On July 2, 2025, at Elettra, we began the “Dark Period” (DP): the definitive shutdown of Elettra's Storage Ring (SR) with its auxiliary equipment and most of its beamlines. During the first phase of the DP, we removed the entire SR lattice structure with its associated cabling, piping, and supports. At the same time, the Service Area (SA), where most of the equipment for operating the SR was and will be located, was emptied to allow for infrastructure work and the subsequent installation of new racks and equipment. “On the other side of the wall,” most of the photon beam lines are being reconfigured, upgraded, or installed, which involves several changes to the configuration of the SR tunnel's outer shielding wall. The paper describes the status of DP activities, the difficulties encountered, and the mitigation strategies adopted. Logistics plays an important role in this scenario, organizing the handling, transport, storage, and arrival times of materials, equipment, and instrumentation racks. This flow is bidirectional and includes both what is removed and disposed of and the parts to be installed, with a significant coexistence of old and new material.