By Dave Sumner, Bandcamp
“We had to throw open some doors,” says Eugene Petrushanskiy, head of Russian label Rainy Days Records. He’s speaking about the way the label helped to nurture the St. Petersburg jazz scene; but in the context of the shutdown caused by the pandemic, that statement began to take on a more literal meaning. “We sought out a way to support musicians, the restaurants, bars, and cafes during the lockdown,” explains Sasha Mashin, the label’s A&R director, who is himself a drummer. “We got the idea to spend our energy creating something in these empty places and bring a new focus to them.” Alexander Malich, local TV host, video producer, and journalist agrees, saying, “We wanted to inspire people.” It was in that spirit that the Haute Culture video series was born.