Church Stages Rock Gig in St. Pete

The youth branch of the Russian Orthodox Church's St. Petersburg Diocese was among the organizers of a charity rock gig held at the city's Ice Palace on Tuesday.

According to the Moscow Patriarchate, the event drew an audience of 13,500. It featured Russian rock legends, such as Boris Grebenshchikov, Yuri Shevchuk, Konstantin Kinchev, and Vyacheslav Butusov. The box-office receipts will go to renovate churches at St. Petersburg's higher educational establishments.

The concert organizers believe that the Russian Orthodox Church could collaborate fruitfully with rock musicians in confronting violence, drug abuse, and other evils of human civilization. Such events would give the church an opportunity to directly address the younger generation, they argue.