What? You are still hanging out at Krisha, Most or Dyagilev? Well, you think you are cool, if you make it into Simachevs, Gazgolder or Solyanka? Have you been at a Labelfucker house party already? Try that baby! http://www.labelfucker.ru
Don’t get me wrong. I love Solyanka and I really dig Simachevs, especially the food.
The date is not set in stone yet, but one of Moscow’s best posh clubs is re-opening in December. “First” will be at its old location on the Moscow River Banks, only a stone throw away from Fabrique. I am curious, how the new First will be received. After all we have too many posh clubs these days and a few more are supposed to open in the near future. Times are different and First may very well suffer like another formerly famous Moscow club, XIII.
First used to be the No.1 address for elite clubbers in Moscow for years until 2006. It’s on and off for the past year. As you can imagine First’s face control is not easy to pass. At least it used to be like this in the past. Long lines (mainly girls) cued in the yard before First’s door. The club partly used to be a tent and some romantic old styled rooms in the building nearby. I am curious what they will offer to drag people away from Dyagilev, Krisha, Most and Opera. The Moscow nightlife is getting ever faster and I have a hunch the glam times of the large posh clubs are soon over. Its probably time for the more cool and smaller establishments like Justo Douch Bain, Solyanka, Gazgolder and the Simachev Bar.
Address:
Pluschikha, #64, metro Frunzenskaya Tel: (495) 540 28 47. Open Fridays and Saturdays 12.00 until 6.00
Being a former extreme snowboarder, I had good hook ups to other extreme sports people when I came to Moscow. Right after my arrival in 2003, I have been invited to one of Moscows most exclusive clubs. No, it wasn’t one of the posh hangouts for Oligarchs. I was taken to a government building in the Moscow center at night. When we arrived we met some people, who just left the club on the street infront of the club. Even in 2003, far before Tarrantinos Death Proof, these guys were driving US muscle cars from the 60s, all shiny and in best shape. We said hello, had a quick chat and then walked to the club.
On the way you have to pass a FSB guard, saying nothing, but checking you out with a grim face. Then you walk into some backyard of a government building. You pass a number of garages and one of the gate is actually the entrance to the club. There is no sign. You’l have to enter a code to get into the first door. Right after there is another heavy door with another box. Now it gets spooky. You need to scan your fingerprints and if you are a club member the door opens magically. You walk down some stairs into a very cool club with industrial design. The doors are made out of submarine or alike doors. The seats and tables are taken from some old planes. Some of them are eject seats from jets.
The walls of this club are covered with photos of base jumpers in frames. Base jumping is popular among Moscovites. While you’ll find a few of these extreme guys in cities like New York (and the world famous “The Range”), you have enough people to form a club here in Moscow. Most of these guys are rich kids, but the cool and nice types, not the Paris Hilton copying pretentious ones. Most of them are in their 30’s now. Their parents made their fortunes with the privatization in the 90s, while the kids enjoyed their time and partied. Techno and Drugs, the vast consume soon took its toll. Some of us died, says Olga, a long term member of this elite group. We tried anything, we wanted to have fun and we pushed the limits.
Parties and drugs soon proofed to be super visual and these guys looked for another thrill. Some of them burned out and became adults, becoming more quiet, creative and spiritual. Some others looked for nature and adrenaline. Some became snowboarders, others skydivers and base jumpers. Today we have a new generation of base jumpers. Younger people, who follow the footsteps of these guys, who led the way.
The club, I will not tell its name and location, is still alive and more popular than ever. You need to be invited to become a member. I find nothing special about it, apart of the interior and the nice atmosphere. Even though its closed for the public, they have regular concerts of famous groups and DJs playing there. Or you just go for some after work beer or some dinner. Meet some friends, play some pool, watch a movie and hang out.
Here are some more Moscow base jumpings vids from Youtube. Enjoy these guys. The video above is my favorite. These guys just walk into the library of the Moscow Universtity on the 21st floor. The ones of you who know Moscow, know that this is one of the “7 Sisters”, the Stalin high rise buildings, built in the 50s. Where was I? Ah, they walk into the library, say a polite Hello to some woman who is there and then the first guy jumps out of the window. The second guy, who films, says a polite “Good Bye”, checks the wind and jumps as well. Its just great! I wonder how they got on and off the campus, since that is highly guarded and your bags are checked when you get in. You won’t make it in, if you are not a student anyway. Good one.
Europe received a lot of snow this week. what had caused a “snow chaos” in Germany is just business as usual for the Moscovite drivers. Of course things went kinda slow last night and this morning in rush hour, but even though the snow comes early this year, Moscovites are prepared and its not at all chaotic. Maybe they are not that bad drivers at all? (see next article below).
This is the second large snowfall, we receive this season. Its all a bit early, cutting out most of the wet cold snow/rain weather, which is usual for this season, but nobody is unhappy about it. For me, these first snowfalls, especially when it dumps a few centimeters like last night, remind me very much of my childhood in Bavaria. I love the snow and the first dump was always a pleasurable moment. For some reason it still puts a long lasting smile on my face :-) even though im am not in a small Bavarian village, but in a metropol.
I guess its because this snow just makes everything look better. Moscow looks much brighter, much cleaner and much more mysterious. Almost like in a farytale. Its just too bad, that the clean white very soon will turn into some black-brownish something and eventually become wet dirty slush.
I just found some Moscow car crash videos on Youtube. Most of them are from surveillance cameras. Moscow traffic is cracy in times and people drive totally respectless for the other. Have a look and be stunned about the bluntness of Moscow drivers.
BTW: If you are a Moscovite and got as acustomed to the driving here as I did, then be careful. The rules have recently changed and lawmakers increased the fines. Among many things you can now be fined for not wearing a seatbelt, using the cellphone while driving (yes, I know, sounds like an early 80’s law in Europe or the US) and not stopping at a crosswalk to let pedestrians pass. Speeding and going against a one way street or going on a walkway (all usual things here) will also be fined higher now.
So, will it help? I doubt it. The problem is a mix of the bad driving culture, respectless behaviour to the others and the fast growing amount of new (fast) cars. The cops will just put a bit more bribery money in their pockets and let the people go as usual? A Duma (parliament) member recently said in an interview that he doesn’t care who gets the money, the Russian government or the policemen, as long as it hurts the driver and he starts to behave better. Fines below $100 are probably o low for Moscovites, but what can you do. Its a federal law and this amount is a lot of money outside of Moscow, while here its just some pocket money for many of the Moscovites.
Have a look yourself. This is what I found on You Tube
That leaves me with wishing you luck. Please be careful and remember what my Mom always used to say: “Its not you who is driving bad and causing the accident. Its the others. They are idiots and always expect one of them to come around the next corner. Be prepared.”. So? Still not wearing your seatbelt after you have seen this?
November 29th, 2007 by 
Two-Zero 
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