Marc Arthur

Music is my life.

Back in the day I used to be a part of the trio named Noisy Nation. At that time, it was impossible to even simply walk around in the street because of how popular we were. Nowadays, fame doesn’t bother me any more, I just do something I really like and enjoy what I’m doing.

As my mom likes to say, I started singing before I started talking. Apparently, those were the humming noises I used to make when the tape-recorder was playing.

I speak Russian well, but singing is a whole different story. I just can’t sing in Russian. We battled for hours trying to get rid of the accent, but it never worked out. Besides, Russian, compared to English, requires a whole different type of musical scale. There’s no euphony in it whatsoever.

Patriotism is the right thing. It helps people cultivate the spirit and inner strength.

A dog is a certain experience, a bit of a warm-up before having kids. Especially Yorkies: you can’t leave them all on their own, they need constant feeding. I also like Labradors a lot; you can feel this good, kind energy they have in them.

People in Russia keep trying to mimic others’ experiences and don’t bother coming up with something unique, and this is exactly why they can’t make it to go international.

I am someone very few people associate with tattoos, but for me it’s some kind of art. Every tattoo I’ve got has its own history; they all have some meaning behind them.

I am not feeble and can actually be quite tough. Success favours the bold.

I am not the type of person who likes to judge or pass judgement on the others, unless it’s my kids we’re talking about. Every man is the architect of his own destiny and life, and has a full right to do whatever he wants to.

Not so long ago, I was once busy channel-hopping when I came across European MTV, a programme called “TOP 20”. I was so shocked I couldn’t help sending an sms to my wife saying “What is wrong with this world!”

Even though I am a real optimist, I’m convinced that sooner or later this planet will reach a certain stage of a total confusion. There will be some kind of reincarnation of a human going on or something.

The robots are designed to, above all, help reduce the man’s efforts. But this has two sides to it: the humanity is driving itself to a dead end: we use our head, but give up physical labor. I wouldn’t be so sure that what happened in the movie “I, Robot” won’t come true one day.

Can you believe it, that there was a period in my life when I was seriously into breakdancing? We went around to all sorts of international festivals, even took first places. That was the time when I pierced my own ear with a needle, but then grew up and took the ear-ring out. But I’ll think about your suggestion to put it back (smiles).

Deep down I am a total child: I can play, stuff around, make a fool of myself, especially if I’m with children or dogs. It saves me from growing old.

I had been doing football for a long while, and was supposed to be turned into the new Beckham, but back then no one had yet realized that sports can actually bring money, so I never became a Beckham.

It’s been seven or eight years now, that I’ve been living in Moscow, and it’s only now that I’m beginning to realize that I’m getting used to this city and am starting to feel comfortable.

What puts me off most about Russia is the rudeness. Even though it’s typical for all metropolises, I’ve never seen anything even close to what it’s like in Russia. I was brought up in such a way that you have to be decent, kind and modest. So the only way out for me in Moscow is yoga, meditation. It helps strengthen my inner spirit.

London is a place I wouldn’t want to live in. It’s not my type of climate, and people are still a bit formal. To me, New York seems far more appealing: it feels a bit like Moscow because of how dynamic it is, but it’s also more modernized.

Tents and sleeping bags are not for me. I love comfort, even though I do realize how weakening and even corrupting it can be for one’s body.

I’m beginning to feel harmony within myself and am getting to understand that appearance is not such a big deal. But Moscow remains the only city where I still keep it in mind that if I’m going out somewhere, I have to look presentable.

When you eat, you have to be fully absorbed into this process. You are what you eat. I am a gourmand and I love all the sophisticated stuff. I can’t get this whole vegetarian thing though. Not all of us can replace meat with beans and get away with it on the health side.

War is the indispensable side of the humanity, the yearning for conquering others has always lived in people. The humanity is being driven forward by two forces only: fear and love. The rest is just the modifications of these two. Fear is what stops us from discovering love. Even those who make war want to love afterwards.

I love red wines, but you’ve got to know when to stop with whatever you do (laughs).

The other day my father-in-law brought me a book by Suvorov, some facts about the Second World War. I’m still busy reading it.