- AAAAAA. - Everything will be fine

The main Russian-language stand-up performances of 2024. Review of "New-Europe"

In 2024, Russian-language comedians were very productive - in less than 12 months, at least 50 stand-up concerts were published on YouTube and other platforms, both from established artists of the genre and from promising newcomers.

Emigrated comedians often deal with themes of war and censorship, finding a new place for themselves and finding themselves in a new place. The comedians who remained in Russia became more reflective and anxious. Some of them are trying to deal with mental problems right on stage, others, on the contrary, want to escape from what is happening and talk about abstract topics. Novaya Gazeta Europe looked at the majority of Russian-language solo stand-up concerts released in 2024 and compiled a list of the seven most important performances. This selection is subjective, and its participants are arranged in random order.

Kostya Pushkin, “It’s all a joke”

Release date: 01/10/2024

2024 was a breakthrough year for Kostya Pushkin, a participant in the cult TNT shows of the late 2000s “Laughter without Rules” and “Lethal League”. He reincarnated the popular humorous quiz on YouTube “The Smartest Comedian,” continued to shine on the comedy-therapy show “What Happened to You,” and also released the second solo concert of his career, “It’s All Jokes.”

After February 24, 2022, Pushkin remained in Russia. This is what served as the starting point for most of the jokes in his performance - the comedian analyzes the consequences of the war in the country, ridicules the helplessness of citizens and, first of all, his own, and also tries to find justice in this world.

He does this through experience - with a perfectly calibrated presentation, a tight concentration of jokes and constant communication with the audience. Pushkin uses Aesopian language, avoids proper names, but this is only a plus - he does not slide into vulgarity, and individual quotes are well cut into tik-toks, they are so universal. Moreover, it is also safe.

“I’m not going to leave the country because I have huge balls, and it turned out to be a disease that doesn’t allow you to join the army.”

Kirill Selegey, “AAAAAA 2/2”

Release date: 02/11/2024

Comedian Kirill Selegei, who left for Israel in 2022, gave a performance similar in thoughts, but completely different in form and mood - his concert 90% consists of discussions on political topics. Unlike Pushkin, he is not afraid to call people and things by their proper names, and also to express his position - Selegey talks about Putin, and Navalny’s command, and the Russian government, and the Israeli one.

This is a rare case when excessive name-dropping only benefits the comedian. Selegey tells his material boldly, categorically and in a raised tone, correctly placing emphasis on punchlines. For the viewer, such a presentation can be shocking - this is how laughter is born.

“One of the main reasons why I left was that I simply didn’t know how to pursue my professional career anymore. My profession is to joke, to tell jokes. In Russia it became difficult to do this, because no matter what joke I wrote, the next day it was already true.”

Artem Vinokur, “Everything will be fine”

Release date: 12/13/2024

In December, comedian Artem Vinokur published a stand-up concert “Everything will be fine,” in which he highlighted a pressing topic—anxiety disorder. This problem has worried an increasing number of Russians in recent years, often due to the war in Ukraine. The comedian notes that he had anxiety for a long time, but in 2022 it increased sharply. Vinokur continues to remain in Russia.

Vinokur’s main feature that attracts attention is his sincerity. In the process of narration, he conveys a range of emotions that arose as a result of his anxiety. It’s as if he himself is trying to reflect on his state on stage. The emphasis in the concert is no longer on jokes, but on life situations familiar to most people. The combination of these factors leads to applause from the audience.

“To be honest, I felt like shit even before everything. Do you know what my anxiety level is now? When there’s mobilization in the country, and you’re a Category A military man... it’s crazy how you fit in.”

Kolya Andreev, “Solar Wind”

Release date: 10/01/2024

Where to watch: Specials Comedy

Kolya Andreev has long established himself for viewers and colleagues in the industry as an intelligent comedian with a subtle psyche - he set such a bar while still being the host of the talk show “A Woman’s View” on the Stand-Up Club #1 channel. But Andreev’s wisdom does not allow him to cope with his constant stress and complexes. In this regard, his beloved helps him.

Andreev’s last concert “Solar Wind” was written in a beautiful and rich style, with a lot of witty jokes. There is a lot of light sadness and hopelessness, but also cozy romance - the comedian devotes most of the performance to his girlfriend and the topic of relationships with loved ones. It is at this moment that he blossoms, despite all the voiced difficulties of life; for Andreev, love is hope for salvation. Watching this is humbling.

“For the first time in my life I am in a good relationship. I’ve been in relationships before, but it was more like when you go to your reserved seat - oh, we’ll go with these, okay. Well, maybe someone who gets off in Samara will breathe easier. Just the way."

It is worth noting that Andreev’s concert is the only one of the entire selection that cannot be watched for free. The creators of the Specials Comedy platform assure that all funds raised will go towards the treatment of the comedian - Andreev has serious problems with his joints.

Slava Komissarenko, “The barn is on fire, the hut is on fire”

Release date: 08/19/2024

The most viewed stand-up concert on Russian-language YouTube in 2024 was Slava Komissarenko’s solo album “The Barn is Burning, the Hut is Burning.” And this is not without reason - the comedian at one time united a large number of people who were forced to emigrate, and primarily Belarusians.

Komissarenko was put on the wanted list in Belarus for jokes about Lukashenko, because of this he could not stay in Russia. His comedy is a story about traveling around the world in search of a new place. And also about modern Belarus, in which every year the screws are tightened more and more tightly.

Perhaps Komissarenko’s latest concert is inferior in the sharpness of his jokes to his previous performances, but Slava continues to remain a phenomenon in Russian-language stand-up.

“Do you know what I did when I received a talent visa to the USA? I applied and got a talent visa to the UK, and now I'm looking at a talent passport in France. Yes, I lost the thread. <…> Now I want all the residence permits on this Earth, every one. I want to scan them all, send them to Chyk-Chyryk [Lukashenko] and write: “Well, who can’t go anywhere now?”

Pasha Zalutsky, “Life of Pi”

Release date: 05/02/2024

Where to watch: Votvot / YouTube

Perhaps this is the brightest concert of the entire selection. Pasha Zalutsky is a Belarusian stand-up comedian who has performed on Russian TV for a long time. He's also openly gay. And if in the conditional year of 2021 he could speak freely in the program “Women’s Stand-Up” on TNT about the problems of queer people, then after the start of the war his path to television was closed . Now the comedian lives in Poland.

In 2024, Zalutsky published a stand-up monologue, Life of Pi, the title of which immediately refers to his sexual orientation. For 40 minutes, with a kind smile on his face, he talks about what it’s like to be gay in the CIS and beyond, while simultaneously discussing the main stereotypes associated with this topic. The comedian emphasizes that there is no LGBT propaganda, and he talks about his identity no more than heterosexuals talk about theirs. Yet the main strength of his performance is his funny jokes.

“Gay marriage is always a balanced decision. 100% deliberate action. I guarantee you that there is not a single gay marriage by chance.”

Andrey Airapetov, “Shame”

Release date: 02/29/2024

Andrey Airapetov can rightfully be called one of the most productive Russian-speaking stand-up comedians - he releases solo albums almost every year, which is rare for stand-up comedians. And progress is noticeable - he does not write out, but, on the contrary, improves his material, presentation, screenwriting and directing.

Airapetov invests especially heavily in the latter, and this can be seen in his “Disgrace” concert. The artist uses live music, decorations, and at some point even starts singing karaoke - and this is surprisingly combined with the mood with which he infects the viewer during the presentation of his material.

Airapetov’s performance contains many personal stories, some of which he had already voiced in the show “Dispersal” shortly before the war - the comedian seizes on the topic of art, ridiculing pseudo-intellectuals, to whom he counts himself. He talks a lot about his feelings towards Russia (he moved to live in Kazakhstan in September 2022) and about the difficult relationship with his parents after the start of the war due to the difference in positions - Airapetov’s father calls his son a fascist. The comedian also tells an amazing “love story” - about how his great-grandfather killed his relative, but everyone forgave him. A quote from the solo album “Request for Sincerity” , which has already become a meme for Airapetov, is ideally suited to this concert: “How much he cried for us to laugh.”

“We stopped communicating [with my father] because it was no longer a dialogue, it was just like we were calling names in the yard. His main argument lately has been this: “Nobody fucking needs you in this Kazakhstan.” And that’s why I’m in Kazakhstan.”