Record-makers to record-breakers: Russian rockers head for Guinness fame

Mumiy Troll, an unconventional Russian “rockopop” band has unveiled ambitious plans to make it into the Guinness Book of Records. The band hopes to achieve its aim by playing gigs at opposite ends of Russia on the same day.

­The first live show will take place in Russia’s biggest Far East city, Vladivostok. They will then cross the country to play at none other than the town of Kaliningrad, a former German territory on the Baltic Sea between Poland and Lithuania. The venture will entail bridging the 10,549-kilometer gap and eight time zones in one day!

A little time-travelling will soften the schedule  – moving from East to West takes you back in time – but the feat remains a challenge as the band’s fans will be unwilling to let their idols leave them early. However, the band’s website says no special flights will be involved. They will travel with commercial airlines and take scheduled flights.

The concert in Vladivostok is planned for 11am local time on September 1. When Mumiy Troll and its charismatic frontman Ilya Lagutenko step onstage in the East, Kaliningrad will still be in deep slumber. The concert there is planned for 10pm local time.

Mumiy Troll was founded in 1983 in Vladivostok by the band’s vocalist and songwriter Ilya Lagutenko. The band rose to success only in 1997 and has been one of the most beloved rock bands in Russia ever since.

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