Masha i Medvedi

A Russian rock band formed in 1997 in Krasnodar by singer and songwriter Maria Makarova, who had previously worked at local radio and participated in musical ensembles. In 1996, she handed a demo tape of her songs to Oleg Nesterov, leader of the band Megapolis, which became the starting point for the formation of the group. In 1997, Maria moved to Moscow, where, with the support of the production company Snegiri-Music, she assembled the band and began recording their debut album. In 1998, the album "Solntseklёsh" was released, featuring the hit "Lyubochka," which brought the band widespread recognition and numerous awards, including "Discovery of the Year" at the Maxidrom festival and "Song of the Year" from Radio Maximum. Their second album, "Kuda?" was released in 2000, with the song "Zemlya" included in the soundtrack of the film "Brother 2." After a temporary hiatus, the band resumed activity in 2004, releasing the album "Bez yazyka" in 2006. In subsequent years, the group experimented with musical styles, including indie rock, folk rock, and psychedelia, releasing mini-albums "Konets" (2012) and "Gusenitsy" (2013), as well as singles "Mira Voyna" (2017) and "Ararat" (2018). In 2020, the album "Pif-Paf" was released, comprising six tracks. The band continues to actively perform and record new music, remaining a significant presence on the Russian rock scene.