Rock music in Russia
The year 1965 marked a turning point when the band Sokol released their song Gde tot krai. This track became the first rock song written in Russian, emerging from Moscow and Leningrad where beat groups began forming by the mid-1960s. These early ensembles performed cover versions of foreign hits using home-made equipment. Groups like Scythians, Buffoons, and Forest Brothers appeared alongside Alexander Gradsky's bands during this period. The movement drew influence from Western hippie ideology while simultaneously developing through bard music traditions known as avtorskaya pesnya.
Bard songs relied on unaccompanied acoustic guitars to deliver lyrics with subversive meaning or informal themes ranging from romance to satire. Famous performers included Alexander Galich, Vladimir Vysotsky, and Bulat Okudzhava. Meanwhile, state-run media piracy allowed artists like The Beatles to take firm place in Soviet popular culture. The Rolling Stones and Deep Purple completed a somewhat distorted picture of Western music available to Soviet listeners. By 1972, Boris Grebenshchikov founded Aquarium in Leningrad, which would become one of the most influential underground acts. In December 1966, the first rock festival in the USSR took place in Kamensk-Uralsky within the Sverdlovsk region.
The year 1980 saw Spring Rhythms: Tbilisi-80 occur in the Georgian SSR, establishing the first official rock festival in the Soviet Union. Prize-winners included groups from the Russian SFSR, Georgia, and the Baltics. During the perestroika era, bands such as Kino, Alisa, DDT, Nautilus Pompilius, and Grazhdanskaya Oborona gained massive popularity. These groups often formed around a single songwriter who served as the leader while the band provided musical backing. Lyrics frequently addressed domestic violence, alcoholism, and crime with hidden political messages.
State authorities exerted heavy pressure on amateur bands by banning underground concerts as illegal commercial activity. Some musicians faced imprisonment for earning money from these events. Yuri Shevchuk and Yegor Letov encountered problems with the KGB due to their public activities. The Red Wave compilation released in 1986 marked the first official Russian rock release in the United States. Joanna Stingray sent copies of this double split album featuring Aquarium, Kino, Alisa, and Strannye Igry to Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev. Melodiya responded by officially releasing an Aquarium record to create the illusion that recordings were widely distributed within the USSR.
The Leningrad Rock Club opened its doors in 1981 with support from the CPSU, Komsomol, and city governments. This venue featured classic Russian rock acts like Aquarium, Kino, Zoopark, Piknik, and Alisa alongside nascent art-rock movements typified by Auktyon. Sergey Kuryokhin led Pop Mekhanika, one of the first Soviet underground musicians to release albums in Europe and the United States. Sverdlovsk bands such as Nautilus Pompilius, Chaif, and Agatha Christie produced melodic music using keyboards and synthesizers.
Moscow groups including Aria, Mashina Vremeni, Voskreseniye, Center, Krematorij, and Zvuki Mu developed a more discreet style compared to their counterparts. The Siberian scene emerged in the 1980s with songwriters like Yegor Letov from Grazhdanskaya Oborona, Kalinov most, Alexander Bashlachev, and Yanka Dyagileva. Their music ranged from lo-fi punk to indie rock with lyrics often containing obscenities that caused major problems with the Soviet administration. Punk music mixed Western influences with traditional Russian elements, featuring gritty production and charged political lyrics. Korol i Shut introduced horror punk using costumes and fairy-tale inspired lyrics to achieve cult status.
The year 1996 saw recording company Moroz begin releasing the highly popular series Legends of Russian Rock. This period marked the end of the classic era following Viktor Tsoi's death in 1990 and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. New magazines appeared including Rock City established in 1991 and Dark City which positioned itself as its successor. By the 2010s, circulations reached 64,500 for Dark City, 30,000 for Rockcor, and 10,000 for InRock. Nashe Radio created a radio station in the mid-late 1990s to promote Russian rock artists across all major cities.
Nashe Radio founded the largest open-air rock festival known as Nashestvie, performed annually from 1999 through 2019. Bands like Splean, Nochniye Snaiperi, Smisloviye Galutzinatzii, Chicherina, and Bi-2 created refreshed sounds adopting elements from alternative rock. Dolphin mixed alternative rock with electronic music and rapcore. The horror punk band Korol i Shut achieved mainstream success using fairy-tale inspired lyrics while Sektor Gaza became the first Russian band to use curse words and vulgar short stories in its lyrics. Ska punk gained popularity mainly through Leningrad, notable for extensive use of mat profanity in its songs.
The year 2014 brought division within the Russian rock community following the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation. Valery Kipelov, former leader of Aria and current head of Kipelov, expressed support for the annexation stating it should have occurred in 1991. He performed at festivals celebrating the event in Crimea. Konstantin Kinchev and his band Alisa also supported the move, cancelling all concerts in Ukraine after expressing views supporting Crimea's return in 2008. Other figures including Chaif, Chicherina, Alexander F. Sklyar, and Vadim Samoylov voiced similar positions.
Andrey Makarevich organized anti-war protests in Russia while harshly criticizing the annexation. Yuri Shevchuk of DDT and singer Zemfira opposed the action, with Zemfira waving a Ukrainian flag during performances. Boris Grebenshchikov and Vyacheslav Butusov called for peace between peoples without explicitly criticizing the annexation. Critics like Ilya Chert from Pilot observed that talented musicians now operate in basements and clubs holding only fifty people since they refuse to commercialize themselves. Artemy Troitsky wrote an article titled Rock died a long time ago, but the funeral was impressive, accusing bands like Mashina Vremeni and Garik Sukachov of selling out.
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Common questions
When was the first rock song written in Russian released?
The year 1965 marked a turning point when the band Sokol released their song Gde tot krai. This track became the first rock song written in Russian, emerging from Moscow and Leningrad where beat groups began forming by the mid-1960s.
Where did the first official rock festival in the Soviet Union take place?
The year 1980 saw Spring Rhythms: Tbilisi-80 occur in the Georgian SSR, establishing the first official rock festival in the Soviet Union. Prize-winners included groups from the Russian SFSR, Georgia, and the Baltics.
Which bands were featured on the Red Wave compilation released in 1986?
The Red Wave compilation released in 1986 marked the first official Russian rock release in the United States. Joanna Stingray sent copies of this double split album featuring Aquarium, Kino, Alisa, and Strannye Igry to Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev.
Who founded Nashestvie and when did it run annually?
Nashe Radio founded the largest open-air rock festival known as Nashestvie, performed annually from 1999 through 2019. Bands like Splean, Nochniye Snaiperi, Smisloviye Galutzinatzii, Chicherina, and Bi-2 created refreshed sounds adopting elements from alternative rock.
What happened to the Russian rock community after the annexation of Crimea in 2014?
The year 2014 brought division within the Russian rock community following the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation. Valery Kipelov expressed support for the annexation while Andrey Makarevich organized anti-war protests and Yuri Shevchuk opposed the action.