Moscow expat Life - Issue 12 - Autumn 2015 by Moscow expat Life

AUTUMN 2015

www.Moscowexpatlife.ru Gorky Park Nepal Retirement in Russia! Introducing Moscowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ultimate business & social networking evening

The Great Russian Banya Icon Painting

The McGillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and the Russian Textile Industry

Autumn

moscow netw orki ng ! t s e b s t i t a moscow expat life is pleased to invite you to the first of our quarterly network evenings Wednesday 28th October 18:30-21:30 NightFlight Restaurant The moscow expat life networking evening is based on years of experience and the request of our readers to provide a high quality, multi-national networking event providing an opportunity to do real business!

• No membership fees

• Selective multi-national audience

• Unlimited beer, wine and soft drinks • Quality food • Professional name badges • Calm atmosphere for successful networking • Entry Price R.4,500 per person NightFlight Bar & Restaurant is an excellent, central location offering ample space to meet, network and do business. Sponsorship packages available, please ask for details. Register on-line at www.MoscowexpatLife.ru/networking Contact Kim Waddoup on kim@aigroup.ru or call: +7 495 777 2577

moscow network ing ! t s e b s t at i

Index Like us on facebook...

News 3. News 5. IWC News

Community

Feature Articles 33. About Gorky Park 36. Photo Walks around Moscow 38. The famous Russian Bannya 40. The McGills and the Russian Textile Industry 42. Remembrance service to Robert and Jane McGill 44. Nikita. Soviet Nostalgia.

Charity 47. Children’s Hospital Fund at Speransky Pediatric Hospital № 9. 82. Kitezh Children’s Hospital

Education 49. The English international School 52. The International School Moscow

Travel 53. Nepal

Health 58. Health matters

Retro 60. 1999

Opinion 62. Spouse emigration to the UK

AUTUMN 2015

6. Expat survey 8. Social Movers 10. IWC Ball 12. BBC at Vinogradova 14. Paintings by Titus Adams 16. Retirement in Russia – Mike Chalkley 19. Wine and champagne at Imperial Tailors 20. Rotary Fundraising Evening 22. Intro to Rotary International 23. Mozambique Independence Day celebrations on Moscow 24. Simon Green’s Column: Jazz in Moscow 26. Pure Useless Beauty 28. Comedy Night in Moscow 30. Icon Painting 32. Moscow Pub Quiz

Sport 64. Moscow Expat Football Club 54. the Rosinka Cup 66. 8x8 Cup for Embassies and Diplomatic Missions in Russia

Business 68. rAsia, Russia-Asia business forum 70. Radical Chic, a Russian scarf and fabric design company 72. Splat, a Russian toothpaste manufacturer 74. Gil Petersil, the ultimate networker 76. PFS International 80. Chris Weafer’s column

Moscow Good Food Club 84. NightFlight

Essential Information 87-96. Business Clubs, women’s organisations and essential information for expats

Editor’s letter

“Time passes slowly when you are looking for love.” Thus wrote Bob Dylan in 1970. Time is passing very quickly here in Moscow, and I am not sure that very many of Publisher’s Announcement

Rarely does a magazine include any words from the Publisher, especially when we are so fortunate to have such an excellent editor in John Harrison. Be this as it may, since our launch 3 years ago, we have hardly followed the rules! However we are in ‘special times’ and these are presenting extraordinary

us are looking for love. We seem to be hovering in a state of expectancy between what could happen, what could have happened, and what we want to happen. Perhaps it is time to open our eyes and see what is actually happening. In this context; whatever one thinks of Russia, it is difficult not to enjoy what Gorky Park has to offer. The image of the park has completely changed from the bad old days in the 1990s, and from the even darker

ambience portrayed in Cold War spy novels. In an article in this issue, we take a walk around the park as it is today. It is hardly fashionable to talk about successful Russian businesses, but being people who tend not to follow the crowd, like many expats in Russia, that is exactly what we have done, in this issue, and report on two Russian businesses. One of these is an extremely successful Russian fabric and scarf design and production

company called ‘Radical Chic’, and the other called ‘Splat’; which makes and exports toothpaste to some 28 countries. Other highlights in this issue include a feature on Nepal, and the extraordinary story of Jane McGill and how a few Scots and English families living in Moscow led a dramatic, and very British revolution in the Russian textile industry. Maybe there is still time for look for love in Moscow.

challenges to the expats that are remaining in Moscow, despite the aura of ‘business as normal!’ The departures of many great friends have, I believe, affected many of us and as our 2015 Survey indicated, many expats are looking for additional contact and a feeling of belonging. Many individuals and organisations work hard to serve our community with a comprehensive variety of events and meetings. These range from business, social, spiritual and charity and we try to cover as many as we can in our pages. As a leading voice of our community we also feel the need for more events. As many of you know, we host regular meetings of the

Moscow Good Food Club, so if you enjoy good food, excellent wine and great company, please join us on one of our many evenings as we strive to find good food at exceptional value in this great city. To add to our Moscow Good Food Club we will also be organising smaller, exclusive wine tastings providing you with the opportunity to try and purchase some great wines at competitive prices. But the big news for the Autumn is the launch of our own Moscow Networking at its best! Evening on October 28th. This will be the ultimate business and social networking evening of the Autumn providing a professional platform for

successful business and social networking with high quality food and drinks in a comfortable venue. The price is not low but many will understand the reason as we aim to attract only professionals looking to meet and do business. It will be a multi-national audience providing the potential to increase business during these demanding times. Register on-line at www. MoscowexpatLife.ru/ Networking We wish you all success in these challenging times and assure you of the continuing support of Moscow expat Life for our entire community of expats in this great city of Moscow!

Moscow Creative From the idea right through to realisation Креатив в Москве

• Graphic Design and illustration • Animation • Video production • Copy Writing

Tel: +7 495 777 2577 Mobile: +7 916 521 3110 www.moscowcreative.net info@moscwcreative.net

Kim Waddoup

News AEB 20th Anniversary (50 words)

This year the largest European Businesses Association (AEB) in Russia will celebrate its 20th Anniversary. We invite all AEB member companies to share this unforgettable moment with us, on the 24th September, 2015. VIP guests, a grand reception and a number of pleasant surprises await all those who join us.

AEB Real Estate Day 2015 (45 words)

On 1st October the Association of European Businesses (AEB), the largest international association in Russia, will organise an event on perspectives of the Russian Real Estate Market. Largest international agencies, investors and companies will be among the speakers. For more information, please contact AEB saida.makhmudova@aebrus.ru

Moscow English Theatres 2016 season continues...

New GM at InterContinental Moscow Tverskaya Martin Zarybnicky has extensive hospitality experience in managerial positions at luxury resorts and urban properties. From the Czech Republic, he started his career in Food & Beverage in LeRoyal Meridien Bahrain and then worked for several prestigious hotel management companies Starwood, Rotana, Hilton and IHG across Middle East and Europe. In 2009 was promoted to a position of a General Manager opening & running Crowne Plaza St.Petersburg Airport. In 2013 transferred to run 523 rooms Holiday Inn Moscow Sokolniki with further promotion to upscale property in IHG portfolio in Russia – stylish InterContinental Moscow Tverskaya.

English Nursery and Primary School

In October at the Mayakovsky they show CONSTELLATIONS an award-winning play about love, free will and bees. November brings Luke Kempner’s hilarious DOWNTON DOES AMERICA back after a sell-out success last year. And in December TREASURE ISLAND will thrill children 12+. Full details at jonathan@moscowenglishtheatre.com or at www.moscowenglishtheatre.com

English Nursery and Primary School has opened its 6th branch in Moscow, at Karamyshevskaya embankment. ENS boasts spacious grounds, playgrounds with modern sports equipment, a dance studio, chess room and yoga classes. At ENS children can follow 2 academic programmes – British and Russian. Using the immersion method ENS creates ideal conditions for children to become bilingual.

Harvest Ball

MOSCOW’S YOUNGEST SCHOOL PRINCIPAL (but only for a day!)

On Saturday, November 7, please join us for an elegant evening of dinner, dancing, live music, and live and silent auctions at the Ritz-Carlton. The Harvest Ball directly supports MPC Social Services’ programs for immigrants, refugees, pensioners, and low-income families in Moscow. Learn more at http://www.mpcss.org/ and http://www.mpcss.org/mission.

MYSL

Moscow Youth Soccer League is the biggest sports expatriate event in Moscow. It is a true highlight for hundreds of boys and girls! All the football-lovers aged 3 to 15 are welcome to join! Dates: weekends of September and October. Price: 8000 roubles (incl. uniforms) More information and registration: www.moscow-soccer.ru

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

Serving the international community in Moscow, English International School has a curriculum ensuring leadership opportunities for students. Recently EIS Moscow South-West was accepted to join the scheme Student Principal for a Day by Principals Australia Institute, becoming the first participant school outside Australia. In a scrupulously fair election after hustings, our one and only Australian student – Nic in Year 5 – was elected as Student Principal with other members of Years 5 and 6 being Vice Principals for the day. A programme of activities involving Nic throughout the day covered all parts of the school: lesson observations, communication with parents, meetings with PTA, and a Skype conversation with Head Office in UK. We could not fit everything in on the day so other plans included giving a guided tour of the campus to the Australian Consul later in the week. Nic summing up the experience: “I especially enjoyed observing lessons. I was able to see how the children worked in class and how the age of the child altered the style of the lessons. It was a great day!”

Colophon Publisher:

Kim Waddoup, kim@aigroup.ru

Editor:

John Harrison, editor@moscowexpatlife.ru

Business Development Manager: Anastasia Sukhova, anastasia@moscowexpatlife.ru

Designer:

Julia Nozdracheva, chiccone@yandex.ru

Researchers: Anastasia Soldatova Aleksandra Markova Alena Kizimova Natalia Alexandrovna

Administration: Alina Kurpas Marina Noskova Свидетельство о регистрации СМИ ПИ № ТУ50-01602 от 15 января 2013 г. Выдано Управлением Федеральной службы по надзору в сфере связи, информационных технологий по Москве и Московской области Учредитель: ООО «Эй Ай Груп» Главный редактор: Джон Харрисон № 12, выход журнала 1.09.2015 Тираж: 30 000 экз. Цена свободная. Для аудитории: 18+

Contributors: Olga Samsonova Simon Green Brian Johnson Kim Waddoup Chris Weafer Luc Jones Martin Williams David Mercer David Armstrong Nikita Frederickovitch Irene Handel Olga Kudina Gohan Gavrilin Richard Peers Chris Helmbrecht Maria Ushakova Don Craig Gethin Jones Hugh Mc Enaney

Editorial Address: 3rd Frunzenskaya 5, Bldg 1, Office 1 119270 Mosvcow, Russia Tel: +7 495 777 2577 www.moscowexpatlife.ru info@moscowexpatlife.ru

Moscow expat Life occasionally uses material we believe has been placed in the public domain. Sometimes it is not possible to identify and contact the copyright owner. If you claim ownership of something we have published, we will be pleased to make a proper acknowledgement.

News

The start of a new IWC season

s one of the largest women’s clubs in town, the International Women’s Club of Moscow is well known in the local expat community. Since 1978 the Club organizes various activities to promote friendship and to further cultural exchange among women of all nationalities residing in Russia’s capital. Men have been able to join for a couple of years now. A second goal of the IWC is to raise funds to support local charity projects, both financially and by providing in-kind aid and volunteers. Every September, the IWC starts a new season and in 2015/2016 the Club will continue to organize its Coffee Mornings, Meet & Greet gatherings and Professional Women’s Evenings. Thanks to the commitment of numerous volunteers a vast range of Interest Groups will offer IWC members the opportunity to continue their hobbies while abroad or to discover new interests, ranging from cooking classes and sports to museum visits. The Winter Bazaar and

the Embassies of the World Dinner and Ball are the two main charity fundraising events that the IWC organizes. The Radisson Slavyanskaya Hotel will host the 2015 Winter Bazaar on Saturday, November 28 and the 2016 Embassies of the World Dinner and Ball will be the 20th edition of this event, an anniversary that will not go by unnoticed. Even though newcomers can join the IWC at any time, the September Meet & Greet is traditionally the largest gathering for Membership registration and the first possibility to sign up for the Interest Groups. The other Meet & Greets of 2015/2016 will surely be exciting as well, since the IWC continues to look for interesting venues as we speak. We are very glad to give you a sneak preview: the Chinese embassy has generously offered to host a Meet & Greet in the coming season! Members and guests are warmly invited to find out more about these and other IWC events via www.iwcmoscow.ru.

Comunity

Moscow expat

Survey 2015 What do expats in Moscow actually want? Whilst the first six months of the year have seen a considerable exodus of expats from Moscow, there are still a lot of us here and maybe now is an even more important time to band together and see how we can all gain from the wealth of experience of living and working in Moscow. This was an emotion also shared from one of our Spiritual leaders, Rev. Clive Fairclough from St. Andrew’s Church and during a discussion in early 2015 it was decided to make a combined survey of the expats living and working in Moscow. The results make interesting reading! Whilst there were only 150 respondents to this first ‘What Moscow expats want’ survey, the replies reflect a full cross section of our community, have provided considerable food for thought and have indicated the vast variations in the needs and requirements of the expat community!

Slightly more men replied with the gents winning at 52% of the total and 86% indicated that they were ‘an expat living in Moscow’. 54% are married, 14% in a relationship and 32% single For employment, the following figures were revealed: 70% Employed 10% in Moscow as a dependant 3% Retired 13% Self Employed 4% Currently unemployed Age of the respondents:18-35 36-50 51+

35% 36% 29%

How long have you lived in Russia? 0-3 years 4-6 years 7-10 years 10+ years

42% 24% 9% 25%

Free Classifieds! Advertise for free in Moscow’s community Classified Advertisements http://moscowexpatlife.ru/classified-ads/

Comunity When asked ‘How well do you speak Russian’ the results where quiet evenly spread in the 3 categories:

St. Andrews Centre

33% Fluent 32% Basic 35% Poor The most popular Business and Social Clubs had a clear winner with the International Women’s club at 21%. Other leading performers included the British Business Club at 15%, British Women’s Club at 13%, the Moscow International Choir 11%, Russo-British Chamber of Commerce 11%. When asked ‘What magazine and media do you use to learn about events in Moscow’, the results were quite clear (multiple choices): Moscow Times Moscow expat Life Facebook Moscow In Your Pocket

77% 55% 30% 21%

Do you think that Moscow needs more events for expats? A clear 61% voted yes while 39% feel that there are enough! Those voting yes were asked what type of event would you attend: Social 26% Family/Children 26% Community building 14% Charity 10% Sporting 10% Other 14% Amongst the ‘other’ replies where the following suggestions: inter-cultural awareness, music, more evening events for professional people, educational and business. The Moscow expat community is a champion at assisting at community and charities with 44% indicating that they are actively involved!

Rev. Clive Fairclough When asked about the kind of charity/community that they volunteer for: Church related International Charity Russian charity Your own community Other

45% 19% 19% 14% 3%

Those answering ‘No’ to currently being involved in charities/communities were asked what they would like to become involved in: Children & young people Your community Social justice The aged

43% 27% 23% 7%

On their religion 95% indicated Christian, 4% Jewish and 1% Mormon. It is also interesting to note that 40% indicate that they visit church each week further indicating that the churches and their communities in Moscow provide a valuable service to the expats living and working in Moscow. To the best of our knowledge this was the first such survey conducted in Moscow and will become an annual tradition to further reflect the needs and requirements of our community despite high turnovers.

St Andrew’s Centre offers a Christian community primarily to English speaking expats. The aim of the survey was to discover how our church can contribute to quality of life of expats in Moscow. We believe that building relationships is the key to success particularly in an environment away from home. St Andrew’s is a community, which offers both a spiritual home and a place to meet new friends. One of the main elements of St Andrew’s church’s strategy is to promote fellowship by connecting people with events, helping them to find groups in which to belong. The survey has helped inform us what expats want. It will help us develop a more effective way of communicating who we are, what we do and how we can help expats in Moscow. The survey shows, very convincingly, that better communications for expats to meet each other is important. It has also highlighted that expats believe that volunteering is part of life in Moscow. The survey indicated a desire for expats to explore their spiritual side. The church needs to respond to this by exploring options by forming small home groups and offer interactive ways of engaging with the gospel story. The church recognises that, on our individual life journeys, there are moments which we encounter that spiritual element of what it is to be human. We wish to help individuals to develop their spiritual side.

Social Movers

Chris

Helmbrecht ‘Pasha Facecontrol’, Moscows legendary top bouncer, finally opened his own place. Every weekend ‘Duran Bar’ collects Moscow’s finest and rich, from stars to models to oligarchs. It’s not easy to get inside as a normal person, but not impossible and worth trying, alone for the people watch. Michel’s ‘Reka’ is not only a fine dining place, favored by politicians and oligarch wives, but its nightclub on the roof features various bands and live music (from Jazz to House) every weekend. The owner and the team of Icon, Artel Bessonnitsa and Space (among many other clubs) is building a new super club, which supposedly costs... don’t fall of your chair... $33 million. Yes, you are reading right. My first question to them was ‘So, you’ll have golden toilet seats, right?’. Man, I would like to see the

Don Craig

This summer has a been a bit disappointing as far as weather goes though August is looking good so far and if we are lucky we might be blessed with an Indian Summer. The closing of bars and restaurants

Maria

Ushakova I run ‘Moscow Amateur Theatre Club’, (partner – Moscow English Theatre), ‘Moscow Travel Club’ (partners www. wolfin.ru and www.engineer-history.ru), ‘Stand Up Comedy Club’ (partner, Steve Foreman). I also organise Kundalini yoga sessions in English Language, taking place each Tuesday evening. (Partners with Alexandra Kutepova). Coolest ‘must go to’ events on your social calendar this fall: Maria’s Annual Charity ball (or Remembrance Ball) on the third Saturday of November, this

business-plan and ROI perspective on that one, but as you know, we are living in Russia and money seems to flow easily, even during these crisis days. I’ll check this new club and I will probably write about it in the next issue. ‘Rose Bar’, another rich peoples’ hangout, developed over the past months and is now worth a visit, if you want to see a real Russian party. Russian pop music, live performances of singers and artificial looking, long legged girls dancing. The bar was designed by the owner Emin Agalarov, businessman and pop-star, himself. You’ll probably ask, where the underground is hanging out. The answer is not easy to find these days, but check ‘Simachevs’, ‘Power House’ and ‘Rodnya’ for hipsters and fashionists. At ‘Rolling Stone Bar’, you will find Moscow’s youngsters (18-20) jumping and drinking to pop hits from their childhood. If you want to dig deeper into the down and dirty, you can check ‘Kamchatka’ and drink

Russian beer for the lowest price in town. Or venture to the nearby ‘Coyote Ugly’ for the upgraded version of a drinking hole. Also at Kuznetsky Most, you’ll find a new 20-30s themes bar with reasonable priced, but good, cocktails. ‘Dirty Blond’ has a lot of potential to become another Moscow party hot spot. What about ‘Chateau de Fantomas’?, I am asked a lot these days. Well, this club was built around a closed society. My friend Yuri calls it a Swinger Club, but no worries, its just a meeting place, the action takes place at the members homes. ‘Fantomas’ features tech-house music and minimal. And last, but not least, here are my tips for places to visit in Moscow. The hottest places in town. Just google the name + Moscow and you will find more information and the addresses: SOHO Rooms, Artel Bessonnitsa, Krysha Mira, Duran Bar, Jagger, Gipsy, Mendeleev Bar, Simachevs, Rose Bar, Sibir, Buddha Bar

in the Moscow area has taken out some of our favorite spots, including my bar ‘Donnie’s’ but the prospects of something new being on the horizon is promising. Places like ‘Chicago Prime’, ‘Papa’s’, ‘Skandi’, and ‘Jack n Jim’s’ remain to be a favorite hangouts for Expats and locals alike. The parks are booming with life as people have taken to the outdoors this summer

with the beautiful improvements being made by the local and Russian governments they make for a perfect day out. September will see the opening of many new venues such as ‘The Pink Taco’ and hopefully we can once again pump up the live music scene in Moscow. Follow me on Twitter @ DonCraig777 for more updates

time we have corporate sponsors, so, please expect an especially excellent evening, dedicated to raise funds to go to a charity organisation called ‘Cool Coz’ (Charity set up by a generous Russian French banker, philosopher and philanthropist, who wishes to remain anonymous). Another highly recommended pastime activity it’s a hybrid between an excursion, a game and a quest, of course in, called: ‘Become a Freemason for one day’. Not many people know, but I am a UK trained psychotherapist, with ten years of experience working as addiction counsellor in both England and Russia. Recently, I decided to go back to my profession and focus on what I can do

best- help people to help themselves. Apart from traditional counselling sessions, I also offer seminars, workshops and trainings related to corporate health and conflict resolution to Fortune 500 companies. If you are new to Moscow and require quick and smooth integration into local culture and/or onto a Russian market, don’t hesitate to reach out to me and to the editor of this magazine. I am very thankful to Kim and his team to let me contribute to Moscow expat Life magazine on a regular basis, I believe this space is the best place to promote services and products directed at expat community in Russia. Back to organizing now! See you all very soon during our cool community events!

Community

he historical Petroff Palace was the superb setting of the 19th Embassies of the World Dinner and Ball, one of Moscow’s most fabulous charity fundraisers that is annually organized by the International Women’s Club of Moscow. Guests had the opportunity to have dinner in one of Moscow’s embassies or diplomatic residences prior to the Ball. This year the embassies of Australia, Chile, the Czech Republic, the EU, Kuwait, Switzerland and Uruguay generously hosted dinner, a unique experience guests still talk about!

19th IWC

Embassies of the World Dinner and Ball

Community

Those who decided not to go for dinner in one of the embassies were treated to an exquisite buffet at the Ball, so all were sufficiently strengthened to dance the night away in the spectacular rooms of Petroff Palace. The IWC organized live entertainment and a raffle with luxurious prizes, and guests could take home a gift bag and keepsake photo. The atmosphere of the evening was elegant and fun â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a combination that ensured everybody had a great time.

According to the IWC, the event was a grand success thanks to the vital support of the diplomatic and business community, media partners and volunteers. A special mention goes to the International School of Moscow and the Embassies of Canada, Namibia and New Zealand for their generous donations, all of which contribute to the funds raised for local charity projects supported by the IWC. Moscow expat Life already looks forward to the 20th Embassies of the World Dinner and Ball, an anniversary edition that will not pass by unnoticed!

Community

BBC and CERBA Summer BBQ

Community

n June the two business clubs BBC and CERBA held a memorable summer afternoon in the grounds of the Holiday Inn in Vinogradovo. Adult members of these two business clubs attempted to hold serious conversations about important issues, however a large contingent of younger family members turned the event into a summer celebration of fun and games, which was much more exciting. Thank you BBC and CERBA. The BBC and CERBA would like to thank their key sponsors for the event: Heineken Russia, and personally Andrew Quayle; PepsiCo, and personally Simon Scott; TerraLink, and personally Ron Lewin; Marriott Hotels and Resorts; Chugunny Most (Iron Bridge), Bar-restaurant.

Community

Sukharevskaya - Winter

Love and War - Volga Window- Volgograd -Summer

Krylatskoe winter morning

Artist Titus Adamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

View of Moscow

St Petersburg- Autumn

Moscow muse

Spring-time

leviathan

Idea of kalingrad

Khimke bridge

Community

Leninsky Prospect - Autumn

Ostankina march

Angel over Moscow- Stalin Tower - Nikit

andscapes from apartments stayed in, and Inscapes, visions inspired by Russia, these oil paintings, primarily on Paper, were done over the last five years, during visits short and extended, by Titus Adam, an artist from London. There will an exhibition next year. See www.titusfa.co.uk or to purchase PRINTS contact info@titusfa.co.uk.

Flight

Change

Krylatskoe- Summer

long winter -self portrait

Lost Dog - Moscow Region - Winter

Community

Retire in Russia? Mike Chalkley’s Story By John Harrison

When expats get to retirement age they head off back home from wherever they came from, or if they come from a country with a moderate climate like Britain, they might chart a course for somewhere sunny like Spain or Thailand. Very few, if any, voluntarily stay in Russia. Mike Chalkley, a long-time British expat decided to buck that trend and stayed on with his charming wife Natasha. I wanted to find out why. Before I interviewed Mike, he showed me round his ‘house,’ complete with massive lounge and reception room downstairs, three bedrooms, guest lounge and living space upstairs. The property has the personality of a private house and the functionality of a 5 star hotel. Even more interesting was what he had to say.

Mike Chalkey

Community Why did you decide to retire in Russia? “I realised a long time ago that retirement is all about working out what you want to do. It’s not about living on a nice desert island with palm trees, from which you get bored with in a few weeks. I personally don’t like it when it’s hot all the time, I like a bit of rain. Living in the jungle isn’t really my cup of tea either. There are problems wherever you go. So you have to ask yourself: ‘how am I going to retire?’ This is really the same as asking: with whom am I going to retire? Ideally with your wife, lover or whoever.” “When I was coming up to retirement, people said: ‘you can’t retire Mike, you’ll be bored, and you’re involved with so many things. In three months you’ll be back at work.’ “Yes, in the old days I could work 19 hours a day, then it was 15, and then 12 before I’d get tired. Natasha asked me why I was working so much, I said that I needed more money. She asked: ‘why do you need more money? What For?’ It doesn’t matter whether you go vertically upwards or downwards when you kick the bucket, it doesn’t matter how much money you’ve got, it really doesn’t unlock any doors or gates, or supply any furnishings or whatever. So we worked out how much money we would need, and we realized that we had just about enough. Then we just did it, we retired.”

“Retirement really isn’t about doing nothing. Even the house, which I suppose is a big hobby, isn’t enough, I have recently taken up the keyboards again, something I haven’t done since I was a boy. The important thing to remember as you come up to retirement, -- the older you get the less active you can be. I don’t do 35 mile runs like I used to do when I was 35 years old. Your health and your mental ability and everything

else begins to slip, and you are going to get older and older. If I can keep gradually degenerating like this until I’m 90, I’ll be very happy, thank you.”

How does it work out legally? “I used to come here on work visas, like everybody else, then I got married, and the problem with visas and having to come to get visas became more acute. Then I found out that I was entitled to get a thing called ‘vid na zhitelstva’ (residents’ permit). I applied for that, it meant getting medicals and so forth, but that came through, and I transferred it down here because legally you have to register where you are living. Now I have to renew it once a year, but that is easy. Maybe in time I will get a Russian passport. I am able to have two passports here, as long as I inform the Russian authorities, and the British don’t care how many passports you have got. Legally, living here is not a problem.” “I have nothing of worth in the UK, but they do pay me a state pension. I also have some small private personal pensions; one of them only pays £10 a month. Applying for the UK pension was easy, I filled in an online form, phoned to check that everything was OK, then they wrote back to say that your pension is this, and it started. I used my son’s address in the UK, and that’s the address I use for all official correspondence, like bank statements. The British state pension cannot be paid to Russia. They will pay to any European country plus to several others, but not to Russia. So I gave them an offshore account, and they were happy with that. Now I simply go to the local ATM machine and withdraw my pension.”

Does that mean that your pension is not index linked, because you are not living in a UK approved country? “Yes, I think that is right. What was interesting was that when I filled in the form, the very nice lady asked me: ‘do you have a wife?’ I said: ‘yes, she’s Russian and therefore not entitled to a pension.’ She said: ‘No, your Russian

Community

wife, no matter what age, is entitled to a pension.’ I was very surprised. I must admit I haven’t tracked that down, as it is probably only going to be a small pension, but nevertheless, we worked out how much money would be coming in, and we worked out how much we needed to live on, and we realised that we can do this, but not in Moscow. If you want to retire in the centre of Moscow fine, but if you go out two or three nights a week, spend $100, $200 on a meal and everything else, suddenly it’s expensive. We probably halved our costs by moving here; we could afford to retire here.” “On the money side, we had to plan. The largest cost is the cost of living. Number two is looking after the building you are living in, in terms of heating, repairs and so on, number three are the luxuries as I call them. After 14 years with the same car, I had to accept that I needed the luxury of a new car. They aren’t cheap, so we worked that out. If I am still around, in another 10-12 years, I might want to change my car again, so I need to plan for that. Having said that, I’ll be nearly 80 then! So what sort of car will I want and what sort of car will I be able to drive? I had some money in reserve, when the rouble was flying around all over the place, so I followed by my instincts and put it into property. So we now have a flat in Obninsk, which we can rent out for a little bit to supplement our income. That might pay for holidays.

What about friends and culture, do you miss Britain at all? “I have children and grandchildren in England, and I do miss them. But I do see them; they either come out here or they make an effort to meet us when we are abroad. I don’t see them every weekend, sure, I don’t see them enough. But on the other hand, Natasha has two sons and they are miles away. They are further away geographically in Russia than my two sons are from me here, and it’s just as difficult to go and see them. My daughter has been here 4 or 5 times. My eldest son is an accountant, which I smile at because it’s one of the jobs that I never wanted to do, and my youngest son is with Airbus, so they all are able to travel quite a lot.” “England I certainly don’t miss. Since 2001 I have only been there to attend funerals and weddings. The smell, smoke, control, the can do’s, the can’t do’s, put me off. Even pensions are taxed. Whenever I go to England, the moment I get back to Russia, I sigh with relief. People say that they have to retire to England, because that is where they come from. I actually say: why? I’m English, I could have been born on an aeroplane or a boat or somewhere. It really doesn’t matter, it’s where you like to be that is important. After 20 something years in Russia, I obviously don’t hate the place. I miss

my friends in Moscow, but they come here quite often. And I now have local Russian friends here. In our local village of 11 people, there is a couple who are just a bit younger than we are. They are our greatest friends; they come round every weekend and are here for Christmases. We talk, we advise each other and do a lot of vodka drinking! If anything happens, they are immediately on hand. We always have a big Christmas event. I cook ye Christmas turkey, and make my own Christmas puddings. Last year we had 21 people sitting at our table for Christmas dinner, and it is fantastic having a house as big as this, which allows us to able to invite so many people and have many people stay over! Christmas is the highlight of my year.” “Basically, we like it here, we like waking up in the morning and looking at the wild deer. We are inundated with birds, to just wake up in the middle of nowhere is beautiful. We are also self sufficient if we need to be, with our own water supply, and back up generator. It obviously helps to speak Russian.” “On the health front, the older you get the more you might need treatment. That might be a problem here because an ambulance could take a little longer to get here than in Moscow. We use a private clinic in Obninsk, which is about 45 minutes away by car. They have a whole range of doctors with a wide range of expertise from bones to eyes, they cover everything. Because it’s private, we can get to see a doctor normally within 24 hours, if it is an emergency we do have to wait, but usually not for long, perhaps 20 minutes. You get your x-rays, injections and prescriptions all in one go and it’s not expensive. I have heard of English people going back to the UK for treatment who end up coming back here for the same treatment. I do have a Russian state medical card, which I have never used, but if I do have to go to a hospital, they would no doubt accept me. But this would probably take a bit longer to be treated than when using a private service.”

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Rotary Club Moscow International Summer Fundraising

n a glorious Moscow summer evening, Rotary Club Moscow International organised a memorable & successful fundraising for their project RestartU, supporting disabled children of the Centre for Congenital Disorders. Held in the ambience of the Residence of H.E Thomas Winkler, Ambassador of Denmark in the R.F. With a star studded show including the Bolshoi Theatre corps de ballet and members of the Kremlin Orchestra the charity lottery and auction raised sufficient funds to enable the purchase of 3 tailor made wheelchairs for unfortunate children. RCMI would like to thank H.E. Thomas Winkler for the use of his Residence and gardens and also the many sponsors who supported the event.

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Wine & champagne tasting at Imperial Tailors

ans of the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;better things in lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; gathered at the unusual venue of the Imperial Tailors emporium to enjoy some special wines and champagne courtesy of Moscow expat Life, Platinum Financial Services and the main sponsors Cult Wines from England. Guests first had a choice of a delicate Terrazas Reserva, Torontes (Salta, Argentina) or those who preferred red, a fullbodied Cloudy Bay, Pinot Noir (Marlboro, New Zealand.

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A presentation on the technicalities and benefits of investing in good wines was presented by Tom Gearing of Cult Wines, extolling ‘Solutions for Fine Wines’. Guests were then invited to sample a variety of Champagnes including a Ruinart Blanc de Blancs, a Dom Perignon Vintage of 2005 and a Krug Grande Cuvee. An excellent evening for all!

Security and Business Consulting Group (BSG) (established in 2007) Our mission is to provide our Customers with risk mitigating solutions, meet all their needs and requirements, bring integrated security solutions, keep a safe and secure environment for themselves and their staff. Security and Business Consulting Group acts in close coordination with legal, security and auditing structures in Russia as well as other countries. Although based in Moscow BSG has international experience and provides assistance to its Clients throughout Africa, Europe, Middle East and North America.

Skilled and duly qualified qualified personnel of BSG operate with full compliance with acting legislation. We operate in: -Integrated security -Corporate security -Personal security Our expertise in the security sphere becomes essential in business development and its safety. Our staff of professionals has intense backgrounds in the fields of law enforcement.

Contact information Address: 7 Fadeeva Street, building 1, office 2 Moscow

We would be happy to provide services in: • CONFERENCENCES AND CORPORATE EVENT MANAGEMENT • COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES FOR CHIEF EXECUTIVES • SOPHISTICATED TECHNICAL SECURITY SYSTEMS • RISK MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS • PHYSICAL SECURITY • ORGANIZATION AND SECURITY OF VARIOUS CORPORATE EVENTS • BUSINESS TRIPS • VIP RECEPTION • SELECTED PRIVATE DETECTIVE SERVICES

Tel.: +7 (495) 664-29-72 Fax: +7 (495) 664-29-73 E-mail: sbcons@sbcons.ru web-www.sbcons.ru

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Rotary Club Moscow International

he Rotary Club Moscow International was created in June 2001, by a group of people living and working in Moscow, coming from different countries. The club is one of more than 35.000 in the world that offers members fellowship and a special way to serve the community. Part of the Rotary International, present in 190 countries worldwide, their motto is “Service Above Self” RCMI is the English speaking Rotary club gathering point for Rotarians from all over the world visiting Russia, and for expats in Moscow willing to dedicate a bit of their time and money to contribute to Club projects, while making friends with people from different origins and culture. At present members come from Armenia, Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Greece, Italy, Japan, Serbia, Spain, and Russia. Rotary club members represent a ‘cross-section’ of the business and professional community. All Rotary clubs

in the world are nonpolitical, nonreligious, and open to all cultures, races, and creeds. The main objective of Rotary is service - in the community, in the workplace, and throughout the world. Rotarians develop community service projects that address many of today’s most critical issues, such as children at risk, poverty and hunger, the environment, illiteracy, and violence. They also support programs for youth, educational opportunities and international exchanges for students, teachers, and other professionals, and vocational and career development. At present, RCMI manages 3 main projects: the purchase of hearing aids for blind and deaf children of the specialised Institute of Sergev Posad (on-going project, started in 2006), the International Russian Rotary Children’s Music Competition (on-going project, started in 2002), and ‘RestartU’, RCMI’s newest project started in 2015, focused on purchasing ‘tailored made’ wheelchairs and

‘verticalisation’ equipment for children born with rare genetic diseases, in cooperation with the Center for Inborn Pathologies of Prof. Natalia Belova. RCMI monthly meetings regularly include guest speakers who offer insights into their specialized subjects. How does one apply for membership? The contact is: secretary@rcmi.ru As it is important that all members share the same idea of promoting friendship and “Service above Self”, RMCI ask people interested in Rotary to attend at least 5 meetings, in order to become better acquainted to each other. Then the applicant should have 2 “sponsors” among members of RCMI who are ready to support their candidacy, and should make a written application explaining their motivations to become a member. The application is reviewed by the Board of RCMI, which decides whether to accept it, based on the Club rules and principles.

You can find more information on the RCMI website www.rcmi.ru

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Photographs and text by David Mercer

Mozambique Independence Day

n 25 June 2015, the Mozambique Embassy under the guidance of the Mozambique Ambassador to the Russian Federation, Mr. Mario Saraiva Ngwenya, celebrated the Mozambique Independence Day. This holiday celebrates the day when Mozambique gained its independence from Portugal in 1975. After World War II the colonies of Portugal were not granted independence and they were

declared to be overseas territory. Many other African countries one by one gained independence from their protectorates. This wave led to the Mozambican War of Independence that lasted from 1964 to 1974. Mozambique gained independence when Portugalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Estado Novo regime was replaced by the National Salvation Junta. This event changed political views in Portugal enabling the end of the war in Mozambique and led to its independence on June 25, 1975.

See more of David Mercerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s photography on: http://www.davesphoto. ifp3.com/#/page/home/

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Midnight By Simon Green

In Moscow

here were two defining moments in my life that ignited my interest in jazz: the first was a bit unfortunate, the second a somewhat better scenario. Ironically, unbeknownst to me at the time, both were linked and led me towards a hedonistic jazz journey. A lady friend had kindly presented me with a ‘45’ single of Glenn Miller’s wonderful hit ‘Moonlight Serenade’, which I played repeatedly. As it rekindled nostalgic moments of a brief romantic tryst with the aforementioned benefactor, so the volume of music increased culminating with my mother storming into my bedroom shouting: “turn that infernal racket off this instant!” Having duly obliged, I then shot back at her: “Glenn Miller was one of the greatest jazz composers and arrangers this century, and besides, being a ‘Wren’ officer in the war, you must have danced to his music at the balls you used to attend.”“I sat those ones out” she replied snippily. I should have left it at that, but being in my late teens and thinking I knew better than anyone, especially my parents, I muttered under my breath: “probably no one invited you to dance.” Unfortunately it wasn’t quite quiet enough and was met with “what did you say?” with her voice rising an entire octave in that short sentence, accompanied by her hands in the notorious “double-teapot” position. “I’ll have you know,” she replied sotto voce and in a voice not dissimilar to the Queen’s, “I had men queuing up to ask me to dance with my name on their cards,” and with that she flounced out of the room, nose in air. Having had a top musical background, first as a chorister at Canterbury cathedral, then at the fabled Kings Canterbury where classical music and Gilbert and Sullivan ruled the roost, I had never been exposed to any form of jazz. This changed when I was walking down Frith St in London’s West End in 1979 and happened upon number 47 which housed the eponymous Ronnie Scott’s and thought “why not?” and walked through the door that was to change my life as it introduced me to a jazz world hitherto unknown, and has been with me ever since. Fast forward to today, and it finds me in Moscow trying to discover what the city has to offer jazz-wise, and I was not to be disappointed. It has to be said that one of the common denominators with most of the

clubs is their locations which have the rather annoying habit of being difficult to find. I started off by visiting the well established and crème de la crème of clubs with its stable of national and international players at their disposal: Club Soyuz Kompozitorov at Brusov Pereulok 8/10 – difficult to find but well worth the effort. A group were playing offering a trip down memory lane with some retro jazz, and they delivered with aplomb and vitality. It was accompanied by a beef Carpaccio that was to die for along with the ubiquitous red wine that seems to follow me around – or should that be vice versa? This is a very cozy speak-easy place that wouldn’t be out of place alongside Woody Allen’s jazz club in Greenwich Village with its eclectic electric atmosphere. Do watch the seats you choose as prices vary considerably from bar places at 600 roubles a shout to front seats that touch the stage costing 4,600 roubles. Anyone with any sort of musical appreciation knows that those seats aren’t the best unless you’re some sort of groupie, and the optimum ones that extract the best ‘ensemble’ are half way back. The side seats, which offer a perfectly good view and go for 1,400 roubles, are in my opinion the best way to go. In short, this is a must visit place, but allow a few extra minutes to locate it, then with that done, descend into the nevermost depths of the abyss and enjoy! Next up I visited the illustrious Igor Butman’s jazz club which moved a year ago from Chistye Prudy to Taganskaya and is one minute from the circle line exit and right next

Community to the main theater, so an easy place to find for once. The charming manageress Anastasia, allowed me carte blanche to the place, spoke good English, so I was able to circulate, glass of red in hand, taking photos uninterrupted of the quintet who were playing with great dexterity. The Igor Butman quartet are a real ‘tour de force’ in the jazz world and have many tours under their belt including an upcoming concert at the world famous Studio 54 in the USA on October 25 this year; indeed they played at the Kremlin in 2000 in front of Presidents Putin and Clinton. The club exudes a pleasant atmosphere and as always with jazz, a real potpourri of people in attendance being affected in different ways. There was a collection of excited ladies celebrating a birthday on one side, then in the middle there were a couple of aficionados in feettapping frenzy to the beat, and in front of me, a rather amorous couple who were taking kissing in public to an entirely new plateau! Food is reasonably priced and looked inviting, so if you’re looking for something different to do one evening, look no further than here. Wanting somewhere dead center, I next visited Club Forte who boast the maxim: ‘Ars longa, vita brevis’—art is long, life is short. Many well known Russian names have played here (Bolshaya Bronnaya 18 which is 400 meters down from the main McDonalds in Pushkinskaya). It was rather unfortunate that there was a major ‘remont’ going on when I visited, and gaining access to the place was no mean feat, dodging among JCB’s, Tajik workers and broken concrete slabs. Tickets are 500 roubles and once inside you can enjoy a variety of jazz from jazz-rock to blues, funk and soul. In truth not quite my taste, but others who were there appeared to be getting into it. The food verges towards Soviet in choice as it was rather fish and mushroom orientated, and it’s atmosphere a touch Bohemian with tables almost on top of one another. My final destination was Club Alexey Kozlov, the doyen of jazz masters in Moscow. Kozlov is 80 years old this year, yet still plays with the energy of someone half his age. This place is to the side of the Olympic Stadium in Prospect Mira at number 16, but is a nightmare to find – even the internet suggests allowing an extra 20 minutes! Tickets are 500 roubles and there are plenty of seats to choose from once inside. My only criticism is that the tables are rather basic and reminded me of Primary school fetes and jumble sales, but when watching a master craftsman plying his trade this minor discrepancy is soon forgotten. I had the pleasure of meeting him briefly and he was charm personified, having started in 1957, announcing himself to an unsuspecting Russian world, and was quickly recognized as an innovative maestro. His saxophone playing is simply dazzling and hypnotic, and has the entire range of chromatic scales, cadences and arpeggios whilst maintaining rhythm, beat and tune simultaneously. This virtuoso extraordinaire is a must-see person and you’ll understand why I wax lyrical about him. Kozlov, along with Butman, have propelled

Russia into the jazz stratosphere, and there are other clubs out there I didn’t have time to visit. When all’s said and done, you can still find me at my happiest nursing the odd glass (the cognoscenti among you will substitute glass for bottle!) of wine at home and listening to the likes of the incomparable Louis Armstrong with Ella Fitzgerald singing ‘Summertime;’ or the sultry Julie London belting out ‘Cry me a river,’ and not forgetting Stan Getz and the husky dusky tones of Astrid Gilberto with ‘The girl from Ipanema.’ Whatever your tastes in music, I conclude with the words from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night: ‘If music be the food of love, play on!’

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Pure Useless Beauty

Written by Irene Handel, photography by Olga Kudina and Gohan Gavrilin.

An encounter with English Electronic Melodeclamationist pop group: Pure Useless Beauty, who are playing at the Stanislavski Electrotheatre, Moscow, in September. Contact tafff@rambler.ru for the Pure Useless Beauty rider.

Community ‘Let us throw flowers on the ground and tread upon their pure useless beauty.’ Lorca. Sometimes you have to do what you love, just for the hell of it. Even, or especially, if it makes no sense. Oftentimes absurdity is the only sane response to the obscene comedie of human existence. Pure Useless Beauty are the better part of Theatre of love. ToL is an underground movement existing as a catalyst for life affirming acts of intelligence down on the disco floor. Once (in the 1960’s) there existed an art provocateur movement, rooted in surrealism, called ‘the situationists’ – the situationists created actions which dramatized absurdities. For example a group of people dressed as Santa Claus would enter department stores at Christmas time and subsequently find themselves being forcibly removed by burly security guards for committing the heinous crime of giving free gifts to children. Santa Claus would be thrown out by his beard and land in the gutter. That is situationism. Punk band The Sex Pistols, also turned to this technique with their ‘God Save the Queen’ anthem, for which, absurdly, they were arrested. Much as ToL admire the punk ethos, they are in some ways its antithesis. The theatre of love do not seek provocation, they seek harmony and beauty, not conflict. Dramatic art without conflict is said to be an impossibility. But ToL are not interested in the merely possible. Pure Useless Beauty are the reincarnation of ToL. Classical English poetry and contemporary electronic music are the alchemical elements of their magic mixture of madness. Live instruments and theatre freak performers combine to express their love of organized words and noises. You will recognize Chatterton and Thomas Hood and Byron and Keats being recited in accordance with Schubert’s notion of melodeclamation; you will recognize Indian and contemporary dance and Tilda Swintonesque theatricalities; you will recognize cool grooves and mellow guitar licks punctuated with funky trumpet stabs and sharp riffs and you will recognize deep house loops and drum and bass beats – but for the life of you, you will wonder what the hell they are all doing in the same place at the same time. You might even note the fact that these incongruous elements seem to be getting on really well, in what some would call a unique confluence of eclectic perversion. Pure Useless Beauty came about because melodeclamationist, Martin X, had tired of everything else. Like Charles Grey in the tales of the unexpected film, ‘The man who ate a ghost’ – he just wanted to taste something different - Anything! As long as it was from out of this world! Remember Sergei Diaghilev’s comment to the King of Spain! “Your Majesty, I am like you. I do no work. I do nothing, but I am indispensable.” That’s Martin’s motto. Thus ToL’s, Pure Useless Beauty, was created – to engender a movement of electronic melodeclamation

and to take and invert Diaghilev’s plea for ‘interested artists’ in the ‘classical’ world by taking interesting ‘classical’ poetry into the electro-pop music world. In other words they are infiltrating the disco floor with the high genius of Keats, Byron and Shelley, not merely for perversion’s sake but because these maverick poets belong to the world of the night – albeit they have been kidnapped by a gang of academic eugenicists who wish to succeed in emasculating their high genius and pickle their genitals for consumption at literary gatherings. But if Shelley and Byron and Keats were alive today and 20 odd years old, as they were at the height of their genius, of course they would be night-clubbing! Great Poetry is about love, death and beauty, not vacuum cleaners. Pure Useless Beauty break as many of the rules as possible – they’re old and young, savage and tender, their prog-pop incongruity and glam-slam, disco-ball melodeclamations, juxtaposed with high genius poesie. Pure Useless Beauty are: Sergei Taff, composer, Anton Rivera, Guitars, Marja Pijlkass, Trumpet, Gosha Gavrilin, saxophone, Bob, melodium, Natasha Che, vocals, Titus, theatre freak, Martin X, melodeclamationist – Pure Useless Beauty: “All that’s best of dark and bright.” (Byron)

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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Now that’s a funny thing! By Martin Williams

o there’s a Muscovite, an Italian and a Russian who’s studied in Australia sitting in a bar… Well, a café on this occasion, but you get the idea. An untraditional beginning to an old joke format, but certainly one that managed to get its fair share of laughs from a difficult audience. Moscow Comedy Bar is a year-old labour of love for Ivan, cofounder and compere of a comedy line-up intent on winning the hearts and splitting the sides of an inexperienced stand-up audience. There’s a regular crew of comics, joined by willing entertainers at their increasingly popular open mic nights. So, how is it possible to house a bunch of homeless comedians and attract a loyal fan base to their venues around Moscow? I went along to find out at their special gig at Lumiere Hall. Moscow is not a hotbed of standup comedy. Pregnant pauses and

A review of a Moscow comedy night uncomfortable silences bridged the gap between jokes and laughter, with polite comedians patiently running through a mixture of well-prepared and improvised routines while audience members tried to work out what their role was in the scenario. Bean bags were dotted around and provided comfortable vantage points for the primarily Russian audience. For an experienced comedy audience the surreal nature of the surroundings – including the bean bags and a lack of alcohol – were tranquil rather than uncomfortable. Temporary venues often have their own quirks but these performers were like old hands, putting themselves and the audience quickly at ease. Their more regular bar-based venue makes for a rowdier, slightly more alcoholic alternative experience. One of the most difficult aspects of stand-up comedy is being able to cater for your audience. When

that audience is predominantly Russian and the level of English is mixed, there needs to be a way of gauging exactly how high to pitch the language. This performance was constructed as an ‘English lesson’ for the masses, with Ivan compering and warming up the crowd with titbits of linguistic fun interspersed with Gleb and Cristiano delivering full-scale routines. The approach worked well, the members of the audience increased their levels of response as the evening progressed and some people even chipped in with their own remarks. I suppose the polite nudge of ‘This is just like communism. We’re all in in together’ was just enough to spur on the crowd into supporting the performers. So, what about the comedy itself? The highlight of Ivan’s set was most certainly dancing his way through English tenses. It’s not an easy language to learn, but robotic waiter

Community impressions crossed with a strange adaptation of something akin to your auntie doing the Agadoo apparently makes it easier. Gleb’s Australian accent has allowed him to escape his mum, the typical ‘emotional terrorist’ who worries about him leaving the safety of Moscow for the underground dog-fighting scene in London. His travelling anecdotes play well in front of a mixed nationality audience This complemented Cristiano well, the Italian influence allowing a humorous look at life in Russia from an international perspective. I found myself chuckling away, identifying with the observations and wondering in agreement: In what other country would it be acceptable for on overweight grandmother to sit in the corner of the changing rooms at the swimming pool, make you choose a password to remember so you get your clothes back safely, then watch you get changed? Is this a good addition to the Moscow nightlife? As a devotee of live comics in my pre-Moscow

days, I have missed the chance to go and laugh along at other people’s observations. We’ve all worked in offices with the wannabe comedians or silently hankered after our fifteen minutes of fame. Now there’s a platform for these small ambitions to be achieved. The raw passion of the contributors and their smattering of talent ensure that these nights will continue, grow and succeed. With more international followers and additional contributions from the bar-room comedians, the journey is sure to be full of laughs. Find out where upcoming comedy shows are going to be by checking out the schedule on www. moscowcomedybar.com or maybe check out and like the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ MoscowComedyBar.

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Contact Interdean Relocation Services T: +7 495 933 5232 E: moscow@interdean.com www.interdean.com

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Icon Painting

hilst in Moscow, you can try your hand at icon painting, but to do that you have to make the effort to respect at least the philosophy of the Russian Orthodox Church that is so clearly behind such art. I was invited to join a group of students at the studio of Vladimir Antonov in Moscow one Wednesday morning in June. Vladimir teaches icon painting according to the canons of the Prosopon School, which strives

to continue and develop ancient traditions of Byzantine-Russian icon painting of the 14-16th centuries. The Students were busy finalising their icons, which many have already taken back home with them to their respective countries. I asked Vladimir, who has been teaching icon painting for 8 years to explain the basics. “Icon Painting is directly connected with the teachings of the Russian Orthodox Church. Some of our students attend Orthodox services, others don’t.

By John Harrison

We have students from many different countries here and I don’t expect them to suddenly adopt our faith – although several students did – however I do expect them to understand and respect the basic principles of the relationship between what they are doing and the Church’s teaching, and I think that they do. “The basic idea of this art form is based on ‘canons’, which can be translated from ancient Greek as rules or decrees. Icon painting

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is a structured activity; there is a lot to learn. For us, the canons are somewhere between laws and freedom; once you have mastered the canons, you experience freedom. One of the canons concerns painting materials. We use tempera because we find it more suitable for portraying spirituality, we paint on wood, and in general we use natural materials, which is why oil paints, for example, are simply not suitable for this purpose. Icon painting is to do with painting eternal images.

Egyptian or Babylonian painters painted onto rock, because that is the hardest and longest lasting format. Icons are painted onto wood, which are painted with a special primer, which hardens it. “All students studying at our school start with the Archangel Michael. He is our friend, and when we ask for his help, he helps us. After a while, when students have gathered some experience, they are allowed to move on to painting the face of Christ, which is not something you

should take on as a novice. Painting the Archangel Michael to begin with is perfect for progressing though all the various preliminary stages. There are 22 such stages in our school of icon painting, which is about learning how to paint God in the form of man. The last stage ‘contemplation’ concludes all previous stages. Particular attention is paid to the mystical connection between light and colour in the creation of icons. Icons are more than just painting; they can be read, like the Bible. This is an open ended course.”

Contact the IWC if you wish to join the icon-painting group. Web site of the Prosopon School of Icon Painting: http://www.prosoponschool.org/index.html

Community From which animal do we make Roquefort cheese? Which tennis player holds the record for most aces served in match? Which two countries in South America do not share a border with Brazil? The oldest and youngest US presidents were inaugurated exactly 20 years apart - who were they? What was the name of the candlestick in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast? ‘It was a bright, cold day in April and the clocks were striking thirteen’ is the opening line of which novel?

Ye Great Pub Quiz comes to Moscow!

on’t sit at home on the Internet any more, go to pub quiz! Ha ha! No chance, we are in Moscow! Thanks to Londoner Jack Chapman who moved here a couple of years ago, you can now go to a pub quiz in Moscow. Jack usually holds his quizzes at The Standard Bar. Entrance fee is all of 150 roubles. There were about 80 people at the one I went to, and it was great to see the mostly expat crowd frowning, scribbling frantically on pieces of paper, whilst getting fairly drunk. Jack used to do quizzes in London: “I couldn’t find anything like this is Moscow, and I thought it’d be nice to do this here.” About 60% of the audience are expats, which helps make the evenings swing along, as despite what we say about the universality of culture, many of the native audience are perplexed by all but the most obvious questions. ”Russians find it a bit baffling at times” commented Jack. “The expats get the point, which is to socialize with friends whilst doing something other than just drinking. I do make a point in making the questions as non-English as possible. Tonight, for example, there is an Australian guy fielding the questions, so there won’t be niche questions about what happened in East Enders last week or something like that. Often we make an effort to put Russian questions in to draw in the Russian crowd a bit more.” Jack has already organized 15 quizzes over the last year and from the autumn says he will be organising events every two weeks. For anybody wishing to find out more, look up Pub Quiz in Moscow on fb:

https://www.facebook.com/ groups/283904755131805/?fref=ts Answers: Sheep, John Isner, Ecuador and Chile, JFK and Ronald Reagan, Lumiere, 1984

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By John Harrison and Kim Waddoup

Gorky Park W

hatever oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s views of Russia are: whether you love it, hate it, have a love-hate relationship or are simply indifferent, there are some things that are difficult to deny

have been done pretty well here. One of them is Gorky Park. We took a walk with Maria Ivanova, one of the parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s managers and asked here to tell us more about this piece of urban horticultural planning.

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How to get there. Gorky Park: Brown Metro Park Kultury or Oktyabaskaya Metro Stations Vorobyuvy Gory: Metro to Vorbyovy Gory or Universitet (Red line), cycle along the river, or by car: park near the University, Neskuchny Sad: walk from Sparrow Hills, Gorky Park or the Academy Of Sciences. Orange Metro Leninsky Prospect (by Gagarin), or walk through Gorky Park through to the gardens. As we walked past the main gates, Maria outlined the park’s history: “In 1928, the basis for Gorky Park as we know it today was constructed after an agricultural exhibition that was held here in 1923. The main entrance was built in 1955, but it has never been open to the public before June of this year. Now we have a museum there and an 18 metre high viewing point, which gives you a pretty amazing view of Moscow. The park has expanded since then and now includes Neskuchny Sad, which used to be a residency and grounds for aristocrats, then the grounds of the Golytsin hospital, and a vast new area in Vorobyovy Gory which we are actively improving now. “The park has been going through a process of renovation since 2011, and work is on-going. The central part of the park has changed considerably from what it was in 1990s, when entrance was not free like it is now. Four years ago the whole concept was changed, and work began. The concept for the present layout of the park was developed by LDA Design from London.” Passing one of the yoga centres (there are no specially designed yoga centres in the Park but there are places where yoga classes are being held as well as other activities), we asked Maria about the number of visitors and the people who organise events and classes in the park. “14 million people visited last year, up from 2 million in 2010” Maria said. “The park is used by a huge variety of groups, from yoga schools to Moscow University’s School of Journalism. We welcome ideas for events. Basically when somebody comes up and says: ‘I want to do an event’, we meet with them and engage our own team of creative people, who help them put it together, because it has to follow the concept of the park. It can’t be too commercial, it has to be educational, cultural, interesting, and appeal to people of all ages. The park is for everybody, but we don’t let people come here and simply to promote their business.”

As we turned a corner, we came up to the Golytsin Pond, which, like everything here, has its own legend, which Maria told us about: “The Bolshoi Theatre used to perform Swan Lake on the island in the middle of the pond. We would love to invite the Bolshoi back to do the same thing again, but we can’t because in the mean time, a lot of birds and animals have made their nests and homes on the island. It is their home, not ours”. Then on to the rose gardens. We couldn’t help wondering why people don’t steal the roses, something we asked Lidia, the park’s Chief Landscape Architect, and she told us that the public seems to have changed quite a lot since Soviet times, that “there seems to be a lot more respect”. Lidia filled us in on some horticultural details: “The park’s 40 gardeners, apart from planting flowers, tending to the flower beds, and keeping the paths clean, planted about 500,000 plants last year; about 300 different sorts in all. That’s a LOT of plants, but down from the millions that were planted here each year in the 1950s when riverside areas were ‘blanketed’ in flowers. Some 70 to 80 different species are cultivated in the park’s own greenhouses up near Neskuchny Sad. The overall horticultural plans of the park are approved by the Moscow city Government. The decision to plant patches of purple flowers, not yellow ones when coming into the park from a particular entrance, is that important. The park’s gardeners have their own favourite plants; for example, the park’s very own roses, which are prize winners in international horticultural exhibitions.” After Lidia mentioned Soviet Times, the thought came to us that maybe the park is a sort of barometer of the times. So you see the park as being the new face of Russia?, we asked Maria. “Definitely, in the past, Gorky Park was a reflection of the notion of a socialist ‘city of the future’. People in Soviet times lived in pretty awful conditions, and they came to the park and went on rides. Even the toilets were better than the toilets that they had at home. There

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The Garazh Musuem of Contemporary art is now located in a new dedicated building. Their English language website is: http://garageccc.com/en Gorky Park’s English language website is: https:// www.park-gorkogo.com/eng/about/

are listening, and the visitors, not to mention the park, I think, is responding.”

were places to dance, play chess, do sports like ice-skate in the winter, there was even a special parachute-jumpingtraining-place. In the 1990s it was a dangerous place, like the rest of Russia, it really was. The rides were actually pretty reckless. There were a lot of cheap and nasty food outlets around and so on. The new park is a combination of well looked after gardens and the wild forest areas of Neskuchny Sad and Vorobyovy Hills. You can bring your dog here, you can’t light open fires and do barbeques, but a big welcome if you want to hang out on the hundreds of benches, bean bags and have a picnic. We have no intention of cutting down trees, we want to accentuate and develop what is already here. Now Russia is going though more changes, and so is the park; we have the best modern art here, we have great audience participation and a lot of experimentation. Yes, in many ways, this park represents the new face of Russia. We don’t care what language you speak, what your politics are, basically we just want you to have a good time, that’s what we care about.” “How do you know what people feel about the park who come here?,” was our final question. “We have social networks, which put us in direct contact with visitors. Somehow we do get to hear what people like and don’t like. We are constantly tweaking things. We have free WiFi now, and a new website is going up shortly which will have a section for non-Russian speakers. Basically, we

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Moscow Photo Walks Photos by David Mercer

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re you tired of doing the same thing every weekend? Do you like spending time with friends and meeting new people? Do you have an interest or want to learn more about photography? Do you like to travel and experience new things? If you said yes to any one of those questions then Moscow Photo Walks is a club for you. Moscow Photo Walks is a club for adventuress people who love to travel, meet and socialize with all types of people who also have some type of interest in photography. We meet every weekend in different locations throughout the city and go for walks exploring and making photographs of the local environment. For example, one of our walks was from Gorky Park to Moscow State University. In addition to the photo walks, we also have monthly excursions outside the city. These excursions are either one-day trips to a location near Moscow or an overnight trip to a Golden Ring City. Our last one-day trip was to Pereslavlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Zalesskiy. Pereslavlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;-Zalesskiy is a beautiful city located about 2.5 hours from Moscow with many notable architectural highlights and museums. Moscow Photo Walks is a club for everyone, whether you want to travel, improve your photographic skills, or just socialize and explore the country we live in. It is easy to get involved so if you would like to join us on one of walks or excursions just go to our Facebook page to check our schedule of upcoming events. https://www.facebook.com/ groups/moscowphotowalks/

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By Luc Jones

S LYOKHKIM PAROM!!

etting naked, hot & sweaty with other men (or women if are a lady) at first might not sound like your idea of fun but you can’t say that you’ve really ‘done’ Russia unless you’ve experienced a visit to a

banya. On the surface it is basically a bath house but the whole process is taken seriously, yet at the same time it’s harmless fun even if it doesn’t always feel like it at the time. Think of it as a bit of bonding session, but it’s certainly something you won’t forget in a hurry!

In Russia, the banya is very much a ritual although its origins stretch back centuries, to the days when bathing as we know it did not exist. Nowadays it is much more of a pastime yet traditions are maintained so it’s useful to familiarise yourself with what

Feature you are about get yourself in to. Essentially you will enter a hot, steaming room, work up a sweat and then wash it off with cold water, but as you will see, there is much more to it than just an old-fashioned way of keeping yourself clean. For starters, a banya can range from a small, wooden shed in the country for just a few, close friends to a huge, ornate building which can accommodate dozens of people, such as the famous Sanduny (see contact details below). You will need a few items to make your experience complete, although these can be purchased or rented at the higher-end places; if going to a banya at somebody’s dacha, check if these will be provided although many shops in Moscow sell the basics. Generally you pay an entry fee which allows you two hours, although you can add on additional hours if you’re not ready to leave. Many banya frequenters wear a

felt hat which helps to protect your ears from the extreme heat – you will strip off completely and head into a room where the temperature is close to 100C, so slipping on a pair of flip-flops is a wise move. As is a cloth sheet to wear around your waist if you’re a little shy although it then doubles up into a mat to sit on once inside although some opt to stand; you don’t need a degree in physics to quickly realize that warm air rises so the higher up you are, the hotter it gets. And the longer you stay in the sweatier you become, although hardcore banya aficionados can be seen beating each other with birch branches, called a ‘venik’ which improves the circulation, apparently. Water will periodically be poured onto the hot stones to create additional steam, and eucalyptus is occasionally added for a more authentic smell, and don’t be surprised if one of the more experienced participants starts

to wave a towel around to spread the heat. Once you reach the stage when your body cannot stand any more heat, you exit the banya, and into a cold pool to wash off all the sweat. Depending on how sophisticated your banya is, this could be anything from a large swimming pool to a pond in the garden, and if you really want to show off in winter months, you can roll around in the snow although this is best done after a few vodka shots. On the subject of refreshments, you won’t be surprised to hear that there is often some alcohol involved after you’ve rinsed off sweat off yourself. Most public banyas will have a small café or shop selling beer, soft drinks and snacks although the swankier the venue, the better the fare (Sanduni boasts an extensive menu, featuring Russian, Georgian and Uzbek cuisine, plus an assortment of beverages from draught beer to vodka, cognac & champagne). Then it’s back in for another round of banya, a ritual which will be repeated several times until you’re ready to keel over! Unless you are lucky enough to have your own banya (or visit someone who does), or rich enough to rent out the entire premises, it’s likely to be a same-sex affair but it’s all completely innocent. Please don’t even think about packing that tube of KY jelly (if you’re that way inclined), but do bring along some soap, shampoo and a towel for showering at the end. Banyas are generally geared towards men but ladies can enjoy them too; Sanduny has a separate female section. If you only learn one banya-related phrase, it has to be ‘S lyokhkim parom’ (which very roughly translates as ‘I hope the steam goes easy on you’)!

Sandunovskaya Banya (typically shortened to just ‘Sanduny’) is centrally located, just off Ul. Neglinnaya D14 (nearest metro is Kuznetsky Most) – the website www.sanduny.ru is in Russian only but has picture of what you are getting yourself into (as well as the magnificent interior).

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‘In the Name of St Andrew’ Russia’s forgotten Revolution

by David Armstrong

How a fascination with a portrait of a ‘woman in black’ in a Moscow hotel led to uncovering the stirring story of how a few Scots and English families living in Moscow led a dramatic, and very British revolution in the Russian textile industry.

had been in the habit of spending my frequent Moscow week long visits at the Marco Polo Presnya Hotel for over a year when I started to take a closer interest in a lady’s portrait which hangs in the hotel lobby and in a number of the guest rooms. I experienced the increasingly strong sensation that this lady had a story to tell. The hotel’s guest handbook identified her as a Scottish widow, Jane McGill, as a result of whose generosity the original building had been constructed as a residence for British governesses before the Revolution. After my initial enquiries about the picture at the hotel reception failed to bear fruit, I was particularly keen as a Scot to try to find out more about this mystery benefactress, and about the early history of the building, which still bears a frieze above the entrance with the words ‘St Andrew’s House’, and the crests of Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales. My research into the painting disappointingly revealed that the charming subject was in fact a copy of an original painting of a 19th century French countess, and for a while I began to despair, but after being invited to attend a music concert there, I turned my attention to St Andrew’s Church in Voznesensky Pereulok, where the trail began to warm up, as it became

clear that this was the undoubted hub of the pre-revolution British community. After nearly six months following up various sources in Moscow and the UK, with the support and encouragement of the British Chaplain, Clive Fairclough, the picture gradually took shape of how Jane’s husband Robert McGill (they were married in Edinburgh in 1862, Jane’s maiden name was Hastie) and his business associate, a German entrepreneur named Ludwig Knoop, became pioneers in bringing the advanced Lancashire cotton manufacturing technology to Russia, first working with Savva Morozov at his Nikolsk mill in Orekhovo-Zuyevo, which led to them effectively becoming the exclusive intermediaries for Russia - planning, constructing, equipping and even funding over 200 mills both in the Moscow area and across the country, eventually accounting for over a third of the entire Russian factory workforce by the turn of the century, and helping Russia become the world’s 4th cotton textile The Morozov cotton mills at Zuyevo-Nikolsk

manufacturer all within 4 decades. As my own great grandfather had been a prominent 20th century cotton wholesaler in Glasgow, these discoveries whetted my appetite to dig deeper. It turned out that the McGill family also came from Glasgow, with a background in spinning and weaving. Robert’s father and uncle had moved to Moscow in the 1840’s as mill managers, when Sir Robert Peel’s government repealed the punitive export controls on British cotton manufacturing technology. Robert himself was sent to Lancashire as a young man to learn about the latest technology with De Jersey of Manchester and Platts of Oldham, the leading manufacturer of cotton technology, and this is where he met German entrepreneur Ludwig Knoop, who had spotted the opportunity, and made his first foray into the Russia textile market at the early age of 19. They became partners, and when Knoop moved back from Moscow to Germany in 1860, Robert took his place as the face of British cotton mill technology. In contrast , Jane’s family originally came from the Scottish Border country, in the small town of Yetholm, Roxburghshire. Her uncle was a well known preacher in the Free Church of Scotland. However the Hastie family had a long association with Russia (Jane and her 8 siblings

Feature were all born in Moscow and baptized at the British Chapel in Voznesenskaya) which stretched back to the 18th Century, when William Hastie (Vasily Geste in Russian) had risen to become a leading national urban planner under Catherine the Great, and her father’s family were also coachmakers in India and Russia. After the wedding Robert and Jane set up house in Spiridonovka in Moscow, taking as Russian names Roman Romanovich and Evgenia Ivanovna MakGill.

Smiths, also from Glasgow) of the Presnya boiler works. After Robert’s death in 1893, his widow Jane began to make a series of generous gifts to the British church, community and the wider Moscow community. In 1894, a new residence for the Chaplain was opened which she dedicated to Robert, who had been very active in church life –he was the principal donor of funds to construct the present church opened in 1885. In 1902, she funded an almshouse for widows and orphans at 6 Gospitalnaya Ulitsa, and in 1904, St Andrews House itself in Spiridonevsky Pereulok (now Marco Polo hotel), built by the British architect William Walcott, who was also engaged as architect for the Metropol Hotel at this time.

Ulitsa Spiridonovka at the turn of the century, showing the McGill’s house to the left, and the recently built Morozov mansion.

Lancashire was the powerhouse of the cotton industry in Britain, with famous names like Arkwright, Hargreaves, Kay and Cartwright developing the cotton manufacturing technology which facilitated the Industrial Revolution. Platts of Oldham were the leading suppliers of manufacturing equipment, and during the course of the 19th Century, Russia rapidly became their largest export market. Savva Morozov (grandson of the founder of Nikolsk) himself came to study in Manchester in the 1880s after completing his course at Cambridge. A few Lancashire families, like the Charnocks (who introduced football to their Russian workforce to reduce alcoholism) and the Hodsons, joined the McGills in migrating to Russia in the mid 19th Century. All became prominent members of the St Andrews Church community in Moscow, along with Messrs Muir & Merrilees (Scots who built the prestigious department store later to become TsUM), and the

St Andrew’s House in 1908. Its doors opened for the first time on Halloween 1904, and it was designed to provide reasonably priced accommodation for around 30 British and American governesses, each with a suite of two rooms. Its success however led to rooms being partitioned to accommodate more young women, and at one stage bathrooms were in use as bedrooms!

St Andrews 1884

There was great demand for rooms at St Andrew’s right up to the time of the 1917 Revolution, after which the building was seized by the Bolsheviks. Jane stayed on the house in Ulitsa Spiridonovka right up to

Robert mcgill tomb vvedensky

the revolution, with her brother Charles and sister Rachel taking up residence in the neighbouring house on one side, and Savva Morozov’s imposing gothic mansion being constructed during 1894-8 after Robert’s death on her other side. The latter mansion is said to have provided the inspiration for Margarita’s house in Bulgakov’s Master and Margarita. Both Jane and Charles tragically perished in the aftermath of the revolution, when their houses were requisitioned and they were evicted in the middle of the particularly harsh winter of 1919. However Jane’s younger sister Rachel managed to get on the last train out of Moscow to St. Petersburg and Finland, and I stumbled on the passenger manifest for a small British steamer called the ‘Tagus’ which carried her and the last of the ‘Refugees from Moscow’ to safety in Southampton in 1920. I recently discovered an early photograph taken in 1908 of the original St Andrew’s House in the London Metropolitan Archives, and in a unique ceremony at the Marco Polo on June 13, a framed copy was presented by the Chaplain Clive Fairclough to the hotel’s general director, following a short service, celebration and exhibition about the McGill story. David Armstrong is a business development director with Guidewire Software, based in Moscow and London.

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A celebration of

Robert and Jane McGill

arly in the morning on June the 13th , a group of Brits, Americans and Russians met at St Andrewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Church to celebrate the lives of Robert & Jane McGill, a Scottish couple who were among the most prominent and active members of the British community in Moscow during the second half of the 19th C through to the revolution. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largely thanks to Robert that the

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magnificent St Andrew’s Church in Vosnesensky Pereulok was funded and built, and Jane, after his death, was the benefactress of the parsonage, and St Andrew’s House for governesses (now the Marco Polo Hotel), and a number of other buildings and projects designed to help the sick or poor in Moscow. Robert McGill personally played a pivotal role in facilitating the initial development, modernization and growth of the whole Russian textile industry, and was a close associate of the Russian Morozov family, including Savva Morozov. Unfortunately, much of the memory of the McGills’ huge contribution to their adopted city and country was lost in the aftermath of the Bolshevik Revolution, and ultimately Jane’s own life and that of her brother Charles. After hymns and prayers at the Church, the group left to pay their respects and lay flowers on the McGill’s grave in Vvedenskoe Cemetery, where a short remembrance service was held. Following a short walking tour of the Spiridonovka neighbourhood, where the families lived, the group were then joined by a piper from the Moscow Pipe Band, who escorted them to a commemorative reception and exhibition at the Marco Polo Hotel, which was originally built by Jane McGill as a residence for English speaking governesses in Moscow.

• No membership fees • Selective multi-national audience • Unlimited beer, wine and soft drinks • Quality food • Professional name badges • Calm atmosphere for successful networking • Entry Price R.4,500 per person NightFlight Bar & Restaurant is an excellent, central location offering ample space to meet, network and do business. Sponsorship packages available, please ask for details. Register on-line at www.MoscowexpatLife.ru/networking Contact Kim Waddoup on kim@aigroup.ru or call: +7 495 777 2577

moscow networking st! a t it s b e

Feature By Nikita

Soviet

Nostalgia

am in the centre of Moscow, at Petrovich – a fake club attended by genuine nostalgic Soviets. As the song Evenu Shalom Aleichem, (a Jewish anti-war song hit from the mid-70s), starts up, I start dancing and singing the refrain loudly, but within, my heart sinks. Here we go then, we have something in common... but who are these nostalgic Russians? I see people between 50 and 70 years old, who miss the Brezhnev period, from the mid-sixties to the early eighties and have replaced those who can remember the Stalinist era who are far less numerous and well advanced in age. But the question arises, how can one have nostalgia for a time when there was no freedom of expression, no travel abroad, with so many things missing? Nostalgia is everywhere in Russia – on television, in books, on the internet you can almost smell it. It pervades everything. I read in a newspaper: ‘We were stronger, we travelled in space, the stars of the ballet were dancing, to some extent we lived more simply, a happier life in which we dreamed of a slice of bread but were happy with fresh air’. However, I feel that this sense of nostalgic pride of the ‘Soviet Grandeur’ is strengthening in today’s Russia – stressed by recent political and economic tensions, together with memories of innocence, youth and simplicity. Oleg, (55) tells me ‘We had guarantees, we worked and we knew what we would earn at the end of the month. The prices were the same for a very long time, in all stores and across the Soviet Union: white bread 13 kopecks (cents rouble), whole wheat bread 9 kopecks, piroshki, with cabbage, 5 kopecks, with Jam 5 kopecks, with meat 10 kopecks.’ I press him, “and for 1 kg of potatoes?’ ‘10 kopecks and 20 kopecks for milk, 3 roubles per kg, 1 kopeck for a matchbox.” While I listen to Oleg’s instant recall, I reflect that in the future it will be impossible to remember today’s prices of consumer goods. The era of Brezhnev thus offered a sheltered life, full of security, innocent and genuine, but nevertheless recorded in history as the ‘era of stagnation.’ This nostalgia was born at the fall of the Soviet Union in response to the economic and cultural chaos of the time. Consolation was then cultivated by television channels as Nostalgiya that showed old movies and reruns of Soviets news, by books that reflected on the memory of the USSR, like Namedni (‘Not long ago’) by Parfenov, recalling its majesty and glory. Even Putin, recognising in this nostalgia an important electoral tool, reintroduced the

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old Soviet anthem, the military flashes with the red star, the red victory flag in the Russian army and even Cheburashka, a cartoon character, that has been the mascot of the Russian Olympic team. All of this Soviet endoskeleton is still reflected in today’s Russian society, with its political, military and police structure, the social policy, the education system, the health care network and the state bureaucracy (the boundless love for rubber stamps!). Meanwhile, as opposed to cynicism and consumerism that plagues new Russian society, nostalgia has evolved into nostalgia for Soviet feelings, a search for spiritual and emotional values, for solidarity. Such regret for a lost past, now stripped of ideology but steeped in memory and more recently in pride has provided a wonderful opportunity for the development of the ‘marketing of nostalgia’. This is inspired and is supported by vintage fashion, and which has encouraged countless ersatz restaurants, like the Pavillon, the Kvartira 44, the Stolovaya No. 57, the latter a perfect replica of the Soviet canteens, or clubs as the Petrovich, the Zhiguli, the Glavpivtorg where you can taste ‘real’ Soviet dishes like the salad komunalka (apartment shared by several families in the Soviet era). This trend has gone beyond restaurants and clubs, and embraced many sectors. There are retro Gastronomes (Soviet large food shops) like Gastronome No.1, Soviet music in the GUM Department Store and advertisements in Soviet-style posters in the subway. The restaurant Chaikhona No.1 has even put in place a system of badges for the waiters accompanied by the slogan: ‘You have earned for how you have worked!’ Moral: While dancing among the tables to the music of the 1970s and 1980s, I perceive that modern Russian nostalgia is for their past youth, just as mine is, with the difference that my memories of youthful joy are not ‘located’ in Soviet times. Their longing coincides with a yearning for the their past youth and for the relatively protected life of late socialism, -- in some ways, two sides of the same coin. The lion’s share of this ‘marketing of nostalgia’ is the return to Soviet packaging for consumer products,

especially food, because in Soviet times, as Svetlana, (53) told me: ‘There were few products but they were very good, especially the milk, butter and cheese.’ The food products of the Soviet era are becoming the symbol of forgotten quality, of natural flavours and perhaps even of national pride, given modern Russian sanctions against the import of foodstuffs from abroad. In Soviet times, the price of products were known to everyone because of the scarcity of those very same products and a lack of inflation. Today a new line of ice creams has been launched on the market which has kept the old names of Eskimo or Plombir and in their

‘To join or host the Moscow Good Food Club please contact Kim Waddoup on publisher@MoscowexpatLife.ru

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packaging are priced as they were in the past: 11 kopeek, kopecks, or 48 kopeek. These ice creams are proving universally popular -- the nostalgics because they can taste their memories, while the young… well, the young just like the taste of ice cream. Ekaterina, (66), explains this nostalgic feeling in more depth: “There was a less individualistic atmosphere, a more collective spirit, more solidarity, more friendship among people and less criminality”. Because, as Olga, (45) pointed out: “The State was atheist, but human values were practically identical to the morals that religions taught”. At that time these concepts were also promoted on the packaging and proof of this, survives today in the shape of a well-known Russian cheese with the same packaging and the same name -- Friendship. Cheese appears to be dominating nostalgia based food products as a chocolate covered cheese (yes – really) is called Nostal’giya. Nothing subtle there then. However, Ekaterina recalls more humdrum memories: “There was nothing exciting in collecting old newspapers and magazines, taking them for weighing and getting in return a coupon to get a new book. I remember that I would take the novels of Maurice Druon, on the stories of the Kings of France”. Just for an instant, she smiles and adds: “Of course it was fun!” Here is the power of nostalgia and how it brings lumps to the throat – they assault you right when you do not expect or want. Ekaterina continues: “Nostalgic people are people who feel sorry for themselves, who have no personal initiative. Before they could blame the Government, today only themselves”. Olga says: “One of the problems with being nostalgic is economic. At that time there was the myth of the West. Today, for those in need, the era of gold was to be found in the Soviet period.” Oleg, adds: “My parents were earning 500 roubles per month, which was a lot of money then and in the 1980s the government gave us a nice apartment. Before I could travel around the Soviet Union, today I can’t afford even Bulgaria”. And

Ekaterina urges: “Life was cheap – food and bills, but clothing could be expensive and not nice, it was not fashionable. Even those who could shop in the Beriozka (stores for privileged people) were regrettably suffering the same fate. Sure, with their shoes they were showing themselves not to be just anybody, but perversely in those shops there was even less choice because many ‘nicer and more expensive’ models of shoes could only be found in two different colours. To be different we had to use ingenuity and seamstresses”. In contrast, despite literary, theatrical, musical and film censorship, there was a flourishing cultural life. Oleg: “The cinema cost 10 kopecks in the morning and 40 kopecks in the evening.” Svetlana: “I could go to the theatre every night, as it only cost between 40 and 60 kopecks,” but, she adds: “How boring Soviet life was, what greyness”. Ekaterina contrasts the arts of today and yesteryear “Before, to act in a theatre, more talent and courage were needed; today perhaps more money.” It almost seems that before there was more ethics than aesthetics, now there are more aesthetics than ethics. And what about the concept of no freedom of speech? Elena, tells us: “I have nostalgia for the Soviet period only because it was the time of my youth, because when you are young, life seems so beautiful and carefree. Of that time I miss the certainty of tomorrow. In the 1970’s and 1980’s we all had some occupation, a secure salary, a house more or less suitable and so on. What is better today? Many things. Surely freedom of conscience, the possibility to go to church and to express one’s opinion without fear; to buy and read books one likes and not imposed ones that the ruling classes tell you to like; to watch movies that are most appropriate to your vision of the world.” The moral is: the same things can be seen or experienced from different angles. It is important not to discourage people who say it was nice before. But these same people should remember that nostalgia and youthfulness blurs reality.

Charity

Children’s Hospital

Fund at Speransky Pediatric Hospital № 9

he 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!

Director: Mikhail Kazbekov Address: Russian Federation, 123317 Moscow, 29 Shmitovsky projezd Phone: 8 (499) 256 64 44 (office); 8 916 117 3215 (mobile). www.childhospital.ru

• No membership fees

• Selective multi-national audience

moscow network ing ! t s e b s at i t

Education Expat Children’s Impressions of Moscow, by students of the

International School of Moscow Joseph Knight-Jones 5B, UK/South Africa I would like to explain what it is like to live in Russia. Let us start with the autumns, that are without a doubt the most magnificent in the world. I wake up to see the leaves, as golden as syrup, falling from the beautiful trees. It’s a great time for walks in the enchanted forests

as well cycling in the breath-taking parks with layers of leaves covering the concrete like a blanket Winter is, in my opinion, the best season of all. During the cold winter, there are innumerable things to do like sledging, crosscountry skiing and

ice-skating. Glide on the ice-topped paradise, and afterwards you can enjoy a nice steamy cup of hot chocolate. Some more fantastic things about Moscow are its restaurants of which there are many. My most treasured is Hatchapuri which is a

Georgian restaurant with delectable food, but I would also recommend Stolovar which is a traditional Russian restaurant with irresistible pancakes! I would definitely recommend moving to Moscow because it is a great adventure.

Alisa Sheridan, 6B, UK Hi, my name is Alisa (11 years old) and I have two nationalities: Irish and Russian. In the twisted, complicated years of my past, I have travelled and visited many countries, and lived in seven. Moscow is my favourite that I have resided in, due to the

adventures, challenges and eventful experiences I have had there. Russia is beautiful in plenty of ways. The landmarks steal people’s eyesight. Nights in the town bring wonderful sunsets, and city lights shine to citizens’ dreams.

Stunning monuments located in natural parks attract both residents and tourists every day. Weather is miraculous here! Winter – snow, spring – flowers, summer – heat, autumn – orange. So why am I here? My dad’s job. He works non-

stop and success is ahead. My family (my mum and dad, my sister and I) all prefer Moscow since my mum’s grandparents and cousins, who we are fairly close to, live here. Also, we love the culture. All in all, Moscow’s terrific!

Mia Zeppenfeldt, 5A, UK/Dutch Hi, my name is Mia, I am 10 and I am an expat child living in Moscow. Even though I am only 10 years old, I have already lived in a lot of countries; the Netherlands, the UK, Bahrain, and eventually Russia. I love being an expat

child as I love travelling around the world and exploring new places, so I’m reasonably adventurous. Let me tell you of my adventures of the world and what I love about Moscow. When I first came to Russia, I thought it would

be bad, bad, bad, (like I always think it will be when I approach a new country). I lose my friends and I miss the country that I lived in previously. But when I really got the hang of it, I began to think of what an experience it

The International School of Moscow Tel: + 7 (499) 922 4400

would beI suddenly began to realise that Moscow wasn’t bad at all; not at all! I was very excited to just go and live my life in this beautiful country. In summary, I love Moscow and I hope that everybody loves it like me!

Travel

Nepal Today I visited Nepal in 1972 and wanted to show my daughter the place that inspired Russian poet/rock musician Boris Grebeshnikov, artist Nicholas Roerich and countless others. We bought tickets, planning to travel around the country ourselves, and hike up into the mountains. I thought that the place couldn’t have changed that much since I was last there in the 1970s. Then the shattering news came though about the earthquake on April the 25 which killed over 9,000 people and inured 25,000. Houses collapsing like cards, disease, foreign aid unable to reach the remote villages and so on. Instinctive reaction was to cancel, but for some reason we didn’t. A few months later we thought, ‘let’s do this;’ partly in reaction to calls for foreigners to come back to Nepal. Here is a short resume of our impressions of Nepal today. Under the circumstances, I thought we’d be safer on a tour, so we opted to be chaperoned around in a car with guides, stay in reasonable hotels and not live in hostels, which at my young age would be difficult anyway. I found a tour company on the Internet that had a tour we could join that was running on the dates we had the tickets for. Three days in Kathmandu, two in the Chitwan National Park, a day at Buddha’s birthplace at Lumbini and two in the ultimate ex-hippy chill-out place next to the Himalayas at Pokhara, then back to Kathmandu. This all came to $1600 for both of us. July is in the middle of the monsoon period, but the only time work and study-wise that we could go. I was full of trepidation, but Nepal smiled on us.

By John Harrison

Travel

Tips:

Don’t ask anyone the way in Nepal by showing them a map. It is very unlikely that anybody will know where they are on the map, or that the map will even have street names on it. Don’t go to Chitwan National Park during the Monsoon period, you won’t be able to get into the park proper because the roads turn into rivers. Lumbini can be missed unless you are a Buddhist, in which case you should stay there for at least a couple of days. Seeing the birthplace of Buddha could be a truly moving experience. ATM machines can be a problem, but it is very easy to spend more than you budget because there is so much to buy and enjoy. Whatever you do, don’t drink cheap Nepalese wine.

Travel Kathmandu Kathmandu looks really ugly on the road from the airport to the centre; like a 1980s Chinese shanti town with shabby concrete prefabricated 2-5 storey buildings. I wondered if I had spent the night on an uncomfortable seat at Dubai airport on the way in vain. India, that’s what it is, I thought. Gone are At the hotel, we were told that power cuts are frequent; electricity is off for about half of the time. That’s the way things are, not because of the earthquake. Hotels have generators but the hostels don’t. You might have to face the unthinkable – living without your smart phone for a few hours at a time. Drinking water is only turned on once a week, although the hostels and hotels have their own supplies. The ubiquitous black plastic water tanks on the roofs are for storing grey water pumped up from underground, which is not clean enough to drink, but can be used for washing and cleaning purposes.

the horse drawn carts and human powered wheelbarrows, all hail to the motorcar and motorbike, to pollution and urban destruction. Our driver told us that 70% of the buildings in the city had survived the earthquake, as if that was a good thing, and that most of the buildings which came down or were severely damaged were in the city

centre, the very heart of Kathmandu, whose ancient dwellings that line narrow streets with their intricate wood carvings on the windows and gables, low doorways, interspersed with extraordinary temples, monks and other people gave the city a unique medieval atmosphere. At least that is what Kathmandu was like in the 1970s. I feared the worst.

That night we ventured deep into the badly lit, narrow streets of the centre. There was a carnival atmosphere as it was – like most days – a religious holiday. Nepal has 14 religions. So the practice of religion is not something to do with tourists (there weren’t any), this is real. About 80% of the old buildings are propped up with spindly wooden supports, the others are either completely destroyed and are now piles of rubble, with painted and carved wood sticking up into the air. Nevertheless, reconstruction work is going on, at least of the temples (there are a lot of temples) which have been allocated government money. We felt that there is enough of the 14-19th century fabric of the city centre to make Kathmandu well worth visiting, as long as the Nepalese government steps in and does something. Owners of collapsed residential buildings have so far been awarded just $200 which the government handed out 2 months after the earthquake, when the average cost of restoring an ancient property so that it at least resembles the original is very roughly $20,000 - $80,000. Another $2,000 has been promised per household, but when that money will come through is anybody’s guess. We found out the next day that at the very moment when we were wandering deeper and deeper into the old city, there was a 4.6 earthquake. We didn’t feel a thing. The guide didn’t tell us the next morning; I guess he hoped that we wouldn’t find out, me being a journalist. Circling the centre on almost all sides are areas full of hostels where

you can stay for as little as $10-$25 a night and hotels where a decent room now costs between $25 and $35 per room per night. The bars and cafes are reminiscent of the 1970s, with names like: ‘Vegetarian Revolutionary Yoga Café’ and ‘Maya Deva Hotel’, however the very few foreigners that we met were very different from those I know in the 1970s. Gone is the search for truth and in is sustainable, healthy living and great sports such as paragliding. The seekers were all unceremoniously kicked out in 1975 in a run up for a re-assertion of control by the Nepalese royal family. The total farce of the Nepalese monarchy eventually came to an end 5 years after deranged Crown prince Dipendra massacred 10 members of the royal family, including his father, the King in 2001. Dipendra apparently wasn’t too pleased about who his parents wanted him to marry, at least that is one version of events. As utterly loyal and unquestioning as Nepalese are, even they had had enough of the Royals!

The earthquake – Help but No Help The Nepalese situation provides interesting lessons in the effectiveness of charities. Foreign aid organisations have come in, and are doing valuable work. But the Nepalese we talked to complained that because most distribute aid through official channels, such help is limited in impact, something that has not got through to donors. Only person-to-person help has made a real difference, such as the work being carried out by the

Travel

Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF). The front line help they provided in the first critical days and weeks immediately after the quake, with blankets, tents and other essentials, cannot really be underestimated. They are now providing long-term support to 17,000 villagers in need, with an accent on helping to rebuild and support schools. Right now, for example, they are feeding 1,600 children per week with a commitment to spend $50,000 per year for the next three years through a ‘Food for People’ programme. Nepal will need help like this for years to come, long after the country has been replaced in our consciousness by other tragedies around the world, if that hasn’t happened already. Physical wounds are only one part of the story. Charities that understand what Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is, are few and far between. In some of the villages, like the village of Gourka, right at the epicentre of the quake, 90% of the houses were destroyed, partly because they were so badly built. “First there was a loud rumbling sound. Then the shaking started. It seemed to go on for ever.” Tika Regmi, MD of Amigo Treks, (the company that we travelled with), said. “I thought that nothing would survive. Then my father phoned and said that they were alive, and the phone went dead. 56 seconds is a very long time, we were hugging each other because even the trees were shaking. If it had lasted another 10 seconds, nothing would have

been left standing, not earthquake proof buildings, nothing.” He said. It could have been worse. In 1255, an earthquake of similar magnitude struck the country with an epicentre in almost exactly the same place in the night. A third of the population was wiped out. This time, the quake struck on a Saturday morning, which was a religious holiday meaning that most people were outside. If it had struck at night, or during the weekday when schools and colleges would have been full of students, we would probably be talking about hundreds of thousands of dead.

Religion

Nepal is fortunate in that Hinduism and Buddhism manage to coexist side by side. Three of the four mega temples in Kathmandu feature both Hindu and Buddhist temples together on the same site, which is bewildering at first. Very briefly, Hinduism, as our brilliant guide Sushma Kharel explained, stands for salvation and reincarnation, and Buddhism for realization and nirvana or enlightenment. Religious tolerance seems to be the order of the day, as in much of Asia. After death, Hindus in Kathmandu perform funeral rituals and open fire cremation beside the Bagmati river, which flows into the Holy river Ganges. The Hindu funeral pyres at Pashupati work 24 hours a day, and were incredibly busy in the weeks after the earthquake. Conveniently, there is a pre-death hospice on the territory, which is considered a sacred place for taking

one’s last breath. Open-air cremation has raised some environmental concerns, (the stench is unbearable and often body parts which are not fully transformed into ashes are dumped into the river) and the government has announced plans to introduce electric furnaces, however such modernisation plans meet stiff opposition from some Hindu ecclesiastic circles. Looking at the wider picture, urbanisation over the past 30 years has meant that Nepal’s cities have swelled by millions, because of lack of schools, infrastructure, good housing and roads, medical care and most importantly, education in rural areas. But life in the city for the new arrivals is not sweet. Prices have risen whilst wages have not. Staggering inequality means that the poor tend to remain very poor, and the traditional strong spiritual way of life so visible in the faces of beaming villagers in the mountains and in the lowland areas, does not really work in the cities. Furthermore, western culture is eroding deeper and deeper into what is left of traditional Nepalese cultural values, and there is the constant reminder of one’s own poverty in comparison to other people’s perceived happiness due to material success. Yet going back to the village is only the last resort. Many young brides persuade their husbands to move to the city, after all who wants to spend their whole life in the paddy fields. Once the children start in a city school, it is virtually impossible for the family to move back.

Travel The tour company we used: Amigo Treks & Expedition P.Ltd, www.amigotrekking.com The charity TPRF: www.tprf.org How to get there from Moscow. Fly Dubai operate flights via Dubai. Visas can be obtained at the airport in Kathmandu for $30. Despite all of that, we didn’t meet any atheist Nepalese. We had a great evening flicking from one TV station to another after visiting the birthplace of Buddha in Lumbini. There are two government stations then an array of spiritual stations, for example: ‘Golden Eye Television,’ ‘Sagarmatha (Your Third Eye) Television,’‘Peace TV (Shakti),’ and so on. Religions compete with each other for your attention, although Nepalese don’t look at it that way. Lumbini, the birth place of Buddha, is a kind of Buddhist ВДНХ. Instead of palaces to Soviet Agriculture, Soviet Cosmology and so on, we have huge and incredibly beautiful temples to Buddha built as donations by various countries. The amount of money that was spent there, must make a few even devout Buddhists wonder if the money could perhaps be better spent improving the country’s infrastructure. The place is like a visitation from another planet, and far away from any major city. More representative of the true state of Buddhism in Nepal are the poor Tibetans who live in the large Tibet refugee Camp in Pokhara.

Pokhara

If you want to hang out on a beach, go hang gliding, which my daughter had a fantastic time doing, meet the cool people, drink chai from a view point high up in the mountains at 6 am and watch the sun rise over the Himalayas, go straight to Pokhara. What more can I say?

Prices

Prices are certainly lower than in most western countries, but they are not that low. When a bottle of beer costs £2, and a meal for 2 with drinks costs £12, we found ourselves eating and drinking more. A lot more. You have to be non-human not to splurge on gifts such as mandalas, beads, wood carvings, traditional clothing items and any of the millions of exquisite hand made goods on sale. Budget for at least $50 a day just for shopping which in Nepal feels like an awful lot, because one is aware that Nepalese who earn an average of $200 a month go to their places hidden round the back where prices are at least 50% cheaper. You can get an idea of just how high the difference is by bargaining and realising just how far traders are prepared to drop their prices. We were advised to start off at 50% of the asking price.

Serious stuff

Nepal is landlocked, being 1,100 km from the nearest sea, and has a population of 27.5 million, who live in a territory a little larger than England between high

mountains. The country is one of the world’s poorest with virtually no economy to speak of. Nepal cannot feed itself, and has to rely on major imports for staple foods from neighbouring India. Nepalese say the problem is politics. These people are clever, noble and hard working. Being religious and successful isn’t an issue. Endemic corruption amongst government officials is. India is often used as a scapegoat, there is a feeling that India has a strong influence on Nepalese politics, coupled with accusations that neighbouring countries wish the country to remain poor for geopolitical and economic reasons, such as the fact that Nepal is a great source of cheap labour. We realised just how turbulent the situation is when we were unexpectedly held up for a few hours when travelling along the incredibly beautiful mountain passes on the road from Lumbini to Pokhara. The Maoist party, which almost took over the country at one stage, had decided to hold a general strike, in connection with very slow moving constitutional reforms. Reassuringly, our driver said: “we should be alright, they are only stopping cars and throwing bricks at them, nothing serious”. Nothing happened, but… Many good things have also happened in Nepal. Last year the vast 360 sq. mile Chitwan National Park; a previous royal hunting ground, which we visited, declared that for the first time ever, it had had a poacher free year, largely due to the efforts of the Nepalese army. The earthquake is in a sense bringing the Nepalese together in a way that has never happened before. The process of change will accelerate, there is hope. Me and my daughter had an incredible, profound time in Nepal. Next time I’ll be in the mountains.

Health

TRENDING

HEALTH

MATTERS

– seeing the risks and making informed choices By Lucy Kenyon, Specialist Public Health Nurse SCPHN, M. Med.Sci., RGN.

E-CIGARETTES / E-SHISHA (electronic hookahs)

e all know that the Italians lead the way in healthy diets, but in this Mediterranean focussed issue of MEL, Lucy Kenyon explores one of the less healthy lifestyle choices from that region – smoking, and the new trend of using smoking e-cigarettes, as this is something that is now catching on in Russia. In the majority of Mediterranean countries more than 45% of men and up to 15% of women are smokers. 15 was the average age for starting smoking1. Since Moscow introduced the smoking ban in public places, it is inevitable that smokers in Moscow will turn to the new electronic alternatives aka electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS); either to replace their cigarettes or in an attempt to follow the health advice to cut down or give up. 1 2 3

The commercial picture E-cigarettes were introduced to the world market by the Chinese in 2007. Since then sales have skyrocketed. Reuters report that despite the push for tighter regulation sales of ENDS remain in the $billion worldwide, and are still growing faster than for most consumer goods2. UK health regulators are also saying that all e-cigarettes have to be licensed as medicines by 2016. The Guardian recently reported how a global tobacco company’s share values rose following its deal to sell its e-cigarettes in a national pharmacy outlet. The smoking awareness group ASH reported in 2013 that ENDS use increased from 2% to 12% in over 2 years in the UK alone3.

Marketing and propaganda – the oxymoron There is great debate about the relative merits of electronic

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10524592 http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/09/12/us-tobacco-ecigarettes-insight-idUKKBN0H711I20140912 http://www.uel.ac.uk/wwwmedia/schools/psychology/research/drugs/ecigarette-lecture_Dawkins.pdf

cigarettes, e-shisha and other new products over conventional cigarettes. Although some e-cigarettes look like tobacco products e.g., cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, pipes, hookahs, or shishas (electronic hookahs), they may be produced in the form of everyday items that are attractive to younger people, such as pens, USB memory sticks or larger cylindrical or rectangular devices, with attractive and healthy looking packaging. Indeed, this is a very real problem; attracting non-smoking teenagers to the products back here in the UK.

Target markets There are clear parallels with the introduction and marketing of ‘Alcopops’. The Director of Campaigns at Alcohol Concern, reflected that ‘Alcopops’ of the 1990s appeared to be a cynical attempt to recruit younger drinkers; especially at a time when the industry saw that they weren’t getting the normal flow

Health of drinkers coming through. They too were also particularly marketed towards young women, who are now drinking at historically high levels. The Glasgow Centre for Population Health found that those born in the 1970’s, the number of alcohol-related deaths in women has increased compared with previous generations.

What about the children? In 2009, WHO reported that nearly 20% of teenage boys use tobacco and 22% of European women (the highest percentage worldwide) were smoking.

An increasing number of girls aged 13-15 is particularly worrisome. These children’s vital organs are still developing and this group were also found to be using tobacco at higher rates than women aged 15 and older4. The decision by manufacturers to license their products as medical devices will only confuse young people further about the health risks.

The health insurance picture: 90% of 151 life underwriters said they consider an e-cigarette user a smoker, according to a May 2014 survey by Munich American Reassurance Co. Health insurance application forms ask: ‘Do you use tobacco products?’ Insurers add a premium to customers who use tobacco products. The charge can cost up to an extra 50% of a client’s premium5. If you are a former cigarette smoker, who quit via e-cigarettes and no longer use tobacco, be careful before ticking ‘no’. If you test positive for nicotine, which is what the insurance company uses to make a tobacco determination,

you will invalidate your policy. At the moment, only Prudential will allow non-smoker rates for e-cigarette use. ENDS are being aggressively marketed in formats that are attractive to young people in the same way as ‘Alcopops’ were in the early 90’s; and this gives me a very real concern for their future health choices. We won’t really know until The World Health Organization (WHO) completes its review of the existing evidence around ENDS later this year. Public health England states ‘The emergence of electronic cigarettes and the likely arrival of more effective nicotine-containing devices currently in development provides a radical alternative to tobacco, and evidence to date suggests that smokers are willing to use these products in substantial numbers. Electronic cigarettes, and other nicotine devices, therefore offer vast potential health benefits, but maximising those benefits while minimising harms and risks to society requires appropriate regulation, careful monitoring, and risk management.’ 6 http://www.mhra.gov.uk/Contactus/ SpecificenquiriesbyMHRADivision/Licensing/

4 http://www.who.int/gho/tobacco/use/en/ 5 http://www.stltoday.com/news/special-reports/mohealth/e-cigarettes-create-quandry-for-health-insurerspolicymakers/article_acec7ce9-c501-5cd3-ba2e-f6d71482a97f.html

TRAVEL HEALTH – REDUCING THE RISKS OF INFECTION

The recent and on-going Ebola outbreak has highlighted very real risks of transmission of infections during travel, particularly airline travel. I have covered tips in previous articles about flu and travel, but here is a quick reminder of where bugs lurk and how to avoid picking them up and leaving them behind. Hand to mouth is still the most common source of infection, and can be relatively easily managed

through good hand hygiene. Soap and water used properly kill viruses, including ebola. (http://www.nhs. uk/conditions/ebola-virus/pages/ ebola-virus.aspx)

Hand washing technique and tips: When washing your hands, remember to wash the taps with your soapy hands, so that when

you turn the taps off, you’re not reinfecting your hands with the germs already on them! Airborne infections are more easily inhaled in large numbers when blown directly into the breathing zone, so turn off the air vent above your seat in the plane. It is blowing the recirculated air containing any germs coughed or sneezed out by other passengers!

6 https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/311887/Ecigarettes_report.pdf

Retro

Moscow, December 31 1999 Frederickovich

1999 had been a truly turbulent year in Russia but none of us had foreseen today’s announcement. We had gotten together in my apartment in Moscow, a group of work colleagues foreign and Russian to have drinks, piroshky and zakusky before heading down Tverskaya towards Red Square at midnight to dodge the champanski bottles, watch the fireworks and hear the Kremlyovsky Chasy sound in the new century. I had expected the millennium bug to dominate the evening’s conversation, a number of the girls were adamant that they would not fly tomorrow as plane’s would get lost and fall from the sky but all anyone was talking of was the announcement at lunchtime by Boris Nikolayevich that he was stepping down and in the process the Prime Minister of some 5 months, the

relatively unknown Vladimir Putin, would with immediate effect become acting President. Under the Constitution this in turn started the countdown for a new Presidential election to be held within 90 days. Speculation had been rife as to who would contest the Presidential election originally set for June next year with early front runners being the respected and statesmanlike Yevgenny Primakov, fired earlier in the year from the post of Prime Minister by Yeltsin, and the effective and pragmatic Mayor of Moscow Yury Luzhkov. Now there was a third contender and one who today had received a public endorsement from the outgoing President, the first man to voluntarily transfer the leadership in Russian history albeit in return for immunity from prosecution

for himself and his family. Many Russians, particularly the working and professional classes and the elderly, were desperate for a change from the ailing Yeltsin whose policies had deprived them of their standard of living and national pride. As usual Steve was forthcoming with an opinion wrapped in an explanation and contained in a conspiracy. “You see it all fits together Mabatex and the credit card scandal, Bank of New York and the missing IMF funds, Berezoksvky, the Skuratov incident, even the Moscow bombings….” Steve paused, not from a lack of reasons but he had run out of bottles to arrange on the kitchen table to demonstrate his thinking. Some in the room scoffed, particularly my younger Russian

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Retro friends, some simply found the array of empties and accompanying arguments too obscure but Steve had recalled some alarming events of 1999. The so called Mabatex affair under the jurisdiction of the Kremlin Property Department had at the beginning of the year reached the door of the President and his daughters following a drive by Chief Prosecutor Skuratov and Swiss officials, and was now being linked to a much greater embezzlement of IMF funds sent to Russia and being laundered back through the Bank Of New York. Skuratov, who had also launched an inquest into Berezovsky accusing him of defrauding Aeroflot, had in return been dismissed following an alleged scandal in which he was supposedly filmed with two prostitutes. Berezovsky had fallen further from grace when dismissed from his post of Executive Secretary of the CIS, so losing immunity from prosecution, after criticizing the increasingly popular Primakov and was now residing in France. Primakov’s own dismissal followed shortly after the President narrowly survived impeachment proceedings by the Duma in May and he was duly succeeded by Sergey Stepashin, a former Interior Ministry Director also with a reputation for anticorruption. Unfortunately for Stepashin, newly resurgent separatist rebels in Chechnya made significant inroads and territorial gains into neighbouring Dagestan under his watch, which resulted in his downfall that August. Since then Russia had witnessed a yet bigger disaster during September with a series of deadly bombings in apartment blocks first in Dagestan but then in Moscow and Volgadonsk. Although the official line was that these were separatist terrorist attacks, there was considerable speculation in the press surrounding two unexplained events. The first was a statement read out and recorded in the Duma by Deputy Seleznov on September 14th that a bombing had just occurred in Volgadonsk. In fact no bombing had occurred, but one did take place two days later on the 16th. The Deputy subsequently refused to provide an explanation for his untimely report. Even more bizarre was an event on September 22nd in Ryazan, south of Moscow. A bus driver returning home had seen men carrying sacks into the basement of his apartment block and had called the police. They in turn mobilized a bomb squad who defused an attached timer and reported that their portable gas analyser indicated that the sacks contained Hexogen, the same explosive used in the previous bombings. “There is a common thread here you see” said Steve, positioning a newly drained piece of logic on the table, “there is one player who was at the Kremlin Property Department, who took over at the FSB when the Mabetex investigation was dropped and is now… “ before Steve could deliver his checkmate the others dragged us to our feet and urged us to grab our coats and hurry out into the cold night air. It was 23:45 and we had to get to the Square before the real fun started. A sullen Steve had the last word as we marched down Tverskaya: “I just hope no bloody airplanes fall on our heads.”

Opinion

Immigration to the UK

By Gethin Jones

Gethin Jones at the ‘Arms & Hunting’ exhibition in 2013

Are you planning to leave for the UK with your Russian wife/ husband? You might want to think again, as it is not as straightforward as you might think. Rules have changed and certain restrictions have now been placed on would be immigrants to the UK. Ex-long-term Moscow resident who many of us know though his work with the British Business Club, tells the story from his perspective, a British husband in Wales waiting for his Russian wife to arrive.

What is wrong with the present system? The UK immigration rules, as introduced by the coalition government on the 9th of July 2012 are the UK government’s attempt to reduce immigration into the UK from outside the EU (as things stand, the government can’t do much about immigration from other EU countries due to the EU’s rules about freedom of movement). The new rules mean that any UK citizen wishing to bring a spouse into the UK must meet certain criteria before their spouse is allowed to apply for a UK Settlement Visa. The rules stipulate that the sponsor must be in employment in the UK for a period of at least 6 months with a salary of not less than £18,600 per annum. If the sponsor wishes to bring a child into the UK who does not have UK or EU citizenship, then he or she would have to earn no less than £22,400 per annum and pay a further £2,400 for each additional child. The non-EU spouse must also pass an English language test before a visa application can be made. The sponsor would also have to have a minimum of £16,000 in savings, again for at least 6 months, and be able to demonstrate clearly where this money came from. Loans or gifts of money from friends or family are not allowed.

Should the sponsor have savings of £62,500 or more in their bank account, again for 6 months or longer, then the earlier financial requirements would not apply, and an application for a Settlement Visa could be made. These rules apply only to UK citizens. Anyone with any other EU nationality could bring a nonEU spouse into the UK with no hindrance whatsoever. The rules are grossly unfair in a number of ways. The minimum salary requirement of £18,600 was set at this level so that any family settling in the UK, which includes a non-EU spouse, would have no recourse to funds from the public purse. However, no account is taken of sponsors’ individual circumstances. For instance a sponsor living in rented accommodation and with credit card and/or other debts, in London or the south east of England, who would have a much higher cost of living and far less disposable income than, say, someone who lives away from the capital, where the cost of living is lower, and who owned their own house and

had no debt. The sum of £18,600 would also exclude anyone working for the minimum wage, as well as 47% of the UK working population. These immigration rules mean that around 17,800 British families are broken up every year, with families living apart, for an unknowable length of time, while they seek to resolve their individual situations and makes a complete mockery of the government’s purported support of the family and the institution of marriage. The impact on the children caught up on the fallout from these rules is incalculable, with many hundreds of children living apart from one parent, who is unable to be with them. The rules unfairly penalise UK citizens who wish to settle in the UK with their non-EU spouses and families. Other EU citizens can settle in the UK with non-EU spouses but British citizens don’t enjoy this right.

Opinion The application of the rules is often arbitrary and downright incompetent. There are many instances of sponsors’ accounts being misread or not understood by Home Office officials resulting in the rejection of perfectly valid visa applications. The immigration process is also hugely bureaucratic and increasingly expensive for sponsors. An application for a Settlement Visa costs £956 and the cost for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK has risen, in April 2015, from £1,093 to £1,500 and Naturalisation has risen from £906 to £1,005. Due to the inherent bureaucracy of the system, and the frequent recourse to using very expensive immigration lawyers, the net cost of administering and applying these rules must far outweigh any financial savings they were introduced to make.

How should immigration of spouses to the UK be organised? The first thing that should be changed with these rules is that common sense should be applied to each and every case. No account whatsoever is taken of individuals’ hugely differing financial and family circumstances. Couples who have been married for over 40 years and who have grown up children are treated in the same suspicious way, and have to answer the same invasive and personal questions as a very young couple who have just married and whose marriage is suspected to be a sham. Leeway should be given if the sponsors’ friends and family are able

to offer financial and other support for the relocating family. A proper financial account should be taken of any property owned by the sponsor, which should mitigate against the financial requirements. Consideration should be taken, and common sense used, of the reality of freedom of movement and what this means in practice for millions of British citizens who live and work overseas. People are used to traveling the world and spending long periods of their career and family life overseas and this should be reflected in any legislation covering British citizens’ desire to return to their home country together with their families. There is more often than not a presumption of guilt concerning couples and families who simply want to live together in Britain which means that they are often treated, and feel as if they are being treated, as people who are trying to circumvent the system. People who do try to cheat the system should be stopped from doing so but obviously genuine couples, who are clearly not trying to pass off a sham marriage as a genuine one, and who are clearly trying to do everything by the rules, should not have to answer ridiculous questions about a genuine relationship.

How difficult is it for you to cope and your wife to cope being alone? The UK immigration rules have turned both my wife and I, and our two daughters, into two one-parent families. We took the very difficult decision that I would live in Wales

with our elder daughter, Nina, so that she could go to a Welsh school and that my wife, Elena, would stay in Moscow with our younger daughter Alwena, until we somehow manage to resolve this situation. That was two years ago and, apart from holidays spent together, we have been split up as a family with no immediate prospect of being allowed to live together in our family home. It is ironic that the onus is on me to earn enough so that my wife and younger daughter can join me in living in our family home in Wales. As well as two part-time jobs, I also run my own company, which I started two years ago and which organises shooting and other outdoor activity holidays in Wales, the rest of the UK and Russia. To grow my business to the best of my ability, I need to be able to travel on business to other parts of Wales and the UK to host shooting parties and the like. Due to my current circumstances, I am unable to do this as it would mean leaving my 15 yearold daughter alone. We are also unable to plan anything as a family, either in the long or short term. We had always planned to leave Russia and return to live in my home town in Wales so that both our daughters could go to a Welsh school and, eventually, go to university in the UK. As things stand now, we don’t even know if we’ll be living together any time soon or where our daughters will go to school.

What is the impact on your children? This is something I fear is impossible to calculate exactly. One of my daughters lives without her mother and the other lives without her father and both live without each other and in separate households, 1,500 miles apart. This can only have a very negative effect on their wellbeing and development. We have lived apart as a family for two years, with no prospect of being reunited in the near future, and two years is a very long time indeed for two young girls, aged 11 and 15.

Sport

The Moscow

By James Goetz

Expat Football League

he Moscow Expat Football (EFL) league is now in its 11th year! For all of us, it has been a focal point of what we do outside of work here in Moscow, for our sport and our social lives. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a group of men who are older than 28 years old and who

areâ&#x20AC;Ś expats (surprise)! Our league is made up of people 38 different nationalities, a true melting pot. The new season starts this fall and any new players can write to join@ moscowfootball.com to be a part of the upcoming draft. The league is competitive and there is

a large social aspect to the league as each team forms its own club and definitely rivalries persist. Currently we have 8 clubs participating and play on Saturday afternoons at Luzhniki on a full pitch, proper 11 on 11, with referees and a cameraman filming every second to be

uploaded to YouTube later for eternity. We will play to the end of November this year no matter the weather, and will continue drinking through the winter months. Visit www.moscowfootball.com to see the videos, stats and our players and join the fun!

Sport

The Rosinka Cup

By Richard Peers

he inaugural British Football School Rosinka Cup took place on June 27th as the Rosinka Sports Centre played host to teams from the west of Moscow. This community event saw both boys and girls between the ages of 5-13 play a whole day of football and also raised money for a Mitino Detskiy Dom through the charity FlagDobra.ru Five British Football School teams were in action. BFC City, BFC Athletic, BFC Rovers, and then British Football Club’s two newest teams – BFC Vixens and BFC Union – who were both playing their in their first matches together. Tournament organiser Richard Peers from British Football School said, “it was a small but exciting tournament to be involved with. The play was fast paced and the supportive parents saw many good individual and team performances. They were treated to not only many goals but competitive football that was played in a fun and fair manner. A special mention should go to the girls’ only team BFC Vixens, who despite this being their first competitive football experience (and especially playing against the boys!!), managed to secure a draw against a stronger team from ISM Rosinka.

The tournament winners included: Division 1 – ISM Bulldogs and BFC City (joint winners) Division 2 – BFC Athletic Division 3 – ISM Bears

British Football Club has been developed from the model of a youth football club in the UK. The football club offers children aged 5 to 13 living in Moscow the opportunity to receive training from British professional throughout the 2015/16 season (August 2015 to June 2016). The club has a number of teams so that their players can play more structured football with their friends and develop their football skills and abilities against children of their own age (some age groups even have two teams). British Football Club will run a free day of training on Sunday 6th September at the International School of Moscow, Krylatskaya 12. If you would like to attend the training session then; Call: + 7 499 390 2054 Email: info@britishfootballschool.com Website: www.britishfootballschool.com

Sport

By Martin Williams

Pitch Perfect Spain Victorious in Moscow

ossession football, intricate passing and scoring beautiful goals are the modern trademarks of Spanish football teams, so when the chance to follow them up close and personal was not one to be passed up. This time, though, it was not Xavi and his famous international teammates, but the Spanish representative team at the inaugural 8x8 Cup for Embassies and Diplomatic Missions in Russia. I spent some time with captain Alejandro De Prado and his compatriots to get the rundown on playing out international football fantasies. Goals, goals, goals. The qualifying fixtures of the first weekend were

nothing if not consistent. Spain dispatched each of their opponents 3 – 0, using their awareness of colleagues and a good level of fitness to make and pick out some excellent runs. The commanding presence at the back of Oriol Ripoll, who often mopped up the opposition through balls and started successful moves himself, set the tone for the whole team. However, the star of the

“

What is a ‘perfect’ hat-trick? When a player scores three goals, one each with his left foot, right foot and head.

“

Alejandro De Prado, Spain captain: “I’d like to thank all the players and staff involved in making the teams for both weekends.”

show was Juan Lopez, whose hard work down the channels created numerous chances for himself and his teammates. Three goals, including a perfectly angled finish off the crossbar, set up the Spanish as favourites for the final stages of the tournament the following week. Having repeated their favourite 3 – 0 scoreline over Venezuela in the semi-final, Serbia were waiting for

Games played 14th and 21st June 2015

“

Juan Lopez, the tournament’s best player: “To win the inaugural tournament was a great experience and some of the teams played excellent football. It is always an honour and pleasure to represent Spain at any level of football, whether it be in the local park or for the embassy. I look forward to playing the next tournament soon and hopefully more embassies will take part.”

Spain in the final. Their experienced front line caused problems for the Spanish defence, eventually applying a sucker punch and taking the lead with a well-taken goal from the edge of the penalty area. The punishment for the Spanish profligacy in front of goal was short-lived, though, as a cool finish by Francisci Guaita into the bottom right hand corner kept the scores even going into the halftime break. There was only one team capable of winning once the

Sport second half got under way. Spurred on by Lopez, who wanted to prove that 41-year olds can run with purpose for a whole half an hour, the Spanish attacked with verve and panache. Firstly, Lopez latched on to a dangerous free kick aimed perfectly for him to fire a bullet header past the goalkeeper at the near post. Then he chased a lost cause down the inside right channel, firing hard and low into the same corner. A well-controlled long pass briefly made things interesting, but

Lopez decided to finish the match in style, the Sales Director easily selling the defender a dummy before rounding the goalkeeper and completing a ‘perfect’ hat-trick with his left foot. Four goals to Spain, two conceded, plenty of entertainment and the Tournament’s Best Player accolade to top scorer Juan Lopez. I wonder if any of the other nations will fancy their chances of toppling the Spanish from their perch in the near future…

Congratulations and great thanks to the whole Spanish squad: Alejandro De Prado (Captain), Juan Lopez, Francisco Guaita, Hector Martinez Martin, Paco Olmedo, Jaime Sampio, Ivan Baos, Pedro Lopez, Fernandez Miguel, Diego Montero, Juan Pedro Delaunay, Julio Postigo, Miguel Barinaga, Oriol Mayoral, Vicente Llacer, Patrick Aedo, Oriol Ripoll

393: Spain line up for the final 399: Oriol Ripoll clears off the line 404: Juan Lopez fires a bullet header past a stranded goalkeeper 408: Juan Lopez wraps up the final as he scores his hat-trick goal 416/417: Juan Lopez receives his Best Player award 421/424: Spain team celebrates victory

Business

The 5th International Innovation Forum rAsia.com

he rAsia event is one of Moscow’s celebrated summer gatherings, which takes pride in being completely different in format and content form any other event. It is the only publically accessible high-level conference on ASEAN countries in Moscow, and at the same time, the young people who attend and participate in the Innovation Forum, give the event a fresh, avant-garde feel, which give the serious talk at the ASEAN conferences credibility. Where else can you get two conferences happening at the same time which are so totally different in content as: ‘Going Global in the Closed EcoSystems: If It’s Still Possible’ and ‘Why and how to seek funding in Asia? Or maybe at a deep level they are all linked? As Alexander Shulgin the founder of rAsia mentioned: “There are a lot of people here from completely different industries, ranging for commodities to sports. They are all crazy, creative people who are actually building our future. This is a conference about our future.”

Aklexandre Shulgin

Victor Tarusin I couldn’t attend all the lectures unfortunately, so I attended the ones about ASEAN as I am interested in these countries and their relationship with Russia. Next year, Russia and ASEAN will celebrate its 20th anniversary and has reached a trade turnover of $20 billion a year, as Victor Tarusin, Director General of MG3, and executive director of the Russia-ASEAN Business Council at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Russia pointed out. “By the end of this year, ASEAN will establish a full scale economic union, which will not be the same as the EU, but is a remarkable step in breaking down economic barriers. Russia is a closer trading partner with ASEAN, which is now called: ASEAN plus one. But it is a two way road, and we need to find business opportunities in Russia for ASEAN countries, not just seek business opportunities in ASEAN for Russian companies.” In his vigorous keynote Speech: Djauhari Oratmangun, Ambassador of Indonesia to Russia reiterated the importance of the ASEAN.” With a GDP of almost a trillion US$, and

Djauhari Oratmangun, Indionesian Ambassador to Russian a combined population of 600 million people, we are doing pretty well. You only need to look at the growth of member countries, such as the Philippines to see that. All ten ASEAN leaders meet each other at least twice a year, trying to thrash out ways to solve problems. Next year there will be a summit between ASEAN and Russia, because starting from next year we will be one community; not only economically but politically as well.” Carlos D. Sorreta, Ambassador of the Philippines to Russia mentioned in his speech how distorted the view of the world’s mainstream media is in regard to reporting relations

Carlos D. Sorreta, Ambassador to Russia of the Philippines

Business between the Philippines and Russia. By way of demonstration, he showed a slide of a Guardian article ‘Snapping between meals: Russia to import crocodile meat’ from October 2104, as an example of the kind of infantile journalism about ASEAN helping to fill some of the gap in food exports to Russia. Ambassador Sorreta went on to point out that trade between The Philippines and Russia is actually very small in comparison between Russia and other ASEAN countries. He listed various possible reasons for this such as geography, history, but explained that none of these explanations have any truth in them. “The real reason is lack of interest on behalf of Filipinos about Russia, and to a certain extent visa versa. It is very important to increase people to people meetings, and tourism is a good way to do that, but we have not been able to convince our ministry of tourism to put more energy into this…. We are competing with Thailand, they had 2 million visitors last year, whereas we had 40,000! We have a lot to offer. We offer a stable corruption-free and rules-based environment, with 6.3% average GDP over the past 5 years. Moreover, the Philippines is hitting a ‘demographic sweet spot’ whereby the median age is 22 years old, and the working population is 60 % of the total population, and this will continue to 2025.” Evgeny Belyanko, the vice President of Strategic development of Glonass Union did not mix his words: “Very few Russian companies are interested in ASEAN. A lot of documents are signed, friendships are formed, but very few actual business agreements are made. Russians are not prepared to compromise on prices enough. Russian business is not prepared to research the market properly, to really study how people live and work, to find out how to market their products properly.” Victor Tarusin corroborated this point: “We are saying that we are going to Asia, but we are not doing very much about it. Sometimes it is easier to talk at a business level, there are a lot of

promises but not so many actions.” In response to my question about the possible effect of the USChina-Philippine conflict over the Spritely Islands, Ambassador Sorreta said: “We think that economic growth between Philippines and Russia is more important than politics. To say that we are not going to trade with Russia, because another country is in conflict with the U.S. is too simplistic. We are not going to let these disputes about these islands wreck our relationships with Russia.” On a positive not, ambassador Sorreta also spoke about the burgeoning animation industry in ASEAN countries, as Hollywood outsources production, and ASEAN entrepreneurs spearhead the creation of whole new creative industries in Asia. One of the most interesting

Benjamin Butler lectures after the ASEAN session ended was a talk on an ‘imminent global financial crisis, and the future of the firm’, given by Benjamin J. Butler, founder of Apotheosis Consulting in Hong Kong. Benjamin started off by explaining that we are unable to predict collapses accurately because we rely too much on the left hand sides of our brains, and we unable to see a major financial crisis about to happen: “I see a new financial crisis happening. Stocks are very expensive, it is difficult to find yield anywhere. Fund managers have to take greater and greater risks, buying further and further out on the curve. There are many divergences as we call it in financial markets, when things are not aligned. The Swiss currency, for example, dropped 14% in one day this year; these changes

have never happened before. You have to look at the world economy as a Chinese doctor looks at his patient: holistically. If you only read the mainstream media you will miss the overall picture. In the last month we saw a massive move in the German bond market. The gap between the rich and the poor keeps on getting wider, and so on. “Chinese love crises, because they bring opportunities, they are a natural phenomenon. We are programmed to believe that negative growth is bad. But many great companies are created in these times. So prepare for the future. I travel a lot, and see a huge new wave of new companies and funds. Wherever you go in the world entrepreneurs are materializing. People are also becoming more introspective about their lives. “People are learning that in order to survive, the way we have to organize our companies is in a more natural organic way, without so many hierarchic structures. For example, Tony Hseih, the footwear entrepreneur has taken a very bold move in the USA in abolishing his company management. Companies work best when they are selfmanaged, then you get collective intelligence. As in nature, the old system has to be challenged and destroyed, but I think there is a rainbow out there, and creativity will be the long term solution.”

Kim Waddoup Kim Waddoup gave a clear and concise description of the expat community in Moscow. He dispelled the myths about the number of expats here, putting the number at about 170,000.

Business

By John Harrison

Radical Chic in the Village

adical Chic, which offers textile and scarf design, and has its own retail outlet on Bolshoi Kozikhinskii, does not fit very well into the usual stereotype image of Russian companies. Small, dynamic, very creative and hyperresponsive to the market, the company would fit well into Covent Garden or Greenwich Village for that matter. But that is where you, dear reader might be wrong. We visited owner Radical Chic, Alexandra Kaloshina in the company’s offices above their shop on Bolshoi Kozikhinskii in Moscow. The shop itself is pretty amazing, if you need a present to give to people back home, here is your own special gift shop. The word ‘radical’ has another, more gentle meaning in Russian, and Radical Chic has nothing to do with Tom Wolfe’s ‘That Party at Lenny’s’, however Alexandra’s designs and story is pretty amazing in itself. Here are the highlights of our conversation:

How did you get started in the design business? “I worked with clothes, and textile design over 15 years in Russia. During that period, I represented various large Italian fabric companies, then I started my own design bureau, that’s the kind of person I am. I understood that we needed to develop specific designs for the Russian market, which was a new idea in Russia because during the Perestroika period we [Russians] had no intrinsically Russia fabric design. So when we opened our studio, it was very difficult for us because we had no specialists, nobody to teach design, but we persevered and established ourselves. I encourage our designer’s to go to major exhibitions and sell their designs. There is no better way to learn than to see your own design through the eyes of a potential client. My designers learned very quickly. We don’t have 40 or 100 years of design history behind us, we have to learn on the job.

Business

will be wearing a sable or mink fur coat, then there are certain colours that work with those furs and so on.”

A lot of people are saying how difficult it is to start and run a business here. What is your view?

“We found that there was a real demand for our fabrics and scarves, not only here in Russia, but in over 30 countries. Now we trade mostly in wholesale to other retailers, such as Gum and TsUM, however we have our own specialist shop right here. “At first when we went to international exhibitions, the organisers tucked us away somewhere in the corner, in places where it wasn’t possible to find us. But we still won many clients. That is not the way we get treated now though, and we have been winning a whole series of major prizes in the best international competitions.”

What is special about your designs? “I suppose the fact that we concentrate on Russian themes and motives, for example here is Bulgakov’s Begemot (the black cat in his novel ‘Master and Margarita’), here are Russian cityscapes, folk stories and so on… We have taken the traditional Russian scarf concept and made it modern and accessible. This was a big surprise for many people. “Russia as you know, is between Europe and Asia, so our design is not immediately recognisable as being European. At the same time, it is not as decorative as Asian design. We are somewhere in the middle. Asians buy our designs because they think that this is good European design, so we are crossing borders. “We create a lot of designs, about 1,500 fabric designs a year, and 30-40 designs for scarves every season. Unfortunately, we still print everything in Italy, to this day, there is no one printing works in Russia which can match Italian fabric printing although we are thinking of opening up a factory here in Russia ourselves. The quality of the Italian printing, on to silk in particular, is amazing. Even individual hairs on a horse’s mane for example are visible. “The fabrics we design are often for a particular use, as specified by the client, -- bags, clothes swim wear, anything. With scarfs, everything starts from a concept. With thinking about who is the girl, woman, man, who is going to buy the scarf. How is it going to be used? For example, if the person

“I graduated from Moscow State University, a long time ago, and started my own company on the first day after I graduated. At that time it was really difficult because there were no rules, no regulations, no laws. There was corruption; horizontal, vertical, every way you want. We even paid firemen, and local administrators would need to be paid bribes to authorise where we wanted to put our ceiling lights and so on. Now it is an absolutely different situation, and it has become far simpler and easier to start and run a business. People who start businesses now say that it is difficult because of all the documents. But I don’t really agree. The tax situation is great. It’s simple, and you have every confidence that you can grow quickly.”

moscow networki ng st! e b s t i t a Moscow’s best business and social networking event Wednesday 28th October 18:30-21:30 NightFlight Bar & Restaurant, Tverskaya 17 www.MoscowexpatLife.ru/networking Contact Kim Waddoup on kim@aigroup.ru or call: +7 495 777 2577

moscow networking st ! a t it s b e

Business

Yevgeni Demin, a man on a mission with an startling business philosophy, creative products, a highly motivated workforce and a genuine care for the environment. Read about the Splat story, a Russian success!

Business

By Kim Waddoup

ometimes, its hard to think of successful Russian companies, but then we start to look around and in addition to many giants of industry there are many highly successful Russian companies that have truly taken their well earned position on International markets. When researching this article, we hardly expected toothpaste to feature but then we discovered a company called Splat! Created back in 2003 by Yevgeni Demin and his wife, Splat is now the leading Russian developer and producer of innovative, professional oral care products controlling 13% of the Russian domestic market and currently exporting to 28 countries around the world. The company employs more than 700 people worldwide and follows many innovative and creative business philosophies including:• To be real, open and honest • To be innovative and creative • Be persistent and results- orientated • Be the best in everything • To grow, to improve oneself and to be open to new things • To be optimistic and to believe in love • To be self-confident and to enjoy life • To love one’s work A visit to the company’s production facility is almost like leaving Russia for a few hours! Located in the midst of deep forests in the ecological pure region of the Valdai, the company’s genuine environmental responsibility is easily apparent with a CO2 neutral production programme and a production line that many restaurant kitchens would be hard to beat. The management have striven to introduce and respect International norms in Russia and the list is impressive with GMP Cosmetics(ISO 22716), ISO 9001,

ISO 14001 and certified to be in conformity with the EU Cosmetics Directive. One can easily see the impressive management directives at work in the plant, which is bright, modern and so clean. The staff are generally local and much has been done to encourage their loyalty and dedication to attention through a well considered and environmentally compliant workplace more often seen in the US or Europe. The staff canteen is like a restaurant and only serves local produce and the facility even boasts a fully equipped gym with a full time fitness trainer. In addition to an incredibly creative work ethos, Splat displays highly innovative deliberation to their many and varied products from Black Toothpaste to toothpaste with real gold. An amazing product of the new Russia and a company to watch for in the future.

moscow network ing t! s e b s t i at

Moscow’s best business and social networking event Wednesday 28th October 18:30-21:30 NightFlight Bar & Restaurant

www.MoscowexpatLife.ru/networking

moscow networking st ! at it s be

Business How did you come to be living in Russia? Let me start from the beginning. I was born in Israel; my family goes many generations back in the Holy land and at the age of ten my parents emigrated to Canada. After moving around Canada and accumulating some good experience, I eventually made my way to England. I lived in London for seven years, doing many things from banking to engaging in Whole Food and Organic health businesses, which was actually quite interesting. That was what brought me to Russia. A couple of very nice foreign gentlemen who were active businessmen in Russia and investors in the Health Shop business in Moscow asked me to join their team to see if I could help build a chain of health food shops. So I got on a plane in 2007 with a 48-hour visa to check it out. My hosts explained to me how business in Russia is done, I met many people. Moscow welcomed me very very beautifully, and I wanted to stay.

What are you doing now in Russia? My life is split up between two things at the moment. One is personal coaching and public speaking, and the other side is a company that I run with my wife called MeetPartners, which specialises in bring talented people to Russia, and helping talented Russians make contacts abroad.

I have noticed that Russians don’t seem to do business so much with people they know. Why is that? In Russia, I would put people into two categories, the people who you know and the people you don’t know. Many Russians are afraid of doing business with friends, they would be really careful of bringing business into that relationship. But if you have a really good relationship with someone, why not bring business into that relationship to help each other? But for many Russians, the word business is somehow connected with something that will end up harming somebody else. My standpoint is that before you start doing business, you spend some time getting to know that person, before jumping into asking about the possibility of new investments, finding clients or whatever. For many Russians it is the other way round, they don’t want to talk about families, or whatever because they consider these things to be way too personal.

By John Harrison

Gil Petersil Gil Petersil came to Russia seven years ago and has always been the non-standard networker who has gone out of his way to encourage communication between foreigners and Russians through events and innovative businesses in Russia.

Have you ever thought that your way of seeing really me holding mega events and having two or three things is wrong for Russia? hundred individuals showing up, who wanted to know what The interesting thing about what I have been doing for the past year is that I have been getting a lot of demand from large Russian corporations here to come in and teach their account managers and sales people how to build relationships. Before that it was

networking means. Not so many people do actually know what the word means. One of the more mature ladies in one of my events recently answered the question: what is networking, with: “nyet working”. I keep on telling people that networking is working. You have to put a lot of work into it. You have to build relations and follow up with people.

Business Is there a prejudice here against you now in Russia because you are Israeli/Canadian? Absolutely not. Russia has welcomed me with open arms, not just Russia, but Belorussia, and Kazakhstan especially. I am now been invited to every single corner of Russia on a weekly basis, I have to say no to a lot of people, it is just too much travelling. They don’t usually ask me where I’m from, that doesn’t seem to be an issue. Russian corporations are not against foreigners; they are interested in bringing in people who can train their staff in skills that they can use now. They are looking for motivation, inspiration, for more skills and content that they can use tomorrow. We have only recently introduced a new project called Meet Speakers and have discovered that there is huge, massive demand for foreign speakers to come and speak on a very wide range of subjects. I think that the West and Russia have stopped talking on some aspects, but when it comes to development, I think that a lot of Russians have learned that they need to learn from the West.

There is a stereotype about Russians not being entrepreneurs, is that right? Over the past 7 years that I have been living in Russia, I have had the opportunity to work with over 200 start-ups, I’ve been blessed to set up 15 of my own companies, all with Russians. I was the only non-Russian person in all the organisations that I’ve set up and worked with. I’ve learned that they are entrepreneurs, but they are more opportunistic than western entrepreneurs. I would say that they are more eastern than western in their entrepreneurship. To me, entrepreneurship is all about finding a problem and resolving it, about making a difference in society, building a business that will survive on its own, that will be sustainable, that will give not only take. The biggest issue for me, which is starting to change but it has a long way to go, is the ideology of customer service, which is just not there yet. Businesses are built and then customers are searched for. Customer loyalty as such is not really a priority.

But Russians are family orientated, they are confident, they are not afraid, do they really want or need the western approach? I would say that Russians by default are people who want to be free because they are ruled by fear. Most people are not meant to be entrepreneurs. Many entrepreneurs I meet here simply are not, which is something they cannot face because Russians are very proud. Failure is not an option for them, which makes them totally different from the western entrepreneur who will speak openly about his failures, and share them, and try to learn form them. Here, so often, people grow up with an existing community around them and don’t necessarily try to bring in new people into that circle, or they don’t try to step out of that community to build another community around them. This creates a lot of barriers around you, which stop you expanding as an entrepreneur.

moscow networki ng st! e b s t i t a moscow expat life is pleased to invite you to the first of our quarterly network evenings Wednesday 28th October 18:30-21:30 NightFlight Restaurant The moscow expat life networking evening is based on years of experience and the request of our readers to provide a high quality, multi-national networking event providing an opportunity to do real business! • No membership fees • Selective multi-national audience • Unlimited beer, wine and soft drinks • Quality food • Professional name badges • Calm atmosphere for successful networking • Entry Price R.4,500 per person NightFlight Bar & Restaurant is an excellent, central location offering ample space to meet, network and do business. Sponsorship packages available, please ask for details. Register on-line at www.MoscowexpatLife.ru/networking Contact Kim Waddoup on kim@aigroup.ru or call: +7 495 777 2577

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Business

By Brian Johnson

A Basic Guide to Planning Financial Independence

ollowing a number of requests from readers over the last few weeks we are going to look at some simple ways to plan your retirement, or financial independence for those who say they will never retire. It is never too late to start planning for your financial independence in later years. However, the sooner you tackle this, the easier it is to overcome the hurdles on the way to achieving your goals. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s look at the some basics which you need to consider. There are four major key elements to making such a plan, which will enable you to consider the way forward with a master strategy.

How long must your portfolio last?

Income withdrawals, growth and inflation

This, of course, will depend on when you actually plan to hang up your boots and take it easy. Once you decide on this we need to stab a guess at the realities of how long you will live. With medical science the way it is and improvements in healthcare standards it is going to be the norm to live to 100 in the not too distant future. In any event if you make a plan to expire when you are say 90 and then you live well beyond that it could be disastrous! So, it is better to be conservative on this subject.

We often talk about the effects of inflation, which are insidious, and which many expats simply refuse to acknowledge. I talk to some and they simply say there is no point to worry as they still think in Sterling or Dollar. So to all those who believe the same level of income today will have the equivalent purchasing power in the future you need to get real. An income of $50,000 today will require an equivalent of $110,000 in 20 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; time to maintain the same purchasing power. If you had $50,000 today in cash and you put it in a drawer

Business

The practicalities of creating a real plan for your retirement are essential.

Once you have an idea of the calculations you can look at the investment strategies which will enable you to achieve the target

it would have the buying power of just $15,000 in 30 years from now. Inflation is subtle and sneaks up on us over a number of years, and although we talk about annual rates of inflation and growth, these are actually moving averages. In some years markets will grow by 20% and in others they will lose 20%. Similarly although inflation has averaged 4% year on year for over eighty years now, some will remember the ‘good old seventies’ when inflation was running at around 18% in the western world. In summary it is never a steady rate. If you were unlucky enough to lose 20% from your investments whilst drawing 10% as income you would need to make the residual assets grow by nearly 43% just to

bring you back to par. So, it is going to be paramount that you do not rely on high growth rates for the years in which you will be drawing income. Inflation, growth and required income are thus very important factors to consider.

A primary investment target In order to ensure that you start along the right track you need to have a defined starting point, for instance the end goal in mind. It is essential that you are able to calculate your required income as you would require today, if you were to retire today, and then project this to your ultimate retirement age. Remember that inflation does not retire when you do and neither does it ever take a holiday. Just like a cancer it is always there ever growing. Thus you need to account for this by making sure that you have an income with the same purchasing power each year as you need in today’s terms. Once you have calculated your required income and then projected the inflated value you will need to work out how much you need to have as a lump sum when you retire to ensure this lasts as long as you may live. This requires some tricky calculations because you will need to project inflation and growth rates as time goes on. So, advice from a professional is much needed here. Remember to reduce the income you need by any arrangements

Business In order to ensure that you start along the right track you need to have a defined starting point, for instance the end goal in mind

which you already have in place. Do you have any pensions which will provide some income when you get to a specific age? If yes then take these into account in your projections. It is almost impossible these days to accumulate sufficient assets which will generate an inflating income and leave your entire capital intact. Thus you will be wise to have sufficient assets at retirement but not such a high value that it makes the task impossible.

Objective investment strategies Once you have an idea of the calculations you can look at the investment strategies which will enable you to achieve the target. It is also important that you set the strategies after that magical retirement date. This may require you to adjust the income you may draw and the length of time the assets will last.

The investment strategies you use before and after your retirement date will determine the asset mix to be employed. Common asset classes are equities, bonds, commodities and fixed interest. The greater the equity content you employ the higher the possibility of you achieving and maintaining your goals. On the flip side, the greater the equity exposure, the greater the chances of falling victim to the volatility which goes hand in hand with equities and which may produce heavy setbacks along the way. Despite equities averaging 10% per annum returns over very long periods if you are unlucky enough to hit a bad spell at the wrong time your entire plan may be shredded. Had you been heavily into equities in 2008 you would still not quite have made back your losses and recovered your portfolio to par, some four years later. So, for those with a strategy in equities and planning their retirement in say 2011 disaster struck them when the recent

recession driven market crashes were experienced four years ago. All this requires tough thinking and a realistic logical hard look at your entire situation is required. If you become a pragmatist and project it as it is then you will be far more likely to achieve a genuine result. The practicalities of creating a real plan for your retirement are essential. There are many of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s readers who have neglected the facts and are suffering as a result. The younger you actually start the more likely it is that you will achieve the goals you need to set. Much of the requirements today revolve around the fact that expats are left to their own devices when it comes to such planning. There are rarely employer plans in place such that you would enjoy at home. If you eventually return home you will have created a huge vacuum for the years you lost abroad living it up and neglecting your own financial future. Think about it, take advantage of a third party review and then take the necessary action - now.

Call us today and have a free consultation to assess your requirements +7 495 6608887 Questions to the author can be directed to Brian Johnson at Platinum Financial Services International LLC on +7 495 6608887 or email to brian@platinumfsi.com

Business Stella Nova, Washington Parade, Bootle Town Centre, Sefton L20 4TE

An exclusive opportunity to invest in a Landmark UK development For all further information, please contact: Brian Johnson at Platinum Financial Services International LLC on +7 495 6608887 or email to brian@platinumfsi.com

What is Special About Stella Nova? • Landmark, award winning mixed-use development right in the centre of Bootle, 3 miles North of Liverpool. This pioneering scheme, completed in 2009, comprises a 14 storey tower with 142 luxury one and two bedroom apartments, a multi storey car park and retail space at ground floor level. • The apartments are served by 2 elevators and most enjoy stunning views either towards the Estuary or Liverpool and beyond. Residents have full and free use of the air conditioned gymnasium, and may also enjoy the spectacular roof top gardens - a tranquil oasis towering 150 feet above Bootle.

• Residents also benefit from the onsite caretaker/ concierge and onsite Lettings Management which ensures the first class management of this Gateway development. Full details can be found on our web site.

Location, Location, Location! Location is incredibly central. Bootle Town Centre is adjacent to New Strand train station – 10 minutes to Liverpool city centre and opposite Bootle bus terminal. Major local employers: HMRC, Alliance & Leicester, Sefton Council, Girobank, and Littlewoods. Bootle, along with North Liverpool as a whole is being regenerated, and is part

of the UK government’s plans to rebalance wealth away from the South East of England. On-going demolition of old housing stock, creation of modern communities and vast new projects connected to the port of Liverpool are part of this project.

Investment Options: • 2 Bedroomed Apartment 591 Sq Feet • Hardie Brack Valuation £ 102,000 • Buy with a Down payment £ 49,572 and balance paid from Rent for 5 years. Full Legal title on day one Or • receive discount of 19% pay £82,620 AND COLLECT

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Dreaming Spires Developers Dreaming Spires has been building properties across the North West of England for 12 years and has developed tens of thousands of square feet of commercial space and over 230 residential buildings. Further information on: www.dreamingspires.com Stella Nova has enjoyed huge success since opening in 2009: a near 100% residential occupancy rate and on the ground floor major names such as the NHS and Riverside Housing choosing to make Stella Nova their Regional HQ.

Business

Plus ça change By Chris Weafer

t is both a truism and a cliché that change is constant. That is particularly the case in developing nations, as the description makes clear, amongst which is Russia. Sometime, if one is lucky, that change is evolutionary and proceeds at a sedate pace. More often changes are forced as a result of some egregious policy decisions or actions. Russia has always been in that latter category and appears doomed to remain there. So, as we approach the 2nd anniversary of the prologue to the Ukraine crisis, what changes can we see resulting from this crisis? In particular, what might be the legacy of this period for foreign companies and expats working and living in Russia? Of course it is still too early to make a definitive assessment as both the geo-political and economic trends are far from resolved, but we can make a useful interim assessment under a number of categories. For companies working in Russia there is a sort of bitter-sweet message; the boom years are gone forever but a new economic reality is starting which can deliver above global-average returns over a long period to those companies who are willing and able to adapt. A great deal has been written about the reasons why the period of strong average annual growth in the economy started to come to an end from mid-2012 and the fact that the country now needs a new investment led growth model. It is early days yet but the evidence

of policy commitment from the government is encouraging. But before any meaningful actions can start there needs to be an easing, if not a full lifting, of financial sector sanctions so that the state and Russian companies can again access new debt and investment capital. For now the government’s core strategy is ‘damage containment’ rather than expansion. It means that while there is a lot of talk about recovery strategies none will be funded until the crisis has definitely passed. Despite the optimistic rhetoric from senior officials, that condition is still some way distant. For foreign companies, especially those in the import-substitution industries, the game is changing from import and distribution to local manufacturing. That is especially the case for such basic industries as food, pharmaceuticals, engineering and services. A key condition to make that new growth strategy work is that the state is successful in creating a more competitive manufacturing base. During the boom years workers enjoyed year after year real strong wage growth and the Central Bank’s (CBR) mandate was to maintain a strong rouble. Both of those conditions need to change and appear to have done so. In the future wage growth should be less of an entitlement and more closely linked with economic conditions and company performance. We can see that already changing in the state sector as the budget debate shows.

There is a lot of uncertainty over workforce demographics in Russia and that makes wage growth prediction difficult to apply across all sectors. In general, whenever an economy has such a big shake up as Russia is now experiencing, there is a tendency to push out expensive foreign workers in favour of local hires. That will not be possible in all sectors, especially given the fact that emigration of skilled Russians continues. For other sectors where local or Eurasian Union talent is available, foreign workers will find themselves less in demand or facing lower remuneration. The big policy change, which affects both companies and foreigners in Russia, is the 180-degree policy shift towards the rouble. For the fifteen years after 1998 the strategy was to maintain a strong rouble. This was seen as important for domestic stability and a sign of robust sovereign fiscal strength. That has now changed and the preference for the foreseeable future will be to try and keep the rouble stable but closer to 60 against the US dollar. Clearly where the oil price trades will continue to be the key driver of the exchange rate but don’t expect much CBR intervention unless the R/$ rate falls below 55 (intervention to weaken it) or above 65 (intervention to slow the decline, albeit not to halt it). For expats earning salary in foreign currency Russia has become, and will remain, a much cheaper place to live. Those earning in

Business roubles will have the same domestic inflation issues as Russians but will have considerably less to spend back home than they were used to pre-crisis. Apart from economics and money, the other big legacy change is in the sphere of politics. While all government ministers and agencies are consistent with the message that there is a clear distinction being drawn between geo-politics and business, inter-government relations with western countries will remain bad and occasionally confrontational for a long time to come. That is now abundantly clear. Major companies already understand this means paying closer attention to reputation risk and to any form of publicity concerning their activities in Russia. Greater due diligence concerning business and trade partners is now the order of the day especially after the US recently expanded the list of those covered by sanctions to catch any

attempt to camouflage the interests of primary targets. Expats living in Russia also have had to get used to a different set of responses when they tell people back home where they work and live. In the boom days the typical reaction was a mixture of wow and envy. These days it is more likely to provoke a look of sympathy and questions about your sanity. The perception of Russia, especially in the US and many EU countries, has badly deteriorated since early 2014. One only has to count the number of stereotypical Russian villains in Hollywood movies these days to understand that. On the positive side, you might have a better chance of arguing for a hardship allowance if working for an international companyâ&#x20AC;Śthen again, no chance if your boss has been and saw just how wide of the mark are the perceptions. Clearly there is a lot which is uncertain about living in Russia,

as is the case for most developing economies, albeit always at the extreme edge of that scale. Predicting how the business and living environment may change in the years ahead is even more difficult than usual. To the uncertainties of the conflict in eastern Ukraine and the oil price there is the upcoming election season in Russia. Nationalism and anti-western rhetoric are bound to be prominent through most of 2016 in the lead up to the Duma election. As always those companies as well as individuals who thrive in such conditions are those that are most aware of the changes and are adaptable rather than resistant to them while holding onto core values. Most expats in Russia are particularly good at that. One has only to look at how adroitly they have shifted from spiriting caviar out of the country to smuggling cheese in (allegedly).

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Community

Kitezh I

t was summer 1985. My father had just collected me from boarding school and, as we were driving back to our home in Dublin, he suddenly stopped the car and got out in such a rage I was dumbfounded. I genuinely thought it was about my exam results, which he still hadn’t received. As wise as he is, his foretelling the future skills were never that well honed. He had just seen a young man hit a girl repeatedly on the pavement of a small town and he got out and marched over to the couple and broke them up and checked to see if the young girl was alright. He got back into the car and drove off back to home as if nothing had happened. I asked him about it and he brushed it aside and didn’t dwell on it, if memory serves. That was my first encounter with relational violence first-hand. Years later, in my mid thirties, when I was working as a volunteer in Dublin with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, I came across this issue again. My primary role was to visit lower income families, young

and old, and listen. The role over time morphed into one of counselor, mediator, legal and financial adviser as well as the ‘go to’ guy whether it was looking for work or appearing in court on behalf of my ‘clients’. I used to call on one particular young family with six (yes six) children and from the outside looking in, all seemed as fine as could be. Of course, there was significant financial pressure and general stress and alcohol imbibing did not lower the tension. I remember visiting the home on one occasion and the young matriarch was with her youngest and crying and head was lowered in what turned out to be shame. She had been beaten by her partner and he was in the local pub. I sat and had some tea and listened as she told me what a great guy he was and “he was under so much pressure” and “I love him” and “he’s never done this before”. My initial reaction was to call the police but then the children would have been separated from their father, the mother would have been alone and I was scared to intervene because

Contributed by Hugh Mc Enaney, Educator and Coach and social justice advocate. of any repercussions to the charity itself. The father had some friends in low places too so this made reporting even more difficult. I hadn’t had any contact with this theme until earlier this year, Edith from Sweden got on Facebook and posted a notice seeking some support. We met and had coffee and visited a charity shop and discussed the work she is doing with an organization called Kitezh. Kitezh was established by Alena Sadikova after she herself had seen firsthand the effects of domestic violence. This is an issue that, for

Community

years, has been swept under the carpet and not given enough attention by the State. Having decided there and then to take some action, I asked people to help with donations of clothes, toys for children and anything which could be helpful for this charity. I took the time to visit the shelter which has been provided by an Orthodox monk on his parish territory outside Moscow. Alena has practically single handedly set up a refuge for women and their children to come and find shelter, food and a safe place to be after having endured domestic violence. I knew little or nothing about this issue in Russia until recently and having been educated by media reports and Edith who is on an internship for a year here. Kitezh is located in a recently renovated home which can cater for up to 8 - 12 women and their children. A psychologist is on site three times a week and sessions are mandatory according to the house charter which all visitors must abide by – short and long term. Some women stay for a month and some for three. The maximum period is six months and, to date, over 80 women and 100 children have been assisted by Alena and Kitezh. Skills acquisition is an integral part of the program and

volunteers have visited to train the tenants in jewelry making. All are obliged to maintain hygiene and take responsibility for the home and surrounding areas. Violence in the home is an issue I feel strongly about and one which affects the victims directly and other family members indirectly in so many ways. In some of the stories I asked Alena for about the clients Kitezh has supported, she tells me of women arriving with nothing but the clothes they are wearing and children crying and kicking and screaming for, ultimately, a safe place and love. In some of the cases, the women tolerated the abuse and violence for extended periods and when the abuser threatened and beat the children, this was the final straw for the women and they plucked up the courage and contracted Kitezh. After speaking with Alena many times, this is the issue many women have – how can they leave? It is, undoubtedly, a brave step to move from the security - albeit fragile - of a home and food on the table and clothes on their backs to living on donations and starting over. In many cases the police have been contacted and arrive and are paid off to turn a blind eye to the situation. I’ve heard stories of women’s families ready

to help and then the abuser finds the home and the process starts again with a new target. There are many stories too numerous to tell here and now it is the untold stories Kitezh wants to be there for. Statistics suggest that 14,000 women die every year which is 2 every hour. People may find this an alarming and even bloated figure but, after hearing some stories from hospitals in the Moscow region, there is an average of three women each week presenting themselves at emergency clinics after ‘falls’ and ‘scrapes’ and if they have the courage to tell the truth, they can be helped. Alena has started to develop a similar model in Rostov where she worked for many years and the donations for Kitezh are also being used here. Volunteers have come forward to assist and many have contacted me through my network and social media with donations of clothes, toys, books, games and toiletries. Rostelecom has been fundamental in providing funding for building works at Kitezh and their support has been superb. Many groups such as Leeds University, Anglo American School, MPC Social Services and a broad spectrum of individuals have been very generous with their support and donations to date. A lot has been done and there is a lot more to do.

You can find Kitezh on facebook with a search - Китеж кризисный центр для женщин. I collect and deliver items monthly and you can contact me here on hughkmc@gmail.com A website is also under construction here at http://www.kitezhcenter.ru/ with further details of the work that Kitezh is doing.

Moscow Good Food Club

NightFlight The ratings: Food Quality: Quality/Suitability of the drinks: The service standards: The general rating of the meal:

8,45 7,5 9,0 8,83

t started as a beautiful evening in Moscow but then the heavens opened and some arriving members of the Moscow Good Food Club looked liked drowned rats as they ran through the deluge into the welcoming doors of NightFlight Restaurant. NightFlight Restaurant has been a well-kept secret in Moscow for 23 years serving consistently high quality food in a refined atmosphere. Whilst the club downstairs is (in)famous world-wide many do not know about the restaurant and were pleasantly surprised by the warmth of the welcome and gentile ambience! Next time you go, take a look at the floor, evidently it is made from shipâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s timber that was brought from Sweden all those years ago! Executive Chef Mille Mikic and his team had prepared a feast of the finest that NightFlight offers. As the guests arrived we were welcome with a glass of sparkling wine accompanied by a tantalising amuse bouche with tuna cerviche and camembert(!) which prepared our intrepid members for the delights that would follow. On taking our seats the first course of marinated salmon roll with light horseradish and herb oil

was presented to the delight of the diners. With Swedish roots and of course connections, NightFlight has always prided itself on the quality of itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s smoked and marinated salmon and this evenings creation did not disappoint. This was accompanied by a Pfefferer Moscato Gialli from Italy a beautiful fragrant wine but could have been cooler on this rather humid evening. The second course really surprised most members as the grilled scallops with seafood risotto, asparagus and lobster cappuccino appears. What a creation, succulent scallops, crispy, al-dente risotto the amazing foamy cappuccino sauce blended to a burst of flavours on the tongue. Accompanied by a Fritz Riesling from Germany the wine was again a perfect companion providing balance and flavour. After a short pause, the main courses appeared, again Mille Mikic and his team had excelled. Glazed duck breast with a calvados-red wine sauce with thyme potato fondant. Nestling between the slices of pink, succulent duck was a portion of foie gras much to the delight of all diners. The Te Mata Syrah Woodthorpe from New Zealand was a delight and

Moscow Good Food Club

tasted much more full bodied that one would expect from a younger Syrah. For many this was a first Syrah from New Zealand but a wine that many of us will look for in the future. Moscow Good Food Club members are experienced diners and know to reserve space for the dessert and when the caramelised apple tartine with yoghurt icecream was served we knew why! Wonderfully large helpings of crispy apple tartine that melted in the mouth with the combination of the yoghurt ice-cream. This was accompanied by a Kazumyan VSOP Cognac that surprisingly suited the combination. So totally sated it was time to get down to business and each tables spokesperson delivered their critiques. All tables were unanimous in their praise of the food and its presentation and the scores for NightFlight Restaurant were:So excellent scores, for an excellent meal! One cannot forget to mention the lovely waitresses in NightFlight, perfect English, flawless service and all with a lovely smile. Just another reason to go back to NightFlight! As is traditional and to provoke lively conversation on all tables, we ask for answers to a question, which on this

occasion was: “Summer brings out the best of Moscow. In your opinion what are the 5 biggest changes that have improved our lives in Moscow in the summer months?’ Well fortified and relaxed the answers were lively and often duplicated on several tables, our male members noted unanimously that the greatest pleasure of Moscow in the summer was the rising of the hemlines on the female population! Our good hearted lady members allowed the male oriented observation with good cheer. Amongst the other comments were the high quality of the parks now, especially Gorky: the availability of rental bikes around the city; that parking meters seem to have resolved the previous tendency to double/triple parking; that there are many more trees and that bird life is increasing; and finally the arrival of many taxi Aps in English that makes the expats life much easier. With our quest completed it was time to make our collective way down the stairs, a turn to the right lead to the entrance and Tverskaya, however many could not resist the turn to the left to Moscow’s most infamous club! NightFlight, congratulations, we will be back!

Moscow’s Bars, Clubs, Cafés and Restaurants OSTERIA DELLA PIAZZA BIANCA

SCANDINAVIA 7 Maliy Palanshevskiy Per. M. Pushkinskaya Cuisine: European, Skandinavian, $$

Moscow Good Food

Club

“Comfortable, calm restaurant with high quality cuisine offering many Scandinavian specialities”

REAL FOOD RESTAURANT Crowne Plaza Hotel/WTC Krasnopresenskaya Nab 12.

Moscow Good Food

Club

Full a la Carte menu incorporating healthy dishes made from organic ingredients. Open kitchen and excellent food & wine

Moscow Good Food

Club

True Italian cuisine from Executive Chef Giuseppe Todisco

Good Food

Club

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.

17 Tverskaya St M. Pushkinskaya Cuisine: Scandinavian, Moscow Good Food European, $$$ Club +7 495 629 4165 www.nightflight.ru

“Superb food at sensible prices prepared by excellent chefs with friendly, efficient service”

Moscow Good Food

Club

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

Krizhizanovskovo 20/30 M. Profsoyuznaya Cuisine: Indian, $ www.aromass.ru +7 499 125 6276

Moscow Good Food

Club

“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

Moscow Good Food

Club

Comfortable and classy restaurant with creative dished from the Finnish chef.

Muzey, Kosmodimianskaya nab. 52/7 (next to Swisshotel)Moscow Good Food M. Paveletskaya Club Cuisine: Italian, European, Pan-Asian, $$ Extremely comfortable Italian restaurant serving high quality creative & traditional Italian cuisine, personally cooked by Chef Marco Lachetta

WINE RELIGION

AROMASS INDIAN RESTAURANT

STEAKHOUSE & BAR Strastnoy Blvd. 8a M. Tverskaya Cuisine: American, $$

22, Tverskaya M. Tverskaya Cuisine: European, Russian, $$$$

Tverskoy bulvar 26, bldg 2 M. Pushkinskaya. Cuisine Scandinavian, International $$$$

MUZEY RESTAURANT

NIGHT FLIGHT

“Casual but elegant restaurant offering an entertaining gastronomic experience”

CHICAGO PRIME:

Moscow

CHEKHONTE

ITALIANETS 13, Samotechnaya Ul, m. Trubnaya, Cuisine Italian, English menu price $$$

Lesnaya street 5a M. Belarusskaya Cuisine: Italian $$$$

ORANGE TREE RESTAURANT

Michurinsky Pr.16 M. Universitet Cuisine: European Bistro $$$

Moscow Good Food

Club

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 $$$

Moscow Good Food

Club

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.

The Wirtschaftsclub Russland is an umbrella organisation for German speaking business people in Russia. We hold events throughout the year, our last one being ‘Building European Bridges’ on the 1st of April, when we invited Olympic Medalists Alexander Schachner and Wolfgang Fasching. Wirtschaftsclub Russland CEO: Dr Karin von Bismark Web site: www.wirtschaftsclubrussland.org

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

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.

Italian Business Club (ITAM) President: Giovanni Stornante

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

Moscow Creative From the idea right through to realisation Креатив в Москве

• Graphic Design and illustration • Animation • Video production • Copy Writing

Tel: +7 495 777 2577 Mobile: +7 916 521 3110 www.moscowcreative.net info@moscwcreative.net

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.

President: Ann Charlotte Norin Web Site:

www.moskva.swea.org

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: Afrah Mohammed Alfaddaghi, the wife of The Ambassador of the State of Kuwait. Web Site: www.iwcmoscow.ru

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. Founder: Monika Michaely Email: info@deutschegruppemoskau.com

Chairwoman: Fiona Johnston Web Site:

www.bwcmoscow.org.uk

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. As long as you have a British passport yourself or you married to somebody who holds a British passport you can become the member of BWC. We have quite a few Russian wives who are members. Once a month we hold our monthly meeting at the British embassy. We have a committee with ten members. We meet once a month and make decisions about what we are going to do during the months ahead.

De Tulpen 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. Presidents: Olya Kalmykova and Desiree Dekker Web Site: www.nlclubmoskou.nl

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? 90

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.

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• 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,

www.elanlanguages.ru

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

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!

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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 childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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.

Essential Information Getting to Moscow’s Airports

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: 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.

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: 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

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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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

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

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