Фота: сацсеткі праекта "Эйфарыя".
In Brest’s main Catholic church, the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, there was a rush in August: long lines formed at the entrance. People were not waiting to attend Mass, but to buy tickets to the “Euphoria Night” show. Tickets costing 55–65 rubles (and up to 70 rubles for some seats) for the project’s evening concerts were completely sold out, while the program itself continued until late in the evening. The organizers themselves promote it as an “intellectual concert in an active church.”
However, behind the sellouts lies a problem: using a sacred space for a commercial pop show not only contradicts Vatican rules, but also exposes the cultural vacuum in which the country finds itself.
The “Euphoria” show is a music and light project that exists in several formats. The show’s creator and driving force, keyboardist and arranger Karan Melian, originally developed it for the big stage:
“We had a dream of someday performing with a symphony orchestra. It’s a different level of sound. We brought the idea to the [“Fantaziya” — ed.] theater and found support there. For six months, I wrote arrangements of global hits… Similar projects exist in many countries; the idea itself is 50–70 years old. But we wanted to bring something of our own to it,” Melian said in an interview with Vecherny Brest.
The project exists in two main formats: the first is a large-scale show featuring a symphony orchestra, rock band and choreography, staged in sports arenas, theaters and philharmonic halls. More recently, however, the chamber-format “Euphoria Night” franchise emerged — a show specially adapted to the acoustics and “atmosphere” of Catholic churches. The organizers themselves position it as an “intellectual concert in an active church.”
“The church’s high vaults create a natural echo. The synergy between the band and the string quartet will sound monumental and expansive and strike straight at the heart. The band’s powerful live sound is complemented by the refined sound of a string quartet,” the description says.
In this version, popular hits and film soundtracks fill the church vaults. The full Euphoria band performs inside the church together with a string quartet: keyboards, guitar, acoustic percussion and vocals. Lighting equipment is also installed inside the building: spotlights illuminate the performers and the altar area to create a spectacular show.
When Karan Melian came up with the concept, he took it to Brest’s private Fantaziya Dance Theater — and found full support there. The Fantaziya Dance Theater cultural institution is the official organizer and production center of the Euphoria show.
The group has a long history, having begun in the 1990s at a municipal cultural center before eventually growing into a commercial entertainment organization. Fantaziya has a long record of close cooperation with pro-government structures: the group regularly participates in official state events, Independence Day concerts and projects held under the auspices of the Belarusian Republican Youth Union (BRSM).
It is precisely this background and ideological loyalty that guarantee Fantaziya the “green light” from local executive committees when obtaining touring permits. As Melian’s business expanded, they helped make “Euphoria Night” possible within the walls of the church.
On EUPHORIA MUSIC PROJECT’s own social media accounts, reactions to the evening show are overwhelmingly enthusiastic. In comments under the videos, audience members express gratitude for the “magical atmosphere,” praise the vocalists and ask when the team will tour other cities.
However, the Katolik.life portal, which drew attention to the situation with the sharply worded editorial assessment “What’s Happening in Brest? There Are Lines at the Church, but Not for Mass,” takes a very different position. The outlet highlights what it considers an outrageous fact: people are lining up at the church not for prayer or the sacraments, but for a secular entertainment show. Believers in online communities emphasize that pop concerts with tickets costing 65 rubles are being held in an active church where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved in the Tabernacle. For the Christian community, this looks like the transformation of a place of prayer into a commercial club and “auditorium.”
If emotions are set aside and the issue is considered from the perspective of Church law, the boundary of sacredness has indeed been crossed:
According to the Vatican’s 1987 directive (De concertibus in ecclesiis), the Holy See categorically prohibits the performance of entertainment, pop and rock music in churches. Only sacred, religious or serious classical music that fosters devotion is permitted.
There is also a prohibition on commercial activity: the Code of Canon Law (Canon 1210) strictly prohibits using a church for profit. Even religious concerts must be held with free admission or voluntary donations. A fixed ticket price of 55–65 rubles directly violates the sacred status of the place.
Obviously, to organize an event on this scale, the organizers need permission from the local parish priest and the curia. In the current circumstances, however, this does not look like a dialogue between equal parties and the religious community.
Since the events of 2020, the Catholic community in the country has been under constant scrutiny from the regime. Under such conditions, when a pro-government entertainment organization (Fantaziya) comes to a church with a touring permit from the executive committee and under the patronage of the BRSM, priests are left with virtually no room for maneuver.
Refusing a group supported by the authorities would, in a sense, mean exposing the parish to inspections or accusations of “destructive activity.”
But the sold-out Euphoria shows also demonstrate another trend — a cultural “hunger.”
The huge lines point to people’s desire to hear quality pop music performed professionally. The country has found itself culturally isolated: foreign artists do not come, independent bands are banned, while the official stage is filled with pro-government Russian pop acts and ideologically approved performers. And when young people with beautiful voices offer audiences a chance to hear global hits, people are willing to pay and turn a blind eye to the fact that, for the sake of the show, a commercial event is being staged in an active church.
However, it appears that after the sold-out shows in Brest, the “Euphoria Night” team will want to repeat its success elsewhere. It would be interesting to see how pro-government structures would react if a progressive group wanted to stage an “intellectual concert” in an Orthodox church.
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