Uploaded January 2023 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
At her best, Ada Yukasheva (Ада Якушева, 1934 - 2016), Yuri Vizbor's first wife, was a great Soviet bard with novel ideas. Although lacking the dynamism and range of her better-known contemporaries, she excelled at both love songs and meditations on nature. This (truncated) performance of "Other Cities" is one of her best-known compositions. Notice how, although inspired by a Russian poem, she ends up using one of its phrases ("I don't believe in...") in a more daring and interesting way than Aleksandr Tvardovsky uses it. It also manages to say more, word for word, than the original source material.
Watch our translated playlist of the best Soviet bard music: youtube.com/watch?v=YqmUe_MeXGU
Read our in-depth examination of Russian bard music: automachination.com/russian-bard-soviet-poet-century-tradition
If you found this video useful, support us on our Patreon page and get patron-only content: patreon.com/automachination
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Google Podcasts: bit.ly/3dSQXxJ
Amazon Music: amzn.to/2SVJIxB
Podbean: bit.ly/3yzLuUo
iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L
Read more from the automachination universe: automachination.com
Read Alex Sheremet’s (archived) essays: alexsheremet.com
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Tags: #russianmusic, #lyrics, #russianlanguage
Russian & English lyrics:
Становятся помехою другие города -
Опять друзья разъехались неведомо куда.
По-прежнему упрямо я пытаюсь угадать -
Какие эти самые другие города?
Друзья, те больше сведущи и знающи, видать.
Насильно не поедешь ведь в другие города.
Но разве только заживо, без всякого труда
Умеют привораживать другие города?
Пока друзей размеренно развозят поезда,
То верю, то не верю я в другие города.
Там, может, ветры влажные, а, может холода...
Увидеть бы однажды мне другие города!
Становятся помехою другие города,
Опять друзья разъехались неведомо куда.
Прости, не знаю имени, но это не беда,
Возьми меня, возьми меня в другие города!
Other cities become a barrier,
Again friends scattered who knows where.
As before, I stubbornly try to guess:
Just what are these other cities?
Just what are these other cities?
You see friends more knowledgeable and experienced.
But you can't force yourself to travel to other cities.
Is it simply that they exist with no effort
Other cities are able to so captivate?
Other cities are able to so captivate?
As trains take friends away in orderly fashion,
I believe, then don't believe in other cities.
There may be humid winds, or maybe cold...
If only I could see other cities, once!
Other cities become a barrier,
Again friends scattered who knows where.
Sorry, I don't know the names, but that's nothing:
Take me, take me to other cities!
Take me, take me to other cities!
At her best, Ada Yukasheva (Ада Якушева, 1934 - 2016), Yuri Vizbor's first wife, was a great Soviet bard with novel ideas. Although lacking the dynamism and range of her better-known contemporaries, she excelled at both love songs and meditations on nature. This (truncated) performance of "Other Cities" is one of her best-known compositions. Notice how, although inspired by a Russian poem, she ends up using one of its phrases ("I don't believe in...") in a more daring and interesting way than Aleksandr Tvardovsky uses it. It also manages to say more, word for word, than the original source material.
Watch our translated playlist of the best Soviet bard music: youtube.com/watch?v=YqmUe_MeXGU
Read our in-depth examination of Russian bard music: automachination.com/russian-bard-soviet-poet-century-tradition
If you found this video useful, support us on our Patreon page and get patron-only content: patreon.com/automachination
Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: spoti.fi/3xw2M4D
Apple Podcasts: apple.co/3wLpqEV
Google Podcasts: bit.ly/3dSQXxJ
Amazon Music: amzn.to/2SVJIxB
Podbean: bit.ly/3yzLuUo
iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L
Read more from the automachination universe: automachination.com
Read Alex Sheremet’s (archived) essays: alexsheremet.com
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/automachination
Tags: #russianmusic, #lyrics, #russianlanguage
Russian & English lyrics:
Становятся помехою другие города -
Опять друзья разъехались неведомо куда.
По-прежнему упрямо я пытаюсь угадать -
Какие эти самые другие города?
Друзья, те больше сведущи и знающи, видать.
Насильно не поедешь ведь в другие города.
Но разве только заживо, без всякого труда
Умеют привораживать другие города?
Пока друзей размеренно развозят поезда,
То верю, то не верю я в другие города.
Там, может, ветры влажные, а, может холода...
Увидеть бы однажды мне другие города!
Становятся помехою другие города,
Опять друзья разъехались неведомо куда.
Прости, не знаю имени, но это не беда,
Возьми меня, возьми меня в другие города!
Other cities become a barrier,
Again friends scattered who knows where.
As before, I stubbornly try to guess:
Just what are these other cities?
Just what are these other cities?
You see friends more knowledgeable and experienced.
But you can't force yourself to travel to other cities.
Is it simply that they exist with no effort
Other cities are able to so captivate?
Other cities are able to so captivate?
As trains take friends away in orderly fashion,
I believe, then don't believe in other cities.
There may be humid winds, or maybe cold...
If only I could see other cities, once!
Other cities become a barrier,
Again friends scattered who knows where.
Sorry, I don't know the names, but that's nothing:
Take me, take me to other cities!
Take me, take me to other cities!
