Authors

Discussion

Music has historically functioned as a means of shaping collective identity, fostering unity, and reinforcing ideological narratives. In contemporary Russia, following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, state-sponsored “patriotic” popular music—colloquially known as Z-scene or Z-songs—has emerged as an instrument of propaganda, aiming to cultivate a singular patriotic discourse. This initiative seeks to manufacture public support for a war that initially lacked broad societal endorsement, while simultaneously silencing dissenting voices.

Despite significant state investment—including government-funded concert tours, extensive media promotion, curated radio and television programming—pro-war music has failed to resonate with the general public (e.g., not a single Z-song has reached the top-100 of Russian music streaming services in the last three years). Moreover, rather than forming a cohesive “new patriotic wave,” the phenomenon remains fragmented, consisting of individual artists who attempt to reflect, justify, and aesthetise the war through their music, ranging from established “honoured patriots” such as Nikolai Rastorguev, Oleg Gazmanov, and Stas Mikhailov to emerging propagandistic performers like Shaman, Rich, and Shokk.

This paper critically explores the emergence and societal impact of pro-war popular music in Russia after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24.02.2022. In order to examine the influence of Z-scene in shaping popular culture and directing societal perceptions towards a particular narrative of patriotism, the research delves into the lyrical content, thematic motifs, and stylistic nuances of these compositions. The study focuses on their role in stimulating militant patriotism and the factors contributing to their (limited) appeal. The paper interrogates the underlying tensions between state-imposed cultural uniformity and the resilience of diverse artistic expressions that resist ideological constraints. The study ultimately considers how the contested reception of Z-songs reflects listeners’ broader  struggles over cultural plurality, dissent, and the politics of musical identity in times of war.