The gait, the rhythm, the legs are all bullshit.
The main thing in tap dance is courage!
(E. Evstigneev as Beglov, the film "Winter Evening in Gagra")
If Sergei Shnurov wanted to tap dance, he would probably become the best. At least - noticeable and not like everyone else. The cord in everything is noticeable and not like that. With courage he has - everything is in order, more than enough.
Biography and the path to the beginning of a musical career
Sergei Shnurov was born in Leningrad on April 13, 1973. As a child, he had the nickname "Shurik". That was the name of the most popular movie hero at that time, performed by Alexander Demyanenko - resourceful and direct, unexpectedly bold and honest. "Shurik" Shnurov, unlike his namesake from the cinema, did not join the Komsomol. In those years, for this it was necessary to try - the Komsomol fought for the mass character and accepted everyone.
After school, Sergei entered LISS - Leningrad Civil Engineering Institute. He studied there for a short time and wrote a statement of expulsion - out of solidarity with the expelled friend. Together with him, after leaving the institute, he went to an art restoration vocational school.
In August 1991, the GKChP putsch took place in the country. The Soviet flag was lowered over the roof of the district executive committee, and the Russian tricolor was raised in its place. Eighteen-year-old Sergei Shnurov felt the revolutionary upsurge and moved to the barricades. He scattered leaflets, tried to be useful to the revolution. However, the revolution ended quickly and almost without heroic deeds. At least in Leningrad.
After graduating from college, Sergei received the specialty of a restorer of works from wood, and decided to continue his studies. The profession of a restorer, however, did not inspire him. Therefore, he went to study further at the Philosophy Department of the Theological Institute of the Leningrad Theological Academy. In the same year, Sergey created his first musical project. The name of the hardcore rap group was given a courageous one: "Alcolepitsa". Later Shnurov shifted his interest to a group that played electronic music: "Van Gogh's Ear".
In 1993, Sergei had a daughter, and it became uncomfortable to study philosophy with theology. Not like a man. Shnurov dropped out of school and went to earn money. He changed many professions: watchman, blacksmith, glazier, designer, promotion director.
Leningrad
In 1997, Sergei got together with his friends to "play three thieves chords." As a result of the meeting, the Leningrad group appeared. Cord refused to define the style of Leningrad, believing that the purity of style limits art. They played without limiting themselves, and the result was punk rock mixed with chanson and diluted with Jamaican brass rhythms. Soon the musicians came to an agreement with the independent studio "Shock Records" and began work on the recording of their first album. It was not possible to complete the contract due to the 1998 business crisis that collapsed. The musicians independently recorded the album on tape cassettes and agreed to sell them in youth clothing stores. Half a thousand cassettes sold out quickly, and at the end of 1998 "Leningrad" performed for the first time in Moscow. It was a warm-up before "Auktsyon" in the Palace of Culture named after Gorbunov.
The group was noticed in the club environment of the two capitals, but happiness did not come. Music channels disowned aggressive compositions saturated with profanity, despite the professionalism that was gaining from song to song. In 2000, the song "Terminator" got into rotation on Nashe Radio, and the group finally began to quickly gain popularity.
It became crowded in Leningrad
The success of Leningrad happened in those years when the Russian euphoria of permissiveness began to wane. The audience felt that Shnur's shocking was not an end in itself, but a means to remain sincere. And it attracted.
The cord became cramped within the framework of one project. In 2000, he starred in a small role in the television series "NLS Agency" and writes music for him. In 2002 he released his solo album "The Second Magadan". 2003 - music for the cult film "Boomer". In 2005, Sergei Shnurov appears as a presenter in the documentary television series "Leningrad Front". Unexpectedly for those accustomed to his garage image - with intonations of correctness, reflection and even deference.
In 2007, it became known that Sergei Shnurov was painting. He called his style in the visual arts "Brandrealism". With paintings, Cord draws attention to the problem of replacing real life with imitation of fashion.
In the same year, Cord played the role of old Benevenuto Cellini in the opera of the same name staged by Vasily Barkhatov at the Mariinsky Theater. The director explained his invitation to Shnurov as follows: “I thought for a long time who could play this already mature Cellini, and in the end I realized that the only one who nowadays owns world philosophical thought and creates real art, which at the same time is terribly liked by the general public, - this is Sergey Vladimirovich Shnurov.
In 2008, Shnur created a new musical project - the "Ruble" group, and a couple of months later announced the dissolution of "Leningrad". In the same year he again acts as a host in the television series about the wars of the 20th century: "Trench Life".
In 2009, a series of official confessions of Cord begins. He was named the most famous resident of St. Petersburg in the "Music" nomination. He is invited over and over again to various projects on television and in films. An exhibition and sale of his paintings is taking place in Moscow, the price of which reaches tens of thousands of euros.
In 2010, Cord again assembles Leningrad. In the revived "grouping", Cord yields vocals to invited singers. Critics have noticed that the satire of Leningrad has become more sophisticated. It is unlikely that Cord himself thought about this and it is unlikely that he would agree to fit himself into the framework of satire. In any framework, he is cramped, and the meaning of his work is life as it is.
Personal life and Cord's wife
Sergey Shnurov never invites his parents to his performances, but they come, of course. Mom once told him that he makes good music, but the words … the words were not pleasant to mom.
Cord met his first wife while studying at the theological academy. The birth of his daughter Seraphima changed his life and, perhaps, radically, but his daughter did not consider him a good father. She was offended that I did not find enough time for her. After school, Seraphima entered the St. Petersburg State University at the Faculty of Oriental Philosophy. Cord claims that Chinese philosophy is a dark forest for him, but this did not stop the father and daughter from improving relations.
The second wife of the artist was the director of the Pep-si group Svetlana Kostitsyna. The couple had a son, but their marriage did not last long. After a divorce from Svetlana, Shnur had an affair with actress Oksana Akinshina. She was still a minor when this story began, which generated countless criticisms of Cord. Oksana and Sergei broke up after five years of marriage.
In 2007, Cord met journalist Matilda Mozgova. In 2010 they got married and registered the marriage at the registry office. Having received the title of "Person of the Year" from GQ magazine in 2016, Cord posted a photo with Matilda on the social network, attributing: "I received my main prize when I met you." In the spring of 2018, this marriage broke up, completely unexpected for everyone.
Cord has repeatedly spoken about women as the most important thing in life: "A woman today, in fact, is the customer of everything that happens." In the revived Leningrad, female soloists are assigned a very important role. They sing about how the world is seen through the eyes of women. Without embellishment and pretentiousness. In the words of the Cord, since he understands this world. The soloists of "Leningrad" become famous stars, but every time the alliance with Cord breaks up for one reason or another, they return to the sinful land to very modest successes. Perhaps Cord was not lucky enough to meet an equal in life.
Cord's contribution to culture and social life
Over the twenty years of Shnur's creative work, Leningrad has released 20 studio albums and 47 singles. With the group "Ruble" Cord recorded one album and three singles. Music by Sergei Shnurov sounds in 28 films or TV series. In 15 TV shows, Shnurov appeared as a presenter or an active participant. He has won a dozen honorary nominations in various annual rankings.
Cord's phrases are repeated, become memes, acquiring a sacred meaning. They imitate him, they look up to him. The understanding of life is checked against him.
The cord distances itself from politics, but has never scolded Russia. He points out everything that, in his opinion, is bad. It is difficult to find a problem in our country about which Cord would not have a song. His language is very figurative, but you can't call him Aesopian. Too head-on and bluntly. Voice of Russia? May be. At the very least, he is always sincere. And he has the same courage. There is something to say and there is no fear. This position attracts even those to whom obscene vocabulary hurts the ear.
In the fall of 2016, Vladimir Pozner invited Shnur for an interview. Both later spoke very badly about this meeting. Posner, despite his proven professionalism many times, could not overcome himself, descend from the heights of age and regalia, in order to at least try to understand the interlocutor. The cord did not dare to get out from under the mask of shocking and reach out to the elder. Although, obviously, he wanted and tried. So they parted misunderstood each other. Strange, but in this story the impudent and defiant Cord looked much more intelligent than the venerable journalist. Because he was sincere and did not show respect for the interlocutor. He felt it naturally. Naturally, like all his work.
