How much more expensive is Moscow compared to St. Peter? Anyone know?
When The Search Is Finally Over
Quote: (02-21-2013 12:00 PM)Vorkuta Wrote:
Quote: (02-20-2013 08:49 AM)Pierre Wrote:
Nice, Vorkuta. Good to hear you've found somewhere to live, but has your lifelong search really been about somewhere for you to call home?. It's also interesting that you have settled on Moscow as I always though you were more of a Tier 3/4 Philanderer.
When I first started reading your post I thought it was an "I just got married/engaged" thread, and after reading everything i'm still a little confused.
I always thought that T3/4 was the best way to go to play on my foreignness, however when I hit Moscow I realised what a mistake that was. After years of hitting second and third tier it was eye opening to be in a first tier and find it so much easier,and have my foreignness work just as well there as it did in the provinces. Also English levels were so much higher so I could continue conversations longer. It was all round better. Also I realised after 5 days in a small provincial city that it was incredibly dull. There were so few options and it was more conservative. Everything that others had said but that I was sceptical about believing.
Definitely no plans to get engaged or stopping my way of life
Quote: (02-20-2013 09:15 AM)thegmanifesto Wrote:
Quote:Quote:
The downside of Moscow was the incredible expense.
What's a cocktail run? In a cheap place? Expensive one?
Nice meal and wine?
I never drank cocktails but a beer was about 200 Roubles ( 52 Roubles to the UK Pound ). I took a girl out for lunch in a medium level place and it came to 3600 Roubles for us both including a couple glasses of wine each. Those prices are probably about the same as London but when you've just flown in from the provinces it's painful. I stayed in a friend's apartment so saved money on hotels but even a cheap hotel in Moscow runs to $125 a night ( Izmailovsky ) so times that by 10 nights and you are stacking up a big bill. Then you've got drinks and food and you're needing a big balance. The plus point is that the women are incredibly receptive so you need to weigh up if it's worth it to you.
You'd love Moscow G,it really is mind blowing how much talent there is but I think for a longer term stay then other large Russian cities will be a more economical choice.
Quote: (02-20-2013 01:26 PM)Bad Hussar Wrote:
Sounds good Vorkuta. If I remember correctly you are British, but have Russian heritage. Sounds to me like a good combination to me. I've heard that Russian generally like the British (Well, the cultured Brits anyway), even if diplomatically the two countries aren't the best of friends.
What about teaching English initially while looking out for something more in your field?
I'm British yes but have no Russian heritage at all. Yes they have a misguided image of Brits over there ( maybe the new Easyjet Moscow flights will change that ). You hear people say quite often how cultured we are so it's definitely a positive as opposed to a negative or neutral.
Teaching is an option but I'm reluctant. I have an excellent contact there who could give me a job in one of his companies but I would need to master Russian first or else I'd be of no use to anyone. Ideally I'd start a business myself and aim it at foreigners. Maybe real-estate or something? One thing is for sure,there is money there.
start a stag company mate, hire 2 girls to take the guys to bars that you have contacts with (get commission off them as well). see if theres any go karting or shooting ranges around, hire limos for airport transfers with a stripper inside if they want.
Don't forget to check out my latest post on Return of Kings - 6 Things Indian Guys Need To Understand About Game
Desi Casanova
The 3 Bromigos
I've heard some ridiculous stories of Moscow. My friend said that some spots have face control on tight. Girls under a 7.5 turned away. No skirt and heels, sorry go home and change.
Guys cover at top-end club not counting food or drinks was 500 euros. Cocktails were 20 euros.
Dinner w/wine can run 150 dollars/head easy. Maybe 200. There are some fantasticly original spots though. My dad went to 1 restaurant there. Apparently its styled in an Old-Russian Dacha Style (summer house). Theres a sealed glass enclosure in the middle. Inside is a whole mini-house in there, a girl milking a cow, chickens roaming, grass and hay. Apparently, theres this elevator that allows the cow to come out. The cow goes for a walk on the streets of Moscow.... =)
Heard there were great gentleman clubs as well.
Hotels w/in a prime location 400+ dollars/night.
Driving is a nightmare. Corruption is rampant and shakedowns by police USED to occur frequently. Apparently, its less but I still hear stories of it. You absolutely need a driver there for night-time..
Its on my to-do list but this will have to wait for a while. Id go broke trying to keep up there.
Ive been to Moscow and St. Petersburg but about 12 years ago as a kid.
St Petersburg during the summer is dope. Theres about 22 hrs of light everyday. Everyday I stayed out till 3am because you dont feel tired.
Flame away, but to do Moscow in style I think you need 15-20gs/month. If you want to do big-baller status, the sky is the limit. Stories of parties spending 100k+ dollars for a table of 6-8 at the nightclub aren't unheard of.
Guys cover at top-end club not counting food or drinks was 500 euros. Cocktails were 20 euros.
Dinner w/wine can run 150 dollars/head easy. Maybe 200. There are some fantasticly original spots though. My dad went to 1 restaurant there. Apparently its styled in an Old-Russian Dacha Style (summer house). Theres a sealed glass enclosure in the middle. Inside is a whole mini-house in there, a girl milking a cow, chickens roaming, grass and hay. Apparently, theres this elevator that allows the cow to come out. The cow goes for a walk on the streets of Moscow.... =)
Heard there were great gentleman clubs as well.
Hotels w/in a prime location 400+ dollars/night.
Driving is a nightmare. Corruption is rampant and shakedowns by police USED to occur frequently. Apparently, its less but I still hear stories of it. You absolutely need a driver there for night-time..
Its on my to-do list but this will have to wait for a while. Id go broke trying to keep up there.
Ive been to Moscow and St. Petersburg but about 12 years ago as a kid.
St Petersburg during the summer is dope. Theres about 22 hrs of light everyday. Everyday I stayed out till 3am because you dont feel tired.
Flame away, but to do Moscow in style I think you need 15-20gs/month. If you want to do big-baller status, the sky is the limit. Stories of parties spending 100k+ dollars for a table of 6-8 at the nightclub aren't unheard of.
WIA- For most of men, our time being masters of our own fate, kings in our own castles is short. Even those of us in the game will eventually succumb to ease of servitude rather than deal with the malaise of solitude
Vorkuta, glad to hear you have found 'that' place which, like Roosh said, i imagine most of us on here are looking for.
Just pm'd you.
Just pm'd you.
@Menace
Here is a cost comparison of Saint Petersburg vs Moscow
http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/com...ty2=Moscow
Here is a cost comparison of Saint Petersburg vs Moscow
http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/com...ty2=Moscow
I realised with retrospection just why I liked Russia so much. The reason was in large part because of who I become when ever I go there. I undergo a metamorphosis. I'm sure some of you guys will be able to relate and have your own places where you feel it too:
In my own country or others I visit I carry certain insecurities with me,nothing crippling but certain doubts and a level of self conciousness. I always ask certain questions; do women find me attractive,what if I don't make any friends whilst I'm there,does being bald make me unattractive,why are my legs so skinny,why can't I seem to get model looking women,is this all there is to life......Usual doubts that creep in sometimes when my mood is low or if I get a knock-back. However when I get to Russia something happens and I notice that all those questions melt away. I feel like I am 'The Man'. I feel like I am the most coolest,urbane,good looking mofo in the country. Approach anxiety that might stalk me in my own country when I approach a sub standard looking woman disappears and I find myself approaching the most incredible looking women without the slightest hint of self doubt,I presume the women want me to approach. Basically everything I SHOULD be thinking at home but don't I miraculously do as soon as I get off the plane in Moscow. In my own country I will feel the tension in my belly a few days before an inconsequential interview for a job I don't even want. In Russia I have no self doubt even when doing things far more important or with bigger consequences for my future. In the UK there is a radio-phone in show and I called in once but was so nervous and spouted such incoherences that they cut me off but in Ossetia I was told 2 minutes before going on air that I was going to give an interview in Russian on the news. I didn't think for a second that I couldn't do it or that I might fuck it up,my first and only thought was 'awesome this might get me laid' and I delivered a speech to the republic thinking of all the chicks watching it at home who would be wanting to meet me. Not an ounce of self doubt.
I had an English friend visit me in Central Asia once. He had never seen me speak Russian before. I negotiated a cab ride and he turned to me when we climbed in and said "when you began talking you changed,your posture straightened and your chest puffed out". I'd never been aware of it before but he had noticed it and he wasn't wrong.
Why do I undergo such a transformation in Russia? I think it's because of the women and the normality of interactions there. Western women and their bullshit has robbed us men of our sense of being men. They have tried to drive the spirit out of us and shame us for doing what men have traditionally done,they've tried to stamp on the essence of being men. We are made to feel bad for wanting to sleep with women,for wanting to touch a woman sexually,that it's wrong to be the dominant partner in a relationship,that it's wrong to hang out with our men-friends. Over in Russia you are allowed to be a man again. You don't have to pretend that you don't want something when in fact you do. The normality of male-female relationships over there gives us men a sense of ease with our surroundings,no more bullshit games in the hope that a below par woman with chewed nails and a scruffy pair of shoes will grant you the honour of adding you to her fucking FB friend's list. You can feel powerful again in Russia. You are allowed to be a man in the traditional sense.
I always thought I had swallowed the Red Pill a long way back. It was on this trip that I realised that the reality was I'd only nibbled a piece of it. Russia reminded me just how fucked up things are for men in the West. We carry an invisible weight around with us all the time. It's only in Russia that I feel able to cast the weight off,un-hunch by back and stand straight again. Russia is a place every man has to visit once to connect ourselves again with what we once were not so very long ago.
GManifesto: I know you always like restaurant and bar reviews. It's not often I drop a recommendation for food but I was very, very impressed with a restaurant in Moscow called 'Ragout'. Located in a big glass fronted building off Tverskaya street you will need to book to get a table but exquisite meals cooked to perfection for what are for Moscow very reasonable prices ( main course 600 Roubles ). Great service,full of Moscow's movers and shakers. Awesome place. Highly recommended.
Mersault,thanks for the PM brother,very kind words. I will think about what you said and be in touch before I hit Moscow.
In my own country or others I visit I carry certain insecurities with me,nothing crippling but certain doubts and a level of self conciousness. I always ask certain questions; do women find me attractive,what if I don't make any friends whilst I'm there,does being bald make me unattractive,why are my legs so skinny,why can't I seem to get model looking women,is this all there is to life......Usual doubts that creep in sometimes when my mood is low or if I get a knock-back. However when I get to Russia something happens and I notice that all those questions melt away. I feel like I am 'The Man'. I feel like I am the most coolest,urbane,good looking mofo in the country. Approach anxiety that might stalk me in my own country when I approach a sub standard looking woman disappears and I find myself approaching the most incredible looking women without the slightest hint of self doubt,I presume the women want me to approach. Basically everything I SHOULD be thinking at home but don't I miraculously do as soon as I get off the plane in Moscow. In my own country I will feel the tension in my belly a few days before an inconsequential interview for a job I don't even want. In Russia I have no self doubt even when doing things far more important or with bigger consequences for my future. In the UK there is a radio-phone in show and I called in once but was so nervous and spouted such incoherences that they cut me off but in Ossetia I was told 2 minutes before going on air that I was going to give an interview in Russian on the news. I didn't think for a second that I couldn't do it or that I might fuck it up,my first and only thought was 'awesome this might get me laid' and I delivered a speech to the republic thinking of all the chicks watching it at home who would be wanting to meet me. Not an ounce of self doubt.
I had an English friend visit me in Central Asia once. He had never seen me speak Russian before. I negotiated a cab ride and he turned to me when we climbed in and said "when you began talking you changed,your posture straightened and your chest puffed out". I'd never been aware of it before but he had noticed it and he wasn't wrong.
Why do I undergo such a transformation in Russia? I think it's because of the women and the normality of interactions there. Western women and their bullshit has robbed us men of our sense of being men. They have tried to drive the spirit out of us and shame us for doing what men have traditionally done,they've tried to stamp on the essence of being men. We are made to feel bad for wanting to sleep with women,for wanting to touch a woman sexually,that it's wrong to be the dominant partner in a relationship,that it's wrong to hang out with our men-friends. Over in Russia you are allowed to be a man again. You don't have to pretend that you don't want something when in fact you do. The normality of male-female relationships over there gives us men a sense of ease with our surroundings,no more bullshit games in the hope that a below par woman with chewed nails and a scruffy pair of shoes will grant you the honour of adding you to her fucking FB friend's list. You can feel powerful again in Russia. You are allowed to be a man in the traditional sense.
I always thought I had swallowed the Red Pill a long way back. It was on this trip that I realised that the reality was I'd only nibbled a piece of it. Russia reminded me just how fucked up things are for men in the West. We carry an invisible weight around with us all the time. It's only in Russia that I feel able to cast the weight off,un-hunch by back and stand straight again. Russia is a place every man has to visit once to connect ourselves again with what we once were not so very long ago.
GManifesto: I know you always like restaurant and bar reviews. It's not often I drop a recommendation for food but I was very, very impressed with a restaurant in Moscow called 'Ragout'. Located in a big glass fronted building off Tverskaya street you will need to book to get a table but exquisite meals cooked to perfection for what are for Moscow very reasonable prices ( main course 600 Roubles ). Great service,full of Moscow's movers and shakers. Awesome place. Highly recommended.
Mersault,thanks for the PM brother,very kind words. I will think about what you said and be in touch before I hit Moscow.
Quote:Quote:
I had an English friend visit me in Central Asia once. He had never seen me speak Russian before. I negotiated a cab ride and he turned to me when we climbed in and said "when you began talking you changed,your posture straightened and your chest puffed out". I'd never been aware of it before but he had noticed it and he wasn't wrong.
Holy shit that is so awesome! Has anybody else experienced something similar when context-switching from English to another language? Now I'm curious to have a friend spot check me to see if there's any change in my confidence and attitude as well (besides the obvious shifts in pauses and tonality).
"Avoid success at all costs."
![[Image: potd.gif]](https://rooshvforum.network/images/smilies/new/potd.gif)
[quote='Vorkuta' pid='377516' dateline='1361626702']I realised with retrospection just why I liked Russia so much. The reason was in large part because of who I become when ever I go there. I undergo a metamorphosis. I'm sure some of you guys will be able to relate and have your own places where you feel it too:
In my own country or others I visit I carry certain insecurities with me,nothing crippling but certain doubts and a level of self conciousness. I always ask certain questions; do women find me attractive,what if I don't make any friends whilst I'm there,does being bald make me unattractive,why are my legs so skinny,why can't I seem to get model looking women,is this all there is to life......Usual doubts that creep in sometimes when my mood is low or if I get a knock-back. However when I get to Russia something happens and I notice that all those questions melt away. I feel like I am 'The Man'. I feel like I am the most coolest,urbane,good looking mofo in the country. Approach anxiety that might stalk me in my own country when I approach a sub standard looking woman disappears and I find myself approaching the most incredible looking women without the slightest hint of self doubt,I presume the women want me to approach. Basically everything I SHOULD be thinking at home but don't I miraculously do as soon as I get off the plane in Moscow. In my own country I will feel the tension in my belly a few days before an inconsequential interview for a job I don't even want. In Russia I have no self doubt even when doing things far more important or with bigger consequences for my future. In the UK there is a radio-phone in show and I called in once but was so nervous and spouted such incoherences that they cut me off but in Ossetia I was told 2 minutes before going on air that I was going to give an interview in Russian on the news. I didn't think for a second that I couldn't do it or that I might fuck it up,my first and only thought was 'awesome this might get me laid' and I delivered a speech to the republic thinking of all the chicks watching it at home who would be wanting to meet me. Not an ounce of self doubt.
I had an English friend visit me in Central Asia once. He had never seen me speak Russian before. I negotiated a cab ride and he turned to me when we climbed in and said "when you began talking you changed,your posture straightened and your chest puffed out". I'd never been aware of it before but he had noticed it and he wasn't wrong.
Why do I undergo such a transformation in Russia? I think it's because of the women and the normality of interactions there. Western women and their bullshit has robbed us men of our sense of being men. They have tried to drive the spirit out of us and shame us for doing what men have traditionally done,they've tried to stamp on the essence of being men. We are made to feel bad for wanting to sleep with women,for wanting to touch a woman sexually,that it's wrong to be the dominant partner in a relationship,that it's wrong to hang out with our men-friends. Over in Russia you are allowed to be a man again. You don't have to pretend that you don't want something when in fact you do. The normality of male-female relationships over there gives us men a sense of ease with our surroundings,no more bullshit games in the hope that a below par woman with chewed nails and a scruffy pair of shoes will grant you the honour of adding you to her fucking FB friend's list. You can feel powerful again in Russia. You are allowed to be a man in the traditional sense.
I always thought I had swallowed the Red Pill a long way back. It was on this trip that I realised that the reality was I'd only nibbled a piece of it. Russia reminded me just how fucked up things are for men in the West. We carry an invisible weight around with us all the time. It's only in Russia that I feel able to cast the weight off,un-hunch by back and stand straight again. Russia is a place every man has to visit once to connect ourselves again with what we once were not so very long ago.
GManifesto: I know you always like restaurant and bar reviews. It's not often I drop a recommendation for food but I was very, very impressed with a restaurant in Moscow called 'Ragout'. Located in a big glass fronted building off Tverskaya street you will need to book to get a table but exquisite meals cooked to perfection for what are for Moscow very reasonable prices ( main course 600 Roubles ). Great service,full of Moscow's movers and shakers. Awesome place. Highly recommended.
Mersault,thanks for the PM brother,very kind words. I will think about what you said and be in touch before I hit Moscow.
[/qu:potote]
Vorkuta my man you have nailed it, I get that same feeling in a few countries. I have never met you but I honestly feel your excitement and wish you well. Set the ground work in place comrade, I will be rolling through one day and can only imagine what awaits.
Quote: (02-23-2013 09:58 AM)Praetor Wrote:
Quote:Quote:
I had an English friend visit me in Central Asia once. He had never seen me speak Russian before. I negotiated a cab ride and he turned to me when we climbed in and said "when you began talking you changed,your posture straightened and your chest puffed out". I'd never been aware of it before but he had noticed it and he wasn't wrong.
Holy shit that is so awesome! Has anybody else experienced something similar when context-switching from English to another language? Now I'm curious to have a friend spot check me to see if there's any change in my confidence and attitude as well (besides the obvious shifts in pauses and tonality).
Not from switching to a different language, but I have the same transformational experience as Vortuka when I am in Hong Kong. It's amazing really; I go from an extreme introvert to an extrovert.
Man, need to find a way to set down roots over there.
Quote:Quote:
I always thought I had swallowed the Red Pill a long way back. It was on this trip that I realised that the reality was I'd only nibbled a piece of it. Russia reminded me just how fucked up things are for men in the West.
Quoted for truth.
Vorkuta its good to hear that you have found some place to settle. Its not something that comes easy and I think its probably more complicated for guys who have actually traveled a lot.
Russia is a strange place. It really gets a hold on you in a way few others countries can. There are so many rational reasons to dislike it, but there are few people I know who have spent any time there that are not constantly drawn back to it. There are a lot of people who I know that have settled there over the years, some even in the countryside! Most cannot explain why, and there are expats who live there who have been threatening to leave since the 90's.
I think you are also starting to see the women for what they really are too now. It takes a while for it to sink in, even for guys who have been a few times and have even been with these women before. At first they seem cold, then they seem a bit mercenary. After a while, you come to understand that they are just highly pragmatic and extremely feminine. Its ruined me, because no country I have ever been to has women who can compete with them. So they go from being hot pieces of ass to being women you actually start to like. Their company is not a chore all the time, and while they are not as fun as the more hot blooded women tend to be, I find them far less volatile and complicated.
There are guys who have spent years there and never come to terms with the way the women are too, although they mostly tend to be guys who have always viewed women through rose tinted glasses. They want western "you go girl" wrapped up in the Russian package, not understanding that Russian femininity is really just hyper femininity.
There is a lot of opportunity in Russia at the moment and I think its going to only increase. The country is booming, and while it will have its ups and downs, its a frontier with immense potential. I would suggest you continue to work hard on your Russian, but learn to read it and write in it too. Its something I never did and it would have made my life much easier if I had, I just never had the time for it. There are many people who are bilingual, but few who are able to read and write in both languages, especially westerners who cant read and translate. It will open a lot of doors for you, and its something you can work on while you find your way and decide what you want to do.
Quote: (02-22-2013 06:44 PM)DVY Wrote:
I've heard some ridiculous stories of Moscow. My friend said that some spots have face control on tight. Girls under a 7.5 turned away. No skirt and heels, sorry go home and change.
Guys cover at top-end club not counting food or drinks was 500 euros. Cocktails were 20 euros.
Dinner w/wine can run 150 dollars/head easy. Maybe 200. There are some fantasticly original spots though. My dad went to 1 restaurant there. Apparently its styled in an Old-Russian Dacha Style (summer house). Theres a sealed glass enclosure in the middle. Inside is a whole mini-house in there, a girl milking a cow, chickens roaming, grass and hay. Apparently, theres this elevator that allows the cow to come out. The cow goes for a walk on the streets of Moscow.... =)
Heard there were great gentleman clubs as well.
Hotels w/in a prime location 400+ dollars/night.
Driving is a nightmare. Corruption is rampant and shakedowns by police USED to occur frequently. Apparently, its less but I still hear stories of it. You absolutely need a driver there for night-time..
Its on my to-do list but this will have to wait for a while. Id go broke trying to keep up there.
Ive been to Moscow and St. Petersburg but about 12 years ago as a kid.
St Petersburg during the summer is dope. Theres about 22 hrs of light everyday. Everyday I stayed out till 3am because you dont feel tired.
Flame away, but to do Moscow in style I think you need 15-20gs/month. If you want to do big-baller status, the sky is the limit. Stories of parties spending 100k+ dollars for a table of 6-8 at the nightclub aren't unheard of.
Yes this is true, but it also needs to be taken with a pinch of salt and needs to be viewed with some perspective. Women over 6 being turned away would only be for the top end places where guys are paying a fortune to get in. They are chasing whales, and the whales are not going to be impressed if they are spending a few hundred bucks to get into a place and there are fuglies about.
Russians have this thing for opulence that is almost unparalleled, and perhaps only the Arabs come close in how over the top they can be at times. It can be seen in everything, from the way the people dress to the size of their monuments. Even during Stalinist Russia, they would construct palatial buildings with unbelievable finishing's, and even now people dress well despite their low incomes.
Which means that there is a side to Russia where expense is the objective. The top end of town is living a life of royalty and they force exclusion through price. You join the club when you have money. There are social classes here, and they are dictated by wealth and wealth alone.
Thing is, this is not Russia as a whole. Most people in Russia earn very little, and even the middle class averages out at about 30k per year. I think only about 20% of the population is considered middle class too. So the vast majority are not paying a fortune to go out and eat or drink.
The other thing you need to understand is that they went from abject poverty to wealth overnight. The country has a lot of people who are drunk on capitalism at the moment.
Make no mistake, its expensive. I think Moscow is the most expensive city in the world if you are not a recluse. You need to spend some time there and get to understand it the same way the locals do to appreciate it without spending your life savings.
Get out of Moscow and St P, shit is much cheaper everywhere else. Or you need to live like the locals a bit more and reduce your expectations. Those hot clubs and hot restaurants are for guys who can drop a few grand on a meal and not bat an eyelid. Not having access to them wont kill Russia for you, it just means you live in the same Russia 99% of Russians do.
I know this sheet could have it's own thread but for reasons of my own I'd rather it was left here as a part of the wider discussion on Russia. Thanks.
Into the valleys of death
After my Summer 2012 trip I became interested in the further exploration of the North Caucasus. It seemed so wild and lawless,completely unlike any other part of Europe. Everywhere else in Europe has been pretty much visited by the likes of us. I wanted to visit a place that might hold out the last hope of being a great unknown region full of boundless opportunities. The odds were not good. The North caucasus is the most conservative region of Europe and unlike say Abkhazia that had a thriving tourist industry so you could mingle with locals or tourists,nobody came to the North Caucasus unless they had to. Government websites of Western countries warned it's citizens against visiting due to the very real threat of kidnap and murder. I would never put my life in deliberate danger,but I do take such stark warnings with a pinch of salt. The British Foreign office would advise against visiting a country if they thought there was a chance you could get a splinter there. Whilst the aim of the trip was cultural understanding, I did of course make some approaches and made mental notes of the dynamics there which I will share.
I flew into Tbilisi on a cold February morning and headed to the bus station to find a shared taxi heading over the Georgian Military Highway into North Ossetia. I paid 1500 roubles,waited for two more passengers to show up and then set off into the mountains towards Kazbegi and the pass into Russia. The road ascended the mountains,the scenery was stunning. One of the passengers turned to me an hour into the journey somewhere high up in the Caucasus and asked me where I was from. I told her and she asked me why was going to Ossetia. "Adventure" I replied. "But are you not afraid,you know, of bombs?" she said smiling. We climbed higher along the unbarriered road,inches from the edge of the mountain,the peaks along the Russian border always in the distant view. After Kazbegi we started entering tunnels and the places we passed became poorer. We were near the border. A half hour from the border we pulled over and myself and the two passengers were transferred into a Russian taxi heading back to Ossetia. The passengers from the other taxi climbed into the cab I had just vacated and heard me speaking accented Russian. "You are a foreigner?" they asked. I confirmed. "You are not afraid?"
We set off in our new taxi and headed down into a brown barren valley where the Russian border post stood. We pulled up and was asked to get out by the attractive Russian border guard. She looked at my passport "spy?" she said with a smile. I queued for my entry stamp partly expecting not to be allowed in. This border was only recently opened to foreigners after being off limits since the Soviet union fell apart and Ossetia is a restricted area in terms of visas,you need permission,or so I had been told ( turned out to be bollocks ). The guard studied my visa,scanned the passport and stamped it. I was in.
We drove on down the barren valley into Vladikavkaz,a low slung city straddling the river Terek. The taxi driver told me he knew a cheap hotel,the cheapest in the city,only 1000 roubles. I accepted the offer since the Hotel Vladikavkaz was more then double the price but immediately wished I hadn't when we turned up. It was a motel next to a rubbish dump and backing onto a railway track,far from the centre. It looked like the kind of place people could get snatched from and there would be nobody to help you. The hotel did not even have a name. I checked in and started exploring:
Vladikavkaz ( North Ossetia )
Description: Dusty Soviet town overlooked by the Caucasus. Divided in half by the Terek river. Architecturally little to distinguish it from other Russian towns further north,no 'Ossetian style' of architecture. Has restauarants and bars,hotels,shops an airport ( nearby in Beslan ). Seemed to be quite prosperous by provincial Russian standards but a large number of Gopniks who come to the city from South Ossetia which is much poorer.
Safety: I felt perfectly safe there. There are bombings in Vladikavkaz every year or so but I never felt any more unsafe then I do at home. Just a few problems with Gopniks.
Ossetian Women: They come in two types,average or mind blowing. All brunettes,slim with long legs. I loved them. Dressed more conservatively then Slavs,no short skirts but then again it was winter so summer may be different. Whilst on average Ossetian women are less attractive then the average Russian Slav,a top Ossetian is as attractive if not more so then a top Russian. They have an incredible exoticness to them that I loved. I saw the most beautiful women I have ever seen in Vladikavkaz but I also saw a lot of very average ones. The issue with them is they are conservative. Women need to be careful of their reputations so serial dating is a no-no. They are also expected to be virgins on their wedding night and whilst I doubt that is strictly adhered to by everyone ( a friend there said "50% good girls and 50% bad girls" ) it gives you an indication of difficulties. They are big into their familes and not whoring it around and according to the men I met the women are very loyal to their husbands. I wasn't there long enough however to get any empirical insights so my views are what others there told me. Probably a great place to find a wife. They also don't drink in public with strangers so you can't go into bars hoping to pick up,it's all social circle from my impressions. A local I met and who I quizzed told me I might have to be careful approaching women on the street because sometimes they could tell their brothers which could mean trouble. I never had anything but friendly responses though,no hint that they were pissed off by being approached.
Game Venues: Prospekt Mira! It's a pedestrianised street with cafes and bars. At one end of it is the Agricultural university so in the afternoon you have hundreds of students pouring out and walking in groups up and down the street or sitting on the benches. I was eye-banged to death but not in a way that necaserily invited me to approach,more curiosity about a foreigner. That's not to say I did not approach. I approached a few sets,got gasps of amazement that I was foreign,lots of questions thrown at me but I struggled to convert those openings into setting up another meeting. I would say "we should meet again" and I would get "I'm sure we will,Vladikavkaz is a big village". Hard to number close. I found the best way to meet locals was with hired hands: waitresses,shop clerks. The only number I got in Vladikavkaz was with a waitress and she hid the fact that she was giving it to me in case someone else saw which gives you an idea as to what you're up against. Once I had it though I found myself entering a small social circle and because I had been proofed found the new people I was introduced to much more relaxed and open and able to talk more candidly. Unfortunately I left the city before being able to capitalise in any way on this. Another thing is that there are only a couple of clubs and I never found them. I was told they are pretty rough because they are full of visiting Ingush and Chechens who can't chase women in their own republics so come to Vladikavkaz to chase women and drink but end up causing a load of shit to go down. Therefore I never put much effort into hitting a club however I will when I next visit.
I hailed a cab one morning and asked the driver if he would be willing to take me to Nazran the capitol of Ingushetia. He looked me up and down,pondered and said "500 roubles". I climbed in. The guy was nervous "this will be a problem for me,you will see". My Russian was not good enough to understand his reasoning why it was a problem for him so I hoped it was nothing to do with terrorism. We came to the first border with Ingushetia a few miles outside of Vladikavkaz. Russian soldiers with weapons stood on the road checking under cars with mirrors and opening trunks. Their guard post surrounded by sand bags and concrete with slits built in out of which pointed the barrel of guns. This 'banging in the danger zone' jaunt had just got real.
We were allowed in and drove on along a road that my driver told me was no-man's land,any turn-off's were guarded by heavily armed soldiers. People raced along it seemingly desperate to make it to the next military checkpoint as soon as possible. We came to the roadblock and the entrance to Ingushetia and I could see my driver was nervous. We were flagged down by a soldier and my driver got out with his documents ready for a shakedown. I stayed in the car and took in the scene on the border before me. Guys with beards and scowls stared at me and didn't look away. I'd read on websites that if you travelled to the area you should avoid military instalations of any kind because they were often the targets of attacks by militants and here I was sitting in a beat up old lada outside a military checkpoint in Ingushetia,the dodgiest part of Russia. If anything kicked off I was as good as dead. I sat for half an hour in the car before my driver came back in a fowl mood, "Ingush fucks". He had been forced to pay a bribe. He explained that they stopped every Ossetian car entering ingushetia for bribes and the Ossetians did the same in return when their cars entered Ossetia. The effect was the breeding of mutual resentment.
We drove on into Nazran a dusty town that felt like a large village. It was a small dusty town and was the first place I'd been to in Russia that really did not feel Russian,I felt like I was in Peshawar or Kabul. There were no Slavic people here,the women wore headscarves and seemed to be in a rush to get somewhere. I knew there would be nothing to keep me here but I had to run some approaches just for the hell of it. I told my driver that I needed a couple of hours here and then if he was willing and could offer a reasonable price I'd like him to drive me to Grozny. We settled on 2500 Roubles all in. We drove to what seemed the centre of town and my driver told me to be careful. He made the universal hand across the throat sign and not in an ironic way. When you think there is a chance of getting your head chopped off approach anxiety means nothing.
I got out determined to do some approaches,purely for the crack, not in expectation of results. I had come to the region hoping to pull an 'Ossetian-Ingush-Chechen' threesome ( in the spirit of mending bridges and bringing enemies together ) so I had to try. The local men standing on a street corner watched me as I walked along dressed in clothes that look perfectly normal in western capitals but in the ass end of the caucasus must have made me look like the victim of a camp practical joke. I pushed my silk pocket square deeper into the pocket so it wasn't visible and cursed G Manifesto. The women were somehow different to the Ossetians,there were no inquisitive looks or smiles but nor were they hostile,just neutral expressions. I saw a young woman in a floral headscarf approaching my direction on the pavement and I said "excuse me miss..." but she did not flinch or appear to hear me. I said it again louder but she carried on walking past me as though I did not exist. Maybe she was deaf or more likely she just did not want to be seen talking to a guy on the street. I had two hours to get a number at the very least but this was going to be a tough test. I walked on and found a market place with people milling about but the women were all walking about seemingly in a rush to get somewhere and there were too many dudes watching me for me to approach. I entered a small tea house and ordered tea. A waitress served me who seemed friendly. I asked her what people did here at night for fun but she seemed not to understand me or decided not to. It was only afterwards I learnt that there is a curfew in the city at night. I also learnt that the militants had bombed all the shops selling alcohol so Nazran was not a party town to say the least. A guy at another table heard me ask the question and said "Vladikavkaz" meaning that's where people went for fun. He asked me where I was from and when I said England he insisted on paying for my meal before asking the usual football questions. I was getting hit on by friendly old dudes but ignored by the women. I left and hit the streets again. I saw a girl in a headscarf who seemed to have a smiley disposition and said "miss do you know where there is an internet cafe?" After not understanding me at first she smiled and explained by pointing in some direction or another. It was so nice to see a friendly female face that as she talked I was eulogising her in my mind and imaginig what part she'd play in the threesome ( I decided I'd have her eating out the Ossetian chick ). She asked me if I was a tourist and smiled when I said I was but I saw her look to her side and I noticed there were a few guys listening in to our conversation a few metres away. She gave me a slight shrug of the shoulders, said goodbye and walked off. Cock blocked. I did not feel particuarly unsafe in Nazran,there were police on the streets but there was an atmosphere,either real or just my imagination,that bad shit could go down at any second.I walked along the centre of town where all the marshrutka buses were parked,lot's of people milling about shopping etc. I saw a couple of girls in their early 20's standing waiting for a bus. I approached not caring who was watching. I said "girls,help a lost foreigner,what do people do here for fun?" They looked at each other and drew a blank,I couldn't tell however if my language skills had stumped them or if they just had no idea where the fun was to be had in this shit hole. I walked on dejected and found my taxi and driver parked in a car park. I'd seen enough and failed miserably so told him I was ready to move on to Chechnya. He gave me a 'I told you so' look.
Nazran ( Ingushetia )
Description: Rough. Think 'Black Hawk Down' and you get the picture.
Safety: If you stayed here at night I'd say pretty dangerous. There is a curfew for a reason.
Ingush women: Not many about on the streets but the ones I saw were less attractive then Ossetians ( their style of dress made them less attractive as much as anything ) and a lot more conservative. Were they conservative through choice or because the men enforce such social mores I don't know.
Game Venues: No idea,I never found any. Certainly doesn't seem to be on the streets,obviously heavily social circle orientated. Marriages possibly arranged by family members. The militants blow up shops and kill the proprieters selling alcohol so no clubs or bars. I'd think your best and possibly only bet would be to enrol in the university and target chicks that way. That would be an insane adventure. I did notice a few Nazran chicks on Mamba so worth a try.
We drove on along a single carriage highway,the mountains to our right and a few dusty towns in the distance to our left. Every now and then we'd overtake a slow moving convoy of Russian army trucks and military transport vehicles. Every now and then we'd pass a Russian army base surrounded by barbed wire and sandbags. It was obvious that the only thing keeping this part of the federation in the federation was military muscle. The caucasus is to all intents and purposes a war zone being fought by-proxy.
We came to the border of Chechnya which was marked by more razor wire,more military units but this time also soldiers dressed entirely in black and holding modern weapons. These were kadyrov's men. Kadyrov is the Kremlin's guy in Chechnya. The only thing is he seems to have done a Kurtz and gone awol,ruling over chechnya as a mad tyrant doing as he pleases. Putin seems to let him get on with it,happy to have a pro-Kremlin guy down there that however brutal his methods and abuses may be,is atleast bringing some kind of normalcy to Grozny,if not the rest of Chechnya. This time we were waived through,both my driver and I making sure not to make eye contact with one of the soldiers in case it invited them to stop us. I'd been warned by Russian friend's that my danger in Chechnya would not only be from the terrorists wanting to kidnap me but also from Kadyrov's men who would be happy to sell me to the terrorists. I have no idea if such dangers were well founded or just the fertive imagination of overly concerened friends but when you are on your own at the Chechen border and at the mercy of some dude with an M16 and a balaclava you don't want to test the rumour out. We drove on into Chechnya and immediately saw the cult of personality that Kadyrov had encouraged. Road side signs showed photos of him and his father ( his father was the leader of Chechnya before being blown up in a terrorist attack ). The road was new and double laned each side. It immediately felt wealthier then Ingushetia and Ossetia too for that matter. We passed through towns with construction work going on,new mosques that seemed far too big for the villages they served were springing up. I had not eaten breakfast so asked my driver to pull over when he saw a place. We pulled into a modern petrol station in the middle of nowhere with a cafe attached and a gym upstairs (!?). I went in and ordered a meal whilst my driver who was a dodgy looking bastard stayed in the car and made a phone call. Now read that last sentance again;25 words that you probably didn't think twice about. Perfectly normal,I eat and the driver makes a phone call,but with my heightened sense of awareness and danger I suddenly had this paranoid idea that he was phoning militants to come and get me. I'd been warned before I came that that was how people get snatched and my mind was now asking myself why he didn't come in to eat and make the call in front of me? What was he hiding? I ate my meal with a growing unease in my stomach and bowels. I was in a lonely service station in the middle of Chechnya,my phone did not have a signal,I had nowhere to go. I paid and returned to the car. We drove off but my paranoia now meant that I was ready to go Jason Bourne on him if he did anything that I thought might be suspicious. If he slowed down or headed up a dirt track I would launch myself at him and steal his car. Looking back it seems rediculous but at the time I thought it was entirely rational. We drove on past more murals of Kadyrov and his dad. Eventually we hit the outskirts of Grozny,the shiny new buildings in the centre of Grozny visible on the horizon. There was a massive concrete sign saying 'Grozny' by the side of the road and I asked the driver to stop so I could photograph it. I got out and walked across an empty square to get a better angle for the photo. There were woods at the end. When I got to the edge of the woods, about 30 metres from my taxi,I noticed sitting on their haunches in the woods were about five guys in civilian clothes with Kalashnikovs. They looked at me but didn't move. I have no idea who they were but I immediately headed back to the car at a brisk pace. They were probably just local dudes,having a ciggie together but I didn't want to find out. It did emphasise to me though that being in the wrong place at the wrong time is what will get you in trouble in this part of the world. We drove on and eventually entered the city centre which was all brand new,signs of the war having been eradicated and built over with grandiose projects. Kadyrov's guards stood guard on every street corner. In the centre of town stood a newly built mosque,Russia's largest,all marble and minarettes. I got out and paid my driver,he shook my hand and wished me well and I felt a tad guilty for presuming him to be the kind of man who would sell me to Al Qaida given the chance.
Watching him leave was like watching the last link I had to civilisation dissapear. I walked over to my hotel in the centre of town and checked in. The lobby had photos of Kadyrov with some famous faces,Tyson,Hillary Swank,celebs who had been happy to take his money without asking too many questions about where it had come from or what Kadyrov had done to get it.
Grozny ( Chechnya )
Description: Newly built city centre that is like a Potempkin Village,i.e big hotel with no guests,a huge mosque with 3 worshippers in it,big new roads leading nowhere,a shopping centre with no shoppers. Spotlessly clean but somehow hollow. The river Terek runs through the centre of town. When the call to prayer rang out across the town I knew I was in the Caucasus and had left Slavic Russia behind.
Safety: I felt safe enough in the centre of town. My hotel had armed guards in the lobby with heavy weapons. There have been attacks on the centre but it is heavily policed by Kadyrov's guys. Leave the centre and hit the micro-regions though and it feels rough. I got on a random marshrutka that to my horror ended up going down a dirt track into the suburbs. Not going to lie,I didn't like it. No policeman around out there to help you.
Chechen Women: Very attractive,more so then Ingush. Brunettes but with the lightest skin tone,almost translucent. Saw some really attractive ones walking about. Mostly headscarved but not all by any means. Dress in jeans like any other Russian but no short skirts or slutty wear ( kadyrov's guys apparently patrol the streets with paint guns splatting any woman who does not dress conservatively enough but I never saw that ). I approached on the street and the women were very friendly for the most part. All very intrigued to meet a foreigner. I got the definite impression that you could get results here with time. The women were much more relaxed and open than Ingush chicks. I went into a bookshop near the centre. A woman worked in there alone,early 30's. I flirted and it was reciprocated,she gave me a free fridge magnet and asked me to promise to come see her again before I left. I number closed but had no intention of calling,more an ego close. Would have been interesting to see if I could have made something happen. I went into a photography shop and it was full of female students photocopying some school work. I opened and got lots of friendly banter,asking me about London and life in the West. I invited them for coffe and cake somewhere,one of them was interested but the others seemed to convince her otherwise. They spoke in Chechen so I have no idea what they said to dissude her. I hit a cafe that was in a basement next to an internet cafe,friendly female staff but could not get beyond pleasentries. In my hotel's restaurant that night I met and chatted to the staff,all exceptionally friendly but I could not transition from banter into getting numbers. It is obviously social circle orientated but I get the feeling there are options here if you targeted older age groups ( 30 plus years ). I.e divorcies and ones that never got married for whatever reason. Definitely harder then Ossetia but seemingly not as hard as Ingushetia.
Game Venues: when I asked about bars and clubs people told me there were none and that people go to restaurants with friends instead. It seems that the restaurants have dance floors so people can stand up and dance then return to eat some more. I only ate in my hotel in the evening so never got the chance to test out the restaurants. Day game is the street where the shopping centre is ( don't get excited,I use the term shopping centre very very loosely ). Lots of women in groups of 2 or 3 walking around. Approach lone women so you can't get bitch-blocked. Not nearly as much eye-banging going on here as in Vladikavkaz. The hotel restaurant and bars would be good if there were any other tourists in town but,well,it's Chechnya,there are no other tourists.
The following day I returned to Vladikavkaz and spent another four days there trying to get my feet under the table and cement myself in a small social circle. Nothing happened,no closes of any kind but I saw that it was highly possible,in fact inevitable that results would come but I would need a month to really start making headway.
Overall I had enjoyed the region immensely. I made some seemingly good friends,ate some amazing food,had an adventure. I will return to the city in the future. The North Caucasus is a rough place but not as dangerous as perceived. I felt safe in the city centres for the most part and if you use common sense and have a little Russian knowledge you should be ok. Just don't expect action unless you integrate yourself locally.
It's funny how every trip you go on seems to sew the seed for another,and so it is with me...
Safe travels...Vorkuta
Into the valleys of death
After my Summer 2012 trip I became interested in the further exploration of the North Caucasus. It seemed so wild and lawless,completely unlike any other part of Europe. Everywhere else in Europe has been pretty much visited by the likes of us. I wanted to visit a place that might hold out the last hope of being a great unknown region full of boundless opportunities. The odds were not good. The North caucasus is the most conservative region of Europe and unlike say Abkhazia that had a thriving tourist industry so you could mingle with locals or tourists,nobody came to the North Caucasus unless they had to. Government websites of Western countries warned it's citizens against visiting due to the very real threat of kidnap and murder. I would never put my life in deliberate danger,but I do take such stark warnings with a pinch of salt. The British Foreign office would advise against visiting a country if they thought there was a chance you could get a splinter there. Whilst the aim of the trip was cultural understanding, I did of course make some approaches and made mental notes of the dynamics there which I will share.
I flew into Tbilisi on a cold February morning and headed to the bus station to find a shared taxi heading over the Georgian Military Highway into North Ossetia. I paid 1500 roubles,waited for two more passengers to show up and then set off into the mountains towards Kazbegi and the pass into Russia. The road ascended the mountains,the scenery was stunning. One of the passengers turned to me an hour into the journey somewhere high up in the Caucasus and asked me where I was from. I told her and she asked me why was going to Ossetia. "Adventure" I replied. "But are you not afraid,you know, of bombs?" she said smiling. We climbed higher along the unbarriered road,inches from the edge of the mountain,the peaks along the Russian border always in the distant view. After Kazbegi we started entering tunnels and the places we passed became poorer. We were near the border. A half hour from the border we pulled over and myself and the two passengers were transferred into a Russian taxi heading back to Ossetia. The passengers from the other taxi climbed into the cab I had just vacated and heard me speaking accented Russian. "You are a foreigner?" they asked. I confirmed. "You are not afraid?"
We set off in our new taxi and headed down into a brown barren valley where the Russian border post stood. We pulled up and was asked to get out by the attractive Russian border guard. She looked at my passport "spy?" she said with a smile. I queued for my entry stamp partly expecting not to be allowed in. This border was only recently opened to foreigners after being off limits since the Soviet union fell apart and Ossetia is a restricted area in terms of visas,you need permission,or so I had been told ( turned out to be bollocks ). The guard studied my visa,scanned the passport and stamped it. I was in.
We drove on down the barren valley into Vladikavkaz,a low slung city straddling the river Terek. The taxi driver told me he knew a cheap hotel,the cheapest in the city,only 1000 roubles. I accepted the offer since the Hotel Vladikavkaz was more then double the price but immediately wished I hadn't when we turned up. It was a motel next to a rubbish dump and backing onto a railway track,far from the centre. It looked like the kind of place people could get snatched from and there would be nobody to help you. The hotel did not even have a name. I checked in and started exploring:
Vladikavkaz ( North Ossetia )
Description: Dusty Soviet town overlooked by the Caucasus. Divided in half by the Terek river. Architecturally little to distinguish it from other Russian towns further north,no 'Ossetian style' of architecture. Has restauarants and bars,hotels,shops an airport ( nearby in Beslan ). Seemed to be quite prosperous by provincial Russian standards but a large number of Gopniks who come to the city from South Ossetia which is much poorer.
Safety: I felt perfectly safe there. There are bombings in Vladikavkaz every year or so but I never felt any more unsafe then I do at home. Just a few problems with Gopniks.
Ossetian Women: They come in two types,average or mind blowing. All brunettes,slim with long legs. I loved them. Dressed more conservatively then Slavs,no short skirts but then again it was winter so summer may be different. Whilst on average Ossetian women are less attractive then the average Russian Slav,a top Ossetian is as attractive if not more so then a top Russian. They have an incredible exoticness to them that I loved. I saw the most beautiful women I have ever seen in Vladikavkaz but I also saw a lot of very average ones. The issue with them is they are conservative. Women need to be careful of their reputations so serial dating is a no-no. They are also expected to be virgins on their wedding night and whilst I doubt that is strictly adhered to by everyone ( a friend there said "50% good girls and 50% bad girls" ) it gives you an indication of difficulties. They are big into their familes and not whoring it around and according to the men I met the women are very loyal to their husbands. I wasn't there long enough however to get any empirical insights so my views are what others there told me. Probably a great place to find a wife. They also don't drink in public with strangers so you can't go into bars hoping to pick up,it's all social circle from my impressions. A local I met and who I quizzed told me I might have to be careful approaching women on the street because sometimes they could tell their brothers which could mean trouble. I never had anything but friendly responses though,no hint that they were pissed off by being approached.
Game Venues: Prospekt Mira! It's a pedestrianised street with cafes and bars. At one end of it is the Agricultural university so in the afternoon you have hundreds of students pouring out and walking in groups up and down the street or sitting on the benches. I was eye-banged to death but not in a way that necaserily invited me to approach,more curiosity about a foreigner. That's not to say I did not approach. I approached a few sets,got gasps of amazement that I was foreign,lots of questions thrown at me but I struggled to convert those openings into setting up another meeting. I would say "we should meet again" and I would get "I'm sure we will,Vladikavkaz is a big village". Hard to number close. I found the best way to meet locals was with hired hands: waitresses,shop clerks. The only number I got in Vladikavkaz was with a waitress and she hid the fact that she was giving it to me in case someone else saw which gives you an idea as to what you're up against. Once I had it though I found myself entering a small social circle and because I had been proofed found the new people I was introduced to much more relaxed and open and able to talk more candidly. Unfortunately I left the city before being able to capitalise in any way on this. Another thing is that there are only a couple of clubs and I never found them. I was told they are pretty rough because they are full of visiting Ingush and Chechens who can't chase women in their own republics so come to Vladikavkaz to chase women and drink but end up causing a load of shit to go down. Therefore I never put much effort into hitting a club however I will when I next visit.
I hailed a cab one morning and asked the driver if he would be willing to take me to Nazran the capitol of Ingushetia. He looked me up and down,pondered and said "500 roubles". I climbed in. The guy was nervous "this will be a problem for me,you will see". My Russian was not good enough to understand his reasoning why it was a problem for him so I hoped it was nothing to do with terrorism. We came to the first border with Ingushetia a few miles outside of Vladikavkaz. Russian soldiers with weapons stood on the road checking under cars with mirrors and opening trunks. Their guard post surrounded by sand bags and concrete with slits built in out of which pointed the barrel of guns. This 'banging in the danger zone' jaunt had just got real.
We were allowed in and drove on along a road that my driver told me was no-man's land,any turn-off's were guarded by heavily armed soldiers. People raced along it seemingly desperate to make it to the next military checkpoint as soon as possible. We came to the roadblock and the entrance to Ingushetia and I could see my driver was nervous. We were flagged down by a soldier and my driver got out with his documents ready for a shakedown. I stayed in the car and took in the scene on the border before me. Guys with beards and scowls stared at me and didn't look away. I'd read on websites that if you travelled to the area you should avoid military instalations of any kind because they were often the targets of attacks by militants and here I was sitting in a beat up old lada outside a military checkpoint in Ingushetia,the dodgiest part of Russia. If anything kicked off I was as good as dead. I sat for half an hour in the car before my driver came back in a fowl mood, "Ingush fucks". He had been forced to pay a bribe. He explained that they stopped every Ossetian car entering ingushetia for bribes and the Ossetians did the same in return when their cars entered Ossetia. The effect was the breeding of mutual resentment.
We drove on into Nazran a dusty town that felt like a large village. It was a small dusty town and was the first place I'd been to in Russia that really did not feel Russian,I felt like I was in Peshawar or Kabul. There were no Slavic people here,the women wore headscarves and seemed to be in a rush to get somewhere. I knew there would be nothing to keep me here but I had to run some approaches just for the hell of it. I told my driver that I needed a couple of hours here and then if he was willing and could offer a reasonable price I'd like him to drive me to Grozny. We settled on 2500 Roubles all in. We drove to what seemed the centre of town and my driver told me to be careful. He made the universal hand across the throat sign and not in an ironic way. When you think there is a chance of getting your head chopped off approach anxiety means nothing.
I got out determined to do some approaches,purely for the crack, not in expectation of results. I had come to the region hoping to pull an 'Ossetian-Ingush-Chechen' threesome ( in the spirit of mending bridges and bringing enemies together ) so I had to try. The local men standing on a street corner watched me as I walked along dressed in clothes that look perfectly normal in western capitals but in the ass end of the caucasus must have made me look like the victim of a camp practical joke. I pushed my silk pocket square deeper into the pocket so it wasn't visible and cursed G Manifesto. The women were somehow different to the Ossetians,there were no inquisitive looks or smiles but nor were they hostile,just neutral expressions. I saw a young woman in a floral headscarf approaching my direction on the pavement and I said "excuse me miss..." but she did not flinch or appear to hear me. I said it again louder but she carried on walking past me as though I did not exist. Maybe she was deaf or more likely she just did not want to be seen talking to a guy on the street. I had two hours to get a number at the very least but this was going to be a tough test. I walked on and found a market place with people milling about but the women were all walking about seemingly in a rush to get somewhere and there were too many dudes watching me for me to approach. I entered a small tea house and ordered tea. A waitress served me who seemed friendly. I asked her what people did here at night for fun but she seemed not to understand me or decided not to. It was only afterwards I learnt that there is a curfew in the city at night. I also learnt that the militants had bombed all the shops selling alcohol so Nazran was not a party town to say the least. A guy at another table heard me ask the question and said "Vladikavkaz" meaning that's where people went for fun. He asked me where I was from and when I said England he insisted on paying for my meal before asking the usual football questions. I was getting hit on by friendly old dudes but ignored by the women. I left and hit the streets again. I saw a girl in a headscarf who seemed to have a smiley disposition and said "miss do you know where there is an internet cafe?" After not understanding me at first she smiled and explained by pointing in some direction or another. It was so nice to see a friendly female face that as she talked I was eulogising her in my mind and imaginig what part she'd play in the threesome ( I decided I'd have her eating out the Ossetian chick ). She asked me if I was a tourist and smiled when I said I was but I saw her look to her side and I noticed there were a few guys listening in to our conversation a few metres away. She gave me a slight shrug of the shoulders, said goodbye and walked off. Cock blocked. I did not feel particuarly unsafe in Nazran,there were police on the streets but there was an atmosphere,either real or just my imagination,that bad shit could go down at any second.I walked along the centre of town where all the marshrutka buses were parked,lot's of people milling about shopping etc. I saw a couple of girls in their early 20's standing waiting for a bus. I approached not caring who was watching. I said "girls,help a lost foreigner,what do people do here for fun?" They looked at each other and drew a blank,I couldn't tell however if my language skills had stumped them or if they just had no idea where the fun was to be had in this shit hole. I walked on dejected and found my taxi and driver parked in a car park. I'd seen enough and failed miserably so told him I was ready to move on to Chechnya. He gave me a 'I told you so' look.
Nazran ( Ingushetia )
Description: Rough. Think 'Black Hawk Down' and you get the picture.
Safety: If you stayed here at night I'd say pretty dangerous. There is a curfew for a reason.
Ingush women: Not many about on the streets but the ones I saw were less attractive then Ossetians ( their style of dress made them less attractive as much as anything ) and a lot more conservative. Were they conservative through choice or because the men enforce such social mores I don't know.
Game Venues: No idea,I never found any. Certainly doesn't seem to be on the streets,obviously heavily social circle orientated. Marriages possibly arranged by family members. The militants blow up shops and kill the proprieters selling alcohol so no clubs or bars. I'd think your best and possibly only bet would be to enrol in the university and target chicks that way. That would be an insane adventure. I did notice a few Nazran chicks on Mamba so worth a try.
We drove on along a single carriage highway,the mountains to our right and a few dusty towns in the distance to our left. Every now and then we'd overtake a slow moving convoy of Russian army trucks and military transport vehicles. Every now and then we'd pass a Russian army base surrounded by barbed wire and sandbags. It was obvious that the only thing keeping this part of the federation in the federation was military muscle. The caucasus is to all intents and purposes a war zone being fought by-proxy.
We came to the border of Chechnya which was marked by more razor wire,more military units but this time also soldiers dressed entirely in black and holding modern weapons. These were kadyrov's men. Kadyrov is the Kremlin's guy in Chechnya. The only thing is he seems to have done a Kurtz and gone awol,ruling over chechnya as a mad tyrant doing as he pleases. Putin seems to let him get on with it,happy to have a pro-Kremlin guy down there that however brutal his methods and abuses may be,is atleast bringing some kind of normalcy to Grozny,if not the rest of Chechnya. This time we were waived through,both my driver and I making sure not to make eye contact with one of the soldiers in case it invited them to stop us. I'd been warned by Russian friend's that my danger in Chechnya would not only be from the terrorists wanting to kidnap me but also from Kadyrov's men who would be happy to sell me to the terrorists. I have no idea if such dangers were well founded or just the fertive imagination of overly concerened friends but when you are on your own at the Chechen border and at the mercy of some dude with an M16 and a balaclava you don't want to test the rumour out. We drove on into Chechnya and immediately saw the cult of personality that Kadyrov had encouraged. Road side signs showed photos of him and his father ( his father was the leader of Chechnya before being blown up in a terrorist attack ). The road was new and double laned each side. It immediately felt wealthier then Ingushetia and Ossetia too for that matter. We passed through towns with construction work going on,new mosques that seemed far too big for the villages they served were springing up. I had not eaten breakfast so asked my driver to pull over when he saw a place. We pulled into a modern petrol station in the middle of nowhere with a cafe attached and a gym upstairs (!?). I went in and ordered a meal whilst my driver who was a dodgy looking bastard stayed in the car and made a phone call. Now read that last sentance again;25 words that you probably didn't think twice about. Perfectly normal,I eat and the driver makes a phone call,but with my heightened sense of awareness and danger I suddenly had this paranoid idea that he was phoning militants to come and get me. I'd been warned before I came that that was how people get snatched and my mind was now asking myself why he didn't come in to eat and make the call in front of me? What was he hiding? I ate my meal with a growing unease in my stomach and bowels. I was in a lonely service station in the middle of Chechnya,my phone did not have a signal,I had nowhere to go. I paid and returned to the car. We drove off but my paranoia now meant that I was ready to go Jason Bourne on him if he did anything that I thought might be suspicious. If he slowed down or headed up a dirt track I would launch myself at him and steal his car. Looking back it seems rediculous but at the time I thought it was entirely rational. We drove on past more murals of Kadyrov and his dad. Eventually we hit the outskirts of Grozny,the shiny new buildings in the centre of Grozny visible on the horizon. There was a massive concrete sign saying 'Grozny' by the side of the road and I asked the driver to stop so I could photograph it. I got out and walked across an empty square to get a better angle for the photo. There were woods at the end. When I got to the edge of the woods, about 30 metres from my taxi,I noticed sitting on their haunches in the woods were about five guys in civilian clothes with Kalashnikovs. They looked at me but didn't move. I have no idea who they were but I immediately headed back to the car at a brisk pace. They were probably just local dudes,having a ciggie together but I didn't want to find out. It did emphasise to me though that being in the wrong place at the wrong time is what will get you in trouble in this part of the world. We drove on and eventually entered the city centre which was all brand new,signs of the war having been eradicated and built over with grandiose projects. Kadyrov's guards stood guard on every street corner. In the centre of town stood a newly built mosque,Russia's largest,all marble and minarettes. I got out and paid my driver,he shook my hand and wished me well and I felt a tad guilty for presuming him to be the kind of man who would sell me to Al Qaida given the chance.
Watching him leave was like watching the last link I had to civilisation dissapear. I walked over to my hotel in the centre of town and checked in. The lobby had photos of Kadyrov with some famous faces,Tyson,Hillary Swank,celebs who had been happy to take his money without asking too many questions about where it had come from or what Kadyrov had done to get it.
Grozny ( Chechnya )
Description: Newly built city centre that is like a Potempkin Village,i.e big hotel with no guests,a huge mosque with 3 worshippers in it,big new roads leading nowhere,a shopping centre with no shoppers. Spotlessly clean but somehow hollow. The river Terek runs through the centre of town. When the call to prayer rang out across the town I knew I was in the Caucasus and had left Slavic Russia behind.
Safety: I felt safe enough in the centre of town. My hotel had armed guards in the lobby with heavy weapons. There have been attacks on the centre but it is heavily policed by Kadyrov's guys. Leave the centre and hit the micro-regions though and it feels rough. I got on a random marshrutka that to my horror ended up going down a dirt track into the suburbs. Not going to lie,I didn't like it. No policeman around out there to help you.
Chechen Women: Very attractive,more so then Ingush. Brunettes but with the lightest skin tone,almost translucent. Saw some really attractive ones walking about. Mostly headscarved but not all by any means. Dress in jeans like any other Russian but no short skirts or slutty wear ( kadyrov's guys apparently patrol the streets with paint guns splatting any woman who does not dress conservatively enough but I never saw that ). I approached on the street and the women were very friendly for the most part. All very intrigued to meet a foreigner. I got the definite impression that you could get results here with time. The women were much more relaxed and open than Ingush chicks. I went into a bookshop near the centre. A woman worked in there alone,early 30's. I flirted and it was reciprocated,she gave me a free fridge magnet and asked me to promise to come see her again before I left. I number closed but had no intention of calling,more an ego close. Would have been interesting to see if I could have made something happen. I went into a photography shop and it was full of female students photocopying some school work. I opened and got lots of friendly banter,asking me about London and life in the West. I invited them for coffe and cake somewhere,one of them was interested but the others seemed to convince her otherwise. They spoke in Chechen so I have no idea what they said to dissude her. I hit a cafe that was in a basement next to an internet cafe,friendly female staff but could not get beyond pleasentries. In my hotel's restaurant that night I met and chatted to the staff,all exceptionally friendly but I could not transition from banter into getting numbers. It is obviously social circle orientated but I get the feeling there are options here if you targeted older age groups ( 30 plus years ). I.e divorcies and ones that never got married for whatever reason. Definitely harder then Ossetia but seemingly not as hard as Ingushetia.
Game Venues: when I asked about bars and clubs people told me there were none and that people go to restaurants with friends instead. It seems that the restaurants have dance floors so people can stand up and dance then return to eat some more. I only ate in my hotel in the evening so never got the chance to test out the restaurants. Day game is the street where the shopping centre is ( don't get excited,I use the term shopping centre very very loosely ). Lots of women in groups of 2 or 3 walking around. Approach lone women so you can't get bitch-blocked. Not nearly as much eye-banging going on here as in Vladikavkaz. The hotel restaurant and bars would be good if there were any other tourists in town but,well,it's Chechnya,there are no other tourists.
The following day I returned to Vladikavkaz and spent another four days there trying to get my feet under the table and cement myself in a small social circle. Nothing happened,no closes of any kind but I saw that it was highly possible,in fact inevitable that results would come but I would need a month to really start making headway.
Overall I had enjoyed the region immensely. I made some seemingly good friends,ate some amazing food,had an adventure. I will return to the city in the future. The North Caucasus is a rough place but not as dangerous as perceived. I felt safe in the city centres for the most part and if you use common sense and have a little Russian knowledge you should be ok. Just don't expect action unless you integrate yourself locally.
It's funny how every trip you go on seems to sew the seed for another,and so it is with me...
Safe travels...Vorkuta
An article worth reading if you have any interest in living and working in Moscow. Seems freelance English teaching is the way to make money.
http://www.escapeartist.com/efam/64/Teac...ussia.html
http://www.escapeartist.com/efam/64/Teac...ussia.html
Honestly, I am amazed that teaching English is still viable...I guess I have read so much about it that to me it seems played out and the market is saturated, but I guess not.
Quote: (02-26-2013 02:04 PM)Menace Wrote:
Honestly, I am amazed that teaching English is still viable...I guess I have read so much about it that to me it seems played out and the market is saturated, but I guess not.
I think you need to come in with an angle or niche. For example teaching business English or English for pre-school kids. I have an angle that I think will allow me to make a lot of money teaching there,the problem is I have no idea how to teach! A Russian friend of mine who is a Muscovite used to pay a dude 80 Euros an hour to teach her English and all he did was use a book,he had no idea how to teach. Apparently he had loads of clients though! I think if you have not been to Moscow you'd be amazed at how few foreigners there seems to be there considering it's such a massive city and such an important hub. Apart from on the Old Arbat or Red Square I never really bumped into any which means you can still stand out there.
80 euros an hour? thats fucking crazy, go for it Vorkuta, see how far it gets you for a while, and if you enjoy, fucking bonus, you could be teaching some oligarchs soon!
Don't forget to check out my latest post on Return of Kings - 6 Things Indian Guys Need To Understand About Game
Desi Casanova
The 3 Bromigos
Actually, I probably could come up with a niche. Also surprised that Moscow is not full of foreigners, I wonder if the visa thing is what slows it down. I didn't see too many (white) foreigners in Beijing either. Interestingly enough, I'm chatting with a guy in Novosibirsk who really wants to get OUT of Russia. He wants to come to US/Canada.
Quote: (02-27-2013 10:16 AM)Menace Wrote:
Actually, I probably could come up with a niche. Also surprised that Moscow is not full of foreigners, I wonder if the visa thing is what slows it down. I didn't see too many (white) foreigners in Beijing either. Interestingly enough, I'm chatting with a guy in Novosibirsk who really wants to get OUT of Russia. He wants to come to US/Canada.
Let me qualify what I said a little Menace; I don't doubt there are plenty of foreigners there,I mean there are consulates there and foreign companies that hire overseas etc. I just mean that unlike in most capitals where you hear a myriad of languages on the tube or street or bars etc. in Moscow it seems very very homogenized. Almost everyone is Russian. But yes,if you get a niche there with the teaching,I think you could make a lot of money and have a great time.
When I read the story of the Moscow's girl in the restaurant, I cringed. Now, I cannot stop thinking of myself as a gay. That's how embarrassing the men/women dynamics in the West have became.
Vorkuta deserves +1 rep. point from me for having the balls to hit a dangerous zone, totally unreported on the forum until now, and for writing a very enjoyable report of it.
Vorkuta deserves +1 rep. point from me for having the balls to hit a dangerous zone, totally unreported on the forum until now, and for writing a very enjoyable report of it.
Well don't get me jealous now Vorkuta... I would do the same thing if I were in your shoes, but I've got the old ball and chain now you know, so I'll just have to keep up with your journey via the forum and share in some of your experiences that way.
Moscow is great but expensive indeed. Locals know how to get by, but as a foreigner you are likely to get screwed.
I speak fluent Russian but still was not very successful pulling in Moscow. Granted, I was only there for a few days on business, so I didn't have much time to game. Still, the looks most girls gave me was something like "OK, which -Stan are you from, dude?". This was when cold-approached. When at the office, local girls were pretty friendly and approachable. I have no doubts that if I had some time to hone an approach, I would do well there. And so will you.
The best way I think is to seem like someone from the US or Western Europe, but able to switch to Russian when the target is unable to communicate in English.
As for making money, I am not sure what advice to give you. All people I met at the local branch office of a major international corporation were just struggling with life like people do in the West - dealing daily with a long commute, paying the expensive mortgage, finding a good school for the kids, etc. Pretty mundane and drone-like, I should say.
There is much glamorous life to be seen in the clubs and restaurants, and plenty of ballers but how to become one of them I cannot say. Yours to find out and share later with your forum bro's. Good luck!
Moscow is great but expensive indeed. Locals know how to get by, but as a foreigner you are likely to get screwed.
I speak fluent Russian but still was not very successful pulling in Moscow. Granted, I was only there for a few days on business, so I didn't have much time to game. Still, the looks most girls gave me was something like "OK, which -Stan are you from, dude?". This was when cold-approached. When at the office, local girls were pretty friendly and approachable. I have no doubts that if I had some time to hone an approach, I would do well there. And so will you.
The best way I think is to seem like someone from the US or Western Europe, but able to switch to Russian when the target is unable to communicate in English.
As for making money, I am not sure what advice to give you. All people I met at the local branch office of a major international corporation were just struggling with life like people do in the West - dealing daily with a long commute, paying the expensive mortgage, finding a good school for the kids, etc. Pretty mundane and drone-like, I should say.
There is much glamorous life to be seen in the clubs and restaurants, and plenty of ballers but how to become one of them I cannot say. Yours to find out and share later with your forum bro's. Good luck!
Knowledge of Russian can backfire in some cases since many Russians regard a part of Europe as a part of former Soviet periphery which they do not remember exactly where it bordered so they can easily include Bulgaria and Greece within it.
im glad to hear of your success vorkuta... i have read a lot of your threads before finally remembering to join this forum. I lived in st. petersburg for two years and always the more i am away from it, the more i miss it and it draws me back. St. petersburg has a lot of serious drawbacks when comparing it to my home of toronto...on paper everything seems to be worse:
salary: much worse
weather: much worse
food: much worse
music scene: much worse
sports facilities: much worse
and on and on and on it goes.
however...i would choose petersburg over toronto any day of the week. I know this feeling you described too..like being another man there. the reason might be you exist in moscow without any social pressures or inhibitions which exist for you back home. in moscow you are in a sense "alone" despite being surrounded by 10 million people. all expectations and standards of behaviour people you know hoist upon you back home go out the window. you can exist there however you want and its much easier to do so.
when i eventually make it back to russia, lets get some журавли водка
salary: much worse
weather: much worse
food: much worse
music scene: much worse
sports facilities: much worse
and on and on and on it goes.
however...i would choose petersburg over toronto any day of the week. I know this feeling you described too..like being another man there. the reason might be you exist in moscow without any social pressures or inhibitions which exist for you back home. in moscow you are in a sense "alone" despite being surrounded by 10 million people. all expectations and standards of behaviour people you know hoist upon you back home go out the window. you can exist there however you want and its much easier to do so.
when i eventually make it back to russia, lets get some журавли водка
How is this going?
Quote: (02-21-2013 12:46 PM)NomadofEU Wrote:
There is also a specific type of eastern Euro facial complexion that just melts my heart whenever I encounter it (i think its Slovak). Can any of you guys weigh in on similarities of these girls faces and where more of them are located?
Slovak (one on the right): https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-a...2498_n.jpg
Slovak: https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-a...4426_n.jpg
Russian: http://cs5400.userapi.com/u35117318/-6/x_feb8bf95.jpg
Nice chicks, I don't know if their complexion is due to being genetically Slavic, they just look they are pure Northern-- no Arab or Mediterranean blood. This, combined with getting much less sun than American girls with similar genetics means they have the smoothest, lightest skin.
Pure Northern girls can have lovely, translucent rosy skin, but it inherently doesn't tolerate sun as well as Southerners, so the beauty can be fragile.
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