The singer from Russian Mafia band Debauche started as a punk rocker in Soviet-era Ukraine. He plays traditional songs of the GULAG and street criminal anthems with a spirit and energy transcending the language barrier to distill the essence of the humanity behind them. Russians are known for their ability to endure hardship. See how Yegor handles the onslaught from the Troubled Men.

Topics include holiday blues, a hotline, the Irishman, real violence, a mispronunciation, a Soviet identity, a Ukrainian vacation, a band name, a new name, a suspect website, the Debauche phenomenon, punk in the USSR, a train to Moldova, a war zone, a Georgian surprise, a gig story, a police beating, the barter economy, LA with [Vadim Valikovski](https://vadimvalikovski.com/), gang rivalry, a move to NYC, a Cocktail Fund shout-out, a production note, an open pour, a rotating line-up, Russian fans, suffering, Russian blues, a wedding story, an accusation, the GULAG experience, the human experience, tools of art, a New Year’s show, a final question, and much more.

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Intro music: Styler/Coman

Outro music: “Proletarochka” by Debauche, from “Songs From Underground”