The funeral of the 35-year-old singer and poet Kirill Tolmatsky, better known as Detsl, which took place today, gives us reason to reflect on many things. It is worth mentioning that the young man died a few days ago in Izhevsk after his concert, allegedly due to cardiac arrest. For some, this will serve as a reminder of the mystery of death, the angel of which can come to anyone at any moment by Allah’s command, when no one expects it. For others, it will emphasize the importance of life and death in truth and the mercy of Allah. Some may ponder what life should be devoted to, given its transitory nature, and what consequences one will have to face for it. However, we will leave these questions about the eternal and most important matters to the discretion of each of our readers, and will now focus on something else.
For those who have not followed the music scene and Detsl’s work in recent years — and there are quite a few of them among our readers for understandable reasons — it was a surprise to learn that he has transformed from a singer «about nothing» into a sharp critic of the government. «Nothing has changed in this country — hungry people, a satiated government. The fish rots from the head, enemies are everywhere. Slaves revolt, a new wave of the Cold War. Wars and norms, dictatorship in lies. Those who are still alive run without looking back. The screws are tightening, a bloody regime. They swept away everything that did not lie flat. Vodka still costs a penny» — these and similar verses and songs have been uttered by him with enviable frequency lately. He also gave interviews in which he uncompromisingly criticized the existing regime in the country and called for its change.
Is it surprising that this singer and poet died suddenly at such a young age for no apparent reason? And that no matter how much the pro-government propagandists try to explain this strange death as the result of drugs or a heart weakened by a turbulent life, the doctors found no traces of the former or problems with the latter in the deceased… Let us not forget that this was not the only recent strange death of a dissident. Someone mysteriously falls from a multi-story building, someone dies of a heart attack allegedly while jogging at the same young age, someone allegedly becomes a victim of robbers in such a dangerous Africa where evil blacks and crocodiles devour white journalists.
Of course, one could argue that a young singer is neither a politician nor a journalist, and there is no need to kill him. But suspicious deaths of socially conscious singers have happened before. Victor Tsoi allegedly fell asleep at the wheel, and Igor Talkov was allegedly killed because of a personal conflict. Well, as we know, the rise of Stalinism began with the «suicides» of Mayakovsky and Yesenin. Today, the regime closely monitors the work of groups and performers who have become authorities on the thoughts of the youth and incite them against the government. Some of them have their concerts disrupted, others face criminal charges. And some simply die suddenly and mysteriously.
We will probably never know exactly what happened to Detsl before his heart stopped. But in a country where political terror has long become systemic, every death of a dissident should be seen in this light.