Okean Elzy

• Date of foundation – October 12, 1994
• City – Lviv (Ukraine)
• Language – Ukrainian, English
• Genre – indie rock, indie pop, art rock

Lineup:

• Sviatoslav Vakarchuk (vocals);
• Denys Dudko (bass guitar);
• Mylosh Yelych (keyboards);
• Denys Glinin (drums).

Former members:

• Yuriy Khustochka (1994 – 2004)
• Dmytro Shurov (2001 – 2004)
• Pavlo Gudimov (1994 – 2005)
• Petro Chernyavsky (2005 – 2013)
• Vladimir Opsenitsa (2014 – 2021)

History of the band

Okean Elzy is a Ukrainian rock band, recognized as the most successful and famous musical group in the country. The history of the band begins in Lviv, where the team grew out of the musical project "Klan Tyshi". After vocalist Andriy Golyak left the band, his place was taken by 19-year-old physics student Svyatoslav Vakarchuk. The new line-up officially became a band under the name "Okean Elzy" on October 12, 1994.

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk became not only a vocalist, but also the main author of lyrics and music, which gave the group a unique sound. The debut on television took place in 1995 in the program "Deka" with an acoustic program, which included such tracks as "Winnie the Pooh", "New Day", "Stone Forest" and "Sad Doll". The name of the group, according to Vakarchuk, had a cosmopolitan character and an attractive sound. History is silent about who "Elsa" was :)

Creative path

Okean Elzy gained popularity with its first hits, which conquered listeners with energy and a unique style. The first video for the song "Where We Are Not" became a real event and became a fixture in the hit parade "Territory A". Other videos, such as "Kishka", "Kholodno" and "Bez boy", were distinguished by their creativity.

The band actively participated in festivals such as "Alternative 2", "Perlyny sezonu", "Tavriyski igri". In 2001, Okean Elzy became the first Ukrainian musical group to sell out the Kyiv Palace of Sports. Later, this became a common practice for the band. The album "Supersymmetry" (2003) became double platinum. The success continued with new releases, singles and world tours.

In 2014, Okean Elzy were the first Ukrainian and Western musicians to sell out the NSK "Olympic" in Kyiv for their solo performance. And they repeated it in 2016 and 2018. OE's most massive solo concert took place in May 2019, when the band gathered 100,000 spectators at the Expocentre of Ukraine (formerly VDNH) in the capital.

Discography

• 1998 – "Where We Are Not"
• 2000 – "Yananebibuv"
• 2001 – "Model"
• 2003 – "Supersymmetry"
• 2005 – "Gloria"
• 2007 – "Mira"
• 2010 – "Dolce Vita"
• 2013 – "Earth"
• 2016 – "Without Limits"
• 2024 – "That Day"
• 2024 – "Lighthouse"

Awards and Honors

• Victory in three nominations ShowBizAwards 2005
• Four statuettes from the Ukrainian Rock Awards
• FUZZ Award (Best Rock Band of the CIS)
• YUNA-2012 ("Best Band of the Twentieth Anniversary")
• Four awards from YUNA-2014
• Top Hit Music Awards ("Best Band on the Radio")

Most Famous Singles

• "Cold"
• "Embrace"
• "Without a Fight"
• "Green Eyes"
• "Everything Will Be Alright"
• "In the Sky"
• "Not Your War"
• "Don't Go"
• "When We Are Two"
• "City of Spring"
• "Don't Ask"

Interesting Facts

• The band has never participated in music competitions due to disappointment after participating in the "Pearls of the Season-1996" festival.
• OE's tracks can be heard in the animated series "Mykyta the Fox" and the children's film "A Funny Fairy Tale".

Elzy's Ocean is one of the brightest symbols of Ukrainian music, an inspiration for millions of fans.