yacht rock deep tracks siriusxm

SiriusXM's Deep Track Channel Has Been Retired — Why Did It Disappear?

• SiriusXM appears to have quietly retired Deep Tracks, one of its stations, and many users are upset about the change.
• Deep Tracks played classic rock songs that were never released as singles and were only available on albums.
• The retirement of the channel could be part of broader cost-cutting efforts as SiriusXM deals with the emergence of streaming music.

Over the course of its history, SiriusXM has occasionally removed or changed channels, in theory because they weren't popular enough to continue. This appears to be the fate that has befallen Deep Tracks, Channel 27 on SiriusXM, and many want to know what happened to it.

Deep Tracks was dedicated to playing songs from previous eras that didn't receive radio play when they were initially released. Typically, that means they were songs off of albums that were never released as singles. Now, many want to know why the channel disappeared, and whether it could come back.

What happened to Deep Tracks on SiriusXM?

Deep Tracks appears to have been removed from SiriusXM as of Nov. 8, 2023. The station has become an internet-only station, Channel 308, a fate that has also befallen other channels over the years, and means that older cars can't access it. Unfortunately, SiriusXM hasn't offered much in the way of explanation for its decision, but it seems likely that the channel was quietly retired in large part because it didn't have enough listeners to justify its continued existence on satellite radio.

Now, many fans of the channel are rallying in an attempt to return it to the airwaves.

"I love Deep Tracks. Too much great music to lose. While 60s Gold, 70s on 7 and The Bridge repeat the same old hits day after day, Deep Tracks presents great stuff that I never heard over the airwaves. I hope it doesn’t leave Sirius," one person wrote on a message board following the news that the station had left.

"It's one of my [go-to] stations. I'm curious what will be taking it's place on that channel. I would very much like it to stay put. Where do I sign?" another wrote, referring to the petition to bring the channel back.

SiriusXM has brought channels back in the past due to popular demand, but it's undoubtedly going to be an uphill battle for fans of the channel hoping to see it restored to its rightful place.

Satellite radio is not what it once was.

SiriusXM is likely long past the peak of its popularity. Thanks to the advent of streaming music, many people have left their SiriusXM subscriptions behind, which may mean that Deep Tracks is not the last channel to go as they continue to cut costs.

Even as fans battle to keep the stations they love on the air, SiriusXM is trying to find a way forward that allows it to stay in business. While they haven't said this yet, it seems possible that many more stations could become available only on the Internet in the years ahead.

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Home » The Misguided Allure of Deep Tracks

The Misguided Allure of Deep Tracks

Don’t get radio talent coach Steve Reynolds started on deep tracks. Wait, it’s too late. It all started June 2 nd at 11:53am on his Facebook page , when he posted this:

“Dear Yacht Rock Radio on SiriusXM : welcome back, happy summer, missed you, but…you’re playing lots of unfamiliar music and songs that are stiffs. Please get back to the cheesy, known songs only.”

That initial post regarding the seasonal soft rock channel inspired 41 comments, including chime-ins from some pretty big name radio people.

But Steve was just getting started. An hour later he posted this:

A few days later, he asked his followers to “report all non-yacht songs heard on Yacht Rock Radio,” a post that resulted in 80 comments.

To date, the topic has generated hundreds of comments. We were intrigued enough to cover the topic in this week’s blog.

Steve takes issue with two separate points in his posts. One is the playing of “stiffs”, or unfamiliar songs, and the other is songs that he feels don’t make sense on the station.

The Fit measurement we use in our FACT360 Strategic Music Tests can tell you when a song may not be in sync with your brand. I covered this topic in the blog, “Should I Play That Song On My Radio Station” .

When it comes to the former issue, whether or not to play deep tracks, here is an absolute truth—every radio program director or music director, at some point or another, has felt the allure of playing lesser-known songs or songs that weren’t hits on their station. It may be a caller on the request line, a salesperson or the programmer questioning himself. And when a PD has to make the decision on whether a deeper track makes sense, the first questions to ask are:

• Who is your audience?
• Why are they listening to you and what are their expectations?

SiriusXM, for example, has a deep tracks channel , where the perception Steve noted on the Yacht Rock channel would be reversed. If you hear a hit on the deep tracks channel, that would not be delivering to expectation.

This aligns with the very reason why Steve explains he was inspired to write the post in the first place.

“Yacht Rock brings me back to a happy, carefree time,” he says. “The role of the Yacht Rock channel for me is nostalgia. When a comfortable, familiar song like ‘Deacon Blues’ by Steely Dan comes on, for example, it makes me smile. I don’t want to have to use brainpower when I’m in this state. When a song comes on I’ve never heard of in this context, now I’m using parts of my brain to think about whether I know it and what I think of it. That’s not why I’m there.”

Rupert Holmes has one hit with staying power. This isn’t it.

Context plays a crucial role. AAA stations often have perception of more depth that may allow them to go deeper than a Hot AC station, for example.

If listeners expect their favorite songs on your radio station, the only way to satisfy them is by playing something familiar. But with deep tracks you can’t do that because the very premise of a “deep track” is that you can’t find one that appeals to everyone.

Here’s another example:

Years ago, I drove across the country listening to Creedence Clearwater Revival . I love CCR. My deep is CCR, so I can listen to songs that are unfamiliar to most. For a Classic Rock fan, someone else’s deep may be The Eagles and another’s may be Aerosmith . For a hit music station, the expectation, of course, is hit music.

We are in the business of satisfying customers (listeners) that come to our stores (stations).

We know through research that you can’t find any song—even the biggest, most popular hit song—that appeals to all your listeners.

And you certainly can’t find a deep track that appeals to all of them. Why would you minimize the percentage of customers that are likely to be satisfied?

Steve Reynolds makes a living coaching radio personalities, and he sees a parallel between program directors deciding which music to play and air talent deciding which content to feature.

“As you’ve said many times, Jon, every song is a marketing decision. Is that the song you want representing your radio station? Not just some songs. Every song. I tell air talent, every second of time you have on the station is like beachfront property. You’re the developer. What will you erect on the property? Is it the 4-story home with panoramic views of the ocean and a pool or is it an apartment with no views? Are we selecting our very best, most appealing content every time? It’s the same thing with songs. Are we playing our best, most appealing songs every time? If not, why?”

This doesn’t mean that you never take chances and color outside the lines. As referenced in “Should I Play That Song On My Radio Station,” you can be entrepreneurial in your own lane. You can’t be entrepreneurial in your fringe lanes.

As Don Benson, the former CEO of Lincoln Financial Media puts it, your format lane gives you license to introduce your audience to songs and even sounds they haven’t heard. When you play outside your lane, you risk losing listeners and may encourage brand erosion.

So when it comes to deep tracks, determine:

• Who is the audience?
• Why are they listening to you?
• What are their expectations?

If, in this framework, playing deep tracks makes sense, great.

If not (and it most cases it will be “not”), remember you’re in the customer service business. Providing the most appealing product is the key to success.

21 thoughts on “The Misguided Allure of Deep Tracks”

I left my reply on the original from Steve. Of course I agree with Steve and Jon. We all learn this lesson – sooner or later.

Greetings! I’ve had the same thoughts for years regarding various SiriusXM formats as Steve Reynolds shared in this article. I ask myself continually, “Why oh why would they play this song?”. The only answer that I can come up with is… because they can, which is of course not a good reason.

Short of contacting SiriusXM CEO, Jim Meyer and telling him to hire our firm to help them “fix their music”, I just shrug my shoulders and tell myself it’s their inherent weakness and that’s good for terrestrial radio.

Years ago, one of our DeMers Programming clients gave away tickets to see Eric Clapton on a tour loaded with his “deep cuts” (only the encore tunes were hits). You really had to know your Derek & The Dominos and Cream libraries!!. It wasn’t a surprise when the PD called the day after the show to say the #1 comment from ticket winners was “I didn’t know most of the songs.”

I’ve been to an Ozzy concert in which he DIDN’T play “Crazy Train.” Dudes in the men’s room after the show were not happy. I’ve been to a “deep cuts” Iron Maiden show with a guy who owns all the CDs, Similar response…”they didn’t play my favorites.”

When people PAY, the expect the best…and listeners PAY with their attention!

Back in the day when [what eventually became known as] deep cuts took root, it was at those dorm parties of youth — the ones that fizzled out around 4:30AM, while entire album sides were played on the “record changer”; uninterrupted with no skipping tracks or random needle drops. We took it all in as part of the drunken, stoned, almost comatose experience. IMO, that’s what the deep tracks are all about — the *experience*, not just a sliver of it. And entire album sides were part of it. I don’t think I could survive on a steady diet of marginally memorable songs, but every once in awhile as a “Holy Crap!” tune, one of them will reactivate a dormant memory cell in the depths of my brain and I’m back in the Oneida dorms once again. Speaking for myself, I am all for them. By the way, it’s interesting Reynolds should cite “Deacon Blues” as a fave; out of the Billboard Top 100 for 1978, it came it at the very bottom (musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1978.htm). While not a “deep track” in the literal sense, many more forgettable songs are propped up higher, standing on its shoulders.

Footage of the Yacht Rock Radio format launch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVL4wKnpx2U

I will give AC/Gold programmers credit for being *somewhat* selective on the deep tracks.

You may recall a very strong country crossover around 1980-1981 or so, where Kenny Rogers et al were happily played on the contemporary music stations of the day. Today, if you heard “Coward of the County” played as a deep track, you would be crow-barring your Sirius receiver out of your dashboard.

I understand how this philosophy applies to Classic Hits and other gold-based formats but one of main reasons I’m happy to pay for a subscription to SiriusXM is to be able to listen to a diverse playlist. Satellite radio is great for listeners like me who prefer not to hear “Won’t Get Fooled Again” every 36 hours. Like Allen mentioned in these replies, it’s great to hear a track from an album that you maybe hadn’t heard in a long time. In the case of a heritage station, I think it’s important that they incorporate some popular deep tracks into their playlist if that music had been featured on the station when it was first released. KSHE St. Louis does a great job of including music from their past without wearing out their library of familiar tracks.

Hey, wasn’t every hit a “deep track” once? How long did Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah spend in obscurity before everyone knew it?

There isn’t really a universal standard definition of “hits” and “stiffs” especially among radio people, AND the definition of what IS or IS NOT “Yacht Rock” is a highly subjective exercise itself. The “stiff” Steve complained about (Man On Your Mind) actually peaked HIGHER (#14) than “the comfortable, familiar” song (Deacon Blues, #19) he uses in the article to make his point. In Minneapolis/St. Paul, “Man on Your Mind” was powered by WLOL during that station’s rise from a 4.4 to a 10.0 in the Spring ’82 book…point being that its initial exposure was to a massive group of listeners at a time when that station was THE thing to listen to in the market, and as such is probably a bit more likely to be remembered.

*If you give me a penny for my thoughts and I give you my .02 worth, you owe me a penny!

Message to Steve: The songs you cited were unknown to you because of your ignorance of them. That’s what happens when you listen to mindless stations whose playlists consist of only 8 songs. Get out of your comfort zone.

That’s brutal. Formulaic pap because it’s “comfortable”. The same attitude must prevail for those who stay inside all the time. Whoa betide having an experience! I vividly remember first hearing an Internet Radio station and finding about 90% of the playlist was comprised of bands — not songs — that I had never heard of! It was brilliant and such a breath of fresh air. Of course, I’m now quite familiar with their playlist but it is large enough that it’s not an issue and the DJ still surprises me! Returning to terrestrial radio doesn’t have that much appeal anymore.

Most people aren’t like you apparently.

I’m with Craig on this one, Raoul.

On terrestrial radio, you must adopt the mantra of finding out how few songs you can get away with playing. The problem now, after Telecom Act of 1996, is that LOCAL research dollars have dwindled. Outside major markets, it’s regional or nationwide “research”. Variety is derived from being expert with Selector while properly rotating your universe of songs that drive audience cume, then working to up your TSL. People don’t complain when you play their favorites. You just have to know what they are.

B ecause we are paying for the service, we had BETTER hear deep and WIDE playlists that terrestrial radio won’t touch. Maybe some of the cuts are not as good as others. However, I am interested in these songs. I think some of the cuts in “Yacht Rock’ might not fit, (stiffs or not) but I am damn glad they are there. I’m jealous, I’d love to program some of those XM formats where you WON’T have to play the same 25 songs into the ground.

This post summarizes precisely why people with disposable cash to pay for unlimited data are fleeing terrestrial radio for SiriusXM, Spotify and podcasts.

Because I can’t hear interesting music that I like (including deep Yacht Rock tracks) on terrestrial radio, I haven’t listened to a terrestrial radio commercial that didn’t flank “traffic on the 8’s” in years.

Well Steve… WHERE WERE YOU IN 1982???? The song you called a STIFF (Man On Your Mind – Little River Band) was a multi format hit. On the other hand, Answering Machine by Rupert Holmes was not.

Just based on the first example of what you call a STIFF… Please STAY away from programming. LOL!!!

Thank you and have a nice day.

As an owner and Programmer of an Internet radio station that is a Progressive Rock/Top 40 hybrid, I love that our playlist consists of 2600 titles working our way to 3000. I believe it to be a beautiful combination of familiar songs from either Top 40 or Progressive Rock days gone by and tunes never or rarely heard. Because of certain categories and the number of songs in each category, some titles are heard more than others, but by adding comedy cuts to the format and lessening the number of times “those” categories are scheduled, I’ve been able to cut down on the burn.

If I wanted to listen to the same old “hits”, why would I subscribe to XM? You can hear those same old songs 20 times a day on regular FM. Guess what? A lot of the worst songs from an album were the cut down, homogenized, “hits”.

You mention playing Deacon Blues. It’s a fantastic song. I’ve loved it since I first heard it on the radio (in the late 70s), and many times since on every variety of classic tracks and classic rock station imaginable. I’ve even had Aja on vinyl forever, although it’s been a couple decades since I’ve used my turntable much.

All that being said, one can still get tired of hearing a great song after too many listens. In other words, I’m to the point where Deacon Blues is not interesting any more. It’s a waste of my time and focus.

But deeper tracks can be interesting. Just a few minutes ago, I heard Dr. John’s “I Walk on Gilded Splinters” on Sirius XM. It was the first time I’ve ever heard it, and it’s an amazing song! If some DJ were just playing Deacon Blues over and over agaub, I would have never experienced this new (to me) and amazing song. That’s the joy in listening; that’s what experiencing music is all about.

Different channels have different audiences. You want all hits? There are stations for you. You want non-hits? There’s a place for you too. They have done a great job with multi-segment targeting. There is value for “deep” tracks for many, including me. I applaud them for not pandering to the lowest common denominator on all stations.

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Is Yacht Rock On Sirius? (Here’s What You Need to Know)

Are you a fan of smooth and mellow music? If so, Yacht Rock is the perfect genre for you.

But is it available on SiriusXM? In this article, we will answer that question and provide a deeper look into the genre of Yacht Rock.

We will explore what Yacht Rock is, what SiriusXM is, and how to listen to Yacht Rock on SiriusXM.

Additionally, we will discuss the benefits of listening to Yacht Rock, popular Yacht Rock artists, and the genres influencing Yacht Rock.

Get ready to learn about Yacht Rock on SiriusXM.

Table of Contents

Short Answer

Yes, yacht rock is on Sirius.

It is on SiriusXM Channel 3, and can be heard on the SiriusXM app.

It plays classic yacht rock hits from the 70s and 80s, as well as newer yacht rock tracks.

It also includes special programming such as artist interviews and deep cuts.

What is Yacht Rock?

Yacht rock is a popular music genre that has been around since the late 1970s.

This music is typically characterized by a smooth, relaxing sound, often accompanied by soft rock and pop elements.

While the genre has its roots in the soft rock of the 70s, it has evolved over the years to incorporate elements from a variety of other genres including R&B, jazz, and even funk.

The genre is often referred to as yacht music due to its relaxed, laid-back sound and its association with the leisurely lifestyle of wealthy individuals who own yachts.

The lyrics of yacht rock songs often focus on themes such as love, friendship, and relaxation.

While some songs may tell a story, many are simply about enjoying life and taking things slow.

This relaxed sound and easy-going lyrical content makes yacht rock a great choice for those looking to unwind and relax.

Yacht rock is also known for its catchy melodies, often featuring a distinctive saxophone or guitar solo.

Yacht rock is a genre of music that has seen a resurgence in recent years.

With the popularity of streaming services like Spotify, fans of the genre can now easily access a wealth of yacht rock songs from the comfort of their own homes.

In addition, SiriusXM now offers a dedicated Yacht Rock channel that plays nothing but the smoothest, most relaxing tunes from this era.

With this channel, fans of the genre can get their fill of all their favorite yacht rock hits.

So, if youre looking for a relaxing way to enjoy your day, be sure to check out SiriusXMs Yacht Rock channel.

What is SiriusXM?

SiriusXM is a satellite radio service that offers a huge variety of music, news, and sports programming.

The service is available in both the United States and Canada and offers over 200 different channels of programming, including dozens of music genres, sports talk shows, and news programs.

Music channels feature a variety of genres, including alternative, classic rock, hip-hop, and country.

SiriusXM also offers a selection of comedy channels, talk shows, and public radio stations.

It also offers a range of entertainment options, such as radio plays, podcasts, and more.

SiriusXM also offers a wide variety of exclusive programming, such as exclusive live performances, artist Q&As, and exclusive interviews with musicians, actors, and other celebrities.

In addition to its music, talk, and sports programming, SiriusXM also offers a variety of special channels, such as its Yacht Rock channel.

This channel offers a smooth and relaxing selection of classic yacht rock hits from the 1970s and 1980s, perfect for relaxing on the deck of your boat or just kicking back after a long day.

So if you’re looking for a relaxing way to enjoy your day, be sure to check out SiriusXM’s Yacht Rock channel.

Yacht Rock on SiriusXM

The Yacht Rock channel on SiriusXM is the perfect way to get your fill of smooth and relaxing tunes from the late 1970s.

This channel plays nothing but the best yacht rock hits from the era, making it the ultimate destination for fans of this genre.

From relaxing classics like Sailing by Christopher Cross to timeless hits like Ride Like the Wind by Michael McDonald, the Yacht Rock channel has something for everyone.

Plus, with the SiriusXM app, you can listen to the channel anywhere you go, so you can always have your favorite yacht rock tunes with you.

With the Yacht Rock channel, you can enjoy all the smooth and soothing tunes you love without having to endure the often noisy and chaotic atmosphere of a radio station.

Additionally, the channel offers a variety of programming, including weekly specials, live performances, and curated playlists.

This means that youll never get bored of hearing the same songs over and over again.

With its wide selection of smooth and soothing tunes, youll be able to kick back and relax in no time.

Benefits of Listening to Yacht Rock

Yacht rock is the perfect genre of music to relax and unwind with.

It’s smooth, melodic sound creates a tranquil atmosphere that can help to calm the mind and soothe the soul.

The genre is heavily influenced by the popular music of the late 70s and early 80s, so it is sure to bring back a wave of nostalgia for those who lived through that era.

Additionally, since the music is so chill, it makes for great background music when you need to concentrate on work or studying.

Yacht rock also has a unique sound that is distinct from other genres.

Its sound is made up of a combination of pop, rock, and R&B elements, which come together to create an easy-listening vibe that is perfect for any occasion.

Whether youre looking for something to chill out to, or some upbeat music to get you through the day, yacht rock has something for everyone.

One of the best ways to listen to Yacht Rock is through SiriusXMs dedicated Yacht Rock channel.

This channel plays nothing but the smoothest, most relaxing tunes from this era, so you can get your fill of all your favorite yacht rock hits.

Not only will you get to hear all of your favorite songs, but you’ll also be able to discover new music from the genre.

Yacht rock is a great genre of music to listen to, and with SiriusXMs dedicated Yacht Rock channel, you can easily access all your favorite songs.

So if youre looking for a chill way to enjoy your day, be sure to check out the Yacht Rock channel on SiriusXM.

Popular Yacht Rock Artists

Yacht rock is a genre of music that has been enjoyed by fans since the late 1970s.

It is typically characterized by a smooth, mellow sound that is heavily influenced by the pop, rock, and R&B of the time.

Many popular artists have been associated with the genre, including Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, and Hall & Oates.

Other notable yacht rock artists include Steely Dan, Toto, The Doobie Brothers, and Christopher Cross.

The genre gained its name from the fact that it was often heard on the radio while sailing on yachts in the Mediterranean Sea.

For those looking to listen to some of the best yacht rock hits, SiriusXM now offers a dedicated Yacht Rock channel.

This channel plays nothing but the smoothest, most relaxing tunes from this era, giving fans of the genre their fill of all their favorite yacht rock hits.

So if youre looking for a relaxing way to enjoy your day, be sure to check out SiriusXM’s Yacht Rock channel.

Genres Influencing Yacht Rock

Yacht rock, or “smooth rock,” is a genre of music that draws from a variety of influences, including pop, rock, R&B, and even jazz.

At its core, it is characterized by a smooth, relaxing sound that has been described as “soft rock” or “adult contemporary.

” It was popularized in the late 1970s and early 1980s as a style of music that was easy to listen to and had wide appeal.

Yacht rock has its roots in a few different styles of music.

It draws from the soulful sounds of classic R&B, the harmonies of pop, the energy of rock and roll, and the improvisational aspects of jazz.

All of these influences come together to create a sound that is both soothing and uplifting.

The yacht rock genre is often associated with the era of its origin, the late 1970s and early 1980s.

During this time, many of the popular artists of the day were influenced by the genre, including Hall & Oates, Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Toto, and Steely Dan.

These artists helped to popularize the genre, and it has continued to be a popular choice for music fans ever since.

Now, SiriusXM is offering a dedicated Yacht Rock channel that plays nothing but the smoothest, most relaxing tunes from the era.

So, if you’re looking for a relaxing way to enjoy your day, be sure to check out SiriusXM’s Yacht Rock channel.

How to Listen to Yacht Rock on SiriusXM

Listening to Yacht Rock on SiriusXM is easy! All you need to do is tune in to channel 30 on your SiriusXM radio and you’ll be able to enjoy all the smooth, relaxing tunes from the Yacht Rock genre.

The channel is available in both the US and Canada, so no matter where you are, you can take advantage of the smooth sounds of Yacht Rock.

If you’re not a subscriber to SiriusXM, you can still enjoy the Yacht Rock channel by streaming it online.

Just visit SiriusXM’s website and sign up for a free trial.

During your trial period, you’ll have access to all the channels available on SiriusXM, including the Yacht Rock channel.

When your trial period ends, you can decide whether or not you want to continue your subscription.

If you’re looking for an even more convenient way to listen to Yacht Rock on SiriusXM, you can download the SiriusXM app for your smartphone or tablet.

The app is available for both Android and iOS devices, so no matter what type of device you have, you’ll be able to enjoy the Yacht Rock channel whenever and wherever you go.

So there you have it.

Listening to Yacht Rock on SiriusXM is simple and convenient.

With the dedicated Yacht Rock channel, you can get your fill of all your favorite yacht rock hits whenever you want.

Final Thoughts

Yacht rock is a unique and relaxing genre of music that has been around since the late 1970s.

Now, with SiriusXM’s dedicated Yacht Rock channel, fans of the genre can get their fill of all their favorite hits.

This channel offers a great way to relax and enjoy the day with music from some of the most popular yacht rock artists.

So, if you want to take a break from your day and enjoy some smooth, relaxing tunes, be sure to check out SiriusXM’s Yacht Rock channel.

James Frami

At the age of 15, he and four other friends from his neighborhood constructed their first boat. He has been sailing for almost 30 years and has a wealth of knowledge that he wants to share with others.

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Call it blood on the Deep Tracks.

This week, SiriusXM announced a series of changes to its lineup of music channels. The additions include channels devoted exclusively to the oeuvres of Kelly Clarkson and John Mayer , one made up of old-school Latin music, and one each focusing on R&B and hip-hop hits from the 2000s and 2010s. To make room, some pre-existing channels were moved to new slots up and down the dial.   

With that, all boomer-rock hell broke loose, and the channel’s Facebook fan page was overrun with irate postings: “We don’t get any respect! Deep Tracks is the only station that plays 20-25-minute tracks from Yes and Genesis.” Or: “I can not and will not support using the app. Fuck the suits. Fuck the app. Fuck 308.” And: “Can someone please tell us why Deep Tracks listeners are the red-headed stepchildren of Sirius?” Some threatened to cancel their subscriptions.

Other reactions were more resigned: “Let’s face it. DT is a dinosaur channel and we’re the dinosaurs. It’ll be there for a while, and then one day it won’t.” 

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For those who may have never fully waded into Deep Tracks, which was launched in 2001 by Bailey and the late satellite-radio pioneer George Taylor Morris, the channel occupies a unique space in modern radio. It’s the place for classic-rock junkies to hear more than the overplayed hits of their longtime faves. Want Paul McCartney’s “Band on the Run” or “Maybe I’m Amazed”? You won’t hear those on Deep Tracks, but you will come across “Long Haired Lady” from Ram . In the mood for one of Genesis’ pop hits? Go elsewhere; Deep Tracks unearths burrowed-away treasures like “The Lamia” from The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway . For casual David Bowie fans, don’t expect “Rebel Rebel.” You’ll get “Where Are We Now?” from his second-to-last record, The Next Day .

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In light of classic rock’s lower profile in 2023, combined with the increasing number of deaths and farewell tours in the genre, Bailey admits he’s surprised that Deep Tracks exists at all. “I’m happy that my baby is still part of it all,” he says. “In the beginning we wanted to project the image of a stoned-out hippie in the studio choosing these songs. But over 22 years we’ve developed a bit more sophistication as, dare I say, musicologists.”

But Bailey feels his listeners’ frustrations, especially if it means rebooting their car radios or buying a new one. “People aren’t used to getting radio updates, and I understand the consternation,” he says. “I’m gratified by the passion for Deep Tracks from people who suddenly are having trouble finding us. It’s also upsetting. I can’t fix it. I’m just a show host.”

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JOE ELLIOTT’S SONGS FROM THE VAULT – SIRIUS XM (APRIL 2024 EDITION)

GREETINGS MUSIC LOVERS – AND WELCOME BACK TO JOE ELLIOTT’S SONGS FROM THE VAULT SHOW ON SIRIUSXM’S DEEP TRACKS CHANNEL.

In the APRIL 2024 hour’s show, Joe highlights and tells stories about some of his favourite songs and artists from his own personal collection.

April’s Show features music and stories from Ian Hunter, Von Hertzen Brothers, Marizane, Heavy Metal Kids and more!

WHO: Def Leppard frontman, musician, and musicologist Joe Elliott

WHAT: Joe Elliott’s Songs from the Vault

WHERE: SiriusXM’s DeepTracks (Ch. 27)

WHEN:  Show Schedule  HERE

In his youth, Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott was creatively influenced by the music of the late 60’s and early 70’s. From legendary acts like T. Rex, Mott The Hoople, David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust and so many others. Each month, listen to Elliott play “Deep Tracks” from his personal music collection. Expect to hear songs from Joe’s vault and some of the stories behind them.

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Shooter Files by f.d. walker

Street Photography Tips, Interaction, Travel, Guides

Apr 24 2017

City Street Guides by f.d. walker: A Street Photography Guide to Moscow, Russia

*A series of guides on shooting Street Photography in cities around the world. Find the best spots to shoot, things to capture, street walks, street tips, safety concerns, and more for cities around the world. I have personally researched, explored and shot Street Photography in every city that I create a guide for. So you can be ready to capture the streets as soon as you step outside with your camera!

At over 12 million people, Moscow is the largest city in Russia and second largest in Europe by population ( Istanbul is #1). An urban, cosmopolitan metropolis with more than enough glitz and glam to cater to the elite, but without losing its fair share of Soviet era roughness around the edges. It can be fast paced, brash, busy, and trendy like other big cities, but it has its blend of West meets Russia atmosphere and beauty that provides plenty of unique interest. The Red Square is as famous as it gets, but there’s so much more to this city, including the most beautiful subway system you’ve ever seen. It would take years to capture all of Moscow, but that means you have an endless amount of areas to discover.

So here’s a Street Photography guide so you can be ready to capture all that Moscow has to offer before you even arrive!

• Patriarch’s Pond
• Old Arbat Street
• Maroseyka Street
• Tverskoy Boulevard

Top 5 Street Spots:

1. red square.

The Red Square is the most famous square in not just Russia, but all of Eastern Europe. The name actually doesn’t come from the color of the bricks or communism, but from the name in Russian, Krásnaya, once meaning “beautiful” before its meaning changed to “red.” This large plaza is what you see on the cover of guide books and magazines for Moscow, with St. Basil’s Cathedral being the center piece next to Lenin’s Mausoleum surrounded by the Kremlin Wall. Of course, the Red Square attracts hordes of tourist due to the main attractions, but all that activity around an interesting atmosphere does provide street photo opportunities. It’s also the central square connecting to the city’s major streets, providing a good starting point to explore outward.

You’ll also find the popular pedestrian only Nikolskaya Street connecting the Red Square to Lubyanka Square. This line of expensive shops includes plenty of activity, while also leading you to another popular square. Filled with history rivaling any city, the Red Square and surrounding areas are the heart and soul of Russia.

2. Patriarch’s Ponds

Patriarch’s Ponds is one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in Moscow. Despite the name being plural, there’s only one large pond, but it’s worth a visit with your camera. It’s a popular spot for locals and expats to come relax or take a stroll around the pond. You get an interesting mix of young and old too, from young love to “babushkas” feeding pigeons. It’s a very peaceful park atmosphere in one of the nicer areas within the city center, while bringing enough activity for street photography. 

The pond is shallow and in the winter becomes a popular spot for ice-skating too. The area is also well-known for the location in the famous Russian novel, The Master and Margarita. 

3. Old Arbat (Stary Arbat)

Old Arbat is the most famous pedestrian street in Moscow, and dating back to the 15th century, also one of its oldest. Originally, it was an area of trade, but soon became the most prestigious residential area in Moscow. During the 18th century, Arbat started attracting the city’s scholars and artists, including Alexander Pushkin. Cafes lined the streets and impressive homes filled the neighborhood. Since then, New Arbat street was created as a highway in the area, while Old Arbat was paved for a 1km pedestrian only walkway.

Due to the historic buildings, famous artists that lived here, and the bohemian atmosphere, Old Arbat has become a big attraction for tourists today. Now, there’s a mix of cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops, street performers, street merchants and other attractions for visitors, and some locals, to come enjoy. It can get really busy here and there’s usually something interesting going on so it’s a good street to come walk with your camera for guaranteed life.

4. Gorky Park

One of the most famous places in Moscow is Gorky Park. The official name is Maxim Gorky’s Central Park of Culture & Leisure, which gives you an idea of what goes on here. When built, it was the first of its kind in the Soviet Union. Divided into two parts, it stretches along Moscow River. One end contains fair rides, foods stands, tennis courts, a sports club, a lake for boat rides, and more. This end brings more active life due to its number of attractions, while the other end is more relaxed, where you’ll find gardens, trees, older buildings, and an outdoor amphitheater.

Gorky Park attracts mostly locals so it’s a good spot to capture the non-tourist side of Moscow life. Muscovites come here to escape the city and unwind in a picturesque setting. The park remains alive outside of the warmer months too, especially when the lake turns into the city’s largest outdoor skating rink. I’d recommend taking the metro out here to spend at least half a day exploring the massive park’s life with your camera.

5. Maroseyka Street

Maroseyka Street is a popular area not too far from the Red Square. The long, winding street turns into Pokrovka and is lined with restaurants, cafes, bars and places to stay. It’s actually where I like to stay when I’m in Moscow due to its location and solid street photography opportunities itself. You have Kitay-gorod station near and if you keep walking southwest, you’ll get to the Red Square. But if you walk northwest, as it changes to Pokrovka, you can find a long street of activity for photography with its own interesting atmosphere.

6. Tverskoy Boulevard

Tverskoy Boulevard is the oldest and longest boulevard in Moscow, beginning at the end of Nikitsky Boulevard, and finishing at Pushkin Square, a spot to come for activity itself. The boulevard is made up of two avenues, with pedestrian walkways in-between. You’ll find grass, shrubbery, trees, benches and more walking it’s almost kilometer length. Many people come here to enjoy some relaxation, walk their dog, or just to use it to walk wherever they’re going. Its center location also provides a nice place to walk with your camera near plenty of other spots you’ll want to check out anyway.

Sample Street Walk:

For a full day of Street Photography, covering some of the best spots, you can follow this sample street walk for Moscow:

• Start your morning walking around the Red Square (1), while exploring the surrounding area, including Nikolskaya Street
• Then walk northwest to Patriarch’s Ponds (2) and slowly walk the pond and surrounding area with your camera
• Next, walk east to the Pushkin Monument and stroll down Tverskoy Boulevard (6)
• Once Tverskoy Boulevard (6) ends, it will turn into Nikitsky Boulevard. Follow this down until you get to the start of Old Arbat Street (3), across from Arbatskaya station
• After you’re done walking down Old Arbat Street (3) for more street photography, spend some time checking out Moscow’s beautiful metro stations
• To finish off the day with more street photography, get off the metro near Red Square (1) again, Maroseyka Street (5) or wherever you’re staying for the night.

3 Things I’ll Remember about Shooting in Moscow:

1. museum metro.

The Moscow metro system was the first underground railway system in the Soviet Union and today includes 203 stations across 340km of routes. The elaborate system has some of the deepest stations in the world too, with escalators that seem to go on forever. None of this is what makes it so special, though. Many of its stations feel like stepping inside a museum, making it without a doubt the most interesting and beautiful metro system I’ve been in.

When built, Stalin wanted to make the metro stations “palaces for the people” with marble, chandeliers, and grand architecture. The best part is the variety of architecture and styles used, making many of the stations a completely different experience visually. You could easily spend a whole day traveling the stations and there are even tours available for people who wish to do just that. My advice, though, would be just to buy a ticket and hop on and off at different stations, while exploring different lines. The museum-like surrounding mixed with the crowds of characters can make for a great photography experience.

Since there are so many stations, here are some of my favorites to check out:

• Novoslobodskaya
• Mayakovskaya
• Elektrozavodskaya
• Komsomolskaya
• Ploschad Revolyutsii
• Dostoyevskaya
• Prospekt Mira

2. Moscow is Big

It’s no secret that Moscow is a big city, but it can feel even bigger with how spread out much of it is. This is especially true if you compare it to cities outside of Asia. If I compared it to cities in Europe, I’d probably say only Istanbul would warrant more time to really discover the depths of this city. Most only explore around the Red Square and surrounding area, but that is such a small part of the city. Although, that central area does give you plenty to see on its own.

Fortunately, I had a good friend living in the city to show me around, but it opened up my eyes even more to how much there is to discover in Moscow. It’s a big city with a variety of atmosphere that can take you from “east” to “west” and trendy to rugged depending on where you go. I’d imagine you’d have to live here a while to really know the city.

3. Cosmopolitan Mix of East meets West

Modern skyscrapers mixed with amazing architecture, a world-class metro system with museum-like beauty, trendy fashion and chic clubs, Moscow is a rich mix of Russian culture and history in a more western cosmopolitan package. There is a push to keep the Russian culture, while also pushing forward with a modern metropolis the whole world will envy. This comes with an impressive skyline, that continues to grow, and endless modernities, but with soviet nostalgia and atmosphere mixed in for good measure.

Mixed in with this grand western cosmopolitan atmosphere, is a strong national pride in Russia. This includes their famous leader, Vladimir Putin. Maybe no other place will you see a country’s leader more often. All over, from the pricey tourist shops to the underground walkway stalls, you’ll find goods with Putin’s likeness covering them. From t-shirts to magnets to Matryoshka dolls. There’s a strong national pride that can be seen around the city, which also extends to their leader. Moscow is many things. It’s East meets West, modernizations meets Soviet era, and a whole lot more.

What To Do For a Street Photography Break?:

Eat at a stolovaya.

Stolovayas are Russian cafeterias that became popular in the Soviet days. You grab a tray and walk down the line of freshly prepared local dishes, and select whatever you want from the chefs. They’re usually inexpensive and a much better value than restaurants, while giving you the opportunity to try from a wide selection of everyday Russian food. They’re also very tasty. I always include some borsch on my tray and go from there. The places themselves are all over Moscow and usually come with Soviet-era aesthetics to complete the experience.

Street Safety Score: 7

*As always, no place is completely safe! So when I talk about safety, I’m speaking in general comparison to other places. Always take precaution, be smart, observe your surroundings and trust your instincts anywhere you go!

Being the 2nd largest city in Europe with over 12 million people, you’re going to have your dangerous areas, but for the most part, it feels safe walking around. Russia is statistically higher in crime compared to most of Europe, but this generally doesn’t apply to tourists and visitors. Around the Red Square and surrounding city center, you should feel completely safe walking around. Pick pocketing can happen, but no more than other touristic places. I always explore Moscow freely without coming across too much to worry about. It’s a spread out city, though, so of course it matters where you are. Just use basic street smarts, know where you are and Moscow shouldn’t give you a problem. 

People’s Reaction Score: 7

Moscow is fast paced, big city life, which usually means people aren’t too concerned with you, or your camera. I don’t find people notice or pay much attention to me when I’m out taking photos in Moscow. For the most part, people just go about their day. You shouldn’t get too many looks or concern. But it can depend on the area you are in. The more you stick out, the more you might get noticed with suspicions. I’ve never had any problems in Moscow, or Russia, but just be careful who you’re taking a photo of if you get out of the city center. Other than that, it’s about average for reactions. 

Street Tips:

Learn the alphabet .

Much of Moscow, including the metro system, doesn’t use english. The Russian alphabet uses letters from the Cyrillic script, which if you aren’t familiar with it and don’t know the sounds, can be hard to decipher the words. This is most important for street names and metro stops when trying to get around. It can save confusion and make it easier getting around if you learn the basic alphabet. At the very least then, you can sound out the words to see which are similar in the english conversion, which can help matching them to maps. When out shooting street photography, getting around is as important as anything. So save yourself some time and frustration by learning the Russian Alphabet.

Use the metro

While Saint-Petersburg feels very walkable for a city its size, Moscow can feel very spread out, even for its bigger size. Outside of the Red Square area, you can have plenty of walking before getting anywhere very interesting, so you’ll need to take the metro a lot if you really want to explore the city. Maps are deceiving here too, it will always be further than it looks.

Another reason it’s less walkable than Saint-Petersburg is its completely different set-up. Moscow’s streets are mostly contstructed in rings with narrow, winding streets in-between. This is common with medieval city cities that used to be confined by walls, but you usually don’t have it in a city this massive. Saint-Petersburg has a more grid-like pattern that also uses the canals to help you know your way around. When it comes to navigating on foot in Moscow, it can be more difficult, so bring a map and take the metro when needed. It’s why Moscow’s metro carries more passengers per day than the London and Paris subways combined.

Explore other areas if you have time

Moscow is really big. While most people stay around the Red Square within the Boulevard Ring, there’s so much more to the city. I covered some other spots outside of this circle, but if you really want to see the city, you’ll need time. If you do have time, some other areas I’d check out first are Zamoskvarechye, along some of the south and western Moscow.

Inspiration:

For some more inspiration, you can look through the Street Photography of Moscow photographer Artem Zhitenev  and check out 33 of my photos taken in Moscow .

Conclusion:

Moscow’s name brings a certain mystique, but once you’re there it might bring a different atmosphere than you expect. It’s big and sprawling, but beautiful in many ways. It can feel like a European capital on a grand scale, but you can definitely find its Russian side in there.

The urban sprawl of Moscow can be intimidating, but give it enough time and you’ll be rewarded with plenty to discover. All with the world’s best metro system to take you around.

I hope this guide can help you start to experience some of what Moscow contains. So grab your camera and capture all that Moscow has to offer for Street Photography!

If you still have any questions about shooting in Moscow, feel free to comment below or email me!

(I want to make these guides as valuable as possible for all of you so add any ideas on improvements, including addition requests, in the comment section!)

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Russia-Ukraine War Ukrainian Drones Hit 2 Bases Deep in Russia

• Share full article
• Saratov Oblast, Russia Explosion rocks Russian military base. EYEPRESS via Reuters
• Kyiv Residents take shelter in the Metro. Laura Boushnak for The New York Times
• Irpin Winter in Ukraine. David Guttenfelder for The New York Times
• Kherson region Salvaging a refrigerator from the ruins of a home. Finbarr O'Reilly for The New York Times
• Borodyanka A makeshift center for those whose homes have been destroyed. Dimitar Dilkoff/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
• Kharkiv Police officers look at collected fragments of Russian rockets. Libkos/Associated Press
• Bakhmut Chopping wood in a basement shelter. Tyler Hicks/The New York Times
• Donetsk An office building destroyed in shelling. Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters
• Eastern Ukraine Soldiers on the front line. Yevhen Titov/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Follow live news updates on the Russia-Ukraine war .

Ukraine attacks military bases hundreds of miles inside Russia.

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine executed its most brazen attack into Russian territory in the nine-month-old war on Monday, targeting two military bases hundreds of miles inside the country, using drones, according to the Russian Defense Ministry and a senior Ukrainian official.

The drones were launched from Ukrainian territory, and at least one of the strikes was made with the help of special forces close to the base who helped guide the drones to the target, said the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to convey sensitive information.

The strikes signaled a new willingness by Kyiv to take the fight to bases in the heart of Russia, raising the stakes in the war, and demonstrated for the first time Ukraine’s ability to attack at such long distances. Shortly after the attacks on the bases, Russia sent a barrage of missiles streaking toward Ukrainian cities.

The Kremlin said that the weapons launched by Ukraine were Soviet-era jet drones and were aimed at bases in Ryazan and Engels, about 300 miles from the Ukrainian border. It said that its forces had intercepted the drones, and that “the fall and explosion of the wreckage” had “slightly damaged” two planes, killing three servicemen and wounding four others.

The Engels airfield, on the Volga River in southern Russia, is a base for some of Russia’s long-range, nuclear-capable bombers, including the Tupolev-160 and Tupolev-95. Ukrainian officials say it is also a staging ground for Russia’s unrelenting campaign of missile attacks on infrastructure, which have left millions of Ukrainians with intermittent light, heat or water — or none at all — at the onset of winter. Security footage from an apartment complex near the base showed a fireball lighting up the sky.

The other explosion occurred at the Dyagilevo military base in the central city of Ryazan, only about 100 miles from Moscow, according to Russia’s Defense Ministry. It was there that the fatalities and injuries occurred, the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported.

Ukraine’s government declined to publicly acknowledge the strikes, in keeping with its practice with other attacks on Russia and Russian-occupied Crimea.

The Engels air base and the Ryazan military installation are between 300 and 450 miles from the Ukrainian border, which is beyond the range of any known missile in Ukraine’s arsenal.

Even before Russia’s Defense Ministry accused Ukraine of sending drones to attack, the blast at the Engels airfield had prompted some of Russia’s influential pro-invasion bloggers to call for more strikes against Ukraine, and to renew criticism of the Russian armed forces. “Sometimes we feel that even if you put a bomb into these people’s pockets — they wouldn’t notice anyway,” Voenniy Osvedomitel, a popular commentator, wrote on the messaging app Telegram.

After the explosions, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukraine’s president, appeared to note the strikes obliquely, as Ukrainian officials have often done after unexplained explosions inside Russia.

“The Earth is round — discovery made by Galileo,” he wrote on Twitter . “If something is launched into other countries’ airspace, sooner or later unknown flying objects will return to departure point.”

Only a few hours after the explosions, Ukrainian officials said that more than a dozen Russian bombers had taken off from the Engels air base.

Ivan Nechepurenko and Helene Cooper contributed reporting.

— Andrew E. Kramer ,  Michael Schwirtz and Marc Santora

Russia fired a barrage of missiles across Ukraine on Monday.

Russia launched a volley of missiles at Ukraine’s energy grid on Monday, knocking out power in several regions, officials said, the latest in a monthslong campaign of strikes by Moscow targeting civilian infrastructure.

Ukrainian air defense systems fired into the sky in multiple areas of the country but not all missiles were intercepted. Four people were killed by the Russian strikes, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, and officials reported damage to energy infrastructure.

When air-raid warnings were issued for most of the country, Ukrainians followed a grim routine and headed for bomb shelters in Kyiv and other cities. Shortly after the all-clear was given, Mr. Zelensky addressed the nation to praise both the military and utility workers fighting to keep the lights on.

“Air defenses shot down most of the rockets, energy workers have already started to restore electricity,” he said. Ukraine’s Air Force later said that it had shot down more than 60 missiles out of more than 70 fired.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement that it had targeted power plants and other sites in Ukraine. Ukraine’s prime minister said energy facilities were hit in the Kyiv, Vinnytsia and Odesa regions, according to the Ukrinform news agency.

The strikes occurred hours after explosions were reported at two military bases deep inside Russia, including one that Ukraine said has been used as a staging ground for aircraft in previous attacks against Ukraine’s energy grid. Russia’s Ministry of Defense later accused Ukraine of using drones to attack the bases.

By midafternoon in Ukraine, multiple reports had surfaced of inbound missiles. A New York Times reporter south of Kyiv saw a cruise missile in flight traveling toward the capital. Another New York Times reporter observed what appeared to be a surface-to-air-missile launched outside of Sloviansk in eastern Ukraine. The extent of damage, and of casualties, was not immediately clear.

The governor of the Kyiv region, the administrative district around the capital, said that air defense systems had fired at incoming missiles. “Stay in shelters and safe places,” the governor, Oleksiy Kuleba, wrote in a statement on Telegram.

Ukraine’s national energy company, Ukrenergo, said that the “mass missile attack” had damaged electrical facilities. In a statement posted on Facebook , it said emergency energy shutdowns would be imposed to help balance the grid.

Blackouts were reported in several regions, from Sumy in the north along the border with Russia to Odesa in the south on the Black Sea coast.

The Russian military typically launches missiles from multiple directions and in successive waves, a tactic intended to overwhelm or avoid Ukraine’s air defenses, Yuriy Ihnat, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, told a Ukrainian television news show.

Russia began firing missiles at Ukraine’s energy grid in October after its forces lost ground on the battlefield in two Ukrainian counteroffensive operations in the south and northeast.

Ukrainians have responded to the wave of strikes on infrastructure by building emergency heating shelters in towns, dispatching linemen to repair the grid as swiftly as possible and powering restaurants, stores and hospitals with generators . In hard-hit areas, residents stockpile water in bottles in their homes.

And Ukrainians have adapted. In Kryvyi Rih, a central city that is a hub of the iron-mining industry, miners evacuated to the surface on Monday, lest electricity for their elevators be lost, the city’s mayor said. After past strikes, miners had been trapped underground.

Ukraine has greatly increased its capacity to shoot down incoming missiles, aided by air defense systems supplied by the United States and some European countries..

Carlotta Gall and Thomas Gibbons-Neff contributed reporting.

— Andrew E. Kramer and Matthew Mpoke Bigg

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When the air raid sirens ring out, residents of Kyiv head underground.

KYIV, Ukraine — In a city where daily routines have been wrecked by unrelenting Russian missile strikes, unpredictable power cuts and unreliable water supplies, residents of Kyiv know that, at any time, they might have to spend a few hours in an air raid shelter.

It had been 13 days since the last large-scale barrage of Russian missiles fired at targets across Ukraine, the longest stretch without blasts in and around the capital since Moscow began its assault on the nation’s energy infrastructure in early October. For days, Ukrainian officials had been warning that another attack was imminent.

So when the air raid alarms sounded across Kyiv early on Monday afternoon, many people were not surprised. The sirens were followed by warnings that missiles were inbound, and soon after the thunder of air defense systems could be heard over the capital.

“To be honest I feel relief this time,” said Olha Kotrus, 34. “For two weeks there were reports that it might happen and then you live in constant tension.”

Ms. Kotrus was sitting on the floor of a Kyiv metro station with her mom, a cat in a cage and her dog. The dog, dressed in a blue outfit to keep it warm in the winter chill, was visibly stressed. Ms. Kotrus was angry and fed up.

She joined a crowd of hundreds people deep underground at the metro station Golden Gate, named after the main fortification that served as the entrance to the city 1,000 years ago.

By evening, however, the famed gate was not illuminated, forced into darkness like much of the city. Monday’s barrage of rockets targeting sites around the country was the eighth such wave of attacks on key energy infrastructure targets, according to the national utility operator, Ukrenergo.

“Unfortunately, energy infrastructure facilities have already been hit and there have been emergency power outages related to this,” Ukrenergo said in a statement.

At least ten rockets were aimed at Kyiv on Monday, according to local officials. Nine were shot down above the capital, the officials said.

Like everyone interviewed in Kyiv, Ms. Kotrus’s anger was directed at Russia and her frustration was the result of many days filled with anxiety and long, dark nights with no power.

Anna Sokolova, 21, said she had endured cuts in power and water supplies for two weeks, ever since the last wave of missiles. Ms. Sokolova lives near a local utility headquarters that has been targeted in recent Russian strikes and said she always takes shelter when the alarms sound.

But she did not want to complain about her own hardships, saying it is nothing compared to what her friends, soldiers fighting on the front lines, are experiencing.

Lyumyla Vonifatova, 66, agreed.

“We all understand that without electricity, life becomes impossible,” she said. “Yet, we will just have to find a way to get through it.”

She was passing the time in the subway shelter by looking at a small display of photos of this war and others that came before it.

“Despite all the loss of human life and economic hardship, we will stand until the end,” she said. “Because this is a fight for our freedom.”

But Tetyana Tkachenko’s six-year-old son is too small to understand that. She said he is terrified every time the alarms sound.

“He was crying, running around,” when the alarms began to sound, Ms. Tkachenko said. He quickly put on warm clothes and begged to “go to the subway,” she said.

She grabbed two foldable chairs, previously used for the park or beach. But now they were part of the family’s new routine, for when the sirens sound and they head deep underground.

— Marc Santora and Maria Varenikova

Putin inspects a bridge linking Russia and Crimea, two months after a damaging explosion.

President Vladimir V. Putin inspected repairs to a bridge that links the country with the Crimean Peninsula on Monday, two months after an explosion partly destroyed it in an embarrassing blow to the Russian leader and Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine.

The October attack on the Kerch Strait Bridge, a pet project of Mr. Putin’s that became a key supply route for Moscow’s forces in southern Ukraine, was a critical moment in the war. The Kremlin accused Ukraine of orchestrating the blast, which underscored Russia’s inability to protect a key strategic asset and prompted Moscow to unleash a wave of airstrikes on Ukraine.

Video published by the Kremlin showed Mr. Putin driving a Mercedes car over the bridge. Accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin, who is in charge of the repair, Mr. Putin inquired about the progress of the work and said he hoped the road and rail bridge would be fully restored by the middle of the summer vacation season.

Pointing at the still-charred railway section of the bridge, he said that “this was a big explosion.”

When the bridge opened in 2018, it was a powerful symbol of the connection the Kremlin was attempting to forge between Russia and Crimea, a Ukrainian region illegally annexed by Moscow four years earlier. Mr. Putin took personal credit for its construction, driving a truck along its 12-mile span at the head of a convoy.

On Monday, he also took credit for building two railway tracks and two traffic lanes each way, as the redundancy allowed traffic to be partially restored soon after the explosion hit in October.

While Ukraine’s government did not claim responsibility for the blast, which sent part of the bridge crashing into the sea on Oct. 8, a senior Ukrainian official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of a government ban on discussing the blast, confirmed that Ukraine’s intelligence services were behind it .

The Kerch attack came during a period of setbacks for Russian forces in Ukraine, including the loss of territory it had captured in the northeast of the country. Two days after the attack on the bridge, Russia escalated a strategy of pounding Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with waves of missiles launched at power stations and other facilities.

— Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Ivan Nechepurenko

A woman is shot and killed trying to cross into Ukrainian-held territory in Kherson.

KHERSON, Ukraine — A 65-year-old woman was shot to death on Sunday evening as she tried to escape in a boat from Russian-occupied territory in Kherson, Ukrainian officials said, illustrating the perils of Ukraine’s call for civilians to evacuate Russian-held areas in the heavily contested southern region.

Ukrainian officials blamed Russian soldiers in the killing; there was no immediate comment from the Russian side. The woman was crossing the Dnipro River, attempting to thread a gantlet of Russian and Ukrainian troops dug in on opposite banks near the city of Kherson, when she was killed in a hail of automatic gunfire, according to a statement from the City Council.

Both armies have been heavily shelling each other across the river, which has become a front line three weeks after Ukraine reclaimed Kherson city on the west bank and Russian forces withdrew to defensive positions on the eastern side. On Saturday, Ukrainian officials encouraged people to flee Russian-occupied areas on the eastern bank, warning of a “possible intensification of hostilities.”

But even before the woman was killed, many Ukrainians had complained on social media channels that the evacuation plan, which required individuals to use private boats to cross a dangerous river, was poorly organized. The announcement on Saturday did not specify the areas people should flee from or whether the advice applied in towns still occupied by Russian troops.

One of those towns, Hola Prystan, which lies several miles downriver from Kherson, was the area that the woman who was killed tried to escape, according to a statement released by the Kherson City Council on Sunday night.

“A 65-year-old woman who was crossing the Dnipro River with her husband on a boat, leaving a country house in the Hola Prystan district, was wounded by automatic fire. Unfortunately, the woman did not survive,” the statement read.

On Monday, Oleksandr Tolokonnikov, a spokesman for the Kherson regional military administration, said that the area was not covered by the evacuation plan.

“Navigation there is not open,” he said. “It is still banned to cross river there by boats. People can move there at their own risk.”

The area around Kherson and Hola Prystan is a watery landscape of river channels and small marshy islands, some with summer homes on them. The Kherson authorities’ plan was to have evacuees come to Kherson’s main river port, which itself has come under heavy shelling in the past week. Until the evacuation was announced, the Ukrainian military had prohibited people from traveling by boat on the river. The plan was to allow daylight river crossings for three days, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

The mood in Kherson has turned grim in the three weeks since Ukrainian forces swept in, when the city throbbed with jubilation as people poured into the streets, hugged soldiers, waved flags and snapped selfies. As Russian forces continue to shell the city relentlessly, more than 18 people have been killed in the past two weeks and dozens more wounded, according to Ukrainian officials.

Ukrainian forces have been eager to push the Russians farther away and get Kherson out of artillery range. Over the weekend, a Ukrainian military unit released a video purporting to show the raising of a Ukrainian flag on the eastern bank of the Dnipro. Although there was no indication that Ukraine had established a permanent military presence at the site, the video was an apparent sign of Kyiv’s intent to continue its counteroffensive in the south.

Oleksandra Mykolyshyn contributed reporting.

— Jeffrey Gettleman

An E.U. embargo of Russian oil and the G7’s price cap take effect.

Europe and the United States started enforcing on Monday two of the toughest measures aimed at curbing Russia’s income from oil, the principal source of cash used to fund its nearly 10-month-old war in Ukraine.

The first, a price cap initiative led by the United States, aims to increase economic pressure on the Kremlin while avoiding a global oil shock . The limit was set at $60 per barrel, and was endorsed by the Group of 7 countries, Australia, and members of the European Union.

The second is an embargo under which European nations will no longer be able to buy most Russian crude as of Monday. It was a step that the European Union had agreed to months ago but that was phased in with exceptions to prepare member nations.

Prices gyrated in the oil markets on Monday, with Brent crude, the international benchmark, up by about 2.5 percent, to $87.75 a barrel, at midday in Europe. West Texas Intermediate future were selling at $82 a barrel.

An immediate impact on oil supplies in Europe was not expected, partly because the embargo has been in the works for months, and energy companies have already begun buying more oil from the United States, Brazil, Guyana and the Middle East.

Although analysts and traders say the price cap may prove a nightmare to administer, one expert on sanctions said the lengthy negotiations had produced a deal with the potential to work.

“I suspect the compromise that was reached gives the policy the best chance it could have to succeed,” said Edward Fishman, a senior research scholar at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy.

Mr. Fishman, who previously led planning and implementation of sanctions on Russia at the Department of State, said there were several reasons to be optimistic. One is the recent softness of oil markets, which he interpreted as meaning that Russian oil was no longer as critical to the markets as it was a few months ago. He also said the agreed $60 price was a “Goldilocks” level, not so high as to give Russia even more revenue than it is currently receiving or so low as to discourage Moscow from producing oil.

He also said that the cap’s provision to review the price level every two months, or more frequently if needed, provided the “flexibility” that historically has helped make sanctions, like those targeting Iran’s oil sales, effective.

Still, skepticism about the likely efficacy of the measures stems in part from the United States and European countries mandating European shippers and insurers to enforce it by declining to handle cargoes priced above the $60-a-barrel level.

— Stanley Reed

Ukraine will auction a yacht seized from a Putin ally.

As Ukraine scrambles to fund its fight against Russia’s invasion, a potential new source of tens of millions of dollars has materialized — the planned sale of a superyacht seized from one of Ukraine’s most famous pro-Russian oligarchs.

Soon after Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February, Ukrainian authorities announced they had taken possession of properties belonging to Viktor Medvedchuk , a prominent pro-Russian politician and a close friend of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.

For years, Mr. Medvedchuk was seen as the Kremlin’s primary agent of influence in Ukraine. Mr. Putin is the godfather of Mr. Medvedchuk’s daughter.

The confiscated assets included the Royal Romance, a 300-foot yacht docked in a Croatian port that is linked to Mr. Medvedchuk. According to its Dutch manufacturer, Feadship, the ship has a 40-foot swimming pool, a gym, a waterfall feature, and an estimated value of more than $200 million. The yacht and other assets were confiscated as part of a criminal investigation in which Mr. Medvedchuk is suspected of treason, according to Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigation .

Last week, ARMA, Ukraine’s government agency for asset recovery and management, said that a district court in Split, Croatia, had entrusted the city’s port administration with implementing the transfer of the yacht to the agency. ARMA described the Royal Romance, which has 50 rooms, as “one of the largest yachts in the world” and said that it plans to auction the vessel to “preserve its economic value.”

Ukrainians welcomed the proposed sale, with some celebrating on social media and joking that Mr. Medvedchuk would be making a large donation to Ukraine’s armed forces.

ARMA was created in Ukraine in 2016 to seize the assets of officials in corruption cases, but since the invasion it has also turned its attention to the property of Russians and of Ukrainians who are accused of collaborating with Russia.

Mr. Medvedchuk, a prominent figure in the pro-Russian wing of Ukrainian politics and a former deputy speaker of Ukraine’s Parliament, had been under criminal investigation in Ukraine before the invasion. Ukrainian security forces captured him in April, after he fled house arrest while awaiting trial on treason charges. Ukrainian authorities handed him over to Russia in September in a prisoner exchange.

Mr. Medvedchuk was also mentioned in U.S. investigations into Russian electoral meddling, as a client of the Republican political consultant Paul Manafort. He denied wrongdoing and said Mr. Manafort had merely advised his party on electoral strategy.

The Royal Romance officially belongs to a company called Lanelia Holdings, based in the Marshall Islands, according to Equasis , a major shipping information database. The ship changed ownership in 2021, when Ukraine imposed sanctions on Mr. Medvedchuk.

Last summer, a superyacht linked to a Russian businessman under sanctions was auctioned in Gibraltar, but the profits were set to repay his creditors rather than replenish Ukraine’s accounts. In general, the process through which seized assets can be permanently confiscated and sold to benefit Ukraine is cumbersome and can take years .

— Emma Bubola and Anastasia Kuznietsova

To help Ukraine, a widow parts with a rare emerald from a 1622 shipwreck.

For years, Mitzi Perdue looked down at her hand and saw history.

The emerald stone on her ring finger told a story stretching back nearly four centuries, to the sinking of a Spanish galleon near the Florida Keys in 1622 and a decades-long effort of a colorful undersea treasure hunter named Mel Fisher to retrieve its payload of gold and silver coins, gold nuggets and jewelry.

It reminded her, too, of her late husband, the chicken magnate Frank Perdue, who received a share of the bounty in return for his investment in Mr. Fisher’s search. He donated most of it, but kept the emerald and presented it to her when he proposed marriage in 1988. She wore it until his death in 2005 , when she put it away for safekeeping.

Now, 400 years after the Nuestra Señora de Atocha sank in a hurricane, Ms. Perdue, 81, is putting the emerald up for auction on Wednesday at Sotheby’s in New York City. All proceeds from the sale of the ring, which Sotheby’s says has an estimated value of $50,000 to $70,000, will be donated to support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, prompted by Ms. Perdue’s visit there this year after the Russian invasion .

“What must it be like for the people who have been there enduring, continuously with no respite, for at least half a year?” she said. “After five days, I wanted to do more. And then I started thinking, ‘What can I do to be most helpful?’ And then I thought, ‘I own something that’s of historic significance.’”

— April Rubin

Russia continues to manufacture cruise missiles despite Western sanctions, experts say.

Some of the cruise missiles that Russia launched at Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure in late November were manufactured months after the West imposed sanctions intended to deprive Moscow of the components needed to make those munitions, according to a weapons research group.

Experts examined remnants of Kh-101 cruise missiles found in Kyiv, the capital, after an attack on Nov. 23 that knocked out electricity and shut down water systems in large areas of the country. One of the missiles was made this summer, and another was completed after September, markings on the weapons show, according to a report released by the investigators on Monday .

That Russia has continued to make advanced guided missiles like the Kh-101 suggests that it has found ways to acquire semiconductors and other matériel despite the sanctions or that it had significant stockpiles of the components before the war began, one of the researchers said.

The findings are among the most recent by Conflict Armament Research , an independent group based in Britain that identifies and tracks weapons and ammunition used in wars. A small team of its researchers arrived in Kyiv just before the attack at the invitation of the Ukrainian security service.

— John Ismay

2018 Primetime Emmy & James Beard Award Winner

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Celebrate Memorial Day Weekend with These Channels

Start the summer off right with Yacht Rock 311, Road Trip Radio, Radio Margaritaville, and more.

Memorial Day is upon us! It’s a time to honor the brave sacrifices of those who have given their lives serving in our military. And, of course, to party with music!

Hear Memorial Day weekend music specials on the SXM App now

For many, this long weekend also marks the unofficial start of summer. With long nights and warm weather already on the way, we’re ready to feel the summer vibes. Whatever your plans this Memorial Day, SiriusXM has a host of great channels, playlists, and live performances perfect for helping you welcome the season.

So, whether you’re taking a road trip, hosting a BBQ, or just chilling in the sun, be sure to tune in and let us be the soundtrack to your Memorial Day weekend.

Looking to kick back and relax by the water this weekend? Yacht Rock 311 (Ch. 311) is the channel for you. Celebrating the soft rock of the late ’70s and early ’80s, it’s nothing but smooth sailing on this channel. Expect to hear the likes of Hall & Oates, Michael McDonald, and many more.

You can also relive performances by Christopher Cross and Kenny Loggins from last year’s Yacht Rock the Boat concert cruise !

No matter where you are, escape to Radio Margaritaville (Ch. 24) this weekend. Parrotheads, your ship has come in! From multi-platinum singer, songwriter, and author Jimmy Buffett, this radio paradise features great music and live broadcasts of Buffett’s concerts.

If your Memorial Day isn’t complete without a dose of country rock, then we have the perfect channel! Red White & Booze (Ch. 350) captures the sound of country bars and honky tonks from across the nation. It’s the ideal vibe for chilling with a beer on a warm evening. Honestly, we can’t think of a better way to spend Memorial Day weekend than in the company of Jon Pardi, Kenny Chesney, Kid Rock, and many more.

Whatever your plans this weekend, there’s bound to be some traveling involved. Of course, every great journey needs some equally great music to go with it. Pleasing everyone? That’s another matter entirely. Good job that Road Trip Radio (Ch. 301) has a banging playlist of hand-picked music from the last 50 years that’s sure to have something for everyone. Whether you’re hitting some festivals, visiting friends and family, or taking your next big adventure, Road Trip Radio is with you every step of the way.

Listen to the sound of the tropics this Memorial Day with this app-only channel. Tropix is where you can find the hottest Afrobeat, reggaeton, and dancehall tracks from some of the biggest names including Drake, Tekno, and BOJ. With this channel, the summer vibes don’t stop and they’re sure to keep the party going all night long!

If you’re planning a cookout this Memorial Day, then have we got the channel for you! Classic Hip-Hop BBQ plays non-stop throwback hip-hop bangers from N.W.A, The Notorious B.I.G., and DMX to name a few.

Classic rock more your jam? No problem! Tune in to Classic Rock BBQ , your one-stop shop for the timeless rock hits that’ll get your gathering going from the Cars, Van Halen, and beyond.

Crank up the speakers and blast a supercharged collection of extreme hard rock from the ’90s and ’00s — driven with turbo power! On SiriusXM Turbo (Ch. 41) , you’ll hear a mix of adrenaline-inducing overdrive rock for Generation X and Y.

From the road to the radio, the studio to the sand, Kenny Chesney embodies a “No Shoes” state of mind. No Shoes Radio (Ch. 57) features never released recordings from Kenny’s personal archives, music from his favorite artists, live performances, acoustic moments, drop-ins from fans, friends, and celebrities, as well as plenty of Kenny’s biggest hits and favorite album tracks — the perfect Memorial Day weekend soundtrack!

Join Chucho Valdés for a timeless musical journey exploring the cultural richness of Cuban music, past and present, on Chucho Valdés’ Cuba & Beyond (Ch. 760) . From Afro-Cuban jazz to rumba, mambo to son, timba to Cuban hip-hop, embark on a sonic tour of this remarkable island where music has no boundaries and is simply a way of life.

If your Memorial Day weekend plans take you into the late-night hours, BPM (Ch. 51) plays the biggest artists in dance and electronic — from house music to future bass and everything in between. Plus, hear special back-to-back Guest DJ mixes from 9am–10pm ET on Monday!

Performances & Playlists on the SXM App

We have the first-ever Celebrity Session at the new SiriusXM Miami studios, courtesy of the Jonas Brothers ! Listen to interviews and discussions alongside intimate performances from the group, including “Summer Baby” from The Album.

SiriusXM is taking you on the ultimate music road trip across the country this summer, and it all kicks off with a stop in sunny California.

Whether you’re by the lake, at the beach, or in the pool, we know how to heat things up. This playlist of essential summer bangers features pop artists like Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, Destiny’s Child, One Direction, and more.

Whatever your plans this Memorial Day weekend, you’ll find the perfect soundtrack for the summer on SiriusXM !

The Morrison Project Album Special With Billy Morrison, Ozzy Osbourne & More

Listen to pearl jam’s ‘dark matter’ with their exclusive commentary, music legend clive davis hosts and curates his own channel, heart performs live on ‘the howard stern show’: stream, music, sports, news and more.

All in one place on the SiriusXM app