This weekend (on May 28-29) in Moscow for the first time there will take place musical the ANABUK festival — that which was born a year ago in the Kaliningrad region at his well-known predecessor — KUBANA . Was born quite painfully, in extreme conditions, however survived and it is ready to submit the capital. In interview of Vestyam.Ru the producer of both festivals Ilya Ostrovsky told how from one event it turned out two and whom to wait on a visit.
- How it turned out, what you began to be a producer of musical festivals?
- the Person who engendered this idea in my heart, and introduced in my life the concept "musical festival" — it, undoubtedly, Mischa Kozyrev. It was in the 95th year, I still studied at school, and went to the first MAXIDROM festival which took place in sport center "Olympic", and was organized just by Mischa Kozyrev (at that time he was the program director of MAXIMUM radio station). Before I never was at big musical festivals and, having seen that MAXIDROM, thought: "Here it abruptly – is so much collectives cool in one place and in at one time! ". About foreign festivals then in general very few people knew. And when there was "Invasion" in Ramenskom, I thought: "Oh, and here it even more abruptly!" . My first experience was such. And it, of course, created absolutely new concepts of my head. I began approximately at the same time, at the beginning of the 2000th, however, I began with social festivals — antispidovsky, anti-narcotic. I liked to combine social idea with music. Always there was a wish to make action in which will be as little as possible any rock'n'roll nostalgia (therefore we do not call legends of the Russian rock), and it is as much as possible youth, the present and relevance.
- That is you do not consider "Invasion" as the competitor?
- Well, it is other format. At us for 5-10 percent at most, audiences are crossed. The Invasions format too nice, is a good product. It is excellent that there are different festivals. For me "Invasion" will always remain the senior colleague on shop at whom I studied many things. Yes, initially I was guided by the western festivals, but any Russian realities all the same I scooped and borrowed "Invasion". As more especially anybody also was not at that time. Unless "Kazantip" already existed.
- the ANABUK Festival grew from other festival of which you are a producer — KUBANA. Let's tell, what has happened?
- To my huge regret, there was something not to KUBANA, not to a festival, and not to music: there were very serious changes in society, in principle. We began the KUBANA festival in 2009, and it was absolutely other world, other society, absolutely other country — and with musically, with cultural, and from the political point of view is perfect. Unfortunately, those sad and disturbing processes which happen today in society, in policy, in the world affect and its cultural component. Cultural figures accept this or that political party, and it influences cultural relationship of the countries and in society. In my opinion, so should not be.
- Consider, before such was not? Actors became more active to express the position in your opinion?
- Yes, I at all about it. In 2009 the president was
- there is at you any logical explanation for it?
- All our cultural policy of the country took a vector on certain "traditional cultural values". And, probably, it is correct. Each state has to support the root culture for preservation of national identity, but in our country, in my opinion, it started occurring excessively ogoltelo. It is obvious to me that promoting of cultural traditions does not exclude possibility of existence and any western music, and any Russian rock music, and something else. However at us so historically it developed that society very often takes the extremely polar positions. We in it are similar to Japanese. And so this distortion, this change of cultural policy, started concerning the KUBANA festival.
– What to you arguments contra adduced?
- First of all, KUBANA was born in the territory of Krasnodar Krai, and it is the region with big Cossack, orthodox traditions. We there were bright, very defiant and inconvenient spot among fields, steppes and Cossacks. Besides, certainly, absolutely dreadful image the situation with a festival was affected by tragic events in Ukraine. We appeared in literal and figurative sense between two fires. On the one hand we were in 50 kilometers from the Crimea, with another – in close proximity to Donbass. On the one hand — serious strengthening of an emphasis on strengthening of these our root traditions, with another – political and cultural opposition to the West. All this made KUBANA in one second any foreign matter not only in Krasnodar Krai, but also as it became clear, in the territory of the Russian Federation later. To all other, after crash of Malaysian "Boeing" in 2014 foreign actors began to refuse participation in our festival for safety reasons. It became clear that while this situation will not be adjusted, and I understood that in any accessible terms it will not be adjusted, the KUBANA festival on this place cannot be held more. At that time I could not present other place. And in 2014 we declared the KUBANA festival farewell.
- thoughts it was Not simple to to change a format, structure of participants?
- No. Unfortunately or fortunately, initially we planned to make a festival of the European format. And such tasks before us also were put, including the region management at that time. The first festival, however, was only with the Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian collectives, but since 2010 foreign participants began to appear at us. In 2013-2014 of percent of 70 guests were from zarubezha. And it was to what we aspired. We were not going to refuse the Russian musical segment, simply it seemed to us cool that at an entrance at us flags of 25 participating countries of a festival hang. What can be better than friendship of the people? ! And suddenly in one second all this changed and began to call it not advance of the Russian musical or tourist product on the West or involvement of the western tourists to us, and "promotion" or "introduction of the western cultural values".
- As turned out, what the festival suddenly appeared in Kaliningrad?
- Actually not absolutely suddenly. Two or three months I lived with full feeling that the festival any more will not be that it is the history end. I honestly said goodbye to our audience. Us, of course, right there accused that it is such PR course, but it was not so. But passed time, and suddenly I remembered about Baltic (and KUBANA reflected as a festival on the sea). And we began negotiations with Kaliningrad. Those tasks, which to us were set in Krasnodar Krai (development of internal tourism, attraction of youth on not really popular territory), were approximately actual and in the Kaliningrad region. KUBANA again could become an attraction point for youth audience. And it seemed to me, it is very cool: it is possible to arrive to Kaliningrad, to visit a festival, and then to get on the car and to travel across Europe, and all this in any moderate budgets. We were supported by local authorities. We very actively began preparation. In total — a brick to a brick — it seems it developed. And here suddenly we faced counteraction of certain orthodox activists who found "malignancy" in our action.
- where they found it In sense? The festival did not manage to take place yet.
- Certainly, was not in time. Claims were to a festival which took place in Krasnodar Krai: allegedly found any records on YouTube which were not pleasant to these people, any responses. I always called that they at first looked on all the eyes, and already then drew conclusions. Besides, of course, the region in which passed a festival, leaves a certain mark. It is necessary to understand that Krasnodar Krai is the very difficult region from the point of view of various national conflicts, crime, it is the tourist region which is much more subject to these social problems, than such the Kaliningrad region isolated from all directions. But nobody listened. As a result of opportunity to hold a festival in the Kaliningrad region we were not given. The festival was cancelled with the formulation – "for safety reasons". And then we made unprecedented "blitzkrieg", I will call it thus, towards Latvia.
- As were met by Latvia? And how it was possible to organize moving so quickly in general?
- With the mayor of Riga we agreed about festival transfer literally in two days. It is unprecedented absolutely history: we not simply transferred such large object to other platform, we transferred it to other country. We worked, of course, in extreme conditions: in a month we needed to make action, in fact, from scratch. Except the name, actors and people who went with us, at us did not remain anything. But, nevertheless, KUBANA took place. Any more on the sea, though in close proximity to water, on the island, in the middle of the river. The festival was good, very atmospheric, and we could realize there 80 percent of that planned in Kaliningrad – from Lev Leshchenko to Hollywood Undead group.
- After all it was a pity for you, what a festival not at us in the country?
- Certainly. In my opinion, Russia lost one of the best festivals, I will not be afraid such rhetoric which very dynamically developed. That we made in 2013, on scales and filling hardly someone does and hardly someone will repeat soon. Our cultural range was from a theatrical performance of the Emir Kusturica with hundred actors and scenery which arrived specially from Serbia, to System Of A Down and The Prodigy. But such is reality. I am sure that sooner or later the political situation will be adjusted, all with each other will agree, and all of us will start over again to visit to each other.
ANABUK if everything worked well so successfully to solve would appear - So from what then?
- Everything is simple: to some extent ANABUK is such trolling from our party of absurdity of current situation. After all that occurred: some thousands of people who wanted to visit the KUBANA festival in the Kaliningrad region, took vacation, spent money for often irretrievable air tickets, reserved hotels which besides not always returned them this money, and holidays at people often simply failed because not all were able to afford to go to Latvia. Simply because all this seemed to someone "unsafe" and "harmful" from the cultural point of view. For them, first of all, for these people that they did not lose the money, and ANABUK was thought up. We told: OK, you do not like the name KUBANA – we write it on the contrary, it is not pleasant that the festival occurs on a beach, – we transfer it to sports palace. All what questions can be: concerts in the covered areas while disturbed nobody. Absurdity of a situation that it worked.
- In what dates there passed ANABUK as a result in Riga? What interval was with the KUBANA festival?
- Any. ANABUK took place in one of days of KUBANA, in the same dates. As in that animated film – "Your mother both there, and here show". Simply ANABUK was one-day.
- Yes, activists Kaliningrad you, for certain, it it is strong pobesili.
- I Think and. But they had more than no options of pressure upon us. Moreover, after the festival took place, the governor of the Kaliningrad region officially noted that any offenses and moral destructions on it was not observed.
- But repeatedly the next year you did not call?
- No, we simply peacefully left. But negative experiences thus received both parties. Thus, I think that all perfectly realize that it there was an utter nonsense. But in a today's situation I very well can understand local authorities which do not want to stir this subject more. Therefore we decided to carry out ANABUK in Moscow.
- That it will be, it is possible to advertize any performances?
- It will be such city action in Gorky Park. We chose a two-day format, called, in my opinion, interesting actors. I hope that it will be a week-end during which it is possible to listen to good music and to receive positive emotions. From foreign guests – in one of days the well-known Manu Chao will be a headliner, also this day the Canadian punks of Billy Talent will act. Hedlaynera first day — Guano Apes, will step on the same day on the stage Eskimo Callboy. If to speak about our performers is one of the oldest punk collectives of the country — group "Cockroaches! ", and also "Elizium", Animal Dzhaz, Neuromonk Feofan. I can precisely tell: it is worth hearing it. It will be cheerfully and sincerely exact.
- you somehow censor repertoire of those actors who will arrive on ANABUK? Or all on trust, any impromptus also are possible?
- No, we coordinate nothing never. The only thing, I always against that a scene used for political statements. We never pronounce it, but I consider that musical performance has to be musical performance, and the festival scene is not a political tribune.
the ANABUK-2016 Festival will take place on May 28 and 29 in Open-air theater of Park of a name of Gorky (the nearest metro stations – "October", "Park of Culture").