Sopot TOPtrendy Festiwal was a popular and influential three-day Polish music festival in Sopot, Poland active from 2003 until 2014. It consisted of three main events, the “TOP” and “Trendy,” as well as “Cabaret” performances. It was replaced by the Polstat SuperHit Festival in 2015. The TOP concert highlighted the ten most popular artists in […]
Andrzej Smolik, known simply as “Smolik,” is one of the most recognized producers in Poland. Smolik has produced six solo albums and collaborated with countless artists throughout his career. As a musician, composer, and multi-instrumentalist himself, he debuted in 1993 with the band Wiki, continuing on to collaborate with the vocalist Robert Gawliński on […]
Katarzyna Magdalena Szczot, known by her stage name Kayah, is a Polish singer-songwriter and co-owner of the record company Makers Production & Publishing, which specialized in working with up-and-coming Polish artists. Having borrowed from multiple music styles including Slavic, gypsy, jazz, soul, pop, and dance, Kayah has cumulatively sold more than one million copies of […]
Ania Dąbrowska, usually referred to as just “Ania,” is a Polish pop singer-songwriter. She’s released five studio albums since 2004, four of which have reached the number one position on the Polish album chart and, with 29 nominations to date, she’s one of the most-nominated artists for the Polish Fryderyk Awards. Born in Chełm, Poland, […]
LemON is a Polish-Ukrainian band founded in 2011 by singer Igor Herbut. The name is a combination of “Lemko,” a Ukrainian ethnic minority inhabiting a stretch of the Polish Carpathian Mountains known as Lemkivshchyna, and the English word “on.” Herbut, born December 17, 1990 in Przemkow, Poland, studied at the University of Zielona Gora with […]
Lubelska is a major Polish vodka producer. The company uses purely natural ingredients to create both clear vodka and vodka-based flavored liqueur in Poland. In lieu of artificial flavorings, Lubelska soaks fruit with their vodka during the distilling process, giving their drinks a somewhat cloudy appearance. Known among Poles for generations, Lubelska’s most popular offerings […]
Oranżada is a sweet, traditionally orange-flavored drink that traveled from France to the Polish aristocracy during the 18th century. At the time of its inception, Oranżada contained only water, sugar or syrup, and orange juice. Although addictive and delicious, today’s version, which contains ingredients typical of contemporary sodas, bears little resemblance to the 18th century […]
Żubrówka (Bison Grass) Vodka is a dry, herb-flavoured vodka bottled at 40% ABV. It is distilled from rye and bison grass from the Bialowieza Forest, which also gives the spirit a light yellow to amber color. A decorative blade of bison grass is traditionally placed in each bottle. First record of Żubrówka dates to the […]
Tyskie Browary Książęce (“Princely Brewery of Tyskie”) is one of the oldest breweries in Europe and, with about 18% of the market, one of the best selling beer brands in Poland. Their most popular offerings are Tyskie Gronie, a 5.6% pale lager, and Tyskie Książęce, a 5.7% pale lager. Water for the beer is sourced […]
Seventeen Moments of Spring (Семнадцать мгновений весны) is a 12-part Soviet war drama that first aired in 1973. The series recently came back into the news when Vladimir Putin cited it as an inspiration for wanting to join the KGB in his youth. According to his personal assistant, Leonid Brezhnev was also a devoted fan […]
Korchma Taras Bulba (Корчма Тарас Булба) is a chain serving Ukrainian cuisine in an atmosphere rich in Ukrainian culture. They currently have locations in Moscow, Kyiv, and New York City. Korchma Taras Bulba was founded by Yury Beloyvan in Moscow in 1999. At the time, most dining in Moscow was either fast food or five-star. […]
Russkoe Radio plays pop music exclusively in Russian. What’s big in Russian-language pop and dance music? Russkoe Radio’s pop playlists can tell you. Once a month, SRAS provides a snapshot of what’s at the top of their charts, with YouTube videos and links to our Russian music site. Here is their lineup from September 29, […]
