STAS NAMIN – SOVIET ROCK CULTURAL INNOVATOR
Stas Namin managed to become a legend and cult character of the whole cultural stratum of the second half of the 20th century, so he does not need any special ideas. The first name and last name are already quite self-sufficient. Musician, producer, artist, photographer, director, traveler and innovator of various directions of creativity. The list of his occupations and merit is endless. He himself believes that what matters is not versatility, but the result and achievements in each of these areas.
Sketch from childhood
It would seem that the grandson of Anastas Mikoyan himself (a long-term member of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union) could have made himself a dizzying career in any international organization or become no less influential politician, and became a musician, and even an objectionable power. Can you imagine such a thing? singer Stas Namin Even Stas himself did not consider his youthful fascination with music as something serious and certainly did not intend to devote his whole life to it.
He was born on November 8, 1951 in the family of military pilot Alexei Mikoyan and his wife Nami. The Mikoyan family, as we know, was far from the average. Grandfather always held important government positions. His brother was a famous aircraft designer of MiG aircraft. Stas spent his childhood with his parents in the military garrisons of Belarus and Germany, where his father was sent to work.
Mom had a conservatory education, instilled in her son an interest in music and literature, taught English. In between the “cultural clock”, he ran to a military training ground (then they lived in Germany) and collected unexploded shells with other boys. The father has repeatedly tried to sensitize his son and explain how dangerous this occupation is. And during one of the training flights he saw his son again at the range. Then he abruptly dived on the fighter directly over the child and taught the naughty son a lesson.
At the age of 10, Stas, at the insistence of the father and grandfather, gave to the Suvorov School, the singer, Stas Namin, in order to curb the unruly temper and to discipline him. Stas Namin recalled with warmth seven years spent in the school, although he was not allowed to go home often, because he could not boast of excellent grades and diligence.
By this time, mom and dad were already divorced and their stepfather Vasily Kukharsky joined in bringing up Stas. Then he served as Deputy Minister of Culture of the USSR. The stepfather did not like Stas’ passion for rock music and wayward behavior. But thanks to his entourage, the boy since childhood was familiar with many composers and other famous personalities.
Roman Stas Namin with rock
After graduating from the Suvorov School, Namin was faced with the question of choosing a life path. Stas himself singer Stas Namink that period has not yet decided what he wants to become, and what profession to begin to learn. As a result, the young man entered the Institute of Foreign Languages to become a translator. But the student life dragged the guy so much that there was almost no time to study, there were solid “tails”. Stas decided to restore the “tainted” reputation at the philological department of Moscow State University.
There he played rock’n’roll with a group of students, organized parties and ran on dates. The first musical group of Stas Namin was staffed by former cadets of the Suvorov School and they existed for a whole year under the name “Magicians”. Later, the Politburo trio appeared, consisting of Stas, his cousin Alik Mikoyan and friend Grigory Ordzhonikidze. In one of the recreation centers, they were allowed to rehearse in a “red corner” near Lenin’s bust. There they played the hits of The Rolling Stones and Jimmy Hendrix on guitars. Only the initiates knew about the existence of such a collective.
Prohibited
But the team “Flowers”, which made Stas Mikoyan famous Stas Namin, appeared in 1969. The name appeared due to the hippie movement, which was called “Flower Children” and the famous “Woodstock” festival. By the way, it was then that Stas decided to invent a pseudonym on behalf of Mom Nami, in order not to compromise his grandfather and father.
The group even managed to release one record at the company “Melody” and perform in several houses of culture, the singer Stas Namin, after which they fall into complete disfavor of those in power. The fact is that at one of their concerts at the Moscow State University club so many people gathered that they had to block traffic on the street. Naturally, the reaction of the ministry followed immediately, and the team was blacklisted by the disagreeable. The total ban on the group “Flowers” was justified by the fact that their music runs counter to the generally accepted musical style of Soviet culture and variety art in particular.
Newspapers and magazines were forbidden to mention the “Flowers”, and only sometimes some songs made their way to the listeners in the form of single recordings.
Only in 1974 the group was recruited to one of the philharmonic halls and allowed to tour, but this period did not last long. After another conflict, the Ministry of Culture banned the very name of the group, and the guys had to sing in the “Stas Namin Group”.
