Banning Russian Art
From Temnikova to Lisitsa.
This one comes unexpectedly. But it's just been announced - in parts of the media blocked in the west - that the fierce freedom fighter Zelensky is going to ban all forms of Russian art, including music. He's already banned all political parties save his own. He's not yet banned Cyrillic, but he's banned the Russian language, meaning you cannot speak Russian in his lovely country. Now comes music and art.
Tough times ahead? But the west will fall in lockstep to be sure. Here's what happens in such case. (If you encounter any difficulties accessing these clips, it could be because steps are already being taken, so try a VPN instead.)
1. Mama Luba
This was a huge international hit. This clip alone has 75 million views, and there are countless copies floating around on YouTube for, all total, several hundred million more. The raven-haired lass on the left is Elena Temnikova who's gone onto have quite the solo career.
2. The Cuckoo
Sung by Russia's perhaps most celebrated popular female vocalist. This is from the movie Battle for Sevastopol which was a blockbuster in Mother Russia. Note this clip has 238 million views. Too bad. Soon gone.
3. Woody Guthrie
Gander and geese. Gotta stop this one too. Note the key lyric 'and the Russians fight on across the Don'. The Don is the river in the Donbass in the Ukraine. (Donbass is 'basin of the Don'.) Donbass is where the subhumans live. Generous estimates are that 1.5 million residents have to be 'eliminated' as they're useless (even though this is the most profitable part of the country) and as they're also ethnic Russian (and therefore subhuman). Oh well.
4. Battle for Sevastopol
The full movie. Yes, a 20th Century Fox production. Stars Yulia Peresild, one of Russia's foremost actresses. She's the one who went up to the ISS to star in the first-ever feature film in 'outer space'. This was a YUGE blockbuster in Russia. It's a true story to boot. The heroine was a personal friend of Eleanor Roosevelt who brought her over to the US on a tour.
5. Leonid & Friends
Leonid's Russian. Some of his musicians are Ukrainian. Leonid loves the music of the group Chicago. There was no sheet music available anywhere, so he meticulously transcribed the parts for all the instruments. Leonid & Friends are regarded as one of the top three groups on YouTube and they regularly tour the US. But, alas, they're subhuman too.
6. Valentina Lisitsa
Valentina is a wonder. Too much cannot be said about her. But her misfortune is she was born to Russian and Ukrainian parents in Kiev. So she's part subhuman too, even though she's the best classic pianist ever.
Hitler burned books. Redneck DJs burned Beatles records. The Greeks banned the letter 'Z'. (And so did Zelensky - don't laugh.) Now it's come to music.