WINTER 2015/2016
www.Moscowexpatlife.ru Aussies in Moscow Inside Azerbaijan ASEAN Celebrates in Moscow The AEB’s 20th Anniversary
Introducing Moscow’s ultimate business & social networking evening
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WINTER
Index Like us on facebook...
News
4-6. Community News
Community
Features
34-35. Moscow Zoo. Interview with Capri the elephant 47. English actors in Moscow 48-49. Photo Walks in Moscow 50-51. Russian British Football Fanatics 52-53. Sand Art 54-55. Nikita on High Heels in Moscow
Australia Section
36-37. Duncan Cole, Senior Trade Commissioner, Australia Trade Commission (Moscow) 38-39. Nick Hluszko, Managing Director of Karofilm, Moscow 40-41. Vanessa Burke, International School Teacher 42-43. Gabrel Kozulan, Writer, Producer, Director at Gabriel Productions and Organizer of Australian Cultural and Charity events in Moscow 44-45. David Wansbrough, Man of Peace 46. Sherman Periera, relocations director, EMEA
Health
56. Antti Johannes Kauppi, Psychotherapist
Education
61. English International School 62-63. Moscow Expat Football Team 64. Moscow Dragons Rugby Ball
Art
66-67. Russian Art Exhibition in Monaco
Business
68. John Kopiski’s food stall 69. Belgian Russian Business Club 70-71. Russia reinvents itself 72-73. Chet Bowling on his Alinga accountancy company 74-75. Chris Weafer on the Russian economy
WINTER 2015/2016
8-10. Tribute to John Roche 11. Social Movers 12. ASEAN. ‘ASEAN DAY’ in Moscow 13. Indonesia commemorates 70th anniversary 14-15. New IWC President Victoria Šeligo 16-18. Moscow Networking’s first meeting 20-22. AEB’s 20th anniversary 24-25. Simon Green – Russians living abroad 26-27. Azerbaijan – Facts and Figures 28-29. Landscapes of Azerbaijan 30-31. Baku 32. Book review: Ali and Nino 33. Pubs in Baku
Charity
76-77. Big Brothers, Big Sisters
Moscow Good Food Club
78-79. The Ehal Greeka restaurant 80-81. Real Food Restaurant at the Crowne Plaza
Books
82-83. Prisoners of Geography. Tim Marshall 84. Why Russians Don’t Smile II. Luc Jones
Essential Information
86-96. Business Clubs, Women’s Clubs and essential information for expats
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Editor’s letter
The long dark days of winter are here. For new arrivals, let me assure you even the Russian winter is temporal and the sun will shine again. Old timers do not need to be told how important it is to get out and socialise over the coming months. Medical issues such as ‘Seasonal Affective Disorder’ (SAD) brought about by lack of sunlight
can be treated medically, but can also be avoided by shutting down the computer and enjoying the warmth of non-virtual human communication. Now is the time to enjoy Moscow’s pubs, clubs, restaurants and theatres. It may surprise you, but Moscow has over 100 theatres, thousands of restaurants and perhaps 20 pubs worth visiting. Discovering them is not easy, however a few of the better restaurants are listed at the end of this magazine, and our highly refined ‘Moscow Good Food Club’ adventures provide a way to appreciate the variety and high quality of what is available in Moscow. On the socialising front, the ‘Moscow
Networking’ events held by this magazine have created waves in Moscow. Held at NightFlight, these evenings serve as a format for foreigners of all nationalities; not just ‘Brits,’ Canadians, Germans, Americans but people from any of the roughly 150 different nationalities living in Moscow, otherwise incongruously labelled ‘expats;’ to come together. We have been separated into our national groups for long enough, now is the time to face whatever is coming together! This issue we dedicate 12 pages to the Australian community. This is not the largest group of foreigners here, but probably the
most friendly. It has always been a pleasure for me personally to forget (at least for an evening) my ‘Britishness’ and socialise at the DownUnder Club or any of the other ‘Aussie’ hang outs or events here in Moscow. In this issue we travel to Azerbaijan a place abounding with pubs, sun and expats. The IWC has a new President and we welcome Victoria Šeligo to Moscow. In her interview she outlines her plans for this club over the next few years. The last few months have actually been extremely busy with many important anniversaries (AEB, ASEAN, for example) being celebrated in Moscow. Enjoy.
New Silk Road Initiative 2015 – Creating opportunities across Eurasian borders The first entrepreneurial driven trans-border initiative between Europe and Asia, initiated by the WCR e.V. in the beginning of 2015, stimulated the interest of more than 1.500 entrepreneurs with 35 Roadshow events during the past nine months. The sustainable exchange-platform based on traditional trade values already opened up new markets and enabled possibilities across Eurasian borders, which met with positive response. The two initiators Karin von Bismarck and Uwe Leuschner
look back to interesting months and are dedicated to continue and develop this long-term project together with international supporters during the next years. The highlight of the initiative 2015 is the presentation of the Award “New Silk Road” on December 4th, 2015 at the Spreespeicher in Berlin. The winners were selected out of 153 nominated companies that contribute to a successful growth between Asia and Europe, by offering and implementing innovation, sustainability and
cultural commitment. Medium-sized businesses are expected to become a driving force in this area: Co-initiator of new industry clusters, and catalysts for wealth and cultural understanding in an increasingly globalized world. An international jury determined the winners in the beginning of November in Berlin, which will be announced during the award ceremony. Invited guests range from the nominated companies to numerous politicians and ambassadors, as well as international entrepreneurs and media representatives.
More information can be found on the website: business-international.org.
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Colophon R.I.P. John Roche For tribute please see page 8
Publisher:
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Editor:
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Contributors: Olga Samsonova Simon Green Kim Waddoup Chris Weafer Luc Jones Martin Williams David Mercer Nikita Chris Helmbrecht Maria Ushakova Don Craig Ross Hunter Peter Hainsworth Catherine Drinkwater David Wansbrough Simon Cottrells Lucia Rodriguez Martin Cooke Jason White
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News ENGLISH SPEAKING ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS
BITE MEX GRILL
The AA Group at St Andrew’s Church is English speaking and meets every evening in the basement of the church as follows: Monday-Friday 19:30 Saturday 17:00 Sunday 18:00 For more information, please contact Steve J:+7 985 211 7140, or Andy:+7 905 265 2118.
New fast casual Texmex restaurant in Moscow - Bite. Mexican inspired, authentic recipes: burritos, tacos, quesadilla, nachos and deserts. Prepared with care from fresh and natural ingredients. Mexican Chef, modern design, English-speaking staff, cozy atmosphere. M. Belorusskaya, Lesnaya street 1/2
English International School East well on the way to CIS Accreditation EIS Moscow East are very involved in the Council of International Schools Accreditation process, a worldwide prestigious educational quality assurance kite mark. They have already very successfully completed their Preliminary Visit stage and are now working towards the full Accreditation Team Visit in March 2017. The photograph is of the campus committee, consisting of the Principal, parents and students reviewing: Mission, Vision and Guiding Statements.
Join us for another Flying Banana Children’s Theatre premier!
Stick Man, an adaptation of a story by Julia Donaldson (the creator of the Gruffalo). Stick Man lives in the family tree with his Stick Lady Love and their stick children three. But it’s dangerous being a Stick Man. A dog wants to play with him, a swan builds her nest with him. He even ends up on a fire! Join Stick Man on his troublesome journey back to the family tree. When: December 13th, 11am Where: Nikitskaya JCC. Bolshaya Nikitskaya 47/2 (Barrikadnaya Metro) Suitable for everyone aged 2 and over Running time: 45 mins Cost: 750 rubles, for children under 2 years – free entrance The usual book sale from USBORNE BOOKS to accompany the event.
The International School International School of Moscow will be hosting a Moscow’s Christmas Concert Christmas concert at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church on December 15th at 6pm. All proceeds will be donated to the children’s charity: Diema’s Dream. For more information on how to attend one of our events please contact: james.langford@ internationalschool.ru
The Moscow Dragons Rugby Club
The Moscow Dragons RFC welcomes players of all ages, ability and gender. The club trains twice weekly and plays in summer and winter leagues. We field a men’s 15 in the Moscow Championship, an irregular veterans team and the women play regular 7s competitions. Our tours in Russia and overseas are legendary. Info: pr@mdrfc.com
International School of Moscow Students at The International School of Moscow are celebrating record-breaking (I)GCSE results. Over half of all grades awarded were A* and A, the highest possible grades in these qualifications. This achievement is even more impressive in light of the declining number Headteacher, Paul Keach, who is “absolutely delighted with the results� congratulated all the students on their “magnificent achievements.�
Moscow International Choir
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The Moscow International Choir’s annual charitable Christmas concerts will take place at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church on December 08th, 11th, and 14th, 2015. 
 Tickets can be booked by e-mail: moscow.international.choir@gmail.com This year’s programme consists of the Magnificat by J.S. Bach performed with an orchestra along with Christmas songs.
News FREE ROCK’N’ROLL JIVE DANCE CLASSES IN MOSCOW ! Beginners’ classes on Saturdays, held in English and Russian at the Esse Jazz Café. Not essential to come with a partner. For more information contact Richard at richardhume.hume@gmail.com or phone +7 903 558 71 35 Co-op Jive - www.coopjive.co.uk
Events: New Silk Road Award 2015 Winners – November 4, 2015 The Wirtschaftsclubrussland determined the winners of the Award New Silk Road in the beginning of November in Berlin. The selection out of 153 nominees was not easy for the international jury. The winners will be announced at the award ceremony, which will take place on December 4th in Berlin. www.business-international.org
START UP SUPPORT LEGAL SERVICES ACCOUNTING WORK PERMITS AND VISAS
Events: Wirtschaftsclubrussland networking event – October 2015 The Wirtschaftsclub Russland held together with Alexander Graf Matuschka a networking event in Moscow, where flourishing opportunities for expatriates in Moscow were illustrated and discussed. www.wirtschaftsclubrussland.org
Wirtschaftsclub Russland and Club ITAM
Wirtschaftsclub Russland and Club ITAM announce their New Year Reception, that will be held on Tuesday, January 26th, 2016. Location t.b.a. Key note speaker, Moscow’s leading macroeconomic analyst Chris Weafer (Macro Advisory, will comment on recent major developments in the Russian economy and politics (info: wirtschaftsclubrussland.org). Dr. Karin von Bismarck Vorstandsvorsitzende WCR e.V. Karin.vonbismarck@wirtschaftsclubrussland.org +49 176 96 84 33 77 Giovanni Stornante Club ITAM / Ass. Italiani a Mosca mob. +7 926 2067660
TEL: +7(495)7-888-096 MOB: +7(905)5-421-366 EMAIL: INFO@BL-S.COM
www.bl-s.com 5
News SWEA The SWEA has a new president: Cecilia Oskarsson Email: ordfsweamoskva@gmail.com Web: http://moskva.swea.org
Vera Hospice Foundation
The White Ball Vera Hospice Foundation is excited to announce its Christmas charity event - Santa Claus FUNRUN! Join us on December 20 at Moscow VDNKh. All money raised will go to improve life, treatment and care for children with life-limiting diseases in Russia. Registration fee is only $20 - including a Santa suit and medal. For information please email us pr@hospicefund.ru or call 7 903 616 28 01 This year’s White Ball will be held on December the 12th this year. We have decided that all proceeds from tickets sales will go to our one and only John Roche’s favorite charity - Taganskaya children’s fund. Date: December 12th, 2015 Time : 7 until ....... Location : Azimut Hotel, Olympiski prospect Who: All of you wonderful people Entertainment: The best in town Price: 6500 For John, let us make this a night to remember and party party party. avrilconroy@gmail.com
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St. Andrews The chaplain and church council of St. Andrews Anglican Church invite you to participate in the following events: Dec. 5 - Christmas Bazaar Dec. 12, 6:30 p.m. — Scottish dancing family event with supper Dec. 13, 6:30 p.m. — Service of Lessons and Carols Dec. 24, Christmas Eve — 5 p.m. Family Service, 10:30 p.m. Midnight Mass Dec. 25, Christmas Day — 11 a.m. Family Service Dec. 25, Boxing Day — 1 p.m. lunch at the Parsonage St. Andrews is also launching two study courses this fall for those interested in learning about or deepening their Christian faith. Find out more at moscowanglican. org/pilgrim.
Community
John Patrick Roche 15th June 1949 to 3rd October 2015
J
ohn was a friend and a colleague who will be remembered with a tear but a growing smile by many of us. His career in Moscow from 1993 to 2015 was distinguished by one thing – himself. Whoever he was working for at the time was secondary; we came to see John. His support of the expat community and for charitable works through the Scottish, Irish and UK business clubs and societies was simply amazing. With his flowing white beard;
something he cultivated in Russia, and the natural way he communicated with children, John became the community’s Father Christmas in countless charitable balls and events. Many children grew up in Moscow thinking that he WAS Santa Claus, as Avril Conroy mentioned. John was a gentleman, in the old sense of the word, but he also had a mischievous, playful side. Russia was a country that afforded John’s personality and talents the room and scope to manifest. He was a
magnanimous man, although even those who were closest to him admit that the scope of John’s activities was so large that we never really knew the ‘complete John’. John’s career spanned 41 years, and he worked up from a cook’s assistant at the Ritz Hotel in London to co-owner of Royal Travel and various senior consultancy positions in the hospitality industry in Russia and the UK. John served in the Royal Navy in 1966-7, and during the decade that followed, worked
Don Scott John Patrick ‘Rocky’, ‘Two Sheds’ Roche, the Dancer, the Painter, the Cook, The Poet, the Lover, and the genuine Great Guy. Thank you for letting me meet you and get to know you just a little, for your life will always make me smile remembering how you could bring a smile to any ones face. John was a friend and a colleague whom will always keep a smile in my mind. His selfless support of charities in Russia, his humor, his desire to live life to full is an example to all of how to be at peace with yourself. His support through the Scottish, Irish and UK Business communities has been never ending. Always there to help, with anything. Always willing to go that extra mile for the sake of the charities, the children. ‘Dyed Moroz’ – Father Christmas, a mark that John has made on Russia and on many children’s hearts and minds. I am sad, and yet I sit here smiling, a small tear in my eye for the loss of a friend, but a smile that grows stronger and bigger as a reflection of his achievements and what he did for so many. Thank you John, for the honor of knowing you. Rest in peace, you deserve it. You have touched many lives and made them better and for that you will never be forgotten. Good-Bye
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Community Avril Conroy and the committee of the Irish Club
at Hamley’s publishing house in London and dedicated time to one of the great passions of his life – painting, something which he didn’t tell everybody about. During those years, John would frequently disappear to Europe to paint, sell his paintings to get by and/or worked in restaurants to pay his way. One of his paintings was displayed in the Royal Academy Exhibition in 1978. John painted throughout his life, however he never became a commercial success, possibly because that would have meant that he would have had to make sacrifices in terms of style and subject matter, whereas for John, the whole point of painting was free expression. His refusal to compromise on causes and issues that he believed in became the hallmark of his life, as is witnessed by the increasing amount of charity work he engaged in in the latter part of his life. In the late 1970s his career as a hotel manager really took off, and he worked as deputy general manager of a
string of hotels including the Penta Hotel Heathrow and the Hotel George in London. In the late 1980s John created his own business, ‘Roche Personnel,’ mainly focusing on the HR requirements within the hospitality business. He relocated to Russia in October 1993, in connection with promotion of beer and other liquor sales to Russia for Allied Lyons, where he helped establish the John Bull Pub Company. It is from his days at the John Bull that many expats came to know of John Roche. He was a lighthouse that bought everybody together even back then. Everybody knew him, the ‘Englishman in Moscow.’ This marked the beginning of a career in Moscow that would focus on his quiet and powerful charisma, his wit, and care. After the Allied Lyons contract was over, John worked mainly within the travel and hospitality industries as a consultant,
For as long as most of us living in Moscow can remember, John Roche was a source of warmth, wisdom, and kindness. For the Irish Club, he was the guiding voice of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. He was Santa Claus at Christmas at our annual White Ball and at our Christmas kids party, to such an extent that many of our kids grew up thinking that he WAS Santa Claus, leading to some awkward explanations when, every March, ‘Santa’ stood up on stage to introduce the Parade. John was our ‘Tamada’ at the Irish Club Emerald Ball, helping us raise donations for our nominee charities, including his own favourite, the Taganka Children’s Fund. He gave his time generously and repeatedly for the good of others, visiting orphanages and children’s’ hospices. He also gave his time to any of us who needed it. John loved his life in Russia. The quiet, gentleman John was only part of him. He had a mischievous glint in his eye that we all saw, hinting to us that he was a man with a rich catalogue of adventures behind him who loved life, and loved people. No better place than Moscow for someone like John to make his home. However hard it was for him to leave us all behind, it is much harder for us to say goodbye. We can take great solace knowing that he is on the other side now, that same kindness, that same glint in the eye making sure that we remember him with enormous affection for all the goodness and joy he brought into so many peoples lives. John, you will be missed, and for so many are irreplaceable.
Anthony Young I met John Roche 13 years ago and little did I know how fortuitous a meeting it would be. I had just moved to Moscow, was looking for work, and we were introduced by a mutual friend. John knew everybody and had clearly been an expat institution long before I arrived. After an initial chat and short drinking session, we quickly became friends and it remained that way until I last saw him a few months ago. My abiding memories of John are conversational. We most often met up in pubs and quickly dropped into long and animated conversations about… well, anything really. John could converse on any subject, whether it be art (his favourite!), music (mine!), literature (those Shakespeare soliloquies!), films, family, or politics. I always learned something from John as he was a keen observer who could spot something the majority of us would miss. He was tough when he needed to be but there wasn’t a mean bone in his body. More often than not we would sit for hours just catching up. One of John’s best attributes was his tireless work with children’s charities here in Moscow. Others can elaborate on this but I can only add that I know he loved the work and looked forward to donning the Santa costume every year. Seeing him after a night of bringing cheer to a group of children always warmed the heart. John was a true one off and he will be desperately missed. His ability to bring disparate people together with charm, wit and style, in these times of too little diplomacy and not enough understanding, is something we will all miss I’m a better person for having met John and there could be no more fitting epithet.
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Community Michael Lang John first came to Moscow in October 1993. He arrived fresh faced, running bars and restaurants under contract. John was the ideal man to head up such an enterprise, having managed many hotels in London, as well as kitchens. From the word go, John rolled up his sleeves and got stuck in… the menu was completely revamped, with Soviet-type stew being replaced with good English fayre, fish and chips and Sunday Roast Dinners. Word soon got out about town, and within a few weeks the bar had doubled its turnover and had become of regular watering hole for ex-pat businessmen, Russian bankers, with their entourage of body guards, and international lorry drivers, many of whom were of the Finnish persuasion. John liked to joke that is was like the bar out of Star Wars – although without the Stars, “but not sure about the wars. It is the nineties after all”. And they all came to see John. Such was the beginning of John’s career in Moscow. And it started as it carried on, bringing people together, caring for others. From 1994 until 1998, John continued to work hard and play hard, making friends wherever he went and winning hearts and minds of the local Russians, who just fell in love with the ‘Anglysky Dyed Moroz’. It was about this time that John started to grow and wear his beard more regularly than before. However, 1998 saw the first major financial crash in Russia. John managed to find work, as we all did, using his strong contact network. It was just after this time that John set up his travel agency, Royal Travel, in partnership with some Russian colleagues.
Andrew Sherlock John Roche was a rare person these days, a true gentleman, respected by all who met him , a man who always gave more than he took . I was privileged to spend a lot of time in his company, we worked together, shared an apartment, in fact we lived in each others pockets for a couple of years. John was always an inspiration during this period and between us we came up with a wealth of ideas and had a lot of fun doing it . If I were ever to get round to writing a book about my 20 years in Russia, there would be many chapters involving John and as I have so many good memories of him which would take too much time to recant here, I have decided to write the headings to these chapters . Summertime. Cosmonaut night . Dougy the Digger. A few scoups .The longest joke. Coffee. Compass. Ufa to Far. A full English. Bacchus and Skolka. Those of you who were around then might remember some of these stories with fond memories, if you were not then I would be happy to raise a glass to John and tell you about them sometime. The world is missing one of its brightest lights and Christmas in Moscow will never be the same without him. I will leave it to others to ring the praises of the charity work he did, if anybody deserves a posthumous OBE then surely it is the legend John Roche . You have left us John but you will never be forgotten ! In loving memory.
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trainer, manager, travel agency owner and tour operator. In many cases, John worked with colleagues from previous jobs, or created, through inspiration, a new cohort of young managers who still look up to their old mentor today. His work at Officescape created a group of close friends, but his activities were too numerous and varied to list in full. Suffice it to say that he survived the 1998 financial crisis thanks to his network of friends, and shortly afterwards set up his own travel agency Royal Travel in partnership with Russian colleagues.
John’s charity work in Russia took off in parallel to his business activities, and survived most of them even as his own health began to seriously deteriorate over the past 5 years. The testimonies, which follow, give an indication of the scope and breadth of the contribution John made to both the expat community here in Russia, but also to the lives of countless children whose lives he literally lit up with hope and joy through his favourite charity: ‘Taganka Children’s Fund’. John leaves behind a sister June Roche, a son Guy Roche, a daughter Charlotte and granddaughter Lilly Rahimi.
Yana Zbrozhek Witty, intelligent, life and soul of any party. His kindness had no limits. His generosity in giving himself away to people was overwhelming. Not only he could feel, understand and identify people’s yearnings, he was able to soothe them. True gentleman, delicate with the others’ feelings. Fascinating, sincere and openminded interlocutor. Faithful friend with an open heart and a vast soul. Life will never be the same without you.
Community
Maria
Ushakova
The autumn proved to be full of rewards, in terms of accomplishments. We managed to produce two plays with Moscow Amateur Theatre, one with children, and one with adults. My main focus is charity work. I helped set up an Inner Peace Course, sourced from Prem Rawat foundation, facilitated by Marie Giral for International Women’s Club in Moscow. We are now experiencing
its deep impact on our beings. Together with another wonderful French woman, Catherine Joubert, I run a charity event, called ‘Cheer with an Artist’, where we bring a crowd of international people to an artist’s studio for a social evening, with music and food to help him sell his artworks, and a portion of sales goes to charity organizations. A lot of my energy is spent on producing public talks and charity plays for raising awareness against violence. Inspiring others to do more and give back to the community! If you want to join our volunteer programs, join us, we need you! Highlight of the next season, is an exclusive and very expensive millinery workshop by talented Iva Ksenevich, which I proudly organize first in Moscow and, then, in New York. I, also, experiment with culinary workshops at Live Kitchen CHAIHONA N1, Tverskaya 24. I
see private clients in the medical Centre at the Finnish Embassy. I manage a music band too, called ‘Green Dolphines,’ jazz, Soviet folk and other often nostalgic music. If you want to help, hire our band for your event, they sing in English too. I have been offered a job in Paris, at a university, but I am still very hesitant whether to accept it, Russia won’t let me go for some reason. French pressed coffee and croissants in the morning at Marie Brasserie in the 16eme Arrondisement or a Hot Russian Americano on the streets of Arbat? Tough choice. We have a Russian proverb, ‘Gde rodilsya tam i prigodilsya’ (you need to apply yourself and be useful at a place where you were born). I will stick around for a little longer. Have a great Christmas vacation, everybody! Keep your hearts and souls warm. Reach me on my email: maushakova@gmail.com
Don Craig
With the world spinning at a constant speed of close to 1600 km/hour, time seems to stand still here on the surface as we watch the events of our planet unfold. In Moscow we are lucky to have many positive distractions and that, with the never give up soul of the Russian Spirit, helps put a smile on our face even in these most difficult times. As promoters we seek out the best venues, deals, and entertainment to help get your mind off of the problems of the day and to take you on a mini getaway in the city that never sleeps. There are the standard favourite bars and restaurants that seem to live unfazed by the world outside such as Papa’s Bar & Grill, Bar BQ Café (s), Chicago Prime, and Katie O’Shea’s Irish Bar. The new hotspot for the younger crowd is ‘Jim n Jacks’ though it may be a bit small it has the heart of a lion and a favourite for Expat Students and young Expat Entrepreneurs. Now for the crowd that wants an upscale but yet unpretentious evening of fun, ‘Dirty Blonde’ promises a good time with some of Moscow’s best DJs & and Music acts performing in a relaxed atmosphere. There are still many cool spots in Moscow and though some businesses have met their fate, the future of Moscow’s nightlife seems to be intact
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Community
ASEAN: ‘ASEAN Day,’ at Atrium Hall, Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, on 6th October 2015
O
ver 300 people commemorated the 48th Anniversary of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), on the 6th at the Atrium Hall, Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow, Russia. The reception was attended by ambassadors of the ASEAN Member States, the diplomatic corps in Moscow, including ASEAN Dialogue Partner states, Russian state officials, public figures of Russia, and the local media. The large turnout reflected the growing significance of ASEAN in
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Russia. This was a major event, and it was great to be there. All the ASEAN ambassadors in Moscow lined up by the door to welcome arrivals and shook their hands personally. One really did feel welcome, that was a really nice personal touch. Thank you. Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Russian Federation, Djauhari Oratmangun, as the Chair of ASEAN Moscow Committee (April-October 2015), gave a speech that explains the close partnership between ASEAN and Russia as well as the development of the ASEAN Community. The guest of honour from
the Russian Federation, Ambassador Alexander Ivanov stated in his speech that Russia is upholding its cooperation with ASEAN and strives to develop cooperation in all areas, something that will be discussed further at the 20th Commemorative ASEAN-Russia Summit in May 2016 in Sochi, Russia. An ASEAN birthday-cakecutting ceremony and cultural performances by ASEAN member states made this an evening to remember. One got the impression that cooperation between ASEAN and Russia is growing, this was a positive, joyous occasion.
Community
The Talk of The Town Reception to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Republic of Indonesian and the 65th anniversary of Indionesia-Russian diplomatic relations
M
ore than 300 guests attended this lavish evenng at the at the Four Seasons Hotel, Moscow on September 17, 2015. The ball room of the hotel was packed out with guests ranging from Russian government officials and diplomatic circles, to community leaders, employers, the media and tour operators. The event was also enlivened by Indonesian artists and cultural art groups. Acting as the Guest of Honor of the event was Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia, Igor Margulov. Prior to the opening of the event, the audience took a glance at dozens of documentary photos depicting history of diplomatic relations
between Indonesia and Russian, panoramic photos of Indonesia taken by Russian photographer Sergey Kovalchuk, a collection of batik fabric belonged to Women’s Association of the Indionesian Embassy and a demonstration of weaving of traditional Tanimbarese scarf by Mrs. Everarda Belay, from Maluku islands, Indonesia. As the evening got under way, Indonesia’s Ambassador to the Russian Federation Djauhari Oratmangun and Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Margulov took the stage. Both officials expressed mutual appreciation and hope for the improvement of cooperation and friendship between the two peoples and countries in the coming years. After toasting, the two officials put their signatures on
posters commemorating the 65th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Indonesia – Russia. They then performed a yellow rice conecutting ceremony together with ambassadors of ASEAN countries in Moscow as well as other officials on the stage. After the opening ceremony, the entire audience feasted on a variety of Indonesian food, such as fried rice, fried noodles, spekkoek cake, spring rolls as well as other local delicacies. On stage, Indionesian dancers provided a highly unusual (for the European audience), and fascinating sequence of Asean dances and songs, culminating in a highly emotional rendition of ‘You Raise Me Up’ by the stunning Lea Simanjuntak, which had some of us in tears.
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Community
Victoria
Šeligo
Photography by David Mercer
How did you start to become involved with the IWC?
The New President of the IWC Interview by John Harrison
What is your background, how did you come to be in Russia now?
How can we expats come to understand Russia and Russians?
I received a degree in economics and worked in a large corporation as an economist in Slovenia for a few years. We came to Russia because I am the spouse of the ambassador of Slovenia to Russia. This is my first posting, and it is a tremendous responsibility, the role of ambassador’s wife is a job in itself, however I am enjoying it immensely.
I think the most important thing is to be friendly and unassuming. The understanding follows from that. For example, I would suggest to a young mother who has just arrived with a small child to look at local Russian kindergartens so that her child can share and understand the local language and culture. This would be more useful for the child than to sign him or her up to an international kindergarten or school where there are going to be only expats. I would advise expats to get out of Moscow, see what life is like beyond MKAD in the smaller places. Fly to Archangelsk, or Irkutsk, which are great. Take a reindeer ride; these are experiences which you are never going to experience anywhere else. Flights are reasonably priced and there are hotels with English speaking staff. Go on a holiday to lake Baikal for example. Even in Moscow, instead of taking taxis and being driven around everywhere, take your dog out for a walk every day, then you will explore the city in a complete different way
What is your feeling about Russia and Russians in these uncertain times? I think that we should not forget that Russia is a newly formed country; it has a history of 24 years. Russians for me are not just citizens of a great nation, but also people with a strong cultural heritage with their own traditions. It is comfortable to be here, because people are educated, they speak English, and they are friendly. That’s my opinion. It is a tremendous experience to be in Russia now because one can witness, step by step, the formation of a new country.
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It is a tradition of the IWC that every spouse of an ambassador being posted to Moscow automatically becomes a member. When I moved in Moscow two years ago, Isabella Zajączkowska was the president of IWC, and she invited me to her residence and we talked and made friends. She explained what a great job the club does. This year I received an invitation from the Steering Committee of the IWC to come and have a talk. While I was talking to the ladies there, I realised that I had never met such dedicated people. They were so eager, talented and professional. I was really proud to become the president.
What are the main difficulties that you can see at the moment facing the IWC in Moscow? Well we are facing two major problems. The first is that a lot of people are leaving to go back home, so a lot of committee members are gone. We are also facing a drop in the number of members in general. The second problem is that we are trying to stay as non political an organisation as possible, and that actually is quite difficult. We feel that we need to concentrate on culture and fellowship, because that is what can connect countries again. We are going to make our club as transparent as is possible, so we are going to undergo an audit from one of the top auditing companies here. These are the main issues, which need to be tackled.
Community
Medical Tourism from Russia
18-19 | 2016 March
Overseas Medical Treatment and Wellness Exhibition
Medical Tourism abroad, discover what is available by meeting representatives from clinics and hospitals from around the world at the Moscow MedShow 18-19 March 2016:
What direction would you like to take the IWC in? Well you are going to laugh but I would really like to throw a real party! Not a fundraising event or the ball, which is very official, but a party from nine to midnight for anybody who can hire a nanny and or put the kids to bed early. That is an idea that has come to my head recently and I think I am going to be able to convince the girls to be able to do it. There will be drinks and dancing for our members. My husband’s secretary gave me a great idea; to do one of our Meet and Greet meetings inside the Tretyakovskaya gallery. I have already talked to people and theoretically it is possible. I would also like to make the club more connected to our members and the diplomatic community, so that everybody can see the whole picture. Members of each different committee have to see what is happening on other committees.
What would you say to non-members of the benefits of joining and helping the IWC? Well the first benefit as I mentioned before, is that if you come to the club, which is for guys also now, you can find friends. With all of our modern technology, people are staying at home much more. There is a lack of personal communication. The IWC offers a format where you can come and talk to real live human beings, and I think that this is a great benefit! This is particularly relevant if you happen to be a girl with a career who has followed your partner or husband to Moscow. After all the excitement of moving here, after two months you realise that there is actually nothing to do! Just drinking coffee and walking around gets boring, even shopping is not that great because it is 30% more expensive here than in Western Europe. So you have nothing to do, and then the possibility arises to come and work as a volunteer with the IWC, and then you become occupied here. You are actually helping people, and that is a great benefit for other people and also for yourself.
60+ International clinics and hospitals 20+ International destinations Central Moscow location Free on-line registration At the Moscow MedShow take the unique opportunity to get direct answers: Which country? Which specialist/clinic? What are the costs? How to book and travel? Visit the Moscow MedShow 18-19 March 2016, Moscow, Tishinskaya sq. 1 and you will be able to: Obtain advice from experts in medical tourism Participate in seminars by leading industry professionals Become acquainted with the latest trends Discover the possibilities of modern medical and health institutions around the world Receive information new SPA and recuperation centres
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Community
Written by Kim Waddoup
Networking: – ‘to socialise for professional or personal gain’
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Community
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t is no secret that business is currently a substantial challenge. Whilst some expats are leaving a majority are digging in their heels and using the wealth of their knowledge and experience to look for survival in these difficult times. Networking has long been an essential component of any business but gone are the days of just meeting up with friends at the Business Clubs for a few beers, as a majority are now fighting to survive or re-invent themselves in these fast changing times.
To address the new business environment, Moscow expat Life decided to create a high level networking event specifically targeting senior management both expat and Russian and launched the first Moscow Networking – at its best! It was immediately apparent that there was an extreme need for this as registrations rolled in for the inaugural event and on the night of October 28th more than 80 expat and Russian business people descended on NightFlight for peer-peer networking and discussions.
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Community
The formula was relatively simple: high quality food, high quality drinks and high quality people to meet. The staff of NightFlight excelled with a superb Scandinavian buffet and their normal highly efficient service, the wine was good and plentiful as was the beer. People from a vast range of businesses and industries gathered with a primary aim of meeting and looking for new business contacts. Sponsors of the evening included Polugar which is neither a vodka nor a liquor but a range of highly tasty rye distillates and Caffe Karoma provided really excellent coffee and teas. The result was a highly effective event for all, just what Moscow needs!
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Community
AEB’s 20th Anniversary By John Harrison The Association of European Businesses in Moscow marked their 20th anniversary with a night to remember at the Congress Park, Hotel Radisson Royal Moscow in late September. The ‘formal’ part consisted of speeches from VIPs not only from Russia, but from Europe as a whole. A few excerpts from their speeches can be found below. This part of the evening was interspersed with musical accompaniment form the Novaya Opera string quartet, with soloists Anna Sinitsyna (mezzo-soprano), Alexander Skjvarko (tenor) and Vitaly Efanov (bass). Guests stood up to sing a moving rendition of the Russian Anthem, followed by the Anthem of Europe, which some guests did not know whether to remain standing for or not. The host of the evening, AEB Chief Executive Officer Frank Schauff then directed guests into a second cavernous hall in the Congress Park where the music, dancing and wine drinking continued until late. This extended networking session was important as it gave guests the chance to mingle with ambassadors and representatives of political and business circles from all of Russia and the EU. In the prevailing political climate, this was an unusual gathering. Not everybody agreed with the overall optimistic sentiments expressed in the speeches, however there did seem to be a consensus that things were at least a little better than they were 6 months ago. The size and quality of the event overall was impressive.
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Community
Philippe Pegorier, Chairman of the AEB Board …“We should not underestimate the importance of the EU for Russia. The EU accounts for up to 75% of FDI into Russia.” …”We ask for politics to be excluded from policy making.” Stanislav Voskresensky, Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation …”We do not intend for Russia to exist in a state of isolation. Catherine the Great said that even in such a huge country, you nevertheless feel yourself to be part of Europe.”
Victor Khristenko, Chairman of the Eurasian Economic Commission Collegium …”Only one kind of ship is built to weather very serious storms. That ship is called business.” …”EU – Russia relations are at a very difficult stage, but at least there is a dialogue taking place about sharing of risks.” …”We are all neighbours, and eventually cooperation will be restored.” …”We welcome discussion between the EU and Eurasian companies and structures.”
H.E. Vygaudas Ušackas, Ambassador, head of the Delegation of the European Union to Russia …”Nobody is feeling the crisis as much as you. We are all in the danger of falling into the trap of this becoming a long-term situation. We actually want to work with Russia towards solving the economic crisis in Ukraine.” …”The new EU energy policy creates a lot of opportunities for the involvement of Russian energy suppliers. Dialogue remains essential in dire times. Isolation is not an option.”
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Alexander Shokhin, President of the Russian Union of Entrepreneurs and Industrialists …”A free trade zone between Russia and the EU is absolutely possible, and I think that it is realisable within the next few years.” …”We think that next year will be difficult economically, but that growth will kick in [in Russian] again in 2017.”
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Günter Verheugen, Vice President of the European Commission (2004-2010) …”Does Russia want to be part of Europe? This is a strange question. Russia has never been a more European country than now. Whether we like it or not, we share a common future. Without each other’s help, western Europe will never be whole.” …”We should listen more and lecture less.” …”An investment decision is always a political statement, because it symbolises trust in the country you are investing in. Keeping your investments is also a political statement. My advice is to continue to make an economic contribution to Russia.”
Fashion A few of my favourite things, for the festive season!
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embracing their heritage in modern interpretation and capitalising on local opportunities: skills and raw materials. Russian goods are attracting the attention they deserve. I work with Russian luxury brands, which easily compete with their international counterparts, often surpassing them in terms of quality and value for money. I’m spoilt for choice for ideas this Christmas, if you seek inspiration, here’s a sneak preview from my wish list: · Scarf by Radical Chic from the New Year collection, which combines classic winter motifs with
melting scoops of ice cream – perfect for snowy and sunny holiday destinations. · Wisdom earrings from the Seven Virtues collection at Amova Jewelry- a nod to the Wise Men! · Beautifully presented jams, compotes and pates from farm Dlya Svoikh, to add to the festive table. · From Domaine Burnier in Anapa: sunshine and warmth in a bottle. My favourite is the white label Lublu; for lovers of red wine, try the signature Krasnostop. · Stocking filler: dental care foam by SPLAT is a must-have for the extended holiday season. Leafy mint
or fruit flavours fit neatly in your hand luggage and keep you smelling sweet as you party hop. · And my most extravagant entry is a cashmere coat by BSBY in pale grey with mink collar – I might have to treat myself… Season’s Greetings! By Anna Jackson-Stevens PR specialist
Sponsored article
is the season to be jolly - and generous! Typically I gather gifts on travels throughout the year, so come December, I just need to locate them and remember who was the intended recipient at time of purchase. This year, I explored Russian country / seaside where shopping opportunities – even for souvenirs - remain in development stages. However, Made in Moscow, is currently all the rage. I have long predicted that it would one day become the epitome of sophistication and finally Russians are
Made in Russia
Radical Chic Winter Collection
Check out Radical Chic’s fabulous winter collection. The new collection is available online at: www.radicalchic.ru and in-store at Bolshoy Kozikhinskiy 19/6, Moscow. Tel: +7 (495) 974 64 00
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Community
Simon Green
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Is the Grass Really Greener for Russians?
aving travelled extensively and lived in not far shy of twenty countries, I have witnessed first hand how homesickness can grip people suddenly, especially in God-forsaken countries in the Middle-East where this resulted in many a moonlight flit back to normality. I am well into my fourteenth year here in Moscow and one highly prevalent characteristic that I have noticed amongst Russian people is their deep love of their immediate family. I decided to take advantage of an upcoming trip to the UK and meet a couple of the thousands of Russians who have made London their home, as well as meet a couple of people who have been to other countries, to establish what they liked and disliked, and did they suffer from what the French call ‘le mal du pays?’ Before embarking on my journey, I asked some people who haven’t been to England what their perceptions were of the country and its people, and a couple who had and encountered some surprisingly different opinions. Elena, who works for an oil company said: “people from the UK are polite, conservative, tradition orientated and proud of their country. As a child I watched Miss Marple with its lovely houses and gardens, and this helped shape my opinion.” This contrasted sharply with Anastasia Dyakova’s thoughts (she’s the General Services Manager of Repsol) who speaks four languages fluently but hasn’t visited the UK: “British people are snobbish,
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looking down at people; they are rather reserved and aloof as well as being emotionless and pallid in complexion.” While living in Paris she had the unnerving experience of a visiting England rugby team with its vociferous supporters wreaking havoc and running amok. She prefers the Russian extreme weather in lieu of our tedious grey and overcast skies. Alexey and Lidia of Yandex have been to England twice and are upbeat saying they would love to live in London with its polite and intelligent people who are well organized and thoughtful. They said our TV is better and enjoyed the combination of old and modern London has to offer, and in particular, loved the quintessential pub culture. I also contacted Anna who was seconded to London a year ago with one of the ‘big four’ and she lamented: “’I’m afraid my language skills are still poor (not true at all) and I feel I spoke better and was more confident a year agoI miss Moscow!” I set off for London with an observation from Ivan Turgenev rattling around my head: ‘Russia can get by without any of us, but no one can get by without it.’ First up I met Oksana Solomou who works in Holborn as a legal recruitment consultant for Laurence Simons International and who came to London in 2007, is married with a son aged nine and a daughter of six. “Legal recruitment is much more sophisticated in the UK compared to Russia,” she said, “but the first thing that struck me was
everyone on the trains was wearing trainers with their suits (a new one on me) but changed into shoes in the office. People here smile a lot, are polite, health conscious and behave with etiquette.” She was also impressed by how green and how full the parks are. Her children attend private school, which is a very family orientated one as they are well nurtured. She has never felt uncomfortable being the only Russian speaker in her office but feels that foreigners are far more readily accepted in London itself than outside of it. Her children also attend a Russian school on Saturdays to learn about their heritage and culture. I ask if she misses her family back home and at this juncture there’s a hint of lachrymosity as she discusses how close her family is though her sister is also in England. Modern communication means she speaks to her parents most days and visits as often as she can, though they tend to come to England. I ask her about the negatives and she immediately states how expensive London is: “100k a year doesn’t get you to second base here – we visited Roald Dahl’s ‘Matilda’ in the theater and three tickets cost us 200 pounds. Transport is very expensive here and organic food still isn’t as natural as we get in our dachas. People have children much later in life here; I plan to celebrate Christmas with family and friends and will also celebrate our Orthodox Christmas.” If ever you wanted a picture definition in the dictionary of Positive Mental Attitude, then look
Community no further than Anna Bastrakova of Citibank who’s been managing their Russian clients in the fancy smancy HQ in London’s Canary Wharf – a lively village within London, housing a plethora of the financial fraternity. “I find English people to be quite reserved and polite, almost to the point of ambiguity, and had to adapt from my Russian personality to fit in with their conservative, slightly closed personalities, which encourage cliques that are difficult to break into the inner sanctum. English people are perfectionists for procedures in comparison to the same business back home, adopting a ‘precise Pricilla’ attitude. They are however considerate and respectful of people’s privacy.” Anna’s main loves are the parks and horticulture on offer despite shelling out a hundred quid for the Chelsea Flower show. She loves the many musicals to choose from and has accordingly wised up to the concept of paying well in advance to reduce the expense. Yoga and gym membership are ‘de rigeur’ for city professionals, and despite coughing up £1750 a month for a one bedroom apartment, she lives just ten minutes walk from work thus negating the horrendous transport costs. Anna hails from Chelyabinsk and travels to Russia every two months on business as well as visiting her mother in Bulgaria once a year. “London is so cosmopolitan and diverse, and the only thing I miss is the expanse of the Motherland compared to the UK. I’ll celebrate both Christmases and am happy to be here for the foreseeable future.” Meet mother and daughter, Marina and Masha Lazareva respectively, the latter being a slim, attractive and statuesque 20 year old who wouldn’t look out of place on the ‘runway.’ Marina decided to send her to Shanghai for six months to study Design and Photography as part of her ongoing university education here. The problems started almost immediately with her being marooned 70km from Shanghai in a dormitory with little
to do in any free time on offer. Not only that, but there was a dearth of internet available thus eliminating YouTube and Facebook. On rare visits to the city, Masha said “I was shocked by the disgusting hygienic habits of the locals in the subway which was vastly overcrowded, with people munching on food then throwing any waste on the floor. The streets above were so overcrowded as to give the impression of a permanent demonstration.” Any respite was met with her Chinese counterparts (diminutive in comparison) wishing to be photographed with her. Any food on offer was heavily spiced unless you specified otherwise. Meanwhile, thinking all was fine, Masha’s parents were planning a surprise New Year’s visit until a late night phone call 5 weeks in indicated the situation was the very antithesis. “I was flabbergasted,” said Marina, “I thought she was happy, so we hastily arranged an exit visa home.” What did she miss about Moscow? “My family and friends, Russian food and the beautiful language. My parents have been wonderfully supportive since my return.” Marina conceded: “I think China was too much of a culture shock, and in hindsight we may have been better sending her to Europe or America.” The loquacious and sagacious Anastasia Fedorova, journalist and broadcaster, aka ‘the girl with the golden voice,’ spent some childhood years in London before being abruptly torn away from her doting grandmother, the family matriarch. Her father was in the oil industry and subsequently posted to Houston resulting in Anastasia being shunted off to boarding school there aged 11. “It was tough for me as Russian children are very domesticated and at the same time I had to get to grips with American English as opposed to British English, so you can imagine that asking for a rubber in class resulted in much laughter in my direction.” Just for a second her eyes start to mist over as she recaptures
the loneliness, wondering what on earth she had done wrong to be cast into the wilderness that is boarding school life -- a subject I’m more than familiar with myself having been sent away at the princely age of seven. Anastasia was a ‘straight A’ student and graduated to study fine art where she was to meet her future husband. However, her passion for radio, fueled by her grandfather being an absolute aficionado who secretly listened to Voice of America in their Moscow apartment, was never far from the surface, and so it came to pass her destiny came to fruition. “I was determined to get my foot in the door even if it meant washing the floors in one of the many Michigan radio stations then on air. I had dabbled in the regimented 9-5 life and realized it wasn’t for me, and didn’t want my father’s corporate life, preferring instead the joie de vivre of being my own boss with my own hours.” Her talents quickly came to the attention of the station’s hierarchy, having not just got her foot in the door, but smashing it down in the process, and was duly awarded with producing her own show. In 2011, she decided to return to her roots and showcase Moscow to her husband for a month. “I had a sneaking suspicion a changing point in my life was just around the corner and sure enough Voice of Russia offered me a job with the Washington bureau. Moscow had changed out of all recognition and it was a culture shock being a Muscovite again albeit a hybrid one. I find myself thinking in English and spent 50% of my time in the USA this year, but am now busying myself with various recordings and writing which is my true métier.” There’s no doubting in my mind that ‘you can take a Russian out of Russia, but you can’t take Russia out of a Russian.’ This is exemplified by the writer Sergei Yesenin who declared: ‘If the heavenly host should beg me, come and live in heaven above!’ I shall say: ‘Don’t give me heaven, but the Russia I love.’
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Azerbaijan
Azerbai – what? This issue we continue our series of reports on countries where expats who used to live in Russia, or perhaps would have gone to Russia in other times, now live and work. Welcome to Azerbaijan. John Harrison
Facts and Figures: Population: 9.5 million up from 6.1million in 1980. GDP Growth in 2014: 2.8%. Territory: 86.5 thousand square kilometres. Capital: Baku. Currency: Azerbaijani manat. President: Ilham Aliyev. Religion: All major political forces in the country are secularist, but the majority of people and some opposition movements adhere to Shia Islam. Azerbaijan was the first Muslim-majority country after Egypt to have operas, theatres and modern universities.
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Politics: Azerbaijan is a unitary constitutional presidential republic. With an eye on trade and energy exports to Europe, the country is a member state of the Council of Europe, the OSCE and the NATO Partnership for Peace (PfP) program. Azerbaijan has not joined the Shanghai Cooperation Agreement, and has also reclined to join the CSTO, and the Eurasian Economic Union. The country is relatively stable but Azerbaijian’s politics will ultimately be determined by what happens in its much larger, turbulent neighbours: Iran to the south and Russia to the north, Georgia and Armenia then Turkey to the west as well as Central Asia to the east across the Caspian Sea.
Azerbaijan
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ussia, because of its size and population tends to overshadow a whole group of countries to the south and southeast. Exactly where are the Caucuses? Chances are, unless you have been to Azerbaijan who won’t know where it is. Wedged down on the left hand side of the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan is surrounded by other countries that you also may never have been to: Armenia, Georgia and Iran as well as our very own endless Russia. Linguistically, but not culturally, Azerbaijani is closer to Turkish than Russian. If you speak Russian you will be able to get by though, as the country was still part of the Soviet Union like most of the other Caucasian countries up until 1991. English is not so useful here, but you will be able to survive in Baku where the language is inexorably replacing Russian as the country’s number two lingua. Thanks to much criticized Soviet anti radicalization programmes,
Islam is not at all extreme here, and officially the country is secular. The Caspian Sea separates Azerbaijan from Central Asia with its much trumpeted, and mostly non-existent troubles from ISIS infiltration. The Azerbaijani economy has been doing well in recent years, largely thanks to large and growing oil and gas exports, but not only, as sectors such as construction, banking and real estate have been bubbling along as well thank you. As long as fossil fuels remain important for the world economy, (which will probably be longer than most of us think) Azerbaijan will survive, along with all the industries, which feed off the considerable currency stream that exploiting fossil fuels generates. Economic migrant expats from Russia can still find pastures in the hot cities to teach English, build real estate, bore oil wells and construct pipelines. Here they can spend their manat, convert some
into the currency of their choice and generally maintain their expat lifestyles, until it becomes possible for them to return home – in some cases, to Russia. The cities of Azerbaijan are hot pots of culture. Many are seriously pretty, standing at the crossroads of old world charm while not being too badly off for modern western conveniences. Baku, for example, has an ample number of shopping malls whilst at the same time harbouring remnants of a cobbled stoned ‘old city’ with 12th century castle turrets hidden away between the Four Seasons hotel; Dior and Tiffany’s, oh and the designer shops for children. The climate is bizarre, as Azerbaijan encompasses nine of eleven known climate zones. But that only means that you will never run out of excuses for ‘essential’ shopping sprees. Don’t worry, clothes are cheap here, as long as you can pretend not to be an expat whilst shopping.
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Azerbaijan
Landscapes of Azerbaijan – an amazing variety To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour.
By Ross Hunter, recently resident in Baku
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illiam Blake’s 1803 poem was not referring to the Caucasus or the Caspian, but it fits beautifully. He never had the chance to paint Azerbaijan’s almost infinite variety of landscapes, vistas, scenes or people, sadly. But we can – so lets enjoy them. Azerbaijan sits astride the mountains that separate the Black and Caspian Seas to west and east; and the steppes and deserts to north and south. From -22m to over 4400m altitude, and from a desiccated 200mm to a jungly 1400mm of rainfall, the compact country squeezes in almost every
climate/vegetation zone. Technical words include Tundra, Steppe, semidesert and rainforest. But a more appetising word set lists the local crops and livestock: cows, buffaloes, sheep and goats, hens by the million and even pigs by the thousand, wine grapes, oranges and tea, apples and lemons, cherries and strawberries, potatoes and tomatoes, and three sorts of mulberries, for silk and dessert. Village fields, urban gardens and best Baku street corner stalls are packed with lovely, fresh, seasonal cheap fruit and veg. Man was here early to profit. If you ticked ‘Caucasian’ on a census form, chances are your
Baku & The Absheron Peninsula.
You are bound to start here, so get a window seat on the way in, and get a quick scan over the Caspian, with oil/gas platforms, saline lakes, flat roofed villages, and the rusty wreckage of soviet heavy industry. If you drive in to the centre in daylight, you will see broad avenues, the new Euro Games stadium, and pass under the shadow of Socar. The State Oil Company casts a long shadow, or rather their ever-unfinished new HQ does. A tall green glass edifice which divides opinion: graceful flame shapes, feminine curves or priapic boasting – take your pick. Central Baku is uber-modern, and the seashore Boulevard is a delight: tree shaded ambles enjoyed by all on a summer’s eve.
As high as the Alps, but rising straight from the Black and Caspian Seas, the mountains are vertiginously awe inspiring, whether from close by, or for a distance – snow-topped even in early Autumn. Deep in the ravines, or in the sunny villages and pastures, it feels like the Alps might have done a century or more ago. Khinalug and Lasa are your lofty destination goals.
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ancestors hail from here. Thor Heyerdahl, of Kon-Tiki and Ra fame, is convinced that Scandinavians (and their longships) were born by the Caspian. Some of the earliest domesticated horses hail from Azerbaijan, as did the distinctly non-domesticated mighty Urus/ Auroch, wild ancestor of our cattle. Azerbaijan is only the size of Scotland (or Tasmania or Portugal), though with nearly double the population – not entirely due to the number of Scots in Baku, or on the Caspian. But when you explore the vast empty vistas you might think you are in Scotland, or the Alps, or Malta, or North Africa. You choose.
The High Caucasus.
Azerbaijan The forested, farmed foothills.
Azerbaijan is a fertile farming area. On the slopes of the mountains are both the best views and the most typically historic villages. Key among these are Sheki and nearby Kish. Sheki is the ancient soul of Azerbaijan, and hosts the original ‘caravanserai’, the gathering place for merchants and adventurers at the start of The Silk Road. It is still working, and is THE place to stay on your own journey. This is not scientific, but it seemed to us to have the largest proportion of locals with bright blue, dare I say Nordic, eyes. Up the valley is the remote and isolated village of Kish with its cobbled back streets, and arguably the oldest church in Europe, built by C.4th Albanian Christians.
The Dry Lands.
In short, choose among an inexhaustible collection of photo ops and fascinating stories, each within a day’s drive of a comfortable bed in the capital.
An hour from both fertile Sheki and the populous Caspian coast, the road plunges into desert. An astonishing change. The bare hills invite examination as to geological structure and climate. The view changes constantly, and is full of oddities and surprises: here and there a rusting oil derrick, then an aero generator or two, and oddest of all, on a dry col and bend in the road, several people selling ducks – which I always had as a water bird, not a desert dweller. Is that all? By no means. I have saved a visit to the humid, tea-growing southeast, by the Iranian border, for a future visit, and have spared you the fascinating but depressing views of the wreckage of soviet heavy industry, which have so far defied clean up efforts. They are likely to be there long enough to remind us of industrialisation gone wrong. But let’s end this little tour with two of the best sights in Europe, if not the world.
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Azerbaijan
Baku – where Moscow meets the Mediterranean! By Luc Jones
Getting there: From Moscow, Aeroflot, Azerbaijan Airlines (better known as AZAL) & S7 all fly at least daily to Baku’s brand new airport, although good luck getting a return ticket for anything under RUR20,000. The flight takes approximately two and a half hours. There are also flights to most major cities throughout the CIS, except Yerevan.
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n increasing number of destinations are focusing on mixing business with pleasure, but if television and press advertisements are anything to go by, one city, which seems to be going the extra mile is Baku. Extensive PR coverage stressing the country’s history & culture are beginning to put Baku on the map, coupled with the city’s hosting of the first European Games in June 2015 even if most outside of the energy industry would struggle to point out Azerbaijan on a world map. The country’s recent rise and its relative wealth can be summed up in one simple word; oil. Black gold has funded a construction boom in the capital Baku. The word Baku roughly translates as ‘fiery sands’ and is situated 28 meters below sea level. The city certainly oozes wealth as can be seen by the number of shops selling the latest fashionable clothes & accessories, flash cars and top-end recreation venues, from hotels to restaurants and nightclubs. Nevertheless, many ordinary Azeris feel that the oil boom has provided them with little obvious improvements to their everyday lives,
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benefitting mainly the corrupt elite, and that Baku’s beauty is all for show. Azerbaijan likes to portray itself as a ‘Europe meets the Orient’ destination, although ‘Moscow meets the Mediterranean’ would probably be a more accurate description – in a good sense, of course! President Aliyev keeps a tight grip on power, and is accused of human rights abuses by some western countries as no real opposition to his family’s rule is tolerated. Most however prefer not to meddle in the country’s internal affairs to keep the oil pumping, turning a blind eye although in fairness Aliyev is genuinely a popular figure who has transformed the country from a remote backwater to a mini-Dubai with at least some international recognition. One area where Azerbaijan has made considerable improvements is in the ease of doing business – the country was recently ranked 57th in the Global Competitiveness Report, which is significantly higher than other CIS countries. Ironically though, it has recently become more difficult (and expensive) for Westerners to enter Azerbaijan, despite the
introduction of e-visas since you used to be able to just rock up & buy a visa upon arrival at the airport. The oil is predicted to continue flowing for years to come, so with the right leadership Azerbaijan can look forward to a bright future, even though the frozen conflict with Armenia shows almost no sign of ever being resolved; the two sides are locked in an apparent stalemate. Azerbaijan has been using some of its oil revenues to purchase military equipment and has been making threatening noises, although it is highly unlikely to attack Armenia – Russia maintains three military bases there in an attempt to keep stability in this volatile region. Nevertheless, Baku itself is perfectly safe, even at night. Getting in: Russians do not need a visa to travel to Azerbaijan, but visas are now required by all non-CIS citizens and must be obtained in advance, with a letter of invitation necessary (the only exception being for Turks & Israelis, who can buy a visa on the spot upon arrival at Baku airport without an LOI). However, e-visas are now available online, saving you the hassle of making a trip to an Azeri Embassy, which is not most people’s idea of fun. Even so, it’s still recommended to procure this via an agency; I used: www.btmtravel. ru who streamlined the process – even if this service came to RUR16,000 for a single-entry visa. The whole process was completed in under a week.
Azerbaijan
Saying there: Downtown Baku boasts a wide range of high-end hotels, but expect to pay top dollar for the privilege as this is essentially a business destination. If you’re on expenses, you won’t care so lie back & lap up the luxury; mid-range options are limited. Occupancy is lower at weekends so some deals can be found if you’re visiting just for fun.
Spending there: Azerbaijan uses the Manat and a recent devaluation means that 1 USD is now worth slightly more than 1 Manat. Major currencies (including roubles) can be easily changed at the airport, in hotels and at ‘obmyenniki’ in central Baku. Costs are high; expect to pay Moscow prices in restaurants, bars, shops and taxis; if you’ve recently been to Armenia or Georgia, you’ll be in for a shock!
Whilst being the mainstay of the economy, oil however isn’t the only revenue earner, which includes agriculture, fishing, construction and even some tourism centred around the increasing number of events which Baku is fond of hosting, many of a business or sporting nature. Oil however dominates, plus the related services built up around the international majors, and of course the state energy giant SOCAR. Even if you are pressed for time, be sure to take a walk around the walled old town, and climb up the maiden tower for views of the city. However, if this isn’t high enough for you, take the funicular up to the three flame towers (which light up at night to resemble the gas being emitted from an oil rig), walk along Heroes Avenue and admire the panorama of the harbour. Locals relax in the evenings and on weekends by strolling along the promenade, which hugs the bay, or sitting in the numerous cafes by the water. Azeri food is staple Caucasian (i.e., shashlik & bread) although there are plenty of international restaurants and bars. The local food we tried was more than adequate, even if not quite up to Tbilisi standards, and they make their own beer, wine & cognac, which should of course be sampled. When you fancy getting away from the glitz & glamour of central Baku, a trip out to the Qobustan National Park makes for an easy half-day outing as it’s just over an hour’s drive from the capital, along the coast. Qobustan (pronounced ‘Kob-oo-stan’) is best known for its
Speaking there: The official language is Azeri, and is closely related to Turkish, enough so that both peoples can just about understand each other. Although you’ll rarely see anything written in Cyrillic, Russian is still widely taught – and spoken by most people in business and in services positions, with English gaining in popularity, thanks in no small part to the large expatriate community based in Baku.
rock formations and deep ravines, plus the numerous petroglyphs which date back thousands of years. In 2007, Qobustan was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site (one of only two in the entire country) for the quality and density of its rock art engravings, and in the distance you can see Caspian sea, plus Azerbaijan’s answer to Table Mountain! There is an entrance fee of 5 Manat per person And if squiggles on rock faces aren’t enough for you, twenty minutes’ drive away are a group of mud volcanoes; both a bizarre and spectacular sight. Perched on top of a hill, there are several dozen mounds of earth ranging from 1-3 metres in height, occasionally spewing hot, muddy bubbles. Obviously they’re not real volcanoes (they need to squirt out lava to be classified into that category) although they were created by geological faults in the earth’s crust and really need to be seen to be believed. Entrance is free, although there are no signs to point you in the right direction and most likely you’ll have the place to yourself. We paid 80 Manat (approx $75) for the return trip, including waiting time, although do check that the driver actually knows where the mud volcanoes are, as most don’t, although everyone knows Qobustan and you can ask for directions from there.
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Community
‘Ali & Nino’ By Kurban Said (1937)
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li and Nino is a love story, but much more. It is also a period piece and the definitive, and so far unrivalled, story of Baku City and of Azerbaijan’s troubled and multiple births; and more than that, the ideal and concise first window on the mind set and character of the Transcaucasian peoples and their religious mores. More again, its authorship was wreathed in mystery and oddity. The novel was first published, in German, in Austria in 1937. Its central characters are Azeri, Georgian and Armenian (first clue for the modern reader: a recipe for trouble), but self evidently, it was created by none of these: it needs
an outsider to write with such insight and balance. Or two: depending which edition you pick up, there are differing claims for authorship. Both are fascinating. Both editions share an adulatory introduction by Paul Theroux, no less – another clue to the book’s merit. But to begin at the beginning. Ali Khan Shirvanshir, Azeri and Shia Moslem, is about to finish school in his home town of Baku, and already in love with Nino Kipiani, Georgian, and Christian, at the best girls’ school in the city. This being a little before the outbreak of World War I, both study in Russian. Their romance is all-consuming, but fraught with problems: welcome to the Caucasus. Language, families, religion and customs frown upon them, and we see an echo of Shakespeare’s Verona. The author(s) regale us with their developing love affair, while throwing a double or triple focused light
on our heroes’ values and expectations, seriously, but often with wit and humour. Even outrageous (to modern, liberal eyes) statements of religious cant/dogma make the reader smile. Not for me to pre-empt your reading pleasure. The questions, conflicts and choices of peoples astride the European-Asian frontiers, the same ones that give the Russian Eagle two heads, one looking West, one East; are sharply dissected. So too the vastly different views of peoples who live under or yearn for the sharp desert horizon, burning sun, starry skies and endless movement… against those at home with forest, green, farming and settlement. Cain or Abel, if you will. While hero, heroine, friends and families are developing, they do so under the ever darkening cloud of looming war and revolution. The Caucasus is under imperial Russian rule, doomed. The Azeris are yearning
for independence. But Turkey, Iran, even Britain, and soon Soviet Russia all intend to extend their empires. Remember: at the time, Baku was the world’s largest oil producer; sits on the old Silk Road; and was often seen as the key to conquering Persia and/or India. The mix is potent, and with oil, ethnicity and religion, explosive. As the personal and geopolitical narrative unfolds, we get to travel to Georgia, Persia, Dagestan and all over Azerbaijan. How does it all pan out? Read your history books, and ‘Ali and Nino’ to find out. Why should I spoil the suspense? There are a few clues above. If you are thinking of visiting the south Caucasus, or already there, ‘Ali and Nino’ is essential and very enjoyable reading. If in Baku, buy it at the eponymous bookshop, on Fountains Square, and read it over a peaceful brew at their café opposite. Have a hankie handy.
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Community
F
A Bit of a Baku Bar Briefing By an expert – Ross Hunter
inding an evening drink in Baku is very easy. Finding the right one is tricky. Good news: there are no end of bars, pubs, watering holes and restaurants. Bad news: it depends what you want, and finding a lively and ‘happening’ bar can be chancy - there is little rhythm to when any pub could be lively or dull. Good news: the main expat bars are conveniently grouped in a few choice areas, so hopping between them is easy. Many have live music, (good news AND bad news) especially on a Friday and Saturday evenings. But set your watch – like Moscow, the evening starts late and finishes ... later than I have ever lasted. Many have pool tables, most have international sport on TV, not a few may have late night guests who are all too keen to chat to expat visitors. Most main hotels have decent bars, usually at a price. Most impressive is the rotating panoramic bar at the top of the Hilton. There are an assortment of bars with character, often German-themed,
in the old city. But for the biggest choice of watering holes close together, head to Fountains Square. The square itself is lined with cafes, restaurants and bars. Best value of these is Araz – excellent for a beer after work, or a simple meal. A couple of streets to the south, towards the Caspian, are a whole run of opportunities, including: Otto’s, Phoenix, The Clansman, Finnegan’s, O’Malley’s and the William Shakespeare. Several of these are Irish or Scottish, and often partisan (by football loyalty). The Shakespeare has a popular pool table, until the band starts, and is probably the best all round expat bet, most evenings. To the north east of Fountains Square, behind ‘The Lady with the Umbrella’ bronze statue, who stands close by McDonald’s is another cluster of bars, with The Garage, The Fountain and the Tequila Bar all right together, and more like The London Pub, which is not far away. Also close by these are many bars/clubs in basements. As a general rule, if it is underground, beware. The choice is yours.
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Feature
Interview by John Harrison
Interview with Capri, young Asian elephant at Moscow Zoo
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Feature Where were you born, and when did you move into the zoo? I didn’t move in, my parents did. My dad Pamir and my mum Pipita came all the way here from far away Vietnam. I was born here on the 22nd of April 2009, right here in Moscow and this is my home most of the time.
What do you like to do, what games do you like to play? Like all my friends, I like to run around, be mischievous, put my trunk in people’s pockets, tease my mother to get me some food. I really enjoy it when my trainer Renat comes round and we do exercises together. He gives me loads of tasty things to eat, so I have a lot to do.
What’s the food like here? Well, it’s OK. Mostly grass, hay, willow twigs, something like what the English call All-Bran, loads of vegetables, but my favourite are cabbages, carrots, beetroots. When Renat comes he brings biscuits, bananas and things like that, really good stuff.
What does the trainer teach you? Renat says things like: “stand with your side towards me”, and I turn around with my side in his direction. The he asks me to turn round, and show him my other side, he’s always patting me and gives me injections when I get ill. But he always puts something tasty in my trunk, which I really like, and I wish he’d come more often. We play games like me lifting up my foot, and reaching out to him, then the next foot and then the other two. It’s a lot of fun, and he seems to enjoy it. One day when I was a bit annoyed at some of the human beings who chuck things over the fence which taste really weird, I damaged one of my tusks against a wall because I got angry, and Renat came to see me everyday until it was better.
What does your mum think of all this? Doesn’t she think that all these fun and games are a bit silly? Not really. Between you and me, she suffers from problems with her feet, and Renat helps her, by cleaning and healing them. We like it when human beings help us, something they don’t do with each other very much, at least that’s what I think.
Do you like swimming? Oh, I LOVE swimming.
Where do you swim? In the summer we have a special swimming bath, which is really cool, I really love to go and stretch my legs underwater. In the winter, which is sooo long in Moscow, we use the shower and I usually take a couple of showers a day. When I was smaller, I used to shower in a little waterfall we have at the back of our house, but I’m a bit too big for that now. I still use it though!
Capri, you talked about the human beings who chuck things over the fence, what do you think about them? Well I think they are a bit strange, they keep on coming up to the fence and looking at us, for hours on end. They point these box type things at us and then take them away again, really odd. The children are quite fun, especially the ones of about my age, they want to play with me and sometimes I have a bit of fun with them. Dad tends to more or less ignore them, he thinks that they make a lot of noise and fuss, and think that the whole world belongs to them, and have really weird behaviour patterns. But Renat isn’t like that, he talks to us and treats us like elephants, not like the others. But mostly we just ignore them.
Thank you Capri, have a nice day!
Moscow Zoo opening and closing times in winter (December to March): 10am-5 pm (ticket office closes at 4 pm) Cost: Adults Mon-Fri: 400 roubles, on weekends 500 roubles Children: (0 to 17) – free admission Educational programs: Besides traditional guided tours and lectures, we organize interactive programs that includes theatre performances, quests and animal shows. There are different options, topics and difficulty of tasks, depending on age and individual choice. For the 5 to teens and beyond, we have the ‘Art-Zebra’ studios – children’s creative workshops (drawing & painting, sculpting, animal photography courses). We also run summer camps for children aged 7-13. We have four 14-days long programs. Parents bring their children every day at 9am and pick them up at 6pm. We have many interactive educational programs for schools (kindergarten to high grades, depending on their school program), we also have a drama group for kids 7+, tea-parties at the zoo (discussions on ‘animal’ themes relevant for teens and adults). Please follow our facebook page for more news: https://www.facebook.com/ MoscowZoo New programmes for children and adults are being prepared for the New Year. For more information on these and existing programmes, phone:
+7 499 255 5763
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Australian Section
Duncan Cole Senior Trade Commissioner Australian Trade Commission (Austrade), Moscow.
Roughly how many Australians are there here? My work here mainly focuses on the business side, so I can’t tell you how many individuals there are, but I can give you an idea of how many companies there are. There are 20 to 25 companies that have a representative office here on the ground, with a resident Australian living and working here. This is not a huge number. But we do have a large number of Australian companies doing business here in Russia, many of which have Russian partners. Russia is not in the same league for Australia in terms of trading as China and Japan are for example, but it is an extremely important trading partner for particular sectors. Which sectors? Mining and education are the most important sectors for us here in Russia. We also have very large involvements in the agribusiness sector, which means anything from supplying advisors for farming operations to food production. Australia accounts for about 70% of the mining software used throughout the world. Many large Australian IT companies are now here in the market and run by an Australian expat or by a Russian manager who works full-time for an Australian company. There are also many consultants who are coming through, and offering advice to Russian companies. We help Russian companies become aware of what Australian companies have to offer. We are lucky in that most Russian mining companies are familiar with Australian products; they may know about Australian design for open pits and process flows, but they may not know that Australia has some of the best safety training in the world for mining operations.
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How can Australia companies get to hear about opportunities in Russia? They can come to us, the Australian trade Commission. It is clear from our name that we are promoting trade. Many people, however, do not know that we also have a special education department to ensure that Australian education providers are aware of the opportunities available on the Russian market. We also advise them how they can market into this particular part of the world. The third area we look after is investment to make sure that Russians are aware of the investment opportunities from Russia into Australia. Companies like Rusal are investing into Australia, so we have some investment activity going on. The fourth area that we look after is tourism, and that primarily concerns investment into tourist infrastructure in Australia.
Many countries outsource some of the activities that you have mentioned to Chambers of commerce and other organizations, but you have chosen to keep this in-house one why? We work very closely with the Australian Russian Chamber of Commerce and the Business Association here, but the reality of the situation is that they are both very small, so on many occasions they do not have the necessary resources. Many modern Australian companies that are coming in here need information: should I do it this way or should I do it another way. But we’re not specialists on Russian legislation, or Russian tax rules. If any companies need such advice we say to them that there are a number of specialists advisory firms here better placed to be able to help them in that area. We have a wider range of
Australian Section areas, which we cover from here in Moscow and I work out of a second office in Vladivostok, which covers the Far East.
Is the fact that the fees are going up in the UK for foreign students a good thing for your education providers? It is all about growing the pie in general. I work very closely with the education departments in other embassies here in Moscow. If we look at the market and say that if you come to us you’ll get a better deal, you are missing the point, because what we should be saying is that education abroad is a good thing in general, thus the pie grows for everybody, and each player’s slice of the pie is greater. We have had huge fluctuation with the Australian dollar, so we have also had changes in the real cost of fees. The mining sector is another example. If we grow the whole market, we know that Australia will get a percentage of it. Therefore, for education, one could advise a student to do his undergraduate degree in one country and his postgraduate in another, or the other way round.
How is business being affected by the sanctions? This is something we are very conscious about. We are very clear that there are certain areas that we cannot operate in, and we advise accordingly. Certain products such as those in the communication business can be dual usage, so we have to make sure that Australian companies make sure that they check what the products are going to be used for. However, that doesn’t mean that we still can’t maintain relationships with those companies. What we are seeing is that yes, there has been a clear fall off in the sale of certain products but we have an increase in others. In addition, it is not only sanctions applied by us; it is bans against us, which have made it impossible to bring in frozen or fresh beef. But, there is no restriction on live cattle coming in. So we can help increase the herds here, help them improve their gene pool, and of course when the animal is slaughtered, you are really producing Australian beef.
Australians tend to be a little friendlier in the way they start a business. They are unlikely to insist on selling you something; they would rather get to know a potential partner first, so that if a change happens, problems can still be sorted out. So it is an ongoing process. I get many people coming through here who need simple things like this explained. In general, I tell people to not be afraid of asking a straight and direct question to Russians, because they will get a straight and direct answer back.
What do you personally like or dislike about Russia? I have only been here a short time, from February of last year. It was an amazing time to come here politically, socially and economically. I am really enjoying being here during this period of change and seeing what is happening. It is difficult from a business point of view, but sometimes difficulty gives you an opportunity. We have not closed up and walked away, if you can display that you have a commitment to the market, which we do, then you are respected back. It was difficult coming here in the middle of winter from Hanoi where I was previously based. Now I love it here. I love the city life that really comes to life in the evenings. I love getting out to other parts of Russia. Apart from Vladivostok and St. Petersburg, we are also doing activities in places like Tomsk, Krasnodar, and other places.
Are there any cultural overlaps between Russia and Australia? There is a huge Russian population in Australia. A huge number of Russians who fled to Australia pre-revolution, who then fought with the Australian and New Zealand army corps during the First World War. There are many 2nd and 3rd generation Russians now working in Australian companies, and it is fantastic because they understand the language, they understand the culture of what is happening here. Of course things are done differently here, but in the end of the day things are done differently everywhere, and there is always the possibility of understanding when people get together and share ideas, and maybe have a drink together. I think that Australians are very open, they want to know what is going on.
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Australian Section
Nick Hluszko Managing Director & Chief Operating Officer at Karofilm Russia
Interview by John Harrison
How long have you been working in Moscow, what bought you here? I first came to Moscow in the summer of 2005, when I was offered the job of Chief Operating Officer with a company called Yum brands – the global owner of KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Long John Silvers, A&M Burger, etc. I was previously working in Sydney within the South Pacific operations of that company. Yum Brands had just completed a joint venture with Rostiner Restaurants International with its’ Rostik’s brand. Yum bosses fundamentally said, “Nick, you have a Slavic last name, would you like to go to Russia for this job?” I said: “Err, slight problem… I don’t speak Russian.” Their response was…. that’s OK, we will send you on an immersion course in Sydney for a few weeks and this should get you started! Curiosity got the better of me so I agreed to do the course which saw my Russian vocabulary going from 5 words to a hundred or so very quickly. Buoyed by this success, I spoke to my family and then decided to at least come to here to objectively assess the opportunity.
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I was stunned by the beauty of Moscow – the heritage, the culture, life in general. This all was hard at first to absorb because the mental picture and expectations that I had were diametrically opposed to what was reality. Then I vividly recall meeting with Mr Rostislav OrdovskyTanaevsky Blanco – President & owner of Rosinter. It didn’t take Rostislav long to convince me that I would be a great fit for the job and that I would enjoy working and living in Russia. This led to me signing a two-year contract. That was nearly 10 years ago now!
What are the main differences in the way that you do business in Russia and the way that you have done business elsewhere in the world? I’ve been fortunate enough to work in different markets – in developing markets, in developed markets, in markets that are growing and those that are not. For example I have worked not only in my native Australia extensively but also throughout Central and Latin America, the US, the South Pacific
and many other markets. Russia is different, but not that different. I think Russia is different because of the stage of development of the economy and infrastructure as well as where it sits in terms of stage of evolution of society. We have seen a country go from hundreds of years of rule under Tsars, to Communist rule to an economy still heavily influenced from the top down. It is still evolving and I believe that Russia will evolve it’s own unique identity – one reflecting the culture and soul of its people. It is also influenced heavily by its geographic location and this will also shape how things evolve here. While Russia leads the world in many areas, it is still playing ‘catch-up’ in many other areas. Doing business here is a challenge. For example, it still relies to a great extent on manual systems, as opposed to automated systems, therein lie a lot of bureaucratic processes, which take some getting used to if at all. It is getting better but there is a long road ahead! Red tape is a real issue still. There has been a steady improvement in things like diminishing corruption at all levels. Although corruption hasn’t been obliterated, it is considerably better than it used to
Australian Section be, in my view. In 10 years I have seen good progress in this area in both business and general economy. When I first came here I was struck by the quality of the education system and the talented people that it produced. Even compared to mature western countries Russia can hold its head high in this area. But what was and to a lessor extent today is different is that there wasn’t a work ethic of taking full responsibility or accountability by workers. In the past people were told what to do and that was all. Today, as more western companies enter and expand in Russia, western corporate culture and work ethic is being promulgated. I am seeing a big shift in this area – one that will make Russian labour in another generation very exportable. But today, in some pockets of business a more ‘hands-on’ style of management is still needed.
How do you sell to Russians, is that possible? It depends what you mean by selling, in the retail sense, or selling concepts?
I guess both. Let me break this down into two parts. Firstly lets talk about concepts. Certain cultural paradigms are engrained into people’s consciousness here, and that affects how they work. For example, I came along and said: “this job can be done by one person and a computer, not by ten” and everyone said: “no, it can’t be done by one person.” That ‘can’t be done’ mentality still exists today. It takes a lot of ‘leading by example’ to demonstrate what is possible. As a manager, when you do this, you can take people along with you; you have to show people how it works and that it is not dangerous to them or their careers to take risks. You only have to do this once from my experience and people here quickly adapt and adopt what can help them their work and their lives.
In the retail sense, the Russian consumer is fundamentally no different from any other consumer anywhere else in the world in terms of their wants, their needs, all of those things. What differentiates a Russian consumer is their need to demonstrate their affluence, their success. That’s really important, so from a consumer marketing perspective, or even from a service marketing perspective, one has to link into the underlying want or need. In the past, if people took on board accountability for something, they would get either punished or rewarded commensurately, and things went horrible wrong then there could have been dire consequences. But when you come from a western mind-set, you are encouraged to take risk, because risk can pay massive dividends. If you take 10 actions and get 8 right, you will get rewarded many, many times over and learn from the ones that you didn’t get right. It’s that sort of mentality. So installing a sense of confidence that calculated risk can be good is mandatory in my view. I actually found making organisational changes or business process changes more difficult in mature markets than I did here in Russia to be frank.
I know you have been an expat for a long time, but what are the main cultural differences between living here and living back home in Australia? I have an advantage because my parents were both born in Russia. They came to Australia as refugees of the Second World War, met and married there. With the horrors of the war fresh in their minds my parents decided that their children would be raised as ‘Aussies’. So this meant cricket and the beach in summer and Rugby League in winter. While Russian was spoken from time-totime in various social and family situations, we spoke English at home. I really knew nothing about my Russian background until I started doing research into my Russian genealogy when I came to Russia.
Ironically, I was exposed to enough Russian culture in Australia growing up to make me feel some sort of linkage when I came to live here. When I arrived here, I felt that from the way people communicate, the intonation in their voices, the way that food is prepared and many other things, that Russia is not at all a foreign country [for me]. If I had come here cold, I probably would have been scared off to be honest because if you do not understand the language and culture people here can be taken to be aggressive by how they communicate and act when the opposite is true. In very general terms, I think that a typical Russian is very concerned about the world, and about what the world is thinking of him or her. I don’t live in an expat compound, I live downtown and talk to people, and I get the message all the time of Russians wondering ‘why is the west is picking on us, what have we done…’ so I don’t see that there is a great deal of difference in terms of personal fears and aspirations. Moscow’s a tough city, and like any big city of over 10 million people, it can be difficult to live in but can also be a real pleasure. Russia is a lot more than Moscow and St. Petersburg. When you get out into the countryside, into the wide-open spaces of Siberia, people tend to be far more gregarious, open and warm, which reminds me of Australians. Here in Moscow, it is different, it’s a bit like when I was living in the States, people don’t know who their neighbours are, its’ that sort of more insular lifestyle.
What do you do at the weekends? From time to time I catch up with some of my expat mates and we’ll go see a good live match somewhere, especially if the Wallabies are playing against the Kiwis. The results sadly are usually the same, which is that we lose! But one day… I’m an optimist that we will one day win a World Cup or a Bledisloe again. Apart from that my partner and I go to the theatre a lot, parks, sight-seeing, etc.
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Australian Section
Vanessa Burke Vanessa arrived from Australia in August 2014 to work as an international school teacher. As an expat who is a relatively recent arrival in Moscow, her impressions of Russia and the Russian people are valid and shared by many other new arrivals.
What were your first impressions when you first arrived? The immediate image I was confronted with was the vast amount of traffic just outside the airport – I wasn’t accustomed to such enormity. It was a shock to suddenly be amidst a traffic jam on a massive highway at 3am. Fortunately, a colleague from my school met me at the airport, and so I was very keen to get to know the other staff and overall I was really excited to be here and to experience this culture.
But Sydney is a big city? Yes, but it does feel completely different – Moscow is on a much larger scale, from the buildings and architecture, to the roads and metro stations. Also, the emotions of people as you are walking down the street here seem to be harsher. I was talking with somebody about this and she said that Russians
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believe they needn’t fake a smile – that their emotions should be conveyed as they are, rather than feigning a happy face. So I guess another noticeable difference is that people in shops, on the street and in train stations in Sydney tend to have a more outwardly smiley appearance.
Maybe its because there is more sun there? Maybe. I think another contributing factor is that primary education in Russia is different from primary education in Australia. Elementary education is really important, because that shapes the way children are brought up, thereby affecting the next generation’s personality, morals and outlooks.
What is the main difference you can see between Russians and Australians? I think there is a big divide between the generations in
Russia. I’ve found that older people here, say over 50, are quite set in their ways and difficult to approach or interact with, for instance, babushkas in supermarkets! Whereas my experience with some of the younger generation, the 20-25 year olds who I socialise with, is that they are really warm and optimistic people – perhaps friendlier and less judgemental than young people even in Sydney.
You have lived through the last winter, now we’re in another one, what do you think about that? I don’t cope very well with the cold – during winter here, I’ve become accustomed to putting on every single thermal layer of clothing that it is possible to put on before resembling an Eskimo, and also turning the radiator dial to maximum, which drives my assistant teacher and the children in my class mad sometimes!
Australian Section Such a long time without the sun! Yes, I did find that it affected my mood. Winter basically spans the months of October to April, and so there’s a lot of grey and dreariness for over half a year.
Do you get out of Moscow at all? The partying options here have been keeping me busy, and so I haven’t booked as many day trips to towns outside of Moscow as I should have.
Where do you party? I enjoy hosting parties for friends in my apartment, but if I am going out I sometimes check a website called Resident Advisor to see what events are on. Otherwise, some of the usual bars where other expats go include The Standard, Papa’s Place and Jim & Jacks. I also really enjoy going to see live music – I have some friends in bands, so I love supporting their gigs.
What about food, money, transportation, how do you survive here? I was really bracing myself for it to be one of the most expensive cities in the world – it was ranked third in the world when I first arrived. My first job paid in roubles, and I made the switch to my new job just in time before the rouble crashed. I’m now paid in Euros, so that has definitely increased my ability to comfortably survive here and afford living expenses. I find getting good quality food to be quite difficult here and it’s what I spend the most time and money on. Some restaurants provide good quality food, but it comes at a price. Having said that, food
is more expensive in Sydney, and rent in Sydney can be even more expensive than in some districts than London. Here in Moscow I have my own place, which seems like a luxury at times, and I’m very grateful that I can afford to go shopping, eat well and go travelling. So overall I braced myself for the worst, but I find that it is not that bad.
Do you buy clothes here in Russia? A lot of Russians say things are really expensive here, and they always go overseas to buy their clothes, but I rationalise my clothes purchases by comparing prices with Sydney.
What about transport? The metro is just outstanding; the trains are frequent and well serviced. I haven’t used the busses that much, as I’m unfamiliar with the routes and don’t speak Russian fluently yet. Taxis are very convenient and cheap and there are several apps I use – Uber, Get Taxi, and Yandex Taxi.
fluent Russian speaker, I’m not sure. I also think I’d be able to feel more connected with the older generation here if I improved my ability to speak Russian. But on a final note, being in Moscow as an expat can sometimes feel like a very transient environment to be amongst. There are a lot of people here who stay for a year, or a year and a half, and make exorbitant amounts of money as a governess, that sort of thing, and then leave. A lot of people have said to me: “Why would you come to Russia if you’re not here to make money?” I could be doing a governess job at the moment but I’ve made a conscious decision not to - I’ve chosen to work at an international school to further my teaching career. I’m here more for the experience.
You’ve said a lot of good things. Are there any bad things that you don’t like about Moscow? Well, we’ve already discussed the weather, and people say that the quality of life isn’t that great in Russia, but I don’t know, I think it depends on what you are looking for. There are some stunningly beautiful parks here, but widespread city greenery is something that I still miss a lot. You don’t have to go to a centralised area, somewhere like a park, in Australia for greenery. Another aspect I’ve noticed is that on the whole, good service in restaurants is harder to come by, but perhaps it would be better if I were a
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Australian Section
Gabriel Kozulan
Interview by John Harrison
Writer, Producer, Director at Gabriel Productions and Organizer of Australian Cultural and Charity events in Moscow.
What prompted you to come to Russia? I was residing in Sydney just prior to the 2000 Sydney Olympics. The state government was anticipating a huge influx of guests for the Games, so in order to alleviate the extra burden on the public transport system, asked any residents that could vacate the city, to please do so. I had just finished working on a film project and felt this would be a great chance for a break. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the outgoing return airfares were less than half price at the time. So I thought: ‘let’s do Russia’. As an Aussie, Russia had always seemed off the beaten track. The ‘Iron Curtain’ was long gone and the allure for adventure was simply too appealing; after all I could always resist everything but temptation.
So what were your first impressions, how did you spend your time? To be brutally honest it was quite devastating, an absolute
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culture shock. I found myself totally unprepared for Moscow’s stark realities. Looking back, people were very weary of strangers, but I guess you can’t blame them, they were still recovering from ‘Perestroika’ they were indeed some difficult times. But having just arrived from a different dimension as it were, I carried on like ‘Crocodile Dundee’ I’d walk around and greet everyone with “G’day, how are you?” Most people would ignore me like the village idiot, while some would confront me with statements like: “What do you want from me? and Do I know you!?” In Australia, you can go trekking in a rainforest, and if you meet people walking towards you, even a group, you’d exchange greetings with all of them and that’s considered normal; nonetheless, I’m grateful for the experience. How did I spend my time? Well given that I had a six-month visa, I planned an extensive cultural itinerary. I acquainted myself with all the museums, galleries and theatres in Moscow and
St. Pete. I travelled the ‘Golden Ring’ and visited many regions across Russia. I did the TransSiberian rail journey and saw a lot of Russia and was fascinated by the people, their history and culture. I can say the experience has helped broaden my views, which is an invaluable asset for a writer. 15 years on, Russia is an entirely different country, very westernized, very alive and very addictive. There is something about the place; it has a spirit that the west has sadly lost.
What do you do for a living? I’ve been in the film industry for almost 30 years. I started off as an actor and stuntman in Australian and American films but now, I work as a writer, producer and director with my own production company. I also do freelance work as a ‘scriptwriter’ and or ‘script doctor’, which means restructuring storylines for 3rd party scripts that don’t evolve as needed. The freedom of the internet allows me to work with
Australian Section
different production companies around the world. I also have my own projects, one of them being a large Australian based film called ‘Legends on Stone’. We’re presently arranging talks with Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman to engage their participation.
Fast forward to right now. You are married to a beautiful Russian girl, how did you meet Natasha? I was working with Oscar award winning director Nikita Mikhalkov on the continuation of his ‘Burnt By The Sun’ saga, the 2nd & 3rd instalments. After an eight-month stint on set, I become good friends with one of the camera operators. One day he invited me and several of his friends over to celebrate the 23rd of February and Natasha just happened to be among those friends. We hit it off immediately and haven’t looked back since. It’s now been eight years. We’re together 24/7, we work together and play together. She’s a professional event organiser for Moscow’s ‘well to do’ and my better half.
You also run the Australian Cultural Centre, can you tell us what that is all about? Having lived here for some time, I noticed that the Brits, the Irish and the Americans, all made their presence felt, with various events and festivals. So I thought: ‘Why can’t we Aussies do the same? I wanted to create a centre that could promote the true Spirit of Australia; establish an environment that was conducive to cultural exchange, which would unite and support our expat community. Unfortunately we still don’t have the desired physical centre, due to the financial outlay required. Even so, with the help of our partners, over the past 3 years we’ve created and personally funded numerous cultural and charitable events. You can view most of our activities on our website at ‘www.anaustralianodyssey.com’
Yes, I know you hold the annual Australian charity ball in Moscow, which is quite amazing; please tell me a bit more about that? The Down Under Ball is our highend event, so to speak. This is the 4th
year that the Aussie community, their friends and our partners have rallied together to support the annual event, so as to raise money for needy Russian children. Personally, an event such as this is extremely taxing, it’s not only 6 months work preparing the event, but I also serve as the MC and sing classic Aussie rock songs during the course of the evening. Nevertheless, I see the Aussie Down Under Ball as a chance for all of us to give something back to the people and the city that has taken us in. I’d like to take the opportunity to once again express our gratitude to all our guests and partners for their on going support.
We are in the middle of a crisis, what’s your take on it? Personally, I never give it any thought. People, and this is a quantum fact, people project into their lives what they predominantly think about. I’ve even given lectures on the subject. My philosophy on the matter is, always stay focused on the positive in any situation, know what it is you want in life and strive to attain it, live life to the fullest, love with abandonment, and never surrender your humanity.
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Australian Section
David Wansbrough
Why do you come to Russia? I came to Russia to be among remarkable people: Igor Sid, Gaiewska, Leah Obshadko, Marina and Vadim Petrovskiy, Natasha Kuznetsova, Father Aleksandr, Alyona Migunova, and Nikolai Nikolayevich Drozdov. They, and others, are my friends and warmly give their artistic and spiritual support.
What are the main cultural differences between Russia and the West form your point of view? As an Australian who was raised in New Zealand I see the negative effects of a world gradually dominated by America. Americans have the right above all else to pursue
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individual happiness. They have know-how and get things done. But when in the USA I feel the lack of certain simple human rights. The freedom to expect the government to ponder and consider. The freedom to be without piped music in museums. The freedom to go to a Beethoven concert and not be surrounded by jiggling toe tappers (do we need the imposed compulsive nervous physicality of hip hop diplomacy?). The freedom to believe that the USA is not always right, the freedom to turn on a TV and not hear an over groomed evangelist asking me to send in money, and in particular, the freedom to respect people who eshew self advertising, who don’t want 15 minutes of fame because they examine their own lives without bombing others into having a nice day. Thank goodness Saul Bellow wrote about motives, (also a characteristic of Russian literature), instead of filling his books with action.
So you have a geo-political position? Any answer on geo-political matters will bring criticism from one side or the other. I’m not a Pink Snotty like G. B. Shaw or H. G. Wells. And no side is totally right or wrong. Oswald Spengler, who thought
Australian Section that the next civilization could be Russian, believed that true Russians despise merchants for laying up goods on earth. I love the micro society of the Village of Active People near fields and forests. We care for the soil and are good generous neighbours. We could examine facts. Has there been any week in the last 21 years when America has not had troops abroad? Have there been any good outcomes? Has Russia until recently crossed its internationally recognized borders in the last 21 years?, (except to enter Georgia for a few days to neutralise planes when American trained pilots bombed Russian troops in Ossetia, and NATO had announced missile bases in Poland, all ordered by George W. after McCain had lost the first debate with Obama). We in the West are in the strange position of opposing democracy. Why not have regional elections to see if parts of Ukraine want to devolve? I am mindful of the people on the ground. And don’t want think tanks far away making decisions on ideological terms. Sane people don’t want violence. Then why has NATO proposed troops in Poland but to increase tension? For us in the West democracy is OK – if it supports our interests. My friend Gennady Jagodin (an ex-minister for Nuclear Science) used to say, “The Thanatos urge gave us a Mutually Assured Destruction policy. We were truly MAD.” Russia is in need of fundamental reform. Why not bring in low 5% mortgage rates for homebuyers and small investors? Why not have an independent unifying BRICs currency not tied to the dollar? Make the EU buy that currency to pay for gas. Why not bring back the kiosks and vibrant street markets of the 1990s that encouraged individual business initiative? According to the Voice of America we are fighting for cabbage leaves on the Moscow streets. Really? I am registered in a working class apartment. In the parking lot are better cars than in Pymble or Turramurra, and Russians have a very high level of apartment ownership. Who doesn’t have access to a second home, a country dacha? People moan, but that is universal. Although Australia has just lost a proudly philistine prime minister, how long will it be before we complain that the new one is too cultured and compassionate? The US of A criticises Medvedev and Putin for playing leapfrog but America loves Dynasties. The Roosevelts, almost the Kennedys, Bush Snr and little W, and, God help us, possibly the Clintons. I hope that the best of Australia, the feeling of allowing the other the freedom to just be, and the sense of mateship, will recognise similar attitudes in ordinary Russians. Both countries have extreme climates and farmers do it tough. And both nations depend on exporting national resources. As for me, I like my village neighbours who get together to fix the eroded road. The real Russia isn’t just Moscow. But the atmosphere with guests around tables, in Moscow or Pskov, is wonderfully warm.
Moscow expat Life is very popular and copies of our magazine go fast. Order your copy on-line and have it delivered to your door. www.MoscowExpatLife.ru
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Australian Section
Sherman Pereira Relocations Director, EMEA Eurohome Relocation Services
How among have you been living in Russia? I am currently on my second tour of Moscow. My first stint was for four years, however after being back in Melbourne for 18 months I received an opportunity to come back to work in Moscow again. I was happy to return to Moscow and have been back for about 2 years now.
What brought you here? As it is for most Expats here, the opportunity to work and live in Russia seemed exciting. My initial work assignment was only going to be for 12 months, however as the company I was working for at that time needed to create a more stable presence here, my contract was extended to four years. That turned out to be incredibly fortuitous as it afforded me a deeper understanding of this country’s character and people. It’s been a profound experience both personally and professionally.
Do you like it here? In short, yes very much so. Moscow offers the excitement of living in a big city that’s growing and developing before our very
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eyes. That translates to a wealth of opportunities and incredibly diverse experience that’s far more dynamic than I would have expected from a post-Soviet metropolis. There are drawbacks, of course; Moscow can be unpredictable at times, but I try to regard the challenges merely as lessons or obstacles to overcome to reach something more rewarding in regards to accomplishment. For me, the positive far outweighs the negative.
What are the main differences between doing business here and in Australia? Key business principles in my experience vary little wherever you go worldwide, however I believe that Russia offers a wider range of opportunity than in Australia; from straight-up street speculation at markets or outside metrostations, to billion dollar deals in elite Moscow-City offices, business here runs the full gamut. Business in Australia tends to be more casual, straight forward and less bureaucratic however punctuality, unlike in Russia is very important. Russia has a population around 7 times larger than Australia and workers with a relatively high
disposable income so businesses here have adapted to become more flexible and creative.
On a social level, what are the main differences between Australians and Russians? Surprisingly I have noticed a lot of social similarities between Australians and Russians. The most obvious being that both Russians and Australians enjoy a good drink over a BBQ or Shashlyk as well as getting out of the center on weekends. I think one of the primary differences I’ve noticed is the cultural approach to family. Russians, for whatever socioeconomic or personal reasons remain united to the end, whereas Australians are more likely to consider a retirement community or convalescent home for older family members. Also, Australians have a different appreciation of space, despite housing prices being among the world’s fastest growing, with the tradition quarter-acre block as opposed to Russian’s predominantly apartment-based life. Another difference that strikes me is the number of superstitions and traditions where I’d say Australia is staid in comparison.
Feature Anna Julia
ENGLISH ACTORS
ON RUSSIAN TV English Actors and Londongrad
Arthur Tikhon Cooke
Chloe st Clair Stannard
Martin Cooke
Titus Adam
S
ome of you may have recently seen a TV serial called Londongrad; in Londongrad, there are more expat actors then have ever before appeared in a Russian TV serial. The great majority of these actors and non-actors (as Augusto Boal politely terms nonprofessionals) were cast by English Actors International; a Moscow based agency started to work alongside Russian casting Directors and within the Russian film and TV industry per se, casting talented international actors in Russian projects. The greatest success to date of any of our English actors has been the casting of our very own Martin Cooke, and English theatre director and actor, as one of the main characters in a forthcoming blockbuster TNT spy comedy called ADAPTATION (to be screened next year). The belief of English Actors is that acting is not an art, it is a craft. Trained actors have skills which have been taught to them or handed down from rat to rat. The desire to play is the root motivator of this craft and this assertion is expressed in Schiller’s dictum, ‘to play is to be.’ This is an immutable truth. There is a philosophical basis at work in the actor’s practice, one which is common to all people of all cultures. Storytelling, dancing and singing alike, run through the human experience. Theatre and playing are such a major cultural constant throughout human history that one is tempted to ascribe metaphysical connotations to their existence. Has there ever been a culture, which did not evolve a theatre form? Has there ever been a culture, which has not sought to manipulate these theatre forms for
By Johnny Daipanic propaganda and thought control or cultural assimilation purposes? Luckily for actors the answer is ‘no,’ you’ll never be out of work in an autocracy; they need you to spin their yarns. And we the people get to lap up this seeming gift of distraction and amusement because we the people, all over the world, absolutely love theatre and film and TV and singers and songwriters and dancers and acrobats and fire eaters and illusionists because: A) we are inadequate and doomed to wallow in illusions (according to Plato) and B) the will to action is the greatest expression of evolutionary symbolism. “I have only one language and it’s not my own” (Derida.) On one hand we are stuck in a cave gawping at flickering shadows; and on the other hand we are flying beyond the barriers of time and engaging in a quantum ritual, which transcends language and sensory perception and elevates us to the level of unknown pleasures in parallel dimensions. I think it is a bit of both. Depends if you’re watching the Cherry Orchard or Blind Date, basically. Not that Blind Date isn’t an allegory of cosmic eroticism at some level. All successful stories refer to archetypes, which have been identified and honed throughout the ages, the ‘foolish lover’ being not the least among them. This is why we play; this is why we cast theatre lovers and talented actors in Russian, Anglo-Russian and English, theatre, voice-over, film, and stage and TV projects in Moscow, Russia and beyond. Watch out for Expat actors, not only in Londongrad but in many more Russian film and television projects – after all, everybody needs a bad guy!
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Feature
Moscow Photo Walks
https://www.facebook.com/groups/moscowphotowalks/
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Feature
Photo
Contest
I
f you saw the last issue of Moscow Expat Life, you saw that Moscow Photo Walks is a club for people who love to travel, meet and socialise with all types of people who also have some type of interest in photography. Well this summer the adventure loving people of our club teamed up with Olga Slovnikova and traveled to Yaroslavl, Uglich and Mushkin. Then later we gathered in St. Petersburg for a weekend full of sightseeing and socializing. Our excursions to these golden ring cities gave us the opportunity to photograph some beautiful 19th century cathedrals and monasteries, plus enjoy the landscapes along the rivers Volga and Neva. We took boat tours, explored
museums and viewed monuments that helped us understand the historical importance of these wonderful cities. You don’t need to be an experienced photographer to join us during any of our excursions. In fact, I can help you learn the art of photography. During our weekly walks, I give helpful hints for improving your photographs and I teach a free class at ЦУН Библиотека им. Н.А. Некрасова. Therefore, if you would like to travel with us or become a better photographer, you can find out about our future excursions and classes by going to our Facebook page. In addition to the golden ring city trips, we have weekly photo walks in Moscow and everyone is invited to join in on the fun.
In the winter after a fresh snow, Moscow becomes even more beautiful and introduces us to a plethora of new ways to entertain ourselves but all of this fun and beautiful landscape will go to waste if you do not share it with others. Therefore, this winter we are holding a contest to see all the fun experiences you have and the beautiful sights you see. Show us your awesome winter landscape, wildlife & travel photos for your chance to win a few prizes and get your photo published in the Moscow Expat Life magazine. The photos must be of you or your friends enjoying winter activities in the Moscow Region. Please submit the photos by emailing them to moscowphotowalks@ gmail.com or using the #moscowphotowalks for Instagram. All submitted photos will be displayed on the Moscow Photo Walks Instagram and Facebook account pages whether they are submitted by either email or Instagram. For more information, please contact David Mercer at MoscowPhotoWalks@gmail. com. The deadline of this contest is Saturday, 19 March 2016.
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Feature
Tales from the Toffees: Martin Wheeler
B
From Krasnodar to County Road
uilders’ tea. Real bacon. Scouse. Geordie. Cockney. Brummie. Rugby. Cricket. Match of the Day. The things that expats miss are wide-ranging and sometimes bizarre, especially to the Muscovite population. Especially when it comes to sport. So, it was with great pleasure that I discovered Russian Toffees, an Everton supporters’ club in Russia. My first experience of Evertonians in Moscow was immediately after my arrival, when internet research for local places to watch the game led to links to Everton’s youth team playing at Khimki Stadium. Eventually, a day too late for the first game but in time for the second, I managed to
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find a small ground in Khimki – not exactly Khimki Stadium! – and was shocked to see Everton kits on half of the supporters. Once I’d met a few of the lads, chatted about the football and saw one guy’s Everton tattoo I knew that I should find out about this supporters’ club. I should be honest. Even though I had lived in several other countries before, I had never considered joining a supporters’ club. My views about them were never very favourable before I met the people here. Lots of ‘wacky’ flags about places that I never thought would ever be Evertonian hotspots had never really inspired me. So was it really like that, and how did it all start? I spoke to Andrey Selesnev,
Chairman of the Russian Toffees and inspiration to the many Russian Evertonians, to find out.
So, Andrey, how does a Russian man in Krasnodar approaching his mid-forties find himself in charge of a supporters’ club for a team based about 3,000 kilometres away? When I was 12 or 13, I started to learn English at my school. My teacher asked me to translate an article into English. In the Soviet era, we were able to buy only the Morning Star, a newspaper of the British Communists. I opened the sports page and saw a picture of a goalkeeper hitting the ball. It was Neville Southall from
Feature Everton. It was the beginning of my support for Everton. I think it was in 1985. Therefore, I have supported Everton for 30 years.
Living so far away, it must be difficult to get to matches. Have you got some good memories that you can share with our readers? I am very happy Everton fan. The first match that I saw on TV was the FA Cup final in 1995 where we beat Manchester United 1-0. My first match at the Old Lady was in 2005, Everton beat Manchester United 1-0 again. Duncan Ferguson scored a great header.
I’m sure all this is great for the single guys who travel all over Europe, but how does it fit in with being a family man? My son also supports Everton, so I think it’s good! Flights, visas and hotels make it expensive so I can only
afford one or two trips to England each year.
Finally, how can people find out more about following Everton in Russia? There’s a Vkontakte group called Russian Toffees with over 7000 members, or they can send me an email at evertonian@mail.ru. When I spoke to Everton, I quickly realised that Andrey’s friendly personality and easy-going attitude to the supporters’ club mixes perfectly with the club’s view. Everton’s main aim for supporters’ clubs is fan engagement. From as far afield as the USA, Australia, China and Russia, the people at Everton use the opportunities available to help international supporters engage with the club. There’s an international supporters’ club strategy with dedicated contacts and signed merchandise available
for special events. The people at Everton don’t ask for anything from supporters’ clubs except for the chance to help passionate fans from afar. They basically want to give fans the best opportunities to be fans. And it works. There are no meetings. We don’t write songs. But when we are randomly on a train going to matches in Lille and hear Russian people speaking, we know we will have friends in common. Or that we will meet fellow Evertonians from home who will just swap stories and have fun. Or maybe my passable Russian can help the guys in Kiev get the bill quickly so we can make it on time to the game. And obviously, matches in Russia, like last year in Andrey’s adopted hometown of Krasnodar, are great events. For these reasons, I can feel just at home here as when I’m walking down County Road to the match. Well, almost. With thanks to Russian Toffees and Everton Football Club for their input to this article.
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By Theatre Director Martin Cooke
A Mirage at my fingers
The incredible sand-art of Lilia Chistina – written by theatre director, Martin J Cooke
L
ilia Chistina (Li Chi) is a trickster. The shadows which flicker and leap on and off the wonder wall of her alluring cinematic cave are composed of nothing but sand and light. Nothing but sand and light and dexterity. Nothing but sand and light and dexterity and technique. Nothing but sand and light and dexterity and technique and intelligence. And sheer ineffable talent. Her sand-art is an ephemeral world of ethereality in motion, a world of collapsing moments made incarnate by dust; a silent invocation of storytelling sculpted from the breeze of thought and licked into a temporary existential fragility by the delicate fingertips of a supremely talented young painter of mute and beautiful shadow puppets, rising and falling like dappled fish in the ocean of time. Thank the Lord for dappled things, says Gerard Manley Hopkins. So, sand-art is a form of theatre, a form of painting, a form of sculpture, film-making, puppetry; an installation, a happening, a meditation, a cartoon, a dumb show. More than anything, sand-art is a live experience which occurs in the now – this is the secret of sand-art. The nowness is as infinitely delicate as a slowly disappearing whisp of smoke; the joy of the constant growth and ultimate obliteration of every unique image, constructed grain by grain then magically extinguished by the hand of the creator, which reminds us of our mortality, of the inherent beauty in a handful of dust, (if you can see infinity in a grain of sand … William Blake); Li Chi’s sand art performances remind us of the never ending cycle of birth and death and the tangible miracle of dust being animated into anthropomorphic entities by the artist/
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trickster who is after all, only something akin to a handful dust of herself. Promethean dust; electrified, and imbued with mystical knowledge of other dimensions.
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sandart@bk.ru; http://SandTime.ru
Is it a dream within a dream? It is an illusion, a childish play of the imagination. We should be above such things. We have iphones after all – surely there’s a sand-art app? Maybe there is – but nothing can ever replace the satisfaction of seeing a master execute their craft. Above all, Li Chi is a master of her craft. Her composure is mystical. We allow the flow of her brain waves to mingle with the culpability of
our delight. It is a supreme pleasure, to swim in the waves of her creativity, to become entranced by the dance of her fingers in the evaporated mirror pool of time. And then, just as suddenly as it began, the time comes to obliterate the smoke and dust and with one deft swipe of her hand, Li Chi annihilates the faery palace images so delicately construed, so quintessentially refined from base materials and there it is;
gone. At first we are jolted by this destruction, but then we realize it is another gift of this uniquely live and ephemeral form of art, it reminds us, in the words of William Blake, that we should ‘Kiss the joy as it flies.’ Li Chi frequently works with the theatre of Love, English theatre project and can be seen performing with flying banana children’s theatre company at the Stanislavski electrotheatre.
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Feature
Russia:
The Decline of the High Heel? by Nikita
T
oday my office in Moscow looks like a last chance lost and found clearance organised from time to time in schools. Employees are encouraged to retrieve their shoes or to seize the remainders, as the rest will go to charity. Here all the women employees metamorphose into Cinderellas trying in turn the shoes on display in this bulging closet wardrobe. Because these ‘businesslike’ shoes have the characteristic of not being mismatched like those of the school’s lost and found boxes and are not typically sports shoes, but shoes with high heels. These shoes have been mostly abandoned by employees who have left the company or have been forgotten in favour of those more fashionable. As Diane von Furstenberg said while describing her relationship with her 400 pairs of shoes, “Objects in our wardrobe are like friends. We have long-time friends, new friends, friends forgotten and neglected friends”. In some countries, like the United States and the United Kingdom, the tendency is to bring the daily replacement shoe to the office. In Russia, shoes, (at least 2 or 3 pairs per employee), can be stored in the closet of the locker room. A
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storage space for shoes, the dream of every woman, also becomes a company’s benefit. All this is not surprising given that Russia is considered the kingdom of the high heel, the state of the stiletto. All women wear them, regardless of social class, age, and in any context of daily life; from grocery shopping, to the office, to strolls in the park and of course for going out in the evening. Last spring a group of young Russian women in Novosibirsk, even demonstrated in bikinis and stilettos amidst the flooded streets during the snowmelt, to protest against poor street maintenance. History is made of occurrences and recurrences as well as the revolving wheel that is fashion. The heel, from its birth in the late sixteenth century, rose and fell back on and off until reaching its peak with the advent of the Stiletto heel, the Killer heel, in the early 1950’s. In Western countries, high heels have been declining since the ’60s because of the Youthquake revolutionaries such as the hippies who instigated movements for gender equality. Since then, heels have resumed their existence in a sort of stainless fashion antagonism – ‘heels or flats’. Conversely, in Russia the trend of high
heels did not experience any setbacks for 50 years. Maybe this is why Russian women have an incomparable nonchalance when walking in heels even on ice. Surprisingly, it is not a Russian who holds the Guinness world record of the very popular stiletto race, but an Australian. In any case, a Russian parliamentarian, Oleg Mikheyev, worried by the potential dangers of high heels on wearer’s health, such as foot disorders, up to skeletal problems and memory loss, as stated by the orthopedic Vladimir Khoroshev, submitted a law proposal to ban heels in Russia. This proposal does not seem to have met with much success… However, something is changing in Russia…sneakers, ballerinas, flat shoes in general are appearing. Is it because Russian ladies are trendy and fashion dictates either high heels or sneakers? Is it because life in Russia has become more hectic and people look for comfort? Is it because, timidly, after the equal professional opportunities between men and women offered in Soviet times, today the direction is towards a more egalitarian relationship between sexes? The moral is: we do not know with exactitude what are the origins
of the “decline” of high heels in Russia and if this trend will be consistent. Nor do we know with any certainty the real reason why women squeeze their feet into such torture: power, elegance, femininity or sensuality? Maybe we can stick to the Marilyn Monroe’s oft-cited statement “I do not know who invented high heels, but all women owe him a lot.”
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Health
Antti Johannes Kauppi A Finnish psychotherapist begins his practice in Moscow Interview by Maria Ushakova for MeL What made you come to Russia? This job came to my attention when our doctor here at Finnish Medical Centre told me about it. We were colleagues in Helsinki, and we already knew each other. The embassy was looking for somebody who is experienced in a variety of contexts and problems and who can also work in English. The opportunity to establish something new was interesting for me. Also, the demand for counselling and psychology services had been an issue for years here. Living abroad under stressful economic and political circumstances affects our wellbeing, reasoning and our relationships at home. Rather than being psychiatric concerns, we feel that many expats are facing adaptation challenges. Stress and emotional wellbeing require constant attention – talking, resting and new supportive perspectives. We want to reach people and provide a confidential space for reflection and support under any challenging situations.
What is your approach in psychotherapy? I think that despite of how much knowledge and scientific training a psychologist has, the relationship with the client is not going to work out unless it is respectful and cooperative. To be able to express our thoughts and feelings requires trust
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and an experience of being listened to. This sets off a process where new insights can be discovered and new concepts and perspectives emerge.
Where do you work, how do you work and what are your plans for immediate future? I work at the Finnish Medical Centre Moscow in Kropotkinskij Pereulok 15, at the Finnish embassy. The first goal is to reach expats in Moscow so that our services become known. I work with both individuals and couples, and we also deal with work related problems. A strength in our services is co-operation with our two doctors. That allows us to deal with many kinds of problems, medical and psychological at the same clinic. A client does not have to know what the problem is to come to us. Our services always begin with a co-operative assessment that leads to an expert opinion and a mutually agreed treatment plan. Sometimes counselling helps. Psychotherapy can also be a process that takes longer, up to 2 years if needed.
Who are your clients? We provide services for all expats in Moscow who speak English. I can also work in Swedish. Organizations and private sector companies can also contact us, since both our doctor and me have long experience with occupational and organizational wellbeing.
Are you for or against the prescription of drugs in psychotherapy? I work within a scientifically based framework. We always look at what is best for the individual person. Sometimes the best treatment can be a combination of therapy and medication. My experience is that in the field of psychology, we should not dismiss treatments that have proven efficacy. Rather we need to discuss options together with our clients to find the best solution available.
Please share your personal background, degrees, places of work, etc. My background is from clinical psychology. I have worked in general psychiatry, couples therapy, family counselling and addictions. I have a 4 year training in adult psychotherapy, and specializations in occupational health and crisis psychology. 5 years ago, I became interested in how our the environment impact our psychological wellbeing. I also started working with work and organizational development, using my experiences from clinical psychology as an approach. I think that combining a group and individual psychological approach is very fruitful, since we are both biologically and psychologically attached to the people around us. My hobby is ocean sailing, which has taught me a lot about group work, co-operation and resources under hard conditions.
Education
What do expatriate children think about Moscow?
ENGLISH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Year 9, (USA)
There are many things to do in Moscow; you can shop ‘til you drop, go to museums, amusement parks, and last but not least, boat trips..
I first moved to Moscow 6 years ago from Washington D.C – two very different cities. Moscow’s winters are definitely longer, colder and more dull. Even though it might have its disadvantages, something I look forward to every year during winter is the city’s outdoor ice skating rinks. Once the temperature falls, nearly every park opens one to public. This is definitely one of Moscow’s unique features. There’s nothing more pleasant than going ice skating on a sunny yet cold winter’s day, and later having a delightful hot chocolate to warm you up. You can always see small children playing in the snow, and everyone enjoying themselves and having fun. It certainly makes winter seem much less boring! When it gets dark, all the cheerful and colorful Christmas lights turn on and create a magical atmosphere around you.
Year 10, (Slovakia) My life has changed a lot in Russia. Most importantly, being here has taught me to respect and appreciate different nationalities and cultures, above all, Russian culture. Although my life has become a lot more serious over this period of time, there have been moments which I really enjoyed. One of them was when I went to the Moscow planetarium with the school. Everyone was excited and the atmosphere was great. The planetarium was full of different experiments, which we were allowed to try and in the end we had a lot of fun with them. We took many photos and the teachers organised a ‘selfie’ competition. The best photos won a prize the next day.
YEAR 8, (Syria) Moscow is one of the most amazing and interesting capitals in the world of remarkable sights and unique wonders. I have been to many amazing and incredible trips that have been organized by my school. During my second year in this school we had this amazing competition when we built snow forts in each group and then had an enormous snowball fight and several mini games planned for us by the teachers: capture the flag, building snow forts and last but not least we had the opportunity to just hang out with our friends from all around the world during school time and just do whatever we wanted, but that is not even the best part - we had many different wonderful types of food from all over the world.
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Year 6, (Saudi Arabia)
Education
By Lucia Rodriguez
Moscow Youth Soccer League
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nother outstanding season of Moscow Youth Soccer League finished on October 11, 2015. Participants experienced magnificent victories, occasional defeats, and all the vagaries of Russian weather, but one thing was unchangeable: children and their parents had fun during all ten playing days. Moscow Youth Soccer League is the biggest expatriate sports event in the Russian capital, and has taken place every fall for almost 20 years. As always, 3-16 year olds participated in the season, which gave them the chance to meet old friends and find new ones. The variety of nationalities and languages spoken at the soccer fields makes the League not only an event for children, but also a
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2015
wonderful pastime for the whole family. “The best thing about MYSL is a chance to show kids the importance of international friendship and respectable behavior,” says one of the parents. “The children have been playing together for several years, growing up with the League, waiting for upcoming seasons for months, and enjoying every second of each of it.” Although teens over 16 do not play in the League, they still come to the fields as coaches and referees, and such long-term cooperation is very important to the League. “We are really thankful for every volunteer participating in MYSL,” says Ksenia Mershina, project leader and MYSL fundraiser. “Our volunteers are the backbone of the tournament and, side by side with our sponsors, they make the League possible.”
Sponsors are invaluable to MYSL. They not only finance the League, but also try to make it much more entertaining for participants. Thanks to MYSL’s sponsors and partners, this season was unforgettable. For example, Nissan provided an incredible opportunity for the 14-16 year old players to become a part of the opening ceremony of UEFA Champions League’s match. Moscow expat Life magazine supports the League every year and 2015 was not an exclusion. 8-9 year olds joined the Moscow Expat Life team and scored well. In partnership with MPC Social Services, MYSL held an Intercultural Friendship Day on October the 10th as part of ‘Football against Racism’ in Europe’s annual ‘Football People Action Week.’ Children of all ages
Education Special thanks to MYSL’s sponsors for the 2015 season: Alinga Consulting Beverly Hills Diner British Football School BNE Dunkin’ Donuts Deloitte ECSTO EPAP Family Iris Group G-NIUS Genbank Ideas4Retail Khimki Business Park Lincoln International Lowlands Accounting Services Magic Castle Max Brenner Chocolate Bar Moscow Expat Life Moscow Expat Salon Nissan Onexim PepsiCo P&G RBC Rosinter Repsol Ribambelle Singapore Airlines Softball Pigs Sportdepo Tamaris The Moscow Times TXL US Dental Care
from the African immigrant and refugee community and Russian high school students from a local technical school took part in several friendly matches for each age division. MYSL division leaders and referees even took part in a match against local African players. It was inspiring to see how soccer brought people from all walks of life together. The MYSL organizers do not stop with what has been done in the past. They keep working hard to make each new season more successful. This spring, the Moscow Youth Champions League will run for the second time: organizers as well as participants are looking forward to spending another wonderful soccer season together. The registration for the Spring League is open now at www.youthsports.ru
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his year a new international preschool has opened its doors and welcomes children aged two and a half to seven. The school offers a two-tiered British programme which includes the ‘Early Years Foundation Stage’ (EYFS) and Key Stage 1 (KS1). The new kindergarten is located in the centre of Moscow close to Metro Kurskaya. Cooperation school is designed to support the natural development of children in a Montessori environment. Teachers show respect for children when they help them do things and learn for themselves. Compulsory extracurricular activities are aimed to enhance their intellectual, creative and physical
Cooperation School development. Thus, the pupils develop the skills and abilities necessary for effective learning autonomy, and positive self-esteem. Cooperation school teachers encourage children’s natural curiosity and keenness to learn and help them develop their skills and talents. Children are always encouraged to play. They are often involved in role-playing and performances, and each room has its own stage so that all the children General information: 24-hours security Meals are served 5 times daily The school opens at 8:00 and closes at 19:00 Russian lessons are provided on request.
can participate in acting classes several times a week. The walls are painted with scenes from plots from different fairy tales and the corridors are adorned with scenes from wondrous and ancient cities. Constant interaction with parents is another important characteristic of Cooperation School. They believe that successful learning of a child is possible only due to positive and ongoing cooperation of the parents, the child and the teachers. No entrance fee. Cooperation Preschool welcomes everybody to an Open Day on the 30th of January. Or just call for a personal tour: +7(495) 911 9991
http://www.cooperation.ru/pages/page/ds/169.htm
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Education
For the last 15 years, the Moscow Dragons have successfully combined fun and fundraising at their annual ball
By Simon Cottrells
Having a Ball “We’ve set ourselves a target of $10,000 this year,” says Club President, Piotr Khutiev. “It’s a tough target in these difficult economic times, but there are a lot of generous people out there, and I’m sure we’ll make it.” One of the highlights of the expat social calendar, and consistently the biggest ball of the season, the Moscow Dragons St. Valentines Charity Ball takes a lot of work from a dedicated team, who call-in favours from across Moscow and the Dragons’ diaspora across the world to make sure that the drinks will flow freely and the auction and
raffle prizes are up to their usual high standards. Over the years, the Dragons have raised well in excess of $100,000 for charities, at their annual ball. In recent years, their nominated charity has been Dobroserdie, which works with children with Cerebral Palsy, championing a programme of physical therapy, which builds confidence alongside ability and helps to keep children and young adults integrated in society. “This progressive approach is unique in Russia and really does make a difference,” says Nadezhda Korsakova from the charity.
“But without the generous support of donors like the Moscow Dragons it just wouldn’t be possible,” she adds. As in previous years, alongside a luxurious dinner, this ‘black tie’ event will feature unlimited alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks including a ‘champagne’ and cocktails reception, draft Heineken and Guinness, wine and spirits on the table, a DJ and live music from Tony and the Smokebreakers. “People say that the Dragons Ball is one of the best nights of the year and I’m sure this year will be no exception,” commented Khutiev.
The ball will be held on February 13th for tickets and information contact: tickets@mdrfc.com Moscow Dragons RFC: www.mdrfc.com Dobroserdie: www.dobroserdie.ru
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School where children love to learn This summer Maria, a six year old girl went to San Diego, California for two months as her mother was studying there. The family needed to organize school for Maria, and this turned out not to be a big problem. Maria goes to a Montessori school in Moscow and they found one in San Diego. In two days Maria settled perfectly well in a class with 20 children. What helped her?
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cover the most important formative period in the child’s development are The Toddler Community and Children’s House (Casa dei Bambini). Our curriculum is based on the Montessori method and naturally integrates art, music, physical activities, cooking and gardening. The teachers have internationally recognized diplomas and every adult serves for the benefit of each child. In our school we are convinced that each family has a right to access the same high standard of education regardless of where they live: London, New York or Moscow.”
“We are a bilingual family, says Oleyna Grigorenko, mother of four year old Gleb. Our son spent his early years in the United States and English has become his primary language. When we came to Russia we looked for a school where he could fit into the Russian environment. We chose MMS. We like the fact that there are teachers in the school who speak English. That is a link to Gleb’s American experience. And it’s wonderful that now he also has a real advantage of learning Russian language and culture. Everything is going well. He enjoys going to school and is happy to meet his new friends and teachers every day.”
“There are a number of private pre-schools or kindergartens in Moscow with English speaking teachers. Our daughter who is three is very happy at this school and we are really pleased with her progress there. She has developed a lot of personal independence and confidence in herself e.g. washing and dressing herself, preparing a snack, etc. It works best when the child is supported by the Montessori environment at home and parents endeavour to follow the principles, as we do. She has benefited greatly from the Montessori approach, which is implemented carefully at the school,” Stephen J. Matthews, Partner in Allen & Overy Legal Services.
What is remarkable about the Montessori approach is that it considers each child to be a citizen of the world. And if we want children to become responsible people, aiming to build a respectful friendly community we need to provide them with the means of communication. That could be done through a multilingual approach in classes. Children in their early years learn languages easily and naturally when a language is just a part of the environment.
Molodezhnaya Montessori School was opened six years ago. Now there are children from five expat families, and the school welcomes new children to become part of it. The learning process successfully integrates Russian, English and French languages. In this growing international community each child can share the customs and traditions of the country he/she is from and smoothly adapt to the new culture and benefit from their stay in Russia in a friendly comfortable atmosphere.
Sign for the tour around the school and get your impressions first-hand. + 7 916 287 45 87 www.montesad.ru office@montesad.ru
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he answer is in the universal approach by means of which Montessori schools organize the process of education. Research, studies and feedback from parents prove this kind of education to be effective regardless of the country. It is practiced worldwide. As you enter a Montessori class you enter a carefully prepared childcentred environment. Children work in mixed age groups. Every child learns through his or her own active experiences with carefully chosen materials. There is no competition here, no direct instructions. Everyone has an opportunity to progress at his or her own pace. Freedom and responsibility, co-operation and self-esteem is nurtured through the guidance of a trained adult who believes children have inherent passion for learning. Montessori schools in Russia are on the rise these days. Among those that could be justly named a part of the international educational community is the Molodezhnaya Montessori School (MMS) in Moscow. It follows the high standards of education set by the Association Montessori International (AMI), and is aimed to provide authentic Montessori programs for children up to 6+ years of age. Svetlana Chashnikova, the Founder and Head of the school comments on its goals: “Our pre-school provides a loving learning environment. Our two programs that
Art
n a – i s s de u r R a e G co h T nt na a Mo v A in
The Russian imperial eagle has two heads: facing both Europe and the heart of Russia, especially Siberia. Europhiles and Russophiles – a constant dichotomy. Prior to about 1890, notwithstanding the homegrown Golden Age, Russia largely imported artistic ideas and styles, such as impressionism and classical musical forms. Despite 1812, European and especially French culture was idolised. But there was huge change during the C19th, and particularly 1890 to 1930, when Russian fine art, music, dance, sculpture, architecture and engineering all leapt ahead of the world. The ‘Avant Garde’ was an incredible blossoming of artistic, cultural and political awareness, until cut off – all too literally – by Stalin’s crackdown and (logical from his point of view) narrowing to Soviet Realism. This exhibition is beautifully done, maybe even too much so.
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Ross Hunter The three Russian revolutions, of 1905 and 1917, were unique in many ways. One, not commented on enough, is the role of the arts in fomenting revolution and preparing the ground for explosive change. A fine exhibition in Monaco this summer made a start at changing that: ‘From Chagall to Malevich’ in the Grimaldi Forum halls.
Moscow residents will be familiar with over half, and it is great to see old friends again, next to still more assembled from all over the world. From Chagall to Malevich. Hmm. Chagall’s work is wonderful, and well represented; but surely out of place here: a lifetime of personal, mystical, consciousness-exploring and explicitly Jewish expression had little to say to the social (and atheist) revolution. Laid out in a beautifully symmetrical octagonal shape, the Tatlin tower model grabs the eye, holding the roof up, seemingly. The first exhibit is the legendary and still gripping film Battleship Potemkin, and the closing act is, fittingly, the suicide of Malevich. It is in approximately chronological order. You can
Art This all leads to the total abstraction of Kandinsky’s splattered colour canvasses, and perhaps above all to Malevich. From ‘normal’ paintings, Malevich reduced landscapes and people to simple but effective simple shapes, that idealised rural peasants, still part realistic, part idealistic. But from there, shape and then colour were abolished in favour of a nihilist blob of nothing, oddly claimed to be ‘supremacist’. The end of civilisation: feeding the brew of the revolution then fermenting. Anarchy rules! This of course is fine, if trying to undermine the status quo. After the revolution, Stalin was quicker than most to realise that while the anarchy, idealism and questioning of everything official had been useful before, it was dangerous to the new and insecure government. He strangled free expression, and those artists who could, fled. In 1930, the regime’s greatest publicist and propagandist, Mayakovsky at last woke up to what he had helped create, and shot himself. The end of the artistic revolution. A fine exhibition, beautifully put together. And yet, and yet… In tidy, neat, white walled orderly representation of anarchic chaos. It feels flat. Better the organised chaos (the best descriptive phrase summing up the First Five Year Plan) of the Mayakovsky museum at Lubyanka – sloping floors, twisted chairs, incomplete and asymmetric exhibits: a better spirit of its subject. And there is a lot missing: why show Tatlin’s never built and not Shukov’s brilliant and still standing radio tower? pace briskly, or get confused slowly as you progress. Enter and turn sharp left for Classicism & Neoprimitivism, through Rayonnism and Cubofuturism, be distracted by the ethereal and dreamy tribute to Chagall, and through Abstractionism, Constructivism and Suprematism, before The Matyshin School, finishing with ‘towards a new representation’. Exit where you came in, but facing a different direction. Confused? You should be. This is a revolution as it unfolds, and few knew
where it was going. It is easier for us to explain, with hindsight, than it was at the time: revolution on this scale, of this totality, had never been done before. There is chaos, only some of it intentional. The one linking theme is the experimental thrust at demolishing the old ways of thinking, literally iconoclastic, paving the way for heretical thoughts prising Tsar away from church, questioning the right of the landowner and even the ruler, taking the pyramid of social
Other arts fared better. Constructivism created real buildings, some of which survive and look sparingly elegant and functional to this day, not least Moscow’s PTT building on Tverskaya. Tatlin’s tower was only ever modelled, but had a huge effect. The edifice in the centre of the Monaco expo reaches to the ceiling, and seems to hold it up… but the building is Tatlin’s triumph: like the Pompidou Centre in Paris, the skeleton is all on the outside, leaving clear and flexible space inside. The earliest expression of ‘form serves function’, and the Modern C.20th is born. In Russia. None of Grigoriev’s suffering workers, no revolutionary ceramics, hardly any posters, little typography, and, more reasonably, no music, theatre, or dance. It is a splendid collection, well assembled, but there is more to tell of this incredible adventure, under whose shadow the modern world was built. structure apart, rock by rock, and using the stones first to hurl at the ruling classes and then use them again to construct the new future. Representational and deferential art is first twisted (a process started by Repin in the Golden Age, depicting a church tyrannical and illogical) and then demolished. Larionov and Goncharova depicted peasants and workers in primitive style, not gentry with fine brushes. Lentulov’s iconic St Basil’s cathedral is irreverently broken up,
fractured and without awe. Natalya Goncharova and Rodchenko went further and broke real forms into splintered chards of light – still plausibly landscapes to the practised modern eye; and then further and further, as ‘real’ shapes were reduced to collections of geometric shapes, bearing less and less relation to ‘reality’. But there is still room for acute observation and humour: Goncharova again combines semi abstract cubism to depict a cyclist, bouncing over unruly cobbles – motion frozen.
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Business
John Kopiski’s
Cheese Stall
How did you come to have a cheese stall on Tverskaya? This is a scheme operated by the mayor of Moscow, and this is not the first year it has been running. It seems to be a brilliant concept, as everyone wins: it obviously creates a good image, and the public gets to sample a rich variety of products. The event is called ‘Moscow Autumn,’ there are also stalls on Manezhnaya Square. The stalls are free of change for one month.
How did the stall work out for you? It was fantastic for us, because we could sell our
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cheeses to a lot of people who we wouldn’t normally come in contact with. Although we have started to sell to supermarkets, prices through them are much higher. On the stall, we sold at market prices, which are about 50% cheaper. In doing this we are also helping to advertise our cheeses as people did ask where they can buy these cheeses. So for us it has been rather marvellous to get something free in Moscow!
What sort of cheeses were you selling there? We sold a product line called ‘John’s cheeses.’ I created my own recipes, and we produce cheeses
John presented a wonderful stall near the mayory on Tversakaya this Autumn. This was a chance to present his farm’s cheeses, something which John takes delight in doing.
that are somewhere between Goudas and young Cheddars when young and more like a parmesan, after 6-7 month in the cellar! We were also selling our rather brightly coloured Annatto, which has a nutty taste, and a Ricotta cheese, which is going down quite well now.
Have the sanctions been good for you in the sense that there is less cheese coming in from abroad? Not really. There were over 300,000 tonnes of cheese imported yearly before the sanctions, but the question is: what kind of ‘cheese’ at what kind of price? A lot of consumers
are not able to buy quality products and hence are compelled to purchase adulterated products, such as so called cheese made from Palm oil and other non-dairy substitutes. On the other hand, there is a sufficient number of the so called ‘business class’ that are able to afford real products. We have a unique ‘boutique’ cheese if you like, because we only produce 150 kilogrammes a day but even then we still have marketing problems due to the high Moscow costs. In general, I don’t think the sanctions have helped us, but what is helping us is the increasing desire amongst middle class Russians to buy good, real food.
Business
By John Harrison
Belgian Russia Business Club
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he Belgian Russian Business Club organised a fascinating talk in September given by Danny Thorniley, President of DT-Global Business Consulting at ING Bank’s headquarters in Moscow. In his speech, Danny gave a realistic review of the Russian situation, saying that 66% of his clients have indicated that they will continue to invest in Russia. Large companies, he said, complain about the state of the Russian economy, but this is in comparison to what the situation was a few years ago, when Russia was in the first three worldwide in terms of profitability. Now Russia is in the top 30% of companies around the world, bad news for CEOs who are “hooked on the cocaine of hyper Russian profits.” Compared to their performance in other countries, however, multinationals are still enjoying good profits in Russia. Danny traced the present economic crisis back to January 2013, way before the Crimea crisis started. He saluted the Russian Central Bank for its good stewardship of the economy, and mentioned that the bank made it clear as far back as 2012 that if there was to be another global economic crisis, the rouble would not be propped up excessively. The bank proved true to its word. Oil is never going to go back up again to the heights it previously
commended, Danny said, and predicted a range of $48$60 per barrel. Medium term growth, as predicted by the World Bank would, however, be roughly 2.4%. Sanctions are unlikely to be intensified by the EU, Danny mentioned, although US sanctions are unlikely to be lifted, because whoever wins the next US elections, Congress will be Republican. The rouble will continue to experience volatility, just like the currencies of all developing markets. ROI, Danny predicted will not be great but it won’t be bad either over the next 5 years. There will be more opportunities to source locally, which seems to be very much the name of the game at the present time. Because of its cheap and highly qualified labour force, Russia could actually become an export base. Foreign companies, however, will need to realise that if their goods have been in demand in Russia because Russians were always prepared to pay a premium for well made goods, now it will need to be explained in details exactly why the goods are better than home produced equivalents. In other words, selling in Russia will become more difficult; more like selling in other countries. Danny pointed to the Russian regions as possible grounds for expansion, and also to CIS countries, but pointed out that as good as things may be in Kazakhstan and a few other countries, Russia still accounts for roughly 85% of total business from the Russia/CIS region. Other highlights of the evening included a farewell speech by Luc Truyens, who is leaving his post as General Director of ING bank in Moscow, to take up a similar position in Austria. Luc will be missed by all in Moscow, and not only because of his superb management skills at ING.
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Business
Russia Jason White
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Recreates Itself
he propensity for salacious cars that adorn the inner ring road of the Sadovoye Koltso, Moscow shows no sign of abating nor does the daily hustle and bustle of Moscow’s metro system as it transports its 10 million daily commuters to and from work. But underneath the hardened exterior, that stoic trademark of Russian resilience that has come to be a hallmark of its historical ability to endure and be adaptable to challenging times is being tested once again. A combination of protracted economic sanctions on food imports and the technology industry, the implosion of the rouble and an
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unabated and sustained downturn of global oil prices have all contributed to an economy in recession resulting in job losses and food price increases that are biting into the average Russian’s already stretched budget. So these are certainly interesting times in the country’s history, for most Russians there is a reticence that things can only get worse. There appears to be an all too common inference that this will continue. Recently Deutsch Bank announced the closure of its Investment operations in Russia and some of the International Blue Chip Consulting companies based in Moscow have seen a drastic reduction in contractual assignments that have seen some senior
executives roles become dormant. The sanctions, coupled with speculation on oil and the fall in value of the rouble has pushed the Russian economy into a prolonged recession during 2015 and at the same time almost all imports to Russia were virtually blocked as oil and gas exports remained constant. It appears that looking forward to 2016 the central bank will not be able to or does not wish to enact an active credit policy that is to say a quick growth of money volumes and therefore a reduction of the key rate. This may prevent any forthcoming impetus or stimulation into the economy next year. The economic situation in the Russian economy today is highly complex. Therefore given this current complex economic environment anyone following the news on Russia could be forgiven for being confused. Indeed in addition to constant news flow of the depressing state of an economy which is over-reliant on natural oil and gas resources, there has come positive economic reports from leading economists that the slowdown in Russia is calming, while corporate profits have been growing. A recent report late September 2015 said the recession in Russia is likely to have hit bottom when GDP fell by 4.6% in the second quarter, thus companies with growing profits are likely to spend
Business much more which in turn is likely to contribute to an adjusted recovery. This stabilisation may be more important to the economy than the remaining weak consumer demand. So not all bad news then. Indeed in recent days there have been various news articles inferring senior political moves and strategic meetings held between the different sides in the Ukraine that an on-going peace settlement maybe in reach. There appears to be a realignment in the current political stance from the US, given the current events and swiftness of action by Russia in dealing with an implosive situation in Syria. We will see. But where some Russian nationals talk of a return to a status quo and an economy and culture pre 2014 it would be hard to envisage with any confidence that this could happen. What has been now set in train is an economic strategy that has been slowly and quietly put into place by the key political players of a Russia focusing on a reliance on localisation, self-sufficiency and a continuance of the further development of the Euro-Asia market and its bedding down, governance, and its tactical and operational ability to trade seamlessly between its members mainly Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus. Kyrgyzstan and Armenia. More (but not all) of the 15 ex CIS countries may well join in the forthcoming years as it gains momentum, that will further strengthen the community and make the Euro-Asia market more viable and will solve the need to look to the west and previous suppliers of agriculture, agro-fishery, hardware and FMCG goods. A marketplace that currently stands in the region of 181 million people will further develop, notwithstanding issues, challenges and barriers. The down valuation of the rouble in December 2014 negatively affected business between Armenia and Russia and many companies in Armenia lost considerable sums on goods ordered prior to the down value and its knock-on effect resulted in trade figures subsequently down this year. For some commentators, this was a sign of a dysfunctional marketplace however this will not prevent the union
from moving forward… it will not be allowed to fail. So what about the current economic strategy for localization and self-sufficiency? Russia has been steadily improving its socio-economic standards and investing in raising the quality in a number of key strategic sectors; the health care system being one of them. The Pharma 2020 Strategy, initiated in 2010, is aimed at modernizing the country’s pharmaceutical industry and reducing the reliance on imported medicines. The government has already allocated over $4 billion in order for Russia to be partially self-sufficient in medicines (50-70%) by 2020. The Pharma 2020 Strategy entails the creation of several biopharmaceutical clusters and provides preferential procurement treatments for locallyproduced medicines, among other incentives. Thus, the localization of production in Russia by major pharmaceutical companies, as well as the increase in funding for R&D activities, should provide a suitable platform for the local pharmaceutical industry’s organic growth. This has seen major international blue chip companies such as Astra Zeneca invest Millions of dollars to build a state of the art manufacturing plant 50 kilometres south of Moscow to facilitate delivery and manufacture of medicines within the country. This will indeed assist in the rebirth and distribution of new jobs from those lost and may also hasten medical development into much needed rural areas it is hoped. Russia must find alternative sources from a country with an over dependence and reliance on the oil and gas industry. Localization encourages public and private companies to be more engaged in the country’s economy, to develop industrial production, train their personnel, and also build local networks of equipment and services suppliers. Successful import substitution creates added value to the national economy in a form of a supply chain and has a multiplication effect on adjacent industries. Key drivers would be the agricultural sector and agro fishery sectors. The huge potential within both these
industries is particularly prevalent here in Russia. A 220-hectare site south of Moscow, an area rich in agricultural land and minerals is prime for joint venture farming facilitation and urban and or retail development. These will be the areas where either Russian entrepreneurial investment or joint international investment will encourage a refocus within a country that is awakening from its slumber and a desire to now look from within than to buy foreign products and food. In my day to day role I have already come across and interacted with Russian entrepreneur businessman and women who have innovatively begun their own businesses in the retail grocery sector. One is setting up a French cheese factory investigating and trialling its manufacture here to great results, another seeing various gaps in the market such as bakery products, and now adding value to the market place with Russian branded products. These are just the first seeds of initiative and business for thought that will continue and further strengthen a country that will have a more robust and durable economy based on its self-sufficiency and localization programme. There is more to follow for that there is no doubt. Therefore in summary the next few years will continue to see a difficult trading environment and hurdles will continue to have to be overcome. However if the correct focus, education, and a strategy that could be aligned (but over time), I see no reason why the people of Russia could not see another prosperous future period for their next generation. There has never been a better time to see an entrepreneurial spirit and investment become the overriding strategy for Russia during these challenging times. Indeed international companies not affected by sanctioned industries could be well advised to look to the country for joint investment opportunities as in a few years the opportunity will have passed and the door to such a huge potential marketplace of 181 million people – and growing – will be well and truly shut and a place at the table where the next generation of wealthy business owners will not be available.
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Business
Chet Bowling Chet Bowling, who has worked in Russia for many years, speaks about the peculiarities of doing business in Russia for foreign companies, taxation, and the market for outsourcing business processes. He also gives several valuable recommendations to foreign executives at Russian companies. Managing Partner, Alinga Consulting Group Chet, in your view, what are the risks and opportunities today for foreign companies in the Russian market? Chet: It goes without saying that political risks are some of the main ones. Investors are also apprehensive about the slowdown in Russia’s economic growth, seeing instability in the exchange rate and falling oil prices. However, if you assess these risks and hedge for them properly, the payback can be quite substantial.
What is the situation like for foreign companies already operating in Russia? How are they being affected by sanctions, as well as the sharp fall in the exchange rate between the ruble and the dollar and euro? Chet: We recently held a working breakfast with the heads of foreign companies in Russia. Representatives came from such sectors as luxury motorcycles, international media, hospitality, coffee, and others. They all have a positive view of the potential of working in
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Russia, and no one is planning to leave the market. This decision cannot be considered short-sighted and based on a misunderstanding of the true situation here. Foreign companies fear volatility in exchange rates more than anything. As one manager from a coffee brand put it, it’s not important how much the rouble is worth; what is important is that it is stable.
How would you assess the impact of changes in Russian law on the ease of doing business in the country? Chet: In general, my view is positive, since the changes are all in line with global trends and are generally aimed at establishing more clear-cut rules of the game. This is good for both business and the state. However, several recent changes in law, including the now enacted law on personal data that requires foreign and Russian companies to keep and process the personal information of Russian citizens in Russia, threatens business, as it requires additional expenditures in order to comply with it. Given the unstable economic situation this doesn’t seem especially timely.
Business What about taxation of foreign companies? Have things become easier or more difficult for them? Chet: In recent years, officials have said a lot about relaxing the administrative burden on business. However, in practice, we see that the tax authorities are becoming more aggressive in conducting tax audits due to the economic decline and the need to improve tax collection and fill state coffers. Tax agents are spending less time talking to us and more time applying punitive measures and increasing the number of legal proceedings. All of this has served as a stimulus for business to more carefully monitor the activities of their finance departments, conduct audits more frequently, and more actively defend their position in tax disputes. In this sense, things have become more difficult.
What are the main problems faced by foreign companies that auditors and accounting firms have to solve?
You also offer consulting services to Western CEOs and CFOs who are working at Russian companies. What do they come to you for most often? Chet: They often use us as advisors and consultants, including on issues related to management of local human resources. For example, finance specialists in Russia are rather conservative. In their work, accountants are focused above all on the tax authorities – on what they will say and how they will react – rather than on the advisability and advantages of a given decision made by their employer. We explain to foreign managers why accountants hold such a position, share the experiences of other clients and work out an optimal solution.
What are five things a foreign CEO should do after arriving at a Russian company? Chet: First, it’s important to get to know all of the leaders personally (the directors of HR, finance, operations, accounting, sales, marketing, etc.) in order to assess their level and vision of the business. It’s possible do this by using outside consultants. I don’t recommend making staffing changes right away. If possible, it’s worth working with the existing management team for
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Chet: If we’re speaking in general terms, then we play the role of a pilot in a sea of bureaucracy. We help when it comes to interactions with the tax inspectors, working with banks, accounting, reporting, and audit. We explain the rules and laws concerning Russia’s business environment that are frequently unclear to foreigners. For example, in the West, a bank serves as your partner; in Russia, on the other hand, it’s more likely to be an agent of the state. There are a lot of nuances like this.
at least six months in order to understand what is going on at the company and why. Second, build a clear system for reporting on work completed. Use it not only for the purpose of monitoring, but for timely assistance in getting tasks done. In Russia people are often very busy, but the results are often difficult to see. I believe that correct positioning of tasks and regular communication will allow a situation to be improved. Third, create a system of internal control – especially as it relates to finance. Be certain that there is a division of functions and that processes don’t duplicate one another. Conducting regular audits is absolutely necessary. They won’t provide complete security, but they’ll make life significantly easier. Fourth, start learning Russian. This is a major but important undertaking that shows respect for the culture and the environment you find yourself in. If you’re able to master Russian, you’ll have a much greater understanding of what’s taking place in the country at every level. Finally, a general recommendation to adapt quickly in Russia: be as open as possible. Listen more than you talk. It’s wrong to think that an approach to business that works in the West will work here. It’s important to understand how everything works here and to make improvements with this already in mind.
Business
After a tough 2015,
how may 2016 shape up? By Christopher Weafer
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o matter how you slice and dice 2015, it was a tough year for Russia Inc. While much less frenetic and with fewer dramatic events than was the case in 2014, it was a year when the economy certainly suffered the fall-out from the actions of the preceding year. It felt more like the hangover kicked-in and the headache stayed all year. It is fair assumption that most people will be glad to see the back of 2015 if the sentiment heard at many of the leaving parties of the past year is anything to go by. Most would prefer greater business predictability and employment stability to the short-term currency boost. It is a feature of all developing economies that when expats and investors are forced to leave they will almost always then view prospects for the country as a glass half empty, i.e., further gloom is only just around the corner. Those who remain are constantly accused of unrealistically viewing the glass as half full. As always, the reality is usually parked in the neutral zone in the middle. So, in the firm hope that the reader’s reaction will be balanced between a temptation to accuse one of wishful thinking and of being too conservative, what may be expect in 2016? Specifically what may be the most important factors, whether internally driven or external, which could affect the economy, the business climate and, ultimately, whether we will be attending more
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farewell parties – if not hosting one! – in the coming year. • The rouble. The big change in government policy in 2015 was the move away from supporting the rouble towards a declared weak rouble policy. What that means, according to the Central Bank, is that they will no longer try to support the rouble against a falling oil price but will block the currency from rallying past 55-58 against the dollar even if the oil price recovers strongly. In practical terms that means if the price of Brent drops to $35 per barrel then expect the rouble to trade between 75 and 80 against the dollar. But if oil were to recover to, say, $100 per barrel, the rouble will not cross 55 to the dollar. • Oil price. The price of oil looks more likely to stay weak at least until the autumn of 2016, unless there is a major escalation in war or terrorism in a big oil export country. Supply is staying strong because US shale producers have compensated for the oil price with technology gains. The ending of sanctions against Iran is expected to add between 400,000 and 600,000 barrels of extra crude to the market as that country goes for cash flow irrespective of the price. The demand outlook looks poor at best. So, there is a risk of Brent below $40 this winter and a recovery to $60 seems unlikely until late 2016. • Ukraine. The fighting in Donbass has, thankfully, stopped. There seems a real determination
on the part of Moscow and the major European capitals to ensure a political solution is now pursued. The rhetoric and actions are at least encouraging although there are still plenty of risks and the legacy of conflict will remain as a negative backdrop for many years. • Syria. The events in Syria are moving very fast which makes it very difficult to call. But, if Russia’s involvement is seen to be a net positive in respect of defeating, or containing, IS or bringing an end to the EU refugee crisis, then Moscow’s involvement may help to repair some of the political damage caused by the Ukraine crisis. But the uncertainty and risks are clearly very high. • Sanctions. While it was the oil price collapse which brought the economy into recession, it will require an end to the sanctions against the financial sector to allow growth return to the targeted level of at least 4 percent annually. The hope is that progress in respect of eastern Ukraine, and a positive view of Russia’s role in Syria, may allow the EU to start easing these sanctions from the spring or summer. The US position is more difficult and is unlikely to change much. Still, an easing by the EU will indicate the passing of the high water-mark and that should allow non-sanctioned entities easier access to external debt and at more competitive rates than currently available. The sanctions imposed
Business
after the Crimea referendum are here to stay ‘indefinitely’ but have no impact on the economy. The sanctions against the oil sector and those which block the sale of dual-use technology are also unlikely to be eased in 2016. These, however, are the sanctions which are more easily worked around, e.g. alternative sourcing. The US, for example, still has the sanctions imposed against China after the events in Tiananmen Square (1989) but work-arounds have rendered them irrelevant. • US Fed action. Despite the delay and procrastinating, the US Fed is expected to raise its interest rate either by year-end or early in 2016. That will be a largely symbolic act as the pace of growth in the US economy is too slow to allow for much higher debt service costs. However, the action will provide a further boost to the exchange rate for the US dollar against most other currencies and that will add further downward pressure on oil and other commodity prices. • Eurozone. It is an understatement to say that Europe seems to be in a mess politically, economically and socially. Without dwelling on the various scenarios, it is a reasonable conclusion to make that the dollar will reach parity
against the euro over the medium term which means that the rouble will lose less ground against the latter than the former until mid 2016, at earliest. • China growth. If China’s growth slows even more then the impact will be felt on the price of oil and other commodities, especially metals. That will have an indirect negative impact on the rouble. The volume of trade outside of extractive industries is too small for a slowdown or a decline in the value of the Yuan to have any other impact on Russia. • Duma elections. Because the elections have been brought forward to early September, it means that there will be a more subdued pre-election period in the summer. That should reduce the anti-western rants and nationalist rhetoric. Still, we can expect to get some of that in the months ahead of the election. Thick skins should be enough to survive that. • Olympics. If Russia is excluded from the summer Olympics, i.e., two months before the Duma elections, then the ranting will be more aggressive. Uncomfortable as that may be, the government is expected to retain the pragmatic stance and measured responses seen since
early 2014 in respect of western businesses and investment. This is the third economic crisis in Russia since I arrived almost eighteen years ago. It is the sixth in which I have been involved since starting my career in emerging markets. And no, I don’t consider myself to be either a Jonah or just suffering from bad luck. Periods of crisis are a natural part of the evolution of developing countries and economies; you need one every so often to force a change of direction and to weed out bad practices and complacency. Russia’s 1998 and current crisis certainly rank amongst the most extreme, partly because of geo-politics, history and the impact of such a huge influx of hydrocarbon wealth over such a short period of time. But while the nature and scale of crisis is different in Russia, the fact that they occur is not. As always, it will be the strength of political conviction as much as external factors which will determine whether this crisis is the one which positions the economy for another period of growth or condemns it to a lengthy stagnation. The optimists have enough evidence of pragmatic monetary and budget actions over the past year to support their viewpoint. The pessimists are always right until they are proven wrong.
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Charity By Ilona Filimonova
Big Brothers To become a volunteer or donate, please visit: www.nastavniki.org
M
ost of our mentees, ‘Littles’ at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Russia (BBBS), live in orphanages. During a recent visit to one of our partner institutions, a guardian told me a story. She noticed that Andrei, who graduated from there last year, had been sitting on a bench outside the building for a few days in a row. She wondered what he was doing there, just sitting there alone all day. She approached him and tried to get him to speak to her. She noticed he was very pale and looked like he might faint. At first, he was reluctant to open up, but eventually he did. He said he came to this bench because he did not want to go home. In fact, he has not been home for a few days. His new, barely furnished apartment seemed lonely and frightening to him. Like most orphanage graduates, Andrei was provided with accommodation by the state, but he couldn’t bear staying there alone. He wasn’t spending nights in his former orphanage either. He spent his childhood and teenage years living in a group setting with other children, and the transition to independent living was very hard for him. He did not have anyone in his life, except for people he knew from his old life in the orphanage. That is why he kept coming to that bench. It was something familiar where he felt safe. At Big Brothers Big Sisters, we believe that Andrei’s story could have been different if there was someone in his life who cared about him outside of the orphanage. A Big Brother or a Big Sister is a volunteer, a mentor and a friend who visits a child or teenager living in an orphanage once a week for at least one year. The idea is to provide the child with a lasting support of a responsible adult who will, ideally, become a friend for life. A mentor’s support is particularly crucial during the transition period right after the young person leaves institutional care and begins an independent life.
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Veronika started as a Little when she was 13 years old. Now 18, she recalls being a ‘shy, sensitive kid.’ She says her most memorable day with her Big Sister, Julia, was their first meeting. “After all the waiting, and questioning by the case manager with questions about my future mentee, I was finally sitting in front of her.” Veronika says that the most valuable thing for her in the relationship with Julia is that she can trust her with everything and not be shy or embarrassed. “There was a distance between us before, simply because she is older, the Big Sister, and I was the little one. But since I turned 18, I started feeling more confident and we are more equal. It is just a true friendship these days.” Evgeniya is 17 years old and started college last September. She and her mentor, Olga have been friends for 3 years. “I have learnt a lot from my Big Sister. She improved my sense of humour – when I am with her, we often joke around. I think she improved my manners, made me more polite. And she helped me understand that there is something good in every person. I see a big difference between who I was before I met her, and who I am now”. Evgeniya says that her Big Sister became the first person to turn to with questions that she can’t find answers to, and Olga is always able to help. “She is one of the few people I really trust.” Despite her positive experiences with the programme, Evgeniya feels that mentoring is not for everyone. “I’d recommend that anyone who is interested to join as a volunteer, to have a good look at themselves, to understand whether they really need this. Mentoring is very serious; it is not just fun or cool.” Rafael joined the programme two years ago and was matched with a 16-year old Artem. Now Artem has already graduated and started college, but their friendship is only getting stronger. “I liked the idea of a long-term volunteering programme like BBBS. Big Brothers Big Sisters helps a child feel needed,
Charity
Big Sisters of Russia
understand that there is someone in the world who cares about him or her and who she can turn to – a mentor. A friend.” Rafael says that being a Big Brother taught him to take responsibility not just for himself, but for someone else in his life and made him more compassionate. “I think that my Little Brother trusts me. He asks for my advice, shares his feelings and discusses his future. A particularly memorable moment for me was when he told me about his mother who passed away. I felt that the barriers between us were gone.” Rafael sees his role as a mentor in helping his mentee to learn to solve practical issues and to cultivate his values – attitudes towards money, family, and community. “My Little Brother has already turned 18, so I talk to him as an equal, as a friend. I think it helps him feel like an adult and act with more maturity.” Lisa decided to become a mentor last spring, when she heard about BBBS and felt that she “couldn’t stay indifferent when somewhere there is a child who needs a friend.” In May she was matched with 14-year old Ksusha. Both immediately felt that they found kindred spirits in one another. Lisa feels that in a short period of time they were able to form a real connection. Besides, Ksusha’s school grades have improved due to, Lisa believes, acquiring someone in her life who cares about her successes and failures. “My best memory so far is how Ksusha came to visit me at my home for the first time. She was so interested in every detail of the place, admiring how cozy it was. We cooked, tried different hairstyles and watched TV. Nothing special, but I could see that Ksusha has lighten up with happiness. Now whenever we are trying to decide what to do during our meetings, she says “Let’s go home!” “Ksusha has taught me to be honest with her and with myself, because that is the only way to build trust,”
Lisa says. She sees her role as a mentor in guiding Ksusha into adulthood and helping her adapt in the unknown world, become confident, choose a profession. “I want her to be a happy girl, so I am teaching her to appreciate little things, to find positivity in everything and to smile more often.”
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Moscow Good Food Club
By Kim Waddoup
Ehal Greeka The ratings: Food Suitability: Quality/Suitability of the drinks: The service standards: The general rating of the meal:
O
7.83 7.83 8.66 8.58
n an early Autumnal evening, undaunted members of the Moscow Good Food Club shared a common desire to extend the summer by joining a Greek evening at the newly opened Ehal Greeka restaurant located on one of the boats close to the Radisson Royal. Whilst their airy terrace had been open all summer the main restaurant was completed recently and was right for an invasion of the Moscow Good Food Club! As members arrived we were invited to an Ouzo to start to get us into the Greek spirit of the evening. An unusual aperitif but actually appropriate with many asking for a second or in some case, a third! One of the most pleasant aspects of the Moscow Good Food Club is the speed in which people communicate and socialise. There are never people standing alone with new members immediately involved in animated conversations! At 20:00 we were invited to take our seats and were introduced to our host for the evening, Yiannis Kofopoulos who now lives in Moscow but is originally from Thessaloniki. He explained that the menu for the evening
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was 100% authentic Greek and with that the first course was served. This was a cold meze consisting of Taramosalata, Tzatziki, Tyroslata, Melitzanoslata and Kristinia beautifully presented on a slate. This was accompanied by our first Greek wine, Thalassitis, Santorini Asyrtiko which was light and refreshing. This was followed by the warm meze of Dolmades, Flogera and Seafood Kritharoto with a fullblooded Kanenas Mavroudi-Syrah. Ehal Greeka offered a choice of 4 main courses: Greek Suvlaki of Pork, Lamb or Chicken, Stifado with rabbit , Sea bass in a cream of greens or Vakaloo (cod) with beetroot and potatoes. Many members opted for the Lamb Suvlaki an all enjoyed the rich flavours and succulent meat, the Rabbit was also excellent with a delicate onion and tomato sauce with subtle cinnamon flavouring. The Sea bass was well received and its flavours enjoyed by the members that selected this and the Vakalao(cod) was deemed exquisite. The main courses were complemented with 2 wines a Metohi Xinomayro/Limnia/Cabernet Sauvignon again a full-
Moscow Good Food Club
blooded red with plenty of flavour and a more delicate Metohi Asyrtiko Athiri/Sauvignon Blanc for the fish. At this stage, our host Yiannis Kofopoulos surprised us by taking the microphone and singing some ballads from his hometown of Thessaloniki creating a full Greek tavern experience on the Moscow river! Naturally there was more to come and when the first strains of the Sirtaki could be heard members jumped to their feet and were soon dancing through the tables to exclamations of Opa! A first for the Moscow Good Food Club! Returning to our tables we found a choice of Greek desserts including Karydopita, Baklava and honey cake washed down with Tsipouro made from distilled grapes, boiled with cinnamon and honey. Now it was time for business and for the elected Spokesperson from each table to deliver their critiques on our meal, all were agreed that the Food Quality was high, the Quality and Suitability of the drinks was also appreciated especially as few had much experience with Greek wines. The service standards were extremely high as was the general rating of the meal.
The independent results indicate a high level of food, quality and service so the Moscow Good Food Club members give Ehal Greeka a resounding ‘Highly Recommended’! The Moscow Good Food Club evenings are not all about food & drink and we do make our members work for a few short minutes as they discuss and prepare answers to the evening’s question – “Culture! Are there enough cultural events for expats in Moscow? Do we need more please provide favourites of suggestions”. As always the answers/ suggestions are varied and included: more English language theatre (or at least some English subtitles); more Russian movies with subtitles; limited English language audio guides in museums and attractions; Moscow not on the circuit for International plays, little information available in English. Naturally there were less serious, light hearted answers that included: cultural events in Tverskaya 17; more Good Food Club events; Morris dancing and Whippet racing! So with Zorba the Greek echoing in our heads it was time to leave our little piece of Greece and return to normal Moscow life. Efcharisto Ehal Greeka and Yiannis, thank you for your great hospitality!
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Moscow Good Food Club
Kim Waddoup
Real Food Restaurant A night of the superlatives!
The ratings from our MGFC members were:
Food Suitability: Quality/Suitability of the drinks: The service standards: The general rating of the meal:
T
9.5 9.85 9.99 9.65
he Crowne Plaza/World Trade Centre in Moscow are generally not associated with fine dining but therein lies quite a secret as hidden in the corridors of this massive complex is Mikhail Kuznetsov one of Moscow’s most talented Chefs. The Moscow Good Food Club was pleased to accept the invitation to return and we were not disappointed! We were all made to feel most welcome in the Real Food Restaurant and the proffered Prosecco Casa Defra helped the conversation flow as we met old friends and new members. To accompany the Prosecco were prawn and ginger wontons based on batatas, goat cheese espuma and mini-burgers with fig cream. With regular top ups to our glasses, the festive feeling soon commenced! On taking our seats on beautifully decorated tables we were introduced to Mikhail Kuznetsov and to our Sommelier Vladimir Sinitsin. Mikhail explained that the menu was compiled around Autumn, with warm, stronger flavours to prepare for the coming winter! The first course was a delicious serving of North Crab with Salmon and Avocado which was a beautifully balanced
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creation which ideally suited the accompanying Muscadet Sevre et Maine AOC’2013 Domaine Gadais Pere & Fils. The salad course was a perfect salad of Ripe Baku tomatoes with tomato jam, Pesto and Parmesan cheese accompanied by an excellent 2013 Gruener Vetliner Laurentz V from Austria. The soup dish excelled our expectations; it was an elegant and light Cappuccino soup with salsify, Parmesan nuggets, pancetta and foie gras steak. This was soon followed by the first of our main courses, the Mero Filet with bacon, chicory, mashed celery and red wine sauce accompanied by a lively Sharis delle Venezia IGT’2014 Livio Felluga. The second main course was an extremely tasty and beautifully presented duck fillet with young beetroot and rhubarb cream. In continuation with the around the world wine theme this was perfectly accompanied buy a deep Kindzmarauli 2014 Bisini. An amazing combination. Six courses down and 5 wines later we took a short break to digest and appreciate what we had imbibed upon. But the kitchen would not let us rest and presented an
Moscow Good Food Club
astonishing dessert of Strawberries marinated with vanilla olive oil served with basil ice cream. This was accompanied by our last wine a Moscatel de Setubal D.O. 2012 Bacalhoa from Portugal. What an amazing finish to an amazing meal. All tables were unanimous of their praise for the inventive and beautifully presented dishes from Mikhail Kuznetsov and his team. The wine selection from Vladimir Sinitsin was very much appreciated and the level of service exemplary and highly commendable. So our congratulations to Director Dmitry Motorin and all of his incredible team for a most marvellous meal. We hope that we may return soon! Before degenerating into a total comatose state after this fine meal and it’s liquid accompaniment, members were asked to comment on the topic:- ‘There appears to be a plethora of social events in Moscow where expats and Russians meet. Do any members attend or what are the suggestions for new special interest groups?’ As has become standard par for the course the answers were mostly illegible or incomprehensible but at least some people may think of ideas later!
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Books Prisoners of Geography
Tim Marshall Published by Scribner, available on Amazon and Google Books.
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Moscow expat Life is very popular and copies of our magazine go fast. Order your copy on-line and have it delivered to your door. www.MoscowExpatLife.ru
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im Marshall, until recently the diplomatic and foreign affairs correspondent for Sky News, and now a successful author is a rare bird indeed. Tim is one of only a few British foreign correspondents who have described the global geopolitical situation with a degree of objectivity that goes beyond the at times myopic official view of his home country. Tim’s main point is that geographical factors have been sadly overlooked when we judge countries’ geopolitical positioning. He starts off with a solid chapter on Russia, describing how from the time of its creation in 882, Russia has always needed to protect itself from marauding invaders from the West. To the East, Russia has the Urals, and now the
vastness of Siberia to shield herself with. To the South there is the vastness of the Mongolian deserts (which did not protect Russia from the Mongols as they originated from the desert itself ). But there are no seas, impassable mountain ranges, or massive rivers to protect the country from the west. The French, Germans (twice), Poles, have all marched though the lowlands lying very roughly from the Carpathian mountains to the Baltic States in attempts to subdue Russia. Quite naturally the Russian empire wished to plug this gap, something which was achieved in Soviet times with ‘satellite’ states. Come the fall of the Soviet Union and the appearance of modern armies which can survive Russian winters (but which still cannot travel over mountains), Russia is faced with exactly the same problems – how to protect its western flank. “Looking at the map from Putin’s point of view” Tim said recently at a webinar with Glasgow University’s Global Security students: “Russia has no choice but to protect the flatlands; i.e. the Ukraine and Byelorussia from NATO bases”. Tim also points out in his book that Russia’s only southern exit to the Mediterranean and thus the Atlantic oceans – happens to
Books be at Sevastopol, in the Crimea. Scholars of Russian history, (pro-or anti-Putin, whatever) know that every Russian leader interested in projecting Russia has been concerned with the same general military strategy, because Russia is and will remain a prisoner of geography, as indeed all countries are to a lesser or greater degree. Having established the principle of geographicmilitary determinism in the first chapter, Tim goes on to explain that much the same sort of thing can be seen in China. Tibet is on high ground and overlooks not only the western and fertile plains of China, but India as well. Whoever holds the Tibetan plateau (the dominating Han race), holds China and blocks any attack from India. But there is more. Here are glaciers; fresh water reserves, and the source of the three great rivers: the Yellow river, the Yangtze, and the Mekong. Whatever Mr Gere or Mr Obama say about Chinese Buddhists, for geographical/military reasons, China is never going to withdraw. Looking at the world from a geographical perspective, the Chinese navy and its merchant fleet; which not only bring raw materials into the country but take goods to market, could be quite possibly blockaded by an alliance of Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia (which could block the narrow Malacca Strait), Singapore and Australia.
From the Chinese point of view, which it seems hardly anybody is interested in finding out about, this puts the Spratly islands into the category of vital security assets needed to secure a passage to the Pacific, a mere matter of life and death. Tim goes on to cover the USA. America has two oceans as natural borders, mountains and deserts to the north and south but does not limit the projection of her power to the American continent. Perhaps lessens can be learnt from history that any nation which projects itself far beyond its own natural borders ultimately meets the same exhausted fate as Western European empires, or perhaps it is because America’s natural borders are so conducive to trade (through wonderful deep water ports) that it is a world power (which would support Tim’s argument). We shall ‘live and see’, as the Russians say. The chapter on the Middle East is particularly relevant at the present time. Tim’s self assessment as a realist could be challenged due to the nature of ethnic and religious struggles which do not recognise borders, and in this respect the book perhaps attempts to take on too much. However this does not alter the fact that ‘Prisoners of Geography’ should be on your ‘must-read’ list.
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Luc Jones For a free copy in PDF, please e-mail Luc Jones directly at:
luc.jones@antalrussia.com
‘
Why Russians don’t Smile’ is a no-nonsense guide to doing business in Russia and the neighbouring CIS countries for those whose main source of information about this part of the world is still the one-sided, international media. It has been written by Luc Jones, a British/ Canadian Expat who has been living & working in Russia for almost two decades, speaks Russian completely fluently and travelled extensively throughout the Former Soviet Union. He put together this publication to help dispel some of the usual myths and stereotypes, and provide a practical account of travelling to, getting in and navigating your way around some of
the peculiarities that foreigners face when doing business in Russia. Focusing primarily on Moscow, the guide also explains how to get around the rest of the country and also covers the other 11 CIS countries, helping visitors to make the most of their trip, avoid the typical pitfalls and hopefully having a little fun thrown in. The first handbook was highly praised for its practical nature and the second edition has followed very much in its footsteps. Constant change is a fact of life in Russia, yet in the two years since the original publication was released, oil prices have plummeted, taking the rouble down with it and the whole country into recession. We have also witnessed the conflict in eastern Ukraine and now Syria, unprecedented shifts in attitude towards the western world as a result of financial sanctions having been imposed, and if that wasn’t enough, many foreign food items are no longer available in the shops – at least not legally! The latest guide has not only been brought bang up to date but has been revamped, including a feature on the growing region of Tatarstan, plus includes more details on doing business in Kazakhstan as this is featuring more prominently on Expats’ ‘to go’ lists on business development trips. There is even now a section on what to do when invited to visit a Russian banya!
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Jade Tsoy Beauty Specialist Hello, my name is Jade, I am a fully qualified beautician with professional qualifications. For your convenience I make all treatments in the comfort of your home Tel: +7 916 786 3488 E-male: fint0702@mail.ru
US Dental Olympiyskiy prospect 16, bld.5 Phone: +7(495) 933-86-86; +7(965) 150-50-20 www.usdentalcare.com
Russian Language School 11 Arbat Street (floor 6) 119019 Moscow RUSSIA Phone: +7 495 691 56 46 E-mail: info@ruslanguage.ru
Moscow Good Food Club Moscow’s premier Dining Club
Inter-Cultural Training How to make the best of Russia on a cultural and business level. Individual and corporate packages available
John Harrison +7 916 521 3110 harrisonj@outlook.com
This space costs just R.8,500 for 3 months!
8a, Strasnow BulevardM. Pushkinskaya Cuisine: American +7 (495) 989 4461 www.starlite.ru
Our Classified Advertising section costs just R.14,500 and will be read by up to 70,000 people in Moscow! Residential Development Projects Investment Opportunities in the Tula Region
Please contact David Morley +7 925 367 9241
Moscow Networking Exceptional Networking for Exceptional business people www.MoscowexpatLife.ru/networking
Elan Languages Quality professional translations
Phone: +7 (495) 627 57 34 info@elanlanguages.ru www.elanlanguages.ru
Contact Anastasia on +7 916 697 2289 to advertise here! Contact Anastasia on +7 916 697 2289 to advertise here!
Moscow’s Bars, Clubs, Cafés and Restaurants SCANDINAVIA 7 Maliy Palanshevskiy Per. M. Pushkinskaya Cuisine: European, Skandinavian, $$ “Comfortable, calm restaurant with high quality cuisine offering many Scandinavian specialities”
REAL FOOD RESTAURANT Crowne Plaza Hotel/WTC Krasnopresenskaya Nab 12. Full a la Carte menu incorporating healthy dishes made from organic ingredients. Open kitchen and excellent food & wine
ITALIANETS 13, Samotechnaya Ul, m. Trubnaya, Cuisine Italian, English menu price $$$ True Italian cuisine from Executive Chef Giuseppe Todisco
CHICAGO PRIME: STEAKHOUSE & BAR Strastnoy Blvd. 8a M. Tverskaya Cuisine: American, $$ Moscow’s most popular steakhouse & bar. Top steaks, efficient service and large wine list
KATIE O SHEA’S STEAKHOUSE & BAR Groholsky Per 25, Bldg 5 M. Prospekt Mira Cuisine: Irish, $$ Genuine Irish pub with great beer, food and atmosphere
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OSTERIA DELLA PIAZZA BIANCA Lesnaya street 5a M. Belarusskaya Cuisine: Italian $$$$ Typical Italian traditions for food and hospitality. Food care is the most important aspect, with freshness and simplicity as the main characteristics. Feel and breath Italian culture and true Italian cuisine.
NIGHT FLIGHT 17 Tverskaya St M. Pushkinskaya Cuisine: Scandinavian, European, $$$ +7 495 629 4165 www.nightflight.ru
“Superb food at sensible prices prepared by excellent chefs with friendly, efficient service”
CHEKHONTE 22, Tverskaya M. Tverskaya Cuisine: European, Russian, $$$$ “Casual but elegant restaurant offering an entertaining gastronomic experience”
AROMASS INDIAN RESTAURANT Krizhizanovskovo 20/30 M. Profsoyuznaya Cuisine: Indian, $ www.aromass.ru +7 499 125 6276
“The most authentic and best Indian food in Moscow. Delivery service also available”
TORRO GRILL Multiple M. Taganskaya Cuisine: European, $$$ Some of the best steaks in Moscow. Great service, great drinks and great prices
ORANGE TREE RESTAURANT Tverskoy bulvar 26, bldg 2 M. Pushkinskaya. Cuisine Scandinavian, International $$$$ Comfortable and classy restaurant with creative dished from the Finnish chef.
MUZEY RESTAURANT Muzey, Kosmodimianskaya nab. 52/7 (next to Swisshotel) M. Paveletskaya Cuisine: Italian, European, Pan-Asian, $$ Extremely comfortable Italian restaurant serving high quality creative & traditional Italian cuisine, personally cooked by Chef Marco Lachetta
WINE RELIGION Michurinsky Pr.16 M. Universitet Cuisine: European Bistro $$$
New style of European bistro with creative food and a large wine selection.
CAFE RUSSE Ritz Carlton, Tverskaya St 3, M. Okhotny Ryad, Cuisine: Euopean $$$ Casual dining in an elegant atmosphere, top chefs and extensive wine list
STARLITE DINER 8a, Strasnow Bulevard M. Pushkinskaya Cuisine: American, $$ Moscow’s original diners still serving our favourite food
Community Business Clubs/ Organisations
The Association of European Business (AEB) CEO: Dr. Frank Schauff Web site: www.aebrus.ru
AEB is an active community of about 630 members, providing a network for sharing opinion and experience. The AEB is an advocate of its members’ opinions, generated in 40 industrial and crosssectorial committees, sub- committees and working groups.
ITA Italian Trade Agency Director: Maurizio Forte Web site: www.italtrade.com/rossija
The ITA supports the internationalization of the Italian economy. We have been working in Russia since 1966.
French-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIFR) General Director: Pavel Chinsky Web site: http://www.ccifr.ru The Danish Business Club in Moscow Chairman: Kasper Ditlevsen Daytime job: Commercial Director – Uhrenholt Russia & CIS Web site:www.dbcmoscow.camp9.org
The Danish Business Club has both corporate and private members, almost all of whom are based in or doing business in Moscow. About 80% of our subscribing members are Danish.
The French-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is aimed at developing economic cooperation between Russia and France. We organise a large variety of different events for our members to meet each other, such as sector committees, business presentations, B2B meetings, cultural events.
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Community Services Business Clubs/Organisations
Polish Business Club President: Alexander Janeczek CCIR (Camera di Commercio Italo-Russa) Director: Marisa Florio Web site: www.ccir.it/ccir/
The Polish Business Club was created 15 years ago to develop contacts between Polish and Russian companies, and to provide business support; such as help in renting an apartment, how to get medical help and advice on where to go in your free time. The Club’s main mission is business development in Russia.
British Business Club President: Don Scott Web site: www.britishclub.ru
Russia continues to offer massive opportunities to British businesses, but it takes stamina to see them through. The BBC offers a small sanctuary of Britain to help in these times.
We organise and attend a lot of trade exhibitions each year and help all of our members establish themselves in Russia.
Canadian Eurasia Russia Business Association (CERBA) President: Lou Naumovski, National Chairman, Canada Eurasia Russia Business Association, Vice President and General Director Moscow Office, Kinross Gold Corporation Co-President: Nathan A. Hunt, Founder, Chairman, CERBA Moscow, Canada Eurasia Russia Business Association Web site: www.cerbanet.org Moscow Chapter Contacts: alex@cerbanet.org; radmila@cerbanet.org Phone: 7 (495) 7621240 Italian Business Club (ITAM) President: Giovanni Stornante
The Irish Business Club Chairperson: Avril Conway Web site: www.moscowirishclub.ru
The members of the Irish Business Club are a mix of both Russian and Irish professional people and private individuals. It takes some time to understand the Russian culture and to make friends. We try and help in these respects as much as we can.
We organise social and professional events for the Italian community. We bring Italians together, help their integration when they move to the big city, facilitate the exchange of ideas, experience and opportunities between the Italian and other business communities.
The Canada Eurasia Russia Business Association has a network of seven chapters located in Moscow, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary Vancouver and Almaty, and a membership base of over 200 corporations and individuals in a wide range of sectors. As an association, CERBA provides an extensive network of contacts with frequent networking events, informative seminars on pertinent topics in the Eurasian market for Canadian companies, an annual National Conference, a quarterly printed Newsletter, committees of the Canada-Russia Business Council (CRBC), access to annual trade missions, as well as market intelligence, advocacy on government policy, and active, Canada-focused sector committees.
www.cerbanet.org
The WCR e.V. – Wirtschaftsclub Russia originally founded as an umbrella organisation for German speaking business people in Russia, welcomes all guest who are interested in cross border networking. We also speak English and Russian, and joined the initiative NEW SILK ROAD. A Sustainable Exchange-platform based on traditional trade Values · Trust · Responsibility · Respect Closing the distance of economy, culture and society between Asia and Europe. If you share our values support us building bridges according to our motto: ‘Creating Opportunities Across Eurasian Borders’
Wirtschaftsclub Russland CEO: Dr Karin von Bismark Web site: www.wirtschaftsclubrussland.org
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Community Services Women’s Clubs/Associations International Women’s Club of Moscow (IWC)
The Swedish Women’s Educational Association (SWEA) SWEA is an international organisation, with 7,500 members in 34 countries all over the world. The fact that the 90-member strong Moscow chapter fits into a large international organisation, has many advantages. The main purpose of the SWEA in Moscow is to act as a network for members, to support Swedish culture and Swedish languages. The majority of SWEA’s 90 members in Russia are accompanying spouses, even though the trend is that more and more women come here by themselves for career reasons working for Swedish companies.
The American Women’s Organisation
The International Women’s Club of Moscow is a not-forprofit organisation which exists to promote friendship and cooperation between women and men of all nationalities. Explore our website to find out more about our events, how to join, and the charities we support. President: Victoria Šeligo, the wife of The Ambassador of Slovenia. Web Site: www.iwcmoscow.ru
President: Cecilia Oskarsson Web Site: www.moskva.swea.org
Since 1993 the American Women’s Organization of Moscow, has provided support to expatriate women, and/or spouses, of all North American countries including the United States, Canada and Mexico. The aim of the organization is to provide social and cultural opportunities during your tenure here in Moscow. The members are very friendly, open and always willing to share their experiences. General meetings are held on the first and third Wednesday of each month and commence at 11:00 a.m. Newcomers are always welcomed and encouraged to attend any of our meetings. If you would like additional information on the American Women’s Organization of Moscow, please contact us at awomoscow@gmail.com.
The British Women’s Club (BWC)
The German’s Women’s Group This is a new German-speaking group which organises meetings for German and Austrian women. Meetings are held every second Wednesday. The group supports newcomers and those who have been here longer.
BWC was set up in 2000. When British women arrive here they may need help and support from each other to understand basic things like where to shop for food, information about schools and to get to know other Brits. Mainly it is a help group, because it can be quite a shock settling here if you don’t speak Russian. Women generally introduce themselves before they move to Moscow. And we let the ladies know on what is going on in the city. Chairwoman: Fariba Zoulfaghari Web Site: www.bwcmoscow.org.uk
Founder: Monika Michaely Email: info@ deutschegruppemoskau.com
De Tulpen
For more details on sponsoring or par cipa ng please contact Kim Waddoup on
kim@aigroup.ru +7 495 777 2577
www.MoscowexpatLife.ru/networking
Presidents: Olya Kalmykova and Desiree Dekker Web Site: www.nlclubmoskou.nl
The Main goal of the Tulips is to provide a social platform for the Dutch speaking ladies in Moscow, do things of interest together and have fun! When you are abroad, one’s own culture becomes so much more important. If anybody wants to connect with us, please find us on the Dutch Cub web site. If people want to go and visit museums, they can do that one their own. But if they want to speak their mother tongue with other people here in Moscow, then here we are.
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Essential Information
Emergency Phone Numbers
Fire fighters 01 Police 02 Ambulance 03 Emergency Gas Service 04 Intercity phone calls 07 Information 09 Time (automatic clock) 100 Emergency rescue service 937-9911 _________________________________
Medical help
International SOS (The Moscow Clinic, 24 hour service to its clients)
+7 495 937 6477
American Medical Centers (24 hours service) +7 495 933 7700
European Medical Center (French, British and American experts) +7 (495) 933 66 55
International crisis Line Tel: +7 926 1133373 This is a free English-speaking telephone counseling service for expatriates in distress. Available 08:00-23:00 daily. In case you ever have to call the fire fighters, the police, or an ambulance, make sure that all family members can correctly pronounce your complete address in Russian. Post a piece of paper with your full address details and phone numbers in Russian and translation into your native language on the wall next to your phone. Also make sure that your children know how to reach you or another adult you trust in case they get lost or have an emergency. Note that in Russia there is difference between the police (militsiya) and the traffic police (GIBDD, formerly GAI). The police are not responsible for regulating traffic or handling car accidents, and the traffic police do not handle criminal offences that are unrelated to traffic.
Pharmacies (Apteki)
Finding a pharmacy in Moscow is definitely not a problem. In fact, quite a number of them are open 24/7. The prices vary from one pharmacy to another, but the difference is not very significant.
What to do if you lose your passport
Your first step should be to contact the nearest consular department for your country of origin. You will also have to go to a police station in order to obtain an official form confirming the loss or theft of your travel documents. We recommend, however, that you contact your embassy or consulate first, as they may be able to help non-Russian speakers with the necessary paperwork. In the case of a child’s lost passport, both parents must appear with the child. Once you have a new passport, take it, along with your plane ticket (if you do not have a return ticket, you will have to buy one before you are issued a new visa) and the police form to the company that issued your visa support documents. If you have a copy of your lost visa, you should also provide it. If the agency refuses to help you (although it is their legal obligation to do so), then your consulate should tell you what to do.
Important:
For ease of processing we recommend that the police report states that your documents were lost, not stolen.
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Essential Information Getting to Moscow’s Airports
The Aeroexpress train departs from the left hand side of Paveltskaya station. Single journey tickets come as flimsy paper receipts with bar codes in them. Don’t lose your ticket as you need it to get out of the station at the airport. Return tickets come as plastic cards. Tickets cost from 320 roubles. The journey takes 40-50 minutes, and they run reliably and regularly, every half an hour from 06:00-24:00. On the way home, this is a convenient way to beat the taxi mobs, however there is only the taxi if you arrive during the night. Leaving your car in the longstay car park costs 600-700 roubles a day depending on the season, although information on the airport’s site is not clear on this score.
Vnukova Airport
http://www.vnukovo.ru/eng/ 8 (495) 937-55-55 Getting there:
M
oscow is served by three major airports: Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Sheremetyevo. You can get a taxi (fares range between 1,200 and 2,300 roubles, and generally, the service is good. The operators speak English, but the drivers may not. A taxi back can also be booked, and this saves a lot of hassle and possible agro when dealing with the taxi drivers at arrivals. All 3 airports are now served by ‘Aeroexpress’ shuttle trains. The service is good but not 24 hours a day. The three airports are: Sheremetyevo Airport http://www.svo.aero/en/ +7 495 578 6565 + 8 800 100 6565 + 7 495 956 4666 for flight information Sheremetyevo has become much more accessible thanks to the opening of the Aeroexpress from Byelorusskaya Station. Aeroexpress costs 320 roubles and they leave every half an from 05:30-00:30. Long term parking costs 250 roubles a day according to the airport web site. If you are getting a taxi or driving your own car there during the day it is advisable to leave a minimum of two hours to get there from the centre.
Domodedovo Airport
http://www.domodedovo.ru +7 495 720 6666 for flight information Getting there:
1. By airport bus from Yugo Zapadnaya Metro. You need bus 611, 611с or 611ф, (611f) (express). You need to listen carefully to the pre-recorded stop announcements. Your stop is Airport Vnukovo. Busses run every 10 minutes or so the journey to the airport takes about 30 minutes. You can also get a ‘marshrutka’, (mini-van taxi service) route 45 which will take you to the airport faster. Fare is 100 roubles plus 10 roubles for each piece of extra luggage. 2. From Metro Oktyabrskaya (the Circle Line) (subway) Route 705m ‘marshrutka’ runs between Metro Oktyabrskaya (Circle Line) and the Vnukovo airport. They take 35-40 minutes, although Moscow traffic is Moscow traffic, so at peak time leave at least an hour. Fare is 130 roubles plus another RUB 10 for every extra item of baggage. 3. By Aeroexpress Train From Metro Kievskaya (Metro) (exit to Kievsky Train Station). Once out on the Train Station forecourt, go round the corner of the Station terminal building and a few yards down on your left-hand side you will see the entrance portico of the Vnukovo Aeroexpress Terminal. Tickets cost 320 roubles for standard fare, and can be bought on line, if you read Russian. The journey takes 40 minutes.
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Charity List of Charities Below is an incomplete list of Charities operating in Moscow which foreigners are known to be involved with. If you wish to list a charity in future issues, please write to: editor@moscowexpatlife.ru
Kidsave Contact: Alexander Mzhelsky, +7 985 970 9019, a.mzhelsky@kidsave.org Kidsave® is a non-profit organization working in Russia since 1999. Our programs create strong and lasting connections between children and adults, with the goal of giving orphans and young people graduating from institutions opportunities to develop the skills necessary for a successful future. ________________________
give their children up to maternity homes, often following doctors’ advice. The abandoned children are sent to state institutions with no chance of ever leaving them. But there is an alternative! The children can live in their families and join early intervention and education programmes. Children with Down syndrome, no matter how different, have a vast learning potential. Downside Up invites you to help make life better for people with Down syndrome ________________________
Downside Up
Kitezh
Contact: Elena Lubovina, Tel. +7 499 367 1000, +7 499 165 5536, lubovina@downsideup.org About 2,500 children with Down syndrome are born in Russia annually. In 85% of such births, parents
Contact: Katya Gurkina, +7 916 975 1603, kitezhcentre@ yandex.ru, www.kitezh.org/ en/index.php Kitezh is a network of therapeutic communities that give children from orphanages loving foster
Kittens to give away? 92
families. The aim is to create a developing environment for the education and care of orphans and children in crisis. The first Kitezh village is in Kaluga Region, 300 km south west of Moscow, and the second village, Kitezh-Orion, is located 60 km in the same direction. ________________________
Musical Experimental Theatre ‘Open Art’ Contact: info@metopenart. com, www.metopenart.com Open Art was created in September 2001 for people with learning disabilities. Open Art is based on a unique combination of different art forms and directions: • Music • Dramatic art • Choreography
Diema’s Dream Contact: +7 495 942 4003, sa5557@yandex.ru, sergey@ddfund.ru Diema’s Dream was established in 1998 to provide financial, medical, and educational support for both physically and mentally disabled children in Russia.
www.Mosco
ise Advert at for free
• Art Design • Poetry • Dramatic improvisation • Ethnic art The Musical Experimental Theatre Open Art is open for participants from Moscow and Moscow region. Open Art has developed methods which are being used in rehabilitation centres and institutions for people with learning disabilities. Open Art also organizes courses and seminars for specialists in Moscow. ________________________
wexpatlife.ru
Charity List of Charities The larger goal is to support changes in society and legislation in order to create social and medical support programs, which would allow parents to raise their children at home rather than living in institutions. ________________________
Moscow Animals Contact: info@ moscowanimals.org, www.moscowanimals.org Moscow Animals – devoted to the welfare of homeless animals. To adopt a dog or cat or if you would like to help local animal shelters by making a donation or volunteering your time, please visit the Moscow Animal Website or email. ________________________
Vera Hospice Charity Fund Contact: Maria Bakhtina bakhtina@hospicefund. ru, Ilya Kaukin kaukin@ hospicefund.ru Tel +7-965-372-57-72 website: www.hospicefund.ru Since 2006, Vera Hospice Charity Fund is the only non-profit organization in Russia supporting palliative and hospice care for children, adults and elderly. ‘Vera’ fundraises to assist hospices in Moscow and other regions of the country. By 2015 the total number of hospices under the care of ‘Vera’ has reached 40. The foundation also provides direct aid to over 300 terminally ill children and their families and finances the work of in-home care units for them. Other programs include social
and educational support programs for hospice employees, hospice care awareness, and volunteer fostering activities. ________________________
United Way Contact: + 7 (495) 780 9718, info@unitedway.ru The Fund supports charities offering programs aimed to meet the social needs of the following sections of society: • children at risk • disabled (children and adults) • refugees and homeless • elderly people Our mission is to foster responsible philanthropy in Russia by supporting local charity programs aimed at solving the most critical problems. The Fund is a permanent source of financing for efficient charitable organizations. Charities receiving funding have to demonstrate financial transparency to the highest possible degree. In turn, we guarantee to the donors full adherence by the foundation to Russian legislature and provide full financial and activity reports. ________________________
families, pensioners, economic migrants, and refugees. ________________________
Big Brothers Big Sisters Contact: +7 (495) 500 40 42, www.nastavniki.org/ru Big Brothers Big Sisters of Russia is a part of Big Brothers Big Sisters International, one of the most efficient mentoring programs for children. In Moscow BBBS helps children living in institutional care (orphanages) and disadvantaged children. A volunteer becomes a Big Brother or a Big Sister to a child, visits him or her once a week for at least one year.
Studies show that children who have a mentor have higher self-esteem, are more stable emotionally, have better motivation to study and show more initiative. Currently there are 162 matches in Moscow. Please keep in mind that you need a good knowledge of Russian to become a Big Brother or Big Sister because the children don’t speak English very well. ________________________
Nastenka Contact: +7 (495) 980-5377, +7 (495) 585-41-01, www.nastenka.ru The charitable foundation helping children with cancer ‘Nastenka’ was founded in
Find your way in Russia ✓ Russian for expats ✓ Quality translations by native speakers
MPC Social Services Web Site: www.mpcss.org MPC Social Services is one of the longest serving charitable organizations in Moscow. It is a registered Russian charitable organization and an established 501(c)3 nonprofit in the United States that addresses poverty and hunger, and provides medical care and education for Moscow’s poor, including women, children,
Contact us: info@elanlanguages.ru (+)7 (495) 627 57 34
www.elanlanguages.ru
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Charity List of Charities
go forward as role models in society. ________________________
To Children With Love www.tochildrenwithlove.ru/en
2002. The main objective of the foundation isto increase the quality of diagnostics and treatment of children with oncological diseases, as well as to revive the tradition of charity in Russia. For 11 years, the foundation has helped thousands of sick children and purchased large number of expensive modern medical equipment for a hospital: two ventilators, an x-ray machine, a dialysis machine, blood separator and much more. ________________________
To Russia With Love Contact: www. torussiawithlove.ie The very best of institutions, orphanages, large childrens homes, are likely to harm children and leave them ill prepared for life in the
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outside world. Ideally, all of these institutions should be phased out as soon as possible by means of extended family support, fostering, the provision of small family units, and lastly, adoption. However due to the number of children in State care in Russia, our immediate goal is to secure for each child, a long term stable solution whilst working side by side with the local administration. To Russia With Love is privileged to be allowed act as a guardian to many children without parents, who live in these very institutions. We work to build children’s self confidence, assist them to reach their full potential to become strong adults, successful parents, thus breaking the cycle of abandonment and in turn
To Children with Love’ or ‘Детям с Любовью’ was founded in 2009 to focus on fundraising in Russia, in the belief that the best and the most sustainable initiatives should and can emerge locally. With a board composed of Moscowbased trustees, a celebrity patron and a growing base of corporate sponsors, the charity has, since 2009, worked hard to establish itself as a unique entity in the world of Russian children’s charities. ________________________
BIG Change Charity Contact: http://bigchange.ru/ en/about/. Or call Big Change at +7 - (499) 317-44-44 BIG Change Charity is a Moscow charity that provides individualized education and training in life skills to teens and young adults who have lived for years in orphanages. Big Change helps their students: - prepare for vocational school or university - choose a vocation and find
a job - broaden horizons, interests, relationships - become productive members of society - live full and independent lives. ________________________
Children’s Hospital Fund at Speransky Pediatric Hospital № 9. Contact: +7 499 256 64 44 (office); +7 916 117 3215 (mobile). www.childhospital.ru The Children’s Hospital Fund was founded in 2001 to support Russia’s Biggest Pediatric Burns Center at Speransky Hospital, Moscow. The fund provides medical equipment and materials for skin grafting and prevention of burn scarring. This NGO is running a pioneering psycho-social program, vital in cases of changed appearance or bereavement. The fund is supported by well-known businesses, banks and charitable organizations, including Moscow expat women’s organizations. The European Burns Association recognizes the achievements of the fund. The fund needs sponsors’ help to continue its charitable programs!
Essential Information Paying for your mobile telephone at a terminal There are many different makes and models of pay machines which handle mobile phone payments in use in Moscow, however most of them work in the same way.
services you want. The Russian words: ‘ОПЛАТА УСЛУГ’ (payment for services) are what you want.
Step 2.
Step 1.
operating the terminal has signed up for. Fortunately, to keep things simple, the logos for the most popular mobile telephone companies are displayed on the top row.
Step 3.
Having identified your mobile telephone ‘operator’ by its logo, you will then be asked to key in your
Identify the service you need: The first ‘home’ screen will ask you what kind of
Identify the service you want: You will be presented by an array of services which indicate the various services which the company
telephone number. Having done this, you hit the button which says ‘ВПЕРЕД’ (NEXT). On most terminals this is coloured orange, but make sure you don’t inadvertently press any other buttons which may download various entertainment programmes onto your phone.
Step 4.
Pay. You insert notes into the machine and the amount you have paid comes up on screen minus commission. You then hit the button: ОПЛАТИТЬ (PAY).
That’s it!
The Moscow Good Food Club has been created with intention to hold monthly dinners of high quality in some of Moscow’s better restaurants bringing together a diverse group of expats and Russians for a pleasant evening of excellent food, appropriate beverages and scintillating company and scintillating company at an advantageous price! Can we also make some smaller adds to appear through the magazine? ‘Do you like good food, good wine and great company? Then join the Moscow Good Food Club publisher@MoscowexpatLife.ru
‘To join or host the Moscow Good Food Club please contact Kim Waddoup on publisher@MoscowexpatLife.ru
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Essential Information What do the numbers on the red number plates mean? They are Russian Diplomatic codes signifying countries. All vehicles registered with foreign embassies have to use them. 001 - Great Britain 002 - Germany 003 - Canada 004 - USA 005 - Japan 006 - Spain 007 - France 008 - Belgium 009 - Greece 010 - Denmark 011 - Italy 012 - Luxembourg 013 - Netherlands 014 - Norway 015 - Turkey 016 - Australia 017 - Austria 018 - Algeria 019 - Egypt 020 - Rwanda* 021 - Argentina 022 - Afghanistan 023 - Myanmar (the former Burma) 024 - Bolivia 025 - Brazil 026 - Burundi 027 - Ghana 028 - Bangladesh 029 - Guinea 030 - Zambia 031 - Peru 032 - India 033 - Indonesia 034 - Jordan 035 - Iraq 036 - Iran 037 - Ireland 038 - Iceland 039 - Cambodia (the former Kampuchea) 040 - Kenya 041 - Cyprus 042 - Congo 043 - Costa Rica 044 - Kuwait 045 - Laos 047 - Lebanon
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048 - Libya 049 - Mali 050 - Morocco 051 - Mexico 052 - Nepal 053 - Nigeria 054 - Venezuela 055 - New Zealand 056 - Pakistan 057 - Burkina Faso* 058 - Senegal* 059 - formerly Syria. Now code 133 is used. 060 - Somalia 061 - Sudan 062 - Sierra Leone 063 - Thailand 064 - Tanzania 065 - Tunisia 066 - Uganda 067 - Uruguay 068 - Philippines 069 - Finland 070 - Sri Lanka 071 - Chad 072 - Switzerland 073 - Sweden 074 - Ecuador 075 - Ethiopia 076 - Angola 077 - Democratic Republic of Congo (the former Republic Zaire) 078 - Colombia 079 - Cameroon 080 - Guinea-Bissau 081 - Portugal 082 - Bulgaria 083 - Hungary 084 - Vietnam 086 - Poland 087 - Korean People’s Democratic Republic (North Korea) 088 - Cuba 089 - Mongolia 090 - China 091 - Romania
092 - formerly Czechoslovakia (nowadays Czech Republic (148) and Slovakia (149)) 093 - Serbia 094 - Benin 095 - Gabon 096 - Guyana* 097 - Mauritania 098 - Madagascar* 099 - Malaysia 100 - Niger* 101 - Singapore 102 - Togo* 103 - Central African Republic (code 106 used earlier) 104 - Jamaica* 105 - Yemen 106 - formerly Central African Republic. Now code 103 is used. 107 - Palestine 108 - Nicaragua 109 - Mozambique 110 - Equatorial Guinea 111 - Sovereign Military Order of Malta (earlier code 111 belonged to Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (Comecon)) 112 - Malta 113 - Cape Verde 115 - Zimbabwe 116 - United Arab Emirates 117 - Côte d’Ivoire* 118 - Namibia 119 - formerly Republic of South Africa. Now code 137 is used. 120 - Oman 121 - Qatar 122 - formerly Arab League. Now code 503 is used 123 - formerly Liechtenstein 124 - South Korea 125 - Chile 126 - Panama (earlier code 126 belonged to UNESCO; see code 512)
127 - Israel 128 - FYR Macedonia (earlier code 128 belonged to EU) 129 - Albania 130 - formerly international organizations 131 - Holy See (Vatican) 132 - Lithuania 133 - Syria (code 059 used earlier) 134 - Estonia 135 - Latvia 136 - Bahrain 137 - Republic of South Africa (code 119 used earlier) 138 - Armenia 139 - formerly Georgia. Now code 158 is used. 140 - Saudi Arabia 141 - Slovenia 142 - Uzbekistan 143 - Kyrgyzstan 144 - Croatia 145 - Azerbaijan 146 - Ukraine 147 - Moldova 148 - Czech Republic 149 - Slovakia 150 - Belarus 151 - Tajikistan 152 - Turkmenistan 153 - Kazakhstan 154 - Guatemala 155 - Bosnia and Herzegovina 156 - Eritrea 157 - Paraguay* 158 - Georgia (code 139 used earlier) 159 - Brunei-Darussalam 160 - Gambia 161 - Vietnam 162 - Mauritius 163 - Dominican Republic 164 - Montenegro 165 - South Ossetia 166 - Abkhazia 167 - Djibouti
moscow networking at its best! The ul mate opportunity for business socialising in Moscow. Created by a professional networker for professional networkers this evening will provide a superb pla orm for peer-to-peer networking in a produc ve environment including all the pre-requisites for effec ve contact acquisi on, communica on and referrals. • • • • • • •
Selec ve mul -na onal audience(Russian & expat) High quality visitors due to price policy Professional name badges for easy recogni on No speeches or presenta ons High quality Catering Unlimited drinks No membership fees
Check
www.MoscowexpatLife.ru /networking
For visitors theses evenings for the dates will provide the of the next opportunity that event all need in Moscow to meet new poten al clients/partners and maintain current rela onships whilst enjoying a professional atmosphere.
Full photographic reports appear in the next issues of Moscow expat Life
These networking evenings also provide sponsors with an opportunity to present their products/services directly to this specific audience. Sponsorship packages For more details available!
on sponsoring or par cipa ng please contact Kim Waddoup on kim@aigroup.ru
+7 495 777 2577 or
h p://moscowexpatlife.ru/networking/
World Class Education • High-quality, British-style education for pupils aged 2 to 18 years • Pleasant, green eld locations in Krylatskoe and Rosinka • UK qualied and experienced teachers • Outstanding GCSE and IGCSE results • Pupils will be graduating in 2016 to enter top universities all over the world. • School bus service provided Recognised as ‘Excellent’ by the UK Independent School Inspectorate: “The school fully meets its aims of providing pupils of all its nationalities with the motivation to explore the extent of their capabilities in a happy environment surrounded by a strong moral framework.”
+7 (499) 922 44 00
www.internationalschool.ru