Export Hit!
The Russian Girl Band t.A.T.u.
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
T.A.T.u. is the most successful Russian pop band of all time. This success is no coincidence; it is based on the skilful adaptation of the band’s lesbian image to different cultural environments. T.A.T.u. was conceived as a way to provoke Russian society; by kissing in public, the duo succeeded in being banned twice in Western Europe and the United States, which drew considerable publicity. The pop duo’s history shows how structures of the Western consumer industry are applied to Russian conditions, undergo change there and then influence the West’s perception of Russia.
(Osteuropa 5/2007, pp. 125–136)