Nashe Radio exists because Mikhail Kozyrev got fired, then turned that setback into a station built entirely around the genre Russian commercial radio had been quietly sidelining for years.
Built From a Firing and a Billionaire's Backing
After his dismissal from Radio Maximum, Kozyrev found an unexpected backer in Boris Berezovsky, who offered support for a new station built specifically to promote Russian rock instead of the pop and Western imports dominating the airwaves. Nashe Radio, which translates simply to "Our Radio," went live on December 14, 1998, launching over the frequency of the news-oriented Radio NSN and opening its broadcast with Kino's "V Nashikh Glazakh," In Our Eyes, a deliberate statement of intent from its first minute on air (Wikipedia). Kozyrev described his target listener in a phrase that's stuck ever since: someone "a bit too old for teenagers and a bit too trendy for people over thirty-five."
A Rotation Built on Zemfira, DDT, Kino, and Aria
That mission shows up directly in the playlist. Nashe Radio built its identity around Russian rock heavyweights like Zemfira, Aria, DDT, Kino, Splin, and Bi-2, spanning everything from 1980s classic rock and heavy metal to folk rock, reggae, and modern pop punk, and it extends that same welcome to Ukrainian and Belarusian bands, which the station has never treated as foreign acts (Wikipedia). The station also runs "Chart Dozen," a weekly 13-position countdown that has functioned as Russia's de facto rock chart since 2003, with annual award ceremonies honoring the year's winners running since 2008.
Nashestvie: The Festival That Grew Into Russia's Biggest Rock Gathering
Nashe Radio's most visible legacy outside the broadcast itself is Nashestvie, the open-air rock festival it organized annually from 1999 through 2019, drawing anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 spectators in a single weekend (Wikipedia). Two decades of that festival turned a radio station's programming choices into a physical gathering point for an entire generation of Russian rock fans, cementing Nashe Radio's role as more than just a frequency people happened to tune into.
- Founded December 14, 1998, by former Radio Maximum producer Mikhail Kozyrev.
- Dedicated to Russian rock, featuring Zemfira, DDT, Kino, Aria, Splin, and Bi-2.
- Runs "Chart Dozen," a weekly 13-song countdown functioning as Russia's rock chart since 2003.
- Organized Nashestvie, Russia's largest open-air rock festival, from 1999 to 2019.
Why It's Worth a Spot in Your Rotation
Nashe Radio didn't just add rock to a crowded dial, it built an entire ecosystem around the genre, a chart, an awards show, and a festival that drew six-figure crowds, all growing out of one producer's decision to bet on a sound the industry had stopped taking seriously. For anyone curious about Russian rock beyond the handful of names that travel internationally, this station is the front door.
Stream Nashe Radio Free on Radio Shuffle
Tune in to Nashe Radio on Radio Shuffle, no account, no app, no fee. Press play and hear the station that put Russian rock back on the map.