A Warsaw Punk Band Born From Displacement
Three people ended up in the same rehearsal room in Warsaw for reasons none of them chose. Two are from Kharkiv, Ukraine. One is a Russian citizen from St. Petersburg who asked to remain anonymous because of concerns about political repercussions at home. Together they form Ересь (Yeres), a DIY punk band writing in Russian about war, powerlessness, and the feeling of being carried along by events too large to resist.
The band's name means both "heresy" and, in everyday Russian slang, "nonsense." According to the members, it came from a film they were watching one evening. Someone heard the word, mentioned its Greek root meaning "choice," and another replied that it sounded like a decent band name. No grand theory behind it.
Songs That Describe Rather Than Declare
Their debut single, "Загон для скота" ("The Cattle Pen"), sets the tone. Vocalist and guitarist Yurii, who also writes the lyrics and paints the band's artwork, describes it as a reflection on being trapped inside events beyond one's control, not a political manifesto. The cover features a sad-eyed cow tagged with the word "Heresy."
The second single, "По следам" ("Following the Footsteps"), released on 7 August 2026, moves in a different direction. It runs at roughly 90 BPM in 3/4 time, closer to garage-inflected punk rock than hardcore, and its lyrics follow someone walking through a city at night trying to leave everything behind. The cover image came from something the band actually noticed after a rehearsal: a street lamp and a pair of shoes hanging from a wire outside their practice space.
A third single, "Мотор" ("Motor"), is due on 29 September 2026. It deals with war-related PTSD, following a protagonist who begins finding reminders of frightening sounds and images in ordinary surroundings. An 11-track debut LP is planned for mid-October 2026, collecting all three singles alongside new material.
Three Perspectives, One Anti-War Position
All three members are open about opposing the war, though they are careful not to flatten their individual positions into a single message. Bassist Alexander, also from Kharkiv, told IDIOTEQ he joined the band because its songs take an anti-war stance rather than a pro-Ukrainian or pro-Russian one. He is sharply critical of the war itself, of those who profit from it, and of what he sees as its effect on people on both sides.
Yurii is equally explicit that Russia's invasion upended his life, while also voicing criticism of Ukrainian military mobilisation practices. He describes accounts from people he knows personally, including one involving alleged mistreatment by military recruitment officers. The band acknowledges these accounts cannot be independently verified.
The Russian drummer says the invasion forced him to reconsider much of what he was taught growing up. He continues to play and record under anonymity.
The band has performed several times so far, all at the same Warsaw venue, mostly for audiences drawn from immigrant and relocant communities in the city. Belarusian listeners have been among the most receptive. They currently play for free.
For anyone newly arrived in Warsaw and wanting to play music, Yurii's advice is direct: write to venues and ask. "There are many more people with a similar fate here than you might think."
Why It Matters for Hosts
Warsaw's growing population of Ukrainian and Russian-speaking residents represents a real and underserved audience for live music and cultural events. Independent venue operators and accommodation hosts working with this community can benefit from staying aware of grassroots scenes like the one Ересь are part of. Hosting or promoting events that speak to displaced communities, even informally, builds genuine loyalty and word-of-mouth in a demographic that is often navigating the city without established social networks.
Details about Ересь were first reported by IDIOTEQ, the Warsaw-based DIY music publication run by Karol Kamiński. This post is published by the Qontaktly travel blog.
First reported by idioteq.com.