The Nashestvie Music Festival is one of the biggest outdoor music events in Russia, featuring some of the country's most popular rock bands. But alongside the music, dancing, and beer, visitors can also enjoy displays of military power, as Russian troops show off heavy weapons and invite young people to try on uniforms. Photos by Petr Shelomovskiy for RFE/RL's Current Time TV program (www.currenttime.tv)
Music And Military Hardware At "Russia's Woodstock"
A Russian soldier poses with young women on top of a Tunguska anti-aircraft system during the Nashestvie rock festival in Russia's Tver region, near Moscow.
The huge open-air festival has earned the nickname "Russia's Woodstock."
During the music festival, visitors have the opportunity to look inside military vehicles, like this armored personnel carrier.
Singer Diana Arbenina performs on stage as a fan in a naval uniform surfs on the crowd.
Fans wear the caps and scarves of the Pioneers, the Soviet Union's communist youth organization.
A serviceman helps a child step down after exploring the inside of a military vehicle.
Some Russian performers have refused to play at the festival because of the prominent role of the military there.
Music fans dance in front of the main stage.
The name Nashestvie is a play on words based on the name of the festival organizer, the Nashe Radio (Our Radio) station, as well as the word for "invasion."
Flags fly behind a fan wearing a Soviet-era military cap.
The main stage, where the biggest acts appear. Lesser-known artists perform on some of the festival's smaller stages.
Far from the main stage, military cadets play in a marching band.
In one military demonstration, airborne marines show visitors how to build a boar trap.
An art installation made up of metallic warriors