Passing through Moscow on September 20 – Artem, a 22-year-old IT student from Moscow, does not regret spending more than US$3,000 to see his favorite singer perform.
Around the world, fans of Taylor Swift (“Swifties”) are accustomed to paying a lucrative price to attend her concerts. But in Russia, catching the superstar on tour presents other challenges.
Many Western artists have avoided Russia since it sent troops into Ukraine in 2022, and visits to the West are fraught with complications.
But without fear, Russian Swift embarked on the arduous adventure this summer to catch Swift’s Eras tour — which required a clever combination of visa appointments and flights .
In July, 20-year-old medical student Elizaveta traveled to Gelsenkirchen, Germany with Artem to see Swift perform.
“When you realise that your dream has come true, of course you feel happy, joyous and a lot of gratitude that everything worked out,” he said.
Elizaveta and Artem are close to other Swifties in Moscow, and three years ago they set up a fan group on the Russian social platform VKontakte.
Members said dozens of people attended the events they organized, from singing to bracelet-weaving workshops.
“We’re trying to create a kind of comfortable community, a place for people to come together,” said Diana, a 20-year-old studying international relations.
But for those who have the time and the money, there’s nothing better than seeing Swift perform live.
Artem and Elizabeth are determined to do just that this summer. Elizabeth reached Greece via a third country and obtained a visa, then flew to Germany. Artem applied for an Italian visa through an agency six months ago.
“I combine it with normal travel to Europe; if I do it only for concerts… it’s cheaper,” he said. “The result was about 300,000 rubles ($3,200).”
Students have learned to adapt to geopolitical changes.
Elizaveta’s Apple Music account was registered in Turkey, while Artem and the others used a “workaround” to listen to music on Spotify, which shut down its streaming service in Russia in 2022 after Total War began. Apple suspended sales of the product that same year.
Another fan, Dimitri, said Swifties around the world are just a click away.
“We’re not really isolated from the rest of the world. (We) sit and watch TikTok, it has videos of foreigners and all kinds of discussions…
“In principle, we have everything. Our life is very rich.”
