It is hard to find a Russian-speaking person who has never heard of Boris Grebenshchikov (also known as BG) and the band Aquarium. During the 1970s and 1980s he not only helped lay the foundations of the Soviet rock scene, but also created a completely unique musical and cultural style, code and even aesthetic. Influenced by a wide range of musical traditions and cultures, his style remained unmistakable – whether in quiet love ballads, light reggae grooves or powerful rock’n’roll anthems. Today BG’s classic discography includes more than 30 studio albums.

Grebenshchikov is no stranger outside the post-Soviet world either. His albums have been recorded and released across Europe and North America, and he is widely known and respected among leading Western musicians.

In February 2022, exactly after 50 years of concert history, Aquarium had to stop performing under its original name due to the Russian invasion. A new band called BG+ was formed instead – with its own distinctive sound and atmosphere.

Today, however, Aquarium is back and once again setting out on a world tour to present its new album Strange News from a Distant Star (in Russian: Странные Новости с Далекой Звезды).

Every performance by Boris Grebenshchikov and his band is more than just a concert. It is a journey through musical worlds where the legendary songs of Aquarium – the soundtrack to the lives of several generations – meet brand new compositions full of tragedy, fresh poetic language, subtle irony and the unmistakable spirit of BG.

Aquarium is a cultural phenomenon that once shaped the development of Russian-language music for decades. Even today, remaining true to its free spirit, Aquarium is neither nostalgia nor a repetition of the past, but a living dialogue with the present. Over more than half a century several generations of listeners have come and gone, yet Aquarium remains a cult band at whose centre stands Boris Borisovich Grebenshchikov – poet, composer, musician and one of the most important figures of contemporary culture.

Alongside new material, the concert will also feature songs that have long become modern classics of the Russian-language rock scene and part of its cultural code – written across different decades, yet still alive, relevant and open to new interpretations.

The current Aquarium line-up includes:
Boris Grebenshchikov – vocals, guitar
Konstantin Tumanov – accordion, keyboards
Brian Finnegan – flute
Andrey Surotdinov – violin
Alexander Titov – bass guitar
Liam Bradley – drums, percussion
Gleb Grebenshchikov – drums

Doors open at 18:30
Concert starts at 19:30
Estimated concert duration – two and a half hours.