Агата Кристи (Agata Kristi)

Agata Kristi (Agata Kristi) is a Soviet and Russian rock band formed in Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg) in the mid-1980s, initially performing under the name VIA RTF UPI before adopting its final name in 1988 with the arrival of Gleb Samoylov, who joined his older brother Vadim Samoylov as co-leader. The Samoylov brothers remained the band's constant creative core throughout its existence, steering it from post-punk and new wave beginnings toward a darker, theatrical sound steeped in decadence, mysticism and gothic imagery.

Throughout the 1990s the group became one of the defining acts of Russian alternative rock, known for songs like «Opium for no one», «Sailor» and «Decadence», which combined moody synths, glam-tinged guitar work and cryptic, poetic lyrics. Their stage aesthetic and androgynous imagery set them apart from their contemporaries and gave them a devoted cult following across the post-Soviet space.

Agata Kristi released a long string of studio albums exploring themes of decadence, mysticism and introspection before disbanding in 2010, by which point the Samoylov brothers had grown musically apart. The group's catalogue remains a touchstone of Russian rock, and songs such as «Fairytale taiga» and «Black Moon» are still widely regarded as genre classics.