File Under: May Be Slightly Racist

One of the more interesting developments in Russian politics recently has been the rise of the "youth movement" Nashi / Наши (Ours). Officially formed as a response to a wave of skinhead violence in Moscow and St. Petersburg, their stated aim was to provide a way for patriotic young Russians to come together to fight the neo-Nazi threat in their midst. In practice, the Kremlin-sanctioned organisation, thought to be 100,000 strong, has been accused of extending the definition of "fascists" to include British diplomats, the Estonian government and almost anyone who isn't terribly fond of Putin. The American press in particular seems to regard them, rather fancifully, as a Hitler Youth in the making. Although almost certainly a government creation and often deployed for entirely questionable political purposes, there's an idealism to many of the young members that's oddly charming, not least in the belief that grassroots involvement in politics at an early age can provide a powerful tool for social and civic regeneration.

Patriotic music, usually involving soldiers, is a huge market in Russia but it's something that tends to be the preserve of middle-aged men, at least within the mainstream - young stars have their attention turned elsewhere. One notable exception was Nashi Parni Molodtsi by Kisski, a group i once rather uncharitably described as looking like the result of a Soviet-era experiment to genetically engineer prostitutes capable of surviving a nuclear holocaust. The song itself sounds like Scooter having a fight with the Red Army Choir while their drunken girlfriends scream encouragement from the sidelines. Running through a host of national stereotypes about the Japanese, Caucasians and others, they come to the conclusion that only Russian love will do for them. As i'm sure you can imagine, the video is quite something to behold. The highlight may well be the African man trying to buy them off with exotic fruit. Although wrong on almost every conceivable level, it really is quite amazing.

Kisski - Nashi Parni Molodci