On November 7, 2005, the long-awaited rock festival “Phoenix – Revival to Life” took place at the local Lokomotiv stadium in Gudermes. It was the first major public event in Chechnya since the end of the latest war in this part of the Caucasus region. The festival was intended to celebrate the final return to peaceful life and demonstrate that, despite all the difficulties caused by the armed conflict in the recent past, citizens living in Chechnya are not immune to ordinary human joys in the present.
JSA played an active role in the implementation of this complex project. The company was responsible for all technical support issues and production logistics. Our team constructed a temporary stage structure on the stadium field using Layher systems with a Prolyte roof (20m x 14m). Several performer tents were erected behind the stage, one of which (the main tent) was assembled from Layher elements, including Layher Protective panels.
A FOH tower and television camera stands were also installed. The festival’s concert portion was broadcast by a film crew from Channel Rossiya.
JSA also installed crowd barriers for safety along the stage, control tower, and camera crane.
A separate temporary structure on the football field was a VIP stand constructed from Layher elements with a tent canopy for special guests. Among those attending the festival were the Prime Minister of the Chechen Republic, Sergey Abramov, and the Deputy Prime Minister of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov.
The festival attracted, according to various estimates, between seven and ten thousand spectators. Security for the festival and guests was provided by representatives of various law enforcement agencies, numbering approximately three thousand personnel.
The audience was diverse, including many young people who enthusiastically welcomed the famous Russian rock-musicans.
The JSA stage in Gudermes featured sets by Agata Kristi, Bi-2, Nochnye Snaipery, Yuta, Nyuans, SerGa, and Dead Dolphins. The band Mashina Vremeni was represented by Alexander Kutikov and guest musicians.
On the day of the festival, a thick fog hung over Lokomotiv Stadium in the morning. The rock band’s performance began at noon and lasted over six hours. The concert concluded with words of gratitude and awards from the Chechen leaders in attendance, and a brilliant fireworks display in the peaceful sky above the stadium.
Below are some photos of the band Agata Kristi (Vadim and Gleb Samoilov) on the JSA stage, taken during their performance at the festival.
The Phoenix Festival was postponed three times due to various security concerns: first, it was scheduled for July 5th, then for September 27th.
All of this generated a lot of rumors and caused nervousness in the media. Therefore, the festival organizers held a large press conference at the Interfax news agency this summer. Alexander Strizhak, as the managing director of JSA, which was crucial to the implementation of this complex project, also participated in this event.
Ultimately, this unprecedented and important musical event was held. Everything proceeded smoothly, to everyone’s satisfaction. The organizing team, including representatives of the JSA, made a significant effort to ensure that cultural life, at least in this one city in Chechnya, returned to normal for a time and kick-started a revival.
Following the Phoenix Festival, various media outlets published articles and news about the event. With the help of JSA’s press service, news about the event was published in an American professional show business magazine: Phoenix Rises From Decade of Ashes (See image below)
Kommersant music columnist Boris Barabanov noted that the most anticipated song of the concert was the BI-2 hit – “Nobody Writes to the Colonel.”
You can read his review of the festival’s concert program in Russian in the Kommersant newspaper article No. 209 from November 8, 2005 – MOSCOW ARTISTS PERFORMED IN CHECHNYA
A review report in Russian was published on the online publication Zvuki Ru – DON’T SHOOT THE PIANIST “On November 7, the Phoenix rock festival took place in Gudermes, symbolizing the arrival of peace in Chechnya.”
News in Russian about the Phoenix festival in Showmaster magazine, No. 4, 2005 (43) – JSA FOR A ROCK FESTIVAL IN CHECHNYA
Эта статья на русском языке: ЖИВОЙ РОК ФЕСТИВАЛЬ НА СЦЕНЕ JSA КАК СИМВОЛ ВОЗРОЖДЕНИЯ
A painted fence at the Lokomotiv stadium in Gudermes, especially for the Phoenix festival. The designs also included a painted JSA logo.
© All photos are the copyright of JSA Stage Company.