Алиса

Alisa, a Leningrad collective, rose to fame in the mid-1980s with a shift from new wave to heavy metal under vocalist Kostya Kinchev's leadership. They were pioneers of Russian rock & roll, initially gaining popularity before falling out of favor with the Soviet regime, only to regain success in the post-Soviet era.

Formed in 1983 by bass guitarist Svetoslav Zadery, Alisa solidified their lineup in 1984 with Kinchev as vocalist. Their debut album, Energia, released in 1985, became a milestone in Soviet rock history, selling over a million copies. The band's evolution to a heavier sound in the late 1980s and 1990s, along with lyrical shifts towards Christian and nationalistic themes, divided their fanbase but maintained their presence in the music scene across Europe, Russia, and former Soviet states.