In praise of Russian rock, and dead animals.

So I've been frequenting the Internet cafe more and more often to try and work on this research paper, although (as you can see, or rather, read) I get a little sidetracked sometimes. On the other hand, I did make a pilgrimmage to Rubenshtein 13, the former address of the Leningrad Rock Club, yesterday, and while the actual club has been shut down for some time, it was really interesting just reading the graffitti on the walls. I had no idea, for example, just how influential Viktor Tsoi, former lead singer of Kino, was (and still is--he's basically the Russian Kurt Cobain, except he wrote better lyrics.) And I love, by the way, how I've gradually acquired this great respect for Russian rock over the course of this semester, especially since before I came here I thought it was a novelty thing. I guess lately it's been headed in that direction (witness the godawful rap-metal group Kirpichi) but the stuff that Kino, Alisa and Aquarium came out with in the '80s was absolute lyrical, if not musical, genius. Especially if you compare it to the music American groups were recording around that time--although I acknowledge that "Cum On Feel The Noize" is genius in its own right.
A quick side note: today on the metro, I saw the first anti-fur ad that I've seen since coming here. It had a picture of a mink and the slogan "His life is more important than a fur coat!" and it was pasted over a giant ad for the clothing chain "Leather and Fur World." It struck me that all those rabid PETA activists have been focusing their attention on the wrong country. Walk around the streets of St. Petersburg for five minutes and you'll see coats made out of just about every animal found in nature, as well as half the cast of "Sesame Street." I wonder how these people would react if someone threw paint at them. They'd probably find some way to make it a fashion statement.