Concert by Ukrainian Quest Pistols Not Approved in Qostanay

A concert by the Ukrainian group Quest Pistols, scheduled for July 27 in Qostanay, has not been approved by local authorities, Orda.kz reports.

According to Nasha Gazeta, the event was not approved by either the city’s Department of Culture and Language Development or the regional Department of Culture. Event organizer Ruslan Kuntuarov, head of the Eventuskaz agency, said he had been in talks to bring the group to the Orion Cultural Center for over a year.

Kuntuarov first contacted the Department of Culture in May.

The request was forwarded to the Department of Culture, whose head, Saule Azimzhanova, reported:

Based on monitoring of publications about the group on Internet resources and in the media, conducted by the public development department of the Akimat of Qostanay region, holding the concert has not been approved.

Kuntuarov expressed frustration:

This was not some spontaneous approach, not hype, but painstaking preparation within the law. We planned a full-fledged show - legally, with tickets, taxes, jobs. The treasury could have received solid contributions from ticket sales alone. And all this was done by local specialists: sound engineers, technicians, venues, sellers. Instead of support, they simply refused me.

According to the organizer, the Akimat did not point out any specific violations of the law or risks to public order. The basis for the ban was abstract "publications on the Internet."

Ruslan Kuntuarov called the behavior “censorship in a soft wrapper” and noted that in the future, the authorities will be able to cancel any other event under the same far-fetched pretexts.

Responding to an inquiry, the deputy head of the regional culture department, Sayat Zhusupov, later said the concert was rejected to maintain public safety and avoid potential provocations:

Kuntuarov now plans to challenge the decision in court.

Original Author: Anastasia Prilepskaya