Michael Gira Loves Coming to Russia / Jason Kempin / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP

The concert organizer, the Arcto Promo agency, chose an unexpected place for the dark folk and alternative icon's latest Moscow visit - the ZIL cultural center. The constructivist monument, built in 1937 by the Vesnin brothers, had not been subjected to such an invasion of gloomy and wildly dressed individuals for a long time, if anything like that had ever happened in the weathered concrete walls with solid glass. At least, the frightened cloakroom attendants assured that this was the first time they had seen anything like this.

A small church choir was rehearsing in front of the entrance, so the fans of the American musician, who is not averse to religious frenzy, were accompanied by the polyphonic singing of “Glory to the New Jerusalem” as they entered the cultural center. Which seemed completely absurd if you remember that it was in a Jerusalem prison that 16-year-old Michael Gira served four and a half months for drug trafficking in the early 70s.

After a short warm-up (which would be more accurately called a cool-down), Gira's Berlin-based minor-chord brother Christoph Hahn announced a short intermission. And finally, a 62-year-old, trim, grey-haired and strict man in black with an acoustic guitar took to the stage, greeted with a mini-ovation from a small but close-knit audience that tightly packed the seated stalls and the balcony. Gira's acoustic set is fundamentally different from the electric concerts. The old guard still remembers with delight and horror the first Swans concert in Moscow in 2011, in the sun-baked Avant club, where furious noise, howling and grinding entered into full resonance with the merciless nature.

Gira's acoustics are most reminiscent of the late experiments of Pyotr Mamonov. A couple of chords, fingerpicking or a rhythmic quiet beat, a voice that cannot be confused with any other, and spiritual gloomy mantras or stories. Except that Mamonov, unlike Gira, likes to wander into the territory of humor and absurdity and dances unique dances. And in "ZIL" everything was extremely decorous. Gira thanked the fans in Russian, joked a little, performed a couple of the main hits as an encore, and the famous God Damn the Sun came last. After the concert, he talked to the fans for a long time in the foyer, signing autographs on a CD with a selection of the best songs he had chosen. The upcoming Swans tour has been announced as the last, after which the group will disband. Regardless of whether this is true or not, Gira will definitely not stop traveling to Russia. His stepfather was from Belarus, and he himself admits that he reads Shalamov's prose and studies the Battle of Stalingrad. It is understandable why he is well understood and accepted here. Perhaps his New Jerusalem is hidden somewhere here.

Swans frontman gives acoustic concert in Moscow