I would not call Shaov "the best" today's bard. His songs are pourly written (not in terms of music, who cares about music - he is simply not so good with the Russian language... ah, most Russians are) and far, far away from what we poetry. He is liked because his songs are immediate responses on todays problems, they are like news-paper articles, valid only for today. That means that when he stops composing new ones - he'll be forgotten...

To download the bards

http://www.bards.ru/old_audio/

Enjoy :)

try this link for Timur Shaov's MP3 files. Shaov is the best of today's "bards"....
http://www.shaov.ru/discs_and_lyrics.php

if you are fluent in Russian, you must also visit the site
http://vladimir.vladimirovich.ru
- a uniquely postmodernist satire on Putin, with an almost daily account of his exploits in the style of various works of Soviet literature and movies. The English version of the site is not nearly as good.

"Bards" name is Timur Shaov. You can find his songs on http://www.russiandvd.com/store/product.asp?sku=34084&genreid=. Enjoy.

I listened to the entire program and was facinated. My wife and I were in Moscow for the New Year celebration with Russian friends who are very pro Putin. It was interesting to hear Mamontov's comments and to think back to our friends perspective.
What was the "bards" name?

here's Vladimir Vysotsky - the "official" site (in English). Sound in RealAudio.

Vysotsky: complete mp3 collection http://zipsites.ru/music/vysotskii/

texts are also there.

I would like to download music files too, it was wonderful to wake up to the music of the bard.

Can you tell me if there's anywhere on the web where one can download digital music files of any of the bards you reported on and or interviewed (classic and or contemporary)?