Alisa (Алиса, Russian for Alice) is a Russian and Soviet hard rock band, on… Read Full Bio ↴Alisa (Алиса, Russian for Alice) is a Russian and Soviet hard rock band, one of the most influential in the Russian rock movement. Their lyrics, written by vocalist Konstantin Kinchev, are about social problems, rock lifestyle, Slavic culture and, recently, Christian faith. Alisa's music evolved from post punk in the 1980s to heavier metal sound of recent albums.

Alisa was founded in November 1983 by bassist Svetoslav Zadery. The name of the band is borrowed from Lewis Carroll's book "Alice in Wonderland". The band's lineup was finally completed in 1984, when new vocalist Kostya Kinchev (born Konstantin Panfilov) and guitarist Pyotr Samoylov joined Alisa. Their debut album "Energia" (Energy) was released by Melodia, the state publishing monopoly, and was sold in numbers of more than one million.

But the relations between the two leaders, Konstantin and Zadery, were poor, and finally Svetoslav left the band. This occurred just one hour before Alisa was to perform at a concert. Alisa had to ask Кино bassist Igor Tihomirov to replace him for one concert. Later Zadery created his own band 'Nate!' ('Take it!').

The growing popularity of the band created a fan community called the 'Army of Alisa', known for their rough behaviour at concerts. It led to animosity between the band and Soviet officials. In 1987 the newspaper Smena accused Kinchev of Nazi propaganda and worshipping Hitler. Alisa's leader Kinchev filed a suit for calumny and moral loss compensation. After the year-long court process the magazine published the refutation. Alisa's next album was titled Article 206 part 2, a chapter ('Hooliganism') of the USSR Procedural Code, alluding to this process.

There were new lineup changes in 1988, when guitarist Igor 'Chuma' Chumykin joined Alisa. This change was followed by the heavier sound of next albums Shabash and For those Who Fell From the Moon. Alisa toured through Europe and Israel together with Aria. The album Black Mark, 1994, was dedicated to the memory of Chuma, who committed suicide by jumping from the window.

In the new millennium, with albums such as Seychas Pozdnee Chem Ty Dumaesh (It is Later Than You Think, 2003) and Izgoy (Exile, 2005), the sound of Alisa was changed to a heavier one, including elements of nu-metal, industrial and heavy metal. Music critics credited Clawfinger as Kinchev's greatest new music influence. This gave Alisa a new fan base among Russian hard rock fans, and three songs from Izgoy continually reached the top of the NASHE radio chart.

Kinchev was baptised in 1990, and since then Christianity has been the main influence on his alignment and his lyrics. Although early Alisa lyrics were typical for Russian rock - the social protest and rock 'n' roll hype - since the late 1990's their main theme has been ideas of Christianity, Russian patriotism, and Slavic unity.

Konstantin is in good relations with the priests of the Russian Orthodox Church, especially Andrey Kuraev. Alisa has participated in many religion-supporting festivals, such as 'Musicians for the Christ Savior Cathedral'.

Православные
АлисА Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Душа магнитом-замком,
Тревожит вольную грудь,
Как по доброму жить,
Да готовиться в путь,
Как с надеждой глядеть на разрушенный дом,
Как по доброму петь.

Видеть козни врага,

Да по вере прощать.
Посягательства чад
Волей одолевать,
Да гнушаться всех тех, кто порочит Отца,
Да по силе терпеть.

Мы Православные!

Гнать кручину-печаль,
Да с похмелья болеть,
Нараспашку идти,
Да в молитве радеть,
Да собором судить, кому тяжло держать
Во славу нашей земли!

Мы Православные!

А в небе сила - любовь!
Божья воля - закон!
Смертью смерти поправ
Дышит вечность с икон.
Да святится Имя твое
На все просторы Руси!

Мы Православные!

Overall Meaning

The song "Православные" (Orthodox) by the Russian rock band Алиса is a call to action for the Orthodox believers to live their lives in accordance with the spiritual ideals of their faith. The lyrics portray the soul as a magnet-lock, which disturbs the free heart and urges it to live in a way that is both virtuous and ready to embark on a journey. It also urges the listener to take pleasure in the singing of religious songs, as well as remaining hopeful, even during times of ruin.

The song stresses the importance of forgiveness, even in the face of enmity, and to be vigilant in the face of schemes by enemies. It also discusses the conquest of temptation and the importance of rejecting those who slander God. The lyrics speak of the Orthodox faith as an identity and a way of life, which is demonstrated through perseverance, conviction and the mettle to endure while exemplary living.

Overall, "Православные" is a hymn to the Orthodox religious practice and way of life, encouraging the faithful to remain steadfast and virtuous in the face of adversity.

Line by Line Meaning

Душа магнитом-замком,
My soul is like a magnet-lock,

Тревожит вольную грудь,
Causing unrest in my free chest,

Как по доброму жить,
As to live kindly,

Да готовиться в путь,
And prepare for the road ahead,

Как с надеждой глядеть на разрушенный дом,
Looking at a ruined home with hope,

Как по доброму петь.
And singing kindly.

Видеть козни врага,
See the enemy's treachery,

Да по вере прощать.
And forgive them in faith.

Посягательства чад
The ambitions of children,

Волей одолевать,
Must be overcome by willpower,

Да гнушаться всех тех, кто порочит Отца,
And shun those who defame the father,