VIP Party in Yekaterinburg Draws Rock Stars and Officials

Rock stars and top officials gathered for a closed VIP party in central Yekaterinburg on February 4 to mark the start of the Year of Ural Rock.

Apr 28, 2026

Yekaterinburg Mayor Alexey Orlov took the stage wearing an «Orange Mood» scarf.
Source:
Vladislav Lonshakov / E1.RU

Sverdlovsk VIPs gathered at a closed party in central Yekaterinburg to celebrate the start of the year of Ural rock. A themed concert took place at the Kosmos venue on the evening of February 4.

Vadim Samoilov of Agata Kristi greeted guests and posed for photographs.
Source:
Vladislav Lonshakov / E1.RU

The hall was filled with many guests, including Yekaterinburg Mayor Alexey Orlov, Sverdlovsk Region Health Minister Tatyana Savinova, acting rector of UrFU (Ural Federal University) Ilya Obabkov, leader of the rock band Agata Kristi (Agatha Christie) Vadim Samoilov, founder of the group Urfin Dzhyus (Ural rock band) Alexander Pantykin, historiographer Dmitry Karasyuk, and others.

Many guests brought thematic posters to celebrate the anniversary of Ural rock.
Source:
Vladislav Lonshakov / E1.RU

The concert began with a medley of Ural rock hits by the B.A.C.H. orchestra and ended with an autograph session (which attendees could access by purchasing a ticket for 10,000–15,000 rubles [approximately $110–165 at current rates]).

Ural rock musicians presented schools with certificates for purchasing musical instruments.
Source:
Vladislav Lonshakov / E1.RU

In honor of the anniversary of the Sverdlovsk Rock Club, we recall famous (and little-known) Ural rockers in a special section on the E1.RU website.

Musician Yegor Belkin, a member of the legendary Sverdlovsk Rock Club, attended.
Source:
Vladislav Lonshakov / E1.RU

We also reported that a monument to Ural rock was proposed in Yekaterinburg — experts debated how it should look. And we published a video of a legendary Ural rock band that was thought to be lost forever.