Ethics and aesthetics of Russian rock (as exemplified by K. Kinchev`s creative work)

Abstract

The paper deals with the analysis of ethical and aesthetic aspects of Russian rock by the example of the work of one of its prominent representatives Konstantin Kinchev. The authors suggest that Russian rock poetry is an organic and distinctive element of the large text of Russian culture, reflecting its deep typological characteristics. This is primarily a synthesis of literature and philosophy with a prevalence of moral issues. The mutual transition between the ethical and the existential, which is characteristic of Russian philosophical culture finds its highest embodiment in the work of K. Kinchev. From this point of view, the paper addresses some important aspects of the rock poet’s creative career, which are characterized by very strong spiritual conflicts, manifested in such topics as a painful search for truth, rushing from darkness to light, immersion in infernal areas, etc. The paper shows that these states are necessary for generating of a full-fledged art world, which is unthinkable without such contradictions. Thus, the authors debunk traditionally reduced and openly negative image of the representative of rock culture as a carrier of aggressive and destructive principles. The feeling that a poetic gift of the creator makes him a part of the divine being, and, accordingly, morally responsible for each word spoken comes to be important for all the work of K. Kinchev. As the paper identifies this is an essentially religious concept of artistic creation, rooted in the ideas of N. V. Gogol.