Akim Apachev (real name — Akim Gasanov) is a Russian performer, war correspondent, and one of the chief ideologists of modern Z-propaganda. He calls himself a representative of «new Donbas rap.» He was born in 1985 in Mariupol, Ukraine. In 2019, he acquired Russian citizenship.
In November 2017, he was added to the database of the «Myrotvorets» website for war crimes and participation in hostilities against Ukraine, propaganda of war, Russian fascism, and Nazism.
Akim Apachev's stance on the war in Ukraine
Akim Apachev takes an uncompromising pro-Russian stance. Since 2014, he has actively supported separatist movements in Donbas, working as a war correspondent and covering the conflict from the perspective of Russian proxy forces. After the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, his activities transitioned entirely into the realm of ideological warfare.
Apachev openly advocates for the total destruction of Ukrainian statehood, asserting that «Ukraine as such does not exist,» and is merely «a territory that must be liberated from Nazism.»
Creativity as a tool of propaganda
Apachev's music is steeped in militaristic aesthetics and the glorification of occupation. His best-known tracks are directly tied to military actions:
- «Plyve Kacha»: a cynical reimagining of the Ukrainian folk song, performed in the Ukrainian language, in which the author justifies the destruction of Mariupol and proclaims that he is «taking this language for himself.»
- «Summer and Crossbows»: a song that became the unofficial anthem of PMC «Wagner,» glorifying mercenarism and violence.
- Performances in Mariupol: Apachev repeatedly staged provocative performances on the ruins of Mariupol's Azovstal plant, declaring the «victory of the Russian world.»
At the end of 2024, he took part in the filming of the Russian television series «Centuria,» which was shot in Mariupol. According to Apachev, this film is dedicated to the fight against the Ukrainian partisan underground in his native city.
Resonant quotes by Akim Apachev
Ukrainian language is my trophy. I am taking this language from them. It is now my language, and I will sing my songs in it... We will cure it, we will denazify it.» (On performing songs in Ukrainian)
Ukrainian-ness is an illness that needs to be treated. We came here to dismantle this project.» (On Ukrainian statehood and identity)
Mariupol is a Russian city. We have returned home. We don't need permission to enter our own cities.» (On the seizure and destruction of Mariupol)
Russia's borders end nowhere. We will march as long as necessary, until we reach the English Channel.» (On the ultimate goals of the war)
Apachev continues to actively tour occupied territories and perform at state concerts across the Russian Federation. He has been officially added to the sanctions lists of Ukraine and European Union countries as an individual responsible for warmongering and justifying aggression. In Ukraine, multiple criminal proceedings have been opened against him for aiding terrorism and violating territorial integrity.
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