The frontman of the acclaimed Polish metal band Behemoth posted the following message on the band’s Facebook page:
We’ve been stopped by the immigration services for ‘wrong visas’. When I said that we will not move an inch from the club without someone from the polish embassy, they threatened to force us out. They took us in a bus, accompanied by 10 officers, to the building of Federal Migration Service. We tried to reach polish embassy in Jekaterinburg but no one is answering the phone. If possible – please copy this message and pass it everywhere you can. We may expect a multihour hearing. The concert is off for sure. The only thing we want is to get back to the hotel safely and then – to Poland. No matter how hard we try – we cannot pass it all. Regards.Nergal
Soon after, not only all the metal media but also some of the international media (e.g. the Guardian) reacted swiftly and made the story public in an attempt to raise awareness on how the Russian authorities considered to treat this so called “group of occult-loving metalheads from Poland” (source:the Moscow Times). In the past years it has been made clear that certain religious, sexual orientations and free minded opinions are not welcomed in Russian. As a result bands and in general performers have been targeted in an attempt to censure all “unaccepted” behaviour.
After their incarceration motivated by them having “bad visas” Behemoth were fined and forced to leave the country immediately. They could only perform four out of their thirteen gigs.