Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys has been actively engaged with Russian politics since 2013, influenced by his fascination with Russia's history, particularly the transformations from the 1917 revolutions onwards. His interest in Soviet culture and notable figures like Shostakovich reflects in his iconic lyrics. The band's first contact with Russia in 1988 and their later visit for the MTV Russia launch further solidified their connection and awareness of Russia's socio-political changes. Tennant's experiences and observations reveal a lasting commitment to understanding and commenting on Russian affairs.
I have been interested in Russia since reading a book when I was a young boy about the 1917 revolutions. It fascinated me that the Russian empire was replaced by another empire, the Soviet Union, which unleashed a lot of energy but rapidly became a brutal dictatorship under Stalin... This interest fed into the lyrics I wrote.
The first contact the Pet Shop Boys had with Russia was in 1988, during the first exchange visit of Soviet and British teenagers to each other's countries. We were delighted to discover that, when the Soviet kids were asked who they'd like to meet in London, they said the Pet Shop Boys.
A few years later communism collapsed and the Soviet republics became independent countries, and in 1993 we travelled to Russia for the first time to launch MTV Russia. While we were there we filmed part of the video for Go West in Red Square.
Ksenia Sobchak, our clubbing acquaintance, was a candidate in a presidential election. Russia was politically and economically going west, so it seemed relevant and funny to have statue.
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