David found a bread crust. Arthur saw this and in response hurdled himself on top of David and smacked his head with a maraca. David cried out and dropped the crust. Arthur grabbed the abandoned piece of bread, ran for the bathroom, shut himself, and also started screaming. David picked up the maraca, and began to laugh demonically.

At that moment, I realized the kids are all grown up now, and I can finally return to my professional career. It was all waiting and ready a while ago.

So of course sideburns, baseball cap bill over my face, glued blonde hair, a baggy coat, one heal higher than the other, and glasses with a “+ 3” prescription — helps me see and makes eyes look bigger.

The drive was fast. I left the car at a gas station near by a café. Perfect timing! It’s Saturday, crowded, and the employees probably already want to go home.

Armed with tubes of antiseptic salve “Vishenvskogo”, I squeezed the strong smelling cream onto the welcome rug in front of an elevator. The smell spread quickly and throughout the whole store. Aware of the video surveillance, I tried not to stop or look around. I was going to a person who, just eight months ago, sold me the wrong blinds.

The person was in his spot. I quickly made an order and he left for about ten minutes. Meanwhile, this gave me time to bring up “451 F” on his computer screen, set a toy barking dog for the attention of customers, pour permanent glue over the keyboard, and get the hell out of there. From the opening of my sleeve, I spayed all the locks with liquid putty.

Time for the most important part… Thanks to the absence of cameras in the bathroom, I was able turn my coat inside out and leave a bag with a sticker “RUN!” on it. In less than ten minutes the radio echoed warning of evacuation.

Crammed in the elevator with everyone else, I leaned my back against the wall and left a large sticker reading: “God made us different – IKEA conforms us!” This slogan was chosen in advance and took some time. Other possibilities were: “Since 1997 — all the same”, “Prices match the quality!”, and others a bit more offensive ones but that would be just over doing it.

Along with the crowd, I ran out of the elevator and simply hid inside a closet. I stayed there for fifteen minutes before I put on a mask and lit up a smoke grenade.

Now, I could come out. I was invisible. There were no people. To light up everything was a matter of seconds and already, because of the smoke grenade, firemen were on their way. I put on a costume of a surgeon (taken from theater) as well as a facemask and disposable booties, which were extra but looked realistic. The basement was not as hot from the fire. There, I waited for the sound of an ambulance. (Their sirens echo the prefect fourth just like the Soviet Union anthem).

The basement filled up with clouds of smoke.

Using a couple of sticks and a piece of cloth, I put together something that resembled a stretcher and ran for the doors. Outside was flooded with cars, filled with screams, and bursting with chaotic sounds. I made my way to a wall and sat down coughing. Immediately, a fireman rushed over to me. I pointed into the depths of the store and ran off to get water from somebody by an ambulance. While I was washing my face, I was completely forgotten about. So I just changed, stuffed everything in my backpack, and joined the observing crowd.

I only forgot to take off the disposable booties (I noticed in the car), but it’s alright, they have been on since museum Hermitage…

Text: Anton Adasinsky
Translation: Nikita Pushkareva
Photos: Elena Yarovaya

I never cared about the future:
When I leave I’ll take the whole world with me.
On my way to heaven I’ll drink a cup of tea and I’ll stop the war.

But now it’s different.
Children were born and their solitude will remain when Lena and I are gone.
I never asked my Mom: ‘Why did you bring me into the world?’
And they wouldn’t ask either.
They’re great and happy like any children.

So what can I, you, we do for them?
Nothing, actually.
Just remove all the everyday trash from our lives.
Just race with them on all fours, just listen to their laughter and their crying.
And just be ready to tear to pieces anyone who would want to hurt them.
These are the fangs that I’m talking about.
Don’t wait for someone to bring help or change: that’s inside you, inside us.
Clench your fists, learn to do it, even if it never was needed before.
Fight for the happiness of your children, for our own happiness that we already fucked up.
Get into your coffin without a snotty nose full of self-pity but with a satisfied feeling of tiredness: the job has been done well!

Slava, this is to you:
We’ll do whatever we can to help you win the Trickster-Circus over to your side.
Just to hear the children’s voices again:
– Dad, let’s go to the circus!

Text: Anton Adasinsky
English text editor: David Kemp
Photo: Yulia Bunakova, Elena Yarovaya

I was quite full of wonder after my brief visit to Moscow to the Lumiere Gallery.

I hadn’t expected that so many people were still able to walk slowly and speak gently, to look into your eyes and even to listen to you without meddling with their iphones right in front of your face. I’m speaking of the visitors to the exhibition and to my gig there.

The exhibition Time of the Bells is a VERY GOOD one. Thank you to Nastya and all other organisers behind the scenes.

Meanwhile the DEREVO studio in Dresden has been turned into a filming location. A motion picture in progress is:

The Middle of White (working title)

Idea: Pavel Semchenko (AKHE)
Director: Pavel Semchenko
Cast: Anton Adasinsky (DEREVO)
Cameraman: Andrey Gladkikh
Assistant: Natalia Krymskaya
Producer: Pavel Semchenko

Big thanks to Elena Yarovaya and Isolde Matkey for their support with the boring administrative tasks.

We will tell nothing yet about the music. That will be a surprise.
Anton

(english text editor: Daniel Williams)

Also the heavy metal performance by DEREVO is nearing:

29 – 31 March 2013 in Festspielhaus Hellerau, Dresden

The golden classic by DEREVO to be presented by the original cast & crew.

On stage:
Oleg Zhukovsky
Elena Yarovaya
Tatyana Khabarova
Anton Adasinsky

Sound: Dmitry Abramov
Light: Falk Dittrich

Anton Adasinsky performs his song Cat on Accordion from the Album DOPPIO live at Lumiere Centre in Moscow, 9th of March 2013. On stage are Alexandra, Veronika, Anton & Nikolay

Download the album DOPPIO here »

… You’re asleep.
Curled, embracing the pillow, deep under the blanket.
It’s late at night.
And you’re asleep,
And nobody knows who you’re going to be the next ringing morning.
What kind of chain armour you’ll be wearing by then. Will you be a politician, a faithful wife or an old man or… ?
You’re asleep. And the other one is sleeping too, the one you’ll see in the sight of a gun or the one at the shop, holding an avocado…
The only one, who will become a reason to miss the train…
Tonight we are just children.
It doesn’t matter how rich you see yourself in your dreams, no matter how big the painting over the bed. And the thrilled servants behind the bedroom door, changing your coffee cup every ten minutes to keep it warm, they do not matter either.
Just one bed for all, and one Home and one World.
We’re asleep and, oh God, let us stay so just a while longer, not to slip into the shells of our lives quite yet.
I know I’ll wake up and I’ll become the one who I must be, who I have to be, who I got used to being.
But now… there’s no war, no treason, no labour.
We’re asleep.
Like children,
And…
And I want to be like you,
To love and to be loved.
May Those Who We Insult During The Day Forgive Us At Night!
They were sleeping during the night too and they were wishing me Well.
I’m asleep.

Happy New Year! …

Text: Anton Adasinsky
English text editor: Daniel Williams
Photo: Anton Adasinsky, Igor Fomin, Nastya Ponomareva, S. Neuhaus, T. Belousova
Video: Nastya Ponomareva

Anton Adasinsky (from an interview for “Kultura” TV): «They brought 60 children to choose from – everyone a genius. I chose 12, then cut the number down to 10. And they learned our most complicated show in just 4 days, and it’s really complicated with all those anchor points, props and stuff, just a huge pile of stuff… Absolutely genial kids!»