In 2025, Russia’s music scene existed between social media algorithms and administrative pressure. Viral clips on TikTok and Reels could push a track into the charts within weeks and bring an artist millions of plays, as happened with Ivan Zolo’s “Baobab,” Ara Martirosyan’s “Karuseli,” Kazan Kaziev’s “Skripach,” and the song “Svetlana,” which unexpectedly became the basis for ironic user-made videos.
At the same time, interest in performers from earlier decades also grew. After the viral “energy-saving dance” at Tatyana Bulanova’s shows, her streaming audience rose sharply and the singer increased her performance fee. Against that backdrop, the industry also saw attempts to aggressively promote new names, including the Margo project featuring Lil Pump and 6ix9ine.
On the domestic concert market, the year was record-breaking. Basta filled Luzhniki on two consecutive days, selling nearly 150,000 tickets. Egor Kreed became the youngest artist ever to fill the venue: more than 86,000 tickets were sold for his August 30 show. Leonid Agutin, Zveri, and Zivert also drew major crowds. Outside Russia, large venues were filled by artists at odds with the authorities or viewed unfavorably by them, including Morgenshtern and Monetochka.
At the same time, pressure from censors intensified. According to figures cited by Verstka, Safe Internet League head Ekaterina Mizulina filed complaints against more than 300 celebrities, including 78 musicians. After her complaints, rapper Icegergert released a video apology, while her push to have Egor Kreed’s concert investigated became one of the year’s most visible public conflicts.
Roskomnadzor also played a central role. According to calculations by Novaya-Europe’s data team, platforms removed almost 80 tracks at the agency’s request over 2024 and part of 2025, most often over alleged “drug propaganda.” Some artists responded by censoring themselves: Anacondaz issued an edited version of “Mama, ya lyublyu,” and AK-47 rewrote parts of older lyrics.
The peak of this prohibitive climate came with the case against Stoptime: members of the band in St. Petersburg were subjected to revolving short-term arrests for performing songs by “foreign agents” in public. They were later released and allowed to leave the country, but the message was unmistakable. The year’s main conclusion is that Russian music still has the power to fill stadiums, launch trends, and offer listeners hope, yet it is increasingly confronting repression, self-censorship, and the risk of punishment even for what is said on stage.