The Mighty Handful , also known as The Five, The Balakirev Circle, and The New Russian School, refers to a group of prominent 19th century composers active in Saint Petersburg, Russia who strived to produce a specifically Russian kind of classical music, rather than one that imitated older European music or relied on European-style conservatory training. The group met from 1856 to 1870 and consisted of Mily Balakirev (the leader), César Cui, Modest Mussorgsky, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Borodin. In a sense, The Mighty Handful were a branch of the Romantic Nationalist movement in Russia, sharing similar artistic goals with the Abramtsevo Colony and Russian Revival.