The State Russian Folk Orchestra NP Osipov (State Russian Orchestra Narodnyj name N. P. Hives) is a Russian folk music orchestra. [1] It was founded in 1919 by the balalaika player Troyanovski BC. [2] [3] \r \r The orchestra was renamed after Nikolai Petrovich Osipov who led the orchestra from the 1940s. [4] [5] He was succeeded by his brother Dmitri Osipov from his death in 1945 to his brother's death in in 1954. [6] \r \r The Osipov State Russian Folk Orchestra is currently led by Vladimir Ponkin [4] who succeeded Nikolai Kalinin. Playing only upon traditional Russian instruments, the orchestra presents Ethnic Russian music in a style more similar to classical music.