St. Petersburg Incident Involving Russian Guards and the Zero People Project
Russian security personnel were reportedly compelled to withdraw from St. Petersburg after activists raised concerns. The scene unfolded at a closed concert by the Zero People group in the city’s Cosmonaut club. This update comes from the Telegram channel Mash on the Moika, which tracks local cultural events and conflicts involving state authorities.
Zero People is described as a side project led by Alexander Krasovitsky, the vocalist and keyboardist of the band Animal Jazz, along with Alexander Zarankin. The duo’s association with Animal Jazz places the project within a broader network of contemporary Russian musicians who experiment with genre and stage presentation, sometimes drawing attention from authorities and activist groups alike.
Eyewitnesses cited by 78.ru report that uniformed individuals, their faces obscured, entered the venue, removed several minors from the audience, and ordered attendees to form lines for document checks. The musicians themselves were also escorted to the police, an action that appeared to escalate tensions around the performance and sparked discussions about rights, screening procedures, and the safety of concertgoers.
Prior to these events, activists submitted a formal request to the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the Investigative Committee, and security bodies urging a cancellation of all performances by Zero People. The appeal reflected concerns about the group’s activities and alignment with cultural policies, signaling a broader debate about censorship, public order, and the protection of artists when clashes with authorities arise.
Following the incident in St. Petersburg, the team left the city for Moscow and announced plans to tour across seventeen cities in the Russian Federation, including Yaroslavl and other destinations. In communications and public statements, the musicians indicated a desire to keep specific venues undisclosed to avoid potential police interference or activist disruption, underscoring a climate of caution and uncertainty surrounding their appearances.
Earlier, a planned Xolidayboy concert in Nizhny Novgorod was cancelled mere hours before its start, further illustrating a pattern of last minute disruptions that have prompted discussion among fans and cultural observers about the safety and viability of live performances in certain regions during this period.