Stihia Festival: A Celebration on the Dry Bed of the Aral Sea
It was probably the biggest event to have occurred in Moynaq since the waters of the Aral Sea started to recede in the 1960s. Hundreds of curious locals mingled with ravers from all over Central Asia and beyond as the first-ever edition of Stihia, a festival of abstract electronic music, unfolded in Uzbekistan, by the shores of the dried-up sea.
Stihia, a Russian word that translates loosely as a concept of an ‘unstoppable force of nature’, was the brainchild of Otabek Suleimanov, a hot-shot lawyer who doubles as a DJ, KEBATO, in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent.
Stihia: Festival on a Former Sea
On a windy Friday night in the middle of September, the beats began pumping across the former sea bed while spinning lights illuminated the desert. DJs from Tashkent, Berlin, and Moscow energized a dancing throng of ravers.
The festival-goers made the pilgrimage from all corners of Uzbekistan, neighboring Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, even further afield for Stihia’s inaugural edition. They were treated to a steady diet of avant-garde electronic music while bemused locals from Moynaq and the nearby city of Nukus observed this vibrant scene of dancers and music from a small fenced-off area in front of the stage.
It was the DJ’s ambition to bring electronic beats to this dystopian corner of Uzbekistan, aiming to draw attention to the environmental catastrophe of the Aral Sea’s desiccation and highlight issues related to responsible water use in the region.
Highlighting Disaster
Originally, Stihia Festival was slated to be held on the former sea bed, known as the Ships’ Graveyard, a haunting memorial of rusting hulls from Moynaq’s once-flourishing fishing fleet. However, the sloping, sandy terrain was deemed unsuitable for dancing; thus, the location was moved to higher ground near a lighthouse, a recent structure replacing one that once stood at the water’s edge, guiding ships to the Aral shores.
Surrounded by yurts, the conical felt tents used by nomads for centuries, the lighthouse now operates as a restaurant. About an hour before Stihia commenced, ten buses arrived from Nukus, bringing nearly 300 revelers on a bumpy, three-hour journey across the desert to join the crowds already gathering in front of the stage.
The festival organizers prepared a traditional meal of plov, a spicy rice-based Uzbek staple with carrots, chickpeas, and meat, for the 500 attendees who had registered for the event.
Reviving the Aral Sea
As the abstract sounds boomed across the desert until just after 1 am, local authorities halted proceedings due to noise concerns. Consequently, the party transitioned over to the Ships’ Graveyard, where smaller groups gathered around bonfires, continuing the festivities until dawn.
On Stihia’s official website, the organizers expressed hope that the DJs would echo ‘the rainmakers who were once part of the region’s nomadic tribes’ and direct ‘the hypnotic and harmonic sounds’ toward the lost sea to tempt the waters back.
Health risks associated with short-term visits to Moynaq appear to be low, although visitors during dust storms or those with asthma should take precautions. However, long-term exposure to the toxic remnants of the Aral Sea continues to plague residents, and it is this far-reaching ecological impact that Stihia’s organizers strive to highlight.
While Stihia may not have succeeded yet in re-soaking the Aral Sea, the hope is that this annual event will enhance the electronic music calendar, employing sonic power to draw tourists and music lovers—and maybe even water—back to this forgotten region of Central Asia.
