In St. Petersburg, a correspondent for Socialbites.ca reports that the Picnic band opened their concert with a moment of quiet reflection for the victims of the Crocus City Hall attack. The group has chosen not to stage a large demonstration; instead, it will donate all proceeds from the event to support those affected and the families grieving the loss from the tragedy.
Following the moment of silence, the ensemble launched into the performance with the song titled I am a thrown arrow.
That evening, March 22, an unidentified assailant opened fire on attendees at the Picnic concert held at Crocus City Hall near Moscow. The assault involved automatic weapons, followed by multiple explosions and a blaze that engulfed portions of the venue. Investigators began a criminal inquiry into a terrorist act under the relevant provisions of the Russian Criminal Code.
The incident represented Russia’s most severe terrorist attack in recent memory, surpassing the Beslan school siege in 2004 when over 300 people lost their lives.
Officials from the Moscow city government indicated that every available resource in the capital’s health system was deployed to assist the injured, who were treated across a network of city hospitals. Health authorities emphasized the need for rapid medical care and coordinated response in the aftermath of the event.
Reports from health authorities later noted changes in the casualty figures as the medical response continued. The incident prompted heightened security measures and a reassessment of public event safety protocols in large venues across the region.
Earlier, the artist Ponarovskaya had postponed her own concert in the wake of the Crocus attack, aligning with a broader pattern of post-tragedy scheduling changes among performers and venues.