Wildways is a Russian metal band formed in Bryansk in 2009 by guitarist Sergey Novikov. The band's lead vocalist is Anatoly Borisov.
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.
Wildways had always been in opposition to the dictatorial regime of the Russian Federation, and in their works expressed an anti-Kremlin position. In August 2021, at the "Faine Misto" music festival in Ternopil, Wildways performed the song "Put in", mocking Putin's regime. Ukrainians in the crowd simultaneously chanted the famous slogan "Putin khu**o".
Wildways' Stance on the War in Ukraine
At the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Wildways spoke out against the war on their social media pages with the words "No to war", while simultaneously calling on "Musicians, athletes, public figures" to speak out in the same vein. However, they continued their concert activities in the Russian Federation.
In February 2024, the Russian authorities decided to ban concert activities of a number of artists and groups that had not supported the war in Ukraine. Wildways was also included on the list of banned artists.
On March 22, 2024, a month and a half after being blacklisted, the members of the band Wildways did an about-face. They renounced their anti-war stance and published a statement saying that they had visited Mariupol and interacted with Russian soldiers:
Visited Mariupol with the guys. We saw with our own eyes the aftermath of what happened there. Now the city is returning to its usual rhythm of life, but there is still a long way ahead. We visited the guys on the front line and talked with local residents; some of them even recognized us, which was very pleasant. One can talk endlessly on this subject, but being there in person and hearing firsthand what you can only guess about is invaluable. Peaceful skies above! See you at our concerts!
It is worth noting that the photo from Mariupol does not include the band's guitarist Denis Pyatkovsky, who was born in the Ukrainian city of Cherkasy. However, in March 2025, information emerged that Pyatkovsky had applied for Russian citizenship.
Furthermore, Wildways deleted several anti-war music videos from their social media pages. The song "Put in" also vanished from streaming services.
Nevertheless, in the updated blacklist of artists from September 2024, Wildways still remained listed.
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