Korol' i Shut were a Russian horror punk band from Saint Petersburg that took inspiration and costumes from tales and fables. In Russia this band has an iconic status. The band was formed in 1988 by school friends in Saint Petersburg around founder members Mikhail Gorshok Gorshenev Alexandr Balu Balunov and Alexandr Lieutenant Shchigoliev. Korol' i Shut's lyrics are written by Kniazev and feature horror stories and folk tales about pirates, trolls, ghosts and vampires, as well as Slavic mythology. Many of their songs, despite their intimidating appearance and style, are actually humorous, sarcastic or ironic (dark humor).
