Rock music became popular in the USSR in the 1960s and 1970s. This genre of music was adopted by young people who wanted to express their ideas and opinions, as well as protest against the current government. Rock music in the USSR had no official support and was considered a “Western phenomenon” that did not correspond to the ideology of communism and Soviet culture.
Soviet rock bands played a combination of rock and roll, blues and folk, and also experimented with symphonic music and jazz, which gave their music a unique sound. One of the most famous Soviet rock bands of that time was the group “Akvarium”, as well as “DDT”, “Kino”, “Alisa” and many others.
Bands that could not obtain official permission to perform often played house concerts and apartment concerts underground. This type of activity was known as “house rock” and “apartment concerts” and was an important element of rock music culture in the USSR.
Despite the fact that rock music was banned in the USSR, it continued to develop and found its fans. In 1986, the rock music festival organized by the Council of Ministers of the USSR in Tashkent was recognized as the predecessor of the “Nashestvie” Rock Festivals in Russia. After the collapse of the USSR in 1991, rock music became increasingly popular and attractive to young people in Russia and other former Soviet republics.