Theodor Bastard formed in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1996 under the direction of founder Fedor Svoloch, adopting the current band name in 1999 as an English rendering of his stage pseudonym. The project is defined by the distinctive soprano vocals of Yana Veva, who frequently sings in invented languages and rare world tongues, layered over a palette of cello, harp, theremin, synthesizers, and ethnic percussion that blends neofolk with dark wave and trip hop. Albums including Pustota (2004), Oikoumene (2012), Vetvi (2015), and Volch'ya Yagoda (2020) have been released across five countries, and the band has performed at European festivals including Wave-Gotik-Treffen and Castle Party. Their work for the game Pathologic 2 (2017) introduced them to a new international audience.