The Night Snipers (Ночные снайперы) is a Russian alternative rock band originally formed in 1993. The band began as an acoustic duo consisting of Diana Arbenina (Диана Сергеевна Арбенина) on guitar and Svetlana Surganova (Светлана Яковлевна Сурганова) on violin. The Night Snipers’ songs are often poetic compositions, many of which feature the work of famous […]

Smyslovye Gallyutsinatsii (Смысловые галлюцинации) is a Russian alt-rock band from Yekaterinburg whose sound has evolved from straightforward punk rock to, in recent years, more experimental works that sound closer to post-punk or indie. The band’s name translates to “meaningful hallucinations.” Smyslovye Gallyutsinatsii formed in 1989, at the end of the Soviet period, but did not […]

Chaif (Чайф) is a Russian rock band originally from Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg). The name is a play on the Russian words for “tea” (chai, чай) and the slang for “pleasure” (kaif, кайф). Chaif saw national fame in the early 1990s with hits like “Don’t Rush” (“Не спеши”) and “17,” and they are still well known […]

Elizium (Элизиум) is a Russian ska-punk band from Nizhny Novgorod. Elizium plays across a number of genres, including ska, reggae, and metal, from which they have derived their own genre, which they call “space-rock” (“космос-рок”). Their name is taken from an ancient Greek conception of the afterlife. Elizium has  played with a number of well-known […]

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 […]

Delfin (Дельфин, eng. Dolphin) is the stage name of Andrei Lysikov (Андрей Вячеславович Лысиков), a popular Russian musician who plays experimental electronic music. He has often been compared with Moby. Lysikov got his start in the scandalous 90s hip-hop trio Bachelor Party (Мальчишник), where he was the main songwriter. As Delfin, Lysikov has received numerous […]

Mumiy Troll   is a rock, alt rock, and Britpop band founded in Vladivostok, Russia in 1983. The band’s name is a play on words, specifically on Moomin Troll , which is a series of Finnish children’s books. The band has a unique sound and style that, it seems, most people either really like or really […]

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» […]

Evgenii Margulis (Евгений Шулимович Маргулис) is a prolific Russian rock musician, singer, songwriter, composer, and one of Russia’s most famous blues composers.  He is known as a founding member of one of Russia’s most important classic rock bands, Time Machine (Машина времени), as well as a founder and on-again-off-again participant in Voskresenie (Воскресение), also a […]