‘Russian passion, crushing energy’: Night Wolves bikers stun with history show in Crimea (360 VIDEO)
Russian bikers club, the Night Wolves, organized and performed a breathtaking spectacle in Crimea, re-enacting the pivotal moments in the last 100 years of Russian history. RT had a front row seat for the "Russian Reactor" open-air spectacle in Sevastopol.
The entire theatrical show with large-scale decorations, stuntmen and special performances was devoted to the history of Russia – from the overthrow of the monarchy in 1917 to present day.
RT’s Ruptly broadcast it live in 360 degrees.
The Night Wolves motorcycle club showcased some incredible stunts and tricks using their masterful motorbike skills. The Russian reactor performance was staged and coordinated through the clubs’ special stunt unit called the 'Stuntman.'
To the thousands of viewers, the show unfolded as a combination of historical reconstructions of events. It kicked off with a scene depicting the abdication of the throne by Emperor Nicholas II.
The scene covering the Russian Revolution showcased a movement of burning scenery, which symbolized the gate to the underworld. A battle between the Red and White forces also unfolded on stage.
“Hatred mixed with a dream, it uncorked a giant vessel of Russian passion, crushing energy, dreamy utopianism and merciless Russian rebellion,” the leader of the Night Wolves, Aleksandr Zaldostanov, known as ‘the Surgeon’ said about the performance.
The spectacle then proceeded to perform a scene of Russian industrialization and the rise of the country under Joseph Stalin.
Soviet athletes appeared, accompanied by military aircraft of that era.
The 'Russian Reactor' then covered all the subsequent periods of Russian history, including the reenactment of the events of WWII, leading up to the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991.
"Ночные Волки" - respekt за великолепнейшее шоу в Севастополе ! pic.twitter.com/vk2ggFjKIC
— Alexandra Belaya (@AlekzaBelaya) August 18, 2017
The show concluded with contemporary history and the revival of Russia from the turbulence that followed the collapse of the USSR, culminating in a festive fireworks display.
Bikers from across Russia descended on Crimea to participate in the event, as well as European motorcycle enthusiasts who rode thousands of miles from Europe. People came from the UK, Germany and Poland to take part in the two-day spectacle which concludes Saturday.
“We have been invited by the Russian Night Wolves, and I was invited. I decided to take a big delegation of my party and we want to make it a German-Russian friendship meeting,” Federal Chairman of the German Centre Party, Christoph Hoerstel, who led the German delegation to Crimea, told RT’s Ruptly video agency.
The Night Wolves were the Soviet Union’s first (and unapproved) biking club during the 1980s. In recent years, it have enjoyed the patronage of president Vladimir Putin, who rode a Harley-Davidson with them at a special exhibition in 2011.
Prior to the show, Putin and prime minister Dmitry Medvedev met with Zaldastanov. The top Russian leadership briefly talked with bikers. German motorcyclists then presented Putin with a painting entitled ‘Brotherly Handshake of Russia and Germany.’
Putin and Medvedev also used the opportunity to lay flowers at the memorial to the defenders of Sevastopol who sacrificed their lives during World War II.
