"We plan to introduce Muscovites to the music of the Far East"

- Ilya, to the question of terms. "Far East" or "Pacific Russia" - how do you like it more? And 15-20 years ago how did you identify your land?

- The Far East is a much broader concept. It has been known for several centuries and defined the territories of the globe that were “farther away” than the modern Middle East and Central Asia. Pacific Russia is a more detailed definition worldwide. It seems to me. And the Primorsky Territory - its southern part. And then the identification remains the same as 20 years ago.

- Vladivostok yesterday, today, tomorrow - what is most important for you in the development of the city? What good things to note from what comes? From what, on the contrary, remains? What a pity to leave?

- A dream. The main thing that always remains is a dream. About how it would be possible to equip the city, reasonably evaluating its position and resources.

- How carefully do you follow the socio-political agenda? Free port of Vladivostok - how, for example, is this topic interesting for you?

- Maybe you'll write a new song? Here, the freshly discovered island of Yaya has already found your reflection - in the video "Vitamins".

- I do not stop writing songs. And most of them are really connected with Vladivostok, the Pacific Ocean and Asian cultural movements. It's just that people sometimes do not see it from the side. They have an unprepared perception of Pacific reality. But I continue my cult education.

- Are there attempts to classify and create such an entity as "modern Far Eastern Russian culture"? How would you describe it? Who would be named?

- Ilya, you are an Orientalist. Tell us about your first trip to the Celestial Empire. What impressed you the most? Were there any stereotypes that did not materialize?

- It was the end of 1980-ies. I worked as a translator for the delegation of the Primorsky Healthcare, and we, in fact, opened the way for the cooperation of traditional Chinese medicine specialists with the specialists of our city hospital. Although I remember the metropolitan businessmen who mocked the Chinese realities and offered to sell benches from the USSR municipal parks for the production of chopsticks. Through 20 years of occasions for laughter there is not much left, as well as benches in the parks.

- How much Chinese culture coincides with your inner understanding of Eastern culture today?

- She can't match. But it complements my ideas about the present day on the globe.

- Surely the Chinese philosophy somehow influenced your writing songs? How do you perceive the audience in Asian countries?

- No more than lectures on the history of the CPSU. Although both help communication, for example, with Chinese entrepreneurs. Over the past five years, the situation in the Asian rock and roll market has changed a lot. This is due to the formation of a new generation of creative youth, open to experiments with unusual historical musical formats, and also a growing audience with interest and financial capabilities to support these genres. The public still has a certain curiosity about “foreign stuff”, but the attempts of Russian artists, including me personally, to establish contacts, can be counted on the fingers and all this is absolutely piece experiments, which so far have no chance to grow into the industry of “cultural export” .

- In 2015, Mumiy Troll will present a film about Sedov sailing barge. what
Is this a story?

- This is a story about a group from a seaside city that goes on a sea voyage around the world in order to tell about itself and its city. This is not a documentary, most likely a genre of musical drama.

- For the third year in a row you have been spending a festival in Vladivostok so far from Moscow. What's the chip?

There is a science about amateur festival movements, and I studied them on my own experience for the past fifteen years. So, most organically, such cultural initiatives are developing in compact cities close to different cultural international centers. For several years, such events have a positive effect on the general economic background. We have a unique chance to put Vladivostok on the world cultural map. But the competition is very high.

- You said that you really want to go to space. Keep track of the construction site
Cosmodrome East?

- So far I only hear in the press about the financial scandals associated with the construction of the cosmodrome, I am afraid, we will not go anywhere for a long time.

- We heard that you open the Mumiy Troll bar in Moscow. What will be the highlight, besides the name?

- This is our Pacific musical embassy. We plan to acquaint Muscovites with the music of the entire Far East.