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 […]

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 […]