The recordings were produced in Moscow on three days in October 2006. All the recordings were made outside within the triangle of the streets Turgenevskays –Kitaj – Gorod – Zemljanon Val. That is the “zone” of my childhood and youth, zone where so much was felt, where so much happened and where we went on so many promenades. Here, in my city which I ardently loved and hated at the same time – a feeling which will never repeat itself – I knew the sound of every street corner, I could find my way home my eyes closed. Today, 15 years later, the city has very much changed, its sound, like a breath, has changed: ill, asthmatic, with spastic, drunken laughter it is like a person running amok who has mistaken the bitter drug of consumerism for the sweet drink of peace. The city cries out for money and sex, greedy and insatiable. Nothing else is left. Almost nothing.
These recordings are documents of my attempt to touch the dying body of the city; of the attempt to leave my last sounds there, invisible little gravestones as signs of farewell.
Track 1: Court at Cvetnoj Bulvar, Claves
Track 2: Pedestrian underpass Sadovoe Kolco, guitar, cleaning woman (“Okhrana, goni ich na khui otsjuda!“ - “Guards, send them to hell!“)
Track 3: Court at Cvetnoj Bulvar, tambourine
Track 4: Turgenevskaja Ploshchad
Track 5: Pedestrian underpass Kitaj-Gorod (“Smekh skvoz slezy“ – “Laughter through tears”)
Track 6: Court at Cvetnoj Bulvar, tambourine
Track 7: Zemljanoj Val, accordion
Track 8: Court at Cvetnoj Bulvar, tambourine
Track 9: Turgenevskaja Ploshchad, tram
Track10: Pedestrian underpass Sadovoe Kolco, guitar
Track11: Pedestrian underpass Kitaj-Gorod (“Skolko kupit botinki stoit“ – ”How much are the shoes?”
Track 12: Zemlanoj Val, sounding globes
Track 13: Pedestrian underpass Kitaj-Gorod, a drunk
Track 14: Turgenevskaja Ploshchad
Track 15: Court at Cvetnoj Bulvar, Claves
Track 16: Turgenevskaja Metro, Foyer (“Oval!” – “Piss off!”)
Track 17: Turgenevskaja Metro, Foyer (“Vase khorosho” – “Everything is okay.”)
Track 18: Zemlianoj Val, electric piano
Track 19: Court at Cvetnoj Bulvar, tambourine
Track 20: Pedestrian underpass Sadovoe Kolco, guitar
Track 21: Metro Turgenevskaja, gate (“Kitaj-gorod sjuda?“ – “Kitaj – Gorod, is that this direction?“)
Track 22: Zemlanoj Val, accordion
Track 23: Pedestrian underpass Sadovoje Kolco, guitar; Zemljanoj Val, sounding globes
Participants: Nikolaj Lgovski, percussion (1,3,6,8,11,23); German Vinogradov , guitar (2,10,24); Natalia Pshenichnikova, concept, composition, direction, toy accordion, electro piano,sounding globes ,steps; Dmitrij Gnezdilov, recording.
(Photo: Pschenitschnikowa)