The oligarchs also know how to save
Yuri, in Ukraine you were a successful producer, the king of parties, and you ran show business. But leaving money and an apartment there, they moved to Russia. Wasn’t it scary to leave everything, without knowing in advance how we would end up here?
Yuri Bardash: I didn’t drive, I walked. In the truest sense of the word – on foot across the border. You can say, nowhere – no one invited me and did not meet. But I knew it was my homeland. Did you know what I would do? Yes, because we have an information war going on and there is a cultural front. And I can help with my skills and experience. That’s why I tried to come to Russia as soon as possible.
And why did the Ukrainian authorities suddenly inflame with hatred towards you?
Yuri Bardash: I was in Batumi and posted a video on my social media page, which was watched by many people. He expresses his position on what Zelenskyy and his team are doing. And in the morning, a friend calls me: “Yura, are you in Georgia? Leave quickly. Soldiers of the Georgian Legion have been sent for you from Ukraine to kidnap you and take you to Kiev.” I packed my things.
A friend of mine in Georgia said to me: “Well, where are you going, Abkhazia is there! And illegally, with a Ukrainian passport!” And the other explained, “You go straight down the street to McDonald’s, there you’ll be greeted by two people.” Really met. Also, they were speaking in a language I didn’t understand, all I could guess was their faces. And I had the feeling that everything was fine. I’m coming. There’s a thorn, I’m met by guys with huge necks that can’t be tightened. A day later, I’m in the villa of an oligarch. There is also a swimming pool. Then they take me somewhere else…
But Lera Kozlova, who was my artist, helped me the most, remember the Ranetki group? Or rather, her husband, whom I had never seen before. Everything was like in a movie. Soon I was taken to the border of Abkhazia with Russia. And I was worried: how will everything turn out, I don’t know anyone and I have a Ukrainian passport ?! But the border guards saw that I had a residence permit in Lugansk, greeted and wished: “Have a good stay!”
You have been trying to change the game for a long time, living in Ukraine, making videos about Donbass, trying to influence Zelenskyy and his followers. Did you really believe it would help?
Yuri Bardash: Yes, I put secondary meanings in the video, although maybe I acted unconsciously. Because if I had the first bombs on Donetsk and Lugansk, in 2014 or 2015, if I had at least 10% understood then what was happening, then I would have left for Russia and fought from here . During those years, Ukrainian artists were no longer allowed to travel to Russia, as soon as you start preparing, they immediately began to stigmatize and threaten. Families were also intimidated. But I played with the group “Mushrooms”, the state did not help us, they did not show us on TV, we were “self-garding” – therefore, they did not particularly criticize us there. ‘era.
You have seen it from the inside: why has the attitude towards Russia deteriorated so rapidly even at the household level?
Yuri Bardash: I understood that we pushed the authorities to the bone: we sing in Russian, we travel everywhere. In addition, many read my posts on social networks. And they were all red. Because I am a Soviet person. And he showed it all the time in Ukraine.
Stars have learned to make money and they don’t care about people anymore. After all, are they so good?
And people started to turn away. Even though I only talked about what bothered me. That Russian schools were closed, that everyone urgently fell in love with “Ukrainian sovereignty”, not paying attention to how Russian speakers – most of the country – feel. But they quickly “Ukrainized”, raised funds for the ATO: “Ah, Crimea was taken from us …” Hatred of Russia became the norm, and no one was allowed to doubt it.
Again, Moscow does not believe in tears. And now what?
How were you received in Russia?
Yuri Bardash: When I went to you, I thought they respected me here, they know that. The situation invigorated me, because by nature I am a soldier. When I arrived they even threw away the money for a taxi. A producer calls me and invites me to visit, and I answer: “Come on, but if you pay me the road.” At first, a friend let him live, he has an apartment in a house on the Kotelnicheskaya embankment – where the song “Dark Night” was written. Now I can rent a house myself.
After all, I’ve always lived like this: if you do the right thing, you don’t have to doubt and think about what’s going to happen next. All you have to do is move in the chosen direction and everything will line up as it should.
Do Russian show business people help you?
Yuri Bardash: We know that Moscow does not believe in tears. I am known in musical circles in Russia. Say, there is such a Yuri Bardash, a little out of this world. But effective! Achieve successful projects. I’ve had a lot in 15 years, it’s true. And now, when I found myself in Moscow, everyone wanted to look at me like an animal (smile). But I went to see everyone. Max Fadeev even wrote on social media: “Bardash, are you in Moscow? Come visit!” Such was the public support. But at the same time, impossible to say that I kiss everyone here, of course. Moscow has its own customs. Everyone wants to use you. How to say?! They may give you a fish, but never bait so you can fish yourself. Either cut it yourself or get down on your knees. Moreover, you are from Ukraine.
Have you thought about turning around and starting again?
Yuri Bardash: No, I’m talking about something else. People accepted me. The state, represented by people engaged in culture in Russia, too. And I’m happy to have been heard and to have had the opportunity to work. Here, we made a documentary film about the musicians of Donbass: “The Sound of My Region”. This is very important to me, this is what I am now proud of. But I won’t forget the week I spent in the Donbass. The whole team that accompanied me to these shoots is in shock. Especially Muscovites.
Those who only swim in bathtubs
More details from here.
Yuri Bardash: I am convinced that we must now let the Donbass musicians speak. It is important to reveal the potential of people who are still little known. Especially when part of our “elite” fled the country. And I, with the artists, on the contrary, decided to go to the border regions. And no tickets. I don’t understand how tickets can be sold now? ! All money should go to help SVO. We have already done four concerts: in Belgorod, Pskov and two other cities. Vitaly Gogunsky (also born in Ukraine, in Kremenchug) and Yevgeny Serebryansky traveled with me. They sang the songs of Dneprov and Zykina. They also sang her famous song “Motherland”.
Naive question. If some of these songs are heard in Ukraine, maybe Russia will be treated better?
Yuri Bardash: No one will hear anything there. They installed a dome. There was such a good girl Soyana, the Ukrainians loved her and she tore up the halls there, but she also left for Russia. And they banned his songs. Yes, there people went mad from fierce commotion. Everyone: 18, 60 – same! Because if someone wants to live, he has to adapt. There is probably only 1% of those who can think freely, and for self-preservation reasons they are usually silent. And we can’t do anything about it right now.
But we have something to do: to develop Russian culture and ours – the Russian designer. Many artists were still making money from their songs. And what do we expect of these people today? Did they read books, did they learn anything? No, they went with the flow or sat in hot baths. They looked at what was trending in the West, what kind of music was coming into fashion, and they themselves became a product of Western civilization. It makes no sense now to blame them, to stigmatize them, to ridicule them. But should something be done?
What a SHAMAN can’t handle
Yes, during the Great Patriotic War, culture also worked for Victory.
Yuri Bardash: And she worked very hard. For us, it is not yet as it could have been. Well, yes, Tsyganova and Gazmanov are fighting. And a few others. But where, for example, to work with young people? Rappers are popular with us, the same Guf. But what does this have to do with youth development? As a father myself, I just don’t get it: for 10 years he’s been reading leads about how someone dumped him again. And there is nothing else there. I’m not saying let’s sing songs for the homeland. No, nobody canceled the second meanings and nobody likes songs “on the forehead”. But there is nothing there. And that’s a conscious tactic of the artists, although now, when the time for the “H” has come, I think that’s no longer possible.
Well, what about SHAMAN, Chicherina? ! Do you think they don’t inspire young people to think about challenge and meaning these days?
Yuri Bardash: No way. Chicherina influences me. But I am already 40 years old. And it affects fighters in the NWO zone. And, of course, not for the peaceful listeners of “pop eaters”, consumers of charts. Yes, it is clear that she goes through all the pain. And people sitting in bars with a glass of wine, watching his experiments, argue: “Well, look, Chicherina is completely stale there …” There is a completely different world! And SHAMAN is not a youth movement either. Yes, it pumps massively well. But this is absolutely not common. I won’t say a single bad word about him. Even if I wanted to criticize. There’s a CBO, and it’s doing its job. But we have to create 100 other artists and put them on equal footing with SHAMAN. However, all of our concert halls are now occupied by completely different music. Whereas we have capitalism in show business. And the fact that now our guys are fighting for all of us in the NWO doesn’t concern the capitalist producers at all. These people are full of fat and do not want to change anything. It’s depressing.
Yeah, and directors are shooting something else, and composers don’t always respond to challenges.
Yuri Bardash: Maybe it’s because there is little patriotic work done with the company? Yes, there is Vladimir Solovyov on television, there are others. But they too have spoken little to young people over the past 10 years. And the stars of show business have long learned how to make a lot of money, because they no longer care about the people themselves. As well as the authors of hits. Why, if they – successful people – and so everything is fine?!
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