Litourgiya: The Debut Album Behind Batushka

Everything in the Batushka story starts with one album. Here is how Litourgiya came about.

Who made it?

Krzysztof Drabikowski wrote the music and the lyrics, and painted the cover. Bartłomiej Krysiuk sang, and Marcin Bielemuk played drums. It was recorded at Drabikowski's Sphieratz studio in Sobolewo, near Białystok.

When did it come out?

In December 2015, on Witching Hour Productions. The lead single, Yekteníya VII, came out the month before, in November 2015.

Why did nobody know who played on it?

The musicians stayed anonymous on purpose, so listeners would focus on the music. Together with the hooded robes on stage, it became part of how Batushka looks and sounds.

What language is it in?

Church Slavonic only, the old language of the Orthodox liturgy. The band's name, Batushka, means "father", the title of an Orthodox priest.

How did it reach more people?

Krysiuk and others signed to Metal Blade in October 2017, and the label reissued the album worldwide. Critics praised it from the start.

In the shop: the gold БАТЮШКА lettering on Mary Dagger, Maria II, Head Art and Double Eagle Coin comes straight from the band's look since 2015.

Find your piece: browse the collection