"The Dark Rebirth:
Report on the Asgardsrei 2017 Festival & Pact of Steel Conference (Kiev, Ukraine)
Report on the Asgardsrei 2017 Festival & Pact of Steel Conference (Kiev, Ukraine)
Asgardsrei Fest is currently one of the best known and most uncompromising events in the European black metal scene. The spirit of the festival is a voice of dissent against two trends of degeneration in black metal today.
The first pole is commercialization: turning the scene into a harmless product that can be used by the mainstream to make more money. The other pole is the “hipsterization” of black metal – making it a Left-leaning, urbanite but edgy, pastime for modern liberal ironists.
Asgardsrei is true to the mythological and archetypical roots of the black metal scene, but trying to give a new life to the scene, connecting it with the wider European nationalist movement: the last true rebellion possible in the modern world. Having heard and read so much about this event, I could not let another recurrence of this festival pass me by, and I decided to go to Kiev and experience the event first hand.
Believe it or not, one of my gateway 'drugs' into nationalism was black metal. One of the reasons I began studying the philosophies of Nietzsche, Evola, Jung, and Spengler was that they were mentioned in lyrics, interviews, or articles published in black metal zines. There is a lot that irritates me in the black metal scene, but nevertheless, I think that when it is good, it is really good. A great upside for me was that I went headfirst into ethnonationalism(The purest and genuine nationalism), with a broader European, or Aryan perspective, without indulging in any kind of civic nationalism or conservatism. True black metal is explicitly Aryan culture, which has taught to not be ashamed of my ethnic heritage.
The whole event in Ukraine had two aspects: the Dionysian and the Apollonian. The Dionysian was the Asgardsrei Fest on Saturday, with concerts and celebration of the often actively 'nihilistic' black metal spirit. The Apollonian was the Pact of Steel Conference on Sunday, with lectures on philosophy and metapolitics of the European nationalist struggle.
Regarding the Dionysian aspect, the Asgardsrei Fest on Saturday, I will not bore the readers with details of which band played which songs etc., since most are not fans anyway. The thing about this kind of music is that you either get it or you don’t. Black metal is a little bit like opera – if you don’t accept the conventions, the whole affair seems silly and way too over the top.
Over the years, I have attended a few metal and black metal concerts, but this was the best event I have ever been to. The energy of both the artists and the audience, the great visualizations in the background of the stage (mostly animated flags with logos of the bands and looped scenes from old-school movies), as well as the sound (black metal concerts are very difficult to engineer) were of the highest quality. Furthermore, it was quite a sight to see over 1000 Aryan people celebrating their heritage: including the dark (gothic) and violent (militarist) aspects. The whole event was immersed in a certain “me ne frego” attitude.
...the whole venue turned into a temporary autonomous zone where it is not only okay to be Aryan, but also to display certain symbols or slogans which are not welcome in our liberal-tyrannic dystopias. I was genuinely shocked by the lack of resistance from the liberals and leftists to this event. When I asked Ukrainians about this, they explained that the violence of the leftists was answered with violence from the nationalists, and the radical left has been hiding ever since.
And Ukrainian youth (except for the usual slumbering hedonist majority) are drawn towards the nationalists, who just seem a more attractive and genuine choice. As usual, without zog-state support, anti-Aryans lose when confronted by nationalists.
For those who do not follow the contemporary black metal scene, there is a new wave of militant black metal, mostly represented by Russian and Ukrainian artists. It is much less nihilistic and satanic, and more nationalistic and mythological. The style is a little different. Instead of skinny long-haired metalheads they promote a more “undercut and beard” edgy look, and focus on overcoming physical and mental limitations by means of training and education. They are strongly connected with NsXe (nationalist straight edge), MMA, and survivalist scenes, and they also promote metapolitical and political activism. And this new wave was clearly visible during the festival, especially among attendees from Eastern Europe, and among the younger people. Sure, there were some typical hedonistic metalheads, but only minority came to Kiev “just for the music.”
During the concert, I met people from Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Belarus, Czechia, Slovakia, France, Germany, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Greece, Lithuania, Finland, Sweden, Portugal, Italy, and the United States, and I know many more countries were represented. Keeping in mind the complex and often tragic history of our nations, it is really moving to see people from Ukraine and Russia, Ukraine and Poland, Poland and Germany, Sweden and Finland, Italy and Austria, Serbia and Croatia etc. standing together or even waving flags of their nations next to each other. Perhaps, the way to go for Europeans is to focus on the most archetypical and symbolic parts of our legacy. We cannot and do not want to cease to be Poles, Ukrainians, Russians, Czechs, Germans etc., but we must remember that to a large extent we share the same destiny and are facing the same external and internal threats. I know that it is much easier to take part together in festivals than to cooperate in everyday struggle, but such events are a great opportunity for international networking and for starting new cooperative initiatives, many of which are already happening.
For most readers, the second day (December, 17th) might be more interesting, as it was more directly linked to metapolitics and community building. On this day the second Pact of Steel conference took place. This is an event aimed at creating a bridge between the East and the West, as well as at connecting the black metal counter-culture with the wider counter-currents which are aimed against the modern Zeitgeist.
But first, let us take a closer look at the location of the conference. Kozatskiy Dim (Cossack House) is located in the center of Kiev, next to the famous Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square). It is a building which has been taken over by volunteers of the Azov Regiment during the (unfinished)Maidan revolution and has been occupied ever since by Ukrainian nationalists.
It is now a cultural and organizational center, modeled after Casa Pound Italia in Rome. It hosts a number of initiatives such as Literary Club Plomin, Publishing House Orientir, KinoKlub Europa, Art Studio Dürer, the black metal Militant Store, and a gym for MMA and general physical training. And I am sure I am overlooking some of the initiatives, as the nationalists in Ukraine have really caught wind in their sails, and it is really difficult to track everything they do. Bear in mind that the Cossack House is only one such center in Kiev. In the capital of Ukraine, you can also find the Reconquista Club (which is a combination of restaurant, club, and sports center, which hosts martial arts events) and the headquarters of the National Corps (a political movement linked directly to the Azov Regiment), both of which I did not have the chance to visit this time.
When you enter the Cossack House you are greeted by the crest of the Azov Regiment and a wall with the pictures of the brave men of Azov who fell defending their fatherland. This is pretty much the answer to the question of the popular support for nationalists in Ukraine, who in the time of crisis turned out to be some of the bravest sons of their nation and did not hesitate to shed blood for their ideals.
The Club has a library with shelves filled with books by the best European authors, including “our authors.” You can study, work, or just enjoy great literature and good company over a cup of coffee or tea, surrounded by depictions of Nietzsche, Spengler, Schmitt, Eliade, Lovecraft, Jung, Mishima, Jünger, Pound, or Cioran, and the translations of their work. There is a special room dedicated to lectures and discussions, which — even though the Club is quite a new initiative — has already hosted numerous events of the highest intellectual quality. Another thing that positively surprised me was that this place attracts not only thinking men, but also thinking women, who are searching for truth and wisdom, and for whom the shallow answers provided by postmodern academia and liberal centers are not enough.
My visit to Kiev was one of the most uplifting moments in my life. And while it is saddening to see a country so beautiful and rich in history as Ukraine go through such a terrible political and economic crisis, it is truly inspirational to witness the achievements of Ukrainian activists. One needs to remember that these are the results of true dedication to the cause, followed by tough everyday work. There are three things which really impress me when it comes to Ukrainian movement. First of all, the above-mentioned number and variety of their initiatives. Second, the quality of the people involved. For many years (especially at the very beginning) meeting other nationalists was often the greatest challenge I faced, to put it mildly. Back then, the cringe and fringe were overwhelming. Now, the situation is completely different. With every event I take part in, with every new person that I meet, I am becoming more and more convinced that this is a good fight which we will eventually win. And the Ukrainian activists I have met are the kind of people that can turn a normie into a nationalist in one conversation. The third and last impressive thing is the broad European perspective of these Ukrainian nationalists I have had the honor to meet. They have managed to go beyond chauvinism and petty, narrow-minded nationalism. Since I am Polish, I am easily triggered by Ukrainian chauvinism or anti-Polish sentiment. However, I have not encountered any of these when talking with my Ukrainian colleagues (although I know that there is anti-Polish sentiment present in some segments of Ukrainian society, just as there is anti-Ukrainian sentiment present in some segments of Polish society). Perhaps, the question to the popular liberal rhetorical question “Why can’t we all just get along?” is: “Yes, we can, but we need to become nationalists first.”
I know that Ukraine seems a very far-away and exotic country, especially for people from North America. But if you are planning your European trip, think of including it in your route, since such initiatives as the Cossack House are an example of how nationalists can achieve great things."
-Jarosław Ostrogniew
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