Sandinista!

Sandinista! was a band founded on the basis that whole hardcore punk thing is more than music and fashion. The band itself tried to exemplify that idea with their lifestyles and music. All band’s members (in case that line-up has changed few times) took part in or supported various groups including antifascist resistance, anarchist movement, Food Not Bombs and Animal Liberation. Also all members were strict vegans or vegetarians. Sandinista!’s lyrics deal with such issues as war, ecology, consumerism, society pressure and extinction of native breeds. Musically inspired by 90s heavier newschool hardcore (Unbroken, Undertow and “rather be dead” era Refused) and political hardcore bands like Econochrist, Catharsis and Tragedy Sandinista! tried to step away from punk hardcore standards creating their own vision and style.



The bands has tragically ended with the death of Timur – the lead gitarist who wrote most of the music. On 13th of November 2005 Timur and Sandinista!’s ex-bas player Maxim were attacked and savagely stabbed with knives by group of neonazis. Timur who was 20 years old at that time died from multiple wounds and blood loss. According to police investigation murder was carefully planned beforehand while nazis new Timur for his antifascist activity. 10 people were found guilty and are sentenced to imprisoment. The main organizer of this murder is also identified but he aparently fled to another country and is not caught and sentenced yet. All other nazis blamed only one participant of the group for murder while witnesses prove that not only he was using knive. Anyway those sentences are nothing compared to the loss of Timur by his friends, comrades, bandmates and parents. After Timur’s death other members refused to continue under name Sandinista! without him.

Timur will stay in our hearts forever. His talent and energy will live on with music he has created.