Star lineup and 20,000 spectators: the first ethno-rock festival "Guardians" took place triumphantly in Bulgaria.

      The headliners of the evening were the legendary "Chizh & Co", folk-rockers "Melnitsa", and the master of ancient Russian drive, Neuromonk Feofan. On June 27, the territory of the museum-reserve in the city of Bolgar, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage list, turned into the epicenter of rock music and ethnic culture. The debut Volga Ethno-Rock Festival "Guardians" took place here, dedicated to the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia, declared by the President. The large-scale open-air event gathered about 20,000 spectators, instantly becoming the main musical sensation of the region. According to the organizers' plan, this project will become a key cultural event in the Volga region for the next decade. For those who could not join in person, there was a continuous 8-hour online broadcast on the social network "VKontakte", which has already garnered 35,000 views from various corners of Russia and abroad. The music program was built on the principle of a "family festival," which is equally interesting for both youth and the older generation. For eight hours – from 3:00 PM to 11:00 PM – live sound resonated on the former runway. For this, one of the most modern concert venues in the country was set up with advanced lighting and sound equipment. Nine groups performed before the audience – from stars of the domestic scene to unique ethnic performers. The federal headliners of the evening were the legendary "Chizh & Co", folk-rockers "Melnitsa", and the master of ancient Russian drive, Neuromonk Feofan, whose fans organized a grand slam at the end of his performance. Special guests included the Tuvan throat singing masters Huun-Huur-Tur, nominees for the World Music Award. Kazan groups "Volga-Volga" and GAUGA, as well as "ZhivaGo", Rhenium, and Inverno Orchestra also took the stage. The hosts of the large-scale show were well-known Kazan radio and event hosts Artem Rychev and Ruslan Mazitov. The head of the Spassky municipal district of Tatarstan, Roman Islanov, emphasized the special significance of the event: "This is a grand event, and we are glad that it is taking place right here. Thousands of guests from other regions of the country have come to Bolgar. This is a completely different target audience. Our goal is to draw attention to our UNESCO World Heritage site, our museum-reserve, to our history, traditions, and to the audience that might never have come to us. We hope that the guests who came to us will want to return and will tell their friends and relatives about us. Thank you to the festival for this opportunity." The festival director Grigory Kornilov also shared his impressions: "We are currently receiving amazing feedback from the entire industry – producers and headliners are thrilled with the reception, sound, and energy of Bolgar. The project has immediately announced itself at the federal level. And this inspires us to move forward. We look to 2027 with great hope and big plans. I promise: it will only get bigger, more powerful, and cooler!" The organizers took care of the safety and comfort of the guests: 164 people worked on the site, including law enforcement officers, private security, emergency services, ambulance crews, and volunteers from the Technical College of Industry Technologies and the Assembly of Tourist Volunteers of Tatarstan. For food, 18 stationary points and 16 food trucks were set up. In the area of folk crafts, there were 35 points where about 40 masters conducted workshops. A separate area with attractions was organized for children, and for travelers – camping sites, places for bikers, and parking for motorhomes. The organizers plan to make "Guardians" an annual event, expand the number of stages to two or three, create a separate children's area, attract foreign artists, and elevate the festival to federal and international levels. The event was organized by the administration of the Spassky district of Tatarstan in partnership with the Big Twin Music Production Center and Kingof Media video production, with the support of the Foundation for the Revival of Historical and Cultural Monuments of Tatarstan.

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      "CHIZH", "Melnitsa", and Huun-Huur-Tu: the first ethno-rock festival "Guardians" took place in Bolgar. The event gathered about 20,000 spectators outdoors and became one of the main musical events in the region. 23:31 29.06.2026 Mendeleevskie Novosti - Mendeleevsk

      Star lineup and 20,000 spectators: the first ethno-rock festival "Guardians" triumphantly took place in Bolgar. The headliners of the evening were the legendary "Chizh & Co", folk-rockers "Melnitsa", and the master of ancient Russian drive, Neuromonk Feofan. June 27, the territory of the museum-reserve in the city of Bolgar, 22:46 29.06.2026 Agryzskie Vesti - Agryz