Lyavon Volski: “Bans cultivate opposition”

Lyavon Volski is one of the most charismatic and significant personalities in Belarusian culture. It is impossible to imagine the Belarusian rock and modern Belarusian music in general without band created by him, Mroya, N.R.M. and Krambambulya.

Thanks to his firm attitude as a citizen, he is a moral authority for many Belarusians. A journalist of “Trud-Belarus” Kastus Lashkevich talks with Lyavon Volski.

- For 3 years flagships of Belarusian rock music, N.R.M., Krama, Kriwi, Neurodubel, Palats existed under a tacit ban of the authorities. A notorious “black list” blocked the access to TV and radio, deprived of the possibility to give concerts. Lyavon, is it true that bans stimulate development of rock music?

- On the one hand, barriers release healthy adrenaline in musicians’ blood. As concerts in Belarus were often thwarted, we were invited to Europe more often. On the other hand, you get tired to fight for dozens of years for the same elementary thing. One simply wants to work in a civilized way.

You know, I do not understand the logics of officials. There are many of inadequate, crusty persons among them. They took a tight grip on their armchairs; they want to play safe and try to ban every “suspicious” event. But they do not understand that by these stupid prohibitions they breed new opposition. I have asked in one of the offices why a concert of N.R.M. is anti-State? Is it because of white-red-white flags in the crowd and slogans “Long live Belarus?” And they answered: “It’s not serious at all”.

- Are you speaking about November meeting with the former head of ideology department of the Presidential administration Aleh Pralyaskouski? Has is changed the situation?

- To some extent. Zmitser Vajtsyushkevich, Krama, Palac, who wanted to appear on TV screen very much, have already appeared there. The time will tell what will happen next. Beside prohibitions the problem is that our legislation on concerts is not favourable for independent musicians. It is impossible to make a tour around Belarus without serious support of sponsors. Moreover, a normal infrastructure is absent in the country. One can only disappoint a viewer by performing with bad equipment with primitive lights in a local “house of culture”. In order to demonstrate a quality performance in the park of Nations’ Friendship in Bangalore Square, we should ask equipment from Maestro Finberg, and we would never agree for that.

Note: Lyavon Volski was born on September 14, 1965 in Minsk.

In 1981 in Glebov Minst art school he founded a rock group Favorit together with Uladzimir Davydouski and Alezis Dzemidovich (later the group was called Mroja). In 1989, at the peak of perestroika, Mroja (Aleh Dzemidovich, Yuras Lyaukou, Pit Paulau, Lyavon Volski) became famous all over the USSR after they released a record “28th Star”. In 1994 musicians of Mroja create a new band, N.R.M. (“The Independent Republic of Dream” in Belarusian). Joint projects with Volski’s participation, Narodny Albom and Ja Naradziusya Tut, have become cult albums in Belarus. Beside N.R.M., Volski participates in other projects, in bands Krambambulya and ZET.