History of the West and East. Technopati in the Czech Republic

The program is conducted by Alexei Kuznetsov. The Radio Liberty correspondent in Prague Alexander Wagner takes part.

Alexey Kuznetsov: The authorities of some Czech cities are now considering the possibility of adopting rules that allow forbidden the so -called “technopati” - alternative electronic music festivals. This discussion has been resuming for several years in a row, because in the summer almost every weekend of technology lovers go to dance in the fresh air ...

Alexandra Wagner: On the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Czech Republic it is written that “Technopati” is a musical party, which contains more than 250 people and which lasts longer than six hours. Here we can read that we are talking about an alternative dance culture, entertainment, during which music in the style of “techno” and “hardcore” sounds. “Young people who do not like the commercial space of entertainment establishments are involved in such parties, so“ Technojippies ”choose places away from civilization - in nature.”

We can say that the Czech police are well aware of what are alternative festivals of electronic music. We listen to one of the organizers of such parties by Jan Profius.

Jan Profius: Throughout the Czech Republic, many freeparties passes throughout the Czech Republic. There are those for which several dozen people gather, and there are megaves, in which several thousand take part. The main idea is to put speakers and players in the field for mixing music, start playing, and who wants to come, he will come. Previously, there was a tradition to gather once a year at the festival called CzecHtek. Two years ago, with the help of water interfaces and gas, its participants were dispersed by the police, and the next year he had to be carried out under the control of the authorities. This idea has lost its meaning, so there will no longer be large festivals, at least in the Czech Republic.

Alexandra Wagner: Today, even a small open air party attracts the attention of the police and the media. On TV, pensioners are regularly shown who complain of the roar of speakers, which does not allow them to sleep all night. For these reasons, for example, in Austria and Great Britain, dancing in the open air is prohibited. The Czech authorities still do not want to completely prohibit the holding of such festivals, but only intend to tighten the rules. For example, the Prague City Hall recently approved the conditions that the organizers of Technopati must fulfill if they are going to organize something similar in the capital. It is necessary to get the appropriate permission of the city hall in advance, rent a land plot, ensure parking of cars, wealth of water, and put mobile restrooms. Otherwise, such a party will be recognized as illegal. Says Milan Krovil, the founder of the so -called “naked anti -conflict police detachments”, who usually negotiate with the participants in Technopati.

Milan Krovil: We send our employees not to every technopati. If there is permission to hold it, and the land plots are chosen so that music does not bother people in the district, then the police do not intervene. We distinguish between two types of such parties: permitted and, as we christened them, wild. The former, as a rule, is known in advance where and when they will be held, and the latter are organized randomly: usually on someone else's land in the forest or in the field where the participants will place columns and dance. At such a party, we send just an anti -conflict detachment that informs the participants about the illegality of their actions. If after these persuasions they will not collect equipment and do not leave, then, of course, we use repressive methods.

Alexandra Wagner: The organizers of Freeparties, that is, parties where you do not need to pay for entrance, say that in the Czech Republic this culture, like in the 80s in the UK, has lost its original meaning. Technopati for many years have been an alternative to club entertainment. Until the last day, the venue for such parties was not known. The participants were looking forward to when information appeared on the Internet about which part of the country to go to participate in the festival. There was no question of cooperation with the police or local authorities, because this was not required before. It was enough to rent a land plot and invite friends. In addition to the DJs, the so -called “Trevells” - nomadic hippies on buses and trucks, which spent several weeks here (usually large festivals lasted about ten days) gathered into the Czech Republic. Similar technopaths were carried out in other countries - France and Italy. After the police banned the holding of the CzEchtek festival in the Czech Republic, its organizers go to Bulgaria and Ukraine every year.

David Chermak: This counterulture, outside the control of the authorities, a kind of protest, which arises, naturally, spontaneously. Thus, people try to “break” the state system at least for some time.

Alexandra Wagner: says one of the organizers of the Czech Technopati David Chermak.