Afisha Picnic, arguably the best and definitely the oldest music festival in Moscow, was held on Saturday. On the surface it was business as usual: two stages, big names in Western and Russian pop and rock music, a gigantic food market, art installations and street theater performances.
But there was one change from the norm: both headliners were Russian language artists — Ivan Dorn and Zemfira. And one of the artists is from Ukraine and the other made a highly publicized gesture at a concert in Tbilisi earlier this month, when she took a Ukrainian national flag from the audience and waved it.
At the entrance to the park a small group of protesters held up banners reading, "Zemfira, you should choose the right flags," "Zemfira, when are you giving a concert in Donetsk?" and even "Zemfira, where's your soul?"
Except for an activist with a Donetsk republic flag who allegedly tried to get on stage, the concerts went without incident. But Ivan Dorn sang a couple of songs in Ukrainian, and his hit song "Mishka Vinoven" (teddy bear is guilty) about infidelity took on a new meaning Saturday night. While a video sequence of an angry bear played he sang, "Teddy bear is guilty, time to run away, teddy bear is guilty, he is a criminal now."
Afisha's decision to headline Zemfira and Dorn was a bold move. Next year at festival time we'll see if has consequences.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
