Hammered and Sickled: The Great Soviet Bar Crawl
Paradoxically, this type of place prospers even in the former Soviet Union, where the ironic Commie nostalgia it peddles mixes intricately with the real thing. And what better tool to capture the essense of the place than the blurry lens of a Lomo. With help from the Lomographic Society International, RUSSIA! sent a few Lomographers worldwide to visit their local Soviet bar - and stay just sober enough not to drop the camera.
"A flight of steep stairs. Groups of predominantly non-Russian patrons congeal, down their Baltika beers and disperseevery half hour. The walls are pl astered wit authentic propaganda posters and Socialist Realist art . I tune out the crowd, transfixed by a dead television set topped with a bust ofUncle Lenin. I’m told writers gather here sometimes, but not tonight. Things that happen: A Mafioso type mistakes my fiancé for an old friend with a new beard. An aspiring Bulgarian actress keeps fluttering around the Lomo flash like a moth. A picture of Misha, the 1980 Olympic bear, sees us out as we leave."
"Located next to City Hall, Moskva looks like it will be a tourist trap hawking painted wooden spoons. Instead, I was pleasantly shocked to find everything from pickled vegetables to Russian glossy magazines. The best part were the drinks –Russian “champagne” and a nice sampling of beers and vodkas cheaper than anything else in that par t of town. Owner Grigory is usually around along with a crop of regulars, Russian tou ists, and the occasional native dance troupe."
"The bar has the feel and layout of a club – plenty of seating and a dance floor. Funky orange chandeliers a ndflocked wallpaper create a dream backdrop. But why are there pants and socks hanging everywhere on clotheslines? Must be a cultural thing. Highlights: The vodka bottles shaped like matryoshkas, the fact that they had Russian barbecue and the general atmosphere, which, for a quiet night was, well… we had a good time. Lowlight: The one vodka shot that tasted like antifreeze. My impending hangover."
"You feel the Russian vibe even before you walk in, thanks to a big matryoshka by the entrance. The theme is anxiously pre-Soviet, with Romanov memorabilia coating the walls and ceiling, horror vacui style. Owners Victor and Nicole Grichenevski opened the bar eight years ago. Victor : “We’re still the only Russian place in Brussels.” The food is Russian with a Belgian touch. In addition to a fruit-infused homemade vodka, there are intriguing flavored imports: pepper, melon and bison grass."
"A friend tipped me of fab out this Russian expat night at a hotel bar in the middle of nowhere. Ascending the stairs I could already hear singing and an accordion playing. The party was in full swing. People in folk costumes dancing all over the floor. Someone pour ed me a shot. Most of the people were Russian, some were pretending. The owners told me they do this regularly to keep the Russian spirit alive. I could definitely feel something."
The Soviet Bar Crawl continues online. Join in and win awesome cameras! See our winners' full galleries here.