Leningrad (band)

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.