Arkona (band)

Lore & Background

Arkona was founded in February 2002 by two members of the Dolgoprudny Slavic Neopaganism Society: Masha 'Scream' Arkhipova and Alexander 'Warlock' Korolyov, originally under the name Giperboreya. By the end of 2002, the group had entered Moscow's CDM Studios and recorded the Rus demo. The band disbanded in September 2003 due to lack of enthusiasm from some members, but Arkhipova continued, writing material for a solo album that became the debut album Vozrozhdeniye, released in March 2004. New members joined, and the second album Lepta was released in December 2004.

In 2005, the third album Vo slavu velikim! was released, though claims of it achieving gold status in Russia remain unverified. The band's October performance was released as a live DVD/CD in 2006.

Reader's Guide

Arkona is significant as one of the most prominent Russian folk metal bands, repeatedly called one of the best pagan metal acts. Their music uniquely blends heavy metal with Russian folklore and Slavic mythology, using traditional instruments like those played by Vladimir Cherepovsky and his student Vladimir 'Volk'. The band's international reach expanded after signing with Austrian label Napalm Records in 2008, leading to extensive European and North American tours. Their albums have been widely acclaimed, with Vo slavu velikim! achieving gold status in Russia. The band's appearance in popular culture includes a clip of their song 'Yarilo' featured on the U.S. version of The Office in 2010. Arkona's legacy lies in popularizing Slavic pagan themes in heavy metal and maintaining a consistent lineup for a decade before changes in 2014.

Did You Know?

• The band's name refers to the last pre-Christianized Slavic city-castle.
• Their song 'Yarilo' was featured on a St. Patrick's Day episode of the U.S. version of The Office in 2010.
• The album Vo slavu velikim! went gold in Russia in September 2005.
• More than 40 musicians participated in the recording of the 2009 album Goi, Rode, Goi!.

Roots in Slavic Paganism and the Birth of a Name

Arkona traces its origins to February 2002, when Masha "Scream" Arkhipova and Alexander "Warlock" Korolyov—both members of the Dolgoprudny Slavic Neopaganism Society—formed a group initially called Giperboreya, a nod to the mythical land of Hyperborea. By late 2002 the lineup had expanded to include guitarist Evgeny Knyazev, bassist Evgeny Borzov, and keyboardist Olga Loginova, and the band had settled on the name Arkona, drawn from the last Pre-Christianized Slavic city-castle. Together they tracked a three-track demo titled Rus at Moscow's CDM Studios, and those recordings would later resurface as bonus material on the 2006 live release Zhizn vo Slavu. The group quickly built a reputation on the Russian folk metal circuit, sharing stages with Butterfly Temple, Pagan Reign, Svarga, and Rossomahaar. However, by September 2003, waning enthusiasm among some of Arkhipova's collaborators led to a brief disbandment. Undeterred, she channeled her energy into new material, presented it to members of her other project Nargathrond, and forged a renewed Arkona with three fresh musicians: guitarist Sergey "Lazar," bassist Ruslan "Kniaz," and drummer Vlad "Artist." Their debut album Vozrozhdeniye arrived in March 2004 on Soundage Production, followed swiftly by the second record Lepta in December of that same year.

A Sound Built on Myth, Folk Instruments, and Grand Collaboration

Arkona's artistic identity is anchored in Russian folklore and Slavic mythology, with lyrics that draw deeply on those traditions. Musically, the band weaves traditional Russian instruments into a folk metal framework, creating a sound that is both rooted and expansive. This collaborative spirit reached new heights with the 2005 album Vo slavu velikim!, which brought in acclaimed multi-instrumentalist Vladimir Cherepovsky—known from projects like Mevent, Voinstvo Sadov, and Veter Vody—alongside members of Svarga and Alkonost. The 2007 record Ot serdtsa k nebu again featured Cherepovsky and added the Belarusian folk choir Gostitsa to the mix. By the time Goi, Rode, Goi! arrived in October 2009, the project had grown to involve more than forty musicians, including a full choir and a string quintet, with all ethnic instruments handled in the studio by Cherepovsky and his student Vladimir "Volk." The 2011 album Slovo pushed the orchestral ambition further, incorporating the Chamber Orchestra of the Kazan Conservatory and a student choir from the Moscow Conservatory. Visually, the band has partnered with Belgian artist Kris Verwimp since 2007, who has designed their album artwork continuously.

From Russian Gold Records to Global Festival Stages

Arkona's commercial breakthrough came in September 2005, when Vo slavu velikim! achieved gold certification in Russia. The momentum carried into 2006 with the live release Zhizn Vo Slavu, capturing the band's October performance at the CD's presentation ceremony. A pivotal shift arrived in March 2008: after performing at the Ragnarök Festival, the group signed with Austrian label Napalm Records, which re-issued Ot Serdtsa K Nebu and organized a thirty-date European tour that culminated at the Brutal Assault festival. The 2010 touring year saw the band perform more than one hundred and fifty concerts across Europe. In 2011, Arkona appeared at major festivals including Hellfest, With Full Force, and Metalfest, and undertook a thirty-six-date tour spanning Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Their tenth anniversary was marked by a special Moscow concert on 11 February 2012, recorded for the Decade of Glory release, followed by extensive Russian and European tours featuring shared bills with Dalriada and Darkest Era, plus a slot at the 70,000 Tons of Metal event. In October 2013, the band paused studio work to return to North America as headliners.

Enduring Acclaim, Cultural Crossover, and a Steadfast Core

Arkona's albums have earned widespread critical praise, and the band has been repeatedly cited as one of the finest pagan metal acts in the genre. Their cultural reach extended beyond the metal world when the track "Yarilo" from Goi, Rode, Goi! was featured on the St. Patrick's Day episode of the U.S. version of The Office in March 2010, playing as three janitors walked into a late-working office. On the personnel front, the band has maintained remarkable stability: vocalist Arkhipova, guitarist "Lazar," and bassist "Kniaz" have been constant since 2003. The first lineup change in a decade came in January 2014, when drummer Vlad "Artist" departed for personal reasons and was replaced by Andrey Ishchenko. The concept album Yav followed in April 2014. In November 2016, Arkona released a re-recorded version of their debut Vozrozhdeniye, and the studio album Khram arrived in January 2018. Ishchenko's departure in May 2020 was followed by the arrival of drummer Alexander "Noff" Smirnov in 2021, while wind ethnic instrumentalist Vladimir "Volk" has been a full-time member since 2011.

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