Russian musician Andrei Makarevich: 'Russia takes up so little space in my head now'

Andrei Makarevitš, the 72-year-old founder and sole permanent member of the legendary Soviet and Russian rock band Mashina Vremeni (Time Machine), finds his relationship with his homeland irrevocably broken. Once a supporter of new leadership in Russia, including President Boris Yeltsin's administration, Makarevitš publicly diverged from the official Russian line after the 2014 annexation of Crimea and the escalation of the war in eastern Ukraine.

This stance led to significant backlash within Russia, with Duma representatives demanding bans on his performances and the revocation of his state honors. In 2022, Makarevitš condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and relocated to Israel, subsequently being labeled a "foreign agent" by his home country. "You can't imagine how little space Russia and everything happening there takes up in my head right now," Makarevitš stated. "The only thing I truly hope for is that the war against Ukraine ends as soon as possible. I wait for that every single day. But for everything else, forgive me, I don't give a damn."

Makarevitš's journey has presented him with contrasting societal expectations. While in Russia he advocated for an end to violence and for citizens' voices to be heard, his move to Israel in the wake of the October 2023 Hamas attacks and the subsequent escalation of the Middle East conflict revealed a different societal demand. In Israel, amidst calls for strong government action citing security concerns, Makarevitš firmly supported the Israel Defense Forces, wishing swift victory to Israeli soldiers. He reflects on the complex nature of his pacifist values, which in one context appear as a fight for freedom but in another as dangerous naivety. "People, as I understand it, have sought the same thing throughout the centuries," Makarevitš mused. "They have wanted simple things: peace, love, family, joy, creative work, and travel. Sometimes humanity managed to live in this paradigm for a while. Even I managed to live through such a period, and I naively thought that now, from bitter experiences..."

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Ihmiset ovat ymmärtääkseni tavoitelleet kautta vuosisatojen aina samaa asiaa. He ovat halunneet yksinkertaisia asioita. He ovat halunneet rauhaa, rakkautta, perhettä, iloa, luomistyötä ja matkustamista. Joskus ihmiskunta onnistui elämään tässä paradigmassa jonkin aikaa.