The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant occurred more than 30 years ago. The destruction of the reactor led to a colossal release of radioactive substances into environment. According to the official version, 31 people died in the first 3 months, and in subsequent years this figure approached one hundred. There is still some debate as to what caused the disaster. The consequences of what happened will be felt for many more decades, if not hundreds of years. After the accident, a 30-kilometer zone was established, from which almost the entire population was evacuated, and free movement was prohibited. This entire territory froze in 1986. Today we will look at the 7 most interesting objects in the Chernobyl exclusion zone.
Today Pripyat is not such a “dead city” - excursions are regularly organized there, and stalkers walk around. Pripyat is considered a Soviet open-air museum city. This abandoned place has retained the energy of the mid-80s, which attracts tourists from all over the world. We will look at some of the most interesting places of this city.
The Polesie Hotel was once the hallmark of Pripyat. It is located in the city center, next to an amusement park, which is clearly visible from its windows, and with observation deck The main city square and the no less famous Energetik Palace of Culture are clearly visible. Climbing onto the roof becomes more and more dangerous every year, since it has not been in the best condition for a long time, but visitors to the Zone are drawn to touch the huge letters that make up the name of the hotel.
The emergency response headquarters was set up in the hotel building. From the hotel roof the 4th power unit is clearly visible, so it was possible to correct the actions of the helicopters that were putting out the fire.
In some rooms there are dilapidated interior items. In general, looters did a good job in Pripyat at one time. They took out equipment, furniture, cut off batteries and took away everything that had at least some value, without even thinking that all this could cause great harm to health.
Paradoxically, even today the hotel receives tourists who, of course, do not come there to rent a room. They admire the views of Pripyat, get acquainted with the features of Soviet apartments and are amazed at the trees that grow through the floor.
This artificial reservoir was created to cool the station's reactors. The cooling pond is located on the site of an abandoned quarry, several small lakes and the old bed of the Pripyat River. The depth of this reservoir reaches 20 m. A dam divides it in the middle for better circulation of cold and warm water.
Today the cooling pond is located 6 meters above the level of the Pripyat River, and maintaining it in this condition is costly. Taking into account the fact that the station is no longer operating, the water level is gradually reduced, and over time the reservoir is completely planned to drain. This causes concern among many, because at the bottom there are many fragments of the reactor of the fourth power unit, highly active fuel cells and radiation dust. However, negative consequences can be avoided if the gradual decrease in water level is correctly calculated so that the bare areas of the bottom have time to acquire vegetation that will prevent the rise of radioactive dust.
By the way, the Chernobyl NPP cooling pond is one of the largest artificial reservoirs in Europe.
The condition of the pond is constantly monitored in order to assess how its ecosystem has suffered from radiation exposure. Although the diversity of living creatures has decreased, it has not disappeared completely. Today, it is quite possible to catch a normal-looking fish in a pond, but it is not recommended to eat it.
DK Energetik
Let's return to the center of Pripyat. The main square of the city is overlooked by the Energetik Palace of Culture, which, along with the Polesie Hotel, is a must-see.
It is logical to assume that all the cultural activities of the city. Circles gathered here, concerts and performances were held, and discos were held in the evenings. The building had its own gym, library and cinema. The recreation center was a favorite place for the youth of Pripyat.
Today you can still find the remains of the marble tiles that lined the building, stained glass windows and mosaics. Despite the destruction, the building still retains that famous spirit of the Soviet era.
City amusement park in Pripyat
Perhaps the most famous attraction of Pripyat is the city amusement park with its Ferris wheel. It is worth noting that this one of the most contaminated places in the city, but once upon a time in the park, enthusiastic children's voices were heard every now and then.
Cars, swings, carousels, boats and other attributes of the amusement park will never be used for their intended purpose, but among numerous tourists and stalkers they are popular as a kind of attraction.
Ferris wheel managed to become a symbol of the already deserted Pripyat. Interestingly, it was never put into operation. It was supposed to open on May 1, 1986, but 5 days before that there was an accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant...
Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant
Today, for a certain amount of money, you can visit the territory of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant itself. There you will see how it goes construction of the "Arch", which should cover the 4th power unit along with the old sarcophagus. In the power plant building itself, you can walk along the “golden corridor”, get acquainted with the reactor control panel, and also find out how the Chernobyl nuclear power plant worked in general. Regular excursions are limited only to tourists staying near the station.
The arch should cover the message of the 4th power unit Of course, illegal travelers cannot penetrate into the heart of the Zone - everything is reliably guarded. However, the station and the “Arch” under construction are clearly visible from the high-rise buildings of Pripyat. Every self-respecting stalker is sure to capture a photo of the view of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
By the way, about 4,000 people now work at the station. They are engaged in the construction of the Arch and work on decommissioning power units.
Red forest
This area of forest, located not far from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, during the accident took on the largest share of radioactive dust, which led to the death of trees and coloring of their foliage brown-red. It is noteworthy that the enzymes of the trees reacted with radiation, which is why a glow was observed in the forest at night. As part of the decontamination, the Red Forest was demolished and buried. Today the trees are growing again, of course, already having a normal color.
However, today there are young pines with signs of mutations. This can be expressed in excessive or, conversely, insufficient branching. Some trees, having reached the age of about 20 years, were never able to grow above 2 meters. The needles on pine trees can also look intricate: they can be elongated, shortened, or completely absent.
By the way, the remaining power units were still operating for some time. The last one was turned off in 2000.
An unpleasant feeling may arise from the burial grounds where the demolished trees were buried. Mounds and branches sticking out of the ground evoke unpleasant associations for many.
The remains of unburied trees are also of interest. This view clearly demonstrates how nature can suffer from human activity. This area is perhaps one of the saddest places in the Exclusion Zone.
Arc
The object is represented by a huge complex of antennas. This radar station performed the task of detecting launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles. Our military could see the American missile, actually looking over the horizon. Hence the name "Arc". To ensure the operation of the complex, about 1000 people were needed, which is why a small town was organized for the military and their families. And so it arose object "Chernobyl-2". Before the accident, the installation was used for only a few years, and after that it was abandoned.
The radar antennas are of Soviet engineering. According to some reports, the construction of “Duga” cost twice as much as the creation of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Western countries were not happy with this setup. They constantly complained that she was interfering with work civil aviation. Interestingly, “Duga” created a characteristic knocking sound on the air, for which it was nicknamed “Russian Woodpecker.”
The height of the antennas reaches 150 m, and the length of the entire building is about 500 m. Due to its impressive size the installation is visible from almost anywhere in the Zone.
Nature is gradually destroying the buildings of the Chernobyl-2 facility. But the “Duga” itself will still stand for more than one year, unless, of course, the Ukrainian authorities (or some others) want to waste tons of contaminated metal, as happened with the fleet of vehicles that were involved in eliminating the consequences of the accident...
Many stalker-roofers, not afraid of the guards who patrol those places, climb as high as possible onto one of the antennas and capture Chernobyl landscapes in photos.
In the well-known series of games S.T.A.L.K.E.R. there is a so-called “Brain Burner” installation, with which “Arc” is associated, which further attracts adventurers.
Conclusion
The Chernobyl exclusion zone is undoubtedly a unique place on Earth, a kind of piece Soviet Union in the 21st century. It is very sad that the city of Pripyat was thoroughly plundered by looters - they could have at least left the finishing intact, but no - they even pulled out the wiring. However, it is important for the modern generation to treat the Zone not as a tourist attraction or a place where you can see places from the games, but as a reminder that our scientific achievements can leave scars on Earth that will take centuries to heal.
Background:
In mid-1999, a young Belgorod musician Sergei Bely, known in the world as Sergei Shubin, decided to record his first album. Together with a friend, Andrei Bannikov, who was practicing sound recording at that time, by the end of the year this idea was realized. The album was called “Traveling the Sides of Life.” It did not receive wide distribution in Belgorod, but it received it in Donetsk. Around the same time, Sergei met his future wife Marina, with whom a year later he created a duet, which later became the basis of the future group and project. In 2002, at the 4th acoustic rock festival near Balakleya, Sergei Bely became a laureate and an almost permanent member of the jury for subsequent years. Soon after this, he meets Sergei Antonov, who becomes the bass guitarist of the created group called “Territory of Freedom”. The name contained a certain concept of the group, namely that any musicians could join and leave it at will and at any time. In 2005, Yura “Lace” Lyakhov became the group’s full-time session lead guitarist. During the existence of the group, many Belgorod musicians and just friends took part in performances. Several concert performances and an acoustic apartment concert “Reference Point” were recorded. The group tours in Kharkov, Donetsk, Kaluga, Moscow. And at the end of 2004, Sergei Antonov left the group and was replaced by Alexey Orobets. This marks a turning point in the lives of musicians. In the spring of 2005, the group changed its name and approach to creativity.
Story:
In April 2005, gr. “Territory of Freedom” became the underground project “Territory of Alienation”. Reasons: first, it became known from the Internet about a rap group that also calls itself, which did not inspire optimism; the second - after a joint concert with Manager and gr. "Motherland" in Pushkin Library in the media of the National Bolshevik Party, which participated in organizing the concert, an unpleasant blow was dealt to the image of the group, which also played a role, albeit a small one; third, and main - suddenly the understanding came that the true territory of freedom will always be the territory of alienation and, conversely, the territory of alienation is the greatest territory of freedom! It turned out that the new phrase expresses the inner essence of the group better than the old one. The project is named due to its unstable, constantly changing and developing composition and because of the desire for experimentation, varying degrees good luck in studio work.
In 2005, an acoustic collection album “Don’t be a jerk about relationships” was trially recorded at home. In 2006, the same release was re-recorded at the Metrica-records studio in a new more professional quality. Then, over the next three years, five more albums were recorded: “The Centaur’s Trunk or How to Smoking a Cuban Cow’s Pussy” - enhanced acoustics (Metrika records studio, 2007); “West-Ost” - electricity (UPS records studio, 2007); “The Storyteller” - light electricity (UPS records studio, 2008); “Dog Dances” - electroacoustics (UPS records studio, 2009); "Anarchy will come!" - electricity (UPS records studio, 2009). At this time, “Territory of Alienation” tours a lot in the cities of Russia and Ukraine, and often performs in Belgorod. Performance venues included small clubs, festival stages, and just apartments where acoustic concerts were held. The project participates in the acoustic composition of the Oskol Lyra festivals (2008 laureates), the Balakleya Acoustic Rock Festival (as a jury and special guests), the Venichkina Rainbow festivals (2008 laureates, as a result of which they included on the festival jury), “Singing Mug” (as guests), “ White wave", in the half-Moscow festival "In Memory of the Speleologist Chagall" and many others. In 2009, the project clearly declared itself at the Rock-Player-Peter and Rock-Player-Ukraine festivals. Contacts were established with many Internet radio stations, and the project’s songs were included in several underground collections. During this and the subsequent period of vigorous concert activity, they performed on the same stage with Manager and gr. "Motherland", gr. " Western Front", Radoy and gr. “Ternovnik”, Vadim Kuzmin (Cherny Lukich), Alexander Chernetsky and gr. " Different people", Umkoy and gr. “Armored Car”, Mikhail Bashakov, Viktor Jalilov (Lonely Pilot), gr. “Ch.Ch.”, Igor Lunev (gr. “Bells”), Vadim Kurylev and gr. "Electric Guerrillas", gr. "Brigade Contract" and others.
Over time, the composition of the project underwent significant changes, constantly changing from an acoustic duo to almost complete “electricity”, the same applies to work on albums. They all turned out to be very different in concept, style, and composition of musicians. And only the basis of the project, Sergei Bely, Marina Shubina, Alexey Orobets and their ideas, have always remained the unchanged basis for experiments. At this time, right up to the recording of the album “Anarchy Budet!” in 2009, Yuri Lyakhov (lead guitar, bongos, harp, harp) and Dmitry Korenev (lead guitar, arrangements, sound engineering, mastering) participated in the project as permanent musicians. Already at the end of the recording of the release “Anarchy budet!” Artem Emirgamzaev joined the project (lead guitar, drums, arrangements, mastering), who soon brought in drummer Alexey (his last name, unfortunately, lost through the centuries) to create a full-fledged electric lineup. The period of designing electric live arrangements begins, a period of active rehearsals for complete “electricity”. The album was presented for the first time in full electric composition in Belgorod at the “In Rock” club in November 2009 and received a great response, reaching and exceeding the level of success of the release “The Centaur’s Trunk or How to Smoking a Cuban Cow’s Pussy,” released in 2007 and which has long become the calling card of the project. A little earlier than these events, the project in its entirety, as musicians, participated in the recording of the release “Punk of the Donetsk Regions”, helping the Donetsk project “The Road Home”. This work was also a great success.
Soon the line-up changes, Anton Shabalin replaces drummer Alexey, who has gone into the army, and a second bass player Ilya Chupkin appears in the project, with whom the line-up plays in Belgorod and tours Ukraine with presentations. The general geography of performances over the past years: Belgorod, Kharkov, Kaluga, Moscow, Stary Oskol, Donetsk, Dnepropetrovsk, Kiev, Zaporozhye, St. Petersburg, Tula, Voronezh, Lipetsk, Lugansk, Bila Tserkva, Cherepovets, Kursk, Nikolaev... Since then, “Territory Alienation" is a frequent participant in Belgorod club festivals in an electric lineup. Also, the leader of the project, Sergei Bely, continues what he started back in 2000 - he organizes concerts for other friendly groups, sometimes even performing with his composition in friendly hodgepodges.
At the end of the spring of 2010, under circumstances worthy of an epic pen, right before the next Kharkov concert of the project, Artem Emirgamzaev left it (the concert, despite this, naturally took place). Almost immediately, in the summer, Andrei Levsha (lead guitar), a member of the Belgorod rock band “Drevo”, comes to his place as a volunteer to record a new release and subsequent presentations. At the same time, the project also changes the drummer, Dmitry Kireev, also a member of the Atom group, becomes him. And work begins on the collection of the best songs “HIT GLAMORIES”, with an updated composition, in a new, completely live, electric arrangement. This period was filled with constant rehearsals and work in the Metrica records studio, where the material was written and mixed. A lot of effort and money were put into this work, and not in vain. This release was prepared, written and mixed for over a year. Many events stood in the way of its release, the composition of the project’s musicians changed several times, meteor showers and solar storms, global warming and magnetic anomalies also did not contribute to the implementation of plans. But, despite all the chaos of what was happening, the collection was still released! As a result of all the ups and downs, at the end of winter 2011, the long-awaited collection album “HIT GLAMORS” was released. Not only the regular project participants at that time contributed to its recording, but also, in session, many famous Belgorod musicians and members of other groups. A fairly large gang of musicians was assembled for the recording; a total of twelve people took part in the creation of the collection. To record the drums, to help our drummer, Dmitry Mezhenin, a musician from the band “5 Pence”, which is quite famous in our area, was brought in. Also participating in the recording was another musician from the rock band “Drevo”, Andrey’s brother, keyboard player Vladimir Levsha. And many other participating musicians will also not be forgotten by history, their names will forever remain on the cover of the release: Maxim Strogy and Igor “Donald” Pobegailo (didgeridoo, harp and bongos, djebe, darbuka, respectively, members of the “Wolf Sun” group), Oleg Ermilov (didgeridoo, leader of the Atom group), there was also another participant who wished to remain incognito. It included seventeen compositions chosen by listeners through voting on the Internet. Only songs from the album “Anarchy budet!” were not included, because it was published just a year before the collection and is still relevant in form and content. Songs from earlier releases have now been rearranged quite radically, some of them were previously only available in semi-acoustic versions, versions of others have long been outdated. The arrangements use a wide range of instruments, both common for rock bands and quite exotic ones, such as didgeridoo, kazoo, etc. The style of the songs is also very extensive, from punk rock to folk and reggae. There are no pure styles in the songs, the musicians shoveled everything with the barmaleyism characteristic of the project... This release was the result of five years of activity and contained all the achievements and concept of the project for that period.
During the presentations of the release, contacts were established with the Moscow “Prostofest”, whose leaders invited the acoustic version of the project to perform in the summer at the “Empty Hills-2011” festival. And the electric project, after all the presentations of the release “HIT GLAMORIES”, which lasted all spring, in its Belgorod version ended its existence with a performance at the “Nezhegolskaya Sloboda” bike rally. The composition was disbanded. Only the backbone remained - the acoustic duet of Sergei Bely and Marina Shubina, which represents the current “Territory of Alienation”. Further plans for the project involve moving to a permanent place of residence in St. Petersburg by mid-summer 2011. A new team will be assembled there and creative activity will continue, perhaps in a new way.
COMPOSITION OF THE GROUP???????
Marina SHUBINA – percussion instruments, kazoo, zug flute, harp, backing vocals, band director, artist, photographer.
Our honor and conscience are rolled into one.
Andrey LEVSH - lead guitar.
Decoration of the team).
Alexey OROBETS - bass.
A very irresponsible guy.
Yuri LYAKHOV – harp.
He still doesn’t understand what he’s doing among us...
Dmitry KIREEV - drums.
Humble and talented.
DISCOGRAPHY????????
? "HIT GLAMORIES" - electricity.
(Metrika records studio, 2011)
http://ifolder.ru/22794791?
http://rutracker.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3585598 ?
? "Anarchy will come!" - electricity.
(UPS records studio, 2009)
http://ifolder.ru/14955208?
http://rutracker.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3453391 ?
? “Dancing Dogs” - electroacoustic.
(UPS records studio, 2009)
http://ifolder.ru/11262334?
? "Storyteller" - light electricity.
(UPS records studio, 2008)
http://ifolder.ru/11264410?
http://rutracker.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2071780 ?
? "West-Ost" - electricity.
(UPS records studio, 2007)
http://ifolder.ru/8367111?
http://rutracker.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2071780 ?
? “The Centaur's Trunk or How to Smoking a Cuban Cow's Pussy” - enhanced acoustics.
(Metrika records studio, 2007)
http://ifolder.ru/6265028?
http://rutracker.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2071780 ?
? “There’s no need to mess with relationships” - acoustics.
(Metrika records studio, 2006)
http://ifolder.ru/6198241?
http://rutracker.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2071780 ?
Free compositions can be downloaded from the official website of the group http://territoria-ot.narod.ru.
What is the exclusion zone of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant?
"Chernobyl exclusion zone nuclear power plant» is an officially designated exclusion area around the site of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident.
Scientists believe that the release of radioactive substances accelerated the growth of some individuals, and since catfish are long-lived, their size reaches unprecedented levels with age.
More than thirty years have passed since the accident and the animals are already descendants of their irradiated ancestors, but eating such fish is still dangerous.
In Chernobyl you can visit the St. Elias Church and the castle from the times of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
In Pripyat, the main square is also of particular interest.
The interest in it is due to the fact that the amusement park in which the wheel is located never opened.
Its opening coincided with Labor Day on May 1, 1986, and the accident occurred five days before the scheduled opening date. All the park's attractions remained untouched.
It is not possible to dismantle and install them in other parks. They still emit background radiation tens of times higher than normal.
Pollution of the exclusion zone
The level of radiation (cesium-137, strontium-90, americium-241 and plutonium-239) at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and Pripyat is 2-2.5 times higher than the established standards.
Chernobyl nuclear power plant contamination zone map The Chernobyl exclusion zone is managed by Civil service Ukraine by emergency situations , while the power plant itself and its sarcophagus (and replacement) are carried out separately.
Due to the fact that the bulk of the contaminated areas were still outside the 30-km zone, in the 1990s they gradually began to resettle settlements(94 in total), since they still exceeded the permissible standards.
Over the course of 6 years, most of the villages were finally resettled. In 1997, this territory was included in the Chernobyl exclusion zone and transferred under the management of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and, accordingly, began to be protected.
Exclusion zone today
In the city there are working shops, a “dorm” and a “canteen”. They also live in the exclusion zone local residents from among those who returned (up to 500 people).
They are located in several villages of the territory and lead a secluded lifestyle, although there is no other way of life here.
There is no electricity in the territory, and there is also no food supply. People who have decided to return to their homes are engaged in agriculture, hunting and fishing.
If animals have a lower radiation background and eating them is at least somehow possible, then the soil is very polluted.
The soil is so polluted that it takes several thousand years to clean it up. For this reason, growing food in the exclusion zone is a bad idea.
The exclusion zone is a fairly visited site by tourists; people come here from all over the world.
Tourist exclusion zone
There are agencies through which you can get to Chernobyl or Pripyat, the “Rusty Forest” and a number of other objects of the exclusion zone.
Rusty or red forest
This is an area of 10 square kilometers adjacent to the territory of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
The radioactive substances released into the atmosphere were partially absorbed by the trees, which led to their death, as well as turning them brown-red.
Coloring occurred within 30 minutes of the explosion. Some claim that dead trees glow at night.
As part of the work to clean up the area from radiation contamination, the forest was cut down and buried.
Now the forest is being restored naturally. Radiation loads on pine as a result of the Chernobyl accident occurred during the period of tree growth.
During this period, the radiosensitivity of plants increases by 1.5-3 times compared to other periods.
The crown of pine trees is quite dense and is an effective filter, which contributed to the retention of a significant amount of radioactive dust and aerosols in the crowns of these trees.
Pine does not shed its needles for 2-3 years, which causes slow natural cleaning of the crowns compared to deciduous trees.
This factor increased radiation damage to conifers compared to other tree species.
As a result of the release of radioactive substances and the degree of their impact on the trees, the forest was divided into several zones:
- An area of complete death of coniferous trees with partial damage to deciduous trees (the so-called “Red Forest”). The levels of absorbed doses (according to scientists' calculations) for external gamma irradiation in 1986-1987 were 8000-10000 rad with a maximum exposure dose rate of 500 mR/hour and more. The area of this zone is about 4.5 thousand hectares. In this zone, the above-ground organs of the pine tree died completely, and the needles became brick-colored. The entire forest practically “burnt down”, accumulating significant volumes of radioactive emissions.
- The zone of sublethal forest lesions in which from 25 to 40% of the trees died, and also died most of forest undergrowth (1-2.5 m in height). In 90-95% of trees, young shoots and buds are severely damaged and have died. The absorbed dose is 1000-8000 rad, the exposure dose rate is 200-250 mR/hour. The area of the zone was 12.5 thousand hectares, including pine forests - 3.8 thousand hectares.
- Zone of moderate damage to the pine forest. This zone was characterized by damage mainly to young shoots, and the needles turned yellow only in certain areas of the branches. Slight morphological deviations in pine growth were also noted, but these plants retained their viability. The absorbed dose is 400-500 rad, the exposure dose rate is 50-200 mR/hour. The area of the third zone was 43.3 thousand hectares, including pine forests - 11.9 thousand hectares.
- An area of mild damage, where individual anomalies in growth processes were noted. No visible damage was found on the pine trees. All trees retained normal growth and needle color. The absorbed dose was 50-120 rad, the exposure dose rate was 20 mR/hour.
Quite recently it was built for visitors, so there is already somewhere for hundreds of tourists to relax.
Which was the central object of the city of Pripyat. It had several sections, a hall where concerts were held and film shows were held. Not long ago a sign was lit on it.
A complex of buildings located over a large area. The complex had three buildings, the tallest being the administrative building, its height was eight floors.
The plant is a secret facility; what its employees were doing is still unknown.
for a day it costs from $79, but it is better to take a group tour, it will cost a couple of times cheaper, and you can also rent a personal dosimeter for $10.
By paying for the excursion, you will be able to visit the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, the “city that does not exist” and some villages, and if the tour is multi-day, then other attractions.
While staying in the exclusion zone, a tourist will receive a dose of radiation comparable to an hour-long plane flight.
However, a longer stay is contraindicated, the longer a person is in contact with background radiation, the greater the impact on the body.
The group “Territory of Alienation” plays non-commercial Russian rock, especially relevant in times of universal materialization. Spiritual anarchism, experiments with classical styles, stylization and mixing... And main feature team: true cohesion!
- Guys, you call your group an underground project. What is the underground in your opinion? Something opposite to general musical culture? Feeling alienated? Strangers among our own?..
As it is written in our project description on the website: “Underground is creativity that has an original, meaningfully chosen, non-commercial orientation.” This says it all, defines the essence and place of such creativity in the tops, rotations and other bustle of this life. And the point here is not alienation, although with this approach it arises by itself. People prefer something easy, comfortable, familiar and safe in all areas of life. But real life, and therefore real creativity, are not like that. Reality is quite harsh, contradictory and merciless. And all this is reflected in inner world people, but they most often run away from it, turn away, hence all the complexes in a person, as well as the problems of modern civilization. And by turning away and running away, people alienate themselves from reality and reality from themselves, including, often, creativity that truly reflects it, without pink colors, pastel filters and other castration of real life. Few people can survive such an invasion of their comfort zone. So, in my opinion, yes, we can say that the underground initially contained something opposite to the so-called general musical culture (which one would like to call lack of culture). And, of course, in this case, the periodically arising feeling of alienation associated with real life and with internal experiences, will take place. But, as they say, it could have been worse, our enemies could have been our friends. This is certainly not necessary until they change and become different people. And we certainly don’t feel like “strangers among our own”; rather, on the contrary, we are drawn to “our own”, and they are drawn to us.
Does it make sense to reflect on this strange word - “underground”? Although this name probably has meaning for Sergei, he is, by all indications, an anarchist, a rebel. This is probably where the name comes from: “underground project”, no one argues, everyone tries to fit in.
As for alienation, I personally don’t feel like a “stranger among my own.” Perhaps it could be “a stranger among strangers.” But it is even useful to alienate yourself from these “strangers”. I’m not talking about the guys at all - they are just “ours!!!” one hundred percent.
- Is the feeling of foreignness characteristic of you in life?
Sergey Bely (vocalist, guitarist): It depends on how foreign it is. In the previous answer I already said a lot about similar things. We all people. We all have a spark of goodness within us. We are not trying to divide the world into friends and foes, we want to make it at least a little better. This is the only purpose of our creativity, even those “inconvenient” songs that seem evil to the average person. We have nothing to share with the people around us. We just want, together with them, to be worthy of being called the word “Human”.
Andrey Karapetyan (bassist): I, thank God, am not a client of a mental hospital, and I don’t care how strangers treat me. They consider me a “stranger” - that’s just their problem.
Boris Pilyavsky (drummer): Foreignness is already too much. Alienation is an action that occurred after birth, but foreignness is something completely bad. People living on the same planet cannot be aliens. The name “Territory of Alienity” would be terrible (laughs).
- The underground - in your mouth - sounds proud, but poor: “Underground is creativity that has an original, meaningfully chosen, non-commercial orientation.” Is non-commercial music a conscious focus? What does this mean to you? “DDT”, for example, or “Alice” - is this commercial music? But the comrades earn money...
Sergey Bely (vocalist, guitarist): I don't want to judge others now. They are responsible for their own affairs. Commercial or non-commercial - only they themselves know for sure. For me personally, the non-profit orientation, which I chose intelligently, means not rejecting the opportunity to sell something from the results creative work, but the original core of creativity, based on the fact that everything is done for ideological purposes, and not for money. If they buy albums, I will use the proceeds to develop creativity or do things that are useful to people. If they don’t buy it, I’ll still stick to my line and do what I think is necessary. And nothing else.
Anastasia Kuchek (keyboardist): Earning money through your creativity is a pleasant bonus, not an end in itself. It is precisely by this criterion, by the original idea, that, in my opinion, commercial and non-commercial music are separated. Non-commercial - I will play what I like, and the way I like, even if only 10-15 people come to the concerts. Commercial - I will play such music so that as many people as possible come to the concerts, so that they play me on the radio and buy my CDs. The same “DDT” and “Alice”, I think, at one time were not created with the goal of making money.
Boris Pilyavsky (drummer): Commercial - this is commonly defined as “buy and sell”. If someone sells the result of creativity, and there are people who want to buy it, then outwardly this is commerce. But it’s unlikely that at their concerts and when recording an album, musicians who call themselves non-commercial think: “how can I earn more money from this song, I need to play here like this, I’ll definitely get paid more...”. This is the difference. As for the groups “DDT” or “Alisa”, in my opinion, these people play real music, they like it, they get a kick out of it. They have reached this level, and if they receive fees for this, then, apparently, they deserve it. They don’t “push” their creativity to everyone. If you don’t like it, don’t go to concerts, don’t buy CDs, and don’t listen to their music at all.
- Tell us, how did you all get to this life?.. How did you end up in the “Territory of Exclusion”? How do you feel inside and outside the team?
It all started when I met Sergei thirteen years ago. He was just a beginning rock musician then. Then it was more like bard rock, because all the songs were performed with an acoustic guitar. We first created a duet together, and then a group, we came up with the name together, and we still create together. This project grew from a hobby into a lifelong endeavor. For me, this creativity does not end at the threshold of rehearsal points or the stage, it is an integral part of everything I do, even the ideas for my paintings are inspired by the lyrics of Sergei’s songs.
Anastasia Kuchek (keyboardist): I met Marina and Sergey in 2008, when they came to St. Petersburg to perform at the Symbiosis club and at the Singing Mug festival. We had a lot of fun, and I had extremely pleasant impressions from communicating and getting to know their work. I remember that I was especially impressed by the title of their new album, “The Trunk of a Centaur or How to Smoke a Cuban Cow’s Pussy,” and, of course, the song “Mary Poppins.” This song sunk deep into my soul and will remain there, apparently, forever (laughs).
The next year the guys came to perform again and even invited me to play along with them on the harmonica. And then, quite unexpectedly, they upped and moved to St. Petersburg. And one autumn I accidentally discovered in one famous social network that Sergei is looking for musicians. Yeah, I thought, remembering “Mary Poppins,” I should try to fit into the team! Then my husband Andrey and I participated in a not very promising project and were frankly bored. The fact that the group required a guitarist, bassist and drummer, and I am a keyboard player, did not bother me at all. Firstly, my husband is a bass player, and I was going to actively involve him in this matter, and secondly, what group would refuse a keyboard player who voluntarily joined them? The calculation turned out to be correct, the guys were somewhat surprised, but they were allowed into the Exclusion Territory.
Andrey Karapetyan (bassist): Accordingly, everything is simple for me: my wife “attracted” me, and I settled in and feel quite comfortable (jokingly).
Boris Pilyavsky (drummer): What is important here is not the process of the path to this life, what is important is the result. We finally found ourselves in this “Territory of Alienation”. The main thing is to stay in this territory and not go astray. And we feel completely healthy people, with a stable psyche (jokingly).
-Who is your ideologist?
Marina Shubina (backing vocalist): Of course, the ideologist of the group is Sergei. Without him there will be no “Territory of Exclusion” at all, because he is the author of the lyrics and the trendsetter of the arrangement. The remaining musicians, complementing it, make their irreplaceable and talented contribution to the sound of the group.
Boris Pilyavsky (drummer): To be honest, I'm not good at these political terms. But I note that Marina gives a lot of creative ideas, and just ideas. Although outwardly it may seem to someone that our only ideologist is Sergei, it seems to me that this is not entirely true.
Sergey Bely (vocalist, guitarist): It so initially turns out that I write almost all the songs that we play. Here, in any case, you become an ideologist, because your thoughts and feelings are in the texts. Well, the fact that the primary arrangements are mine apparently only complements this. But, of course, I always try to pay attention to what others think and say, and this finds its response in creativity, but, nevertheless, at the beginning, passing through my worldview and soul. There is no other way here.
- In your case, is the leader of the group the undisputed leader? Or are you a democracy?
Boris Pilyavsky (drummer): What kind of democracy is there, with such and such a leader - a rebel. We have a monarchy with signs of anarchy. You could probably call it mAnarchy (laughs).
Marina Shubina (backing vocalist): In a musical group there must be one leader who has an inexhaustible supply of energy, enthusiasm, ideas, confidence, and somewhere arrogance, perseverance, the ability to unite and lead, capable of attracting the attention of the public. Sergei has all these qualities, and he is the undisputed leader of the project. But this is not totalitarianism. Initiative coming from other group members is always welcome and encouraged. Only with a united team can we achieve the desired results.
Sergey Bely (vocalist, guitarist): The fact is that I do not have any special musical skills, and therefore I trust musicians. In addition, I believe that in a group everyone should have the opportunity to self-realize. Therefore, I don’t stop them from doing their job as they see fit, and I do mine. Everyone can always have their say. Although, all the same, in the end the decision, of course, remains with me, the songs are still mine (laughs).
Yuri Manita (solo guitarist): In our group, everyone is a leader in their field!
- What does the expression “spiritual anarchism” mean to you? Anarchy is anarchy, resistance to authority?.. But surely someone must lead the human spirit? Who?
Sergey Bely (vocalist, guitarist): Spiritual anarchism is self-organization within the person himself, this is where real anarchism begins from the outside, when people are spiritually developed, free, honest and are one positive force. This is what we are trying to lead to. It finds its natural reflection in our creativity. I would even call it the basis of my songs. Unfortunately, most people are deprived of this inner core, which is why they cannot decide to live by their own mind, constantly choosing some representatives of their interests, some kind of power that has the right to lead and punish them. We can see all around us what sad consequences this leads to.
Marina Shubina (backing vocalist): To me, “spiritual anarchism” is the freedom to choose what is good and what is bad, supported and determined by moral values. Anarchy is such a moral, spiritual, value level development of society and each person individually, when power as a controlling, directing and punishing body is simply not required. But every person has the right to choose whether someone will guide his spirit, and it is simply impossible to give a universal answer that would apply to all people.
Andrey Karapetyan (bassist): Where did you get the idea that someone should lead the human spirit? A person should be guided solely by his conscience. And power, laws are just an attempt to lead to common denominator some generalized conscience and interests of the “ruling class”.
Anastasia Kuchek (keyboardist): And, as you can see, these attempts have not yet been crowned with success. A person cannot be made good by force, “from above.” And anarchy is precisely not resistance to power, but a society where everyone lives according to their conscience, then neither power nor laws are needed anymore.
Boris Pilyavsky (drummer): It is impossible to control my human spirit. The spirit cannot be led.
- Is a girl in rock and roll not the same as a girl on a ship?.. I know many respected musicians in every sense who - under no circumstances - do not allow women into their “male” games... What do you think about this?
Marina Shubina (backing vocalist): Music and creativity are not a closed ship. It's for everyone. But you are talking more about the problem of gender relations. In our team, we are all equal. The “Territory of Alienation” project has never set and does not set such limits, the main thing is that the person is a good and talented musician who is in love with his work.
- “Male - Feminine” helps create a sincere atmosphere in the group. Or, on the contrary, provokes conflicts?
Sergey Bely (vocalist, guitarist): A man or a woman is, first of all, a person. For centuries we have been divided for the sake of power, with the help of educational programs. This is all superficial, there are, of course, physiological and psychological differences, but they are very small in real people who have not succumbed to the rottenness of our civilization, and do not interfere with the common cause in any way. Moreover, when used correctly, these differences only add positivity to relationships, work, and creativity. So we leave all this sexism outside the borders of our territory.
Anastasia Kuchek (keyboardist): In general, I don’t see any point in dividing musicians by gender. To work comfortably in a group, a person must, firstly, have an appropriate musical level and, secondly, communicate freely and without problems with other musicians. If the technical side of the issue depends entirely on the person himself, then for working in a team the combination of characters, temperaments, ideas and aspirations of all team members is already important. If both conditions are met, then there will be no conflicts. And the floors have nothing to do with it (laughs).
Boris Pilyavsky (drummer): Yes, we don’t have a struggle between the sexes. It's all nonsense.
- What is the most important thing for your company? What keeps you together?
Anastasia Kuchek and Andrey Karapetyan (in chorus): Rock and roll, whiskey and a great mood (laugh).
Sergey Bely (vocalist, guitarist): We just want to do one thing together, so every time we get together for rehearsals and go to concerts. Yes, and in my own ordinary life We meet periodically, because we are “our people” and this brings us closer. There is something in us, apparently, that gives rise to a general sympathy for each other.
Marina Shubina (backing vocalist): We are all unselfishly in love with joint creativity. We are all interesting and extraordinary individuals. We are interested in creating together. We all equally like the style of music we play. This is perhaps the most important thing that brings us together.
Boris Pilyavsky (drummer): Well, in general, nothing specific holds us together. Anarchy is anarchy, no one has power over anyone, no one and nothing holds anyone. Money doesn't hold. Everyone has different interests, their own. Musical preferences are also varied for everyone. We all drink different alcoholic drinks too. So, maybe we won’t think about what holds whom…
Yuri Manita (solo guitarist): Interest, desire to develop in a group. I believe that music for a musician is his half, with which he needs to go through life to the end. Therefore, as it turns out, I go through life with her.
- What is your next gift to fans of the underground?
Sergey Bely (vocalist, guitarist): On April 16 in St. Petersburg there will be a big concert of “Territory of Exclusion” at the club “DA: DA:”, I think this will be the closest gift. There will be our old and new songs, gifts for listeners from the group and other surprises! We are waiting for everyone!