Exposition will host "Moscow Village X Istok" music festival

On June 1 and 2, the International RUSSIA EXPO will host the music festival "Moscow Village X Istok", which will be held under the additional title "Exposition of Achievements of the Folk Music Industry". 

The main goal of the project is to show how the original culture of the peoples of Russia continues to develop in the modern world, while maintaining its authenticity and uniqueness. The participating artists grew up in different parts of the country and are united by their love for their culture, and this is reflected in their work. The festival will show guests an alternative to mass culture and the entertainment industry. 

According to "Istok" producer Sofya Ernst, the festival will be able to show the guests of the Exposition all the diversity of music and creative directions of the country's regions.

"'Istok' is our project that gathers people who are in love with Russian traditional culture around it. We are looking for the forms it takes, the things it speaks to us about today, we are in constant search of new ways of communication. That is why our summer flagship project is the Moscow Village Festival. We want to record and show the audience how folklore, in its broadest sense, is manifested in the current music scene - how authentic folklore can be performed next to modern sound and how love for one's land today is manifested in modern sound. We are interested in the wide geography and diversity of ethnic groups in Russia, we are curious to look into different points on the map of our country, in search of real treasures. And we are absolutely happy to gather such different musicians on one stage. It turns out to be a kind of patchwork canvas, which symbolically reflects the musical and, in general, cultural map of our country," said Sofya Ernst.

At the same time, "Istok" director Yulia Zhuravleva emphasized that the festival is able to show not only all the diversity of cultures of the country, but also to unite different generations of people under one roof.

"The Moscow Village Festival is not just an event, it is a fusion of old and new, tradition and the modern. Similarly, our 'Istok' project seeks to create an environment where Russian culture is revealed in all its versatility and relevance. We approach this not only as preserving heritage, but also as reinterpreting it for today. We want everyone to be able to see how traditions live and develop in a modern context, just as folklore sounds alongside modern music at the Moscow Village Festival. The festival is a great platform for intergenerational dialog and learning one's cultural code," added Yulia Zhuravleva.

Sergei Apollonov, Creative Director of the Moscow Village Festival, also noted the value of the event in the context of modern pop culture, which has largely lost its roots. The festival intends to show the origins of modern music and to make Russian citizens fall in love with it anew.

"Moscow Village Festival connects traditional and modern culture. The subject of the festival is the search for cultural identity, creating a platform for dialog between generations and formations, as well as studying and rethinking traditions to build something new. This festival is not just for entertainment - to connect the cultural and historical heritage of our country with modern artistic practices is one of the most important tasks today. I think that together with 'Istok' we will be able to solve it," said Sergei Apollonov.

The festival program includes artists of different genres, but the main keynote of all performances will be folk art. The stage will feature such notable and niche artists as: Masha and the Bears, Yermak, Linda, Husky and others. Also, each of the festival days will start with a lecture.

The organizers pay a lot of attention to finding new names and introducing diversity in the program. All for the sake of giving the festival guests unforgettable emotions and new experience.

"In the summer of 2019, the ZALPOM band, together with musicians Husky and zavet, as well as Yura Katovsky, went on a folklore expedition to the Kirov region. In 2021, this journey evolved into a unique underground contemplation event, gaining unexpected success. We honored it with the name 'Moscow Village', emphasizing its roots in folk culture. The project was inspired by the first stop of the expedition, the village of Moskovskaya, which gave the name to the whole endeavor. This year's 'Village' promises new horizons in collaboration with the 'Istok' creative association. Our expedition trips are not limited to one destination; in 2022 we traveled to Yakutia for the first time and look forward to returning there. Our plans for 2025 include organizing an arts festival in cooperation with the "Silno" (lit. "Strongly") art residence (Derbent), which promises to become a significant event in the region," shared Liu Pavlinova, producer of the Moscow Village Festival and director of the Soil and Creativity Cultural Identity Center.

An important component of the festival will be the theater space. Guests will be able to see the performance - excursion "Sounds of Russia", which will be an opportunity to get acquainted with "the achievements of the national musical industry of the country". The excursion will be conducted by actors from the Sovremennik Theater and a guide from the Russian National Museum of Music.

The festival program will be held on two sites — in Pavilion No. 84 and on its terrace. Gathering of guests will begin on June 1 at 15:00, June 2 at 14:00. Separate registration is required for each event on the Exposition website. 

Main Stage Program

Day 1

17:00 - 17:50 — Kasha

18:00 - 18:40 — SALVO 

19:00 - 19:40 — neeet, ti shto

20:00 - 20:40 — S. Starostin, V. Volkov, A. Kotov

21:00 - 21:40 — Masha and the Bears 

Day 2 

17:10 - 17:50 — Yermak!

18:00 - 18:40 — Folklore Ensemble Volya

19:00 - 19:40 — hodila izba

20:00 - 20:40 — Linda  

21:00 - 21:40 — Husky

Cultural program

1 day 

15:00 - 16:00 — Street Scene. Lecture topic: "Folk Theme in Contemporary Musical Art", speaker S. Starostin.

16:00 - 17:00 — Street stage. Masterclass of the participant of the creative association "Under the Clouds". 

17:50 - 18:00 — Street stage. Performance of accordionist Evgeny Altunin.

Day 2 

14:00 - 15:00 — Street scene. Theme of the lecture: "Southern Tradition from Archaic to Modernity", speaker G. Sysoeva (Folklore Ensemble "Volya").

15:00 - 16:00 — Street Scene. Masterclass on singing from the ensemble "Komon". 

16:00 - 17:00 — Street stage. Play "Tru! Pe! Tru! or Adventures of Petrushka" and the theater "Papieremashenniki".

Performances of the creative association "Pyotr Valentinovich" are also planned.