“Russians” is a song by Sting, from his debut solo album, The Dream of the Blue Turtles, released in June 1985, and released as a single in November. The song is a commentary and plea that criticises the then-dominant Cold War foreign policy and doctrine of mutual assured destruction (MAD) by the United States and the then-existing Soviet Union.
In 2010, Sting explained that the song was inspired by watching Soviet TV via inventor Ken Schaffer’s satellite receiver at Columbia University:
I had a friend at university who invented a way to steal the satellite signal from Russian TV. We’d have a few beers and climb this tiny staircase to watch Russian television… At that time of night we’d only get children’s Russian television, like their “Sesame Street”. I was impressed with the care and attention they gave to their children’s programmes. I regret our current enemies haven’t got the same ethics.
Sting performed the song at the 1986 Grammy Awards. His performance of the song was released on the 1994 album Grammy’s Greatest Moments Volume 1.
