Translated material
Welcome to hell
On the 20th anniversary of the first Chechen. Mikhail Kazinik - about the main songs of Timur Mutsuraev
The songs of Timur Mutsuraev, who listened to both Chechen separatists and Russian soldiers, remain one of the main cultural phenomena of the war in Chechnya. Especially for Medusa, journalist Mikhail Kazinik chose the main notes of Mutsuraev - of those that are not prohibited to spread by the Russian court.
Timur Mutsuraev was born in Grozny in 1976. In his youth he was engaged in karate and in 1991 became the champion of the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. At the end of 1994, he joined the armed resistance; From 1995 to 2001, he recorded several albums that quickly spread to the North Caucasus. After the end of active hostilities, the second Chechen campaign Mutsuraev left the republic. It is believed that after leaving he lived in Turkey and visited Ukraine, and in 2008 he returned to Chechnya. Mutsuraev is no longer engaged in music.
"Welcome to hell"
Welcome to Hell, 1995
In 1995, when Mutsuraev recorded his first album “Welcome to Hell”, he turned 19 years old. At that time, he had fought in the ranks of the Chechen resistance for several months in the so -called Central Front, which he himself told in an interview with the Grozny radio station BIS in 1998. The name of the album and the title song reproduce the most popular inscription, which the Chechens left on houses during the first assault on the Grozny, which began on December 31, 1994.
"Serzhen-Yurt"
Gelaevsky special forces, 1996
In 1995, Mutsuraev was wounded and subordinate to Ruslan Gelaev, who was headed by the Borz detachment, also known as “Gelaevsky special forces”. At the same time, Mutsuraev’s close friend, Aslan Yahyev, with whom from the late 1980s, was professionally engaged in karate, and in 1994 decided to take part in the hostilities. Despite the fact that the song “Sergenen-Yurt” dedicated to the death of a friend was released on the second album of Mutsuraev, he himself said that it was he who wrote it first, and it was with this song that his musical career began.
"Russian Soldier"
Paradise under the shadow of the saber, 1997
The song, allegedly written under the impression of an indistinct letter found from the deceased Russian soldier, was very popular among Russian troops during both Chechen campaigns. Journalist Andrei Manschuk wrote in the article “Songs of Prophets”: “The federal command, concerned with the popularity of Mutsuraev’s records among Russian soldiers, imposed a ban on their distribution, but the cassettes under the magnificent label“ Star series of Chechen pop ”continued to sell from under the floors. It is ineptly prohibiting songs that everyone listens and everywhere. ”
"My city"
Welcome to Hell, 1995
The case of recognition of Mutsuraev’s songs by extremist was received by the Yurginsky City Court of the Kemerovo Region in December 2008, but the decision to ban 20 songs was made only on April 14, 2010. How many songs were considered in court initially is unknown, however, according to the information and analytical center "Owl", the prosecutor's office tried to ban about a hundred. Most of Mutsuraev’s songs - including forbidden - are still available for listening, but the placement of songs included in the federal list of extremist materials is persecuted. So, on January 25, 2013, the justice of the peace No. 37 of the Maloyaroslavets district of the Kaluga region brought to administrative responsibility and fined a resident of the Maloyaroslavets district who placed the prohibited song by Timur Mutsuraev “Chechens” on his VKontakte page.
"Your delicate gait"
Not included in any album, the year of release is unknown
The authorship of one of the most famous and most lyrical songs by Mutsuraev, in fact, does not belong to him - as, possibly, its performance. In the comments on various versions of this song, endless disputes are held about who actually performs it - Mutsuraev himself or Alikhan Amphadov , known as the modern imitator of Mutsuraev. It is believed that Mutsuraev never wrote songs about love, but in one of the interviews he said: “Strangers tell me a lot of texts. These are participants in all events, wounded - and ordinary peaceful people. ”
The given record most likely belongs to Mutsuraev.
"Candles went out"
Jerusalem, 1998
Jerusalem, published in 1998, is considered the most famous album of Mutsuraev, and the title composition of the album - his most famous song. In particular, it was with her that the film of Alexei Balabanov “War”, released in 2002, begins with her. However, now the song “Jerusalem” is included in the federal list of extremist materials, and its placement - despite the fact that the film “War” is freely available - according to Article 20.29 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation, can be regarded as “mass distribution of extremist materials”. In the early 2000s, Mutsuraev gave an interview with the Chechen newspaper Marshu, during which he was asked: “Mujahideen who participated in the fall of 1999-in the winter of 2000 in the fighting in the city of Grozny, say that from the positions of Russian paratroopers, the cries were often heard:“ Jerusalem Guitar could not be taken! ”Mutsuraev answered:“ I replied: “I replied And I myself know that cities are not conquered with the help of guitars and other musical instruments, but by weapons. ”
"Don't call me me"
You are a Muslim, 1998
After Jerusalem, Mutsuraev writes four more albums, which are more than his early work, are dedicated to Islam. Their names - “You are a Muslim”, “Great Jihad”, “12 thousand Mujahideen” and “Inshallahs, gardens are waiting for us” - they say for themselves. Recorded in 2001, “Inlaklah, the gardens are waiting for us”, became the last album of Mutsuraev; After that, he left Chechnya, left music and focused on poetry, dedicated mainly to religious themes. In 2008, Mutsuraev returned to the republic and made an appeal in which he called on all the forces opposing in Chechnya to the world.
"I'll leave"
Jerusalem, 1998
In an interview with the BIS radio station, to the question of what once influenced his work, Mutsuraev replied that it was all the popular rock music of the early 1990s: “heavy rock, metallica, nirvana”. In particular, Mutsuraev said that the acoustic guitar in Metallica “One” from the album “... and Justice for All” and forced him to learn how to play. The influence of music of the early 1990s is also traced in the late songs of Mutsuraev. So, “I will leave” from the album “Jerusalem” is clearly written under the influence of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” . The song is also interesting in the fact that in 2006, the Russian musician DJ Saga , who served in Chechnya, made remixes to several songs of Mutsuraev-including, on “I will leave” and “Sergeni-Yurt”. On his page, DJ Saga wrote: “Being in Chechnya, free or involuntarily, but you listen to the music that surrounds you. So I accidentally, at one of the dog handlers who worked with us, once heard the songs of Timur Mutsuraev. Knowing that he fought on the other side of the barricades, I still became interested in his work and, frankly, was not disappointed. I do not want to idealize him or admire what he did in due time. Maybe on his hands there is the blood of our soldiers. I just consider him as a musician. I like melodies to the songs that he composes, and I often listen to him at home. ”
Mikhail Kazinik
Moscow