“The Birds Do Not Sing Here...” (Russian Anti-War Songs)

Abstract

After 24 February 2022, anti-war songs emerged as a new phenomenon in Russian culture. They cover a variety of genres, from bardic song to rap, from travesty to tragedy. Songs containing clear anti-war stances reflect the shock of war, the tragic death of people, the destruction of culture and society in which the authors lived or with which they were spiritually connected before the attack on Ukraine, the end of an era in the existence of the Russian Federation. Anti-war songs mark a constantly expanding thematic field, and this article is only an early attempt to analyse and survey them. The presented text collection reveals the clear awareness among creative circles that after the war against Ukraine Russians will face the task of rebuilding their country on the wreckage of a failed state.

Keywords

• war in ukraine
• anti-war songs
• russian culture
• new genre