The True Story of Kazantip (part II)
or: How I found myself married to a 25-year-old Ukrainian girl in Crimea’s ‘Republic of Love’
(this article came out originally in Italian for the travel magazine the Trip. You can find it here: http://www.thetripmag.com/europa/vera-storia-kazantip-2/)
The True Story of Kazantip (part I):
https://medium.com/@iamthefreshguy/the-true-story-of-kazantip-part-i-cce71276071c#.6xf2ku9y6
instagram: @lorenzofresh_research
facebook: Urban Nomad Stories
The lure of libido is the strategy that organizer Nikita chose in order to make the festival world famous. Emphasizing the natural beauty of its participants was a canny move to cast curious Westerners into the magic net of Kazantip. A message of open sexuality and non-stop hedonism at the event would catch many fish.
Not too many generations ago, soviet moral expected people in their communities to be uniform; That seems a far-away memory now, as here you find yourself at a festival in a Love Republic where many social classifications exist.
Despite the appeal of sex, freedom and music, there are some rules of coolness so that all the multi-faceted beings in attendance may enjoy the festival fairly, equally, and ecstatically. Spoiler alert! :
“Rules”
1. Peeing 2. Sex 3. Dancing/Sex 4. Money 5. Housing
#1. A few rules are important, especially this one: please do not take a pee on the premises. Pay a small sum to the proper people at the proper place, and you will live a serene life here.
#2. “Look, but don’t touch.” This is one of the real secrets to calmly survive in the Land of Z, as they call it here. (Everything to describe what is cool, is shortened in words in the land of Kazantip.). If you will be respectful. You will be invited to join.
#3: In a place where the ticket are not so cheap, many women come accompanied. Few of them speak English, and it is always important to remember that they have different customs from what you are used to on your western or local club dance floor or bar.
#4. With a plethora of privè and other “exclusive” options to distinguish yourself by throwing money away may be tempting, avoid these seedy marketing schemes. On the other hand, a bottle of vodka costs less in some bars than a single drink in others. Either way, save your money and enjoy the truly mind-blowing pleasures that can’t be bought.
#5. A controversial point is the sleeping facilities at the festival. There are none. This helps the local community, but also raises the price of accommodations nearby. I met Americans who burned through a couple thousand dollars in few days.
I hope it will be different in the future.
OK, back to the ecstacy…
“Woooooooooooooooooooow”, I exclaimed, even though my consumption of mind-altering substances was at the minimum amount in my career as party animal. Here, artificial elevation was not relevant at all. I was under the unique Kazantip spell and I completely gave myself up and tuned in to its wavelength.
I frolicked between swimming pools, bars, the Black Sea beach, dance floors and huge circus-like tents; time was melting, along with my ever-changing assumptions. Sometimes I would observe myself mute and wordless in this sea of people and I think: “Why didn’t I ever take a Russian language class in my life?”
Wow! I thought, this is a real town! I only fully understood it when I had satisfied all the human functions … eating, sleeping, reading, dancing, fainting … day in and day out … until … ooops! it’s been five whole days I haven’t been out of here!
I understood the strength of this festival is in the daily small events, in all those odd activities drenched with natural psychedelic/cosmic/spiritual happiness scattered throughout this immeasureable territory of Kazantip.
Music is just one of the borders that surrounds this unique place. For me, just one artist realigned my mind’s borders. I will still be saying thank you for a long time to DJ List, for his great set during sunrise. With his sparkling smile and colorful little jumps, he spun notes and sounds of real and rare emotion that moved me to new places.
During Sunset, each evening we all gathered and honored the day spent together. Yes, it was like a camping with your unknown best friends, a bit horny, a bit coo coo.
We would meditate on what we were and what we will be, between a gong and a joyous scream. “Shastie iest” (happiness exists) was the battle claim, out and loud!
“But, Fresh, again, what about babes?”
OK, OK, about the babes…. number one, don’t call them babes. Number two, to really befriend
women, don’t tell too many stories about them.
So… I learned a lot of lessons from Kazantip.
I can’t share too many details about how I married Kateryna from Kiev, except that she was a 25-year-old, incredible and kaleidoscopic Ukrainian girl that who, with just few moves, charmed me so much that it left me speechless a full night and I committed myself to be her groom the next day, legally recognized at the Kazantip Republic of Love and valid for the 15 days of the festival in Crimea.
I was ready to do everything to celebrate on the highest point of the territory.
The wedding was indescribable. But this is completely another story that for now will stay in the tunnel of my memory.
Sorry to disappoint you about the babes, but please, take just this one lesson from me:
- Look for the Anthropologist within you in all things; it will be very useful.
What will happen to you who are brave enough to venture to Kazantip, well, that is your own story, and how you decide to live it. Only you can record it in the pages of your personal life diary, among sensational human beings, vodka, culture shock, music, incredulity, the Black Sea and …
Lorenzo Fresh Franchini
instagram: @lorenzofresh_research
facebook: Urban Nomad Stories
You can find a third photographic section, here:
https://medium.com/@iamthefreshguy/the-true-story-of-kazantip-part-iii-3f0735f142a3#.t5an4f1c2
