Distemper is a Russian ska-punk band known for their combination of straightforward punk rhythms with danceable ska parts. Starting out in 1989 as a hardcore punk band, Distemper transitioned to their current ska sound around 1995. They consistently use a version of their name written in Latin characters. The band was formed in 1989 in […]

Lumen is a Russian rock, alt rock, and punk band formed on February 12, 1998 in Ufa, Russia. Lumen means “light” in Latin. The band consistently uses the English “Lumen” although occasionally some media use the Russified “Люмен.” Current members include Rustem Bulatov (Рустем «Тэм» Булатов), Igor Mamaev (Игорь «Гарик» Мамаев), Yevgeni Trishin (Евгений «Шмель» […]

Iva Nova (Ива Нова; the name translates to “new willow”) is a Russian experimental folk-punk group. They combine elements of punk, blues, tango, and other styles with Russian folk music, creating a sound that has been hailed by rock journalists as radically innovative and interesting.  Their band website proclaims that they’re an “alternative ethno-extreme that […]

Bobsleigh (Бабслей—though note that this is not the usual Russian word for “bobsleigh” and is perhaps also a play on the Russian word баба, “woman”) were one of Russia’s first successful folk-punk bands. The band formed in St. Petersburg in 1998 initially as a bit of a joke. The members all loved folk music, but, […]

NAIV (НАИВ) is an internationally known and politically outspoken Russian punk band formed by army friends Maksim Kochetkov and Aleksandr Ivanov. In Russian, their name is an acronym for “New Harlequins and Voltigeurs” (НАИВ: Новые арлекины и вольтижёры). After putting out a DIY demo tape, NAIV’s first studio album, Switch-Blade-Knaife, titled in English and featuring […]

Kukryniksy (Кукрыниксы) is a Russian post-punk band, fronted by Aleksei Gorshunov (Алексей Горшенёв), younger brother of Korol i Shut frontman Mikhail Gorshunov (Михаил Горшенёв). The band takes their name from a famous collective of caricaturists from the early Soviet period. Though their recent work shows a strong influence of gothic rock and post-punk, Kukryniksy’s first […]

KnyaZz (КняZz) is Russian punk band whose sound lands somewhere at the intersection of punk rock, ska, hard rock, and folk. The group was founded in 2011 in St. Petersburg by Andrei Knyazev (Андрей Князев), of Korol i Shut (Корол и шут) fame. Knyazev decided to start the band when he became dissatisfied with the […]

F.P.G (Fair Play Gang) is a Russian street punk band from Nizhny Novgorod. Originally formed in 1993, the band was nominated for 2006 “Band of the Year” by punkgazeta.ru, and has developed a large following. F.P.G. have been featured on numerous punk compilations around the world, including RETCH records’ World Wide Noise Attack, and the […]

RADIO CHACHA (RADIO ЧАЧА) is a current punk band, led by punk-poet and NAIV vocalist Aleksandr “Chacha” Ivanov (Александр “Чача” Иванов). He started the group in 2009 when NAIV went on a hiatus for a couple of years. In an interview, Ivanov cited what he felt was NAIV’s lack of creative evolution, and his desire […]