"Chizh & Co", "Melnitsa" and Neuromonk Feofan: what the new ethno-rock festival in Bulgaria will be like

      The festival "Guardians" will host 20,000 guests

      Tuva throat singing and classic rock will sound on one stage

      On June 27, the Volga Ethno-Rock Festival "Guardians" will take place in Bolgar for the first time. The event will bring together performers from different musical directions and aims to become one of the largest events of this summer in the republic. The organizers have tried to compile a program that will be interesting for the whole family: there will be performances for both youth and older audiences. The headliners of the festival will be the bands "Chizh & Co", "Melnitsa", and Neuromonk Feofan. The stage will also feature "Volga-Volga", GAUGA, ZhivaGo, Rhenium, and Inverno Orchestra. A special guest will be the Tuva group Huun-Huur-Tu, known for performing compositions with elements of throat singing. "We aim to establish an annual cycle with this festival. We plan to extend this story for several years and expand it. Therefore, we decided to make a serious start and bring in big artists who hardly perform in the republic at open venues," said festival director Grigory Korinov at a press conference held at the Center for Unique Crafts in Kazan. The name "Guardians" was chosen intentionally – it reflects the main idea of the project and unites themes of national unity, family, culture, and historical memory.

      The festival will be streamed on "VKontakte"

      Last year, the Spassky district welcomed nearly 910,000 tourists. The new festival, as its organizers hope, will become another attraction for guests of the republic and neighboring regions. Tour operators are already forming special tours for residents of Samara and Ulyanovsk regions, Chuvashia, Udmurtia, and other regions of the Volga. "We are ready to welcome not only 20-30 but also 50,000 people. The more people come to us, the happier we will be because we live in one of the most beautiful places in the republic and want to show it to as many people as possible," emphasized the head of the municipality Roman Islanov. The festival will be free for visitors. The concert venue will be located on the territory of a former runway, situated about a kilometer from the nearest cultural heritage sites. This decision will allow for the separation of excursion and festival flows, as well as ensure the preservation of the monuments of the Bolgar Museum-Reserve. Those who decide to stay in Bolgar after the concert will be offered several accommodation options. Guests will be able to stay in a hotel complex, a tent camp, or RVs. A large parking lot will also be set up near the venue, and volunteers will be working on-site. "A huge number of people are planning to come to this festival. Many are putting off their affairs, planning trips, and coming with tents and families. Personally, I have examples of several families who are already preparing to come with children," shared the soloist of the band "Volga-Volga" Anton Salakaev. Shuttle buses will run from the southern gate of the museum-reserve to the concert venue, so guests can easily reach the festival site. However, the festival will extend far beyond Bolgar – the concert will be available online on the "VKontakte" platform. The project team expects that at least 200,000 people will watch the stream.

      "A UNESCO site should not be locked up"

      The idea of holding a festival near a UNESCO World Heritage site raised questions among some audience members even during the preparation stage. However, the Foundation for the Revival of Historical and Cultural Monuments of Tatarstan is confident that cultural events do not contradict the task of preserving historical heritage. "A UNESCO site should not be locked up. It is a living site. One of our tasks is not only preservation but also the popularization of historical heritage," emphasized the executive director of the Republican Foundation for the Revival of Historical and Cultural Monuments of Tatarstan Gulnara Sungatullina. She reminded that festivals and cultural projects have already been held at sites restored with the support of the foundation. According to her, such events allow people to get acquainted with the history of the country and the republic through a modern format and also attract young people to this topic. Over 15 years, the sites revived with the foundation's participation have been visited by about 15 million people. The organizers noted that they do not plan to impose additional restrictions on festival visitors due to the proximity of the UNESCO site. Guests will be able to first get acquainted with the historical monuments and then head to the concert away from them. To ensure safety, metal detectors will be installed at the entrance, and inspection zones will be organized. Additionally, on the day of the festival, alcohol will not be sold on the territory of Bolgar, and the site will be treated for ticks and mosquitoes ten days before the event. Medical personnel, volunteers, and other support services will also be present on-site.

      Next year, the festival may expand to several stages

      This year, the festival will take place on one stage. The organizers view it as the first step: the results will help assess public interest and determine what the project will look like in the coming years. "Starting next year, we may have two or even three stages. We have all the possibilities for this," said festival media producer Roman Korolev. One of the stages may be allocated to young bands. A competitive selection for emerging musicians is planned, with winners getting the chance to perform in front of a large audience. Among the ideas already being discussed is the creation of a separate children's stage and the expansion of the family leisure program. Such proposals, according to the organizers, began to come in even before the first festival took place. "There is already a demand for a children's stage. We see audience interest and understand that the festival can grow. Plans include expanding the number of venues and attracting foreign guests and artists," added Korolev. Furthermore, the organizers do not rule out the possibility of an international lineup as early as next year. Final decisions will be made after evaluating the results of the first festival and audience feedback.

      Photos provided by the festival organizers