Our Values
The 10 Principles are living values: they evolve organically and are creatively reinterpreted, yet remain the foundation of how we interact with one another.
Radical Inclusion
No prerequisites exist for participation in our community. Everyone is invited to share our values and join us.
Gifting
Everything we create at our events is a gift to one another, given without expecting anything in return. Every creative act — whether an elaborate work of art, a fantastical outfit, a treat, or a smile — can be a gift. Gratitude always accompanies the act of gift giving. The desire to share and to feel grateful is the foundation on which we build our temporary city, time and again.
Decommodification
In order to preserve the spirit of gifting and protect it from exploitation, we seek to create an environment free from monetary transactions, advertising, and sponsorship throughout the preparation and running of our events.
Radical Self-reliance
We value the ability to rely on our inner resources and seek to cultivate it. By finding the resources we need — money, time, physical and emotional energy — to bring our ideas to life and make our participation in events possible, we become more self-reliant.
Radical Self-expression
The desire to bring our creative ideas fully to life — whether by putting on a concert, creating a carnival persona, or making art — is what drives our community. We create a space where participants temporarily step outside their usual roles and find inspiration in playing new ones.
Importantly, radical self-expression involves not only openness but also responsibility — balancing our own freedom with respect for other people's personal boundaries.
Importantly, radical self-expression involves not only openness but also responsibility — balancing our own freedom with respect for other people's personal boundaries.
Communal Effort
The principles of gifting and self-expression are reinforced by the value we place on working together. The unique space of creative freedom, acceptance, and support is the result of our communal effort. The feeling of being part of something together, united by shared values, is what fans the flames of our inspiration.
Civic Responsibility
Freedom of creative self-expression is limited only by respect for other people's personal boundaries and compliance with applicable laws. Respect for these boundaries, compliance with the law, and responsibility for public safety are essential requirements for participation in Russian Burners events.
Leaving No Trace
Our community respects the environment. We are committed to leaving no physical trace of our activities wherever we gather. We clean up after ourselves and strive to leave each event site in better condition than we found it. An environmentally responsible approach to construction and everyday living is essential to us.
This principle goes further and has become part of our philosophy. All art installations are created specifically for each event and exist only for its duration. We do not preserve them for future gatherings.
Each time, we build a new temporary city. The only traces of those past cities remain in our memories.
This principle goes further and has become part of our philosophy. All art installations are created specifically for each event and exist only for its duration. We do not preserve them for future gatherings.
Each time, we build a new temporary city. The only traces of those past cities remain in our memories.
Participation
At our events people aren't supposed to be divided into creators and guests. We place special value on every participant's full immersion in the creative process.
Through what we do, we find ourselves, open our hearts, and make the world real. Everyone is invited to join in this work and this play.
Through what we do, we find ourselves, open our hearts, and make the world real. Everyone is invited to join in this work and this play.
Immediacy
We believe that experiencing what is happening firsthand, being present in the moment, and interacting with one another matter more than studying our ideas. Only direct experience allows us to overcome the inner barriers that keep us stuck in familiar patterns and prevent us from growing. And to move forward.
© 2026 Russian Burners