PUB - Publikationen an der Universität Bielefeld

This article examines different artistic means used to construct images of immigrants in music videos by Russian independent pop artists. The topic of labour migration remains relatively marginal in Russian art and popular culture. The article analyses three music videos in which this topic is discussed: “Scary” (“Strashno”) by Shortparis (2018), “Insufficiently Slavic Woman” (“Nedoslavianka”) by Manizha (2019), and Fardi’s “CIS” (“SNG”) (2020). The works are not part of the mainstream, but their analysis is nevertheless important, firstly, because it allows us to recognise their originality in the representation of migrants compared to established media patterns. Secondly, comparing these videos reveals different strategies of self-positioning employed by the artists who have turned their attention to labour migration. Drawing on the conceptual framework proposed by Diane Railton and Paul Watson, this article identifies the genre of the analysed music videos and further demonstrates how, within each video, the artists construct their own authenticity through their engagement with immigrant imagery.