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Went to see the Russian Cossack State Dance Company at the Epsom Playhouse the other night. I was impressed by a number of things. The moustaches. The accordian playing. And the way the funny little bloke with the big head nearly fell off the stage. His constant dices with the edge said to me that these guys were used to playing much bigger venues!
I also liked the way that moments after the final number the dancers were out in the foyer flogging matryoshka (nested dolls) and crocheted shawls. I guess that comes with the territory when you are the official ‘State’ dance company.
Which segues nicely into a favour I’d like to ask you guys. I’m going to Moscow for a week in May and The Guardian has asked me to write an article about my experiences. With all the talk about ‘New’ Russia – the cool bars, clubs and boutique hotels – they want me to see if it is still possible to find the ‘Old’ Russia.
I’ve already found one of the few old Soviet-style hotels left in Moscow. (I was asked if I preferred a renovated or unrenovated room – how cool is that?) But I was wondering if you could suggest any pubs/foodhalls etc where the locals go. (ie the ones who don’t own oil wells in Siberia and footbal clubs in England.)
All suggestions appreciated. And you’ll be duly credited on the special Moscow blog I’ll be doing.
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Hi Peter,
Not sure how useful this’ll be for you, but what I got the impression many of your average Muscovites did (when it is warm at least anyway) was buy a 30 rouble bottle of Baltika beer from a Kiosk and chill out in groups in one of the numerous city parks. Now this might sounds a little dodgy but come early evening and you almost struggle to find a square of grass for a group of you to sit on.
Adam
I hope you’re not talking about the same hotel I’m staying in. Mine’s supposed to be upmarket, none of that unrenovated malarky. At least that’s what I’ve been told. And out of interest, how are you getting into town from the airport? This seems cloaked in mystery to me (a bit like the visa process) but so far I’ve come up with 3 possibilities. And I’m landing at the airport that sounds a bit like Domododonodeveo.
1. Bus – but I can’t read or speak Russian, and although ending up in some Russian version of Hillybilly country (perhaps with balalaikas playing sporadically in the background) has some marginal appeal to me, it’s not my girlfriend’s cup of tea.)
2. Taxi. Costs at least 17 million rubles. Also takes up to 3 hours. Also carries of risk of organs being harvested.
3. Aeroexpress – this is what we’re going for. 40 mins into the centre, and then another taxi to our hotel. But even this seems frought with danger. This is what someone wrote about them on a travel forum. “Get on the new silver-coloured trains. Don’t get on the tatty old green ones, as it’s an utter mystery where ‘they’ go, and you might end up in Noril’sk in three weeks time.” – which sounds like it would appeal to you.
So what is your favoured option, or has the Guardian arranged for a helicopter transfer. If they have, and if our dates allign, can we join your party. We won’t take up much space. Promise!
Just a tip that’s come to mind having read your post Jason. Would really be a good idea to learn the Cyrillic alphabet before going because even with no knowledge of Russian it seriously makes getting around so much easier! Riding on the metro systems is one of the quintessential Moscow experiences (the stations are filled with murals and statues and chandeliers!) and none of the station names are written in the latin alphabet. Saw loads of people having great trouble trying to match up names of places written in their guide-books in Latin letters with the Cyrillic script on the metro maps!
Although the scope of adventure could be seriously increased without mind you!
Actually I have been learning the Cyrillic alphabet. I think I’ve got most of the letters now. And my name looks good in Russian. I’ve practised that a lot!
Now I’m feeling distinctly unprepared! I haven’t even looked at the Cyrillic alphabet yet. And haven’t given a thought how to get from the airport. (I get in at 5 am so I figured I’d have some quiet time to myself to figure it out!)
In fact, posting this blog entry was as organised as I thought I’d need to get.
Been a few years since I was last in Moscow. There’s the Kremlyovsky Cafe where you can eat inside the Kremlin – you have to pay to go inside the Kremlin though. Kietzh was very traditionally Russian when I last went.
I once stayed in a hotel there (can’t remember the name though) which had a really disgusting rusty bath and incredibly uncomfortable wooden beds with sides which encased you. It was like sleeping in a coffin.
I mentioned this to a Russian friend of mine who lives in Moscow and she pointed out that in Communist times they didn’t have any pubs and for places to eat there were only bad quality restaurants and “stolovaya” (foodhalls). She’s not sure if any of those even exist in Moscow any more – as they’d struggle to compete with all the post-Perestroika restaurants and cafés.
I’m sure you’ll be able to find plenty of run down places mind you. (I went to the Bolshoi one night, then the Bat theatre the next and the difference couldn’t have been more noticeable. The men’s toilets had buckets for urinals. This is going back some years though…)
If you’re feeling desperate re. the Cyrillic alphabet and basic Russian phrases, I have an old copy of ‘Teach Yourself Russian’ that you could borrow.
I think the quintessential Moscow experience for me was walking to the side of any road causing 6 cars to slam on their brakes and form a queue in which you hop in the car with the driver that seems to have some idea of where you are pointing on a map. Back seats optional, but seatbelts strictly forbidden! And I quote ‘If polica see you wear seatbelt, they think I drunk and you scared of my driving’. Don’t be concerned by the empty bottles of vodka on the floor, they were clearly from the day before???