Blestyashchie (Блестящие, “the bright ones”) is a Russian all-female  pop group. It was formed in 1995 by the producers Andrey Grozniy (Андрей Грозный) and Andrey Shlykov (Андрей Шлыков), and their original lineup consisted of Olga Orlova (Ольга Орлова), Polina Iodis (Полина Иодис), and Varvara Koroleva (Варвара Королева). Its membership has changed often over the years—seventeen […]

Mitya (Dmitry) Fomin (Митя/Дмитрий Фомин) is a Russian singer, songwriter, and VJ on MUZ-TV from Novosibirsk. Mitya, the name he goes by professionally, is a common shortened version is full name, Dmitry. He knew from an early age that he would one day become a performer. He went to medical school in Novosibirsk first, though, […]

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 […]

Polina Gagarina (Полина Гагарина) is a Russian singer and Russia’s entry into the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest, where she placed second in a difficult, politically charged atmosphere. Gagarina was interested in music from her childhood, often giving loud, heartfelt performances to her parents. The turning point for her was hearing Whitney Houston perform on TV; […]

Ivanushki International (Иванушки International) is a Russian band founded in 1994 by producer Igor Matvienko. The original members were Andrey Grigoryev-Apollonov, Kirill Andreev, and Igor Sorin. The name of the group came about when, after they had performed under several different names, someone in the studio where they were recording a song said, “What kind […]

Diskoteka Avariya (Дискотека Авария; “Disco Accident” or “‘Disco Crash’”) is a Russian rock group formed in 1988 in Ivanovo, an economically depressed city near Moscow. The original members of Diskoteka Avariya were Aleksey Ryzhov and Nikolai Timofeev, who met while studying at a local engineering university. They were joined several years later by Oleg Zhukov. […]