Zhhshch on the war

The Stance of "Zhshch" and Vaganych on the War in Ukraine

Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the band Zhshch made no official public statements or proclamations on the subject. However, Igor Vlasyev nevertheless published several cautious anti-war posts on his VKontakte page. For instance, on February 28, 2022, Vaganych shared that back in 2014 his father had taken part in an anti-war picket, while his mother had been detained. He himself was studying in a military training department at that time, but held anti-war views and continues to do so.

This was followed by a post featuring the song "Smelost" ("Courage"), dedicated to Alexander Taraikovsky—a protester killed in August 2020 in Minsk during a peaceful rally. His death became a symbol of civil resistance in Belarus. The post concluded with the phrase "An assault rifle doesn't fire by itself (I've checked)"—a clear anti-war allegory stating that behind every shot stands an individual human being and their personal choice.

On April 12, 2022, Igor Vlasyev posted a concert poster for the pro-war patriotic marathon "Za Rossiyu" ("For Russia") featuring bands that sold out to the Kremlin such as "SerGa" and "Pilot", commenting sarcastically: "Will the track 'Kingdom of Whores' be performed?"

In September 2022, Vaganych sarcastically commented on the announcement of partial mobilization in Russia on his Telegram channel:

He then posted lines from the song "Chelovek" ("Human"), eloquently reflecting the mindset of those who are thrown into the meat grinder of war:

On the second day we stood side by side,
Beasts spat venom at us from every side,
They were sending us off to slaughter.
The third day I can't even remember

On October 3, 2022, for unknown reasons, the band's autumn tour across Russian cities was postponed to 2023, but ultimately never took place. Media reports revealed that Vaganych had left Russia.

While residing abroad, Vaganych continued to stream and record songs that clearly demonstrated his anti-war position and feelings about the unfolding horror:

The central theme of the album is world events and the anxiety associated with them. Vaganych himself has been outside Russia for more than a year and, through the verses of 'Uzhas' ('Horror'), shares his own experiences with us as well. His poetic talent is sufficient to speak not in direct shouted slogans, but in an almost Aesopian tongue—Vlasyev knows how to do this, re-read my commentary on the song 'Krepkim slovom' ('With a strong word'), for example.« Source: Telegram channel Unyly Rok

Return to the Russian Federation

In October 2025, information surfaced indicating that Vaganych had returned to Saint Petersburg. During a stream, the musician showed everyone a familiar old room. When asked about a "Zhshch" tour, he replied that the bass player was still in Japan and, in any case, concerts first needed to be held in Moscow and Saint Petersburg to check if he hadn't been forgotten.

Later, a poster announcing a concert in Saint Petersburg appeared.