Anyone who plays chess seriously for a certain amount of time while reaching a certain level will always have an interesting relationship with Russia (and the former USSR), solely due to how many pages of chess history were written by the most successful members of the state operation to claim chess. Having turned away from chess, but still a lover of vodka and the constantly crazy shit Russia outputs - hooligan fights, dashcam videos - Russian culture has been a constant source of fascination and entertainment for me. While I never managed to pick up the language, I did find some nice artifacts along the way.
Точка - Leningrad
Leningrad is equally stereotypical and original at the same time. Constantly vulgar lyrics with references to vodka and prostitutes contrast with rich, brass-heavy instruments and raspy vocals that make you feel like you ventured somewhere you weren't supposed to go to hear them, no matter where you're listening from. Leningrad will soon go the way of St. Petersburg, as they are rumored to be disbanding by the end of the year. While later tracks feature more female vocals (there weren't any female vocalist members for a while), the sound and humor remain present:
Thanks to the wonderful 'music video with subtitles', one doesn't need to understand Russian to get this joke.
Elements of Life - Tiësto
I hate that I even have to distinguish that I listen to 'old Tiësto'. What makes his transition from trance superstar to electro-pop (is the distinction even necessary anymore?) producer so vexing is that he was already huge - his 'selling out' was completely unnecessary. Nevertheless, after Kaleidoscope in 2009, he left the trance world behind, and even though he'd still put out an 'old' style track here and there (Speed Rail - Tiësto), one could reasonably expect a lot more "God is a Dancer" type garbage. Elements of Life is vintage Tiësto at his best - 11 uncut tracks that remind me of downloading Club Nouveau broadcasts and slogging through chess opening theory. He perhaps tells us why he left trance behind, as Elements of Life shows his complete mastery of building atmospheres and catchy hooks, all the while backed by his trademark unique percussion. 'Driving to Heaven' acts as almost a sequel to 'Traffic' from a couple years prior, and is definitely an improvement, if for no other reason than I'd rather be driving than stuck in traffic.
A 2006 profile of the lunatic who ran the foremost world chess federation, FIDE, until 2018 begets the question of how this power hungry, pro corruption man a) won, and b) decided the world he wanted to lord over was the chess world. He did achieve one thing, however, as I don't think anyone would know where Kalmykia is otherwise. Under his rule, naturally, FIDE became a remarkably corrupt organization, though somehow, the competitive top flight chess world has always been fairly shady.
If you thought I was joking about hooligan fights being a thing, not only is it real and on YouTube, it's a semi-organized activity, with participants being allied with a club, and fighting other team's hooligans. The only rule is no weapons - you have to use your bare fists. A constant thought that pops in your head when watching one of these videos is Why? Why are these people risking serious bodily harm (while I don't think people die from their injuries, there is definitely some serious punishment being laid out) for no reason? The article elaborates on the lack of a reason being the point of it - you just do, you don't think - but part of what's always been fascinating to me about Russia is how it developed in complete antithesis to the U.S. Here, we're told to treasure our bodies, and most of our actions are done through the lens of self preservation. In contrast, there is a certain expendability embedded in parts of the Russian ethos, which is both present in literature and culture (sometimes, to chilling effects, as evidenced by how Stalin treated his own citizens.) Why does one go into the woods to beat up other people? It doesn't matter why.
One of my favorite short stories by one of my favorite writers - a wholly absurdist story that can be read literally or satirically. Gogol's magic, to me, was to create a compelling story out of essentially nonsense - a major's nose leaves his face, one morning, and starts having a life of its own. Written in the early-to-mid 1800s, yet remaining surprisingly fresh, I always refer back to Gogol's short stories when I don't feel like attempting the tomes of other great Russian novelists.
