The Grimly Beautiful Style of Russian Wartime Music
By SHAYAAN KASHIF
When you think of music genres, you probably think of pop, rap, rock, or jazz. You may even get a little more specific—something more zoomed in like country or classic rock. So it’s pretty fair to assume that most music reviews would be on some new song in one of these categories, especially if it introduces a new stylistic element to an old format. What most people probably wouldn’t think of in music genres, however, would be wartime music. However, wartime music, and specifically Russian wartime music, is a distinctive genre of music that is defined by several attributes that cause it to differ very heavily from most mainstream genres.
As opposed to music reflecting anti-war attitudes in the United States, which is often emphasized through more aggressive, frustrated, rock-influenced tunes, Russian wartime music exemplifies this anti-war attitude through melancholic folk and ballad songs. Through a combination of highly poetic lyrics with acoustic instrumentals, songs like “Gruppa Krovi,” “Summer is Ending,” and “Grey-haired Boy” lament the grim realities of war and the destruction of human livelihood that often accompanies them. They are pessimistic, and demonstrate the harsh circumstances that many soldiers have to accept to survive in combat. They are also ripe with longing and drip with the emotions of the singers, who eagerly await returning to their mothers and girlfriends. In this sense, Russian wartime music is special because rather than being written from the perspective of anti-war civilian protesters, it comes from the frontlines themselves.
Due to the colossal impact the Second World War—and later the wars in Afghanistan and Chechnya—had on the Russian mentality, the culture of the nation, and by extension its music, represents themes of loss, grief, and destruction heavily. For example, “Dark Is the Night”, a song by Nikita Bogoslovsky written in 1943, came to be a symbol of the Second World War (or Great Patriotic War) within the Soviet Union, even though it was condemned by the communist government for its pessimistic message. Later on, bands like Kino and Lubeh introduced post-punk themes into the genre in the 1980s, while still keeping the grassroots of the folk and ballad style that defines Russian wartime music. The result is music that is very vocal-heavy and can be played with simply an acoustic guitar, but still thrives with electric and synthetic sound integrated.
If nothing else, Russian wartime music is an interesting case study because it provides insight into the social attitudes of the Soviet Union immediately before its collapse. It encapsulates the feelings and opinions of many of those on the opposing side of the Cold War, humanizing them. Plus, the music is generally catchy, and even if you don’t understand Russian, it’s fun to listen to!