Music


...It was flake on-camera performance of electric guitar trio Big Beat (from left the right Vladimir Zakharchenko, Valery Pismenny and Nicolas Gagarin)...	Ufa’1966 Trio of electric guitarist on-camera Bashkir Television. This is not Kuznetsy Groma yet.

	This article in youth newspaper under pseudonym used foreign words (Big Beat) at that time was very brave. It’s a pity bas guitarist’s last name was confused with name of first cosmonaut... “They call themselves Big Beat...” the host of Bashkir TV announced the group.


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Rock group with such a name 'Kuznetsy Groma' (‘Thunder Smiths’ or 'Blacksmiths of Thunder') has come into the life of the City of Ufa in 1967. It was founded by five young talented musicians who were neighbors on the same street. They were Igor Gataulin, lead-guitar, Valery Pismenny, rhythm-guitar, Nicolas Garanin, bass-guitar, Alexander Alterman, drums, and Sergey Shaykin, keyboards. It was typical instrumental set for a big-beat sound. Thanks to this group music of Beatles and Shadows has been reached Ufa.

Success of this group was huge — it was always full halls in Salavat Yulayev Club and Sputnik Club, series of concerts in newly built Palace of Sport. Tickets had been sold out immediately and to reach the concert in Sputnik Club young men once even broken windows and tried to get in. The big streamer with the name of the group was placed over October Prospect, the main Ufa avenue. It was very unusual because the streamers of such size in that particular place were always with contents of Communist slogans only.

Their success definitely scared regional power rulers. Commie administration woke up. They could not allow Western culture to shake their ideology. It was 1968. Monopoly Party commanded what to play and what to listen and its authorities strictly controlled public for that. Less then in a year group 'Kuznetsy Groma' was constrained and scattered.

Before its dismissal the group recorded some instrumental compositions in local radio station. It was broadcast for the short period and brought additional popularity to musicians.

I don’t know such other country…

(from popular soviet march)

At the end of 1970s in the “most peaceful country” began the period of total demagnetizing of tapes and bulldozing of vinyl records of unacceptable artists. Those who left Soviet Union like Larissa Mondrus and Emil Gorovets or those who was wrecked like Valery Obodzinsky by ideology commissioners. Therefore, their original magnetic tapes have been destroyed. The best case scenario was such tapes have been distributed universities for students’ needs, in actual fact thrown away.

It was only by the merest chance, it’s better to say by a disposition of Providence, that magnetic tape with 'Kuznetsy Groma' records reached Valery Pismenny’s hands who was in charge of tape stock at Ufa Pedagogical Institute. “I randomly checked the content of this old tape junk which came from local TV station, — he remembers, — I inserted a prehistoric tape of Type1 (one of the earliest Soviet brand) to a tape recorder and pushed a playback. It was one-track tape rolled to the other side. It went backward. I distracted of a playback and did not turn it off promptly. It played some other minutes. In spite of reverse playing the sound seemed familiar so much but I still could not understand what it is. I decided not to throw this tape right away but put it into a slot correctly…”

Yes! It was saved and got its new and valid possessor. He brought with all his moving around the globe as the relic of the time. Oh yes, my friends now you can listen the rock group 'Kuznetsy Groma' on the tab Records. However, among the original composition the only Sergey Shaykin’s Old Tram has been survived.

Kuznetsy

Rock group 'Kuznetsy Groma' from left to the right:
Igor Gataulin, Valery Pismenny, Alexander Alterman, Sergey Shaykin and Nicolas Garanin

The Old Man and the Sea by Igor Gataulin, My Thoughts and Jane of Ark by Valery Pismenny irretrievably disappeared.

The quality of its sound today may be disappointing because the idea of the sound balance and the technical abilities of that time were completely different from the current ones. The performance itself after four decades might raise a smile too. But this is how music of freedom by the ‘Thunder Smiths’ really sounded.

They did not agree to be tamed under the label of VIE (vocal instrumental ensemble), they have stayed a ROCK GROUP. They were unique for their time and for the place. This is what makes them different from their contemporary mass-produced groups bred on ideological collective farms that followed in the next decades.

Newspaper Leninets November 7, 1967	'*Kuznetsy Groma' before their concert in Club Salavat Yulayev from left to the right: Igor Gataulin, Valery Pismenny, Elena Seravkina* (only half of the face can be seen), *Nicolas Garanin, Lidya Yakovleva, Sergey Shaykin* and *Alexander Alterman* (on the bottom)




	Newspaper Leninets January 9, 1968



	Music in jump from left to the right: *Alexander Alterman, Valery Pismenny, Nicolas Garanin, Igor Gataulin* and *Sergey Shaykin*


'Kuznetsy Groma's Records	Original Records
Geronima Geronima	Geronimo (The Shadows)
*Midnight*	Midnight (The Shadows)
*Comb*	Quartermasters Stores (Die Butlers)
*Theme for Young Lovers* (Take 1)	Theme for Young Lovers (The Shadows)
*Theme for Young Lovers* (Take 2)
Tromsoe (Take 1)	Tromsoe (Franke-Echo-Quintett)
Tromsoe (Take 2)
Troyka	Troyka (Franke-Echo-Quintett)
Herbshlaub (Take 1)	Seeschloß (Franke-Echo-Quintett)
Herbshlaub (Take 2)
Olympic Rock	Exodus (Olympic-Big Beat)
Old Tram by Sergey Shaykin	Hava Nagilah (Franke-Echo-Quintett)

How those records were saved on page History

Geronima, instead of Geronimo it is not misspelling. This instrumental was announced on the concerts of 'Kuznetsy Groma' just way with the stress on “i”. Probably at that time somebody in Ufa-city knew the name of legendary apache warrior but in the company of musicians it was assumed that Geronima is an exotic female name.
Franke-Echo-Quintett was founded by Dieter Franke in East Berlin in 1959. In 1964 on Amiga label (DDR) was issued vinyl LP Big Beat. In 1965 the second LP Big Beat II. Along with Franke-Echo-Quintett there were records of other Eastern German groups like Die Sputniks, Theo Schumann Combo, Die Butlers and also the group from Czechoslovakia Olympic (see below). Those two obtainable in the USSR records became an example for imitation for 'Kuznetsy Groma'.
Olympic is the group from Prague, Czechoslovakia was established in 1962. It makes active performance by now. Its leader is the guitarist Peter Yanda. The official site of the the group is here.

Hey Drummer beat (hit)!
The Guitars weep jingly!
Send the fantastic sounds to the star gilts!...

ud_b

Program

Typed and handwritten programs included preparedness of the musical pieces and color light design pr_1

pr_2

JoA

The original scores of Jane of Ark and My Thoughts (working name Candlestick) can be opened in PDF format. Click here

Podsv

and here accordingly

Here is an official claim addressed to *Igor Gataulin*’s father. Typed by illiterate typist it was signed without correction by building management where musician lived.
This review by *Dmitry Laletin* for Leningrad group ‘*Singing Guitars’* whose concerts took place in Ufa was published in newspaper Soviet Bashkiria. In its end it contains “recommendation” to '*Kuznetsy Groma' what kind of "right"* music should they play.




Some groups rose in Ufa simultaneously with the *Blacksmith of Thunder. One of them was Elves* from Bashkir State University. There were talented musicians there. Their level however was not equal, equipment was poor that’s why they couldn’t reach the city level of performance. But University students loved them. …Here came the frog with the gluttonous belly... (Children song) In 1968 the Ministry of Culture of Bashkiria scared with extra popularity of *Blacksmith of Thunder* ran-through the group with partiality and following crackdown. The slating took place in Ufa Philharmonic Hall. It was unprecedented event even because almost the all Ministry staff took part in it. No one of Ministry staff had education in Culture or/and Arts. They were regular pen-pushers creeper communists. The Minister herself was nominee from out-of-date Bashkir village. So, every performed piece discussed not from art point of view but from communist ideology one. The cook-housekeeper managed the State did the interrogation with great experience. “Why this piece called so and so? Why it was included in your repertoire?” She smashed the pacifist’s song ‘Don’t Kill’ by *Boris Rodionov* “What does it mean Don’t Kill?! If our Party commands to kill we will kill. Remove from the repertoire!” After the performance of instrumental My Thoughts the author was questioned what are his thoughts about. The nice era came to this country, for your own thoughts you could be neither shot nor jailed anymore. If you want to perform for public play what we allow to play! After this breakdown *Larry Pismenny* left the group, then *Nicolas Garanin* followed him. Remains were commissioned with members of *Elves* who were broke down the same way.	The new ensemble got the dubious name *Romantics* and was allowed to perform… in country region of Bashkiria, the native place of Manager of Culture. After this countrywoman left this place to be a Minister of Culture those places got no culture at all. Three months later romantic musicians became more realistic. *Alterman, Gataulin* and *Shaykin* gave up playing Komsomol hooey and one day took their instruments and moved to the South where they can play what they wanted to play again for the audience that understood music a little bit more than in Bashkir khanate’s Ministry of Culture.

“The cook-housekeeper managed the State” is Lenin’s expression assumed that the Communist State can be managed by anybody.

gataullin_3

Igor Gataulin has been played guitar in top Soviet and Russian groups including Vesyolye Rrebyata (Playful Guys) during ten years. He was one of creators of album Banana Islands, he now leads the group VR13 (Vesyolye Rrebyata 13 years later). is here.
Igor has been presented on Wikipedia

garanins

Nicolas and Galina Garanin have worked fifteen years in North region of Russia. The rose two daughters and have four grandsons. They live in Ufa in the same apartment which they lived at the time of Kuznetsy Groma.
Nicolas Garanin passed away on February 2, 2011

alterman

Alexander Alterman lived in Moldova, Greece, Israel, and Canada. He now lives in Brooklyn, NY.

larry_2009

Larry (Valery) Pismenny after Kuznetsy Groma had been a discophile, a musical columnist in local newspaper, ran two Marathons, moved to Moscow, then to New York City. He now lives in State of New Jersey.

noface

At this place the picture of Sergey Shaykin won't be placed

Sergey Shaykin after Kuznetsy Groma changed keyboard to bas guitar. He moved to St. Petersburg, Russia and lives there till today.

We, former Kuznetsy Groma from these web pages expressing our appreciation from the very bottom of our hearts to our fans and directors of the Halls and facilities who took all risks and responsibilities while allow us to rehearsal and performed in it. They are Mr. Gregory Solovyov, the director of Club Sputnik, Mr. Dmitry Bondarenko, the director of Palace of Salavat Yulayev, Mr. Anatoly Bespalov, the director of Palace of Sport, and Mr. Valery Shteinberg, the director of of Bashkir TV Station.

Ufa’1966

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Photography

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I don’t know such other country…

Newspaper Leninets November 7, 1967

Newspaper Leninets January 9, 1968

'Kuznetsy Groma's Records

Original Records

Hey Drummer beat (hit)!
The Guitars weep jingly!
Send the fantastic sounds to the star gilts!...

…Here came the frog with the gluttonous belly...

If you want to perform for public play what we allow to play!

Thank you all!

Ufa’1966

Previous

Photography

Next

I don’t know such other country…

Newspaper Leninets November 7, 1967

Newspaper Leninets January 9, 1968

'Kuznetsy Groma's Records

Original Records

Hey Drummer beat (hit)! The Guitars weep jingly! Send the fantastic sounds to the star gilts!...

…Here came the frog with the gluttonous belly...

If you want to perform for public play what we allow to play!

Thank you all!

Hey Drummer beat (hit)!
The Guitars weep jingly!
Send the fantastic sounds to the star gilts!...