Way to Russia Talk Lounge

jo jo 7

I have got a suggestion, since threads are getting locked just for the heck of it, why not have a section on WTR for stories and experiences in Russia only. How about stories that people shared growing up with their family and friends or traveling. No one shares or talks about life living in Russia on this forum. Not just political stories, but just living there and the experiences of what was seen and done in Russia. Anything, kid stories, what was it like as a child growing up...whatever you want to share...You don't have to write a book, but some short stories...How many Visa posts can we read? I know that the Visa threads are important, it seems there are alot of the same Visa questions being posted. There needs to be a variety here. Any stories?

darthvader · WayToRussified Joined: 09 Dec 2005 Posts: 367

The Snow Maiden

greg222 · VIP Joined: 15 Feb 2005 Posts: 506

What a great thread!

My first one is: The Hungry Duck.

Moscow's most infamous club. It's gone soft in its old age but its reputation lives on. I'm there with a Nazi acquaintance (not a skinhead, a card-carrying member of the National Socialist's Workers Party). The story starts with a whore throwing beer in my face for reasons unknown. I'm in the bathroom washing it out of my eyes. The Nazi starts abusing a Russian waiting patiently behind me - a fight breaks out. Bouncers turf us out on the street. The street whores are sympathetic and try to get us a taxi. The evil taxi drivers who lurk near the club want 300R for the 5 minute drive Chistiye Prudy. I decide we should walk.

Nazi decides to start abusing a guard at Lubyanka, replete with automatic rifle. After 5 minutes of abuse I am astounded that the guard hasn't beaten the shit out of the Nazi with his baton and we move on. I drop the Nazi off at his apartment and go home. Somehow between the door to the building and the door to his apartment he manages to get mugged - relieved of his passport and wallet. I ignore the banging on my apartment door several hours later. The Nazi somehow wanders into my ultra-religious neighbour's apartment and wakes up, covered in blood and surrounded by ikons, to the sounds of a bearded schizophrenic offering him breakfast in German.

Fun times.

Note that I don't condone Nazism - I just find all people interesting.

Darth, I'm keen to hear about your latest trip.

danbrew · Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 10:51 pm Post subject:

It's pretty funny that you mention the Hungry Duck and a Nazi - I was there in 2004 - after the good old days, or so I've heard. I've got a pretty good story from there...

So there I am bebopping along, checking out the women, and generally having a nice time. There are two hot gals dancing together and the whole place is watching them. They come over to where I'm standing and some drunk guy (a drunk Russian guy... but that's ok, I was pretty drunk too) walks up and slides into the booth with them. He starts pawing all over one of the gals and I'm thinking that it must be her boyfriend. She's pissed and can't get him off her. Turns out it wasn't her boyfriend, but instead some drunk Russian. The other gal turns to me and starts pleading with me to help. Of course she's talking in Russian. I can't even think at this point I'm so drunk, much less understand rapid fire Russian in a blaringly loud bar. She's trying to get me to intervene and help get this guy off of her girlfriend.

Hmmm. I thought. What to do? For some reason I decide that I'm gonna yell at him in German. I am pretty good at yelling and such in general, and am a big guy. I guess I just thought a big German would be meaner than a big American. So I walked over and grabbed the guy by the front of his shirt and stuck my finger in his face and started screaming at him in German. He clearly had no idea what the hell I was saying - he probably thought she was my girlfriend. He was a bit smaller than me and not prone to violence, apparently. Looking back on it, it was a great way to get my ass kicked by him and a bunch of his pals. So I grab his shirt, stick my finger in his face and start screaming at him and generally looking like a crazy guy. He actually got up and left. I was really really really surprised. I wondered if he was going to go get his gun?

I decide to calm down and turn around to see if my beer was still... it was! I had a few sips and then decided to turn around and see if the two girls were still there. They weren't!

Crap.

But it was still a great night.

danbrew · Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 10:54 pm Post subject:

And I am way too lazy to copy and paste all of this from where it sits now to WTR...

A 2004 trip: http://www.twentyninewest.com/trips/moscow/index.htm
Photos from the same trip: http://danbrew.smugmug.com/gallery/1626999_9bZ2M/1/79293361_pa4DG

Can't find my 2005/2006 pics... damn!

January 2007: http://danbrew.smugmug.com/gallery/2252365_z2opU/1/117546107_KqFBq

August 2007: http://danbrew.smugmug.com/gallery/3028366_W6wdM/1/164625080_mcMRU

Shocked

RThomas · Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 12:22 am Post subject:

Hey Dan,

Looks like you took the same trans-sib route that I plan on taking next year. I've had a hard time finding others from the U.S. who have done the trip. So, you'll be a valuable resource as the time gets closer. Hope you don't mind answering questions Smile

As far as the story thread suggestion, I think it's a great idea. I love hearing about the experiences of others.

Paul Holmes · VIP Joined: 12 Apr 2005 Posts: 917

My fight club experience was in bar in Yoshkar-Ola and this kid who I really did not know said he was my security guard. After too much vodka and beer, i decided to walk home and he stated that I had to wait for him and that I should stay and drink more.
I started to walk outside the bar and someone grabbed from behind. Not knowing who it was, I bit the bastard to the bone and threw them. I stopped before I bit off the the finger, but blood was everywhere. It was the stupid kid. He was swearing at me in Russian and in English he was saying it was okay to go home and that he was confident that I would be safe.
He kept on picking up snow and the bleeding was not stopping. I told him that I would take him to the hospital. He refused to go and kept trying to use snow to heal himself, so I punched him enough times that his decision was changed. Like I said the bleeding was not stopping. He quickly agreed and took to the hospital.

Or the time I was drinking with some Russian guys about 6 of them and they decided to arm wrestle me. I was beating everyone except one guy and it was pissing them off. They would line up again and again to arm wrestle and losing. In the middle of the competition I was drink a shot of vodka while them off and ask someone to fill my glass again. This really pissed them off, but they continued to lose.

or the time I went to punk rock concert in Russia. I was walking buy a bar and I heard the sweet sweet punk music. I decided to go in and started to go drinking and then hit the mosh pit. it was great, because I outweighed the young kids by at least 50-60lbs and I stood and drank in the middle of pit. I told them stories about meeting NoFx and seeing Nirvana and they introduced me the band afterwards. Russian Punk is awesome.

danbrew · Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 4:56 am Post subject:

jo jo 7 · Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 1:56 pm Post subject:

jo jo 7 · Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 2:17 pm Post subject:

jo jo 7 · Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 2:24 pm Post subject:

greg222 · VIP Joined: 15 Feb 2005 Posts: 506