Employee of Chechen Ministry of Culture: stars came to Day of Grozny for money

The staff of the Ministry of Culture of the Chechen Republic, engaged in preparation and organization of festivities on the Day of Grozny, found it difficult to quote even approximate amounts of the royalties paid for performing in Grozny to Van Damme, Hilary Swank, Vanessa Mae and Seal, saying that the government and Chechen businessmen had dealt with the issue.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the celebration of the Day of Grozny was held under unprecedented security measures. On October 5, the concert was decorated by performances of Vanessa Mae, British singer Seal, Sofia Rotaru, Ukrainian singer Ruslana, Yulia Savicheva and Katya Lel. Welcoming addresses were pronounced by Hollywood actor Jean Claude Van Damme, film director Sergey Bondarchuk, and actor Sergey Bezrukov. The opinions of local residents about the celebrations and opening ceremony of the "Grozny-City" complex vary greatly - from delight to resentment.

"The Ministry of Culture had been drafting the scenario of the Day of Grozny for two months," said Rosa Pashaeva, head of the division of arts and educational institutions of the Ministry of Culture of the Chechen Republic. "As for invited celebrities - till the last day we didn't know exactly who would come and take part in celebrations."

Invitation of the world celebrities was undertaken by the republic's government, Grozny Mayoralty, the Turkish company, which has built the "Grozny-City" complex and Chechen businessmen, including Ruslan Baisarov, the former Alla Pugachova's son-in-law.

The festive concert was held in the concert hall, which was built specially for the Day of Grozny on the bank of the Sunzha River. The VIP box opens to the audience with a thousand seats.

Not all the invited performers were given the floor to act at the gala concert, said the source from the Ministry of Culture.

"We were restricted in time and had to change plans 'along the play'. For example, the British singer Henry Seal was supposed to perform for half an hour, but eventually sang only two songs," said Ms Pashaeva.

"We come to such events to make money"

Speaking about the stars' riders, Rosa Pashaeva has noted that there was nothing "supernatural"; and all the desires were fulfilled; she added that all of them worked for money.

"Van Damme said frankly: 'I was invited, and I came - we come to such events to make money'," said the source.

After the gala, the invited guests walked along the newly built Akhmad Kadyrov Avenue and talked to Grozny residents.

"I wasn't involved in organizing the arrival of celebrities; but when they came, it was quite easy to deal with them," said Alvi Karimov, the head of the press-service of the Chechen president. "They eagerly communicated with citizens, took pictures with them, and even danced lezginka."

Human rights defenders urged stars not to go to Chechnya

Meanwhile, on September 28, the European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) issued an open letter calling Shakira, Kevin Costner, Hilary Swank, Vanessa Mae and Eva Mendes not to come to Grozny for celebrations. The appeal was motivated by human rights violations in Chechnya.

"Chechnya continues to constitute a situation where serious violations of human rights are continuously committed by the Chechen authorities, as found in the latest report of the Council of Europe. Mr Kadyrov's policy promotes the state of constant fear among the population and political opponents," the letter of the ECCHR explains the reasons for the appeal.

"Attending such an event on invitation of Mr Kadyrov would disregard the seriousness of the situation with regard to his authoritarian ruling and the violation of fundamental human rights in the Chechen Republic. Therefore, we urge you not to attend the aforementioned event," said the letter of appeal addressed to the celebrities invited to Chechnya.