ABSTRACT
The chapter compares and explores processes of place-making through memorialisation of Western music, and heritagisation of late Soviet rock music as a part of post-Soviet nostalgia. Ekaterinburg (located in the Urals region, Russia) is one of the few Russian cities where popular music heritage has become present in the urban space in the last 15 years. During “perestroika” in the 1980s in Ekaterinburg (formerly Sverdlovsk) there existed the Sverdlovsk Rock Club – an officially authorised community of rock musicians. Currently, ex-club members are engaged in multiple initiatives to commemorate the rock club as an important component of urban cultural heritage. At the same time, active fan communities in Ekaterinburg have been creating their own memorials dedicated to Western popular musicians such as the Beatles or Michael Jackson. These memorials have become remarkable urban places attractive to locals and tourists alike, despite the fact there are no immediate links between the musicians and local history. The case of Ekaterinburg illustrates the cultural dynamics of the emerging popular music heritage and diverse practices of its construction. It reflects how global phenomena in media heritage, fan cultures, and cultural consumption are locally enacted.
