Rockin' the Kremlin: My Incredible True Story of Gangsters, Oligarchs, and Pop Stars in Putin's Russia

Rockin the Kremlin is the true story of David Junk, Universal Music Russia's first CEO, and his quest to bring Western popular music to post-Soviet Russia, facing challenges from political chaos, organized crime, and violence. He captivated millions by bringing superstar acts to Russia and developing local talent, but the industry's descent into authoritarianism and two invasions of Ukraine have tarnished it.

Format: Hardback
Length: 294 pages
Publication date: 02 July 2024
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

David Junk, the first CEO of Universal Music Russia, embarked on a mission to introduce Western popular music to post-Soviet Russia in the early 1990s. With the Soviet Union's collapse, Russian audiences were eager for Western music and its values. Junk assembled a team of young and talented Russians and navigated a terrain filled with political chaos, organized crime, powerful oligarchs, bombings, and violence. They captivated millions by bringing superstar acts to Russia for the first time, including Metallica, Mariah Carey, Sting, Eminem, and Enrique Iglesias, while developing local talent such as Alsou and t.A.T.u. Junk also built a music industry in Ukraine and other countries in Eastern Europe. However, Russia's descent into authoritarianism and two invasions of Ukraine have tarnished this legacy. Despite this, the industry that Junk shepherded has birthed a newer generation of Russian musicians who are speaking out against the war.

Weight: 598g
Dimension: 235 x 160 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781538178751