Were in the northern German Village of backend, which hosts and now legendary heavy Metal Festival each year. And now its all loud and wild, but peaceful and we looked to bulgaria where a fire re cultural policy debate is raging. What to do with soviet era monuments tear them down like elsewhere or preserved them. The war and ukraine is fueling the debate and its dividing the country the its the best place in the world to leave metal drink metal. Its metal over here, metal with the best place. Heavy metal music that rifles a jack hammer, a festival faces think is 336 soccer fields, 80000 visitors from all over the world. Of course, there are other drunken metals, festivals of similar size. Count things as much as take you on a trip through the palm of the worlds most imaginary heavy Metal Festival, the wisdom method. Since we love this kind of music and when to concepts organize code scripts and i was working beyond the bottom of the local pop lungfuls in town and that its where when we start all lets, lets take this idea a little bit. So the, lets bring the music to to hometown and organize the fact that its what they did in 1990 thomas. Yes. And how the, who now are the other friends organize the 1st back and opened the festival in the hometown. The location was a nearby sound page. The main shift sage was coupled together from the 10th and the trunk. The entrance fee was 12 miles and 6 yours today. 0. 06 played for 2 days. Thomas jensen was one of the even if it doesnt look like it, he is a 100 people turned up on that until this weekend and that success led to move into trial warranties in the festival. From then on the 2 years later, the british heavy metal band saxon agreed to play. This was a big case for the festival. We bloody pursing 92000 people in here, 3500 to be personally full time was moving in the 1st edition. Going from word of mouth. So its a, its a great festival because its one of the big Success Stores of german music for the real success, kicked in story, lots of anxious times the band with a financial dis bounced for the organizes it 1st in 1996 ticket sales were back the festival was almost 10 sold. The 10 to german bands, the own coasts agreed to play. Not your typical saviors mind you. They were confidential because theyve been connected with the fall really to me of the 1980s. That 1st album had been described is harmful to you because of the text with a new number. Keep in the band, the distance itself from the phone right seen in the, in the ninetys. The image linger unless they come to the gym and show on the bus on the coast house to sell 8000 tickets. In 1996 and from then on back in the open air was established was increasing impressive. Visits and numbers grew from the thing. Yeah. I let us know by the very 1st time i was here was in 1993 or then and 98. The 1st time that were very few people that was here where the backstage area is now done. And then in 98, i was totally flabbergasted. I think theyre about 20 to 30000 people. I came back every 2 or 4 years and suddenly they were about 80000. Unbelievable. I loved backend. For me its the most beautiful Metal Festival in the world. The developments exceeded even the wildest dreams of the organizes. There are a few special patches that have contributed to back in success to a lot of personal commitments. The small open at festival, turned into a huge is a National Event in just a few years. We started off very not easily and no one could have known what would happen. Its just gotten better. I mean, the music is what drives it all forward, but also the fans about crazy. They come from all over the world. Ive heard it was the music that started it all off to be the largest and people expect lots from the lineup. Almost all of the worlds top metal bands have performed here, but its not only about big names of the rules. I imagine most a has the purple outlets coupon slip. Not all so headline also, festivals getting a headlines set. A headline set from the headline. One headline separately. So thats kind of the the difference. When you know, i dont want to name any other festivals, but like we just did a festival where we played like 25 minutes. And the fans were like not a box. And its not only about the length of the performance, but also the mix of music fun if every strings that this younger music will books state described in some point this afternoon im going to be gotten and i like, and i learned that a lot after that and before us, just on and off the rest, it was about, i dont know why were here, but im very grateful to be here for the backend has declined a special status even among wells, not many bands. Dream of playing here it is like honey land. Thats what id say is that gus in i was young and like a Senior High School i just watching from the youtube and then from the day as a matter of fact, how can i play on a its like a home many People Like Us thats. Thats why this really special, like on the 1st, the 1st like all more free, like god, they have new brand to have big brand to have new commer. They have read the bed. This wasnt even a dream of my life. Time is the dream of many lifetimes. Like all people in turn, i live on dream about getting it on die and it never happens really quick spawn from the care of you and from turns the big so i will be and, and walk in school, moving 80 countries onto the International Lineup new it is a small island in the middle of the Pacific Pearl harbor im under us from different parts of the company is more than just the festival. Its a very special place for a whole Community Like a honeymoon that the dream you do work for it. So you can be here on the backend community continues to grow, particularly because everybody is welcome. The goal is to have you met this . I mean, its like a big, heavy metal family swap, club wide expanse of black outfits on job. Lots of people of all ages v as there was a visit for n as cable change the baby. And now even families with children come its in, its kind of become more Family Friendly movie. As i think on the day, the 1st hopkins were really hard core, only nudes going okay. Ill see what else to come to to what that does a fit for him. The metro had the wrong, or if you say to being tolerant as the so its supposed to be one of the safest festivals for women. What i really like, you are the people, the people, the fans, are so friendly, so peaceful and respectful, respectful. Apart from safety, i just felt like the fact that for a successful festival is a well functioning infrastructure that is the used to begin and as a make shift event. In 1990 has become a well oiled machine development. We always thought that we wouldnt manage financially. How about, i mean, we never imagined what technical possibilities we would have one day that we would now be sitting in at the late hour delay tell us so that investment is constant to meet the times, the mountains. There is now a drainage system under the fields so that the ground wont get completely soaked by rain as used to happen in the fall. And this being pipeline was introduced in 2017 to meet the service of the many vendors. Ive been doing this innovative dispenser has created added value for the consumers schools because i have to think what they now get good quality beer, much faster. The quality, its like what, okay, the top we do all of this the unique backend. Can promise slackers nice in the middle of nowhere. The tranquil village of banking in the states, if she needs be culture 9 in northern gemini, has a me, a 2000 inhabitants when the festival is not on. The remote count has been people. That is right, and with that, when they hear nice music, they nailed more milk. Can ask our training. He says they produced a 100 leaders. More training was a good the festival withheld on the true designs from the stocks when he died in 2021 was a great sense of lost in the middle community. That can wouldnt be possible without locals like him. But the village wouldnt be the same without the festival either in the gospel from the yeah. When people say, where are you from the everyone knows box investor, or if you say its a whole, you got the people ask where that is, is on the box and whether in bavaria or spain, wherever you go, well people know to visit the besides the attraction is that theres finally something happening here for the code. I think its good. I want to go again. Football, quantity, this is a really friendly nice. Theyre patient. They wait, we really cant complain. No cause that happy to the hand if need be good for the wheel rim fell off just before we got to the box and bought a lot of the trailer was sitting on the wheel suspension. Com. Then all of a sudden the farmer turned out that looked at us and said, ive got what you need. The one thats headed to having the locals in the middle hands have always been very close. And since 2000, its been back in file finally to as you open the festival, think since gone at coast states has in the mental community. The gateway talking only works here. Thats why its called lock in the village. Its all a part of it. You can only do buck in and bucket can, is a place of belongings of friends and family, you know, with 3 decades in the nation thats become a major event back in open areas. Now. 2 Global Brands on the festivals may help. They must headline is good logistic tons of good sewing, but back in the special job is a small rural community. Has that huge metal the should soviet monuments be preserved or dismantled . How should the monuments of long gone was seen to be dealt with . Are they in fact, legally protected memorials to fall in soldiers or rather symbols of a totalitarian system . Nearly 35 years after the fall of communism in eastern europe. This debate has flared up again, especially in bulgaria. At the center of the controversy is the monument to the soviet army, right in the middle of the capital, sophia, the data showing whatever ends up happening to the monuments, the decision will come much too late. Basement, there was no fire. Im wondering memorial how much these arent just any stones. Its a pansy and it shouldnt be destroyed under any circumstances such as the simple 2nd yet because like an affordable to the lowest proof and this is not a cultural monument tutor up though, and the associates have confirmed that its not a soldiers memorial. See fit to provide on a when use coupon like weeks wouldnt buy when it was funny. Our proposal to turn the monument into a museum would fill a void. We have here he is, namely the absence of this kind of museum and the lack of information about the temperate regime of the dead. Or as communism crumbled, the busts of lenin and other leading soviet figures started disappearing from public fields. Some wound up in storage. Others in museums like here in bulgaria. The monitor monuments remains mostly on times. It was only with the russian full scale invasion of ukraine in 2022. That these imposing monuments were hastily dismantled like here in breed. But involved gary of opinion is strongly divided on what should be done with the moving communist era. Monuments may, 9th, 2023. Is it a visit today in sophia of the soviet, russian, european and full gary and flags are flying in the bulgarian capital summer. Here to commemorate the day of victory over nazi germany. Others are celebrating europe day, which also falls on may 9th. The debate over the soviet Army Memorial has looked for gary and society for many years now. The 10th range from 1982 to nationalist to pro europe. The one thing is clear, this is a country that has not yet come to terms with its past. Unlike and other former eastern bloc countries, such as poland, the communist era is often romanticized in bulk area. The horrors of that era were hardly discussed for a long time, leading plenty of room for problem matic interpretation. It wasnt an end to the historical vacuum and an end to this monument. Thats what these residents of sophia want. No business with any organization wants to be the subordinate. Weve been campaigning for this monument here to be dismantled for more than 10 years. So going to being of us and they put it to zeta. We want this square to be de politicized. Dont take any of that, because this monument divides us as a society. And then well just say, suppose were going to be because of the monument, we can use the square typical in yeah, it doesnt look to the future, but rather promotes a criminal propaganda of the past. No. And is the reason for a lot of attention for as early as the 1993, the city council decided to take the monument down. But since then, the various institutions have been passing the buck back and forth with no one willing to take responsibility. Despite the fact that activists had already clarified that the monument is not under special legal protection, neither was a cultural asset, north of soldiers, memorial narrative, a variety of those following the invasion of the red army. A communist regime was established in bulgaria, him. This monument was created during a time when under an oppressive regime, so coupon has called themselves liberated, see, uh, well for this is what we wanted to show. But what is that, whats, what will you think the most . So to give you today, when i see something similar happening in ukraine, nicole bottom, you an army simply invades a country and declares itself a liberation when it wins the world. Potentially put, that also happened in bulgaria back then to service to us when we clicked on a david viciousness at the end of world war 2. The soviet union was one of the victorious powers over nazi germany. During the cold war, this Alliance Split and bulgaria became part of the soviet dominated communist eastern block from the city. To gary is unique case in the history of Eastern European contest after the 2nd world war. Because bulgaria, being a lie to not to germany, i mean think peace with an octave. The prologic relations with the soviet union during the whole pace of the 2nd world war. Second bulgaria was occupied by a that died of me in 92 in september 1944 without any resistance and but the 2 patients had no reason and no, absolutely no protest. The deed, the destruction of the beginning and political and culture. Truly, it was the highest in comparison with the other just sort of being countries and did the same time. Bo gave you is the only country in eastern europe, which never was never able to create a coherent and the clear politics of memory to establish the assessment of the gene. The patient and the legacy of communist is human to get some are filling in the blanks and the countries historical reappraisal with bright colors. In 2011, the artist group destructive creation, painted the monument to the soviet army as american cultural figures, such as superman santa claus and others. Since then, the monument has been a site of social protest. In 2013, it was painted pink as an apologies for the participation of the peoples republic of bulgaria in the suppression of the Prague Spring Movement in 68. In 2014, it turns blue and yellow in solidarity with ukraine when russia illegally annexed crimea. Finally, school with fiscal trip to permit those. Whats happening here is good of you and the control where these actions are proves that we at least have the freedom to perform artistic activities on the street to because they have with, with maybe the and when they hit the mark. And then the media shows it down with pencil and disrespect. There is no media sense or should i just because we at least can contribute to a dialogue with our actions limit to how that dialogue is conducted is another matter. And youve already told him to see whether actions like this are prosecuted or not. Often depends on the shifting constellations of political power. Reason enough for the art group to remain anonymous. But im probably gonna study mostly in the proposal to turn the monument into a museum is good because it would force the opposers to make concessions stuff in the middle of the bit. But more than that, they would fill a void. We have here, namely the absence of this kind of museum v and the lack of information about the terror regime if that were sent. And if you destroy the memorials altogether, then youre acting like the communists back. Then they also destroyed the monuments they came across. So we stick with the City Police Department and incorporating the monument into an existing museum. Also in a different city, has also been proposed. But sophia, what have a very fitting location, the museum of art from the socialist period. Here during the patients of lane and in various palaces plus jacob and bulgaria and communists leader k or gave the proof to study apple carplay system to so long as any proof i got on the phone. During that time of the art had to serve propaganda. Will stop, you know, name of the dog you bought. It became a tool of political power. And the idea ology that i almost just leave us is that a job with the communist party mailed it with the state. The job. We opened this one party system controlled every sphere of public, expressed political fortitude, just cultural and every other aspect of life youve all arg, was not excluded from these processes that are fed nail style of 3 people. 30 nikolai, who stop at least he has been director of the museum since 2011 and has followed the debate over the soviet Army Monument and sophia, with interest with the monument fits in the museums, football, pitch sized park. The Museum Director has another suggestion. You might not be a, uh, fine with me cuz theres the idea of dismantling the monument and removing it to the city of the truck route to get up about 200 or 250 kilometers from sophia. It all should be the interesting aspect. There is that this city was founded in the early years of socialism, which finding it was built out of nothing. The material ground became a symbol for the construction of a new socialist society in bulgaria uh to come to moving the monument. There really isnt an outlanders idea because the Mutual Ground itself is a monumental social, isnt it . A monument like the one in sophia, which honors a for an army, we could find an appropriate place there. Would you be interested in maybe cost for to me . Yes. To remove from the voluntary and so celebrate may 9th, as a victory day, see things very differently. Holding photos of relatives who were killed in the 2nd world war and russian flags. The people we spoke to were in agreement. The monuments should stay where it is. And remain a symbol of the fight against fascism toilet. Ok, find that nick. This is a joint memorial that must remind us that so many people died in this heinous, bloody and ruthless war. God, most people who never want to do more than memory must be kept to live disability. Let this over and this will is still going on for the whole with the, with the doctor for those meaning, the war between the United States and russia separate the eastern america either see it since then. Russia has been a thorn in the side of those who want to use the enormous resources of russia. They, for their own gain samples, were on the table, got 2 little reappraisal too much. This information pollutants promptly get into a narrative and the current war against ukraine falls on for tom ground and bulk area. A country that has never completely escaped russian influence some 35 years after the end of the old regime. Both area faces an important challenge, confronting and dealing with its passed. The russian war of aggression against ukraine has brought this to it back into focus. Phone guerria is wrestling with its own identity. The you and nato Member States has a daunting task ahead. The that was all from arch unveiled. Thanks for watching. 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