The musician Andrei Makarevich, who has been recognized as a foreign agent in the Russian Federation, has once again discussed Russia in the YouTube project Honest Word. In this latest exchange, the singer reflected on the past and the role his group Time Machine played in the country’s cultural landscape during earlier decades. He recalled how, in the Soviet era, he went on strike and did not perform on stage for several months, illustrating a long memory of labor action and artistic protest that defined his career as much as his music did.
Speaking without false modesty, Makarevich noted that Rosconcert westablished a continuity of meetings because the band generated economic activity comparable to that of a mid-sized Soviet factory. He contrasted this with the financial realities of touring at the time, remarking that organizers received only 10-20 rubles per concert. He also recalled tensions after a project he described as Bluebird Stew, which reportedly led to a diversion from the planned course and a push toward working on a different show. In response, the band staged a sit-in, abstaining from performing for three months as a form of protest.
According to Makarevich, the Time Machine program continued to air and the group kept touring, even amid political and cultural shifts. He admitted to feeling nostalgia for the USSR era, a period when he collaborated with colleagues to compose new songs, and he expressed a longing for the dynamic creative environment of those times. This reflects a broader pattern among artists who look back on the Soviet period with a blend of artistic pride and critical memory.
Following the onset of a special military operation in Ukraine, Makarevich moved to Israel with his wife, Einat Klein. At the end of October, reports indicated that the artist had disposed of his last major properties in Russia. He transferred his mansion to his sister Natalya and handed over his share of housing on Leninsky Prospekt in Moscow to his son, Ivan, signaling a substantial shift in his personal assets and living situation. These moves underscore the personal consequences of geopolitical events on public figures who previously maintained deep ties to Russia’s cultural institutions.
In related reports, it was noted that Alena Vodonaeva had previously discussed the living arrangements of Makarevich’s son following a divorce, adding another layer to the public’s understanding of the artist’s family dynamics. The evolving story of Makarevich continues to unfold as he navigates questions of national identity, artistic legacy, and personal residence in a rapidly changing regional context. The ongoing conversation around his political stance and artistic past remains a focal point for fans and observers who remember Time Machine’s era as a transformative period in Russian pop and rock history. This narrative demonstrates how public figures can remain influential even as their personal circumstances shift, and how their statements about national history can provoke renewed discussion about cultural memory and national identity.