06
Feature
RUSSIA NOW
BOOKMARKS www.gayrussia.ru/en Russia’s Gay Community
SECTION SPONSORED BY ROSSIYSKAYA GAZETA, RUSSIA
www.expat.ru/index.php The virtual community for English-speaking
expats and Russians
WWW.RBTH.RU
www.diningguide.ru Find more than 300 Moscow restaurants
National Cuisine
New Rituals for
The New Year
IRAKLI IOSEBASHVILI
GOURMAND
NIKOLAY KOROLYOFF
It’s December 31st and you’re about to
experience your first New Year’s Eve in Moscow.
As soon as the guests arrive, the vodka comes
out and the toasting starts. Russian toasts are a
spontaneous, informal affair, but there are a few
that are mandatory. You drink to the old year with
the hope that everything good that happened will
continue into the future, while anything bad stays
in the past. Before you know it, the television is
showing the Kremlin clock tower striking midnight
and the president congratulating the country.
You write out a wish on a piece of paper, set the
paper on fire and drop the ashes into one of the
glasses of champagne being passed around —
a sure recipe to getting what you want in 2010.
The rest of the night is only remembered as a
blur — you all went outside to shoot off fireworks,
sing songs, have a snowball fight...and you came
back indoors. What gives comfort to your ach-
ing head, however, is the thought that there is
nowhere to hurry to the following morning. The
MAXIM SHMETOV_ITAR-TASS whole country will be nursing a hangover right
The happy couple: Irina Fedotova and Irina Shipitko wanted their relationship to be officially sanctioned, but were refused a ceremony in the Moscow registry office. along with you. And when it passes, there will be
ten more days of vacation to do it all over again.
We offer a review of some essential dishes for
Minorities Russia’s Gay Activists Garner Small Victories Against Intolerance
the New Year’s table from Russia Now. For the
recipes, go to rbth.ru.
Pride and Prejudice
Salad
Olivier
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
of our people is much more im- pieces and thrown to the wind.” ing the authorities for the right Natasha and her girlfriend
portant.” Alexeyev’s cautious Activists formally complained to to demonstrate were denied, Alena, lounging in a lesbian RED SQUARE RESTAURANT
Could the risk of injury be worth position prevailed. prosecuters. While the case was our efforts still brought results: pickup spot not far from Red This salad is the most traditional dish for New
the bonanza of publicity a But Gay Russia, a human never opened, the governor felt Russians now know that gays Square, said the risk of violence Year’s celebrations in Russian homes.
street demonstration would rights and political movement pressured to try and retract his and lesbians are Russian citizens, is real, but diminishing, at least
garner on the day the U.S. pres- founded four years ago, is mak- comments in a statement to Iz- struggling for their rights, as any in Moscow. Mushroom
ident arrived? Alexeyev gath- ing inroads across Russia. It vestiya. other minority,” said activist Last spring, a lesbian couple Julienne
ered his colleagues at his apart- boasts high-profile activists and Although Russian city author- Nikolai Bayev. “Our voices are became the first to attempt to
ment to discuss street protests. supporters in almost every large ities deny gay activists the sometimes heard by the mass legally marry in Russia.
The debate was heated. Presi- metropolitan area, and the gay right to hold a pride parade, media and even some policy Two activists, Irina Fedotova,
dent Obama was arriving the community is facing down in- there are indications this makers.” 30, and Irina Shipitko,
next morning in Moscow; tolerance, day by day, crime year that official hostility to gay Away from the political arena, 32, donned tuxedos and bow
when else, some argued, would after crime. activism is softening. Two gov- gay Russians are creating their ties, and showed up at the Mos-
gay Russians have a better Human rights violations, in- ernors, in the Kirov and Perm own islands of tolerance. The cow marriage registry with roses EKATERINA MORGUNOVA_FOTOIMEDIA
chance to publicize their strug- stances of political discrimina- regions, issued proclamations sight of young women kissing in their hands. Mushrooms have a special place in Russian
gle? But others, including Alex- tion and homophobic state- that sexual minorities enjoy each other on the benches of Their application was reject- culture. Julienne is the standard appetizer of any
eyev, feared the potential for ments by Russian officials are equal rights as Russian citizens. Tverskoy Boulevard in the cen- ed, as they expected. holiday dinner.
violence. recorded on the gayrussia.ru Last spring, an effort to ban gay ter of Moscow has become part “Irina and I always knew we
“The city is flooded with po- web site, in Russian and Eng- literature in Ryazan, a region of the city’s mosaic. would spend our life together,” Herring
lice; we cannot guarantee pro- lish. There have been some po- southeast of Moscow, was de- “No matter what bureaucrats said Fedotova. “We decided to Under a Fur
tection for our activists,” Alex- litical victories. feated after gay activists pro- think, we will date and love each make our marriage a public act, Coat
eyev told his friends. “I would In 2008, the governor of Tam- tested. other, as any other humans,” to create a precedent in Russia
say we should not risk a non- bon publicly said that sexual mi- “Although all 160 applica- said Natasha, a 25-year-old stu- for other gay couples to follow
sanctioned protest. The safety norities should be “torn into tions we filed in four years ask- dent. our steps.”
-
VALENTIN MOSICHEV_FOTOIMEDIA
Probably the most popular Russian salad, this
Profile Anton Krotov Reminds Russians of the Romance of the Nomad
dish can deceive the eye — from afar it looks
vaguely cake-like.
A Traveler’s Road to Enlightenment
Pickled
Tomatoes
Hitching rides became a way ing to get around on minimal friendly, happy, beautiful coun-
of life for Jack Kerouac’s expenditure. “Somebody trav- try.”
Beat Generation. els and lives with people, but Krotov’s pocket handbook,
Decades later, Anton Krotov these people do not get work “134 Questions – 134 Answers,”
is leading a movement of from it. We sit in villages and aims to address popular fears
ITAR-TASS
Russia’s globetrotting “free
FROM PERSONAL ARCHIVES
experience different types of life, and myths. He goes into detail Russians pickle everything from garlic to water-
travelers.” but these people are not our about how to prepare, empha- melon. Tomatoes are an old favorite.
guides. We look at the normal sizing that free travel doesn’t
FREDERICK BERNAS
life of the world.” always mean a zero budget. It’s Tapas,
RUSSIA NOW Krotov’s inherently optimis- vital to keep family and friends Russian-
tic soul is clearly the guiding informed. As for the question style
With over 30 years of travel ex- light. “We believe in friendship. of women on the road, he
perience and 17 books under All people are one family, liv- claims to know several who,
his belt, Anton Krotov doesn’t ing in one house; the world is “despising old prejudices, trav-
lack in tales from the road. one big house with different el alone for thousands of kilo-
“One of my favorite stories rooms. And people are friend- meters,” with the only excep-
comes from a journey on the ly everywhere. When I travel, tion being in strongly Islamic IZOSOFT.RU
Trans-Siberian Railroad, from Zambia: Anton Krotov (right) started hitchhiking at age 14 in I don’t take a tent because I countries. Russia is an appetizer goldmine — a delicious,
Magadan back to Moscow,” 1976, curious to find out what lay beyond Moscow. know everybody will invite me Krotov’s mission is encourag- uniquely Russian class of food is called “zakus-
said Anton Krotov, founder of in. I lived four months in Indo- ing people to liberate themselves ki,” or little bites.
the Moscow Academy of Free nesia and 100 different people from old ways of thinking. Trav-
Travel. “My friend and I were rope on $20 per day: Krotov another world. And this world invited me in on 100 different el is a metaphor, a journey to-
detained by guards at a station explores the limitless possibili- is increasingly accessible. Where- days. All the world is one. No ward an independent life and
for trying to negotiate with the ties of our planet without pay- as in Soviet times, internal pass- enemies. No dangerous plac- an open heart. “I want to teach.
train’s engineer. We went will- ing. He describes foreign min- ports were often needed to es. Nowhere.” Sometimes, after hearing my lec-
ingly, telling them about our istry blacklists as “the best leave home cities, Russians now “I went to Afghanistan, where tures...they will come to Mos-
THE BEST
trip, and they gave us food be- countries to visit.” He gives lec- enjoy relative liberty to visit Russia made war 20 years ago. cow, to live here with me and
fore handing us over to local tures and sells his books all over other countries and see more Now Russians are afraid to go learn more,” he explained.
New Year’s
police. We made friends with Russia, teaching people how to of their own. there, as well as Americans and “Of course, there are many
them, too, had dinner and a discover freedom. Even in Eng- Domestic and international the British. They think it’s a dan- who want to change but do
bath, and stayed at the chief lish, Krotov’s words project the travel has boomed. Visa bureau- gerous country of narcotics and nothing, especially in the for-
recipes from
policeman’s home before being authority of a seasoned public cracy remains a common bar- terrorism. I did not see this: Peo- mer U.S.S.R. They think the
given a special escort the next speaker. Animatedly narrating rier, but today’s situation is still ple would give me lifts, in every government shows people ev-
day.” adventures from across Asia, a far cry from the pre-1991 re- village I found a place to sleep erything — how to work, study,
Russia Now
Krotov is Russia’s internation- Africa and the vastness of Rus- gime. and eat. Some of them were eat, sleep and that’s it. They
al guru of free travel. Regular sia, he frequently refers to his The term free travel invites veterans of war, but they had are afraid of change. They do
congregations take place in his mountain of photo albums. obvious conclusions about low- no problems with me. Nobody not understand that if you want
tiny Moscow apartment, which This man, some kind of wan- budget fiscal efficiency. But, ac- sold me drugs, showed me guns to do something, you should
Find them at
is filled with memorabilia from derlust folk hero for post-Sovi- cording to Krotov, his concept or tried to kill me. I’ve been do it. You are free, people,
around the globe. This isn’t Eu- et Russia, really does come from represents a lot more than try- there many times; it is a very free!”
-
www.rbth.ru/cuisine
To
advertise in this
supplement
Want to look
contact Julia Golikova
golikova@rg.ru
back through
or Lois Segel,
International
old issues?
Sales Manager
segell@washpost.com
ph. +1 (212) 445 5853
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6