The record store wing of beloved Kyiv club Closer is shutting.
The closure was announced in a statement on the store's Telegram channel on Friday, January 27th. "This is the last post from the Closer Record Store page, so it can be considered a farewell," the post read. "Yes, our store is closing. Of course, we are a little sad, but at the same time, we ask that no one be sad, because changes are a sign of life."
The post went on to reference the Tibetan Buddhist ideology of destroying something that is sacred, summarised with the line: "Everything has its beginning, as well as its end."
Sharing the same building as the club, Closer Record Store was launched in 2015 by residents Shakolin and Gapom. A new record shop opened in Kyiv in August called abo records.
Read Closer's statement in full."This is the last post from the Closer Record Store page, so it can be considered a farewell. Yes, our store is closing. Of course, we are a little sad, but at the same time, we ask that no one be sad, because changes are a sign of life.
In Tibetan Buddhism, there is a very important meditation ritual, or sacred rite—the process of creating a mandala.
Mandala is a complex geometric symbol, which is interpreted as a model of the universe, a map of the cosmos, a reflection of everything. It's so sacred that even its creation is considered a fully fledged object of worship. According to the scheme of mandalas, Hindu temples and Vedic altars are built, and their images are also used for initiation into Buddhist monks.
It's believed that the interest of the Western scientific community began with Carl Gustav Jung, who noticed the presence of a very similar symbol in many cultures and religions, and became interested in it.
How does this all relate to the closing of the Closer Record Store? It's very simple: one of the key processes in the creation of a mandala is its destruction. Immediately after the very laborious, complex act of its creation, which takes more than one day, is completed, the monks destroy the mandala with several movements, and thousands of small multi-colored elements, which only a moment ago made up a flawless pattern, become ordinary pebbles that will be collected in a pile and given to the waters of the river.
Why do this? To spend so much energy and time to create something that will be destroyed in one second? Perhaps the first reason is a reminder that everything in this world seeks change and cannot stand still. Secondly, it teaches courage and the ability not to get attached to anything, because everything has its beginning, as well as its end.
As much unfortunately as fortunately, I made my mandala called Closer Record Store, and I decided to finish it, because I want to move on.
Therefore, I have the honour, sadness and pleasure (at the same time) to tell you: "see you soon." A new store will probably open at this location, but that will be a completely different story. I am very grateful to everyone involved for everything that has been and for everything that will be.
P.S. Later we will make a separate announcement about the final sale and the work schedule until closing, and tomorrow we are waiting for you from 2 PM to 6 PM, just like in the good old days."