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Leningrad (band)

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Leningrad
Leningrad performing in 2017. Shnurov and Florida
Leningrad performing in 2017. Shnurov and Florida
Background information
Also known asGruppirovka Leningrad
OriginSaint Petersburg, Russia
GenresSka punk, Russian chanson, pop rock
Years active1997–2008
since 2010
LabelsGala Records
O.G.I. Records
MembersCurrent line-up
Past membersPast members
Websiteleningrad.top

Leningrad (Russian: Ленинград), also known as Gruppirovka Leningrad (Russian: Группировка "Ленинград") and Bandformirovanie Leningrad (Russian: Бандформирование "Ленинград"), is a popular Russian rock band from Saint Petersburg (formerly Leningrad), led by Sergey "Shnur" Shnurov.

Composed of 14 members, the band was founded in the late 1990s. Leningrad worked in Gypsy punk style and soon became notorious for vulgar lyrics (including much Russian mat) and celebration of drinking. As a result, most radio stations initially avoided the band, which did not stop Leningrad's growing popularity, partly for purely aesthetic reasons, such as the rich brass sound. The band eventually made its way to radio and TV (with profanity bleeped out). Shnurov even presented several New Year's Eve TV shows.

In 2007, the group began experimenting with female backup vocals, finally choosing jazz singer Yuliya Kogan as a permanent band member.

Leningrad disbanded in 2008, and then reunited in 2010. Several new songs and videos have been released since, most of them featuring lead vocals by Kogan rather than Shnurov.

Their music video Kolshchik, directed by Ilya Naishuller, won the Berlin Music Video Awards in 2017, taking the 1st place for the "Best Concept" Category.[1] In 2018, Leningrad's music video Is not Paris, directed by Pavel Sidorov, was the winner of the Berlin Music Video Awards, winning also the "Best Narrative" category.[2]

In March 2019, Shnurov announced, through his daily Instagram poem, that Leningrad would disband by the end of the year, after a farewell tour.[3]

Cultural impact

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As Shnurov said himself: "Our songs are just about the good sides of life: vodka and girls that is."

The band was so disliked by the then-mayor of Moscow, Yuriy Luzhkov, that he cancelled all of its attempted large-scale events in the city during his term in office.[4] Leningrad's numerous performances in Moscow were therefore limited to privately owned night clubs and bars.

A particular focus of the band's lyrics are mainstream cultural and political clichés. Kandidaty - pidory ("Candidates are faggots"), the refrain of their 2007 song "Vybory", became a widespread post-Soviet meme referring to electoral abstention. The 2010 song I Bolsche Nikovo ("And Nobody Else (That I Love"))[5] addresses Saint Petersburg's intended image as "Russia's cultural capital", ridiculed with the use of mat and references to alcoholism and street crime.

Shnurov is also fond of ridiculing Russian pop music and pop rock by covering the songs of popular performers and then inviting them to appear with Leningrad live on stage.

Soundtracks

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Leningrad songs appeared in several popular pulp and crime films, notably DMB and Bimmer. Three songs by Leningrad appeared prominently on the soundtrack to the 2005 film Everything Is Illuminated. "Nikogo Ne Zhalko" ("No Pity for Anyone") is one of the songs used in an in-game radio station in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV.[6][7] In 2015, Leningrad's song "Lastochka" was featured in the ending credits of the 2014 mockumentary film What We Do in the Shadows.

Current line-up

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  • Sergei "Shnur" Shnurov (Сергей "Шнур" Шнуров) – vocals, arrangement, lyrics, guitar, bass (1997–2008, 2010–present)
  • Vyacheslav "Sevych" Antonov (Вячеслав "Севыч" Антонов ) – backing vocals, maracas (2000–2008, 2010–present)
  • Aleksandr "Puzo" Popov (Александр "Пузо" Попов) – bass drum, percussion, vocals (1997–2008, 2010–present)
  • Andrey "Antonych" Antonenko (Андрей "Антоныч" Антоненко) – tuba, arrangement, accordion, keyboards (1997–2008, 2010–present)
  • Grigoriy "Zontik" Zontov (Григорий "Зонтик" Зонтов) – tenor saxophone (2002–2008, 2010–present)
  • Roman "Shukher" Parygin (Роман "Шухер" Парыгин) – trumpet (2002–2008, 2010–present)
  • Andrey "Ded" Kurayev (Андрей "Дед" Кураев) – bass (2002–2008, 2010–present)
  • Ilya "Pianist" Rogachevskiy (Илья "Пианист" Рогачевский) – keyboard (2002–2008, 2010–present)
  • Konstantin "Limon" Limonov (Константин "Лимон" Лимонов) – guitar (2002–2008, 2010–present)
  • Vladislav "Valdik" Aleksandrov (Владислав "Валдик" Александров) – trombone (2002–2008, 2010–present)
  • Aleksey Kanev "Lekha" (Алексей "Лёха" Канев) – baritone saxophone, alto saxophone (2002–2008, 2010–present)
  • Denis Mozhin (Денис Можин) – sound director (2002–2008), drums (2010–present)
  • Aleksey "Micksher" Kalinin (Алексей "Микшер" Калинин) – drums, percussion (1997–2002, 2006–2008, 2010–present)
  • Dmitry Guguchkin (Дмитрий Гугучкин) – guitar (2010–present)
  • Florida Chanturia (Флорида Чантурия) – vocals, backing vocals (2016–present)
  • Viktor Rapotihin – violin (2016–present)

Past members

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  • Yuliya "Yulia" Kogan (Юлия "Юля" Коган) – vocals, backing vocals (2007–2008, 2010–2013)
  • Igor Vdovin (Игорь Вдовин) – vocal, guitar (1997–1999)
  • Roman "Romero" Fockin (Роман "Ромеро" Фокин) – saxophone (1997–2002)
  • Alexander "Sashko" Privalov (Александр "Сашко" Привалов) – trumpet (1998–2002)
  • Oleg Sokolov (Олег Соколов) – trumpet (1997–1998)
  • Vasiliy "Grasshopper" Savin (Василий "Кузнечик" Савин) – trombone (1998–2002)
  • Dmitry "Antenna" Melnikov (Дмитрий "Антенна" Мельников) – drums (2000–2002)
  • Ilya "Dracula" Ivashov (Илья "Дракула" Ивашов) – tuba (1997–2002)
  • Stas Baretsky (Стас Барецкий) – dancing and mascot (2005–2008)
  • Denis "Kashchey" Kuptsov (Денис "Кащей" Купцов) – drums (2002–2008)
  • Michael Gopack (Михаил Гопак) – trombone (2002)
  • Daniil "Dan" Kalashnick (Даниил "Дэн" Калашник) – guitar (1999–2002)
  • Maxim Temnov (Максим Темнов) – bass, double bass (2001–2002)
  • Sergei Arsenyev (Сергей Арсеньев) – accordion (2001)
  • Alice Vox-Burmistrova (Алиса Вокс-Бурмистрова) – vocals, backing vocals (2012–2016)
  • Vasilisa Starshova – vocals, backing vocals (2016–2017)

Discography

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Year Title Translation Other information
1997 Пуля Bullet
1999 Мат без электричества Mat without the electricity (idiomatically, "Mat Unplugged" or "Acoustic Mat")
2000 Дачники Dacha People
2001 Пуля+ (Диск 1) Bullet+ (Disc 1)
2001 Пуля+ (Диск 2) Bullet+ (Disc 2)
2001 Маде ин жопа Made in the Ass
2002 Пираты XXI века Pirates of the 21st Century
2002 Точка Point Contains the song "Money"
2003 Ленинград уделывает Америку (Диск 1) Leningrad does America (Disc 1)
2003 Ленинград уделывает Америку (Диск 2) Leningrad does America (Disc 2)
2003 Второй Магаданский Second Magadan
2003 Для миллионов For The Millions Contains the song "Меня зовут Шнур"
2004 Бабаробот Fembot
2004 (Не) Полное собрание сочинений (In)Complete Works compilation
2005 Хуйня Bullshit Collaboration with The Tiger Lillies
2006 Хлеб Bread
2006 Бабье лето Indian Summer
2007 Аврора Aurora
2011 Хна Henna
2011 Вечный огонь The Eternal Fire
2012 Рыба Fish
2014 Фарш Minced Meat
2014 Пляж наш The Beach Is Ours
2018 Всякое Random Things Internet release

Videography

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  • 2000: - "Когда нет денег" (When There Is No Money)
  • 2002: - "WWW"
  • 2003: - "Менеджер" (A Manager)
  • 2003: - "Хуямба" (Huyamba)
  • 2003: - "Распиздяй" (Raspizdyay) (Quitter)
  • 2013: - "Родная" (Rodnaya) (Darling)
  • 2013: - "Плачу" (Plachu) (I'm Crying)
  • 2013: - "Сумка" (Sumka) (A Bag)
  • 2014: - "Патриотка" (Patriotka) (A Patriotic Girl)
  • 2015: - "Отпускная" (Otpusknaya) (Vacation Song)
  • 2015: - "VIP"
  • 2016: - "Экспонат" (Exhibit (aka Louboutins)) (Юлия Топольницкая (Yuliya Topolnitskaya), actress)[8]
  • September 1, 2016: - "Сиськи" (Tits) (Anna Parmas, director; Yuliya Topolnitskaya, actress)
  • 2016: - "В Питере - пить" (V Pitere Pit') (To Drink in Saint Patersburg)
  • 2016: - "Очки Собчак" (Ochki Sobchak) (Ksenia Sobchak's Glasses)
  • 2016: - "Обезьяна и орел" (Obezyana i Oryol) (Monkey & Eagle)
  • 2017: - "Ч.П.Х." (Ch.P.Kh.) (Totally Saint Peterburg's Stuff)
  • 2017: - "Кольщик" (Kolshchik) (Tattoo Master) (Ilya Naishuller, director; Yuliya Topolnitskaya, actress))
  • 2017: - "Вояж" (Voyage) (Ilya Naishuller; director)
  • 2017: - "Экстаз" (Ecstasy) (Svetlana Khodchenkova; actress)
  • 2017: - "Кандидат" (Candidate)
  • 2018: - "Жу-Жу" feat. Glukoza ("Zhu Zhu") (Zoom Zoom)
  • 2018: - "Золото" (Zoloto) (Gold)
  • 2019: - "i_$uss" (Iisus) (Jesus) (Leonid Kolosovs'kyy; director)
  • 2019: - "Кабриолет" (Cabriolet)
  • 2020: - "Фотосессия" (Fotosessiya) (Fotosession)
  • 2020: - "Миг" (Mig) (Moment)
  • 2022: - "Пока так" (Poka tak) (Let it be for now)
  • 2022: - "Покаянная" (Pokayannaya) (Penitential)
  • 2022: - "Ритм и Мелодия" feat. Зоя (Ritm i Melodiya) (Rhythm and Melody)
  • 2022: - "Па-спорт" (Pa-sport) (Pas-sport)
  • 2022: - "Свободная касса" (Svobodnaya kassa) (Free cash register)
  • 2022: - "Мерси, Баку" (Mersi, Baku) (Mercy, Baku) (Merci Beaucoup)
  • 2022: - "Прощай, элита" (Proshchay, elita) (Goodbye, elite!)
  • 2022: - "Входа нет!" (Vkhoda net!) (No entry!)
  • 2022: - "А у олигархата" (A u oligarkhata...) (And the oligarchy...)
  • 2022: - "Мелочи" (Melochi) (Little things)
  • 2022: - "Геополитическая" (Geopoliticheskaya) (Geopolitical)
  • 2022: - "Иноагент" (Inoagent) (Foreign agent)
  • 2022: - "Наша экономика" (Nasha ekonomika) (Our economy)

References

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  1. ^ "Berlin Music Video Awards Winners 2017". 23 May 2017.
  2. ^ "Berlin Music Video Awards 2018". 28 May 2018.
  3. ^ [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiXI1xgUKWw Невзоров о том, почему Шнур распускает «Ленинград»]
  4. ^ Запрещенная Лужковым группа «Ленинград» выступит в поддержку его соперника Лебедева Archived 2012-03-16 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Official MP3 release, additionally ridiculing Madonna.
  6. ^ Hood, Vic (April 27, 2018). "GTA IV soundtrack update nixes Stevie Nicks, David Bowie, and dozens more". PCGamesN. Network N. Archived from the original on April 28, 2018.
  7. ^ McWhertor, Michael (April 27, 2018). "Grand Theft Auto 4 update removes a long list of songs". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on April 28, 2018.
  8. ^ Musica, il tormentone russo del momento ora anche in lingua italiana, Russia Beyond, (February 5, 2016).
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