Sacred Haven of Debauchery

Heavy metal deemed spiritually unsafe in Belgorod

The authorities of Belgorod sent letters to the owners of local clubs, cafes, and restaurants, requesting that they not allocate space for "holding concerts of heavy rock music in the heavy metal genre."

The letter was signed by Vladimir Shatilo, head of the consumer market department of the Belgorod mayor's office. Justifying the ban, the official refers to the program developed by Governor Evgeny Savchenko "to ensure spiritual security in the Belgorod region in 2010." In an interview with the publication, Shatilo stated that he was simply fulfilling an instruction received from the regional administration. "I don't understand this kind of music, but they asked me to help prevent Satanic activities," he explained.

In the regional department of education, culture, and youth policy, "Kommersant" was told that such a plan to ensure spiritual security in the Belgorod region does indeed exist, but it does not contain any mention of direct bans on rock concerts or anything similar. "The document simply states that more attention should be paid to nonconformists and that they should be understood more deeply," the department explained.

The heads of Belgorod clubs who received the letter reacted strongly to it. For example, Oleg Proskokov, the owner of the In Rock club, stated that he does not intend to follow the officials' recommendations. "In the near future, we are going to hold several rock concerts and a festival. And if even one official comes to interfere, we will immediately bite," he said. However, the leader of the local heavy metal band Tremor, Alexander Naumenko, is sure that the authorities' order will be carried out in Belgorod almost without question.