rock music in late Soviet literature

[Mark Yoffe]

Indeed rock music is almost untouched in Soviet period literature.
Vladimir Rekshan, former leader of one of Leningrad's earliest rock bands Sankt Peterburg touches upon rock in many of his later novels. See particularly his Kaif polnyi (1990). His earlier book Tretii zakon Niutona (1986) surprisingly almost does not touch upon rock at all.
Rock is mostly just mentioned in Soviet literature, if acknowledged at all. Aksenov, indeed is the only one who calls it by its real name, acknowledges the phenomenon, and describes related youth movements, such as hippie thing (particularly in his strangely daring for mid 70s V poiskakh zhanra). He also mentions rock in Ostrov Krym.
Yuri Trifonov mentions rock music in Predvaritel'nye itogi, but calls a rock band a "bit gruppa." And generally seems to be suspicious about the whole thing. 
Older generation of Soviet writers (excluding Aksenov) even the ones realistic or critical about the Soviet regime, still mostly viewed rock music as a "questionable" if not to say utterly negative phenomenon. Which was quite in line with Soviet official party line on the subject (expressed passionately by Kuniaev and Mikhalkov). That's why there is almost no mention of it in Soviet literature, as well as there is almost no mention of youth subcultures, counterculture and such. Even Vladimir Tendriakov, who wrote deeply about youth, shies away from the subject. As to emigre and underground writers of the period, it is another story, but still there is surprisingly almost nothing on the subject, except for Limonov's acknowledgement of his familiarity with rock music, and his professed love for it.

----- Original Message -----
From: A Smith <Alexandra.Smith at SHEFFIELD.AC.UK>
Date: Tuesday, December 12, 2006 10:09 pm
Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] rock music in late Soviet literature
To: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU


> --I was just wondering if anyone knows of any Soviet fiction
>  >from the 1970s or 1980s (or even 1990s), that explicitly deals
>  >with rock music or rock musicians. ---
>  
>  Dear Dunja,
>  
>  Although your question was about fiction, you might be interested to 
> know about
>  Viktor Krivulin's long poem dedicated to Kurekhin "Kontsert pamiati Kurekhina"
>  (1997):
>  
>  
>  All best,
>  Alexandra Smith
>  
>  Alexandra Smith (PhD, University of London)
>  Lecturer in Russian,
>  Department of Russian and Slavonic Studies,
>  University of Sheffield, UK.
>  
>  -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>   Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
>    options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
>                      
>  ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------