Rock music in Ukraine

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Ukrainian rock (Ukrainian: Український рок, romanized: Ukrainskyi rok) is rock music from Ukraine.

While it is rock it is important for those who follow Ukrainian contemporary music to understand the VIA music scene of the 1970s and 1980s. This controlled form of music, was a response to the Rock and roll infiltrating from the outside of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, to understand the development of Ukrainian rock one has to understand its background.

The most popular bands include BoomBox, Braty Hadiukiny, Druha Rika, Haydamaky, Komu Vnyz, Lama, Mad Heads XL, Mandry, Mertvyi Piven, Okean Elzy, Plach Yeremiyi, S.K.A.Y., Taras Petrynenko, Tartak, TNMK, Viy, Vopli Vidoplyasova and others. Opalnyi Prynz was, perhaps, the most influential rock band in the late 1980s and early 1990s, followed by its predecessor Loony Pelen.^[1] Okean Elzy, featuring Svyatoslav Vakarchuk has long been among the most popular bands of Ukrainian pop-rock, and has had some success abroad. The band Mandry is known for fusing traditional Ukrainian music with rock, blues, reggae and chansons. The pop-singer Ruslana also uses some elements of rock in her work.

The Chervona Ruta was a very important Ukrainian rock music festival.

"Пісенний Вернісаж" - New Ukrainian Wave 92 – Festival of the best Ukrainian folk/pop/rock bands (Producer Rostyslav-show, 1992)

Famous Ukrainian heavy metal bands include Fleshgore, Firelake, Nokturnal Mortum, Astrofaes, Drudkh, and Hate Forest.

Metal Heads Mission is the biggest metal festival in Ukraine and ex-USSR countries.