Leningrad Cowboys

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Leningrad Cowboys
Background information
OriginFinland
Genres
Years active1986–2013, 2025–present[1]
Labels
MembersSakke Järvenpää
Varre Vartiainen
Timo Tolonen
Tume Uusitalo
Ville Tuomi
Pauli Hauta-aho
Sami Järvinen
Okke Komulainen
Anna Sainila
Hanna Moisala
Aino Laakso
Esa Niiva
Past membersSee below

The Leningrad Cowboys (also known as LC Cowboys) are a Finnish rock band who perform rock and roll covers of other songs as well as original material. They have exaggerated pompadour hairstyles and wore long, pointy shoes. They often worked with the Russian military band the Alexandrov Ensemble.

Beginnings

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The band was an invention of the Finnish film director Aki Kaurismäki together with Sakke Järvenpää and Mato Valtonen, members of the Finnish comedy rock band Sleepy Sleepers. The three of them conceived the band in a bar in 1986 as a joke on the waning power of the Soviet Union. The two musicians expressed their wishes that Kaurismäki would direct their first music video, which resulted in the short film Rocky VI (1986). After two further short films, "Thru the Wire" (1987) and "L.A. Woman" (1988), Kaurismäki decided to direct a feature film about them, Leningrad Cowboys Go America (1989).[2][3]

After Leningrad Cowboys Go America

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The band appeared in two subsequent music videos: Those Were the Days (1992)[4] and These Boots (1993),[5] as well as a concert film The Total Balalaika Show (1994)[6] all directed by Kaurismäki.

In 1994, Kaurismäki directed a sequel to Leningrad Cowboys Go America entitled Leningrad Cowboys Meet Moses.[7]

December 2012 saw the release of an animated Christmas video featuring Dog'Y'Dog, a dog resembling the dog from the "You're My Heart, You're My Soul" video. The video also featured a cover of "Christmas in Hollis" from an upcoming Leningrad Cowboys album for Christmas 2013.[8][9][10]

Red X-Mas was a tour of Finland by the Leningrad Cowboys and the Russian Air Force Choir from 27 November to 7 December 2013, featuring over 60 performers.[11][12]

In co-production with Anima Vitae, Leningrad cowboys is producing an animated feature Dog'y'dog featuring the half-Siberian/half-Mexican dog (from their "Christmas in Hollis" music video) traveling from Siberia to Mexico via the US.[13]

Dog'y'Dog also appeared in the Bonehead game for Android developed by Leningrad Cowboys Studios and Fingersoft and released 13 May 2014.[14][15]

After a hiatus caused by their difficulties in replaying a loan for mobile game development from Tekes, Leningrad Cowboys Ltd Oy, the band's parent company, went into bankruptcy after being denied the eligibility of corporate restructuring.[1] The band had planned a concert to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Total Balalaika Show concert in 2023, but the Russian invasion of Ukraine changed plans.[1] In 2025, also due to the invasion, the band changed their name to "LC Cowboys" and announced a comeback tour named Tis is tö komepäk (This is Handsome) in late 2025 with an American choir, Harem Angels.[1][16]

“Total Balalaika Show” of the Leningrad Cowboys and the Red Army Choir in 1993

Band members

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Discography

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Main article: Leningrad Cowboys discography

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Tiikkaja, Samuli (3 April 2025). "Leningrad Cowboys tekee paluun uudella nimellä" [Leningrad Cowboys Return with a New Name]. Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Helsinki: Sanoma. Archived from the original on 7 April 2025. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  2. ^ Eclipse Series 29: Aki Kaurismäki's Leningrad Cowboys – Leningrad Cowboys Go America (Liner notes). Aki Kaurismäki. The Criterion Collection. 2011 [1989]. ECL136.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. ^ "Eclipse 29: Aki Kaurismäki's Leningrad Cowboys – From the Current – The Criterion Collection". Criterion.com. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
  4. ^ Leningrad Cowboys: Those Were the Days (Music), Megamania, Sputnik, retrieved 21 August 2022
  5. ^ Leningrad Cowboys: These Boots (Music), Megamania, Sputnik, 30 November 1994, retrieved 21 August 2022
  6. ^ Kaurismäki, Aki (2 July 1994), Total Balalaika Show (Documentary, Comedy, Music), Provisual, Sputnik, retrieved 22 August 2022
  7. ^ Kaurismäki, Aki (24 February 1994), Leningrad Cowboys Meet Moses (Adventure, Comedy, Music), Sputnik, Pandora Filmproduktion, Pyramide Productions, retrieved 21 August 2022
  8. ^ "Dog'Y'Dog Christmas". Dogydogofficial.com. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  9. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "DOG'Y'DOG CHRISTMAS – Christmas in Hollis by Leningrad Cowboys". YouTube. 14 December 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  10. ^ "DOG'Y'DOG CHRISTMAS – Christmas in Hollis by Leningrad Cowboys – LENINGRAD COWBOYS * Buena Vodka Social Club". Leningradcowboys.fi. Archived from the original on 12 March 2013. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  11. ^ "RED X-MAS PARTY 2013!!! – LENINGRAD COWBOYS * Buena Vodka Social Club". Leningradcowboys.fi. Archived from the original on 9 July 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  12. ^ "Leningrad Cowboys Red X-Mas". Redxmas.fi. Archived from the original on 29 August 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  13. ^ "Off to Cannes Film Festival 2013 | Anima Vitae". Anima.fi. Archived from the original on 15 June 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  14. ^ "NEW GAME AVAILABLE - LENINGRAD COWBOYS * Buena Vodka Social Club". Archived from the original on 15 August 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  15. ^ "Bonehead Puzzle - Android Apps on Google Play". play.google.com. Archived from the original on 6 July 2014.
  16. ^ a b "LC Cowboys & Harlem Angels". Tiketti. Helsinki. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
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