April 05, 2023

Wanted for a Lullaby


Wanted for a Lullaby
Actor, comedian, and musician Semyon Slepakov. SHOT, Telegram.

Moscow police have threatened comedian Simon Slepakov with administrative arrest and fines after releasing "Kolybelnaya" (Lullaby), an anti-war song about murdered Russian soldiers.

The comedian and musician has in the past used his guitar to mock Russian society's attitudes towards the war, like in the song "Ne vce tak odnoznachno" (Not everything is that simple).

"Kolybelnaya" is written from the perspective of a mother who indoctrinates her three-year-old son into thinking his worst enemies are the "Ukrainian Nazis" and that "Nothing is better than dying on the battlefield." This mother praises her older soldier son but purposefully ignores the crimes he may have committed during the war. On the other hand, she is appalled by her middle son working in IT and living in Europe, calling him a traitor. The song has accumulated more than 2.2 million views on YouTube.

Since releasing "Lullaby" in late January, Slepakov has been watched by authorities. The pro-Kremlin Fund for the Protection of the National and Historic Heritage has asked an investigative committee to examine whether the comedian was guilty of "discrediting the army." The Fund also submitted a request to the Ministry of Justice to label Slepakov as a foreign agent.

The comedian is believed to have been living in Israel since October 2022. 

 

You Might Also Like

Notes at the Front

Notes at the Front

Musicians have not been spared from the criminalization of protest and expression. We also share Ilya Yashin's final words.
Concert Confusion
  • March 29, 2023

Concert Confusion

A popular singer's concerts have been canceled after being blacklisted by Russia.
Where Are the Actors?
  • January 24, 2023

Where Are the Actors?

The Ministry of Culture began inspecting Moscow theaters after a famous actor made an obliquely anti-war statement in an interview.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

Marooned in Moscow
May 01, 2011

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955