Nightlife in Moscow

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Размещено на http://www.allbest.ru/

Nightlife in Moscow

nightlife casino nightclub cultural

Feel the beat of Moscow at one of its hottest entertainment locations. Live music, dance, shows, casinos and much more are just a part of the exciting nightlife Moscow has to offer.

Having fun and enjoying oneself at night and in the small hours is just the thing for a Russian soul longing for entertainment. Moscow alone has more casinos than the whole of Europe. About 20 meet the international standards. Entertainment complexes with 24 hour restaurants, bars, disco, night clubs under one roof have become popular of late. Out of a few dozen night clubs more than 20 are upper scale ones.

Moscow's nightlife has undergone a dramatic revolution over the past few years: It's now one of the wildest, most decadent cities in Europe with a wide spectrum of clubs, discos and bars. These range from the mafia-infested, super-expensive casino/strip joints to stylish yuppie bars to rave and techno clubs and bohemian underground squats.

Moscow has also become less violent and the mobs more stylish, so the genuine Wild East riots of bad taste and violence are largely a thing of the past.

The nightlife in Moscow is abundant with numerous clubs featuring music and dancing to satisfy any taste. There are thousands of restaurants competing for the interest of the visitors, serving up various culinary delights. They come in all sizes, price ranges, and ethnic flavors.

Moscow takes clubbing seriously. There are a lot of great places, especially, if someone wants to chill out and have a drink with the friends and listen to nice live music. Dance clubs are very popular too, but many of them practise unhuman door policy, so-called «face-control», where security guards might not let you in if they don't like how you're dressed. Although foreigners are usually treated with respect.

Discos are popular in Moscow, although there are also an increasing number of pub-type bars, many of which serve food. These generally offer a happy hour, with two-for-one drink specials. There is no shortage of exotic entertainment and Western men do tend to attract young Russian women. Some bars can be quite violent - it is best for visitors to ask for local advice on which ones to avoid.

Moscow has a number of 24-hour bars and `night restaurants' that are often open until 05.00 or 06.00. These combine dining, drinking and entertainment under one roof. Otherwise, bars tend to stay open until 24.00 or 01.00. The minimum drinking age in Russia is 18 years, although the minimum purchasing age is 21 years. Cover charges vary - some places actually offer free drinks for a limited time, while others charge a cover of Rb 613-919/US$ 20-30 (or more). Live music is played all over the city but quality acts are not always easy to come by. Many of the bars and clubs are located in the larger hotels or the immediate vicinity. Because of the rocky economy, bars and clubs tend to close down and open up fairly frequently.

There are dozens of casinos in Moscow. Some of the more elegant are attached to the five-star hotels. The 24-hour Casino Metropol, located in the hotel of the same name is a classic casino with blackjack, roulette and poker. The minimum stake is Rb 166/US$ 25. For lower stakes, the Olympic Casino Club, aboard the Valery Brusov, is open 19.00-06.00 and offers roulette, blackjack and poker. Another alternative is the Casino Moskva, located in the Leningradskaya Hotel. There is an age restriction of 18 years for gambling; a passport is not always required and the dress code is smart-casual.

Moscow is not a city for a quiet, civilised night out. Socialising after midnight here is a mostly sweaty business, with heavy hormones, music and «face control», meaning that unless you look rich, or at least interesting, you may not be allowed inside.

Moscow's nightlife has it all, and thankfully the days of disco dominance are gone, so there are plenty of small, intimate nightclubs and great live music of all genres.

Alongside the city's restaurants and clubs, there's a rich cultural life in Moscow. Classical music, opera and ballet are strongly represented with a busy schedule of concerts and performances throughout the year, sometimes held in the city's palaces, churches or - in summer - parks and gardens. Even if you don't speak Russian, puppetry and the circus transcend language barriers, while several cinemas show films in their original language. The America Cinema, and Dome Cinema show films in their original languages, and there's a discount for students.

Moscow - the name carries many images and thoughts: parades in Red Square with tanks rumbling through; cold, snowy winters, and unsmiling faces. To the romantic adventurers, it is home to the KGB, Lenin, the mafia and more. To the youngest generation, Moscow may even be known as a city of nightlife.

Moscow can keep anyone entertained for months. A ballet at the Bolshoi, a concert in the Kremlin or a night at the Moscow circus is a unique experience - and there's a lively club scene, too.

Unfortunately for summer visitors, much of the entertainment industry goes on holiday or tour between late June and early September, when choice is limited and quality drops.

In the evenings life is one huge party, and during the day who knows. Nightlife consists of drinking, dancing, and discos. Yet unlike America, there seems to be very little differentiation between Monday night and Friday night; after about 11:00 there is a party in town, any night that it is desired.

Moscow joined the capitalist bandwagon only towards the end of the 20th century and in this short span, the Russian capital has become as fiercely fashionable and daring as anything in the West in terms of hedonistic nightlife. Stripshows and women of easy virtue are the norm.

Moscow is also a city of significant cultural heritage and traditions. As home to many of the world's greatest writers, poets, musicians and thinkers, our city abounds in museums, theatres, and galleries to suit every taste. Moscow is also one of the world's fastest growing municipal economies and has recently become one of the world's favourite cities for food, fashion, shopping and nightlife.

In Moscow, the social life you lead is limited only by your wallet and your social skills. While Moscow is by no means a cheap city, it is possible to have a good time here relatively cheaply, once you find out where to go.

There is also an enormous variety of nightlife on offer. On the other hand, Russians do not have a bar/cafe culture and tend to entertain friends at home. As a result of this, in the suburban areas will be hard to find a `local'.

People tell the truth when they say that Moscow is a city that never sleeps, especially in the summer. Since it stays light until around 10 pm, and is often light again around 3am, it is easy to get carried away by the constant bustle downtown or the seemingly endless nightlife. Also, since there are foreigners everywhere, as well as Russians who are eager to meet foreigners, meeting people comes naturally.

Twilight is blue even after a very gray day. Moscow winter evenings are beautiful and at that time bright lights of street billboards, glowing signs, and all other colors of modern advertising are welcome. The city dwellers leave the offices, and the nightlife in all its variety begins in movie theaters and bars, restaurants and cafes, concert halls and disco clubs. Even entrances to some of these places look impressive. Casinos are the brightest all over the city, fly traps with all their running and blinking lights. Stylish Garage bar projects its special image even by its door with a huge wrench as a doorknob and a car tail above. And beer places offer smooth music and large mugs of freshly brewed amber liquid… Time to get warm, to relax, to chat lazily with good friends.

Moscow has changed more in the last decade than over the previous half century. Once-empty shops have become expensive restaurants, designer boutiques and 24-hour convenience stores. Nightlife, which used to be restricted to cheesy singers at bad restaurants, has exploded into one of the most vibrant and decadent party scenes in Europe.

There's something very invigorating about observing the city's breakneck sprint toward the future, especially while visiting its famous landmarks of the past.

After years of a bloc-and-borscht lifestyle, a nightlife where the only party in town was the Communist one, and Friday nights spent in a giddy whirl of Marxist meetings and political study groups, Moscow is putting on its glad rags and popping the champagne corks. Rococo vision of trumpeting angels, oversized statues and onion-domed cathedrals in marble, malachite and gold is tailor-made for such grand gestures. It's a city made for the senses.

Russia's turbulent path towards a market economy - with new oil firms growing large and service sector firms like travel agents and beauty salons emerging - is reflected in Moscow's lively night scene.

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