Hello From Russia! Elvis Is Alive In Russia

[Elena/The Russian EP Fan Club]

Hello!

I'm very happy to be here! My name is Elena Shuvalova. I represent The Official Russian Elvis Presley Fan Club. Our Fan Club was founded in 1990 in Moscow, Russia. But our Fan club orginally started in 1981 in USSR (then).

We work very hard to promote Elvis, his music and his movies in Russia. This work cost us the big material and moral expenses: money, sleep, leisure time, nerves because Elvis not so popular in Russia like in other countries. And this is not an easy job because Elvis music was under the complete ban in the USSR, his records were not published, songs didn't sound, even Elvis photograph couldn't be found anywhere. To listen Elvis songs was nevertheless, that to commit crime. Elvis was underground and his records were sold from the hands between the collectors, under the fear to fall into the prison. These were special "records", such wasn't nowhere more in the world - records "on the edges" (songs were recorded underground in the X-ray photographs). And people listened it at home, under the ban, but they felt happy, because this was the only way to listen Elvis music.
Russian people knows the Elvis music very badly, Elvis couldn't be opened into Russia because of the long existed "Iron Curtain" and the totalitarian regime.
But nevertheless, there are now in Russia many young people, which greatly loves Elvis.

We would like to associate with Elvis fans in other countries. We would like to correspond with other fans around the world.

Always for Elvis,

Elena

[NightRider]

Hello Elena

Welcome to the tcb-world forum (y) (y)

Its nice to see you here - i hope you enjoy your visits :D

[mn-designs]

Hi Elena: welcome to tcb-world! i hope you enjoy your stay here. It's great to have russian fans here. And i didn't know about this story in russia, it's good to see to russian people get interested in Elvis music even when it's very diffecult to get the latest releases, is that better in these days?
But as i said before: A big welcome to you, and enjoy this great messageboard and all the great sites that are a member of this tcb-world!

[P.S. Annie]

Hi Elena it is nice to have you here, (y) hope hear a lot of you and other Russian fans (y) , it is great to hear that he is loved all around the globe. (y)

[Albert]

Hi Elena,

Thank you for your fantastic story. It's hard to understand for people in Europa and the USA, that even popular music like that from Elvis Presley wasn't available in communist USSR for many decades.

We have gradualy moved our taste (and trained our hearing) during the decades from easy listening music in the pre-'56 decades to rock'n roll, surf, beat-music, motown, protest music, folk, hardrock, punk, disco, dance, r&b and rap. Imagine the people in Russia get to know all these styles of music all of a sudden. How exciting must that be :D

Also great to hear that people in Russia trying to fit Elvis into these changing times. EPE should help you to inform the people of Russia about the importance of Elvis.

[Lonniebealestreet]

It's great to have you with us, Elena! :D Yours is indeed a great story.

[jbgude]

Hi Elena !

I cam empathise with your story - I used to live in country where though Elvis was not banned - he was not very popular and so we never could buy his music very easily-it tok a lot of Elvis friends from around the world -especially from the Holland/UK/Belgium and USA -to send me LPs or later cassette tapes.... and many times the parcels never reached me because some chap form the Post Office or the Customs would rob the items -and there was no way of finding out who or where ! I used to try and make friends and bribe the postal workers in the big sorting centers -which is another story itself !!!!

Anyway, I remember some stories in the "MAD" magazines about fans of US movie stars in the USSR ;)

Do any of the "x-ray" discs/songs still exist I am curious to know how you made and played them -anyone :help:

How is it there now ? how many members do you have and can you get Elvis stuff easily - do you need anything Elvis wise- let us know !

I (we) can help :cheers:

jb

PS : I have a coleague from Russia named Elena too!

[P.S. Annie]

Originally posted by jbgude@Apr 24 2004, 08:14 PM
I used to live in country where though Elvis was not banned - he was not very popular and so we never could buy his music very easily-it tok a lot of Elvis friends from around the world -especially from the Holland/UK/Belgium and USA -to send me LPs or later cassette tapes
Where did you live jb?

[P.S. Annie]

If you don't wanna tell, no problemo. I was just curious :D

[jbgude]

I'll give you three clues - remember that they can be found in more than one country -so take a guess!

In the land of Elephants,Tigers and Snake charmers ! :blink:

[P.S. Annie]

India???

[jbgude]

PS Annie wrote :
India???

!!!

:clap:

jb

[Elena/The Russian EP Fan Club]

Hi dear Elvis friends,

Thank you very much for all your kind words. Thank you.
The best people in the world are Elvis' fans. (y) I'm so happy to find here new great Elvis-friends around the world :cheers:


I must to say now in Russia still a very difficult situation with Elvis music. :oops: Still a very very very difficult to find any Elvis stuff (CD's, video's, films, books, photos, etc). Not so much information about Elvis. Elvis don't popular in Russia. There are many Russian people who doesn't know who is Elvis Presley.Yes, it's true! And still there is a lot negative and false information about Elvis. Very difficult to be an Elvis fan in Russia. You must be ready that people doesn't understand your love and admiration to Elvis. And it's so sad sometimes... There are people in Russia who can say to you 'Are you Elvis fan??!! Are you crazy?! You have a bad taste in music. Elvis was... (many very bad and negative words) and he died for a long long long time and all forgot him'. :oops:

Our fan club is the only official EP fan club and the biggest EP fan club in Russia - we have 20 members. What do you say about it? :oops:

"X-ray" discs were popular in the 50's-60's in Russia between collectors. The member of our fan club has these rarieties. :lol:

Now in Moscow there are two music shops where you can buy some Elvis CD's and maybe four or five Elvis Video's. That's all. Russia don't need Elvis. Now and then.

But thanks God for Elvis friends who can help! :D
We'd like to have Elvis CD'R and video. If you can help with these stuff please
write to my e-mail. Maybe the EP collection of our fan club would be useful to you too.

By the way our fan club can offer the rare collectable Elvis vinyl discs. Our club released these discs in the early 90's in Russia.

Thru Elvis,
Elena

[P.S. Annie]

Originally posted by jbgude@Apr 25 2004, 08:10 PM
PS Annie wrote :
India???

!!!

:clap:

jb
Yeah , did I win :flowers: ?

[Lonniebealestreet]

Originally posted by Elena/The Russian EP Fan Club@Apr 26 2004, 04:28 AM
Our fan club is the only official EP fan club and the biggest EP fan club in Russia - we have 20 members. What do you say about it? :oops:
I say that's great that you have organized such an exclusive (another way of looking at it) club with such a great purpose. (y)

[Elena/The Russian EP Fan Club]

Oh, sure, another way of looking at it :D Thank you kindly. I feel much better now (y)

Always for Elvis,
Elena