Ananova:

An album of Stalin-era prison songs mixed with Hawaiian-style surf music is proving an unlikely hit in eastern Europe.

Creator Mikhail Antipov said Gulag Tunes, which has a cover showing Stalin draped in a Hawaiian-style garland of skulls, has been flying off shelves in Moscow.

And he said thousands of copies had been ordered across eastern Europe.

He added: "We call this classic rebellious prison music 'blatniye pesni' and I have added luau-style percussion and keyboards.

"It is so popular because the topic is very rich, and no one has ever done this before."

Songs include a take on the classic Vaninsky Port which refers to a network of Stalin-era prison camps and includes the line: "You will lose your mind against your will. From there, there is no way back."