Rock legends, gigawatts of sound, and induction into the Order of Guardians
The first rock festival in history took place in Bolgar
Over 20,000 fans of ethno and rock music gathered in the city of Bolgar the day before for a historic event — the first “Guardians” rock festival took place. The name of the city and its museum-reserve became known not only to thousands of guests from other regions of Russia but also to famous performers — the bands “Melnitsa," “Chizh & Company," and “Neiromonakh Feofan.” For more details, see the material by Realnoe Vremya.
“I had never heard of Bolgar before”
Bolgar welcomed guests who, at other times, might never have come here or even known of its existence. The audience that gathered at the site where Islam was officially adopted was radically different from the usual tourists in these parts. This, among other things, made the first-ever “Guardians” ethno-rock festival valuable, as it managed to unite people of different generations, musical preferences, and faiths.
It should be noted that most of the guests who arrived for the festival were not from Tatarstan but from other regions of Russia: Ulyanovsk, Dimitrovgrad, Samara, Tolyatti, Moscow, and even Vladivostok. Yuri came to Bolgar on a motorcycle from the Far East. He is a member of the “Iron Angels” motorcycle club and left his city a month ago. He has a tradition of taking a whole trip across Russia in his free time, meeting friends, and visiting interesting events and places. Bolgar, with its first rock festival, turned out to be such a place on the bikers' map. In Samara, he was met by his friend Andrei, a free-rider motorcyclist originally from Almetyevsk.
— There are five of us friends today. Many are in Bolgar for the first time. I've been here myself; I came to see the Quran Museum, although I am Orthodox. I left Tatarstan thirty years ago, now I live in Samara, and I am happy to have come here today, — he said.
The friends set up camp at the bikers' tent city located not far from the festival site.
Nikita and two Tatyanas from Tolyatti came to the festival by car. The young people came specifically to hear “Neiromonakh Feofan.”
— We found information about his performance online and decided to come. This is our first time in Bolgar. We've already managed to see some things, like the ancient structures, the White Mosque, and the camel farm. After the festival, we plan to visit Kazan again and then head to Izhevsk.
Alexey, Marina, and their daughter Kristina came from Ulyanovsk. By the way, the journey from that city is half as long as from Kazan, taking just over an hour.
— They don't hold such festivals where we are. We first attended a rock festival in Nizhny Novgorod. We really liked the atmosphere, so we decided to come to Bolgar to experience that drive again. Today we're planning to meet up with friends and have a great time. We're expecting vivid impressions from this festival. Most of all, we want to hear 'Chizh.' These are the songs of our youth, — the father of the family admitted.
“This is what I dreamed of”
The Spassky district is already accustomed to welcoming a large number of guests, and this time it managed to organize a convenient area for visitors — setting up tents, organizing trade, and offering national dishes. A particular hit was the spot where a white stove was smoking. There they baked pancakes, and a samovar brewed fragrant tea. Gulnisa, Ulzana, and Ilnaz from Bolgar, dressed in national costumes, smiled and served the treats.
— We bake pancakes according to old recipes from our grandmothers and brew tea from traditional herbs — oregano, thyme, lemon balm, and mint. Besides, the tea has a smoky aroma because we cook it in a samovar over coals. All of this is done so that our guests can taste Tatar hospitality.
Guests from Samara and Kursk — Tatyana, Ruslan, and Pavel — also appreciated the Tatar tea.
— We saw information about the festival online and decided we absolutely had to go. There aren't many rock festivals being held right now. Especially in such an interesting place, well-organized and free, — Pavel explained.
— The nature here is very beautiful. We're in Bolgar for the first time, and we really like it here. We had never even heard of this place before. It's great that they decided to hold the festival here. We think it will attract even more tourists, — Tatyana and Ruslan are sure.
“This is exactly what I dreamed of," the head of the Spassky district, Roman Islamov, could not contain his sincere enthusiastic feelings. He presented each band that performed at the festival with letters of gratitude and inducted them into the Order of Guardians.
— This is a grandiose event, and we are glad that it is taking place here with us. Thousands of guests from other regions of the country came to Bolgar. This is a completely different target audience. Our goal is precisely to attract attention to our UNESCO World Heritage site, our museum-reserve, our history, and traditions from an audience that might never have come to us. We hope that the guests who came to us will want to return and tell their friends and family about us. Thank you to the festival for this opportunity, — he said.
Rock for all generations
The ethno-rock festival “Guardians” was timed to coincide with the Year of Unity of Peoples declared by the President of Russia. That is why, in addition to classical rock, ethnic motifs were also heard on stage. A real highlight was the performance of the Russian ethno-music group from Tuva, “Khun-Khurtu.” Their uniqueness lies in performing Tuvan throat singing and playing folk instruments (igil, khomus, doshpuluur, tungur), which left no one indifferent.
Sayan Bapa, the group's leader, emphasized that it is especially pleasant to take part in such a festival that honors the traditions of peoples and wished “Guardians” a long life.
Tatar rock was represented by the widely known band “Gauga.”
— We have had the opportunity to perform against the backdrop of the Kul Sharif Mosque, but this is the first time we are playing our music in the sacred places of Bolgar. We are happy to participate in this festival and represent Tatar rock, which already has its own traditions, — shared the band's lead singer, Oscar Yunusov.
The artistic director of the band “Volga-Volga," Anton Salakaev, emphasized that the festival is a key platform for musicians and their fans. According to him, this is where live interaction, the exchange of creativity and emotions, takes place.
— I always rejoice when a new wave emerges, when fresh blood appears in the festival movement. It's great that there are more and more places on our country's map where artists can present their creativity to a wide audience, — he noted.
The lead singer of the band “Melnitsa," Natalia O'Shey (Helavisa), professed her love for the city of Kazan, noting that it is one of her favorite cities.
— I was interested in coming to the Spassky district. We enjoy performing at well-organized open-air events. We hope this will become one of Russia's leading festivals, where people from all over the country will come.
Veteran rockers reminisced about their youth alongside the 65-year-old, but still musically masterful, energetic, and wild leader of “Chizh & Company," Sergei Chigrakov, singing along at the top of their lungs to songs like “O Lyubvi," “Polonaise," “Phantom," and “Eternal Youth.” Meanwhile, the younger crowd “let loose” to “Neiromonakh Feofan," with its covered head, balalaika, and bear, spinning in a wild dance circle.
The eight-hour program with powerful sound and lighting attracted over 20,000 visitors. The organizers plan to make the “Guardians” festival an annual event and promote it first to the federal and then to the international level.