Musicians Garkusha, Leonidov, Novitsky and Podosenov opposed the bill on street performers

Frontman of the Auktyon group Oleg Garkusha, singer Maxim Leonidov, bard Mikhail Novitsky and director of the Garkundel art center Dmitry Podosenov opposed the law on street performers. Their video messages to the governor of St. Petersburg Alexander Beglov published Party “Yabloko”

What law are you talking about. In early October, the deputies of the Legislative Assembly in the first reading accepted a bill that regulates the performance of musicians, actors, dancers and poets on the street.

If the law is adopted in full, then the artists will have to coordinate their performances with authorized representatives of the authorities. At the same time, the authorities will be allowed to perform only in certain parts of the city, and during the performances it will be forbidden to swear, call for extremism, promote violence and carry out “other illegal activities.”

The bill was criticized by representatives of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Yabloko and Just Russia, who did not see the need to restrict the freedom of street performances. Members of the Legislative Assembly admitted that the law could lead to abuse and unfair application.

What did the musicians say in their appeal to Beglov. Oleg Garkusha said that he had never seen such a bureaucracy in any country that Beglov proposed for street musicians.

Maxim Leonidov noted that requests from musicians to perform on the street would be considered for two weeks. He also called the initiative “short-sighted” and “irresponsible”. The singer suggested that the deputies “take an example from their Moscow colleagues”, who allowed the artists to register performances on the site.

Dmitry Podosenov said that the law should not be introduced, as Russian musicians have been organizing public performances for several centuries. In turn, Mikhail Novitsky considered the new project “a loophole for corruption.”