Minsk City Hall official: Musicians should mind their own business

The old times are about to return – concert organizers will have to ask for permission before advertising concerts. “It is necessary to put concert activities in order,” head of the art and culture department of Minsk City Executive Committee Uladzimir Antsipovich said.

Euroradio:  How will the new permissions differ from those received in 2008?

Uladzimir Antsipovich: There will be no difference. Everything will be free for Belarusian musicians. The most important thing about this decree is that no advertising will be allowed until organizers get this permission. That’s it!  We are just putting concert activities in order. There are people who make money on it. I will not name any names. For example, an advertising campaign starts; you buy a ticket for 500 thousand roubles. But the concert gets cancelled. You come to the organizer’s office to get your money back but it is closed. You come again – it is closed. After the third time you may give up and say: “Let it be! I can sue them but it will require additional expenses”. Such schemes are simply not right. This decree will put everything in order. It is high time to do it. Many organizers said that we needed some order there.”

Now there will be a selection system – who can and who cannot do it. I am not speaking about Minsk – everything is okay in Minsk. But the provinces are a different story! The summer season has begun! What is going on in sanatoriums? Some woman can announce that she is an honoured artist of Belarus. And people will buy tickets. And then the organizers will say that the concert has been cancelled. Half of the money will be given back. And the rest will stay in the organizers’ pockets. It is a normal and promising decree. We need order!

"There are many scammers in the concert market!”

Euroradio: The permissions used to be given according to the decree On Concert Activities of May 13, 2008. Is the decree coming back?

Uladzimir Antsipovich: Of course! But you need to read the decree more attentively; I have not seen it yet. But there will be no dramatic changes – everything has just returned. Organizers will have to pay and the money will be allocated to the talented youth fund.

Euroradio: The system of permissions was cancelled in 2010 for a reason and now it is coming back…

Uladzimir Antsipovich: They have understood that there are too may scammers in the concert market. Now there will be some financial responsibility...

Euroradio:  Foreign musicians will have to pay for the permissions – how much will it cost them?

Uladzimir Antsipovich: It will depend on the number of seats. There will be a price list but I have not seen it yet.

"I am an ex-rocker and I can tell you – you should mind your own business!”

Euroradio: In what cases will organizers be refused the permission?

Uladzimir Antsipovich:  Everything will be indicated. The things that were in the previous decree will stay there. It will not be allowed to advertise violence, political activities and so on – you can find it all in the Law on Mass Events. There will be no reasons to refuse! Everything will be okay!

Euroradio: According to the previous decree, one of the reasons for a refusal was “Threatening citizens’ rights and liberties”. What does it mean?

Uladzimir Antsipovich: I am an ex-rocker and I can tell you – you should mind your own business! You should not interfere in politics and so on. Look at normal musicians in the West! You should mind your own business! If there are any appeals – it not will not be music anymore – it will be something different. This extremism is not needed.

Euroradio: There are different musicians in the West...

Uladzimir Antsipovich: They are everywhere but you should mind your own business. Compose music, write lyrics in Belarusian – it is not forbidden.

Euroradio: Can you name Belarusian bands that “do not mind their own business”?

Uladzimir Antsipovich: There is no such issue (the black list of musicians – Euroradio), it does not exist now. Neuro Dubel is giving concerts; Krama and N.R.M are doing the same. The musicians are getting older though and there is a question: do they need it or not? They can give concerts, but are they doing it? Nothing is forbidden.

"Nothing will change. A normal policy and order will be established”

Euroradio: Special art councils used to control cultural activities in the past. Will they return?

Uladzimir Antsipovich: What art councils are you talking about?! They will not return – there will just be the President’s decree. There will be order and that’s it. The main thing is that there will be no concert advertising without permission.

Euroradio: However, ideologists from executive committees will be involved in it...

Uladzimir Antsipovich: You know, the state bodies will be reformed and there will be one Department for Ideology, Culture and Youth activities. Nothing else will change; the Department of Culture will remain the same. Ideologists... I do not know. What is an ideologist’s job?... Nothing will change. A normal policy and order will be established.