Sergey had been a member of Aria, Kipelov, Chorny Kofe, Metallachord and Nazad v Budusheye, and founded a band 'Mavrik' (not to be confused with Maverick), though it is considered Mavrin's solo project since its latest albums are released with "Sergey Mavrin", not "Mavrik" title on the covers.
Since 2000, Sergey has his own radio show Iron Curtain on 'Yunost' radio channel. It is dedicated to rock music.
Early life
Sergey was born in Kazan and has been a fan of rock music since his childhood. He mentions Led Zeppelin, Nazareth and Deep Purple as his early favorites. Mavrin studied to play piano and electric guitar, though he never received formal music education. After military service, in 1985 Sergey participated in 'Chornoye Cofe' (Black Coffee), one of the first Soviet metal bands, and then joined 'Metallachord'.
In Aria
After the breakup of Aria's original lineup in 1987, Mavrin was invited to replace Andrej Bolshakov. He participated in three of the band's albums: Geroy Asfalta, Igra s Ogn'om and Krov za Krov, which are considered Aria's 'classical era'. Though Sergey wrote a very few songs for Aria, his guitar solos were one of band's dignities.
After a tour of Germany the band nearly broke up when their vocalist Valery Kipelov tried to quit (Kipelov had to return because of his contract with Moroz Records, though). Protesting against it, Mavrin moved on to record an album with Alexey Bulgakov on vocals and left the band. He was replaced by Sergey Terentyev. Mavrin and Kipelov tried to start a band 'Nazad v Budusheye' (Back to the Future), but this project remained active only for two months. So as not to remain jobless, in 1996 Sergey played in concert troup of pop artist Dmitry Malikov.
Foundation of Mavrik
In 1997, Sergey offered to Kipelov (who was back in Aria) to record together the combined album, which might include their songs which were refused by Aria or did not fit into Aria's style. In 1997 they released the LP entitled Kipelov and Mavrin - Smutnoye Vremia (Time of Troubles), which included 10 tracks.
Songs from this album became the main concert material for Sergey's new project: a band he started in 1998, which was entitled "Mavrik" due to his familiar nickname. Arthur Berkut (ex-Autograph) joined "Mavrik" as vocalist on its first album Skitaletz (Wanderer), where Mavrin played guitars, bass and keyboards. The genre of the album was progressive/heavy metal. Vladimir Holstinin was a guest guitarist on 'Skitaletz'. Shortly after the album's release and subsequent touring, Berkut left the band, to be replaced by classically trained vocalist Stas Vytart.
In 2000, the band released Neformat-1, which took the hard rock sound of Skitaletz in a more experimental direction, while displaying some hints of heavier guitar sound on tracks such as "Staya" ("The Pack"), "Hey Chelovek" ("Hey Man"), and "V Dikom Pole" ("In the Wild Field"). However, Vytart's stage presence did not seem to fit with Mavrin's concept of the band's live show, and shortly after the album's release he was replaced by Berkut, who returned to the band and played assorted shows in support of the album.
During the recording of the third album, Himichesky Son (Chemical Sleep, 2001), Artur Berkut often failed to show up in studio, and finally, Sergey had to fire him. When Berkut once was asked why did he left Mavrik, he replied: "You'd better ask Lena Mavrina about it" (meaning Sergey's wife). Artem Styrov was hired as the new vocalist. The album displayed a much heavier, guitar-oriented sound that was firmly within the heavy metal genre. Some of the songs are still live staples of Mavrin's set as of this writing. Since Chemical Sleep, all following albums are released as by artist 'Sergey Mavrin', not 'Mavrik'. This was done after consulting the IronD record label, which recommended them to take a more serious title.
In Kipelov
After the 'Judgement Day' breakup of Aria in 2002, Valery Kipelov, Sergey Terentyev and Alexander Maniakin formed the band 'Kipelov' and Sergey decided to join it. Mavrik's bassist Alexey Harkov also merged into the new band. Mavrin participated in Kipelov's tour and in recording the 'Put Naverh' live album and then the 'Babylon' single. But seeing Kipelov not hurrying up to record a new album, he departed in the summer of 2004. A song 'Prorok' (Prophet) by Mavrin was included to Kipelov's "Rivers of Time" and Kipelov was given a permission to play some of Mavrin's songs.
Mavrin: "There were artistic differences. This is normally, a common situation for any band, here or in other countries. We were misunderstanding each other. I couldn't understand what he wants, he couldn't understnand why do I compose the songs, what I do. Artistic differences reached the boiling point and led personal relations to a dead end. We could have just been touring and still playing Aria's songs, taking care to nothing. But I longed for creativity. I wished it had been changed anyway. But it happened as it had to happen."
Back to Mavrik
In 2004 Sergey Mavrin reunited his own band. Artem Styrov decided to come back, though Harkov stood with Kipelov. Alexander Shwetz from Russian band Nephilim became the new bass player. The same year Zapreshennaya Realnost (Forbidden Reality) was released, which became the most commercially successful album for Mavrin. The band started touring all over Russia with the new material. In 2005 Styrov was dimissed due to his health problems - he struggled to sing the long 2-hour gigs. His successor was 18-year-old Andrey Lefler. Mavrin and his band participated in Aria's twentieth anniversary gig and the bands toured together in Ukraine in the winter of 2005. After it, Mavrin released a new album Otkrovenie (Revelation).
Пока боги спят
Сергей Маврин Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Не поверишь - не найдёшь
Пути к своей душе, попавшей в плен
Люди верят, боги спят
Время дарит новый взгляд
На старый мир кривых зеркал и стен
Мир - он твой
Ты же в нём - изгой
Заблудившийся, гордый и слепой
Стоит повернуть
Изменить свой путь
Птицы вслед закричат
Люди вслед замолчат
Куда ты идёшь столько лет?
Дорогой ненужных побед
Тропой неизбежных падений и слёз
По нити разорванных вен
По книге своих перемен
Дорогой измен, но ведь вольному - воля
Безумец, ты снова один
Среди чёрно-белых картин
Среди разноцветных мечтаний и грёз
Куда ты идёшь столько лет?
На семь бед - один лишь ответ
А истины нет и лишь вольному - воля
Не узнаешь - не спасёшь
Не полюбишь - не вернёшь
Своих надежд, развеянных по снам
Люди ищут, Боги спят
Вновь дороги вдаль летят
Туда, где нас поймут и нас простят
Мир - он твой
Ты же в нём - изгой
Заблудившийся, гордый и слепой
Стоит повернуть
Изменить свой путь
Птицы вслед закричат
Люди вслед замолчат
Куда ты идёшь столько лет?
Дорогой ненужных побед
Тропой неизбежных падений и слёз
По нити разорванных вен
По книге своих перемен
Дорогой измен, но ведь вольному - воля
Безумец, ты снова один
Среди чёрно-белых картин
Среди разноцветных мечтаний и грёз
Куда ты идёшь столько лет?
На семь бед - один лишь ответ
А истины нет и лишь вольному - воля
Куда ты идёшь столько лет?
Дорогой ненужных побед
Тропой неизбежных падений и слёз
По нити разорванных вен
По книге своих перемен
Дорогой измен, но ведь вольному - воля
Безумец, ты снова один
Среди чёрно-белых картин
Среди разноцветных мечтаний и грёз
Куда ты идёшь столько лет?
На семь бед - один лишь ответ
А истины нет и лишь вольному - воля
The lyrics of the song "Пока боги спят" by Сергей Маврин convey a message of self-discovery, freedom and the search for meaning in life. The opening lines of the song state that if one doesn't see and believe, they won't understand and find their way to their own soul, which is trapped. The following lines express how people believe, while the gods are asleep, time gifts a new perspective on the world with its crooked mirrors and walls. Despite the chaos of the world, the world is yours and you are an outcast who is lost with pride and blindness. However, by changing your path, birds will scream behind you, and people will become mute.
The chorus of the song repeats three times with slightly different variations, conveying the idea that you have been walking on a path of unnecessary victories, inevitable falls and tears, but you can change and take a path that leads to accepting your changes and becoming free. The Lyrics imply that a madman is one who is alone in the black and white world of illusions and colorful dreams and hopes. The idea is that people should look for and fly along the roads that lead to where they will be understood and forgiven.
In summary, the song reflects the notion of exploring oneself, finding purpose, and embracing change while also emphasizing the fact that one must go through inevitable pain and vulnerability to arrive at a place of absolute freedom, where no one else can decide your fate. It reminds listeners that they're likely to feel like outsiders at times, but they can change their fate and help themselves reach their destination.
Line by Line Meaning
Не увидишь - не поймёшь
You won't understand until you see it
Не поверишь - не найдёшь
You won't find it until you believe it
Пути к своей душе, попавшей в плен
The path to your soul, trapped within
Люди верят, боги спят
People believe, gods sleep
Время дарит новый взгляд
Time offers a new perspective
На старый мир кривых зеркал и стен
On the old world of crooked mirrors and walls
Мир - он твой
The world is yours
Ты же в нём - изгой
You are an outcast in it
Заблудившийся, гордый и слепой
Lost, proud, and blind
Стоит повернуть
It's worth turning
Изменить свой путь
Change your path
Птицы вслед закричат
Birds will cry out
Люди вслед замолчат
People will fall silent
Куда ты идёшь столько лет?
Where have you been going all these years?
Дорогой ненужных побед
Along the path of unnecessary victories
Тропой неизбежных падений и слёз
On the path of inevitable falls and tears
По нити разорванных вен
Along the thread of broken veins
По книге своих перемен
Through the book of your changes
Дорогой измен, но ведь вольному - воля
On the path of change, but to the free - freedom
Безумец, ты снова один
Madman, you're alone again
Среди чёрно-белых картин
Among black-and-white pictures
Среди разноцветных мечтаний и грёз
Among colorful dreams and fantasies
На семь бед - один лишь ответ
Seven troubles - only one answer
А истины нет и лишь вольному - воля
And there is no truth, only to the free - freedom
Не узнаешь - не спасёшь
You won't save what you don't recognize
Не полюбишь - не вернёшь
You won't return what you don't love
Своих надежд, развеянных по снам
Your hopes scattered in dreams
Люди ищут, Боги спят
People search, gods sleep
Вновь дороги вдаль летят
Once again the roads fly into the distance
Туда, где нас поймут и нас простят
To a place where we will be understood and forgiven
Writer(s): A. Balashova, S. Mavrin
Contributed by Liliana H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.