When We Sing, the Wind Rises. A Short History of Popular Music in Russia in the 21st Century

«When We Sing, the Wind Rises. A Short History of Popular Music in Russia in the 21st Century» — a book by Alexander Gorbachev, journalist, music critic, and former editor-in-chief of «Afisha». It tells about the relationship of the «fastest» of the arts with the surrounding time and space, how Russian-speaking music changed during various periods of the Putin era. Among the heroes are Boris Grebenshchikov, Yuri Shevchuk, Zemfira, «SBPC», Noize MC, Monetochka, Shortparis, and dozens of other musicians whose songs accompanied the first quarter of this century. Gorbachev writes not only about the interaction of culture and society but also about his encounters with musicians, how external circumstances influenced the personal perception of music, and how music influenced the author's life.

Alexander Gorbachev is the author of the biography of the leader of «Grazhdanskaya Oborona» «He Saw the Sun. Yegor Letov and His Time» (2025), the author-compilator of the book «Don’t Be Shy. The History of Post-Soviet Pop Music in 169 Songs» (2021), and co-author of the book «Songs Into the Void. The Lost Generation of Russian Rock of the 1990s».