Uploaded December 2022 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Although much of Russian music tends to be a dated copy of Western fads, a big part of this playlist represents the tradition of Soviet bard music. Developing after the Khrushchev Thaw, it was recorded on bootlegs and tapes to be passed around without the permission of the authorities. Many Russian bards were working-class people with minimal musical training.
Our in-depth look at 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’s (archived) essays: alexsheremet.com
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/automachination
Timestamps:
0:00 – Yuri Vizbor – You Are My One – Юрий Визбор – Ты у меня одна – looks askance at love.
02:15 – Ada Yakusheva – In The Stony River – Ада Якушева – В речке каменной - the first wife of Yuri Vizbor, she had similarly unconventional songs of romantic longing.
03:55 – Vladimir Vysotsky – Tattoo – Владимир Высоцкий – Татуировка – the earliest song from one of the best Russian bards, its lyrics and construction were unexpected.
05:56 – Mikhail Lermontov – I Go Out On The Road Alone – Михаил Ю́рьевич Лермонтов – Выхожу один я на дорогу – a classic poem made better through a choral arrangement by the Sretensky Monastery Choir.
09:48 - Yuri Vizbor – Khamar-Daban – Юрий Визбор – Хамар-Дабан – a taut, poetic song which uses Russian inflection to build up and subvert expectations.
11:41 - Ada Yakusheva – Other Cities – Ада Якушева – Другие города – a song about separation, abstract longing, and unfamiliarity.
13:32 - Vladimir Vysotsky – A Stranger’s Rut – Владимир Высоцкий – Чужая колея – a clever song on the difficulty of breaking through habits and ruts.
17:07 - Viktor Tsoi – Kino – Star By The Name of Sun – Виктор Цой - Кино - Звезда по имени Солнце – although a very uneven band, Viktor Tsoi’s Kino still had a handful of classics.
20:50 - Yuri Vizbor – Winter Song – Юрий Визбор – Зимняя Песня – one of Yuri Vizbor’s best-written songs, capturing the logic of Russian winter.
22:35 - Ada Yukasheva - May Avalanches Pass You By - Ада Якушева - Да обойдут тебя лавины - another love song with an edge.
24:28 - Vladimir Vysotsky – Song About A Friend – Владимир Высоцкий – Песня о Друге – tackling the question of genuine versus superficial camaraderie.
26:21 - Yanka Dyagileva – My Sorrow Is Bright – Янка – Печаль моя светла – a very brief song that knows exactly what it wants to say, then stops, making it that more effective than most songs of similar topics.
27:18 - Yuri Vizbor - A Guy From Kentucky - Юрий Визбор - Парень из Кентукки - sardonic song from 1955 offering a Russian perspective on America.
29:20 - Yuri Entin – The Marvelous Far-Away – Юрий Энтин – Прекрасное Далеко – composed for a children’s film.
32:51 - Ada Yakusheva – My Friend Draws Mountains – Ада Якушева – Другие города – Мой Друг Рисует Горы – a clever twist on Russian nature songs.
34:37 - Vladimir Vysotsky - Song About A Wild Boar - Владимир Высоцкий - Песня о дикого вепря - a humorous song which shows off Vysotsky's more performative chops.
37:17 - Oleg Gazmanov – Squadron – Олег Газманов - Эскадрон – although most of his music devolves into bad pop and regime propaganda, Gazmanov’s “Squadron” is a classic which perfectly captured the end of the Soviet Union.
40:38 - Yuri Vizbor - A Hand Shot Up - Юрий Визбор - Взметнулась вверх рука - an excellent song about the intoxication of meetings and departures.
42:00 - Stenka Razin’s Song – Ой, то не вечер – a Cossack folk song dating back to the 1800s (perhaps even earlier) about an anti-imperial Cossack fighter who sees a disturbing dream.
46:36 - Alexander Gorodnitsky – Atlantes (Atlases) – Атланты – Александр Городницкий – a song about the statues in front of the St. Petersburg Hermitage Museum.
48:23 – Vladimir Vysotsky – I’ve Had Forty Last Names – Владимир Высоцкий – У меня было сорок фамилий – another early Vladimir Vysotsky song, it deals with what the narrator feels will be “official” documentary oblivion, despite recognizing all that he’s earned.
49:46 – Alexander Alexandrov – The Sacred War – Александр Васильевич Александров - Священная война – although the most ham-fisted of the songs in this playlist, it still managed to become an alternate national anthem for the Soviet Union.
52:30 – Alexander Kushner – Times Aren’t Chosen – Александр Кушнер – Времена не выбирают – Gregory Gladkov performs a famous poem by Alexander Kushner on the nature of generations.
Tags: #russianmusic, #vysotzky, #lyricsvideo, #lyricssong
Although much of Russian music tends to be a dated copy of Western fads, a big part of this playlist represents the tradition of Soviet bard music. Developing after the Khrushchev Thaw, it was recorded on bootlegs and tapes to be passed around without the permission of the authorities. Many Russian bards were working-class people with minimal musical training.
Our in-depth look at 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’s (archived) essays: alexsheremet.com
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/automachination
Timestamps:
0:00 – Yuri Vizbor – You Are My One – Юрий Визбор – Ты у меня одна – looks askance at love.
02:15 – Ada Yakusheva – In The Stony River – Ада Якушева – В речке каменной - the first wife of Yuri Vizbor, she had similarly unconventional songs of romantic longing.
03:55 – Vladimir Vysotsky – Tattoo – Владимир Высоцкий – Татуировка – the earliest song from one of the best Russian bards, its lyrics and construction were unexpected.
05:56 – Mikhail Lermontov – I Go Out On The Road Alone – Михаил Ю́рьевич Лермонтов – Выхожу один я на дорогу – a classic poem made better through a choral arrangement by the Sretensky Monastery Choir.
09:48 - Yuri Vizbor – Khamar-Daban – Юрий Визбор – Хамар-Дабан – a taut, poetic song which uses Russian inflection to build up and subvert expectations.
11:41 - Ada Yakusheva – Other Cities – Ада Якушева – Другие города – a song about separation, abstract longing, and unfamiliarity.
13:32 - Vladimir Vysotsky – A Stranger’s Rut – Владимир Высоцкий – Чужая колея – a clever song on the difficulty of breaking through habits and ruts.
17:07 - Viktor Tsoi – Kino – Star By The Name of Sun – Виктор Цой - Кино - Звезда по имени Солнце – although a very uneven band, Viktor Tsoi’s Kino still had a handful of classics.
20:50 - Yuri Vizbor – Winter Song – Юрий Визбор – Зимняя Песня – one of Yuri Vizbor’s best-written songs, capturing the logic of Russian winter.
22:35 - Ada Yukasheva - May Avalanches Pass You By - Ада Якушева - Да обойдут тебя лавины - another love song with an edge.
24:28 - Vladimir Vysotsky – Song About A Friend – Владимир Высоцкий – Песня о Друге – tackling the question of genuine versus superficial camaraderie.
26:21 - Yanka Dyagileva – My Sorrow Is Bright – Янка – Печаль моя светла – a very brief song that knows exactly what it wants to say, then stops, making it that more effective than most songs of similar topics.
27:18 - Yuri Vizbor - A Guy From Kentucky - Юрий Визбор - Парень из Кентукки - sardonic song from 1955 offering a Russian perspective on America.
29:20 - Yuri Entin – The Marvelous Far-Away – Юрий Энтин – Прекрасное Далеко – composed for a children’s film.
32:51 - Ada Yakusheva – My Friend Draws Mountains – Ада Якушева – Другие города – Мой Друг Рисует Горы – a clever twist on Russian nature songs.
34:37 - Vladimir Vysotsky - Song About A Wild Boar - Владимир Высоцкий - Песня о дикого вепря - a humorous song which shows off Vysotsky's more performative chops.
37:17 - Oleg Gazmanov – Squadron – Олег Газманов - Эскадрон – although most of his music devolves into bad pop and regime propaganda, Gazmanov’s “Squadron” is a classic which perfectly captured the end of the Soviet Union.
40:38 - Yuri Vizbor - A Hand Shot Up - Юрий Визбор - Взметнулась вверх рука - an excellent song about the intoxication of meetings and departures.
42:00 - Stenka Razin’s Song – Ой, то не вечер – a Cossack folk song dating back to the 1800s (perhaps even earlier) about an anti-imperial Cossack fighter who sees a disturbing dream.
46:36 - Alexander Gorodnitsky – Atlantes (Atlases) – Атланты – Александр Городницкий – a song about the statues in front of the St. Petersburg Hermitage Museum.
48:23 – Vladimir Vysotsky – I’ve Had Forty Last Names – Владимир Высоцкий – У меня было сорок фамилий – another early Vladimir Vysotsky song, it deals with what the narrator feels will be “official” documentary oblivion, despite recognizing all that he’s earned.
49:46 – Alexander Alexandrov – The Sacred War – Александр Васильевич Александров - Священная война – although the most ham-fisted of the songs in this playlist, it still managed to become an alternate national anthem for the Soviet Union.
52:30 – Alexander Kushner – Times Aren’t Chosen – Александр Кушнер – Времена не выбирают – Gregory Gladkov performs a famous poem by Alexander Kushner on the nature of generations.
Tags: #russianmusic, #vysotzky, #lyricsvideo, #lyricssong
