KnyaZz (Andrey Knyazev) is a Russian rock musician, vocalist, songwriter, and composer, formerly one of the lead vocalists of the band "Korol i Shut", currently pursuing his solo project KnyaZz. Born on February 6, 1973, in Saint Petersburg.
Listening to this artist's tracks on official streaming platforms, social media, and other services indirectly contributes to financing the war — through taxes paid to the budget of the Russian Federation.
The two 'Z' letters in the band's name and logo appeared back in 2011 and have no connection to military Z-symbolism. However, on concert posters in Kazakhstan in the summer of 2023, organizers chose to remove them.
In June 2017, Andrey Knyazev was entered into the database of the Myrotvorets website for denying Russian aggression and participating in propaganda events in Russian-occupied Crimea.
Andrey Knyazev's ("Korol i Shut") stance on the war in Ukraine
Following the outbreak of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, Andrey Knyazev adopted a position of silence. In interviews with Knyazev, the topic of war is taboo.
On February 25, 2022, Knyazev posted a message on his Instagram addressed to Mikhail Gorsheniov (the deceased frontman of "Korol i Shut"): "Brother. You can't see this…"
In the summer of 2022, Knyazev participated in recording the patriotic song "I'm Staying" ("Ya ostayus"), as a response to everyone who left Russia.
National Flag Day concert
On August 22, 2023, the musicians participated in a patriotic concert dedicated to Russian Flag Day at Luzhniki Stadium. This disappointed fans of the band who had still hoped that "KnyaZz" was opposed to the so-called SMO. Pro-Putin regime supporters participated in the concert: Yulia Chicherina, the band CHIZH & CO, Garik Sukachyov, Vadim Samoylov from "Agatha Christie", Sergey Bobunets from "Smyslovye Gallyutsinatsii", and the band "7B". Knyazev responded to the wave of outrage as follows:
I think these people support not the SMO, but those on the front line. Any war is a natural disaster involving huge numbers of people....
This rhetoric ("we support our boys", "war as a natural disaster") is frequently utilized by Russian propagandists to normalize the war in the eyes of the public.
Concerts in Crimea in 2023
In August 2023, the band KnyaZz performed in Russian-occupied cities: Sevastopol, Simferopol, and Kerch. This constitutes a violation of international law and Ukrainian legislation, and is perceived as legitimizing the Russian occupation of Crimea.
The band "KnyaZz" tours extensively across Russia and appears in television broadcasts, including "Kvartirnik NTV u Margulisa" and "Sol".
Patriotic agenda
In June 2025, Knyaz performed the song "Batka Ma*no" by the pro-war Z-band Lyube. The cover became part of the anniversary tribute album "Lyube. 35 It All Begins Again...".
In May 2026, Andrey Knyazev and the band "KnyaZz" presented an updated version of their track "Russian Spirit" ("Russkiy dukh").
Discover the positions of other members of "Korol i Shut", including Aleksandr "Balu" Balunov, Severny Flot, and Maria Nefedova.
Celebrities on the stance of KnyaZz
...as the bass player of KnyaZz said, within the band they are not interested in politics. What is happening in Ukraine they consider an event they cannot oppose in any way. They have their own lives, families, children, songs, and fans, and they consider this circle of interests paramount in their lives. Everything else — any politics, any blood, any suffering, social upheaval — is somewhere far away, does not directly concern them, and does not trouble them. That is why they make the decision to perform on the National Flag Day of the Russian Federation in the midst of war.
So far, he doesn't seem to be shouting «h**l H**ler» too much over there, right? Well, even if he did, I wouldn't think any worse of him.... When they were drafting fifty-year-olds — remember that? — and that was precisely us, we were 49... Good for him [Knyaz] for not going to the front..
Не стоит его судить, не видит он альтернативы, а показать ему не кому.
Тошнит от этого, очень боюсь, что придется вернуться.
Мы про одного и того же горшка говорим? Ну, про того, который говорил, что украинцы - не нация?
он не был в***атаном, настроение было таковым, если б и началась война, уверен, Горшенев бы выступил с заявлением, неко-подобным Балу, до 2014 года даже некоторые украинцы считали что русские и мы один народ, практически все с 22 года поменяли эту позицию, а кои не поменяли пусть Бог судит их крайне негативное мышление( ну конечно же за преступления им придется поплатится еще в этом мире)