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MOSCOW JUNE 2009 www.passportmagazine.ru Swine Flu: Should We Be Worried? The Low-Down on Fitness Clubs The Nanai People of the Amur River The Moscow Hash House Harriers Cartoonist Boris Efi mov The Moscow Metro Contents 4 What’s On in Moscow 7 June Holidays 8 Previews Highly selective previews of June’s performances and exhibitions 8 11 Theater A review of House at the Moscow School of Mod- ern Drama Theater Interview with Galina Volchek 14 Community The world of expat fi eld hockey and a potted history of the Storming Cloggs Moscow Hash House Harriers 18 Big Brothers Big Sisters charity 20 Profi le Soviet cartoonist Boris Efi mov 24 Medicine Swine fl u: how real is the threat? 26 Art History Levina-Rozengolts 24 28 Architecture The Moscow metro 30 Time Off A trip down the Moscow River 32 City Beat Fitness clubs in Moscow 34 Travel 30 The Nanai People of the Amur River 38 Book Review 40 Restaurant Review Alioli Night Flight 44 Wine Tasting 40 48 Out & About 50 How To How to fi nd a fl at if you aren’t a millionaire Get a motorbike 52 Columns Real estate, Financial, Employment 55 Viewpoint Michael Romanov’s diary 51 June 2009 1 Letter from the Publisher To help you relax, we take you Thierry Spinnelli on a trip down the Moscow river, We post this article about Bordeaux on the heels of very on a tour of the Moscow metro, sad news for the Moscow expat and wine community. By now a quick spin up the Amur to visit most may have heard of the tragic end of the lives of Thierry the Nanai people, introduce you and Olga Spinelli and their two-year-old daughter Elisa. Thi- to famous Soviet cartoonist Boris erry was formerly marketing manager for Chateau Le Grand Efi mov, give you the low-down Vostok in Krasnodar region from its founding and had worked on fi tness clubs, review two in the Moscow wine trade as a marketer since 1999. For the books that you might actually past three years a French wine advocate, Olga headed the read. We massage your crisis- wine club at Simple Wines. I did not know his family but was worn brows with an important acquainted with Thierry since his time at Chateau Le Grand Out & About communication Vostok. He was a kind, courteous and quiet person. He made John Ortega concerning a marauding Scot a signifi cant and fi ne impact on the wine industry, and will Owner and Publisher who cajoled unsuspecting Rus- be remembered well by all who had the opportunity to work sians – and a few willing expats with him. He deserves more than a few well-earned toasts. – to try out a dram or two of Bruichladdich whisky. The editor, Reserve a few drops for him and his family the next time you carefully disguised as a Sassenach Kulak, managed to comman- open a bottle. deer a wee bit more. In a major scoop, Passport has secured the rights to the Irish Trade Delegation diary of Michael Romanov, pretender to the Russian throne. A reception was held in the Irish Embassy on May 20 to mark He has recently emigrated from London to Moscow in order the arrival in Russia of a 30-strong trade mission from Ireland. to campaign for election as Tsar Michael II. The fi rst edition of The team was led by Irish Trade Minister, Minister Billy Kelle- this exclusive material is printed in this issue. her, and the reception was hosted by Justin Harman, Ireland’s Passport Magazine has been through many changes since long-serving ambassador in Russia. The trade mission was or- the fi rst issue was published way back in rosy-spectacled ganized by Enterprise Ireland, the Irish government agency 2003. Our editorial mission, even in times of crisis, remains promoting Irish industry abroad. Co-hosting the event was the same: to provide news, articles and information useful the Association of European Businesses, which was repre- and entertaining for the community of English-speaking sented by Dr Frank Schauff , the Chief Executive Offi cer. The expats living in Russia. usual generous Irish hospitality was enjoyed by a large crowd If you are an organizer of such events and wish to be of guests. Both Jameson’s whiskey and pints of “porter” were included in the calendar of events, or reviewed specially, on off er. There is a feeling that “Ireland is open for business”, please write to me: [email protected] as Billy Kelleher said in his address to the gathering. Still on the community front, in this issue we cover the Moscow Hash Harriers runners, who (despite their name), have nothing to do with drugs, and everything to do with living life to the full. We print an article on Big Brothers Big Announcement: Sisters, a charity which is being supported by a number of Summer Club at EIS: 6-17 July foreign companies, yet which members of the expat com- Education and fun for 3-15s; all welcome. Languages, arts , munity know surprisingly little about. Without wishing to music, sport & games appear alarmist, we publish an article in this issue on the Contact: English International School 301 2104 danger; perceived or real, of swine fl u for those of us living in [email protected] Russia, and assess the risk. www.englishedmoscow.com Enjoy! Owner and Publisher Designer Contributors John Ortega, +7 (985) 784-2834 Julia Nozdracheva Charles Borden, Ross Hunter, Marina Lukanina, Elena [email protected] [email protected] Rubinova, Olga Slobodkina-von Brømmsen, Nick Rees, Editor Webmaster Oleg Chernoukh, Piers Gladstone, Luc Jones, Maria John Harrison Alexey Timokhin Savelieva, Michael Bartley, Matthew Partridge, Alina [email protected] [email protected] Ganenko, Adrian Carnegie, Maria Luneva, Olga Mikhailova, Graham Miller, Kevin McNeer, Anastasia Kachevskaya, Ian Deputy Editor Accounting and Legal Services Mitchell, Philip Baillie Elena Krivovyaz Vista Foreign Business Support [email protected] Trubnaya St. 25/1, Moscow +7 (495) 933-7822 Arts Editor Alevtina Kalinina [email protected] Editorial Address: Published by OOO Passport Magazine. All rights reserved. Passport occasionally uses material we believe has been 42 Volgogradsky Prospekt, Bldg. 23 This publication is registered by the Press Ministry No. placed in the public domain. Sometimes it is not possible Office 013, 1st floor 77-18639. 08.10.04 to identify and contact the copyright owner. If you claim 109316 Moscow, Russia Printed by Mozhaysky Poligrafichesky Kombinat ownership of something we have published, we will be 93 Ulitsa Mira , 143200 Mozhaysk, Russia pleased to make a proper acknowledgment. Tel. +7 (495) 640 0508 Fax +7 (495) 620-0888 www.passportmagazine.ru 2 June 2009 What’s On in Moscow Monday, 1st regions practicing Tibetan Buddhism International Women’s Club – Kalmykia, Buryatia, Tuva, Mongolia Djivan Gasparyan (Duduk) and Tibet. This unique festival aims to of Moscow Legendary duduk virtuoso Djivan present music that is based on Bud- General Meeting Gasparyan with his new program. In dhist ideas of compassion and kind- GlavUpDk Cultural Center, 10:00 Armenian Duduk means “a soul of heartedness. an apricot tree”. In 2002, Gasparyan MMDM, Svetlanov Hall, 19:00 received the World Music Expo award Friday, 5th for distinguished service to musical Anglomania (art festival) art and later was awarded a Golden Wednesday, 3rd Globe for the Gladiator soundtrack. The The British Embassy and Seasons ethnic sound of the Armenian Duduk Foreign Employees in Your magazine is holding a festival of Eng- also contributed to compositions by Company (business-conference) lish culture, art and music. Organizers promise that guests can visit Britain for such famous musicians as Peter Gabriel, The program of this RBCC-organized just 300 rubles. The only thing to do is Lionel Richie, Brian May, Michael Brook, conference includes: Labor legislation to come to the Hermitage Garden. A Brian Eno and Boris Grebenshchikov. changes review; Recruitment and hir- two-story red bus, English sausages, ing trends; Attracting foreign employ- MMDM Svetlanov Hall, 19:00 Oxford lectures, porcelain, Shakespeare ees; Is there a need for foreign staff ?; and much more… Labor relations with expatriate employ- th th ees: what should be considered?; Hir- Hermitage Garden, 19:00, also 6 and 7 , ing/fi ring foreign employees; Employ- details at www.seasons.com.ru ers’ most frequent violations in relation to foreign individuals. The conference is in Russian, translation available. Price: 12,000 rubles (VAT is not included). Registration ends: 02.06.2009, 16:00. To receive additional information regard- ing registration, please contact Viktoria Klimova, 232-4774, 232-1769. Marriott Royal Aurora, 10:00 Masterpieces of the Godskitchen: Marcus Shulz, Lara Fabian Old Masters (classical music) Sander Van Doorn, Mehno Soloist of the Moscow Philharmonic. Lara was born in 1970 in the Belgian de Jong Roman Catholic Cathedral of Immaculate town of Etterbeek. Her Flemish father Godskitchen is an international club Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 19:30 and Sicilian mother, inspired by the brand which is associated with dance theme song of the fi lm Doctor Zhivago, music and is responsible for organiz- named her Lara. Right from the age of Thursday, 4th ing numerous events worldwide. The fi ve, Lara knew she wanted to sing. Her company runs a club night of the same songs Croire and Je sais sold 500,000 Igor Butman Big Band, name at their own nightclub AIR, in and 300,000 copies respectively. Vadim Eilenkrieg Quintet (jazz) Birmingham and also has an in-house nd Operetta Theater, 19:00, also 2 Butman will present two fi rst releases music label.
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