JULY 2008 www.passportmagazine.ru Mayakovsky’s Soviet Passport Your Russian Work Visa Russia Day 2008 Contents 4 Vladimir Mayakovsky’s Soviet Passport 6 Calendar and Editor’s Choice What to do in Moscow in July 10 July in Russian History 12 Film, Books, and Music 4 Russian Film vs. Hollywood Movies ”Cyberpunk” Band Fakel Carriage Chats with Lev Tolstoy 14 Art History The Gulag Creativity of Boris Sveshnikov 16 Travel Summer in Mongolia: The Festival of Nadaam 18 Day Out 16 Mednoye 20 Weekend Getaway Odessa 22 Metro Feature The End of an Era 24 Crossing Borders Germans in Russia Peter Kropotkin 18 Russians in Cote d’Azur Scots in Russia 34 Russian Star The Designs of Viktoria Savvateeva 36 Business Visas: Quota Fulfi lled 38 Real Estate St. Petersburg’s Marine Facade 30 40 Wine & Dine Wine: Windows on the World; Canadian Ice Wine Dine: Carre Blanc Restaurant Listings 48 Columns Fred Flintstone Lipp Service Eva Lanska: Between Paris and Moscow The Legal Line 40 52 Out & About New Detective Fiction Mercedes-Benz Classic Day Summer Party at Marriott Courtyard Spotlight Singapore in Moscow Yachting Season Summer Block Party Diema’s Dream 56 The Last Word June 12: Russia Day 48 Letter from the Publisher Ack-ack…Ahem…Excuse me, just that last bit of pukh that fl ew down my throat. You know what I mean — all the fl uff and fuzz that comes out of nowhere to blanket the city in June as if we are pining away for some snow and crave a substitute. Now that it’s disappeared, we can get back to the issue at hand, or the issue in your hand, namely Passport. Our magazine is particularly well-named this month, in light of our theme for July: “Foreigners in Russia, Russians Abroad.” We kick off with a tribute to Russian-Soviet poet Vladimir Mayakovsky (as in the metro station on the Green Line), who was not only born this month in 1893 but is famous for penning the poem “My Soviet Passport” (see page 4). Moving on, the centerpiece of this issue is Crossing Borders, a quartet of stories about people in history who did just that. Returning to the present day, Timur Beslangurov off ers his take on Russia’s policy toward foreigners working in Russia. Read about getaway destinations such as the city of Odessa (page 20) and Ulaanbaatar (page 16), travel writer Neil McGowan’s fi nal stop on his way to Beijing for the Olympic Games. For those of us staying in town, get the lowdown on what’s doing in Moscow this month in the way of arts and John Ortega entertainment and how to get there (see the penultimate installment of Ray Nayler’s series about the Moscow metro, page 22). Learn about Viktoria Savvateeva, a rising star in the Russian fashion Owner and Publisher world and Marine Façade, a new port where your ship can come in St. Petersburg (page 38). Hear from regulars Vladimir Kozlov on fi lm (Hollywood vs. Russia, page 12) and Claire Marsden on books (summer reads, page 13) plus Fred Flintstone, Lipp Service, the Legal Line, and special columnist Eva Lanska on Parisiennes and Moskvichki (pages 48-51). And with that, happy Bastille Day, Independence Day, etc., etc., etc. Do you have a story you’d like to tell? Do you have a story you’d like to read? Passport wants to hear from you! Send comments, ideas, suggestions, requests to [email protected] Owner and Publisher Designer Contributors John Ortega, +7 (985) 784-2834 Andrey Vodenikov Timur Beslangurov, Charles Borden, James Brooke, Noah [email protected] [email protected] Buckley, Piers Gladstone, Ross Hunter, Drew Ingersoll, Copy Editor Daniel Klein, Eva Lanska, Linda Lippner, Vladimir Kozlov, Editor Claire Marsden, Neil McGowan, Olga Mironenko, Ian Isabelle Hale Linda Lippner Mitchell, Ray Nayler, Olga Slobodkina-von Brømssen [email protected] Photographers Deputy Editor Sergei Koshkin, Konstantin Provorov Anna Kulyagina Webmaster [email protected] Alexey Timokhin [email protected] Arts Editor Alevtina Kashitsina Accounting and Legal Services Vista Foreign Business Support [email protected] Trubnaya St. 25/1, Moscow +7 (495) 933-7822 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. 77- placed in the public domain. Sometimes it is not possible Office 013, 1st floor 18639. 08.10.04 to identify and contact the copyright owner. If you claim 109316 Moscow, Printed by Mozhaysky Poligrafichesky Kombinat ownership of something we have published, we will be 93 Mir Street, 143200 Mozhaysk, Russia pleased to make a proper acknowledgment. Russia Tel/Fax +7 (495) 620-0888 www.passportmagazine.ru 2 July 2008 Стихи о советском паспорте Я волком бы выгрыз бюрократизм. На польский - К мандатам выпяливают глаза почтения нету. в тугой К любым полицейской слоновости - чертям с матерями откуда, мол, глаз носильщика, катись и что это за хоть вещи любая бумажка. географические новости? снесет задаром вам. Но эту... И не повернув Жандарм По длинному фронту головы кочан вопросительно купе и чувств смотрит на и кают никаких сыщика, чиновник не изведав, сыщик учтивый берут, на жандарма. движется. не моргнув, С каким наслажденьем Сдают паспорта, паспорта датчан жандармской и я и разных кастой сдаю прочих я был бы мою шведов. исхлестан и распят пурпурную книжицу. И вдруг, за то, К одним паспортам - как будто что в руках у меня улыбка у рта. ожогом, молоткастый, К другим - рот серпастый отношение плевое. скривило советский паспорт. С почтеньем господину. Я волком бы берут, например, Это выгрыз паспорта господин чиновник бюрократизм. с двухспальным берет К мандатам английским левою. мою почтения нету. Глазами краснокожую паспортину. К любым доброго дядю выев, Берет - чертям с матерями не переставая как бомбу, катись кланяться, берет - любая бумажка. берут, как ежа, Но эту... как будто берут чаевые, как бритву Я паспорт обоюдоострую, достаю американца. берет, из широких штанин На польский - как гремучую дубликатом глядят, в 20 жал бесценного груза. как в афишу коза. змею Читайте, двухметроворостую. завидуйте, Моргнул я - многозначаще гражданин Советского Союза. 4 July 2008 Владимир Маяковский Born on July 19, 1893, in a small Georgian village, Vladimir Mayakovsky is remembered for his contributions to Soviet poetry. Among the foremost representatives of Russian Futurism, he went to considerable lengths to debunk idealistic and romanticized notions of poetry and poets, preferring instead the language of the streets. During the Russian Revolution, much of his poetry called for support of the Bolsheviks, garnering him respect from Communist officials. In 1930, troubled by critics and disappoint- ment in love and politics, he shot himself with a revolver. Stalin, who proclaimed indifference to Mayakovsky’s works a crime, was among those who eulogized the poet. “The poem of the Soviet Passport,” written in 1929, is an example of Mayakovsky’s short, simple, rhythmic lines, which he was known for reciting in sten- torian, declamatory style. The Poem of the Soviet Passport I’d root out bureaucracy once and for The official stood stock-still: ever. It’s my red passport fall this bound I have no respect for formalities. Into the hands of his majesty. May every paper go to the devil He takes my pass, as if it were But for this... A bomb, a blade or those sorts of things, A courteous official passes through He takes it with extraordinary caution The maze of compartments and halls. and scare They hand in passports, and I, too, As if it were a snake with dozens of Hand in my red-skinned pass. stings. Some passports arouse an obliging smile The porter meaningly bats his eyes While others are treated as mud. Ready to serve me for free. Say, passports picturing the British Lion The detective looks at the cop in Are taken with special regard. surprise, A burly guy from the USA The cop looks at him inquiringly. Is met with an exorbitant honor, I know I’d be fiercely slashed and hanged They take his passport as if they By this gendarmerie caste Were taking a gift of money. Only because I have got in my hand The Polish passport makes them stare This hammer-and-sickle pass. Like a sheep might stare at a Christmas I’d root out bureaucracy once and for tree: ever. Where does it come from, this silly and I have no respect for formalities. queer May every paper go to the devil Geographical discovery? But for this... Without trying to use their brains, This little thing, so dear to me, Entirely dead to all feelings, I withdraw from my loose pantaloons, They take quite coldly passports from Read it and envy me: I happen to be Danes A citizen of the Soviet Union. And other sorts of aliens. Suddenly, as if he had burnt his mouth, — Translated by Alec Vagapov July 2008 5 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Th ursday Friday Jesus Christ Superstar Surganova and Orchestra Mossoviet Academic Th eater, 19:00 Summer Acoustics Also on July 6 MAI Student Club, 20:00 To include an event Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata Beethoven in Love Masquerade-Show in our calendar, Stanislavsky & Nemirovich-Danchenko classical music concert Art-House Th eatre, 19:00 Musical Th eater, 19:00 Old English House, 19:00 please email information to 1234Also July 21 Seeley & Baldory Grand Slam Beach Volleyball “Vernisazh” Dance Show Moscow International House of Music, [email protected] Tournament Dancing Fountains French Show Moscow State Estrada Th eater, 19:00 19:00 by the 15th of the month at Poklonnaya Gora VDNKh, Stone Flower Fountain 9:00-21:00 15:00, 16:30, 18:00, 22:00 Peter Nalitch and Ensemble W.