Queer culture festivals are held all over the world: Sweden and Denmark, USA and Canada, and recently also in Eastern Europe.

In the autumn of 2009, St. Petersburg hosted the International Festival of Queer Culture for the first time in the history of modern Russia. This event was of enormous social and cultural significance both for people who appreciate culture and contemporary art and for representatives of the queer community.

During ten days at different venues in the city performances and concerts, debates and exhibitions were held, poets competed with one other fought and night parties were thrown.

The success of the event confirms the status of St. Petersburg as a tolerant European metropolis, where there is a place not only for artists of popular art movements, but also for those who are outside of the social stereotypes, raise sharp questions and do not seek to fit into the usual notion of “the norm”.

All planned activities took place. One of the biggest problems was shortage of places for visitors: people had to stand in the aisles, share chairs for two persons each. Organisers were embarrassed – no one had hoped that interest for the festival will take such a large scale. But this could not spoil the mood – both participants and guests were pleased. In total, about 3000 people visited the festival.

Summarizing, we can boldly say that the motto of the festival “Culture In the Name of Diversity” has demonstrated its effectiveness – people of completely different social and age groups, interests and sexual orientations showed interest for the festival and its values. Artists, actors, musicians from different directions and aesthetic credos, from different cities of Russia and Ukraine, Latvia, Spain, Israel and the U.S. participated in the Festival.

Hopefully, everyone who came to the festival felt themselves a part of common culture, that the festival was the beginning of the dialogue, which sociologist Svetlana Yaroshenko talked about:

“I like the idea of uniting “different” people that do not fit the generally accepted limits. Almost everyone can find themselves in a situation like this. However, it often seems that our situation is exceptional. And I would like exceptionalness to become not a fashion trend and not a game of equality, but a subject of practical dialogue. When the desire to be heard and seen goes together with the willingness to see, listen to others, with compassion, with the ability to negotiate and do something together, rather than apply labels. This takes skill. I think creativity will help this happen."

The very fact that the Festival could take place gave us hope that our initiative will be continued and eventually become a good tradition.

“The last year’s festival was the fest of diversity. “The last year’s festival was the fest of diversity. We believe that the participation will give a chance for self-expression for everyone and will become an unforgettable and inspiring event”, said Polina Andrianova, the organiser of this and last year’s Festivals. “Exceeding the limits, we enter the common cultural space. Art is a language that is accessible to everyone. Last year our slogan was “Culture in diversity”. The new festival chose the different concept, based on past experience and supplementing it, and chose the possibility to understand yourself, to become yourself through art as its conception”.

“Yes, we hope that the International Festival of Queer Culture will give the members of queer community a chance to realize themselves as a part of the cultural space of the country”, adds Anna Anisimova, angel and one of the Festival’s organizers, – “I believe that it will give a chance to be understood and thus, a chance to be yourself”.

Video clip from QueerFest 2010 2010

Dim lights Embed Embed this video on your site