Russia’s most famous rocker enters politics: ‘Leningrad’ star Shnurov may RUN for SEAT in parliament

Some of the West’s biggest rock stars, such as Bono and Chris Martin, have tried their hand at political activism. However, they’ve drawn the line at crossing the divide and standing for election themselves.

Russians, of course, do things differently and Moscow media is speculating that the country’s own ‘Rock God’ Sergey Shnurov could soon be swapping concert stages for a seat in the national parliament (the Duma). On Thursday, he announced he was to become a member of the center-right Party of Growth, at a local Saint Petersburg party meeting.

It had long been rumored that Shnurov would enter the political sphere, but the musician evasively answered questions about his possible future role. When asked if he would run for parliament in 2021, he replied, “Right now it’s the plan, but maybe, or maybe not. We need to wait until the elections.”

Shnurov is the frontman of the Saint Petersburg band Leningrad, a ska-punk outfit somewhat analogous to the British group Madness but far more enduring commercially. They play to sold-out arenas in Russia, and beyond, and are scheduled to play at the Coachella Festival in California this April. The singer is a household name in Russia, having achieved a level of fame similar to what Bruce Springsteen enjoys in the US.

In an interview with Petersburg Diary, the Party of Growth’s Saint Petersburg legislative assembly head Oksana Dmitrieva said that the rock star was ready to run for the State Duma or the Legislative Assembly, “if he has the desire.”

According to Dmitrieva, Shnurov will be invited to the Saint Petersburg parliament before the start of the election campaign.

“Everyone must do their job. We will involve him in the work of the Legislative Assembly concerning culture and city protection issues,” she explained.

Boris Titov, the party’s leader and former presidential candidate, told the Saint Petersburg party meeting that they plan to become a faction in the State Duma in 2021. The Party of Growth currently has no seats in the state parliament but has three in the local Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg. Under Russian election rules, a party must receive five percent of the overall vote to meet the threshold for entering the legislature.

Shnurov may need to moderate his lyrics if he takes up political office. One of his most famous songs concerns the voting process. “And then a great day came, I am given a ballot, I take it and put a cross – uh, I vote against everyone,” he sang. “Elections, elections, [all] candidates [are] f*ggots.”

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