Why Fedor Chistyakov left Russia

The premiere of the song “Zero” and the statement of her leader about leaving the Russian Federation

He called me from New York and said: "I will probably stay here." The news is shocking. The least of all this could be expected from a person who sang (and sings): "I was born and grew up on Lenin Street." It is difficult to imagine the music more Russian than the one who played “zero” and continues to play Chistyakov. The brilliant album “without fools” and several very strong singles had just been released, he drove around the country with concerts, he is at the peak of form, he is finally good, after twenty years of depression and failure. So why run (and this is exactly the flight)?

... The fact that Chistyakov is a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses, an organization that has just been recognized as extremist, everyone knew, but did not attach any importance. It was believed that the rock star had such a quirk. The prince was also a witness. And Madonna is a Kabbalist. And Tom Cruise is the Scientologist ... However, Fedor, although he never spoke about his religion at concerts and extremely rarely in an interview, seriously treats it. This is not a quirk, this is what he is ready to fight.

“Witnesses” appeared in his life in the 90s, in the most difficult period. He had just served for the attempt to kill, went through a psychiatric hospital and was in a terrible state, on the verge of suicide. Now he does not drink, does not smoke and sings his old songs, where drugs are mentioned. But at the same time he did not lose his rock and roll drive, it lights up at concerts as few people can now. You can treat the “witnesses” in different ways, but they saved him, Fedor Chistyakov.

The pressure on the "witnesses" has been going on for a long time. In 2004, the Moscow community was dissolved. In 2011, several criminal cases were brought up. And in 2009, on the NTV channel, the film was shown: "Caution: Jehovah's Witnesses." In addition to the attack on the “witnesses”, there was a collision there and personally on Chistyakov. The television people presented him in the image of a zombie and fuddled sectarian, which is not true for any percent. This can be confirmed by anyone who visited Fedor's concerts and listened to his last notes. The zombies do not sing like that.

The conclusion from the program was read unequivocal: look, the killer and the drug addict preaches the Bible! They are probably all like that.

The act is vile, whatever one may say, but Chistyakov then restrained himself. He is generally patient, his life was breaking and continues to break as few people, one must have a strong character in order to survive and not go crazy in his circumstances. As the campaign around the “witnesses” unfolded, he was darker, nervous, but waited. There were weak chances that it would cost. Now there are no such chances. Since July, his co -religionists and he is outlawed.

“You can consider this interview with my statement about leaving the country,” said Fedor. “They just left me out of the way out.”

- I was not going to emigrate. There are people who have been trying for years to get Grinkart or somehow get to America. And I never had any thoughts of such or opportunities. I have firmly settled on the spot, I am already fifty, where to go? In addition, right now everything is going very well, as a musician I am on the rise: a good group, an established tour system, albums come out one after another. And so we flew with a tour in the USA. And the day before, a trial took place, the result of which was the ban on “witnesses”. It was a shock for me. The probability that I will not return from the American tour began to increase strongly. And on July 17, when the appeal was rejected, I made the final decision.

- What does this ban mean personally for you?

- First and most importantly: I can not openly confess my religion. This is in itself an injury, even if you are not planted, but there are already landings. In Orel, for example, Denmark was taken and planted. There are few Russians, they decided to help them so that it rang in my ears. There are options for punishments: prison, forced labor, fine. If a person is awarded a fine of 100 thousand, and he has a salary 20, what should he do? After that, by the way, they can plant.

“Such an environment makes any creative activity meaningless. What is the point if they can come for you tomorrow? "

And musical activity is associated with long -term investments. I invest my personal funds in the project, my colleagues and investors invest. I take on very serious obligations. Concerts are planned for six months, and I have no right to even get sick, I have to play alive or dead. But how to work if you can be taken away at any moment? Then we need to change the profession, but I do not want, I still have many plans.

Last year, my consultants visited the searches of the special services. They took laptops, computers, hard drives in order to find evidence of extremism. I was very worried about my home studio. It is completely unthinkable for my achievements to be carried away by unknown where. So my move is not related to the fact that I allegedly do not like Russia and sold to the Americans. This is a forced measure aimed at not disappearing as a creative unit. There was no other way out.

- And now you left. What will happen to the group "Fedor Chistyakov Band" now? Is the project closed?

- In no case. Only the place of my physical stay has changed, nothing changes. At least I hope so. Now we are redrawing the schedules of the tour, taking into account the fact that I am flying to them from America. The next plans of the Kambek group “Zero” - November 18, Moscow, Izvestia Hall. If there is no force majeure, everything will take place. And then the recording of the new album, the material is written, it is necessary to work with it. In addition, an American project with which I will speak is planned, a contract has already been signed.

-Do you plan to sing in English?

- I'm afraid I will not succeed. Russian language, Russian thinking, Russian mentality with moving do not disappear anywhere. This is not the clothes that he took off, put on another and all Okay. I remain the same who was, I am still worried about the things that are happening in Russia. And of course, I am focused on the Russian public. But there is also an emigrant audience, it is not very large, but it is. I live in the New York area, where you constantly hear Russian speech on the street. And this is not even Brighton.

- The song from your new single “Time to live” begins with the words: “There is nothing to do, there is nothing to do, nothing to do, just run ...” Just about the flight. Coincidence or did you plan so?

- Coincidence, I myself was amazed at him. This is the old song “NOLA”, they did not manage to finish it in due time, in 1992. I don’t remember what I had in mind then. Probably the flight from a difficult life situation, but not emigration for sure. We wrote it together together with Nichols, with whom we once started “zero”, we can consider this entry with a new work “Zero” with a clear conscience.

On it, we ran into a technology that we can work on the album remotely: I am in New York, it is in St. Petersburg. So everything is fine. The only thing I look in the mirror in the morning, every time I can’t believe that I, Fedor Chistyakov, is an extremist and the threat of Russian national security. I am not engaged in the fight against the regime. Moreover, I respect power. And they played me like a map in a large political game. This is some kind of nonsense.