Bi-2 / Би-2

Bi-2 is a rock band. It was formed in Belarus in latest 80's by Leva and Shura, who both took surnames Bi-2. "Bi" originally was the abbreviation of "Bereg Istini", the previous name of the band. In early years the band was playing punk rock music. In 1991 Bi-2 moved to Israel and disbanded two years later. Shura moved to Australia where he joined a darkwave band Chiron. He invited Leva to join it in 1996. Chiron was an obscure band, featuring vocals by Michael Aliani. In 1999 Leva and Shura returned to Russia to conquer rock scene. They recorded soundtrack for "Brother II" movie by Alexey Balabanov, and soon became one of most popular rock bands. In 2022, the band opposed the Russian invasion of Ukraine and refused to sing at venues that had banners supporting the invasion. Their concerts in Russia were eventually canceled, and they were forced to emigrate. By May 2023, they were touring the United States and giving concerts. Leva Bi-2 wrote on social media that he would not return to Russia