Many artists who appeared in the Russian Public Opinion Research Center's (VCIOM) rankings of musical performers last year are absent from its 2026 lists. In its own comparison, the independent outlet Agentstvo found that eight performers from the previous men's top 14 and 13 from the previous women's top 20 were missing. VCIOM changed its survey methodology, limiting direct comparisons between the two years.
The absent performers include Alla Pugacheva, Yuri Shevchuk, Shaman, Nikolai Rastorguyev and Oleg Gazmanov. A year earlier, Shaman had topped the men's ranking with 28%, while 16% of respondents named Gazmanov. The missing names include both artists who have criticized Russia's war against Ukraine and others who have supported it.
For the 2026 survey, VCIOM compiled a list of nominees in advance, using criteria including new music releases, concert activity or at least one of an artist’s tracks reaching the top 10 on major Russian music charts. Respondents could still name a performer outside the list; being omitted as a nominee did not prevent an artist from being named.
The new survey was conducted online using a probability-based panel, whereas previous editions used telephone interviews with an open-ended question. A VCIOM representative told Fontanka that the open-ended format had primarily measured which musicians respondents could recall spontaneously, regardless of their recent achievements.
The men's top five in the 2026 ranking were Sergei Lazarev, Basta, Grigory Leps, Vanya Dmitrienko and Denis Maidanov. The women's top five were Polina Gagarina, Tatyana Kurtukova, Tatyana Bulanova, Zivert and BEARWOLF.