Just found this on the Way To Russia Blog:

The Aeroflot sale only comes twice a year (at the start of spring and the start of autumn) and always features some great bargains. This is a great chance to visit Moscow with return flights from places like Rome and Amsterdam just 149 euros. But one of the best deals is London to Moscow return for just 99GBP. If you’re living in Moscow this is the chance for a holiday to places like Kiev for 99 euros return, London, Paris or Madrid for 199 euros return, Beijing or Shanghai for 299 euros return, or Toronto for 349 euros return. more…

http://blogs.waytorussia.net/item/65

There seems to be a trend to name Moscow bars and clubs by numbers. There is a Clu b XIII, a bar30/7, then we had a Bar One, a few B1, B2 and other Bees. Recently a Lounge 7 and Bar 7, which confuses even me, because they are pretty close to each other. Did I forget one? Feel free to add some in the comment section.

Bar Seven

Last Saturday I went out with Michael, also a fellow Expat from Munich. We met at TUNDRA, then visited an art event at Ulica OGI before we head back to Bar 30/7. I haven’t been there for a long time and the place has changed in many ways. Finally they have an extra toilet and there are no more long cues. While waiting, you can also fetch some more Rubles at the ATM, which is setup just conveniently in front of the men’s rooms (probably a very good idea). The audience of 30/7 has changed a bit. There are less creative types and more of the business expat people with the usual mid class girls and whores, trying to pick one up for a night or life.

But not all is bad. The drinks are still excellent, the staff is friendly and face control got weaker. The music has changed for the better. Some DJ was spinning, while a guy with a saxophone played to it. Sometimes it even got a little experimental. Stuff you’d usually find in a bar in Paris, during the week, but not on a Saturday night in Moscow.

Bar 30/7 & Tundra
Petrovka Ul. 30/7
Metro Tverskaya

Bar Seven

My friend Vadim came to meet us and we went to Bar 7. I haven’t been there, although I have heard a lot about it. Unfortunately I always confused it with Lounge 7, which I have seen already and stamped it as not worthy to write about. Well, Bar Seven is a little hidden and apparently it’s not easy to pass face control. Once inside you’ll find a very small club, which has some special cozy feeling to it. The audience seems hand selected and is made out of managers (mostly Russian) and yuppies. The staff is friendly and the drinks are pricey but not watered down like elsewhere. I just didn’t like the music. It was the usual mix of commercial house and a Russian pop song mixed in here and there, so the audience can sing along. It seems to me, that all Moscow bars and clubs are using the same DJ’s with the same records. It would be nice to hear some other flavors, but yes … you are right … probably it’s my problem, when I visit these posh places.

Bar Seven
Lubianskaya square, 10
Tel: +7 (495) 7305547
Metro Lubyanka

It was almost to cold to go out last night. With temperatures well below – 20C (the forcast promised – 26C) and a nosefreezing arctic North wind it took some will to leave the warmth of the house and go to a club opening. RAI is a new star among the elitny clubs of Moscow and after approximately 3 openings since December they have got it right this time. When we arrived, there was a long cue waiting to get in (and that with -20 C), but we had our ways to pass face control in a heartbeat and get in the warmth quickly. Donalds first words were: Oh man, I think we are badly underdressed! And he was probably right. There we were, 3 Westerners with Berlin style club wear against a huge club full of young and mostly beautiful rich Russians with any designerwear you could think off. Donald immediately identified a new trend, which probably swapped over from England. Many of the men were wearing ascots. Some others had fine silk ties under cashmere sweaters. Most of the crowd was very young. I saw a few guys sitting on a table with a bottle of Vodka and Champagne, which were probably below 18. I’d say most of the crowd was 20-25, rich and fashionable, but not the cool, you’d find in a place like Gazgolder, but more the wanna be elegant type.

RAI has 3 rooms and is really huge. 2 were opened on last night’s phoenix party and the larger one was packed to the limit. There are enough toilets (unisex) not to let you wait when the vodka red bulls want their way out again. The club is clean and the staff extraordinary friendly. 500 Rubles for a Vodka Red Bull is pretty pricey, but probably normal for a club that plays in the league of Opera, Dagilev and Cabaret. Its probably best compared to Opera, but the style is not as nice as Operas. The crowd is pretty similar as well, but much younger. Both clubs remind me a lot about Leto, which was closed, is it 2 years (already) ago? Operas Music is much better, though. RAI was playing the usual commercial house mixed with Russian Pop, which made the crowd yell and go crazy (so much about the elegant English types), but is purely painful for us Westerners. We had a good night after all, probably because of all the Vodka Red Bulls we had. I almost died on my way back home (because of the cold, not too much alcohol). The club entrance is closed for cars and you have to walk about 200m to the main road, which is not a good thing to do, after a sweaty dancing club night, even if you are equipped with The North Face gear.

The club is a joint project of the club promoter Andreas (First, Penthouse, Jet Set, Shambala) and Maxim Goretsky (Myata, Look In Cafe). Its located in the old chocolate factory Krasny Oktyabr, actually just on the other side of the club Fabrique. Well, I guess it was one of my last visits in RAI, I am not a big fan of these types of clubs and I prefer smaller and more creative venues. Nevertheless its an excellent club (missing some style in terms of the interior), a good alternative to Opera and Dagilev, and worth a visit. I am sure some of you will like it and they will make it their new home and favorite place in Moscow. But be quick to check it, rumor in the scene is, that RAI will close soon again, because its just to big and burning too much cash, with not enough visitors. Well, I haven’t seen that last night. The place was packed and by the potent types with lots of cash in their pockets. Nevertheless the real estate prices in that area are sky rocketing and a place klike this is quickly turned into some office space or some large lofts. Enjoy RAI, before its gone like a supernova.

Address:
RAI (Paradise)
Bolotnaya Naberejnaya 9
VIP Reservations: Call Andreas at (496) 767 1474

I just found this on the AntiAdvertisingAgency website and I think its a pretty cool way of protesting against too much advertising. Could work in Moscow as well :-) Are you not inspired, yet?

Between October 2006 and December 2006, the City of New York has removed or obscured 59 illegal banners on sidewalk sheds. In that same period, Citibank Chase was forced to remove all illegal sidewalk projections at branches around Manhattan. And now, years into NYC’s crackdown on graffiti writers and protesters, after we’ve watched our friends be detained, arrested, beat, fined, tried, and given real jail sentences, not a single corporate toy from any ad firm has had to do any time.

This could mean only one thing. They’ve called off the law. Open City. Let’s all get to work.

This is the first collaboration between the Anti-Advertising Agency and Graffiti Research Lab. Modified from Ji Lee’s Abstractor TV. We used black foam core ($10/sheet) cut with a laser cutter - however, this project can be done with an x-acto blade, black construction paper, and duct tape for next to nothing. It can be repeated using any backlit display - bus shelters, display ads, television store windows… dream big, act now. more…

Found at http://antiadvertisingagency.com

There is another Arty Party this weekend. Check the Flyer for more infos.

Arty Party
Saturday 24.2.2007 at 22:00
at club “Ulitsa OGI”
Petrovka 26