Picnic (band)



Picnic (Пикник), or Piknik, 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, though the members consider the band's official starting point to be Edmund Shklyarsky's arrival, in 1981, or the year the first album was recorded—1982.

Some of their early songs are in Polish, due to Shklyarsky's paternal heritage.

In 2016, the band was barred from playing in Ukraine due to their performance in Crimea after it was annexed by Russia.

Music critic Andrei Burlaka notes the group as a cult phenomenon in Russian rock music.

Picnic were set to perform at the Crocus City Hall on 22 March 2024 before a terrorist attack took place there, killing at least 144 people. On the afternoon of 24 March, it became known that Ekaterina Kushner, the assistant to the director of the group, had died in the attack.

Band members
Current
 * Edmund Shklyarskiy – vocals, guitars, keyboards (1981–present)
 * Leonid Kirnos – drums, percussion (1982–1984, 1987–present)
 * Marat Korchemny – backing vocals, bass (2003–present)
 * Stanislav Shklyarskiy – keyboards (2007–present)

Past
 * Alexei Dobychin – vocals (1978–1983)
 * Evgeny Voloshchuk – bass guitar (1978–1984, 1985)
 * Sergey Omelnichenko – guitar, vocals (1978–1981)
 * Nikolai Mikhailov – flute, saxophone (1978–1981)
 * Alexander Matskov – drums (1978)
 * Alexander Kondrashkin – drums (1978–1979, 1980)
 * Yuri Danilov – flute, clarinet (1979–1981)
 * Alexander Yevseev – drums (1979)
 * Nikolai Korzinin – drums (1979–1980)
 * Pyotr Troshchenkov – drums (1980–1981)
 * Pavel Kondratenko – keyboards (1980)
 * Alexei Malkov – keyboards (1980)
 * Mikhail Panaev – vocals (1980–1981)
 * Alexander Savelyev – guitar (1981–1990)
 * Sharifzhan Abdulov – drums (1981)
 * Ali Bakhtiyarov – drums (1981–1983)
 * Viktor Morozov – drums (1982)
 * Vadim Lebanidze – keyboards (1983)
 * Sergei Shepel – guitar (1983)
 * Vladimir Sizov – bass (1984, 1989–1990)
 * Viktor Sergeev – keyboards (1984)
 * Sergei Voronin – keyboards (1984, 1986–2006)
 * Alexander Fedorov – drums (1984)
 * Viktor Evseev – bass guitar, backing vocals (1985–1988, 1990–1996), keyboards (2007)
 * Yuri Klyuchantsev – keyboards, saxophone, percussion (1986–1988, 1990–1996)
 * Vadim Ponomaryov – drums (1986–1987)
 * Andrey Merchansky – guitar (1990–1994)
 * Alexander Rokin – bass guitar, backing vocals (1996–1999)
 * Svyatoslav Obraztsov – bass guitar, backing vocals (1999–2003)

Discography

 * Dym (1982) (Дым)
 * Tanetz Volka (1984) (Танец волка)
 * Iyeroglif (1986) (Иероглиф)
 * Rodom Niotkuda (1988) (Родом ниоткуда)
 * Kharakiri (1991) (Харакири)
 * Nemnogo Ognya (1994) (Немного огня)
 * Vampirskiye Pesni (1995) (Вампирские песни)
 * Zhen-Shen (1996) (Жень-Шень)
 * Steklo (1997) (Стекло)
 * Pit Electrichestvo (1998) (Пить электричество)
 * The Best (compilation, 1998)
 * Egiptyanin (2001) (Египтянин)
 * Fioletovo-Cherny (compilation, 2001) (Фиолетово-чёрный)
 * Nastoyashchiye Dni 1982–1992 (compilation, 2002) (Настоящие дни)
 * Smutniye Dni 1992–2002 (compilation, 2002) (Смутные дни)
 * Chuzhoy (2002) (Чужой)
 * Govorit i Pokazyvayet (2003) (Говорит и показывает)
 * Tribute (Piknik songs performed by other artists, 2003) (Трибьют)
 * Ten Vampira (with Vadim Samoylov) (2004) (Тень вампира)
 * Korolevstvo Krivykh (2005) (Королевство кривых)
 * Novoyegipetskiye Pesni (remix album, 2005) (Новоегипетские песни)
 * Mrakobesiye i Dzhazz (2007) (Мракобесие и джаз)
 * Zhelezniye Mantry (2008) (Железные мантры)
 * Teatr Absurda (2010) (Театр абсурда)
 * Tri Sudby (2011) (Три судьбы)
 * Pevets Dekadansa (2012) (Певец декаданса)
 * Chuzhestranets (2014) (Чужестранец)
 * Iskri i Kankan (2017) (Искры и канкан)
 * V rukax velikana (2019) (В руках великана)
 * Veselyi i zloi (2022) (Весёлый и злой)