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Piknik

From Unearthing The Music

Piknik live in Tomsk at the "Good Morning, Vietnam" nightclub November 19, 2006. Photo by Ilya Plekhanov

Piknik (Picnic, Russian: Пикни́к) is a Russian rock band known for its unique style, a mixture of art rock, progressive rock and original Russian rock. The band was formed in 1978 in Leningrad by Sergey Omelnichenko, Evgeny Voloschuk, Aleksey Dobychin and Edmund Shklyarskiy. Piknik is considered to be one of the "classic" Russian rock bands. From its roots in classic rock hugely influenced by Jethro Tull and Led Zeppelin, its music progressed into its own style with symphonic and exotic folk instruments. Piknik is sometimes considered to be the first Russian gothic rock band due to its specific sound, stage performances and dark lyrics.

During the more than 30 years of its existence the group's lineup changed many times, with the one and only permanent member and leader of the group being the frontman and lyricist Edmund Shklyarskiy.

The name of the group was created as an allusion to the well-known novel Roadside Picnic, written in 1971 by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. Some of their early songs were written in the Polish language.

In 2016 the band made it to the list of artists barred from performing in the Ukraine, due to them performing in Crimea as part of Russia, which is seen as occupied territory by Ukraine.[1][2]

Members

Current members

  • Edmund Shklyarskiy – vocals, guitars, keyboards (1978–1979, 1981 – present)
  • Leonid Kirnos – drums, percussion (1982–1984, 1987 – present)
  • Marat Korchemny – back vocals, bass (2003 – present)
  • Stanislav Shklyarskiy – keyboards (2007 – present), replaced Sergey Voronin, who died from a heart attack

Former

  • Nikolay Mikhailov (1978–1981)
  • Alexander Matskov (1978–1981)
  • Ali Bakhtyarov (1981–1983)
  • Sergey Omelnichenko (1978–1982)
  • Aleksey Dobychin (1978–1983)
  • Evgeny Voloschuk (1978–1984)
  • Vadim Lebanidze (1979-1982)
  • Yury Danilov (1979–1981)
  • Victor Morozov (1982–1983)
  • Alexander Savelyev (1983–1991)
  • Sergey Voronin (1984–2006)
  • Vladimir Sizov (1984, 1989)
  • Victor Evseev (1985–1988, 1990–1996, 2007)
  • Yury Klyuchanzev (1985–1988, 1990–1996)
  • Andrey Merchanskiy (1990–1994)
  • Alexander Rokin (1996–1999)
  • Sviatoslav Obraztsov (1999–2003)

Discography

  • Dym (1982) (lit. "Smoke", Rus. "Дым")
  • Tanetz Volka (1984) (Wolf's Dance, Танец волка)
  • Iyeroglif (1986) (Hieroglyph, Иероглиф)
  • Rodom Niotkuda (1988) (Born Nowhere, Родом Ниоткуда)
  • Kharakiri (1991) (Харакири)
  • Nemnogo Ognya (1994) (A Bit of Fire, Немного Огня)
  • Vampirskiye Pesni (1995) (Vampire Songs, Вампирские Песни)
  • Zhen-Shen (1996) (Ginseng, Жень-Шень)
  • Steklo (1997) (Glass, Стекло)
  • Pit Electrichestvo (1998) (To Drink Electricity, Пить Электричество)
  • The Best (compilation) (1998)
  • Egiptyanin (2001) (Egyptian, Египтянин)
  • Fioletovo-Cherny (2001) (compilation) (Violet and Black, Фиолетово-черный)
  • Nastoyashchiye Dni 1982–1992 (compilation) (2002) (Actual Days, Настоящие Дни)
  • Smutniye Dni 1992–2002 (compilation) (2002) (Days Obscure, Смутные Дни)
  • Chuzhoy (2002)(Alien, Чужой)
  • Govorit i Pokazyvayet (2003) (Tells and Shows, Говорит и показывает)
  • Tribute (Piknik songs performed by other artists) (2003) (Трибьют)
  • Ten Vampira (with Vadim Samoylov from Agatha Christie) (2004) (Shadow of Vampire, Тень Вампира)
  • Korolevstvo Krivykh (2005) (Kingdom of the Crooked, Королевство Кривых)
  • Novoyegipetskiye Pesni (remixes of old songs) (2005) (New-Egyptian Songs, Новоегипетские Песни)
  • Mrakobesiye i Dzhazz (2007) (Obscurantism and Jazz, Мракобесие и Джаз)
  • Zhelezniye Mantry (2008) (Iron Mantras, Железные мантры)
  • Teatr Absurda (2010) (Theatre of Absurd, Театр абсурда)
  • Tri Sudby (2011) (The Three Fates, Три судьбы)
  • Pevets Dekadansa (2012) (The Chanter of Decadence, Певец Декаданса)
  • Chuzhestranets (2014) (Stranger, Чужестранец)
  • Iskri i Kankan (2017) (Sparks and Cancan, Искры и канкан)
  • Siyaniye (2019) (Shine, Сияние)

References

  1. "Музыканты группы "Пикник": "нам плевать на санкции"" [The musicians of Piknik: "we do not care about the sanctions"]. РИА Крым (in Russian). 13 August 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  2. "Знаменитые российские рокеры приехали в оккупированный Крым "поплевать на санкции": появилось видео" [Famous Russian rockers have come to the occupied Crimea "spit on sanctions": there was a video]. news.online.ua (in Russian). 15 August 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2017.

External links

Text adapted from Wikipedia

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