Pasha Technique, born Pavel Ivlev, passed away last Saturday after spending ten days in a medically induced coma due to severe lung damage. He had been hospitalized in the Thai resort of Phuket, where he was vacationing before his health deteriorated.
A cult figure known for his abstract style and internet meme status, Pasha Technique had long battled drug addiction—a struggle that only deepened his connection with a loyal underground following.
According to independent outlet SOTAvision, as many as 8,000 mourners—many of them young fans—gathered outside the Peter and Paul Church in eastern Moscow for the funeral. Videos from the scene showed fans chanting his name, crowding the church entrance, and spilling into nearby streets, temporarily blocking traffic.
Authorities responded by deploying riot police and National Guard units. In an unusual moment captured on social media, some officers reportedly resorted to throwing snowballs at the crowd to disperse them. At least two individuals were detained, including Maxim Uryadov, founder of the “Vyzhivshiye” (“Survivors”) video project linked to the HelpMe addiction clinic, who had flown a drone over the gathering.
Following a nearly three-hour service, Pasha Technique’s casket was taken to the Nikolo-Arkhangelskoye cemetery in Balashikha, a suburb east of Moscow, where he was laid to rest.
The massive public turnout underscored the rapper’s impact—not just as a musician, but as a voice for a generation grappling with disillusionment, addiction, and the search for identity in modern Russia.
