Bering Strait was a Russian country music band formed in 1995. The group initially recorded under the names Cheerful Diligence and Siberian Heatwave before settling on its final name. Their self-titled debut album, Bering Strait, was released on January 14, 2003, on Universal South Records and featured the track “Bearing Straight”, which was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental. The band's lineup on the album included lead vocalist Natasha Borzilova, drummer Alexander Arzamastsev, bassist Sergey “Spooky” Olkhovsky, mandolinist and fiddler Sergei Passov, keyboardist Lydia Salnikova, steel guitarist Sasha Ostrovsky, and guitarist Ilya Toshinsky. On June 28, 2005, the band released its second album, Pages, which showcased a more rootsy sound. The group disbanded in May 2006, and its career was chronicled in the documentary, The Ballad of Bering Strait.
