While Ploho and Molchat Doma have become the faces of Russian post-punk in the West, Буерак, or Buerak, has remained largely out of sight. They have fewer releases, fewer streams, and are signed on a smaller label. Yet this lack of momentum is not accidental. Buerak’s story is not one of ascent, but of refusal – and that is precisely where their appeal begins.
Buerak’s Anti-Statement
When vocalist Artyom Cherepanov and guitarist Alexandr Makeyev formed Buerak in Novosibirsk in 2014, the Russian indie scene was already shaped by self-conscious aesthetics, with many bands drawing on British art rock. Buerak did not attempt to challenge this directly. Instead, they stepped away from it. The band embraced the simplicity and quiet absurdity of provincial life, and rejected pretense so completely that the absence itself became their defining gesture: an anti-statement rather than a manifesto.
Nothing Interesting Happens Here
This refusal is audible, visible, and unmistakable.
It is in the vocal delivery: barely sung, closer to reading than performing, as if reciting a shopping list or an instruction manual.
It is in the subject matter: topics such as boredom and smoking, themes that resist drama rather than invite it.
It is in the visuals and clothing: plain, unfashionable, and uninterested in projecting cool – making them extra cool effortlessly.
It is even in the name itself. Буерак means ‘gully’ – a place where nothing interesting happens. Usually.
uninterested in projecting cool
Buerak and the Siberian Cold
Buerak and Ploho
Geography matters here. Novosibirsk sits deep in Siberia, Russia’s third-largest city and a long way from the cultural capitals of Moscow and St. Petersburg. It’s a place where winters are brutal and pretension freezes solid. Both Buerak and Ploho emerged from this environment, but their trajectories diverged. Ploho eventually found international audiences, while Buerak stayed closer to home, building their following largely in Russia and neighboring regions.
pretension freezes solid
Buerak versus Molchat Doma
The differences with Molchat Doma, from Minsk, Belarus, are even greater than geography alone suggests. In interviews and online exchanges, Buerak’s frontman Artyom Cherepanov has been dismissive of bands he considers ‘unimaginative’ or ‘banal’, often citing Molchat Doma as an example. Though restrained in performance, the voice is direct and expressive in commentary, reflecting the band’s broader refusal to conform.
Нет любви (No Love, 2018)
А если ты хочешь бежать
И тебя не смущает дыра в груди
Просто беги
Просто беги
And if you want to run
And you don't mind the hole in your chest.
Just run
Just run
From Репост Модерн
Full lyrics Нет любви
Lyric video Нет любви (Russian subtitles, Spanish translation)
Усталость от безделья (Tired of Idleness, 2017)
Болит голова, под глазами мешки
Вижу прохожих с окна и про них
Сочиняю стишки
Времени свободного много
My head hurts, there are bags under my eyes
I see passers-by from the window and about them
I write poems
I have a lot of free time
From Скромные апартаменты
Full lyrics Усталость от безделья
Страсть к Курению (Passion for Smoking, 2016)
Курить очень нравится мне каждую среду
Одну сигарету и вторую сигарету
Пускаю дым я кольцами в субботу к обеду
Когда курю сигарету, курю сигарету
Моя страсть к курению мне очень нравится
I like it a lot to smoke every Wednesday.
One cigarette, and a second cigarette.
I blow smoke rings on Saturday afternoons.
When I smoke a cigarette, I smoke a cigarette.
I like my passion for smoking a lot.
From Танцы по расчёту
Full lyrics Страсть к Курению
Buerak Live
And then there is Buerak live. Just when you might think these guys are cold and icy. The band holds a reputation for high-energy performances, in which all ice melts and no trace of coldness remains.
More Buerak
You may also like
- Грустно с тобой (2020)
- Короткий роман (2020)
- Ушёл в себя (2020)
- На старых сидениях кинотеатра (2019)
- Дурачок (2019, age restricted)
- Изоляция в квартире (2019)
- Свидание В Трамвае (2017)
- Шаги (2016)
Listen on Apple Music, Bandcamp, Soundcloud, Spotify
Find out more about Buerak on Facebook, Instagram, VK
More wave (coldwave, post-punk etc.) in the playlist Russian Wave by Music in Russian on Spotify.
Songs covered here can also be found in this YouTube playlist, and in Music in Russian songs (Spotify).
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