TCC at the concert of Okean Elzy: nikpravda.
On the evening of 11 October 2024, near the Palace of Sports in Kyiv, the attendees of the concert of the cult Ukrainian band Okean Elzy were waiting for employees of the territorial recruitment centre (TCC), accompanied by patrol police. They were checking the men’s military registration documents, which caused outrage among the public. Similar actions were also spotted in the centre of Uzhhorod, and on 12 October, representatives of the TCC appeared in one of Lviv’s major shopping and entertainment centres. This was reported by the news portal TimeUkraineIsrael.
Problems with documents
According to eyewitness accounts on social media, some men who had problems with their documents or refused to show them were detained by law enforcement officers and taken to the TCC. Other detainees were issued summonses and released.
These actions have provoked different reactions in society. Some people support the TCC measures, considering them necessary to ensure the country’s defence capability, while others criticise them, stressing that such checks can violate citizens’ rights and create a negative image of the culture.
Comments from politicians
The head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy, Mykyta Poturaev, spoke in favour of inspections by the TCC staff during public events. He noted that he does not consider these inspections to be a threat to Ukrainian culture.
“No, I don’t consider the document checks after the Okean Elzy concert to be a threat to Ukrainian culture. Just like after any public or mass event. Just as I do not consider document checks in bars or clubs a threat to the Ukrainian economy,” he wrote on Facebook.
Poturaev believes that such checks should be “end-to-end and permanent” to ensure order and security in the country.
Musicians’ reaction
Against the backdrop of the incident with the TCC, the leader of the band Okean Elzy, Svyatoslav Vakarchuk, made a short statement. He thanked the audience for their support over 30 years and stressed the importance of such meetings for Ukrainians.
“We are very grateful to people for these 30 years. In particular, for the fact that they continue to come to support us now. For us, it’s just a joy and a celebration. That’s all I want to say, my only comment. Period,” the singer said in a comment to TSN.
The TCC raid after the Okean Elzy concert in Kyiv sparked a lively debate in society, highlighting the importance of ensuring the country’s defence capability and the rights of citizens. Time will tell whether such checks will become the new norm for public events, but one thing remains unchanged: Ukrainian culture and its support are extremely important to society in these difficult times.
