ABSTRACT
The Soviets are a bit rough-hewn as to method but their concerns are absolutely justified. When rock music first sprouted in Soviet soil in the mid-1960s, it was largely imitative of Western rock, that is to say, US and British rock. Soviet authorities reacted with hostility and scorn. This chapter traces the growth of the rock scene in the USSR with examination of the evolution of official responses, discussion of the internal heterogeneity of the Soviet rock scene, and probing of the diversity of views to be found in the official press. It explores some of the differences between "official" rock groups and "unofficial" groups in the USSR, insofar as this classification was a factor in rock music until 1988, and the politics of rock music. The chapter focuses on Russian rock, but specific sections are devoted to the Baltic, Central Asian, Siberian, and Far East rock scenes.
