Festival Militar-2013 banned by Minsk City Hall (document)

Militar-2013 was supposed to be held in Minsk Dreamland on August 17. Russian industrial band Biopsyhoz had to be its headliner. The other participants had to be Irdorath, Tim Erna, Bez Paniki, Hardi M and Mutnayevoka.

Minsk City Executive Committee thinks that organizing the festival is “inexpedient”. The document was signed by senior deputy head of Minsk City Executive Committee.

“Due to numerous citizens’ complaints about the loud sound at mass events in this park, we think that the organization of the festival is inexpedient,” the document says.

“There were no word “forbidden” in that document. That is why we took it into account and kept getting ready for the festival,” general producer of Instrumental Trade Dzmitry Zhyrauski (the company was the organizer of Militar-2013) told Euroradio. “We sold tickets, planned a fireworks show and signed contracts with bands. We also received all the necessary permissions from different state institutions. They even allowed the fireworks. However, when Militar-2013 commercials appeared, we received a phone call and were told that we were violating a ban. We had no choice but to cancel the festival.”

Militar-2013 has become the second alternative music festival cancelled in Belarus this week. ROCKachev festival will not be held in Rahachou either – all of its state partners simultaneously refused from it.

Minsk City Executive Committee also removed alternative music from Minsk pedestrian Karl Marx Street due to citizens’ complaints earlier.