Rock

Rock came to the USSR in 1957, with the World Festival of Youth, held early in the Khrushchev Thaw. Early Soviet rock was influenced heavily by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. As it developed, it was also influenced by local bardic and folk traditions. By the 1970s, small amounts of select western rock were published by Melodia, the official music press of the USSR. Local bands, however, were largely relegated to self-publishing, although some were featured at Soviet youth and folk music festivals. In the 1980s, particularly after the Moscow Olympic Games, metal and punk established themselves. The soviet government, through “rock clubs” and other means, then attempted to better control rock movements. Some bands active at this time maintain their popularity, many forming the core of what can now be considered “classic rock” for the region. With perestroika and the fall of the USSR, Russian rock developed at an exceedingly rapid pace, including into various alternative, pop, and indie forms.

Languages: Search for rock music performed in Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, or Belarusian, or in Baltic, Turkic, Caucasian, or Other languages.

Dakh Daughters

A self-described “freak cabaret,” the Dakh Daughters is a Ukrainian music and theater group comprised of seven women who use dramatic make-up, old clothing, and innovative melodies to draw their audiences in. Their name derives from the Dakh Theater, which is closely tied to the group and often hosts concerts for them. The band formed […]

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Dakh Daughters

A self-described “freak cabaret,” the Dakh Daughters is a Ukrainian music and theater group comprised of seven women who use dramatic make-up, old clothing, and innovative melodies to draw their audiences in. Their name derives from the Dakh Theater, which is closely tied to the group and often hosts concerts for them. The band formed […]

Один в Каное / One in a Canoe

Один в Каное, translated from the Ukraine as “One in a Canoe” or “Alone in a Canoe” is a Ukrainian indie band originating in Lviv, Ukraine. In 2010 the band formed from 7-8 amateur musicians, none with any extensive formal musical education. After many members dropped out, only singer Irina Shvaydak and guitarist Ustim Pokhmursky […]

Taras Chubay / Тарас Чубай

Taras Chubay (Тарас Григорович Чубай) is Ukrainian rock musician, poet, singer, composer, and leader of the seminal Ukrainian rock band Plach Yeremii (Плач Єремії). Through his poetic sensibilities and popular music, Chubay played a major role in the development of post-Soviet Ukrainian art. Chubay was born in 1970 in the city of Lviv, Ukraine. His […]

Mad Heads XL

Mad Heads XL (previously known as Mad Heads) is a Ukrainian rockabilly and ska group from Kyiv. The band has reached near-legendary status after four studio albums, constant touring, and frequent television appearances. Mad Heads is known internationally, as well, as the most prominent rockabilly band hailing from Eastern Europe. Mad Heads’ debut album, Psycholula, […]

Lyuk / Люк

Lyuk (Люк; translates to “manhole” in Russian, but the members said they just liked how it sounded) was a Ukrainian rock and rock-adjacent band that broke up in 2011. They’re also affiliated with the genres of punk, acid jazz, lounge, funk, hip-hop, and a bunch of others—the band members themselves have had a hard time defining exactly […]

Lama / Лама

Lama (Лама; they usually use the Latin transliteration, though) is a Ukrainian pop-rock band founded in 2005. They sing exclusively in Ukrainian. The current members are singer Natalya Dzenkiv (Наталя Дзеньків), guitarist Andriy Alekseev (Андрій Алексеєв), bass guitarist Zurab Rogava (Зураб Рогава), synthesizer-ist Zheka Kobzaruk (Жека Кобзарук), and drummer Dmitro “ZI” Suprunyuk (Дмитро “ZI” Супрунюк). […]

Skryabin / Скрябін

Skryabin (Скрябін) is an alternative pop band from Novoyavorivsk (Новояворівськ), Ukraine. Proceeding through many stylistic changes throughout its long career, from rock and punk, through synth-pop and techno, to more standard pop-rock ballads, the band’s artistic trajectory is normally divided into two periods: old (pre-2003) and new (post-2003 to 2015) Skryabin. Formed in 1989 by […]

Vopli Vidopliassova / Воплі Відоплясова

Vopli Vidopliassova (Воплі Відоплясова) is a critically acclaimed Ukrainian rock band from Kyiv. Formed in 1986, the band’s unique blend of punk, folk, jazz, rock, and ska with traditional Ukrainian elements has won them international renown. To date, the band has toured extensively throughout much of the former Soviet Union, much of Western Europe, Israel, […]

Okean Elzi / Океан Ельзи

Okean Elzi (Океан Ельзи—note that this is the Ukrainian spelling) is a prolific Ukrainian rock band from Lviv. Formed in 1994, they have released nine studio albums since 1998, toured extensively throughout Ukraine, Russia, the majority of Europe, and North America, and are heralded today as one of the greatest rock bands of the former Soviet […]