On March 8, the anniversary show of the group “Druha Rika” entitled “I Am” took place in the capital’s Sports Palace.! 30 years" The show became the largest production in the history of the group: viewers saw new scenography, a large LED screen, arrays of light and non-standard stage special effects. However, the main thing was not only the spectacle, but also the emotions that from the first minutes united the artists and people in the hall.
On the eve of the show, the group together with general partners - the Aurora multimarket chain and job search service No. 1 Work. ua – launched a charity campaign “GURTom”, which aims to collect 15 million hryvnia for the needs of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. Therefore, even before the start of the concert program, a charity auction was held among those present.. In total, 3,076,581 hryvnia have been collected within the campaign.. The collection will continue during the tour of Ukrainian cities, which starts on March 28, and you can also join the collection via the link.
“We succeeded thanks to all of you: viewers, listeners, partners, creative and technical teams, media support and everyone, everyone, everyone. Thanks to everyone who shared this evening with us. Thanks to everyone who joined our gathering. Thanks to everyone who has been there for 30 years. Love you all. We don’t stop: we continue to tour Ukraine and the world - and continue to collect 15 million for the State Administration of the Moscow Region. Together we are strong, and together we will definitely win,” the leader of the group “Druha Rika” Valery Kharchyshyn shared his emotions after the show..
The show was directed by German Nenov - creative director from Ukraine at Eurovision 2023 in Liverpool, which received a BAFTA award, creative producer of the national selections for Eurovision 2025 and 2026, music video director and production director.
" She creates the effect of the Leaning Tower of Pisa - as if she is about to fall, but, despite the laws of gravity, she holds on, like every Ukrainian. Lighting solutions have also become an important part of scenography: moving light platforms and light arrays completely change the configuration of the stage and keep the viewer in constant suspense,” production director German Nenov shared the conceptual idea of \u200b\u200bthe show.. The stage was constantly changing with moving light platforms and arrays of light, which transformed the space and created a feeling of tension throughout the concert.. The group’s DNA was also integrated into the visual concept - the “Other Rivers” logo, which ran like a red line through the set design and visual effects of the show.
The concert program was structured as a coherent story and divided into five thematic blocks, revealing various aspects of the main idea of \u200b\u200bthe show “I am and I hold on”.
The first block “I am” became a journey inside a person who is trying to live and hold on no matter what. The second block, “The World May Not Hold,” conveyed the emotions of a person who found himself in the midst of global upheaval. The third block, “Love that Holds,” told the story of a feeling that initially saves a person from falling, but can gradually turn into a toxic addiction. The fourth block, “Loneliness,” was dedicated to finding a new foundation after the familiar world falls apart again.
The final block “Purification” became catharsis and a symbol of a new stage of life. His metaphor was the water of the river, which cleanses and heals. Catharsis, according to the audience, was felt by everyone who was in the hall. Both the musicians on stage and the supporters of “The Other River” cried - remembering these thirty years together with the group.
The atmosphere of the evening is best conveyed by the audience's reviews: they noted that Valery Kharchyshyn dances today the same way as he did 10, 20 or 30 years ago. There was a special sincerity felt in this combination of maturity and youthful energy.
Many admitted that they were so immersed in the drama of the concert that at certain moments they did not notice anything around them - another sign of the audience’s complete involvement.
During the evening, the group performed both new compositions and songs that have long become part of its history.. In particular, “7’I’m online”, “MI”, “Leaving the house”, “Secret”, “You heard”, “Who if not you”, “Dennich”, “Three minutes”, “Let me in”, “You are me”, “Mathematics”, “Fury”, “I drink from your palms”, “Before I’m gone” and others were heard from the stage.
A surprise for the public was the presentation of the song “I’m coming to you,” which “Druha Rika” performed together with the co-founder of the group and former bass player Viktor Skuratovsky, the leader of the TNMK group Oleg “Fagot” Mikhailyuta, the leader of the group “KARTA SVITU” Ivan Marunich and the young artist ODYN.
The emotional moment of the event was Valery Kharchyshyn’s poignant speech about the pipe, which on the eve of the show was sold at a charity event for 120 thousand hryvnia for the needs of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate. The musician played it for the last time on the stage of the Sports Palace.
" She’s probably a little “offended” at me, because before this concert we sold her for 120 thousand hryvnia, these funds will go to the Defense Forces. This is her last concert,” said Valery Kharchyshin. Among the celebrity guests of the evening were Svyatoslav Vakarchuk, Masha Efrosinina, Anatoly Anatolych and Yula, Andrey Cherepushchak (Galitskaya Diva), Olya Polyakova, Vera Brezhneva, Sergey Likhovida, Maxim Bakhmatov, Alina Dorotyuk, Annetta Barsovna, Tember Blanche, "
In the finale, the audience did not let go of the band for a long time, chanting “for an encore”. It seemed that no one wanted to break this circle of unity - between the stage and the audience.
Anniversary show \! 30 years"