From the talk-show Princip Domino broadcasted by NTV World on Friday, Dec. the 27th at 1:35 PM and 9:45 PM CET.
Today's topic: IT'S NOT EASY TO BE A PATRIOT
Participants: 2 program leaders (PL1, PL2), guests on stage (Skinhead, Guest1, Guest2, Guest3) and of course Yulia and Lena. Audience in the studio.
t.A.T.u. is invited at the end of the discussion. They are wearing white shirts (similar to those at EMA), short black skirts and black high boots.
Announcements:
PL1: "It's not easy to be a patriot" is the topic of today's show!
PL2: They are selling albums in the West with stunning success. European countries tear them to pieces, screaming for their concerts. Two young Russian girls conquered the hearts of millions of foreign fans. Please, meet the Russian patriots with the world wide names! A 16-years old Lena Katina and a 17-years old Yulia Volkova! For the first time in this studio--Duet t.A.T.u.!!!
Julia and Lena enter the studio waving to the audience. Video fragment "Prostye Dvizhenya" is rolling on the screen behind them. Lena turns her head towards the screen and smiles.
PL1: Girls, do you consider yourselves to be patriots?
Yulia: Yes.
PL1: How do you show it?
Yulia (vividly, holding Lena's hand): By loving Moscow.
PL1: Moscow?
Lena: Russia, Moscow and everything about Russia.
PL1: Do you sing your songs in another languages?
Lena: Yes, we do.
PL2: So, you are the patriots who promote our culture in the West, right?
Lena: Yes.
PL2: Was it done intentionally or did it happen accidentally?
Lena: The thing is that I think it will be not that I'm assuming--I think, from our side--but we are very glad we contributed to it. For instance, in such countries as, well, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Romania...
PL2: Ah, the whole of Europe is singing your songs.
Lena: Yeh, so in Poland, people started to learn Russian, the kids...
PL1: Because of you?
Lena: Yes, because we sing in Russian there. We suggested, "Let's sing in English, perhaps you'll understand better!" They replied, "No, we want in Russian."
PL1: How do you explain such a desire to hear the Russian speech which has been banned, especially in Prague, Hungary? Oh, for God's sake!!!
Lena: Yes... yes...
PL2: And what happened now? Contaminated by Russian nationalism? (Laughing.)
Yulia: Simply...
(Skinhead interrupts her.)
Skinhead: Everything is fine with the Russian language there. I was in Prague and had no problems. I could speak Russian everywhere!
Yulia (towards Skinhead, sounding like his mother, serious and calm): Oh, yeh... and when people in Western Europe learn Russian??!!! What's that about???
Skinhead: Understandable! They MUST learn it!
Yulia: I see … but it wasn't this way before we came?
(Applause.)
Lena: I'm not sure they MUST...
Yulia: I think that...
Both: … nobody MUST owe anything to anyone!!!
(All are laughing. Applause.)
Yulia: It's simple. As I understand, they love us!
PL1: Do you often get question about Russia?
Yulia: Yes, of course.
PL1: What's your answer?
Yulia: Majority of people from the States consider Russia being a sort of... hmm... a little...
Lena: A little village.
Yulia: Yes, a little village.
PL1: What do you say to that?
Yulia: We are trying to explain that Russia--Moscow--is as any other cities in the world. It has EVERYTHING! As in America! Everything from clubs to whatever you want.
Skinhead: Especially lesbians!
PL1: Do they believe you?
Yulia: Of course, they do! We say, "Come to our country and we'll show you everything."
PL1: Do you realize the responsibility that lies on your tiny shoulders?
Yulia: What responsibility! If we only think that Moscow is our favorite city?
PL1: I mean Russian culture. They look at you and see... THIS... is from Russia... Let me explain. Your image is about two girls who have a strange sexual relationship.
Yulia: But not ALL people have it...
Lena: ...First... sexual relationship...
Yulia: The same as in America where there're ladies who love each other, but not everyone in America is like this--there're normal people too...
Lena: ...First of all, sexual relationship doesn't characterize a person. People that interview us pay, firstly, attention to character, temper and the intellectual level of that person and NOT about who we are sleeping with.
PL1 (asking another guest a question): Yes, I was about to ask what you think about all this?
Guest1: Where are you from, my little girls?
Yulia and Lena: From Moscow.
Guest1: When I got to know that you'd be on this show too... I saw what you were doing... and what I saw is that a very well performed song "Ya Soshla S Uma" is used in Germany to learn Russian. Right?
Yulia and Lena: Yes.
Guest1: It's not your fault that you came up with this greatly performed song--the more talented, the more dangerous... Because you became bearers of immorality and pathology that contributes either way to the fall of Russia.
Yulia (making a face as if she swallowed a worm, shaking her head): But why... No, I don't agree with you.
Skinhead: In the 20's, when Russia was the first in fashion with "Kokhosnik and Kolkhoznitsa" (Soviet collective module of farming, Editor), it was done with a style, it was beautiful. Everybody wanted to become a Communist... (Text void. -Editor) ...
PL2 (to Skinhead): Dimitry, what are you talking about?
Skinhead: It was beautiful, but what YOU (to Yulia and Lena) are coming up with now is...
Yulia: To tell you the truth, I'm not up to digging deep in those political issues... It's for the politicians, it's not for us. I just wanted to explain to this young man (looking towards Skinhead) that... that... the thing is... that young people in every country and in every place are suffering from... let's say... if there's something between two girls, they can't show it in public. They are not understood. We...
Skinhead: I can tell you what young people are suffering from!
Yulia: ...we don't want to force anyone, promote anything. We simply help people who have such a life to not feel ashamed of...
Lena: ...of their feelings.
Yulia: ...of their feelings, because in every country, nowadays, there're lots of people with a non-traditional orientation.
Skinhead: I'll tell you what young people in Russia are suffering from. They are suffering from unemployment, no place to live, that they can't afford taking out their girlfriends to the clubs. That's Russian young people!
Lena: ...Wait, wait here... I suppose we are talking about who and how they love Russia. As far as I remember the topic is Patriotism.
PL1: Absolutely true! Tell us please, what were your feelings when you were standing on the balcony and there were thousands of young people below screaming "Viva t.A.T.u.!"?
Lena: Pride!
PL1: Pride?
PL2: We'll watch this scene now. (Video is rolling. Italy. The fans are on the street with posters of "Ja Soshla S Uma".)
Yulia: Of course pride. Pride, because we are the first ones. We won the admiration of Europe, America. We are simply glad. We didn't want to imply anything.
Lena: No, we didn't want to prove anything.
PL1: Why was it you who could win? There're lots of groups, popular groups... Why was it just you?
Yulia: I think it is a question for those who love us... wait for us... They really love us, they write posters in Russian. People start to say...
PL1: Oh, Russians! Ja Soshla S Uma!
PL2: There's a point!
PL1 (to Guest2): Please, you wanted to say something?
Guest2: I wanted to say that they have a marvelous video clip "Prostye Dvizhenva". It's like a parody to showbusiness. The showbusiness of the butterfly-attitude. (Yulia and Lena are giggling, looking amused). The very essence of a video-masterpiece.
PL1 (to Guest2): So you don't feel offended that this group became...
Guest2: No... it's sort of, two matters... not those lesbians... sooner two matters of life!
Yulia: Oh, really! Who thinks that we are... Are you convinced that we are lesbians?
(All are talking at the same time now.)
Skinhead: Such group, such group...
GuestX: They are simply playing...
Yulia: Look here! Are you holding a candle for us? (A Russian expression which means "Are you watching us when we are in bed?" -Editor) Do you know for sure whether we are lesbians or not? How can you know that? Have you been with us at night? Who said that? Show me a person who said that?
(All are talking at the same time again.) Nobody is sure!
Yulia (through this wild discussion): Artistry is in the first place. (She covers her face, holds her hands on the side of her head.) ...Oh, my God! It's impossible to say anything here!!!
Lena: I have a feeling that this young man (meaning Skinhead -Editor) will grab tomatoes and shoot them somewhere soon. I wonder where he could hide them? (She smiles jokingly.)
PL2: You are very famous in Europe now. The best hotels, best arenas are for you. Don't you want to stay there?
Yulia: No. We always miss Moscow very much. Sometimes, we even cry and call home to our mothers, friends and want to go back to Moscow.
Skinhead: What do you love more, Russia or Moscow?
Lena: We always count the days...
(Skinhead starts to talk about his childhood, etc. All join in that major discussion.)
Yulia (to Skinhead): Look here. First, it's not that interesting for anybody to listen to your life story. Second, please, be kind and don't interrupt us when we are talking. Alright? If you are a real man!
(Skinhead gives them an applause, smiles mildly. Audience, applause.)
PL2 (to Guest3): Sergey, don't you feel offended by the fact that these girls represent Russian culture in Europe?
Guest 3: Frankly speaking, I feel a bit outside of my element. I simply had no knowledge of these young ladies' existence until now. If they draw any attention of the world to Russia, it's just great! To tell you the truth, I'm a lesbian too, as I also prefer women.
(Everyone laughs. Audience, applause.)
Yulia: Great to hear this!
Lena: Yes, great to hear! You see, it shows at once that we are dealing with an intelligent person.
Guest 1: Dear girls, I'd like to tell you... (Void text. -Editor) ...You, who has a certain influence on people, should remember what Matthew predicts. He says that it's impossible to keep this world free from temptation, but the person who brings temptation to the world is troubled.
Lena: Thank you.
Yulia (smiling): Thanks for the advice.
(Audience, applause.)
Translation by Olga. |
