Talk:Oleg Gazmanov

Untitled

The part about Gazmanov's concert in Lithuania is irrelevant (and so it was removed). Fermmyt (talk) 21:37, 5 March 2014 (UTC)

It got relevant with the EU sanctions. --2003:C8:473B:3400:1C61:C75F:A510:F06E (talk) 14:22, 19 July 2024 (UTC)

Made in the USSR

This song now has its own paragraph, and is relevant enough for it.

The song seems to be one of Gazmanov's most popular, which may be why in the press, it is quoted as an example for his "nationalism". This is dangerous. Everybody who makes a casual search for the song and reads the text (translation) will see that it is nostalgic, but neither "nationalistic" nor - due to the inclusion of problems of the USSR - unambiguously positive. It contains neutral things like "combine harvesters" or "construction work at the BAM (Baikal-Amur-Magistrale)" and also outright negative things often contrasting with the positives he just sang about (eg "Oligarchs and beggars, might and destitution").

While this may sound like a defence of the song, it most certainly isn't one of Gazmanov; his 2015 song "Forward Russia!" (1 year after the annexation of Krim) is extreme nationalism and should be the go-to song to prove his - current - status as a nationalist icon.

With the erroneous claim "Made in the USSR" was "nationalistic", collaborators can point to the text and declare it as a piece of "Western russophobia" to claim Gazmanov was a nationalist. That's why the reference to "Forward Russia!" at the conclusion of the chapter is important.

When actual russophobes point to "Forward Russia!" as an example for the "Russian people bad collectively", it is important to point to Nogu Svelo's spoof "Russia, Back!"; spoof seems to be a common means of criticism in Russia. Shaman's propaganda song "I am a man of Russian ethnicity!" ("Я Русский!", "ya russkiy") also has a spoof, "I am narrow" ("Я узкий", "ya uzkiy") . This seems to be (still) acceptable, where direct attempts of confrontation, eg when Shaman was reported for incitement of hatred, were subverted by the press as examples of "querulant" behaviour. --2003:C8:473B:3400:1C61:C75F:A510:F06E (talk) 14:22, 19 July 2024 (UTC)