3.9.2010 16:40 Happy birthday, Moscow!

The budget may have been cut, but City Day is still a chance for Moscow to let its hair down and enjoy some family fun right across town.From speed-walking waiters to open-air concerts there’s something for everyone – and most of it is free.So join the Moscow News as we guide you to some...

3.9.2010 16:30 YouTube back on-line in the east

A ban on YouTube has been lifted, meaning computer lovers in Russia’s far east can enjoyed uncensored surfing once again.The initial ban was intended to suppress “extremist information” on the video-sharing site and four other webpages.But a regional court in Khabarovsk quashed a c...

3.9.2010 15:10 Lame Horse boss run to ground

 One of the prime culprits of the horrific nightclub fire which killed 156 partygoers in Perm last December is about to be extradited to Russia.Konstantin Mrykhin, co-owner of the ill-fated Lame Horse club, was arrested in Spain on Aug. 31, and the Russian authorities are preparing to have him ...

3.9.2010 13:36 Return of Russia’s summer inferno

 The wild fires which stalked Russia throughout the summer have returned – despite assurances that the situation had been brought back under control. Prime minister Vladimir Putin led a ceremony back on Aug. 17 to thank fire-fighting crews for their efforts in tackling the blazes, which t...

3.9.2010 12:40 Khimki forest reprieve riles residents

After protests, arrests and an assault on Khimki town hall local authorities tried to keep everyone talking at a public hearing on Thursday. But boycotts, banners and chanting made mediators’ task a difficult one and the Kremlin is still waiting to hear exactly where the new road will run.Pres...

2.9.2010 23:12 Leon “Foster” Thomas

September 9, 8 pm, Art Café Durov, 6 Ul. Pavlovskaya, m. SerpukhovskayaOne of the most recently invented musical instruments, the steel pan is a metal drum that appeared in Trinidad in the early 20th century, and was originally made of old oil barrels.Next week Moscow is treated to a performa...

2.9.2010 23:9 Indyushata 2010

September 8 and 9, 7 pm, Ikra, 8a Ul. Kazakova, m. KurskayaReferring to anyone as a “turkey” is an insult in English, but this rock festival’s organisers intend no offence with the name.Indyushata translates as “young turkeys” but here it’s supposed to be a play o...

2.9.2010 23:5 Sergei Leiferkus

September 7, 7 pm, Moscow International House of Music (MMDM), 52 Kosmodamianskaya Nab., bldg 8, m. PaveletskayaCelebrated baritone Sergei Leiferkus is coming to Moscow for a concert at the MMDM.For those who know him for his powerful voice and dramatic (often villainous) roles in Russian and Italia...

2.9.2010 23:3 Tori Amos

September 3, 8 pm, Crocus City Hall, pavilion 3 at Crocus Expo, MKAD, 65th–66th km, m. MyakininoTori Amos’ show at Crocus City Hall is to be the American singer/songwriter’s first ever concert in Moscow.Amos came to the limelight in the 1990s, and stood out from the pack of alterna...

2.9.2010 22:56 Movies in English Friday September 3 – Thursday September 9

Babies (France, 2010)Pyat Zvyozd Novokuznetskaya: Fri. to Wed. 11:20 am, Thu. 5:40 pmA documentary about one year in the life of four babies from Mongolia, Namibia, San Francisco and Tokyo.In English, Japanese and Mongolian.Brothers (USA, 2009)Pyat Zvyozd Novokuznetskaya: Fri. to Wed. 5:25 pm and 9:...

2.9.2010 22:50 Hong Kong View

September 2-7, 35 mm, 47 Ul. Pokrovka, m. Kurskaya, Krasniye VorotaThis festival of new Hong Kong cinema features five films in genres ranging from romance to dark thriller.The fest kicks off with a screening of Alex Law’s “Sui yuet san tau” (“Echoes Of The Rainbow”), w...

2.9.2010 22:47 Worker and Collective Farm Girl museum

Following the triumphant unveiling of the restored Worker and Collective Farm Girl monument late last year, the iconic statue is to see its role expanded with the addition of its own museum.Housed in the statue’s new 34-metre-high pedestal, the museum is dedicated to the creation and history o...

2.9.2010 22:46 B1 closes unexpectedly for renovations

One of Moscow’s largest dedicated concert venues, B1 Maximum, has closed for renovations.The 3,000-capacity performance space, located in the former Ordzhonikidze machine building factory, has seen numerous big-name Western acts perform since it opened in December 2006.The organisers said the ...

2.9.2010 22:42 A real Kitai-Gorod

Moscow’s Central House of Artists and the neighbouring Muzeon sculpture park have been turned into a China Town as they host the “Vremya Vperyod”, or “Time Forward”, festival of Chinese culture from September 3-11.Initiated by the culture ministries of China and Russia,...

2.9.2010 22:36 Still got the look

RoxetteSeptember 10, 7 pm, Megasport Sports Complex, 3 Khodynsky Bulvar, m. DinamoWith album sales of some 45 million, 19 UK top 40 hits and four US No. 1s, Roxette is certainly one of Sweden’s most successful pop acts ever.The story of their international success goes that in 1988, a Minneapo...

2.9.2010 22:23 Carbon credits come to Russia

The submission of Russia’s first joint carbon emissions reduction project to the UN was welcomed as a model to follow, but cashing in on environmental protection has been slow to materialise.The joint project at the Shaturskaya Thermal Power Plant in the Moscow region is expected to be accepte...

2.9.2010 22:18 They don’t need no education

As Russia’s parents scrambled to get kids ready for the first day of school on September 1, picking the right uniform and buying supplies were the least of the troubles for many of them – instead, conflicts over funding are keeping them busy.Galina Schneider, whose son just started third...

2.9.2010 22:11 Blighty 31

Russian anti-government protests took place in London for the first time on Tuesday, when some 50 Russian emigres and exiles chanted outside the Russian embassy.Back in their homeland, over a hundred Russians were detained at country-wide “Strategy 31” rallies. As parliamentary and presi...

2.9.2010 22:3 Putting your best foot forward

Never-ceasing energy, Caribbean tunes and the stirring gyrations of salsa will leave no one unmoved, in both the literal and figurative sense of the word. The reason for salsa being immensely popular in Russia is obvious: “It’s a very lively dance – a feast of life. Everyone is smi...

2.9.2010 21:55 Mir Caravan comes to town

Mir Caravan 2010© Photo / courtesy of NamurimagePerformers have come from all over EuropeSeptember 3 – 5 at Kolomenskoye Park, 39 Prospekt Andropova, m. Kolomenskaya.FreeTired of conventional theatrical performances? Looking for something new, fresh and extraordinary? Well, the Mir Caravan fe...

2.9.2010 21:48 The fast and the fearless

I met Anastasiya when she rolled down the window of her taxi and we negotiated the price for a ride that would take me back to the centre of Moscow. “Four hundred roubles?” I tried. She put on a sad smile. I couldn’t but agree to five hundred.Seatbelts are something that most male ...

2.9.2010 21:29 Monumental Moscow

Moscow traditionally celebrates its official birthday during the first weekend in September. To mark the occasion in style, this hike takes in some of Moscow’s most impressive sights, with the option of a boat trip at the end to make the most of the remnants of summer.Exit from Sportivnaya met...

2.9.2010 21:10 Restaurant news

Straight off the bat, Kutuzovsky Prospekt sees two new restaurants open in the one location.Restoranny Sindikat, which is better known for opening such upmarket restaurants as Nabi and Bistrot, has taken a foray into the democratic end of the market by opening Kazan, a shish-kebab restaurant, and Ce...

2.9.2010 21:8 Artful eating at Red October

Art Akademiya6 Bersenievskaya Naberezhnaya, 771 7446, m. KropotkinskayaHours: Sun.-Thu, midday – midnight.; Fri & Sat. midday – 6 am The redevelopment of the Krasny Oktyabr or Red October factory has transformed the area into one of the hottest spots in town, so it’s little sur...

2.9.2010 17:51 Shevchuk’s ancient video causes online scandal

A 15-year-old video made by controversial rocker Yury Shevchuk has resurfaced to fuel a new row about the singer’s opposition politics.The film, made by Shevchuk himself when he was spending time with the armed forces in Chechnya, and shows him standing with some soldiers as the body of a dead...