“Still going strong” would be an understatement for Yorsh (Йорш). Twenty years after starting out, Yorsh is still making punk rock – and seems to be in their best shape yet. Yorsh’s latest work reflects two decades of staying true to their principles without standing still. Some get old, some get better.
From Ёрш to Йорш
Ёрш is a Russian drink made with beer with vodka (also a fish). It was also the band’s original name, spelled as ЁРШ. Yorsh (Йорш) comes from Podolsk in the Moscow region. Its origins date back to 2003, when two future members, Dmitry Sokolov and Mikhail Kandrahin, continued making music after their school band broke up. Yorsh took shape in 2006, which explains the more commonly cited founding date.
The band’s early days had a strong DIY spirit, with an unmistakably Russian twist. School holidays were spent working in a local grocery store to earn enough for their first instruments. Their first rehearsals took place at a dacha. Guitarist Sokolov took over as vocalist on the debut album, Нет Богов! (No Gods!) when Denis Oleynik left the band soon after recording began. He has remained Yorsh’s vocalist and driving force ever since.
Punk as it gets
“I wouldn’t say there’s a single punk in Yorsh,” Sokolov said in a 2022 interview with MTS. Several song titles might suggest otherwise: Анархия (Anarchy), Чёрный флаг (Black Flag), Панк-рок – это мы (Punk Rock Is Us – see below).
And sometimes, a simple нет says it all. In 2018, Yorsh withdrew from Нашествие (Nashestvie), one of Russia’s largest rock festivals, because of its involvement with the Russian Ministry of Defence. The bands Элизиум, Порнофильмы and Пошлая Молли also withdrew. That’s punk as it gets – and a decision that has aged rather well.
Yorsh twenty years later
The sound has changed along with the times. Some of the rougher edges have softened, occasionally giving way to something approaching pop. Not necessarily a bad thing: Yorsh have become more accessible without losing their bite. Twenty years on from those summer jobs and dacha rehearsals, Yorsh are firmly established on the Russian punk scene.
Their latest work shows that Yorsh are far from resting on their laurels. The spirit of the early days is still there, now backed by two decades of experience and skill. The album title says it all: Слишком живой, чтобы быть легендой – Too Alive to Be a Legend. If the music leaves you cold, you must be dead. Or worse: perhaps you’ve aged badly.
На кураже (On a Roll, 2026)
A surprisingly energetic single – and not even part of the band’s latest album. A song about a drunk girl (or woman), set to music that sounds as lively as ever.
Full song lyrics «На кураже» on Genius.com.
А может быть на вписке спит на пятом этаже
Моя любовь сидит в СИЗО, опять разбитое лицо
Эту жизнь ей прожигать не западло
Or maybe sleeping off a party on the fifth floor
My love is in a detention cell, her face battered once again
She doesn’t mind burning through this life
Обелиски (Obelixes, 2026)
From the latest album, Слишком живой, чтобы быть легендой. The lyrics take a more serious turn here – a different side of Yorsh.
Full song lyrics «Обелиски» on Intunes.
Железобетоном из наших израненных спин
И рыщут средь них дементоры и василиски
И каждый из нас с этим адом один на один
Reinforced concrete made from our wounded backs
Dementors and basilisks prowl among them
And each of us faces this hell alone
Панк-рок – это Мы (Punk Rock is Us, 2018)
A punk anthem of sorts, and one of the band’s classics. From #Нетпутиназад (#Nowayback, 2019). Just like Андерграунд (Underground), which also comes in a piano version (2020) and as a kitchen concert (2020). No elaborate lyrics – but punk rock poetry in its purest form.
Full song lyrics «Панк-рок – это Мы» on Genius.com.
Выше флаги, громче песни!
Панк-рок – это я, панк-рок – это ты
Это мы!
Higher flags, louder songs!
Punk rock is me, punk rock is you –
It’s us!
Про панка (About Punk) (2006)
How it started: the Yorsh from twenty years ago.
Full song lyrics «Про панка» on Genius.com.
Их в обществе не любят и нигде не признают
Но только знаешь мама, наступит их черед
Ведь если верить слухам, то вечно панк живет
Society doesn’t like them, won’t accept them anywhere
But you know, Mom, their time will come
For if the rumors are true, punk lives forever.
More Yorsh songs
You may also like
Дети нулевых (2026)
Детские рисунки (2026)
Мой город будет стоять (2026)
Как у Кобейна (2024)
Fun Mode (2023)
Половинки (2022)
Папа придёт (2022)
2007 (2022)
Светлячки (2022)
Шрамы (feat.наконечный, 2022)
Реалити-шоу (Доброфест, 2021)
В сердце игрушки (2021)
Нарисуй мне счастье (2021)
Тёлка за 30 (feat Смех, 2020)
Весело и х*й с ним (with План Ломоносова, 2019)
Против тебя (2019)
Все панки попадают в рай (2019)
Bomb City (2018)
БЦХ (2018)
More about Yorsh
Read more about Yorsh (Йорш) on Rockcult (RU), Salve Music, Unansea, Dzen (RU), Wikipedia (RU).
Interviews on MetalKings, Ticketland, and 100 вопросов от слушателей (questions from listeners) answered on YouTube.
Listen on Apple Music, Bandcamp, Spotify.
Follow Yorsh on Instagram, VK and their website.
More punk in the playlist Russian Punk by Music in Russian on Spotify. Songs covered here can also be found in this YouTube playlist, and in Music in Russian songs on Spotify.
Follow Music in Russian on Telegram, Facebook, X, YouTube.
This article builds on an earlier piece about Yorsh, published on Rusland1 in 2021.
© Music in Russian, 2026
