“All i have in my pocket is a pie without a crust”: the applied metaphysics of holy foolishness by Yegor Letov

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.34680/EISCRT-2026-3(16)-145-188

Keywords:

Yegor Letov, Civil Defense, Russian philosophy, holy foolery, applied metaphysics, existentialism, absurdity, chinari, folklore, intertextuality, Russian rock

Abstract

Yegor Letov's work has long been a part of not only the musical but also the intellectual landscape of Russia. However, behind the familiar labels of "punk," "protest," and "Siberian underground," the philosophical depth of his texts and their roots in the centuries-old tradition of Russian culture often remain completely invisible. The authors of this article propose to view Letov as a thinker whose work embodies a unique type of philosophical thinking. Drawing on V. Varava's concept of "non-academic languages of philosophy" and research on the intertextuality and subject structure of Letov's texts, the authors demonstrate how folklore and Christian codes, the philosophy of "chinari," and existential issues are uniquely integrated into a distinctive philosophical system. This study presents Letov as an original successor to the tradition of Russian existential philosophy, expressed through the applied metaphysics of holy fools.

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Author Biographies

Sofia Rezvushkina, RANEPA, Moscow, Russia

Senior Lecturer at the General Humanities Faculty
e-mail: finntundra@gmail.com

Ekaterina Milyaeva, Saint Petersburg State Forest Technical University, Saint-Petersburg, Russia

Candidate of Philosophical Sciences, Associate Professor at the Department of Philosophy and Social Sciences
e-mail: morning_demon@mail.ru

References

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Abstract views: 28

Published

2026-09-26

How to Cite

Rezvushkina, S., & Milyaeva, E. (2026). “All i have in my pocket is a pie without a crust”: the applied metaphysics of holy foolishness by Yegor Letov. Experience Industries. Socio-Cultural Research Technologies, 3 (16), 145–188. https://doi.org/10.34680/EISCRT-2026-3(16)-145-188

Issue

No. 3 (16) (2026): Experience industries. Socio-Cultural Research Technologies

Section

Traditions