Literary Festival “Project: POET”

The festival left exceptionally warm impressions. The program was diverse and well‑thought‑out: workshops, poetry readings, and discussions were harmoniously combined, allowing everyone to find something close to them. The organization was top‑notch — everything went according to schedule (almost), the volunteers and the team were attentive and friendly. I especially remembered the performances of young poets: sincere, fresh voices filled the venue with energy and emotion. The festival’s atmosphere inspired creativity and communication, creating a sense of a united literary community. I recommend “Project: POET” to all lovers of the spoken word — it is a place where you can hear something new, get charged with motivation, and make useful connections. More than 8,000 people visited this incredible celebration of poetry this year.

Duet “Kai and Hetera”   

The duo “Kai and Hetera” is intelligent pop music that has created its own world, woven from a harmonious blend of indie pop, retro pop, and author’s song. Behind the stage are Elizaveta Bardash (Hetera) and Pavel Kalatsei (Kai).
Their debut single “Dom” (Home) (2023) brought the band widespread popularity: its warm retro aesthetics and heartfelt delivery made the track noticeable to a broad audience.
The band became finalists on the show “Our New Music” on Channel One, thanks to which they became known not only to musical aesthetes.
“Kai and Hetera” actively tour and perform at major festivals — Stereoleto, Leningrad Bridges, VK Fest, and others. On social media, their songs go viral, and on Yandex.Music, the performers are supported by more than a million listeners monthly.
About the style and performance: Kai: songs impress with honesty and strong emotional delivery; warm expressive vocals and memorable personal lyrics are particularly effective in minimalist arrangements that allow the listener to focus on the word. Hetera: compositions stand out with original sound and bold musical solutions; image‑rich lyrics and detailed arrangements create a powerful stage presence, while a flexible voice gives each song its recognisable character.

Conclusion: “Kai and Hetera” give the audience different but complementary emotions — sincerity and expression, intimacy and creative courage. I recommend listening to their recordings and watching their live performances: the duo leaves a mark on the soul in different but equally convincing ways.

For two days, thousands of people were transported into the world of art and creativity.
On June 7, the small stage featured theater and film actress Agnia Kuznetsova with poems by 20th‑century poets — Anna Akhmatova and Boris Ryzhy. The duo “Kai and Hetera” (mentioned above) performed original musical compositions. People’s Artist of Russia Evgeny Knyazev read Vladimir Mayakovsky’s poem “The Anniversary” and an excerpt from A.S. Pushkin’s novel “The Queen of Spades”. There was also a practical session: a masterclass “Audiobooks as a Trend — Techniques of Reading Aloud” from the Litres Chtets service, where guests learned the basics of voice‑over with experienced reader Ekaterina Permyakova.
On the main stage, the production center “Triumph” presented the fairy‑tale musical “Lukomorye”, which impressed both children and adults. In the evening, the duo SOCRAT & LERA ignited the audience with their songs and fiery energy (leaving no one indifferent — everyone danced and sang along!)
The festival ended beautifully with a free open‑air screening of S. Andreasyan’s film “The Tale of Tsar Saltan”.
Throughout the day, everyone could take part in masterclasses, watch performances by the street theatre “Sosferas”, chat with the Aristocrat Cat, listen to the string quartet “QUATTROSOUND”, and enjoy the DJ Nova Disco Club.