Konstantin Kinchev last interview. Interview with Konstantin Kinchev (1989)
Again, rejoicing at the news that the monsters of Russian rock would soon come to us, I remembered the interview with Kinchev. which I wrote. but never published it anywhere. Such an exclusive, although somewhat old - I’m throwing it in the magazine here.
“By the mid-1980s, the main star of the Leningrad Rock Club was “Alice” with new vocalist Kostya Kinchev. Other groups refused to perform in front of them: who wants to step on stage and be pelted with empty bottles?”
Fyodor Chistyakov, former leader of the group “Zero” in an interview with Ilya StogOFF for the book “Sinners”
Twenty years have passed. The country has changed, rock and roll itself has changed, and Kostya Kinchev has changed. But “Alice” is alive, and as long as one of the legends of Russian rock exists, we can say that “rock and roll is alive!” It is no longer Kostya who thinks so, but Konstantin Evgenievich Kinchev.
- Which city, in your opinion, has the most loyal audience?
- Oddly enough, in St. Petersburg!
In the hymn to rock and roll that you recently created together with many rock musicians, there are the following lines: “I don’t remember exactly, but someone said that rock and roll is it. Arrogance is born in complexes... Nothing more than that.” Whose garden does the pebble go into?
- Well, if there is no surname there, then I left it a secret, and if I wanted to open it, I would put the surname there.
If you don’t want to reveal the secret of who this opus was dedicated to, then tell us about the process of creating the song... Still, almost all the country’s rockers are in one composition...
- The process went very well... I am grateful to all those who responded to my proposal to perform this song. The only precedent was while working on the song. Yuri Yulianovich (Shevchuk - author's note) signed up, but then called back and said that he still did not want to participate. He is a man of complex character, so he became capricious...
- And no one “fought” for the lines? Or was the distribution carried out with your “iron hand”?
- By my hand, yes. I am the author.
- Do you support Shevchuk’s movement against the dominance of pop music?
- No, I don’t support it. It's a waste of time and effort.
- How do your songs appear? What is the reason for their writing?
- Only with my spiritual impulse. All songs that are born are connected with him. In general, it somehow happened that songs appear... on their own. Sometimes, when you start writing, you don’t even really understand what you’re writing about. This is a kind of rhythmic pulsation. You catch impulses and immerse yourself in them... What is this? You can’t touch impulses, it’s just like the wind. Everyone knows that it exists, but no one has seen it.
The question of understanding the meaning of songs by authors and listeners... Viktor Tsoi, they say, sang the song “Change!” about school changes, but people understood it completely differently...
- Listen, I knew Viktor Robertovich well... He was a very ironic person, and all these fairy tales are just excuses for journalists. He sang about something completely different.
Konstantin, you’re a rocker... So I won’t ask for forgiveness for asking... advise your favorite hangover remedy!
“I haven’t been drinking for probably nine years, not even beer... That’s why I’ve already forgotten what a hangover is.”
- But it happened!
- Well, it was once. The cabbage pickle probably helped a lot.
Are you involved only in music, or are you also interested in business? Do you invest your earnings anywhere?
- Exclusively music and nothing else. I have never been involved in business and it is unlikely that I will. This takes a colossal amount of energy and time. But my time is strictly limited, and I don’t have much of it left at all. There is no point in scattering.
Several years ago, in an interview, you admitted that you cut your own hair and don’t bother with your image at all. Has the situation changed somehow now?
- Well... I don’t seem to have my hair cut right now! That’s exactly how it remains, from time to time I take scissors and shorten my hair.
- Konstantin, what do you think a young growing group should have?
- Don't know. I am not drawn to the young and growing group.
And if you remember the first performance of the group “Alice”? What was your highlight that made people listen to you and fan...
- I don’t know what the highlight is. I just went on stage and people were happy. It started with dancing back in the city of Krasnogorsk. When we started playing, the respected audience simply stopped fighting and for some reason started dancing.
- “Alice” is not just one of the legends of Russian rock, the milestones of its formation, you are now an idol of youth. How do you explain the fact that the younger generation is just as fans of your songs as their parents?
- First of all, I am eternally grateful to the “younger generation” for the credit of trust they have shown me. Apparently, there is something about me and my songs that warms the hearts of young people.
- How do you feel about the current problem of piracy?
- Yes, just like the fight against pop music. It is useless, in my opinion, to do absolutely anything about it. And in general, this question is not for me, but for the publisher. I finish working on an album at the moment when, by signing a contract, I transfer the rights to it to the publisher, but how he will promote it on the market is not my concern. At this moment I’m working on new songs, maybe the next album. Why should I be interested in the fate of what has already been done?
My philosophy is simple: songs are written, songs are given away. Whoever wants to listens. Anyone who doesn't want it throws it in the trash. That's all.
- Is rock and roll alive? In your opinion today?
- If it’s subjective, then yes. But I don’t presume to judge objectively. Subjectively... I can transfer this understanding to the Alice group. “Alice” is alive, which means rock and roll is alive!
- Is there a question that you have never been asked, a question that you could not answer?
- There is no such question, everyone has already asked me... I am ready for any question, and it seems to me that I have already answered all the questions in my long life.
Kinchev, Butusov, Grebenshchikov... They are legends because they have nothing to do with our world, even at arm's length during an interview or press conference. Kinchev is much closer to me when I sing along a hundred meters from the stage, and therefore from him: “We are moving along the strings of fate...” than when, being at the distance of the same hand, I ask a question about the history of the creation of this song...
Interview with Konstantin Kinchev for the AiF newspaper.
The interview was conducted online and reproduced here in its original form. It should be noted that this version is “somewhat” different from the one printed in the newspaper.
1) The album “Dance” is light in form (it is somewhat similar to “Jazz”). Does this mean that with age one is drawn to simplicity? Tired of playing heavy music?
Kinchev: If we consider that in the year after the release of “Solstice” I lost a lot and I was suddenly drawn to “simplicity”, then, of course, yes... And if we add to this that most of the songs from the album “Dance” are already more than fifteen years, then the logical conclusion follows - I was a “tired old man” almost from birth...
2) You have repeatedly admitted that you live in the village from April to November; in general, lately you have been very poetic and idealize life in the village. But in the new album the word “city” is heard often, but I didn’t find any songs about life in the countryside???
Kinchev: I recommend listening to the album more carefully - maybe something will open up...
3) You say that you haven’t drunk for two years now. And even after the bathhouse, a glass of vodka or a glass of beer - no, no? After what incident did you stop?
Kinchev: If a person says that he doesn’t drink, it means that he doesn’t drink AT ALL! As Shemyakin said: “For me, a glass of vodka is like a drop of blood for a shark.” And as for the “incidents”, there were so many of these “incidents” that it was not a sin to stop drinking.
4) You have marching songs in several albums. It seemed to me that the song “The Path towards the Forest” is also (despite the lyrical text) marching in musical form. Are you not indifferent to this form? If yes, then why?
Kinchev: It seemed to me that “The Path Towards the Forest” was made in the style of the good old boogie-woogie. If the boogie-woogie performed by me seems like a march to you, then I can’t even imagine what a composition that I could call a march will seem like to you?! For me, the standard of the march is the “Enemy Theme” from Shestakovich’s 7th Symphony.
5) In general, the entire album “Dance” is not entirely topical. It is timeless both in sound and content (lyrical). Does it become difficult to keep up with the spirit of the times as you age? Are you trying to do this or do you not care at all? It still seems to me that any musician (believer or not) tries to keep up with the times, catch musical trends, and be, if not fashionable, then at least in demand. But you are working for the same audience that simply needs a feeling of today.
Kinchev: Amazing! On the one hand, having recorded a global work like “Sabbath” or “Solstice”, I constantly hear reproaches for being too “topical” or that rock as “protest music” (a well-known journalistic cliche) has already fed up everyone! On the other hand, it’s worth making a lyrical album, be it “Jazz” or “Dance”, I run into reproaches for being “timeless”, although this is rather a compliment. And then, what does it mean to “keep up with the times”? It seems to me that movement in time has a different direction for everyone... And as for the audience of "Alice", I can't help but
note that throughout the life of the group, and it is almost 20 years old, the age limit does not increase in the direction of “aging”, but is only replenished with children, for which I am also constantly reproached (!), like “an adult, and you are crazy underage fans!" In connection with all this I have
The question arises - why do I always displease someone? Probably in my old age, I should write a song about Alice in order to be known as a harmonious person who keeps up with the times???
6) Speaking of fans. "Alice" has the most devoted fans. Why do you think they are so loyal (or so I think)?
Kinchev: Probably my fans also don’t like to “keep up with the times,” so they walk with me, confirming the well-known thesis “We are together!”, which I am very happy about.
7) Can you remember the craziest fan pranks and how you try to deal with it?
Kinchev: The craziest thing in recent times was committed by two people - Trout and Ham - they followed us to Khabarovsk, Ussuriysk and Vladivostok, spending a huge amount of money they had earned! I am not in any way fighting the movement called “traveling”, but on the contrary, I welcome it in every possible way, because I myself love to travel... And if I were 17-20 years old now, I would gladly go on tour... behind the group "ALICE"! But I am deprived of this opportunity, since I am already 42 years old, and I play in this group...
8) Do you think your family and friends (wife, children) experience any inconvenience associated with your fame? If possible - examples, episodes?
Kinchev: They don’t experience any “inconveniences,” but I provide them with “conveniences.”
9) What do you think is happening today with the generation of rock musicians, your peers (I mean “Chaif”, “Aquarium”, “DDT”, Sukachev, Butusov and others like them).
Kinchev: ...Growing old, grumbling, getting fat... What I can’t say about myself - the most beautiful rocker of the Fatherland (joke), and about Boris Borisovich Grebenshchikov - the most graceful and profound person on our rock stage.
Polupanov: I asked Shakhrin this question. He answered very interestingly. Specifically about you, he said that Kinchev is in search of himself, this has not made him any less talented, Kostya is just at a crossroads now. But he didn’t speak very kindly about Shevchuk, saying I don’t understand what’s wrong
Yura happens, he suddenly began to teach everyone how to live.
Kinchev: I’m glad for Volodya Shakhrin, who, despite his permanent stay in an orange mood, does not lose clarity of thought.
10) Although the new album is called that, it is naturally not “dance” (the title, by the way, misleads many). Are you interested in dancing? I don’t mean when you’re on stage, but at home to something, maybe to Kirkorov or Pugacheva?
Kinchev: Maybe I don’t keep up with the times, but for some reason it seems to me that they dance to Kirkorov and Pugacheva only in station restaurants in regional centers (may Alla Borisovna forgive me)!
11) What do you devote your free time to...?
Kinchev: I don’t really understand what “free time” is? Is this the time that I “just can’t keep up with”? Or something different? The fact is that in my understanding, the most free and joyful time is the time of the concert. It is to him (the concert) that I dedicate his (time).
Interview conducted by Vladimir Polupanov
The Alisa group recently turned 20 years old, Konstantin Kinchev will be 45 in a month. It seems that all the interviews have already been distributed, all the questions have been asked... But no, journalists are always interested in talking with Konstantin Evgenievich. He is not only a cult and legendary personality, but also not entirely understandable to the eating brethren. A rock musician, he doesn’t drink, he doesn’t “stick around”, he doesn’t act out, he believes in God... And he loves Marilyn Manson. In his songs he advocates for peace, but does not object to the war in Chechnya. He praises the president and believes that the best government system in Russia would be a monarchy. And he lives either in St. Petersburg or in Moscow.
In Moscow you have family and an apartment, in St. Petersburg you have a group and a house in the village. Which city is your favorite?
- I have three places that I consider my homeland. Moscow is my physical homeland, which I love very much. St. Petersburg is the city of my personal, professional development: there I found a group in which I have been playing for twenty years and with which I do not intend to part. And the city of my spiritual formation is Jerusalem: the place where I never found faith.
-What shocked you so much in Jerusalem?
- We stayed there for ten days. And when all the roads had already been passed, all the stones, as Shevchuk likes to say, had been healed, on the last night before flying home I was returning to the hotel. He jumped over the fence and sat down in the Garden of Gethsemane... And such sensations surged, a trembling of the heart incomparable to anything. The feeling that you could easily die here - nothing else in life is unnecessary. Returning from Jerusalem, I was soon baptized, and that search, in which I had been rushing all my life in a frantic amplitude, finally found the only right direction.
- Have you ever doubted this “direction”?
- No. While I was living outside of God and overestimating myself, I did so many stupid things that I was ashamed of later.
- Are there things that you still cannot forgive yourself?
- You know, for a believer, a church person, in this sense it is somewhat simpler: we have the opportunity to confess, repent and receive remission of sins. The main thing is to confess with heart and reverence: then you will no longer suffer from what you have done. And, of course, don’t repeat what you did... But this doesn’t always work out.
- What is your biggest temptation?
- There are a lot of them, it’s difficult to single them out... But, probably, this is pride and vanity that accompany my profession. And then, of course, Pasternak’s lines come to mind, which help me a lot in the struggle. “It’s shameful, meaning nothing, to be a byword on everyone’s lips.”
- Your internal changes were reflected in the work of “Alice” Naturally. After all, I express myself in songs. If we compare our first albums and, say, the recently released “Now is later than you think,” the difference, of course, is very big. The songs were no longer overly metaphorical, and I began to express my thoughts more clearly. Although the imagery remains basically the same. 
Among your songs, are there any that you now feel embarrassed about and therefore don’t perform?
- There are songs that I no longer sing - simply because I don’t want to do it. For example, "It's All Rock and Roll." It’s not bad, of course, but it’s no longer interesting to me and doesn’t warm me up at all.
- But, say, “Shadow Theater”, which very much resembles “Kyoto Song” by The Cure?
- I couldn’t resist the temptation: the Cure’s composition captivated me so much that a song was written on this topic. To the same melody, the same harmony, but - with development, I then retreated from the topic, and it carried me away. And I don’t blame myself for this, because I honestly approached the issue of authorship, indicated on the album: the author of the music and words is The Cure and K.K.
- Over the twenty years of its existence, “Alice” has gone through a long evolutionary path: from paganism to Christianity, from anarchy to monarchy.
- Yes, we are growing up, growing up.
- But your fans are not. Your main fans are still teenagers. Why don't your songs reach more mature people? How do you explain this to yourself?
- I don’t know... Perhaps the fact is that youth tends to seek sincerity and honesty. And they - oh, again, apparently I have to brag - find it in my songs.
- There’s no feeling that they don’t hear you, but...
- ...just “extinguishing” at my concerts? These claims have been made to me for as many years as I have been performing as part of “Alice”. Indeed, a concert is an action; often there are no words to develop. Another thing is that if a person is captivated by this spectacle, he will then go and buy a CD and listen to both the music and the tests.
- You always emphasize that the “Alice” army is not fans, but your like-minded people. But they wear T-shirts with your portrait. Agree, there is a certain “creating an idol” moment in this.
- Maybe there is. Although, first of all, these are attributes, surroundings... In any case, I would like to think, to be not an idol, but a like-minded person. Ideally, a fellow believer. And I have the feeling that people who come to Alice’s concerts share my views, my position in life.
- with the love your fans have for you and how excited they are at your concerts, there were probably situations when you felt that just a little more and you would simply be torn apart.
- No... No. The fact that Alisomaniacs are a pack of brutal teenagers was invented by journalists. I can easily ride the subway... And as for concerts, you don’t need to provoke the audience yourself. So one day, in 1985, during a concert in some cultural center, I jumped into the auditorium. I got out with difficulty on the second song and realized that it wasn’t worth doing this again.
- Kinchev of the 80s and early 90s was generally rich in provocations. For example, he can afford to come to TV wearing a T-shirt with the inscription “Fuck Off”.
- Oh, what a provocation it was, a slap in the face to public taste. All creative people are guilty of this to one degree or another. Especially at the age I was then. At the age of 45, you can hardly wear such a T-shirt.
- So now there’s no misbehavior?
- It all depends on the situation. When they are rude openly, you can lose your temper. In general, in the face of rudeness, I feel helpless: I can’t hit... I try to adhere to the postulate: forgive your enemies, overcome the enemies of the Fatherland, abhor the enemies of God. I try to forgive my enemies, just not notice them.
- And you always succeed?
- No, well, of course, I’ve had breakdowns, and more than once... Wait, so you want to ask, when was the last time I punched someone’s face? (Laughs.) I don’t know, I don’t remember.
- You are a well-known pacifist, this is “read” in your songs too...
- You know, I am an ardent opponent of war, but I am a supporter of a strong army, which, returning to the capacious postulate I have already quoted, could defeat the enemies of the Fatherland. I believe that military service is a truly honorable duty.
- Interesting. And they themselves were once rejected from the army...
- I extolled myself very much then, I thought: I had more important things to do. And he didn’t have the slightest responsibility. If I were seventeen now, I would probably go to serve. 
After the start of the war in Chechnya, you returned the “Defender of the White House” medal, received after the well-known events of 1991. Has your attitude towards the situation changed now?
- I still believe that the outbreak of hostilities in Chechnya is a crime for which, alas, no one was punished. Then everything could still be removed amicably. But now the situation has changed. International terrorism has entered into it, as our president never tires of repeating. Honor and praise to him, he picked up Russia at a moment of complete discord, a little more - and our Motherland would have collapsed into many tiny sovereign states.
- Nevertheless, do you think that the best government system for Russia would be a monarchy?
- Yes. For centuries, this system made Russia great and strong. Autocracy is based on the Orthodox religion. The Orthodox Church teaches every person to be responsible for their actions. The monarch is even more so: responsible for his flock, for his people. This is taught from childhood. It’s not like they appointed a person for four years (I take our current president as an example) - and, as a rule, during this period he only manages to rake in everything for himself. Then the next one comes -
- He also has big appetites...
- You have said more than once that you not only accept Orthodoxy, but also the Church, its Charter, you have a spiritual mentor.
- Yes it's true.
- Do you obey him unquestioningly? Could you, for example, cancel a concert if your confessor insisted on it?
- Yes, I don’t even consult with him on such trifles. I am discussing more important issues, some general steps. But I think if he had forbidden me to perform - since I trusted this man, called him my spiritual father - I would have refused concerts. Only in life everything happens differently. My confessor asks me to invite him to my concert. The Church views what I do favorably.
- And what about the fact that you listen to Marilyn Manson? How does your confessor feel about this? Or do you not consult with him on such trifles?
- No. What for? I'm sure it won't hurt me if I listen to Manson. Moreover, I don’t understand the words because I don’t know English. Manson's drive and music are after my heart. 
You always seemed to me to be a tough, authoritarian person. There was a feeling that house-building reigned in your family.
- Now that you have visited my home, do you feel the same?
- No. But perhaps the first impression is deceiving.
- Yeah, as soon as you’re out the door, I’ll kneel the children on the peas...
- Well, of course, not for peas. But your word is law for everyone in the family. And your wife Sasha does not challenge your decisions.
“I’m probably going to upset you greatly now, but I’m more of a henpecked person in the family.” Sasha and I are married. And the sacrament of Wedding teaches humility. For the sake of another person, you begin to belittle your ambitions, your “I”, and your spouse too. And harmony arises.
- So, maybe your daughters rule in your family?
- As for daughters, of course, you have to resort to the belt from time to time. I try to do this as little as possible. Although in general the belt is a good joke. Here you are exploding over some childish act, while you are looking for the belt - it has already cooled down. And he spanked me only a couple of times for purely educational purposes.
- Last time, who got hit with a belt and for what?
- I don’t remember - it was a long time ago. But mostly girls get paid for lying. Lying is a bad thing. 
You have two daughters - Masha and Vera - and a son Zhenya...
- Unfortunately, I don’t see my son very often; he lives with another family. Although also here in Moscow.
- Who would you like to see them in the future? In terms of profession?
- The main thing is that they grow up to be good people.
- That's what all parents say. And then they add: just not to be an engineer - they don’t get paid much, and not to be an artist - it’s very difficult...
- This is a parental mistake - to decide the fate of the child themselves. After all, the main thing is not that it is easy and money, but that a person’s profession corresponds to his calling. Alas, this is a rare harmony.
- Your eldest daughter Masha is finishing school this year...
- And he plans to enter GITIS. To the Faculty of Theater Studies. We don’t want to go to acting, and thank God. Masha comes into the kitchen: - Well, why “don’t we want to?” We can not. Kinchev: Here! No abilities. But there is self-esteem. This is good. What’s not very good is that Masha goes to our theaters but doesn’t review anything. And in order to become a good theater critic - I tell her this all the time - you have to work a lot.
- What is your youngest daughter Vera, what is her hobby?
- Dombra. Although she is, of course, completely infatuated with her. But he plays.
- Whose idea was this? Her own?
- Vera’s idea was to go to music school, and as for the dombra, I already recommended it to her. Because playing this musical instrument develops the right hand very well. And if someday she wants to play the guitar in the heavy metal style, she can do it easily and quickly.
- So this is what you are preparing her for. Does Vera herself know?
- Don't know. In any case, rock music is to her heart. By the way, she, like Masha, has been going to “Alice” concerts since she was two years old. Stars in our videos. And all this is very interesting to her.
- You express yourself creatively in your songs. And Sasha? After all, she is also a creative person: she worked as a journalist in “Post-Musical News” TV 6, for magazines...
- She still writes, but for now on the table. He is our group’s press attaché and helps edit videos... In general, Sasha is a treasure trove of talent. The design of this apartment, the furnishings are also her handiwork. Golden hands, golden head, golden heart. And a beauty to boot.
- Well, you and your wife are lucky, it’s a treasure!
- Yes, treasure. Without any fuss. I don’t bend my heart one bit. 
Is she happy with the situation: being with her husband and looking after the children?
- Of course not. From time to time she begins to mope, bad mood, depression. And when he goes to work, he also gets bored.
- So this is not your decision: “quit your job, return to your family, you are more needed here”?
- No, it’s all Sasha... And then, here comes Sasha to work - at first she likes her, she gets excited... But she starts communicating with editors - and this is very difficult when you are a larger-than-life personality than your editor, and this is often what happens.
- Or maybe it’s just pride?
- More like a statement of fact. Sasha writes beautifully – almost in Nabokov’s style.
- You spend little time together - what kind of family is this?
- My family. And I can't imagine another one. A family is not a group of several people living together. This feeling that you are a single organism is like a head, hands, heart... When love binds you together, everything else is nothing.
Marina Lisakova.
Date of publication: 09. 2003
Sent by: Bochkareva Liza
Source A. Zhitinsky. Journey of a Rock Amateur (Leningrad, 1990)
Interview with Konstantin Kinchev (1989)
K. Kinchev (b. 1958) - leader, vocalist, author of lyrics and music of the popular group ALICE (Leningrad).
The ALISA group was born in April 1983, when bass guitarist S. Zaderiy, who had previously played in the Leningrad hard band CRYSTAL BALL, gathered around him young musicians committed to rock and roll and the “new wave”. The group made a program called “Crooked Mirror,” in which the motifs of Lewis Carroll’s famous book echoed the modern realities of public life. At that time, in addition to S. Zaderiy, ALICE included A. Shatalin (guitar), P. Kondratenko (keys), M. Nefedov (drums), B. Borisov (vocals, saxophone).
Real success came to ALICE in the spring of 1985 after a new singer and songwriter K. Kinchev, who moved to Leningrad from Moscow, appeared in the group. A little later, he created songs that essentially became youth anthems: “We Are Together " and "My Generation". ALICE became a laureate of traditional Leningrad rock festivals three times (1985 - 1987), at the beginning of 1986 the tape album "Energy" was released (two years later re-released by Melodiya), in June 1987 - the album "Block of Hell" , in February 1989 the group finished work on the album "The Sixth Forester".
There were a number of changes in the group's composition during this period. In 1986, S. Zaderiy left the group, creating a new group NATE! . He was replaced by bass guitarist N. Samoilov. In 1988, Muscovites I. Chumichkin (guitar) and V. Osinsky (keys) were invited to replace A, Shatalin and P. Kondratenko. Other musicians occasionally appeared in the group.
The rock amateur’s conversation with K. Kinchev took place in Moscow in February 1989.
Rock Amateur. Kostya, you and I met four years ago, after the Third Rock Festival. Do you remember, at the amateur performance center, I took you aside to talk. And you seem to have taken me for some big boss...
Konstantin Kinchev. Yes, it was like that...
RD. And then, when you found out that I was not from the district committee or from the KGB, how did you feel about my rock and roll activities?
Kinchev. Well, I knew that there was a certain writer whom I once read as a child. Such funny sea stories are about how hemp is collected in the field. And rock and roll is just a whim of a rich man who wants to help the boys.
RD. I think you're confusing me with Konetsky... Well, okay. I know less about you than about the Leningrad rockers. I wonder how it all started in Moscow and specifically with you?
Kinchev. In Moscow it began even more violently than in Leningrad. There were so many groups and concerts here that every day we left the party somewhere and got into it - by hook or by crook. RUBY ATTACK, LEAP SUMMER, LUCKY ACQUISITION, VOLUNTARY SOCIETY, something else... Well, and the CAR, of course... I myself started going to sessions in the seventy-third year, I was fourteen years old. There was a party with records, for me the main ones at that time were BLACK SABBATH. At the age of fourteen I learned how to pinch chords - they taught me in a pioneer camp. There was a hippie tent camp next to our pioneer camp. Well, and they were there with guitars, with tape recorders, with girls... So they taught me how to play, how to play the first chords. From there it went... Then the ensemble at school, then dancing...
RD. How did your parents and school react to this?
Kinchev. My parents thought I was a moron all my life.
RD. And now?
Kinchev. Not now. Now they are proud. When they started writing in the newspapers... And at school then they treated it that way too.
RD. They say you played at dances in Lyubertsy?
Kinchev. No, not in Lyubertsy - in Krasnogorsk. Also a city near Moscow, the same.
RD. On what team?
Kinchev. There were several teams: BROKEN AIR, GOLDEN MEAN, CIRCLE OF THE BLACK HALF... Some of them invited me to, some were mine...
RD. Does the GOLDEN MEAN still exist, it seems?
Kinchev. May be. It was a university team, I was invited there, but I hung out and left because they forced me to sing other people’s texts.
RD. And by that time they already had their own?
Kinchev. I had mine as soon as I started. But they were a la BLACK SABBATH - full of ghouls, witches, devils - just the end of the world! My whole room was painted with portraits of Ozzy Osbourne, cobwebs, all sorts of spiders, skulls... In general - pure Satanism.
RD. Where did you study after school?
Kinchev. At first I worked, then I entered the Institute of Technology. Then he left the institute. I mowed down the army, there was an article about residual effects of traumatic brain injury.
RD. What about the singing school at the Bolshoi Theater?
Kinchev. It was a funny story. We once drank beer; there was such a place at VDNKh, it was called “Parliament”. Now it is closed, unfortunately... They drank, sang, then one person came up to me: “Are you studying somewhere?” I said "No. He gave me the address. The next day I went there and passed the first round. Then I went again and entered. I sang then, as I remember now, “Shine, burn, my star...” and “Oh, it’s not evening, but it’s not evening...”. Under the piano.
RD. Did the school prepare soloists?
Kinchev. No, this is for the choir. You had to study there for four years. I lasted there for a semester...
RD. How did you live?
Kinchev. He worked as a model at the Surikov School.
RD. Well, and then “Doctor Kinchev” appeared?
Kinchev. Yes. I have such a group - RECREATION ZONE. Panker in St. Petersburg helped us sign up.
RD. Is this what they call "Nervous Night"?
Kinchev. Yes. We recorded this at Panker's in one night.
RD. Did they already know you in Leningrad?
Kinchev. In very narrow circles. They brought me to Mike, I sang songs there. Mike said: "Well... That's interesting..."
RD. But finally you came to ALICE. It seems to me that before you, ALICE was something inexpressive. I judge by the festival in 1984.
Kinchev. And then I liked it. I even noted to myself that I would like to play in this team.
RD. But the vocalist, you must admit...
Kinchev. Borya Borisov? Yes, he did this with his hand and sang “The Strong Go Forward”...
RD. A year later, everything changed. For me, ALICE’s first appearance at the festival in 1985 with you still remains as something extremely cool and even shocking...
Kinchev. Yes, it was a fun program.
RD. Then you sang "I'm Beginning the Way." I can more or less imagine ALICE’s path further. Of course, one could assume that your way of existing on stage and ALICE’s music would attract many. But no one expected such super popularity. You know, I once walked onto the stage from behind at Yubileiny while you were singing to get a look at the party from above. The sight amazed me: a swaying sea of faces turned to you, delight, happiness and at the same time some kind of stupidity... How do you feel about your fans?
Kinchev. Differently. Sometimes I hate them, sometimes I love them.
RD. But aren't you afraid?
Kinchev. I wasn't afraid before. Until one time he managed to jump off the stage into the crowd... He barely lost his legs and almost tore them.
RD. Is there such a stir everywhere or only in Leningrad and Moscow?
Kinchev. We have now traveled to Tashkent and Dnepropetrovsk. The reception was warm, but the audience... In Tashkent there is a hall for four thousand, and one and a half tickets were sold. In Dnepropetrovsk, at first the hall is also incomplete, and then it is already full.
RD. How did local authorities react?
Kinchev. In Tashkent I was fined fifty rubles. For statements from the stage.
RD. What did he say?
Kinchev. Well what can I say? Said something.
RD. What are the relations with the police in St. Petersburg?
Kinchev. Yes, they seem to have fallen behind now. The last time there were concerts at the JCC, there were no clashes.
RD. Please explain the latest changes in the lineup.
Kinchev. Shatalin didn’t want to play on the team. Well, if you didn’t want to, you don’t have to, what should you do with it? They tried to persuade him - he said “no” and left with Pasha.
RD. For creative reasons?
Kinchev. He explained it with creative reasons. He said that he wanted to play different music. And Pasha supported him. On our part, we parted extremely peacefully, and then they suddenly became offended and felt that they had been kicked out. In fact, no one kicked them out, and if Shatalin now says that he wants to return, for God’s sake, come back.
RD. And what kind of showdown was there with the name of the group?
Kinchev. They decided that they were "older" than us. They played longer as a team, so it seems like the name ALICE belongs to them. As for me, D))D I could have removed this name, but everyone else said “no”. I also talked with Zaderiy, and he first said that the name should be changed, and then I gave him the guys’ arguments, and he considered them reasonable.
RD. The question, of course, is a sensitive one, although according to common sense everything is clear: in the minds of amateurs, the name ALICE is welded to your name, although you did not create this team. Well, in your opinion, who today has, so to speak, the copyright to the name of the group?
Kinchev. I believe that our artist is Andrei Stolypin. He came up with the capital letter, the stage design, and the image. He came up with these stars.
RD. Now let's touch on the material side of the group's existence. Now the group is very popular, has tours, fees, etc. But there are fears that the wave of widespread passion for rock, the wave of excitement, has subsided. The mass public has already had enough of rock and turned to TENDER MAYS. Actually, this is how it should be, because rock is not mass culture, it is quite elitist. Are you worried about the decline in popularity of rock?
Kinchev. Honestly, I don't care about it. They won't come to stadiums - we'll play in smaller venues. They won’t come there - we’ll sit in the studio and write albums. We'll play again in N*Dapartments.
RD. And if there is less money, then to hell with it?
Kinchev. To hell with them. It doesn't matter at all.
RD. Very well. Then let's get back to creativity. Tell me what are you reading? What do you like about poetry, let's say?
Kinchev. Gumilyov, Brodsky... But most of all now I love Khlebnikov, especially his prose.
RD. Kostya, it’s been a year since Sasha Bashlachev passed away. Tell about him. How did you meet?
Kinchev. He invited me to his birthday party. Well, I'm here.
RD. Didn't you know each other before?
Kinchev. We spoke on the phone. He knew me, and I also knew him from the records. I listened and I liked it.
RD. What did you like about his songs?
Kinchev. Probably the same thing that was in him when we met. He taught me, first of all, to treat words differently than I did. It seemed to me: word and word - to hell with it. You can break it off and stuff it into a line. For him, the word was a piece of life.
RD. Did you see this in his poems or did you talk about it?
Kinchev. And they said, of course. I saw how he worked with words, it even broke me. Because he wrote with a bit of mathematics, or something: he built lines like this, here he wrote out words that should rhyme, here he rounded off with arrows... This with this, then with that - the chain turned out to be huge! And I wrote like this: I sat down and it was done...
RD. In the TV interview you said that it was clear to you how he would end.
Kinchev. I was just sure of it. He could not have had a different ending for everything - for his life, for the way he treated everything.
RD. Did he understand this himself?
Kinchev. Not that he understood - he knew it for sure. He has already made several attempts. And no one could stop it.
RD. Maybe it was connected with wine, with “weed”?
Kinchev. Yes, he didn’t drink at all! Didn't drink or smoke. Nothing... It’s like Hermann Hesse - there are people from the category of suicides. He was from this category. Another thing is that they may never reach this end. Sashka was simply suicidal from the very beginning. It was like a way out in reserve. It probably gives you some strength to overcome life's difficulties. You always know that there is a way out, the last one... Apparently, he had nothing else left except this forbidden chance.
RD. Finally, tell me, what is your relationship with God?
Kinchev. My relationship with God is tense: I love him, but he doesn’t love me.
Has your listenership changed over a quarter of a century? Is the energy of today’s hall different from the first “Alisomans” in vests and pioneer ties?
Throwing glances into the hall, I see practically no changes. These are, like 25 years ago, twenty-year-olds. The old ones are coming to the retrospective events... Then the police put a lot of pressure on the public - now relations are more tolerant. Apparently, through our long existence we have earned some kind of relief (laughs).
In the 80s, during the time of the Leningrad rock club, there was a feeling of unity of Russian rock. And then everything fell apart. Why?
It was a feeling of unity, like in prison. You know, everyone sits and dreams of freedom. When they receive it, someone takes the righteous path and ties up with their criminal past, while someone blows up the nearest store and sits down again. While we were in prison, everyone dreamed. And then, the rock club - it was a public phenomenon. We were visible. But they received freedom - and everyone went their own way.
Are you sorry?
It's a pity about this. I recently came across the “Nostalgia” channel, and the “Musical Ring” program was airing there... “Auktsion”, “Center”, “Sounds of Mu”, “Jungle”, “TV” - I remember all these groups well, I know and I love. Many of them are not close to me, but each was original and individual. And now everything is averaged by the format, the bright and talented are not encouraged. Everyone plays the same thing.
Have you, as the leader of Alice, changed much over the years?
In a professional sense, it is difficult for me to evaluate myself. Because I just live for myself and live, I make a bunch of mistakes, I find in myself the need to repent of them.
If we talk about the critics, I agree with them: we have become tougher and more musical. In the texts I did not abandon Aesopian language. It’s more interesting to put words into sentences this way.
During the Soviet years, Aesopian language performed a completely different function...
The meaning was veiled... But then the communist regime collapsed - and thank God. It became possible to express your thoughts without hesitation. And then many realized that they had nothing special to say.
Do you remember how you encrypted texts so that yours would be understood, but the authorities would not guess? Were there any collective classes in secret writing?
We acted more clumsily. In the days of the rock club, there was a department that “read” our texts: they stamped them “approved for performance.” To deceive them, it was necessary to come up with a move. Let’s say we dedicated the song “My Generation” to the struggle of the oppressed people of some republic against imperialism. They put fake epigraphs. If you delve into the state security archives, they are probably preserved there.
There is a stereotype that rock always exists in opposition to something. In the 60s in the United States, this “something” was the consumer society and the Vietnam War. The USSR has a state system. What does Russian rock need to fight against today, and is it necessary?
I would like to answer the question with a question. Do you think that rock is protest music or do you have a different attitude towards this genre?
I believe that rock is music.
Thank you! So I think this is music and an art form. This means that it is part of our culture. There is protest, of course. But this is not the main component of my songs.
What's the main thing?
And Shakespeare's stories: love, hate, life, death, truth and betrayal - everything is as usual.
You are talking about the eternal, and I am talking about the changeable. The rock crowd no longer has a common enemy. Who has it - pop music, who has it - power. You imprint glamor and the ideology of success in your songs. Do you have ideological enemies?
The enemies inside me are all concentrated. I fight with the help of the weapons that the Lord gave me - I write songs about what is bad in me and what I would like to cope with. Well, in life I try to live up to the song. Just don’t lie, no matter how pretentious it may sound.
Recently, rockers have again actively started talking about their political beliefs. Is this a return to the public stage?
If we talk about Shevchuk’s concerts, then this is a vague position and pure populism. "Do not shoot!" — who is he addressing?
To the people.
That's it. To the people in general. And these people accept everything with jubilation. He doesn’t see that this is pure opportunism.
Shouldn't rock serve as a social conscience?
Rock musicians must play and sing their songs well. And it’s up to the state to listen or not notice.
Do you have old acquaintances to whom you will not shake hands because of a difference in views?
Perhaps there are none. Everyone has the right to their own view of life. I respect this right, although I may consider the man’s position to be an error harmful to my country. And this is a field for discussion, which can develop into a fight.
Outgrows?
Depends on the amount you drink. Since I am a non-drinker, I don’t outgrow it.
But is it necessary to convince someone who is mistaken?
No, let him make his own mistakes. Who are you to force a person to live in your own image and likeness? You yourself can be wrong. I am not a destroyer in spirit.
Speaking of spirit. You were baptized in 1992. What was the most difficult challenge for you after this?
People who do not take this path do not see temptations. It seems to them that they live wonderfully and deserve a better fate in another world. And many even consider this life to be the final phase of existence. But as soon as you take this path, you see your imperfection. The further you go, the clearer you see. A colossal field for work is opening up.
Things like creative block, pride, despondency, depression - they disappear from life. All sins are written down, and they all live in you. Remember and fight - that's all, that's enough. And as Elder Seraphim said, acquire the grace of the Holy Spirit, and thousands around you will be saved. That is, make yourself better and through yourself - the world around you.
In 2006, you, Yuri Shevchuk and Roman Neumoev went to see Metropolitan Kirill. Did this meeting give you something?
To be honest, I didn’t understand why we went at all: well, we just met and went our separate ways. Although later Shevchuk, together with his father Andrei Kuraev, went to Ukraine and traveled to 20 cities. This is a useful action, given the situation there - pressure from sectarians, attempts to fragment the Russian Orthodox Church. Whether this finds any response in the hearts of listeners is another matter.
So far, your statement that Crimea will be Russian has resonated with Ukrainian listeners. Are you receiving angry letters?
Not yet.
Your radical views and statements in general cause rejection by many. Ever since Orthodox and, let’s say, patriotic vocabulary appeared in your songs, they simply began to be removed from the radio.
My ideological position has always been quite rigid. Of course, the liberal public bristled, and a campaign of defamation began: I became a fascist, an obscurantist, a crazy old drug addict. The Internet was full of these statements in the early 2000s. I knew this would happen. But I don’t give a damn who says what. I know I'm going my own way. The dogs are barking around me and my car is moving. I’m not at all used to the label “fascist”: I was a “fascist” in 1985, under Soviet rule. I won’t and don’t want to make excuses. Let's leave these statements to the conscience of the liberal public.
I don't like liberals.
What do you think: does Russia always need to have some kind of “enemy” or should it be tolerant?
You see, the thing is - it’s very easy to wave a saber and express indignation when you don’t have the slightest responsibility, when your cross is a booth in the kitchen or at infighting rallies. I saw how there were 200 people at the “march of dissent”, and there were 500 television cameras around. My neighbor in the village says: it would be wonderful if St. Petersburg joined Finland! And liberals have a billion such opinions. Every cook knows how to run a state. And she herself can only chat and cook dumplings and cabbage soup. It’s very easy to find fault; building is much more difficult. And the state took on this responsibility. And he understands that we would be happy not to quarrel with anyone, but the geopolitical situation is such that we are threatened. Because we are rich in natural resources, occupy a huge territory, and our population is insignificant in comparison with the territory. We are a tasty morsel! Therefore, either we will defend our land and leave to our descendants what our ancestors conquered, or we will gradually turn into a useless Luxembourg. It’s easy for Luxembourg to be tolerant!
Do you think that we have obvious enemies?
It is absolutely clear to me that America considers us the enemy. We spent 16 long years trying to please her. We really wanted to be loved... No one will love us. Pragmatic rationalism is what guides them in their relations with us. It is more profitable, as our leadership says, to have a weak partner: it is convenient to manipulate him. And when we become stronger, this causes indignation among our overseas partner.
That is, in your opinion, “the bipolar world remains,” as Soviet announcers said.
We wanted to join NATO at the dawn of our reforms, after the collapse of the Soviet Union. But they didn’t take us. And if they took it, it is unclear who NATO could resist. And they left the status of potential enemies to us, and not to some kind of international terrorism.
And you seem to have disagreed with Shevchuk on what happened in Ossetia?
My position is this: we protected the Ossetian people, for which I hope they will be grateful to us for centuries. We did not leave our friends in trouble. And for this act, other than gratitude to my country, my state, I have no other feelings. I, unlike the Ufa rockers - this applies to both Shevchuk and the Lumen group - do not oppose the country to the state. I like my state in its current state. I don't like the economic crisis, but it is a global problem. We will survive this too.
How do you feel about globalization?
This is the building of Babylon, which was destroyed by the Lord God. We are stepping on the same rake again. I am for the wild color of national sovereignties. I want all nationalities to live within the limits that God showed them and not to assimilate.
What then should we do with migrants from the former Soviet republics - should they assimilate in Russia or not?
Keep in mind that I am now thinking like that young lady in the kitchen: this is not a matter of my competence. But if you look at the problem seriously, there is no escape from the labor shortage. Therefore, labor migration is inevitable. And if it exists, there is also a movement of peoples back and forth in search of a better life. All of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and the Caucasus are now working and living here. But it is important that they learn the Russian language, become familiar with our culture, and ultimately be able to assimilate once they have crossed the boundaries of their territory. And if this does not happen, we plant a time bomb. At the end of the century before last, Albanians began to populate the original Serbian territory - and how far did it come?
Should immigrants adopt their faith?
We have a multi-religious country. We have always managed to live peacefully with Muslims, and peace to their home. And God forbid, we continue to live just as peacefully.
But for us, this peaceful coexistence sometimes turns into severe hatred of people of other faiths.
This is due to the fault of sectarians. True Islam and our collective apostolic church are always centric. Only sects that break away from Christianity and Islam are totalitarian, radical and profess the destruction of infidels. This has nothing to do with real religion. But charismatic leaders group around themselves narrow-minded and offended people - and off they go. To manipulate this public, you need to look for an enemy. The enemy is found - the money is gone. Immediately, public funds from overseas begin to pour funds into these sects. Why is this being done? Again, so that the enemy country is weak. These are obvious things. And either a scoundrel or a fool may not see this. Who liberals consider themselves to be is their business.
Do you ever go to America, to visit your enemies?
I went to the USA a long time ago - after the bombing of Serbia, I refused to go there on tour, or just like that. I have no complaints against people, against Americans. People are pretty much the same everywhere. There are good ones and there are bad ones. But there is a system of power.
There are many precedents in contemporary art with anti-religious themes: trials are ongoing in cases of insulting the feelings of believers. Can the church prohibit or censor the self-expression of an artist?
Here's the thing. We are, of course, for freedom. But when someone else's freedom hurts you, you protest, right? This is a normal situation. That’s when blasphemous public biennales are allowed, or whatever words they use...
...performances...
Yes, performances! And they, these biennales and performances, hurt a lot of people, including me. It even physically hurts me. The wife believes that they, the artists, know about this. But I don’t think they know, I doubt they even think about it. They simply express themselves, not caring about everything around them. If there were an internal, heartfelt censor, every step of a person would be measured against the will of God and censorship would not be needed at all.
That is, the state or church should still intervene?
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The state has plenty of serious tasks without this. Bans can only achieve bitterness. But those who have gone too far must be put in their place. And for this we have a fairly radical organization, the Union of Orthodox Citizens, who come to exhibitions and destroy everything there. And they do it right.
Doesn't pop music cause you indignation?
None at all. If an artist has an audience, he has the right to exist. Another thing is that pop musicians are mostly busy servicing parties, birthdays and weddings. But that's how it's always been. Restaurant artists have returned to the restaurant and service industries. I have nothing to do with this genre.
I only come into contact with the market when I finish an album and sell it to a publisher. The tender begins. Many publishers say that the market is monstrous, terrible and everything is falling, falling, falling... And yet for some reason people are lining up to buy our album. And here a simple market mechanism operates: whoever offers the most money, we give the album to him. It’s not my problem to play songs and everything else on air. Broadcasts appear when a publisher needs to sell an album: he hires a PR agency, forces me to give interviews, like you are doing now. I obediently fulfill my obligations. And when the album comes out, everyone forgets about my existence. And I'm making music again. Actually, that's how it's always been. Even in difficult times, my family and I did not go hungry—music fed us.
What is the most important thing in music for you?
Energy. I can’t watch concerts on TV: they’re all dead, just like theater performances. That’s why you need to go to the theater and rock concerts. After the final chords, the art of music disappears into thin air, just like theater, which is why the latter is valuable to me. I don’t really like cinema... There are, of course, good films, but only theater can delight me.
Does the feeling of energy not go away with age? Or is energy a thing without age?
If I were tired of this business, I assure you, I would stop doing it. I like my job. I just read an article about the Rolling Stones. The author analyzes this phenomenon and comes to the conclusion that the Stones are great assholes. If all sorts of cynical speculations are possible about me - why I do music, then Jagger is a rich man and can do without concerts. But for some reason he plays at the age of sixty-four - he loves it! I'm one of those assholes who likes to go on stage. At this moment, time does not exist for me, it dissolves.
Photos: Fedor Savintsev for RR; Alexey Kudenko/Kommersant
