Punk in Russia: Cultural mutation from the “useless” to the “moronic” (Routledge Contemporary Russia and Eastern Europe Series)

Punk culture is currently having a revival worldwide and is poised to extend and mutate even more as youth unemployment and youth alienation increase in many countries of the world. In Russia, its power to have an impact and to shock is well illustrated by the state response to activist collective and punk band Pussy Riot. This book, based on extensive original research, examines the nature of punk culture in contemporary Russia. Drawing on interviews and observation, it explores the vibrant punk music scenes and the social relations underpinning them in three contrasting Russian cities. It relates punk to wider contemporary culture and uses the Russian example to discuss more generally what constitutes 'punk' today.

Ivan Gololobov is an Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Sociology at the University of Warwick, UK

Hilary Pilkington is Professor of Sociology at the University of Manchester, UK

Yngvar B Steinholt is an Associate Professor in the Institute of Literature and Culture at Tromsǿ University, Norway