ROMAX

Language – Ukrainian
City – Kyiv (Ukraine)
Genre – rock

Band leaders:

Roman Dubonos – vocals;
Maxim Boyko – acoustic guitar, backing vocals, trombone.

History and creative path

ROMAX is a Ukrainian rock band that was founded as a cover band. The band gained recognition and popularity in 2019 during its participation in the 10th season of the show “X-Factor”. ROMAX was included in the list of finalists of the anniversary season. Among the brightest hits performed by the band members on the stage of “X-Factor” is an author's cover of Ricky Martin's song Livin' La Vida Loca.

The name ROMAX was formed as a combination of the names of the two leaders of the group – Roman, who acts as the main vocalist and singer with a distinct charisma, and Maksym – a trombonist, guitarist and backing vocalist. This abbreviation immediately set the tone for the entire project, emphasizing the team nature of the group. All participants are artists of the Academic Song and Dance Ensemble of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, which significantly influenced their style, stage discipline and overall sound.

In June 2021, the group made its debut in video format, presenting a video clip for the song “Klasna”. The release immediately attracted the attention of the audience, as the plot of the clip was based on a real love story, where emotions, struggle and tenderness intertwined. The main role in the video was played by the world kickboxing champion, which added special dynamics and visual drive to the composition. The video was directed by the famous producer and video maker Vlad Razikhovsky, who enhanced the atmosphere of history with a modern visual style.

Creative style

The artists themselves define their genre as "mood music", where the main idea is positivity, energy and sincerity. Each live performance of the group is not just a concert, but a full-fledged performance that combines live sound, strong delivery and close contact with the audience. Each performance turns into an emotional explosion, where the audience becomes part of the musical process.

Bright vocals, complemented by powerful guitar riffs, form the recognizable style of the group. Such a sound does not leave indifferent either new listeners or loyal fans who come to concerts again and again. Thanks to the charisma of the performers, the popularity of the group is gradually growing, and their work is confidently entrenched in the Ukrainian music industry.

Creative collaboration

An important aspect of ROMAX's development was their collaboration with guitarist Max Mishchenko. Within the framework of this creative union, a separate project emerged that united the artists in a common sound. After the successful release of the track "Our Father Bandera", which quickly gained popularity among fans, the group decided not to stop there.

Guitarist Max Mishchenko explained that the goal of uniting the musicians was to present folk art in a format that would interest young people and help them discover Ukrainian culture from a new perspective. According to him, there have already been cases when, after listening to their compositions, listeners began to explore the history of these songs, some of which are over two centuries old.

The next step in the collaboration was the creation of a full-fledged album “Fiery Arkan”, which included Ukrainian patriotic, Cossack and rebel songs in a modern rock arrangement. This musical material not only expanded the creative horizon of the group, but also presented ROMAX as performers who shape a new sound of traditional culture.

Civil position

With the beginning of a full-scale war, the group significantly transformed its style, emphasizing a powerful patriotic rock sound. And it was then that the collaboration ROMAX & M. Mishchenko was formed. The music gained even greater depth, and the lyrics gained relevance and strength.

The artists are now actively involved in volunteer initiatives. Among them is the “NaShapku” project, where they raise funds for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, wounded soldiers, displaced persons and children in need. In 2025, ROMAX & M. Mishchenko became part of the large-scale cultural project “Total: Live”, supporting the Resistance Movement of Special Operations Forces and Ukrainians in the temporarily occupied territories.

During their concerts, the musicians perform both well-known hits and new tracks – “Bogorodichny March”, “Lenta za Lentayu”, “Batko nash Bandera”, “Pikhota” and the original composition “Vognyaniy Arkan”. These performances have a deep cultural and moral meaning, as the group consciously gives new life to folk songs, adapting them to a modern sound.

The history of the creation of the track “Vognyaniy Arkan” attracts special attention – its author was the guitarist of the group Max Boyko. He wrote the text in the first weeks of the fight for Kyiv, putting his own experiences and experience into it. Later, the musician joined the ranks of the defenders and is currently serving in the Svoboda battalion as part of the Rubizh National Guard brigade.