“Nekrut” – a new album about slavery and freedom, grief and celebration, life and death.

Release date: May 16, 2025, at 12:00 PM (Toronto time)

The band 3mi presents Nekrut — a deeply emotional and historically rooted album dedicated to the fate of Belarusian young men who, in the 17th–18th centuries, were forcibly conscripted into the Tsarist army.

Nekrut. Verbavanets. Soldier.

A march into distant, perilous lands — and sometimes, a return home.

Nekrut is the reflection of a soldier’s soul, a journey through memory:

As a boy, I hid from the rain beneath a great oak…

I led my beloved to our wedding and into the church…

I wandered through the fields searching for our lost horse…

The album fuses traditional Belarusian instruments — gusli, zhaleika, pipe, lyre — with modern sonic textures. A powerful blend of folk fusion, authentic melodies, and historical depth makes Nekrut a unique cultural statement.

Project members:

Zmičer Leanovich, Vassili Goussakov — Toronto, Canada
Ivan Kirchuk — Minsk, Belarus

Nekrut will be available May 16 at 12:00 PM (Toronto time) on all major platforms: Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and more.

Listen. Feel. Remember.