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Zhuki («Жуки») is a Russian rock band formed in 1991. The group was founded by its vocalist and principal songwriter Valery Zhukov. Zhuki gained widespread recognition in the late 1990s with the song «Батарейка», and later consolidated their success with «Влечение», «Танкист», «Подруга друга» and other tracks.
The music of Zhuki lies at the intersection of rock, pop rock and the urban songwriting tradition. The band's defining features include simple, memorable melodies, conversational lyrics, irony and Valery Zhukov's instantly recognisable vocal style.
Valery Zhukov and the beginnings of the band
Valery Petrovich Zhukov was born on May 2, 1971, in Biysk, Altai Krai. His father was a pianist, while his mother worked as a teacher. Valery began writing music and poetry while still a teenager.
After finishing school, he enrolled at a music college in Abakan but did not complete his studies. In 1991, Zhukov recorded early material under the title «Окрошка» and moved to Moscow in search of an opportunity to pursue music professionally.
The first recordings failed to interest record companies, and over the next several years Zhukov continued writing songs and searching for his own sound.
Pavel Kuzin and «До Луны пешком»
In Moscow, Valery met Pavel Kuzin, drummer of the band Bravo. Together they worked on material that eventually formed the 1994 album «До Луны пешком».
Like the earlier «Окрошка», the recording did not receive an official release at the time because the band was unable to find a label. However, Zhukov's connection with the musicians of Bravo proved important for his later career.
Working with Bravo
Through Pavel Kuzin, Valery Zhukov met Evgeny Khavtan. In the mid-1990s, he became one of the lyricists for Bravo's album «На перекрёстках весны».
Zhukov wrote the lyrics to several songs on the record, including one of Bravo's best-known hits of that period — «Этот город». The work gave him valuable professional songwriting experience before his own major breakthrough.
A new line-up and the road to «Батарейка»
In 1996, Valery Zhukov assembled a new Zhuki line-up and began working on material that would later appear on the album «Батарейка». Recording was largely completed by 1998, but the financial crisis made it difficult to find a company willing to release the record.
In February 1999, the band signed a contract with Monolit. An important turning point came when the song «Батарейка» began receiving radio airplay: with the assistance of Pavel Kuzin, the track appeared on Nashe Radio and quickly gained popularity. The album of the same name was released that autumn.
The title track received heavy radio rotation and became the band's signature song. Its simple guitar arrangement, instantly memorable chorus and lyrics about the end of a relationship made «Батарейка» one of the most recognisable Russian-language pop-rock songs of the turn of the 1990s and 2000s.
The album also featured «Влечение», «Птенчик мой», «Лариска», «Клёво» and other songs. Music videos were made for «Батарейка» and «Влечение», both of which received airplay on MTV Russia.
«Влечение» and Diskoteka Avariya
The song «Влечение» also achieved considerable recognition in its own right. Later, with Valery Zhukov's permission, Diskoteka Avariya recorded their own version of the track.
This reinterpretation expanded the song's audience beyond its usual rock and pop-rock environment and became one of the best-known outside versions of Zhuki's material.
«Танкист»
In 2000, the band released «Танкист». Built around the kind of humorous storytelling characteristic of Zhukov's songwriting, the song became another major hit.
Zhuki received a Golden Gramophone award for «Танкист». The track reinforced the band's image as a group capable of combining rock arrangements with everyday humour and highly quotable lyrics.
«Подруга друга»
In 2002, the band's second main studio album, «Подруга друга», was released.
The record included the title track, «Танкист», «Ноль три» and other songs. Musically, the band retained the formula of its breakthrough album: guitar-driven pop rock with simple melodies and lyrics centred on relationships and everyday situations.
Humorous songs and «Комарики»
In the early 2000s, the humorous side of Zhuki's music became even more pronounced. In 2003, the band released «Йогурты», and in 2004 recorded «Комарики» together with Professor Lebedinsky.
During the same period, the compilation «Болтик в гаечку» and the remix album «На Крыжополь поворот» were released.
The band later released songs including «Властелин колец», «Зуб (Я люблю тебя любую)», «Полоса» and other works.
Return with new songs
After the mid-2000s, new releases became considerably less frequent. «Разлюбила» appeared in 2011, followed a year later by «Давай жениться». In 2018, the band released «Я не могу тебя не любить».
After another lengthy break, Zhuki once again became more active in the studio. In 2024, the band released «Моя» and «Властелин колец 2», followed by «Надо так надо» in 2025 and «Необъятная» in 2026.
Line-up
The central figure of Zhuki throughout the band's history has remained Valery Zhukov — vocalist, guitarist and songwriter.
The current line-up also includes:
- Alexander Bodrov — guitar, backing vocals;
- Alexander Lyubarsky — bass guitar, backing vocals;
- Alexey Lobov — drums;
- Alexander Dolgikh — bayan, keyboards, backing vocals.
Other musicians have also passed through the band over the years, but the project's songwriting core has always remained centred on Valery Zhukov.
Musical style
Zhuki work primarily within pop rock and guitar-based songwriting. Their recordings are rarely built around complex instrumental technique: the main emphasis is placed on melody, chorus and lyrics.
Valery Zhukov uses conversational language, everyday details, self-irony and deliberately simple phrasing. In some songs, this approach serves romantic lyrics, as in «Батарейка» and «Влечение»; in others, it supports a comic storyline, as in «Танкист» or the band's later humorous material.
Main discography
- 1999 — «Батарейка»
- 2002 — «Подруга друга»
- 2004 — «На Крыжополь поворот» — remix album
- 2004 — «Болтик в гаечку» — compilation
- 2016 — «Разное» — compilation
The early recordings «Окрошка» and «До Луны пешком» belong to the formative history of the band but did not receive full official releases at the time.
Key songs
- «Батарейка»
- «Влечение»
- «Танкист»
- «Подруга друга»
- «Йогурты»
- «Комарики»
- «Зуб (Я люблю тебя любую)»
- «Разлюбила»
- «Я не могу тебя не любить»
- «Моя»
- «Надо так надо»
- «Необъятная»
Zhuki's place in Russian music
Zhuki's main period of mass popularity came at the turn of the 1990s and 2000s. «Батарейка», «Влечение» and «Танкист» established the band's characteristic format — straightforward guitar-driven pop rock in which memorable melodies are combined with conversational and often ironic lyrics.
Despite a relatively small album discography, several of the band's songs outlived their original era and remained recognisable decades later. Zhuki have not ceased to exist: the band continues to perform, while the release of new singles between 2024 and 2026 confirms that its studio activity is continuing.
