A 53-year-old man named Takhir has been killed with an axe in Leningrad Oblast ahead of the Solar Systo Togathering electronic music festival.
Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the fatal attack, facing up to 15 years in a penal colony according to reports from Russian news channels.
The victim was watching over a sales stall carrying clothing and handmade goods alongside his wife, filling in for the store owner prior to the opening of the event. During the night, a group of men attempted to rob the retail pavilion. Takhir spotted the intruders and went outside armed with an axe in an attempt to chase them away from the shop.
A violent struggle broke out between Takhir and the group of men. The intruders disarmed him during the fight, seized the axe, and struck him multiple times on the head. His wife attempted to intervene to stop the assailants, but they beat her as well.
The woman managed to break away from the attackers and escaped into the surrounding forest to hide. The men then loaded Takhir into a vehicle under the claim of transporting him to a hospital. His body was later found abandoned on the roadside with no signs of life.
Festival Security and Volunteer Roles
Three suspects in the crime have been detained and arrested, according to reporting by Russian news channel Shot. One of the men arrested following the attack worked as a festival security guard and had previously been involved in violent incidents, according to the Telegram channel Mash on Moike. Organizers of Solar Systo Togathering stated that the individual worked at the site as a volunteer and had never received any prior complaints regarding his conduct.
Following the fatal attack, event organizers officially cancelled the music festival.
Background on Leningrad Oblast and Event Logistics
Leningrad Oblast is a federal subject of Russia situated in the country's northwestern region, surrounding the city of Saint Petersburg. Characterized by extensive forests, lakes, and rural terrain, the region regularly hosts outdoor cultural events, open-air music gatherings, and temporary camping sites during the summer and early autumn.
Solar Systo Togathering is an established annual open-air festival dedicated to electronic music, alternative art, and artisanal craft markets. The multi-day gathering draws thousands of attendees, musicians, vendors, and volunteers who construct temporary infrastructure and trade pavilions in forested areas days before official performances begin.
Under Russian criminal law, grave offenses involving fatal violent assaults carry severe penalties, with convicted individuals serving sentences in state penal colonies. Pre-trial detention and criminal investigations in Leningrad Oblast are managed by local law enforcement authorities and state investigative bodies.
