Bomba-Piter

Bomba-Piter (Bomba-Piter Inc.) was a Russian music company founded on 1 February 1994 in Saint Petersburg by music producer Oleg Grabko. It began as a distributor of legally imported Western compact discs (Warner, Poligramm, EMI, SONY, Castle Communication, Elap, etc.) across the former Soviet Union, and grew a franchise network of branches in 28 CIS cities by 1998. The 1998 financial crisis destroyed this distribution scheme, leaving only three head enterprises: Bomba (Vilnus), Bomba-M (Moscow), and Bomba-Piter. After the crisis, Bomba-Piter shifted to producing and releasing its own music. Under the Manchester files label, it issued early audio cassettes from the Russian rock archive, including works by Alexander Bashlachev, Boris Grebenshchikov, Egor Letov, Yanka, and Televizor. In 1996, Grabko began producing his own projects, starting with Nizhny Novgorod rocker Alexey "Polkovnik" Khrynov. The company also signed a long-term contract with the Saint Petersburg Recording Studio to release the "Gallery of Classical Music" series on CDs and cassettes, featuring recordings made at Melodiya studio since the 1970s. This series eventually comprised 100 CDs and received two IFPI awards. From 1996 onward, Bomba-Piter actively participated in festivals and forums, organized concerts, and sought new artists in any genre except pop music and chanson. It maintained series such as "Archive of Russian Rock" and "Gallery of Classical Music," recording at studios like Dobrolyot, Melodiya, and Acoustic Line. Artists released by the label included Mashnin Band, Leonid Fedorov, Nikolai Gusev, the band "Ё", Korol i Shut, Terem Quartet, Oleg Pogudin, Kukryniksy, Pilot, P.C.P., Pushking, Mulfilmy, Djan Ku, Nochnye Snaipery, and solo albums by Igor Romanov, Svyatoslav Zaderiy, and Dmitry Revyakin. The label also released music by Soviet composers such as Veniamin Basner and Andrei Petrov. In the early 2000s, Bomba-Piter focused on young names like Torba-na-Kruche, O.S.A., Sport, and Paskhalnoe Sheshestvie (Kharkov), and also released foreign groups such as 5TA Herdeilin (Iceland) and Johns Quijote (Norway). It created projects like "Russian Music on Russian Instruments" performed by the Saint Petersburg Double Duet "Ma.Gr.Ig.Al.", released Russian romance masterpieces by Oleg Pogudin, Nikolai Kopylov, Larisa Lusta, and Marina Laslo, and issued recordings by Maxim Leonidov, Vadim Kurylev, Gavriil Lubin, and Alexander Chernetsky. The label also had a drum'n'bass sublabel, Perforated records, promoting experimental electronic music. From its inception, the Sergey Kuryokhin International Festival (SKIF) collaborated with Bomba-Piter Inc., releasing collections of recordings by Sergei Kuryokhin. In May 2022, the company merged all its assets into OOO "Balt-Music" and ceased to exist. Its online store and physical shop Play in Saint Petersburg continued under Balt-Music, offering a wide catalog of music products including new releases and hits.

Bomba-Piter was founded on 1 February 1994 in Saint Petersburg by music producer Oleg Grabko, with the first office opened at 4 Dnepropetrovskaya Street. The company emerged from Grabko's earlier venture: in April 1992, he had founded the city's first rock shop in a semi-basement at 10 Manchester Street near Udelnaya metro station. In spring 1993, the shop moved to 4 Gavrskaya Street, where it operated until December. In 1994, Grabko partnered with Lithuanian friends Rimas Alishauskas and Gedrius Klimkyavichus (Zona rec.) and Moscow entrepreneurs Valery Lotarev and Evgeny Petrovich Markin to create Bomba-Piter. From February 1994, the company began importing legally released Western compact discs from Warner, Poligramm, EMI, SONY, Castle Communication, Elap, and others. Its main goal was to provide distribution of legal discs across the entire former Soviet Union (CIS territory). Branches were established: Bomba (Vilnus), Bomba-M (Moscow), Bomba-Rostov, Bomba-Ufa, Bomba-Odessa, and others. By 1998, the Bomba franchise operated in 28 CIS cities. All imports were supplied through Bomba-Piter and delivered to regions by truck and rail. The 1998 financial crisis destroyed this scheme in one month, leaving only three head enterprises: Bomba (Vilnus), Bomba-M, and Bomba-Piter. Simultaneously, in collaboration with famous Petersburg collector Sergei Firsov and journalist Andrei Burlaka, Bomba-Piter began releasing its first audio cassettes from the Russian rock archive under the Manchester files label. Early releases included Alexander Bashlachev's "Third Capital," BG's "Songs and Poems," Egor Letov's "Russian Field of Experiments," Yanka's "Sold!" and Televizor's "Fatherland of Illusions," which became massively popular. In 1996, Oleg Grabko began producing (recording, releasing, and promoting) his own projects. The first was Nizhny Novgorod rocker Alexey "Polkovnik" Khrynov, invited to the Petersburg Recording Studio in January 1996. Participants included friends Sergei "Chizh" Chigrakov, Leonid "Lyonchik" Fedorov (Auktyon), Dmitry "Lysy" Nekrasov (Nizhny Novgorod) (DNK), Evgeny "Moshchny" Barinov (Chizh & Co), Andrei "Khudoy" Vasiliev (DDT), and Mikhail Kolovsky (Auktyon). In summer of that year, Polkovnik performed before DDT at the "Fill the Sky with Kindness" festival. In autumn, a single was released for a tour of Russia with the band Auktyon, and by New Year, the album "Polkovnik and Fellow Soldiers: First Call" was released. That same year, a long-term contract was signed with the Petersburg Recording Studio to release the "Gallery of Classical Music" series on compact discs and cassettes, including recordings made at Melodiya studio since the 1970s. The series featured popular classical works performed by representatives of the Petersburg school, including world-class conductors Evgeny Mravinsky, Lazar Gozman, Yuri Temirkanov, Alexander Dmitriev, Andrei Anikhanov, Vladimir Altshuler, Viktor Fedorov, pianists Pavel Serebryakov, Pavel Egorov, Valery Vishnevsky, Igor Uryash, Anna Mezhirova, soloists of the Mariinsky Theatre, and others. To date, this series consists of 100 compact discs and has received two awards from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). From 1996 onward, Bomba-Piter actively participated in all festivals and forums, organized concerts, and sought new performers in any genre except pop music and chanson. While maintaining traditions in the "Archive of Russian Rock" and "Gallery of Classical Music" series, recordings were made at studios Dobrolyot, Melodiya, Acoustic Line, and others. Artists included Mashnin Band (albums "Zhelezo" and "Bomba"), solo album by Auktyon leader Leonid Fedorov "Chetyrespolovinoytonny," Nikolai Gusev (Strange Games, Avia, NOM) "Ispravlennomu verit," the band "Ё" ("Half a Face" and "Baltic Happiness"), Korol i Shut ("Kamen po golove" and "Eli myaso muzhiki"), Terem Quartet ("Dog Waltz"), Oleg Pogudin ("Can I Love You Quietly..."), Kukryniksy, Pilot ("War"), P.C.P. ("Walking the Doggy" and "Let's Dance"), Pushking ("10th Circle" and others), Mulfilmy, Djan Ku, Nochnye Snaipery, solo albums by Igor Romanov (Zemlyane, Soyuz, Alisa), Svyatoslav Zaderiy (Alisa), Dmitry Revyakin (Kalinov Most). At the same time, recordings of music by Soviet composers were released: Veniamin Basner ("The Nightingale Sang All Night for Us," "For the Rest of Our Lives"), Andrei Petrov ("Musical Film Marathon," "Orchestral Works"), and the Anatoly Badkhen Orchestra's "Declaration of Love." In the early 2000s, the company took a course toward young names: Torba-na-Kruche, O.S.A., Sport, Paskhalnoe Sheshestvie (Kharkov). Recordings by not only Russian but also foreign groups were released: 5TA Herdeilin (Iceland), Johns Quijote (Norway). Projects were created: "Russian Music on Russian Instruments" performed by the Saint Petersburg Double Duet "Ma.Gr.Ig.Al."; masterpieces of Russian romance were recorded and released on discs performed by Oleg Pogudin, Nikolai Kopylov, Larisa Lusta, Marina Laslo; recordings by Maxim Leonidov, Vadim Kurylev, Gavriil Lubin, Alexander Chernetsky were released; guitar arrangements of Bach performed by Vladimir Kuznetsov; recordings of jazz orchestras and soloists (Andrei Kondakov, Swing Couture, VeDaKi, etc.); World Music groups (Rastrelli Cello Quartet, Quart Ru, Remolino Quintet, etc.); drum'n'bass sublabel Perforated records popularized experimental electronic music ("Yolochnye Igrushki," "Alexandriod," "Klutch," etc.). From the very beginning, the Sergey Kuryokhin International Festival (SKIF) collaborated with Bomba-Piter Inc. and released collections of recordings by Russian musician Sergei Anatolyevich Kuryokhin on the label. In 2008, a DVD was released of a film by Vladimir Nepevny in which the musician spoke about himself. In May 2022, the company merged all its assets into OOO "Balt-Music" and ceased to exist. Its online store and physical shop Play in Saint Petersburg continued under Balt-Music, offering a wide catalog of music products including new releases and hits.

• 2022

  In May, company merged all assets into OOO 'Balt-Music' and ceased to exist.

• 2008

  DVD release of Vladimir Nepevny's film about Sergei Kuryokhin.

• 2000

  Shift toward young artists and foreign groups; creation of various projects.

• 1998

  Financial crisis destroyed the distribution scheme; only Bomba (Vilnus), Bomba-M, and Bomba-Piter remained.

• 1996

  Oleg Grabko began producing own projects; signed long-term contract with Petersburg Recording Studio for 'Gallery of Classical Music' series.

• 1994

  Bomba-Piter was founded on 1 February; first office opened at 4 Dnepropetrovskaya Street; began importing Western CDs.

• 1993

  The shop moved to 4 Gavrskaya Street, operating until December.

• 1992

  Oleg Grabko founded the first rock shop in Saint Petersburg at 10 Manchester Street.

Independent Russian record label and distributor specializing in Russian rock, classical music, and non-mainstream genres.

• Archive of Russian Rock series

  Series of audio cassettes and CDs featuring archival recordings of Russian rock artists.

• Gallery of Classical Music series

  Series of 100 CDs featuring classical music recordings from Melodiya studio since the 1970s; received two IFPI awards.

• Manchester files label

  Label under which early Russian rock archive cassettes were released.

• Perforated records sublabel

  Drum'n'bass sublabel promoting experimental electronic music.

1. 1Бомба-Питер official websitebomba-piter.ru
2. 2Wikidata entry for Bomba-Piterwikidata.org
3. 3Russian Wikipedia article on Бомба-Питерru.wikipedia.org