soloist Lusine Gevorkyan)
  • Pornofilms (soloist Vladimir Kotlyarov)
  • Nogu Svelo (soloist Maxim Pokrovsky)
  • Krovostok (soloist Anton Chernyak)
  • Elysium (soloist Dmitry Kuznetsov)
  • 2MASHI (soloist Maria Zaitseva)
  • singer Manizha (Manizha Sangin)
  • singer Monetochka (Yelizaveta Girdymova)
  • singer Grechka (Anastasia Ivanova)
  • rap artist Face (Ivan Dremin)*
  • rap artist Morgenshtern (Alisher Morgenshtern)*
  • IC3PEAK (soloists Nikolai Kostylev, Anastasia Kreslina)
  • Little Big (Ilya Prusikin, Sofia Tayurskaya)
  • singer Vasya Oblomov (Vasily Goncharov)
  • rap artist Ligalize (Andrei Menshikov)
  • singer Dora (Daria Shikhanova)
  • Aloe Vera (soloist Vera Musaelyan)
  • singer Musya Totibadze (Maria Totibadze)

* Deemed a “foreign agent” in Russia.

Source: Fontanka.ru, 7 July 2022. Thanks to Marina Varchenko for the heads-up. Photo, above, courtesy of Then24. Translated by the Russian Reader

“He is adored by women and respected by men”

He has been called one of the last romantics of the Russian variety stage, a performer with a gorgeous vocal range and a rare timbre. He is adored by women and respected by men.

In his more than twenty years as an artist, Valery Meladze has won many variety stage competitions and prestigious awards in the world of popular music. Valery Meladze is currently one of the ten most popular Russian performers.

Valery, as always, remains true to himself, behaving freely and sincerely towards the viewer. He delights everyone with his pure and unique singing, giving his fans warm feelings and endless emotions, and receiving in return loud applause, grateful smiles, and the sincere, sensual, loving eyes of the audience.

Source: Bileter.ru. Translated by the Russian Reader