Ok, this may sound a bit surprising, but do you know that it was Russians who actually invented hip-hop?
Back in the 18th century Russian villages witnessed the birth of a new genre called "Chastushka" (a short verse or a song). The content of these songs is usually quite explicit and sometimes even vulgar, but always funny. The strange thing is that this genre enjoys a huge popularity among old people in Russia today and you can still witness them gathering in city parks. They dance, sing, get together and basically freak out in a positive way.
The way Chastushka works is astonishingly similar to freestyle MC and breakdance "battles", except that there's an accordeon and folk singing involved. Usually, old women (Babushkas) gather together in a tight circle, put an accordionist (a man = Dedushka) on the side, and start moving and clapping rhythmically to his music. They encourage any two people to come in the middle of the circle for a competition of wits and dance. And once any two Babushkas come out, they invent a short song (Chastushka) and shout it one after the other.
Back in the 18th century Russian villages witnessed the birth of a new genre called "Chastushka" (a short verse or a song). The content of these songs is usually quite explicit and sometimes even vulgar, but always funny. The strange thing is that this genre enjoys a huge popularity among old people in Russia today and you can still witness them gathering in city parks. They dance, sing, get together and basically freak out in a positive way.
The way Chastushka works is astonishingly similar to freestyle MC and breakdance "battles", except that there's an accordeon and folk singing involved. Usually, old women (Babushkas) gather together in a tight circle, put an accordionist (a man = Dedushka) on the side, and start moving and clapping rhythmically to his music. They encourage any two people to come in the middle of the circle for a competition of wits and dance. And once any two Babushkas come out, they invent a short song (Chastushka) and shout it one after the other.
21/03: Way to Russia on MySpace!
Check out the new Way to Russia page on MySpace: www.myspace.com/waytorussia
Feel free to add us to your Top Friends or at least give a link to your 15-year old son if you are not into MySpace stuff :-)
But wait.. no... don't give him a link because there's some inappropriate content in our blog there and our profile song is even worse... :-)
Feel free to add us to your Top Friends or at least give a link to your 15-year old son if you are not into MySpace stuff :-)
But wait.. no... don't give him a link because there's some inappropriate content in our blog there and our profile song is even worse... :-)
The recently released Forbes Rich List has Russia ranked in third place in the world for most number of billionaires, behind the USA and Germany. But the combined $282 billion wealth of Russia’s 53 billionaires outstrips the collective fortune of their German counterparts. The highest ranked Russian is Roman Abramovich whose personal fortune of $18.7 billion places him at number 16, five places lower than last year.
There was a tradition in the Soviet Union to paint the walls of houses with some propaganda-like images. Usually these images depicted glorious events, such as revolutions, demonstrations or huge construction sites, like this one here from Barnaul (Siberia):
Having served their purpose in the past, they are still an attractive sight to a passer-by. But what happens when state-sponsored graffiti artists let their inner vision out in the modern Russia?
Having served their purpose in the past, they are still an attractive sight to a passer-by. But what happens when state-sponsored graffiti artists let their inner vision out in the modern Russia?
