How the first Russian Woodstock in the USSR took place with Bon Jovi and other rock stars

It happened in August 1989at the Moscow stadium "Luzhniki"… "Moscow Music Peace Festival" was the first time in history "Russian Woodstock."! Organised Stas Naminhe gave the Soviet people real rock'n'roll, which many only dreamed of... The festival was attended by such world stars as Bon Jovi, Mötley Crüe, Ozzy Osbourne.... Today it sounds ridiculous, but back then it was substantial money - the cost of one ticket was 15 roubles. The first international rock festival on Soviet soil seemed like science fiction to everyone, including the people who lived there. The headliners couldn't believe it either. For foreign performers, it all seemed like a mission to fly to the moon... And all of this happened even before the in the Soviet Union there was the first McDonald's...

Where it all started: organising the show

It was 1989It was the time of perestroika, when the communist system was undergoing revolutionary reforms (before it ceased to exist altogether). Over the course of two days, the groups performed at the USSR's first international rock festival.which took place at "Luzhniki". Officially, the concert was called "Moscow Music Peace Festival"but soon became known simply and succinctly as - "Russian Woodstock.". Just a year before, no one could have imagined that something like this would happen... .

Preparations for the festival began after the new Soviet leader's Mikhail Gorbachev said at an informal meeting, "Whatever is not forbidden by law is allowed." Festival organiser Stas Namin decided to see if it was true.

"All the legal arrangements were in such a mess! - Namin recalls. - Nobody knew what to do. So I just used that phrase..."

In fact, until the very beginning of the festival, no one believed that it would actually take place. Everyone was waiting for the "serious guys" from the "serious guys" to arrive at any moment KGB and shut it all up. The rock bands were preparing for the trip to the Soviet Unionas if they were travelling to the moon. Three weeks before the festival arrived 64 lorries with equipment and anything else the groups might need. At that time nobody really knew what to expect. However, in two days the festival was attended by more than 150,000 people. In addition to the guards, there were soldiers and policemen at the Luzhniki Stadium:

"It felt like we were performing in a military unit," recalls the Mötley Crüe frontman.

"Wild rock'n'roll" on the Soviet stage

It was essentially a charity event to help addicts. Doc McGee. recalled how he tried his best to take away alcohol and other substances from the musicians before they even landed in the USSR. But it was a hopeless cause. Sebastian Bach, frontman of Skid Row.he recalled:

"We couldn't believe how cheap vodka was in the USSR. It only cost a couple of quid a bottle! So we didn't eat, we just drank..."

Born in the West people from their teenage years know what a real rock concert is - as soon as they set foot on the beer-drenched floors of bars... However, to the vast majority of those gathered at the stadium that day, a spectacle of this nature was more than alien. The audience had no idea how to act. And as the concert went on, you could see people begin to get into it, enjoy the concert and even participate in it. It was amazing to see how much they enjoyed it. Soviet people felt that they were in a place where they could have fun and feel free! The concert was important not only for the fans, political relations and social perceptions of both countries, but also for the musicians themselves. As said Tom Keifer (lead singer of a rock band Cinderella) in 2019 interview:

"It was a very special show. People often ask me what was one of the highlights of my career. The Moscow World Music Festival is one of them. It was such a special event... It was the first time a rock concert of this magnitude was held here. It was special for the fans that came, but it was also special for us, it was cool to feel that way!"

This trip. to Russia will also inspire members of the German rock band Scorpions to write a song "Winds of Change."which in turn would become a hymn to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Soviet Union…

Foreign rockers' impressions of the USSR

Aside from the iconic show, these were also the realities that awaited Western stars when they came out of the Boeing 757 to the grey concrete plains Moscow and were met with upheaval... In his interview. Ernie Hudson (at the time the guitar technician for the American band Cinderella) recalled being puzzled by people queuing for the food that was so common in the U.S.A.:

"We see people in the queue, and we ask, "Why are you queuing?" They'd say, "Oh, it's a queue for toilet paper." Two blocks down, a mile, "Why are these people standing in line?" "Oh, they're queuing for milk." It was quite the opposite of what we were used to, going to the grocery shop for toilet paper and milk..."

https://youtu.be/14Xut410dO4

For Americans, the image Russia The United States has always been seen through the lens of the Cold War, which portrayed it as a great enemy. Because of entrenched stereotypes and political tensions, the United States has long been seen as a great enemy. USSR enemy territory, agents KGBready to gather and take over American soil. However, as they quickly realised, this was pure political hyperbole. Yes, the military and the KGB were present, and they were diligently watching the residents West during their stay, but they also proved very grateful for their presence... From the recollections of the then drummer of the Skid Row, Rob Affuso.:

"Later in the evening I went up to watch Bon Jovi from the bleachers, far behind. I was sitting there when the soldiers came up to me. I was very nervous. I didn't know what could happen in the next minute... But they came over, put down their weapons, sat next to me and said, "We want to thank you for coming to our country to bring us rock and roll. Thank you so much!" And they cried... And I was touched..."

https://youtu.be/Q–eXNkx6N8

One last thing...

First International rock festival in a communist state has been seen by nearly a billion people almost in 60 countries of the world! It was the first satellite broadcast MTV live…

"What really struck us was the people," recalls Doc McGee. - They were ready for change..."

To everyone's surprise, no one went to jail during those few days. For the first time in history, people were allowed to lie on the stadium grass during a concert. And it was real magic, a holiday for the Soviet people, who could finally feel free.....