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'.

Только этот день
АлисА Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Смотри, как Август падает с яблонь,
Это жатва,
Это Сентябрь.
Омытый дождем берег
Птицами отпет.
Из вереницы траурных дат
Этот день,
Только этот день,

Плачет...
Смотри, как ветры собирают в стаи
Самых усталых,
Как поднимают и кружат
Над Распятием листья,
Смотри, как лес полыхает
И медленно гаснет.
Это Сентябрь...
Осеннее солнце - гибель-сюрреалист,
Осеннее солнце - жатва,
Осеннее солнце листьями падает вниз.
Весна будет когда-нибудь завтра.
Смотри, как кровью дурманит болота
Кикимора-клюква,
Как ведьмы-вороны
Тревожат день вознесенья,
Смотри, как в саван-
Туман наряжает озера,
Как стелет звезды по самой воде
Поднебесье.
Смотри, как ветви и тени деревьев
Ложатся на травы,
Как кружит души над куполами
Звон Благовеста,
Как поминают вином и хлебом,
Как провожают

Лето,
Лето...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Алиса's song "Только этот день" describe the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. The first verse talks about August falling from the apple tree, which signifies the end of summer and the harvest season. September, which brings rain and a mourning for the passing of summer, is also mentioned. The second verse describes how the winds gather the tired leaves and spin them above the cross, while the forest slowly begins to flicker and fade away. The third verse introduces mythical creatures such as the swamp kikimora and witch crows that disturb the day of ascension. The last verses showcase the beauty of autumn and its surrealist appeal through the mist, twinkling stars, and the ringing of church bells.

The song's lyrics are full of imagery and symbolism, reflecting the unpredictable yet inevitable change of seasons. The singer seems to be lamenting the passing of summer but at the same time welcoming the new season with open arms. The lyrics convey a sense of melancholy, longing, and acceptance all at once.

Line by Line Meaning

Смотри, как Август падает с яблонь,
Watch how August falls from the apple trees,

Это жатва,
It's harvest time,

Это Сентябрь.
It's September.

Омытый дождем берег
The shore washed by the rain,

Птицами отпет.
Sung by birds.

Из вереницы траурных дат
From a chain of mournful dates,

Этот день,
This day,

Только этот день,
Only this day,

Плачет...
Is crying...

Смотри, как ветры собирают в стаи
Watch how the winds gather in flocks,

Самых усталых,
The most tired ones,