The “First Quarter” podcast consists of 25 episodes, in which the author of “When We Sing, the Wind Shines,” Alexander Gorbachev, reviews popular Russian-language songs released over the past 25 years. Each episode is dedicated to one year and one track. Among the heroes of the podcast are Munetushka, Ivan Dorn, Boris Grebenshchikov, Zemfira, Stas Mikhailov, Oksmiron and many others. Moreover, we published episodes about them out of order (from the oldest songs to the newest) – after all, music, says podcaster Alexander Gorbachev, lives more complexly than chronologically. Following the same logic, we made this choice: “Auktsion” is adjacent to SBPC, and “Scryptonite” is adjacent to Pyotr Mamonov. So you can listen to individual episodes, and you can listen to everything in a row – as you like. By the way, based on the January 2026 podcast results receive Bonus
2018. Coin – “Every Time”
“Every Time” is one of the major hits of 2018 and one of the key songs in Monetochka’s discography. How does this song reflect the history of Russia? How is it perceived now?
2001. “Auction” – “Fa Fa”
Alexander Gorbachev recalls his first “Auktsion” concert, tells the story of the song “Fa-Fa” and discusses why the group remains relevant more than twenty years later – during the Great War.
2008. SBHR – “This”
Alexander Gorbachev explains why the history of the SBPC group can be considered an exemplary musical career, analyzing the song “This”. How could such a disturbing and depressing song appear against a backdrop of economic recovery and political optimism?
2014. “DDT” – “Times”
A sound reminiscent of Radiohead, mixed with Yuri Shevchuk’s usual pathos. We analyze the song “Times” in which DDT digests the annexation of Crimea and the events of 2014 in Ukraine.
2005. “Momi Troll” – “Privatization”
An episode about how Ilya Lagutenko translated the current business terminology of the mid-2000s into the sphere of personal physical relationships.
2024. Glory to the Communist Party – “For the Children”
Alexander Gorbachev analyzes the climactic track of the album of glory of the Communist Party “Russia 24” – “For the sake of children.” He describes it as “perhaps the most powerful song ever written in wartime Russia.”
2010. Stas Mikhailov – “Repentance”
Stas Mikhailov is one of the main artists of the post-chanson genre. What is this phenomenon and what role does Mikhailov play in it? We will use the song “Repentance” as an example.
2025. “Cinema” – “You Could Have Been a Hero”
Alexander Gorbachev talks about the album “Indra’s Lightning” by the Kino group, which was released thirty-five years after the death of Viktor Tsoi. He thinks about why these songs were still in demand during the great war between Russia and Ukraine on both sides of the front.
2002. “Bi-2” – “Rock and Roll”
Using the song “My Rock and Roll” as an example, we talk about the Russian rock format created by Radio Nashe in the early 2000s: how this genre became popular and quickly became outdated – and of course how “Bi-2” and Chicherina differed.
2022. Zemfira – “Meat”
“Meat” is Zemfira’s frank statement about Russia’s war with Ukraine. Why is this song so unusual for Zemfira? How does “meat” convey the horror of spring 2022?
2007. NRK TK – “Puma”
How NRKTK captured the spirit of the creative class in the second half of the 2000s and glorified the aggressive escapism of the “topshop generation.” And how the story of the group that showed fun around the clock ended.
2015. Ökseksimiron – “The Mayor’s Speech”
This episode is dedicated to the song “The Word of the Mayor” from one of the most political albums in the history of Russian hip-hop. Why did Oksimiron, despite Gorgorod’s popularity, ultimately fail to “turn the game around”?
2011. Mojoes – “Dear Friend”
Mujus became one of the major new Russian artists of the early 2010s. Alexander Gorbachev recalls how the musician managed to record a grandiose rock album using synthesizers instead of guitars – and how Mujus’ songs changed when the era of hope ended.
2017. Scriptonite – “Organization”
How to “flip the game script” in Russian-language hip-hop? This issue contains an analysis of one of the rapper’s most famous songs – “Position”.
2003. “Voices of Mo” – “My Love”
An episode about how the song “My Love” was organized by the “Zvuki Mu” group and why it is difficult to integrate the work of Pyotr Mamonov into any usual framework.
2019. ShortParis – “Scary”
We talk about the song “Scary” and analyze in detail the style of Shortparis – a combination that could perform well in a 24-hour grocery store, in a center of contemporary art or when opening a store in the center of Moscow. The episode was recorded before the death of group leader Nikolai Komyagin.
2012. “Leningrad” – “Moscow”
How was the song “Moscow” perceived in 2012 and how is it listened to now? Alexander Gorbachev tells how Leningrad managed to capture the spirit of the times. How Shnurov lost his importance with the beginning of the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.
2021. Noize MC – “Everything is like people”
Alexander Gorbachev recalls the song “It’s All Like People” and discusses how Noize MC reinterpreted Igor Letov’s song, turning it into a powerful statement about pre-war Russia.
2009. Badla Bear Costume – “Bunny”
Using the song “Kroll” as an example, Alexander Gorbachev talks about the short but eventful history of the Padla Bear Outfit group. Why has this music had such a strong influence on an entire generation of young artists?
2004. Dolphin – “Spring”
An episode about one of Dolphin’s most important works. How does the song “Spring” reflect the artist’s own creative path? And why did a video with footage from the 1980 Olympics become so popular?
2020. ATL – “Bracelets”
The song “Bracelets” by Chuvash rapper ATL, released in 2020, is a great political statement. But the tone of his voice is not at all like that of the Russian opposition, for example. Which one?
2013. Evan Dorn – “Another Kiss”
Evan Dorn directly stated that his music is pop music, which one should not be ashamed of. It seemed incredibly convincing. Alexander Gorbachev tells how Doern became the first full-fledged pop star of the post-Soviet era.
2006. “Combo Bach” – “Retail”
History of the Kostroma group “Kumba Bach”. How did promising musicians abandon the big stage, and what happened next to the group that sang about orthodoxy and traditional values?
2016. Husky – “Bullet Lie”
Rapper Husky seemed to be an interesting figure in his era because he combined cool street poetry with decadent aesthetics and front-line hobbies. How do they fit together?
2023. Boris Grebenshchikov – “Don’t stand above your soul, mother”
“Bogrukinog” is one of Boris Grebenshchikov’s darkest recordings. In the latest episode of the podcast, Alexander Gorbachev reviews the song “Don’t Stand Over Your Soul, Mom” from this mini-album and talks about his relationship with BG’s work.