Brigadnyi Podriad (Бригадный подряд) in Russian means “contract services”, a tounge-in-cheek reference to the bureaucratic side of Soviet culture. They are one of Russia’s most popular punk bands, known especially for their live shows. Brigadnyi Podriad‘s career started in Leningrad in 1986 when classmates Nikolar Mikhailov, Aleksandr “Santer” Lur’ianov, Fyodor “Behemoth” Lavrov, and Dmitri Babich […]
Sergey Schnurov (Сергей Шнуров), also known as “Schnur”, was the front man of the wildly popular ska-punk outfit Leningrad (Ленинград) until 2008, and the punk band Ruble (Рубль). His nickname is derived from his last name and means “cord” or “wire” in Russian. Schnurov is especially known for his outspoken character and his often-scandalous live […]
Leningrad (Ленинград) is a hugely popular Russian rock band headed by Sergey “Schnur” Shnurov (Сергей Владимирович Шнуров). Leningrad combines elements of ska, punk, and shanson (шансон). The group is especially known for its use of mat (Russian profanity) and songs celebrating alcoholism. The band became rather well-known in the West after several of its songs […]
Korol i Shut (Король и Шут; King and Jester) is an iconic Russian punk band that existed from 1987 until the death of the band’s leader in 2014. Their sound combined elements of horror-punk, hardcore, folk rock, and also showed a strong influence of rock n roll groups like The Beatles. In 1987, Leningrad classmates […]
Lyapis Trubetskoy (Russ: Ляпис Трубецкой, Belo: Ляпіс Трубяцкі) was a Belorussian band whose sound ranged over their twenty-five year career from punk rock to ska to folk. The band took their name from Il’f and Petrov’s 1927 novel Twelve Chairs (Двенадцать стульев), adopting the pen name of the novel’s main character. Lyapis Trubetskoy started in […]
Tarakany! (Тараканы!) was one of the first Russian punk bands to emerge after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Tarakany!, which translates to “Cockroaches!”, was formerly known as Four Cockroaches (Четыре таракана) until shortening their name in 1997. Tarakany!’s early work is straightforward punk rock in the vein of classic street punk bands […]
Piknik (Пикник) is one of Russia’s longest-running rock bands. Headed by vocalist/guitarist Edmund Shklyarsky (Эдмунд Шклярский)—the band’s sole consistent member across its 30+ year career—Piknik was formed in Leningrad in 1978, and were heavily influenced by British rock groups like Led Zeppelin and Jethro Tull. Over the years, however, Piknik has developed their own unique […]
Kipelov (Кипелов) is a Russian heavy metal band led by vocalist and composer Valery Kipelov (Валерий Кипелов). Kipelov formed the group in 2002, along with guitarist Sergey Terentev (Сергей Терентьев) and drummer Aleksandr Manyakin (Александр Манякин), after the breakup of their former band, Aria (Ария). Kipelov has made a name for themselves for their massive […]
Epidemia (Эпидемия) is a Russian power-metal band formed in 1993 by guitarist Yuri Melisov (Юрий Мелисов). Epidemia is best known for their concept albums, the three “metal operas” Elven Manuscript (Эльфийская рукопись), Elven Manuscript: Legend for All Time (Эльфийская рукопись: Сказание на все времена), and Enya’s Treasure (Сокровище Энии). Melisov, on vocals and guitar, recorded […]
Aria (Ария) was one of Russia’s first heavy metal bands, and the very first to reach large scale commercial success in Russia. Dubbed the “Russian Iron Maiden” by the media, Aria was at peak success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Aria was formed in 1985 by Holstinin and Alik Granovsky as a side […]
Amatory (often written as [AMATORY] to match their logo; many of the band’s members also have pseudonyms that typically use brackets and all-caps) is a Russian metal group from St. Petersburg. Despite relatively little media exposure, Amatory has made a name for themselves through extensive touring in Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. The group’s […]
Seryoga (Серёга) is the stage name of Syargei Parkhomenka (Сяргей Васільевіч Пархоменка), a Belorussian rapper who performs in Russian. He is known as the creator of his own hybrid genre— “Sport Ditties” (“спортивные частушки”)—which combines hip-hop with Russian folk rhymes. Hailing from Gomel in the Republic of Belarus, Seryoga spent five years as a student […]
