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Yuri Yulianovich Shevchuk (; born 16 May 1957) is a Soviet and Russian rock musician and singer/songwriter who leads the
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
band
DDT Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, commonly known as DDT, is a colorless, tasteless, and almost odorless crystalline chemical compound, an organochloride. Originally developed as an insecticide, it became infamous for its environmental impacts. ...
, which he founded with Vladimir Sigachyov in 1980. He is best known for his distinctive gravelly voice. His lyrics detail aspects of Russian life with a wry, humanistic sense of humor. He is also famous for opposing pop music culture (especially playback performances) for many years. He is often accredited with being the greatest songwriter in present-day Russia.


Biography

Shevchuk was born in Yagodnoye in
Magadan Oblast Magadan Oblast is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject (an oblast) of Russia. It is geographically located in the Russian Far East, Far East region of the country, and is administratively part of the Far Eastern Federal District. Magadan ...
and raised in Ufa,
Bashkir ASSR The Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, also historically known as Soviet Bashkiria or simply Bashkiria, was an autonomous republic of the Russian SFSR. Currently it is known as Republic of Bashkortostan, a federal subject of Russia. ...
. Prior to founding
DDT Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, commonly known as DDT, is a colorless, tasteless, and almost odorless crystalline chemical compound, an organochloride. Originally developed as an insecticide, it became infamous for its environmental impacts. ...
, he worked as an art teacher. His mother is an ethnic Tatar while his father is an ethnic Ukrainian from
Khmelnytskyi Oblast Khmelnytskyi Oblast (), also known as Khmelnychchyna (), is an administrative divisions of Ukraine, oblast (province) in western Ukraine covering portions of the historical regions of western Podolia and southern Volhynia. The Capital (political) ...
. By the time the group released their third album ''Periferiya'' (''Periphery''), Shevchuk was facing a lot of pressure from Soviet censorship. In 1985 he disbanded the group and together with his wife Elmira moved to
St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...
. There he assembled a new line-up and became a member of the
Leningrad Rock Club The Leningrad Rock Club () was a historic music venue of the 1980s in Leningrad, situated on Rubinstein street (Saint Petersburg), Rubinstein Street in the city centre. Opened in 1981 and overseen by Komsomol and KGB, it became the first legal roc ...
. In 1989, DDT performed in Hungary; in 1990, in the US and for the first time in Japan. In 1992, Shevchuk lost his wife to cancer. The album ''Aktrisa Vesna'' (''Spring the Actress'') was dedicated to her and featured her paintings. In January 1995, during the
First Chechen War The First Chechen War, also referred to as the First Russo-Chechen War, was a struggle for independence waged by the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria against the invading Russia, Russian Federation from 1994 to 1996. After a mutually agreed on treaty ...
, Shevchuk went on a peace mission to
Chechnya Chechnya, officially the Chechen Republic, is a Republics of Russia, republic of Russia. It is situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe, between the Caspian Sea and Black Sea. The republic forms a part of the North Caucasian Federa ...
, where he gave 50 concerts for Russian troops. In 1999, Shevchuk visited
Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...
, giving concerts in support of the country's integrity and sharply criticizing the US for its bombings of the sovereign state. He also compiled photographic reports for
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
about destroyed Orthodox churches in the
Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
n region of
Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...
. In the 2000s, Shevchuk was highly critical of the nature of
Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...
's Russia that he regarded as undemocratic ''(see:
Putinism Putinism () is the social, political, and economic system of Russia formed during the political leadership of Vladimir Putin. There are three stages of Putinism; ''Classical Putinism'' (1999–2008), ''Tandem-Phase'' (2008–2012) and ''Devel ...
)'', and was one of only few celebrities to voice oppositionist grievances to Putin's face during a now-famous sit-down with cultural figures. On 3 March 2008, Shevchuk participated in a Dissenters' March in
Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
against the presidential elections to which no serious opposition was admitted. One of his controversial songs, "Kogda zakonchitsya neft", features the lyrics "When the oil runs dry, our president will die". On 8 June 2008, Yuri Shevchuk spoke at a round table within the framework of the
St. Petersburg International Economic Forum The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF; ) is an annual Russian business event for the economic sector, which has been held in Saint Petersburg, St. Petersburg since 1997, and under the auspices of the President of Russia since 2 ...
, "What is Russia? Conversation in non-economic language". Shevchuk published statistics - since 2003, about 100 monuments have been demolished in St. Petersburg. He also stressed that "you can't go back - you need a struggle of opinions, and not a single
United Russia The All-Russian Political Party United Russia (, ) is the Ruling party, ruling List of political parties in Russia, political party of Russia. As the largest party in the Russian Federation, it holds 325 (or 72.22%) of the 450 seats in the St ...
."Let's go to the bottom
/ref> On 24 and 26 September 2008, Shevchuk organized two peace concerts in Moscow and Saint Petersburg in protest against the Russian–Georgian war. The concerts were titled "Don't Shoot" ("Ne Strelyai"), after an eponymous song Shevchuk had written in 1980 in response to the
Soviet–Afghan War The Soviet–Afghan War took place in the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan from December 1979 to February 1989. Marking the beginning of the 46-year-long Afghan conflict, it saw the Soviet Union and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic o ...
. Together with DDT he performed alongside the Georgian jazz singer Nino Katamadze, the Ossetian band Iriston, and the band Bratya Karamazovy from
Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
. Revenue from the concerts was shared with victims of the war, Ossetians as well as Georgians. In May 2010, Shevchuk received considerable media attention following a pointed dialogue with
Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...
on state television, in which the singer openly confronted the then-Prime Minister with questions on controversial topics of democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom of the press. In a 2017 interview, Shevchuk admitted that the day after the televised exchange he "got a call from
United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...
with an invitation to give some kind of lecture..." and that his answer was: " ewill settle it among ourselves". He also stated that some of his requests were treated and processed by
Kremlin The Moscow Kremlin (also the Kremlin) is a fortified complex in Moscow, Russia. Located in the centre of the country's capital city, the Moscow Kremlin (fortification), Kremlin comprises five palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Mosco ...
administration. On 25 August 2010, Shevchuk performed the
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
song "
Knockin' on Heaven's Door "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, written for the soundtrack of the 1973 film '' Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid''. Released as a single two months after the film's premiere, it became a worldwide hit, ...
" together with U2 at their first ever concert in Russia, at the
Luzhniki Stadium The Grand Sports Arena of the Luzhniki Olympic Complex, commonly known as Luzhniki Stadium, is the national stadium of Russia, located in its capital city, Moscow. Its total seating capacity of 78,011 makes it the List of football stadiums in R ...
in Moscow. On 4 January 2011, Shevchuk was featured on the U.S.
NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...
''
Morning Edition ''Morning Edition'' is an American radio news program produced and distributed by NPR. It airs weekday mornings (Monday through Friday) and runs for two hours, and many stations repeat one or both hours. The show feeds live from 5:00 to 9:00 a ...
'' radio program. On 18 June 2014, during a concert at the Green Theatre in Moscow, Shevchuk declared that all revenue from the concert would be donated to the Dr. Lisa fund to aid injured citizens of
Donbas The Donbas (, ; ) or Donbass ( ) is a historical, cultural, and economic region in eastern Ukraine. The majority of the Donbas is occupied by Russia as a result of the Russo-Ukrainian War. The word ''Donbas'' is a portmanteau formed fr ...
. Shevchuk has consistently opposed the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
since it began on 24 February, when he stated, "Our future is being taken from us. We’re being pulled as if through an ice hole into the past, into the 19th, 18th, 17th century. And people refuse to accept it." In May 2022, Shevchuk was charged under the war censorship law after speaking out against Putin and the war in Ukraine at a concert in Ufa, declaring: “The motherland, my friends, is not the president’s ass that has to be slobbered and kissed all the time, the motherland is an impoverished old woman at the train station selling potatoes.” He also said that " people of Ukraine are being murdered" and "our boys are dying over there" due to "some
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
ic plans of another
Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war. He ...
of ours." The case was opened by
Police The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...
Division №7 of Ufa and was sent to the court of Sovietsky district of Ufa, but had subsequently been referred to the court of Dzerzhinsky district of
Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
. The court then returned the case to the Police Division №7 of Ufa due to the lack of description of committed violation in the text of the police protocol. On 15 July 2022, the case came before the court of Dzerzhinsky district of Saint Petersburg again. On 18 July 2022, the court of Dzerzhinsky district of Saint Petersburg again returned the case due to the lack of signature of Yuri Shevchuk and of information that he was apprised of his rights in the text of the police protocol. Eventually, on 16 August 2022, the court of Sovietsky district of Ufa found Yuri Shevchuk guilty of discrediting
Russian Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military of Russia. They are organized into three service branches—the Russian Ground Forces, Ground Forces, Russian Navy, Navy, and Russi ...
. The fact, that Shevchuk didn't use words "Russian Armed Forces" or similar in his speech at a concert, was not considered important by the court, which sentenced Shevchuk to a 50 000
ruble The ruble or rouble (; rus, рубль, p=rublʲ) is a currency unit. Currently, currencies named ''ruble'' in circulation include the Russian ruble (RUB, ₽) in Russia and the Belarusian ruble (BYN, Rbl) in Belarus. These currencies are s ...
fine. Shevchuk appealed the judgement. In December 2022, his appeal was dismissed. In reaction to Shevchuk's statements, Moscow authorities forced the cancellation of a scheduled DDT 40th anniversary concert in the city. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Shevchuk has recorded two anti-war songs: "Motherland, Come Back Home" ("Родина, вернись домой") and "The Burial of War" ("Похороны войны").


Solo discography (without

DDT Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, commonly known as DDT, is a colorless, tasteless, and almost odorless crystalline chemical compound, an organochloride. Originally developed as an insecticide, it became infamous for its environmental impacts. ...
)


Notes


External links


Official website of DDT

About DDT - Lyrics and English translations
*
Yuri Shevchuk at the Forbes

Yuri Shevchuk
on Discogs.com Interview with Yuri Shevchuk in: OLENA CHEKAN – The Quest for a Free Ukraine - Bohdan Rodyuk Chekan (Ed.), DER KONTERFEI 015, Paperback, English, 96 pages, 2015, {{DEFAULTSORT:Shevchuk, Yuri 1957 births 20th-century Russian male singers 21st-century Russian male singers DDT (band) members Living people People from Yagodninsky District Russian rock singers Russian people of Ukrainian descent Russian people of Tatar descent Russian activists against the Russian invasion of Ukraine Russian male singer-songwriters Russian singer-songwriters Russian record producers Soviet male singer-songwriters Soviet singer-songwriters