VV

• Year of foundation – 1986
• City – Kyiv (Ukraine)
• Language – Ukrainian
• Genre – rock, punk rock, psychedelic rock, folk rock

Lineup:

• Oleg Skrypka – vocals, accordion, guitar, saxophone, trumpet, programming, keyboards;
• Serhiy Sakhno – drums, percussion, backing vocals;
• Mykola Usatiy – bass guitar;
• Yevgeny Rogachevskyy – guitar, backing vocals.

Former members:

• Yuriy Zdorenko – guitar, vocals;
• Philip Mozha – guitar, backing vocals;
• Stephane Muflie – drums, percussion, backing vocals;
• Olexiy Melchenko – bass guitar;
• Gerard Christophe – guitar, backing vocals;
• Olexandr Pipa – bass guitar, backing vocals.

Band history

Vopli Vidoplyasova (also VV, VV) is a Ukrainian rock band that was founded in 1986 and became the founder of Ukrainian rock and roll and the ethno-rock style. Yuriy Zdorenko and Oleksandr Pipa, former members of the heavy metal band SOS, initiated the creation of a new project. And the true face of the band was the owner of bright charisma vocalist Oleg Skrypka. The trio was later joined by Serhiy Sakhno, a drummer who had once studied at the Kyiv Music Hall and brought rhythmic expression to the common cause. The founders of VV met in the dormitory of the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, on Metalistiv Street. And it was there that the first repertoire of the team was created in 1986.

The history of the future stars of the Ukrainian music industry did not begin at all with academic singing or classes at a music school. On the contrary, the group was based on people whose professions had nothing to do with music and creativity. The leader of the newly formed group, Oleg Skrypka, after studying at KPI, worked as an engineer at a military factory and simultaneously played in a student theater. Zdorenko earned a living as a plumber. Pipa could not even finish his studies at a music school, because he was expelled from there.

The name of the group was born from Oleksandr Pipa's love of literature. Vidoplyasov is an eccentric character in Dostoevsky's work "The Village of Stepanchykovo and Its Inhabitants". And the first part of the name, "Voply", became a symbol of screams, cries and passionate exclamations of the soul, breaking through all frameworks and conventions.

Thus began the history of the band, which in time would become a legend of Ukrainian rock. Very soon, talented musicians would prove that true art does not require academies. All that is needed is irrepressible energy, honesty and a thirst to express themselves.

Creative path

The first magnetic album appeared in Yuri Zdorenko's kitchen. The record, recorded in almost everyday conditions, was the first step in forming that unique sound that would soon thunder on big stages. In the fall of 1987, the band received its final name - VV. And this name soon became a cult symbol of Ukrainian rock.

The band's stage debut took place at the Kyiv Rock Club festival. And it was an immediate sensation. Vidoplyasov's Screams won the title of "Band of the Year". And the composition "Yaroslavna's Cry" became "Song of the Year". The first live performance featured "Comrade Major", "Conversation with Mahatma", and "There Were Days". They also performed "Dances" there - a track that instantly became the band's unofficial anthem and brought thousands of new listeners to the ranks of the VV fan club.

The band's second performance took place in November 1987 at the "First Kyiv Rock Parade". All the country's leading rock bands gathered on one stage. The performance of "VV" unexpectedly brought the artists first place. The triumph opened the way for the musicians to recognition and popularity among a wide circle of fans. And the band became interested in producer Volodymyr Ivanov, who immediately began to introduce VV to a wide audience. The first large-scale tour began, which quickly grew into an international tour.

Already in 1990, the fiery Ukrainian rockers went to Europe. There, the powerful energy and culture of theatrical shows of new stars caused a sensation. Especially in France, where the charisma of Oleg Skrypka made a real impression on the audience. A year later, the band leader, together with Oleksandr Pipa, moved to Paris. The creative trip lasted as long as five years and became a time of new discoveries and experiments. And the return to Kyiv was marked by a renewal of the lineup. Serhiy Sakhno and guitarist Yevhen Rogachevsky joined the band. In 1997, VV signed a long-term contract with Gala Records, which released the album "Music". It was this release that gave listeners the tracks that conquered all the charts - "Vesna" and "Yura".

Style and development of the group

The creativity of the group Vopli Vidoplyasova is a special mixture of Ukrainian rock and roll and ethno-rock, in which different musical traditions are organically combined. The music of the group grew on the soil of rock and roll and punk. But each time it acquired new colors thanks to ethnic motifs. The use of the Ukrainian language gave the works a distinct national flavor and at the same time created a unique sound that is difficult to confuse with anything else.

The influence of different directions was always felt in the compositions of VV - from punk and folk to avant-garde. Such diversity made the work lively andunpredictable. Oleg Skrypka himself emphasized that the band started with punk rock, later turned to ethno-rock. And now it is constantly looking for new forms, experimenting with electronic and orchestral sound. The leader of VV believes that a musician who does not change stops in his development. After all, updating and searching for new solutions is a natural need of every artist. Even well-known hits that VV has been performing for years, the musicians try to present differently. In new variations, with a different shade, in order to preserve their energy and make the sound brighter.

In 2016, the band celebrated its thirtieth anniversary of creative activity. The anniversary concert in the Kyiv Palace of Sports was the start of the VV XXX world tour. The concert journey covered the USA, Canada, England, France and other countries.

Vopli Vidoplyasov opens the new millennium with high festival activity. Collaboration with recording studios is underway. New songs, singles, video clips and albums are being released. Today, the band remains an active and recognizable participant in cultural life. During 2024–2025, VV will continue to perform at major concerts, festivals and cultural events both in Ukraine and abroad. And the band's music remains alive, relevant and needed.

Social activity:

The VV band has always been an active participant in the cultural and social life of Ukraine, supporting important initiatives. In 2004, the musicians joined the events of the Orange Revolution. The band's leader, Oleg Skrypka, has repeatedly traveled to the front lines, performing for Ukrainian soldiers in Debaltseve, front-line cities, villages and hospitals.

In 2016, Vopli Vidoplyasov organized a “Frontline Tour of the Armed Forces”, visiting fighters in Maryinka, Kostyantynivka and Selidove. Even during a full-scale war, the team actively supports volunteer initiatives. And the team’s charity concerts are aimed at supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Discography (studio albums):

• "Dreamland" (1994);
• "Music" (1997);
• "Waves of Amur" (2000);
• "Fayno" (2002);
• "There Were Days" (2006);
• "A Wonderful World" (2013).

The most famous hits:

• "Dances";
• "Spring";
• "Birthday";
• "E-E";
• "They Were in the Village";
• "Shchedryk";
• "Lado";
• "Yura" and others.

Awards and distinctions:

• "Golden Firebird" ("Best Rock Band", "Best Album"), 1998;
• YUNA Award ("Best Album", "Best Video Clip", "Best Song"), 2012;
• Celebrity Awards 2020 ("Best Ethno-Rock Band"), 2020.

Interesting facts about the band:

• the band was formed 5 years before the proclamation of Independence of Ukraine;
• over a 30-year career, the musicians released 20 albums and singles and wrote about 200 compositions;
• for the victorious performance at the Kyiv Rock Club festival, VV received 30 rubles, which they immediately spent on celebrating the triumph;
• in the song "Spring", the track's name is heard 33 times;
• in the band's first video clip for the song "Dances", the only prop is a banner with the inscription "Dances";
• the hit "Spring" traditionally ends the band's live shows throughout VV's concert history.