S T R A T E G I E S
F O R
B U S I N E S S
Moscow:
a comfortable
city to live in
I N
M O S C O W
A PROPOS
It seems there’ve been no blank spots on the world
make the city - a megalopolis with a population of
map for quite a long time. But “terra incognita” still
over 12 million people - safe, healthy, comfortable
exists. And this is Moscow. The majority of foreign-
and socially secure.
ers either don't know anything about the city or have
a distorted picture. This is true for both ordinary
people and businessmen as well. For example, some
of them think that a flight from Europe to Moscow
takes around seven hours. Trust me, Moscow is much
closer!
Unfortunately old habits die hard. The process is slow
indeed.
By the way we, Muscovites, sometimes can't keep
up with the pace of rapid changes in our city. Every
now and then new hotels, new supermarkets and
new metro stations open in the Russian capital. New
roads, private residences and apartment houses are
built, new gardens and parks are planted, and even
golf courses are constructed.
The authorities have recently started the reconstruc-
Believe me: the sad, cold and dangerous Moscow
tion of Gorky Park, the most popular park in the city.
depicted by Chris de Burgh in his famous song
It's nothing like Martin Cruz Smith's horrible depiction
“Moonlight and vodka” is long gone. Remember the
in his book "Gorky Park." Go there when you get a
words “The beer is lousy and the food is worse…” Yes,
chance. You won't regret it. Pleasure is guaranteed. As
the city doesn’t measure up to London or New York
the Italian businessman Vincenzo Trani mentioned in
by the number of restaurants, but there are plenty
his interview with Capital Ideas, the only thing the city
of them to satisfy the finest taste. Not surprisingly,
lacks is the sea. Instead, there are over 140 rivers and
Arkady Novikov, a well-known restaurateur who is
streams, 4 lakes and over 400 natural and artificial
doing business in Moscow and abroad, emphasized in
ponds in Moscow…
our conversation that "even foreigners are dreaming
of coming to Moscow for a good meal now."
In a word, as my old good friend Carlos Antonio Da
Rocha Paranhos who worked as a Brazil ambas-
De Burgh's song is an archaism, which shouldn't
sador to Russia for five years put it",Moscow has all
come as a surprise: it was written over 30 years
the things that I like, everything a big city can offer."
ago! And Moscow – especially in recent years – is
changing and getting better day by day. The city has
become a comfortable place to live and to work.
Sergo Kukhianidze
The Moscow authorities have made it a priority to
Editor in Chief
CAPITAL IDEAS
Founder: Department for External Economic
and International Relations of the Government of Moscow
Moscow Official
Moscow and Beijing:
cooperation at the new level
Address: Tverskaya, 13, Moscow, 125032.
Ph: +7 (495) 633-68-66
Fax: +7 (495) 633-68-65
E-mail: dms@dms.mos.ru
www.dvms.mos.ru
Editorial staff:
Editor-in-chief – Sergo Kukhianidze
Production crew of the edition: Elena Egorova (deputy editor-in-chief),
Evgeny Khokhlov, Dmitry Sokolov, Marina Ogorodnikova, Alexander Pigarev,
Anna Tomkins, Marina Yurshina, Alexander Urshin, Ivan Skorikov,
Anastassia Paloni, Sergei Levin
Mayor of the Russian capital Sergei Sobyanin led the
official delegation of the Moscow City government and
visited China on May 18-22. During the visit meetings
were held with the mayors of Beijing, Shanghai and
Hong Kong Chief Executive. In Shanghai Moscow Mayor
participated in the program of President Vladimir Putin’s
state visit to the People’s Republic of China.
6–11
CAPITAL IDEAS
S T R A T E G I E S
F O R
B U S I N E S S
Publisher: Moscow Center for International Cooperation
CEO: Igor Tkach
Address: 105005, 68/8, build.1, Baumanskaya str., Moscow, Russia
Phone: +7 (499) 267-46-56
E-mail: editor@mcms.ru
General Partner: National Review Ltd
CEO – Sergei Oposhnyanskiy
Phone.: +7 (495) 784-69-71
E-mail: nr@eurasmet.ru
Consulting – Sergei Anikanov, Evgeny Khokhlov
Design – Robert Saifulin
Photo editor – Victoriya Oposhnyanskaya
Page layout – Alexander Saifulin
Assistant – Nadezhda Ratanova
Distribution – "Trans-Media" Ltd
Acknowledgements to:
PHOTO ITAR TASS Agency, RIA-Novosti, All Over Press Agency, companies
and organizations, represented in the issue.
If you wish to get new issues of Capital Ideas, please, apply to: editor@mcms.ru
The magazine is registered with at the Federal Authority of Legislative Control in Mass Media and
Cultural Heritage Protection. Media registration certificate ФС77-53716, issued April 26, 2013.
All reproduction permitted only with the Editor’s permission and reference to ‘Capital Ideas’.
Distributed free of charge
Published with support from the Department for External Economic
and International Relations of the Government of Moscow
Circulation : 7000
Signed into print 03.07.2014
I N
M O S C O W
12–19
Moscow Official
Days of Moscow in
Rome and Milan
Days of Moscow, organized by the
Department of Foreign Economic and
International Relations of the Russian
capital, took place in Rome and
Milan 26 to 30 May 2014. The main
result was the signing of the Protocol
of Friendship and Cooperation
between Moscow and Rome, and the
Programme of Cooperation for 20142017 between the Government of
Moscow and the mayor's office of the
Italian capital. The documents were
signed by the mayors of the capitals –
Sergei Sobyanin and Ignazio Marino.
Nothing Ventured
Moscow Official
Face To face
NEWS
“I like when people
leave our petrol
stations with a smile“
French investors to support Moscow
projects.
American businessmen are interested
in Moscow projects.
Prospects of cooperation with
Canadian business.
20–21
“Russia is a developing
market with fantastic
opportunities”
William Kozik, general manager of Shell Neft
LLC in Moscow, answered questions from
Capital Ideas.
Thomas Sterzel, Director General of Porsche
Russland, told Capital Ideas correspondent
about his work in Russia, secrets of successful
business in Moscow, PorscheFestaval and
Russian clients – so self-sufficient, with no
need to prove anything to the world.
28–31
36–39
22–25
32–35
Face to Face
Nothing Ventured
“Intellectual capital
is the competitive
advantage of the
country”
“The key to success
in Russia is reacting
quickly”
Evgeny Pavlovich Velikhov, Doctor of
Physics and Math, academician and
member of Presidium of the Russian
Academy of Sciences, told Capital Ideas
about the situation in the Russian
science and its investment prospects,
about the future of Skolkovo start-ups
and brain drain.
Nissan actively and successfully works
in the Russian market, and promises to
expand its dealer network to 200 centres
by the end of 2016. Nissan CEO in Russia
Philippe Saillard told Capital Ideas about
how it is not always easy to run a car
business in Russia and discussed the
peculiarities of working in our country as
a foreigner.
26–27
Moscow in words
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
3
Travel
Nothing Ventured
"It is important to be
open here”
Walter Neumann, CEO of the Azimut Hotels,
the largest hotel brand represented in Russia,
in an interview with Capital Ideas noted that
despite the fact that the Russian market is
now under pressure of misunderstanding on
the part of Europe, and sales of the room
stock recently fell slightly, he is optimistic
about the development of business in Russia.
40-43
4
Quality Time
English by substance, but
russian by spirit
Capital Ideas has conducted a survey
among foreigners who are living and
working in Moscow and made a list of
the most popular recreation areas of
the Russian capital. So where do expats
usually spend their leisure time?
A luxurious building – a late XVIII century classical
architectural monument on Tverskaya Street, 21 –
today - is now home to the Museum of Contemporary
History. In Soviet times, by the way, the space
housed a Museum of the Revolution. Nevertheless,
a grandiose building with iron gates, two lions and
an armoured car at the entrance is famous not for
museum pieces, but for its history dating back to 1831.
It is here, to the English Club of Moscow, every selfrespecting gentleman tried to get for decades.
46–51
56-61
Green oases in
Moscow
44–45
52–55
62–65
Quality Time
Face to Face
Quality Time
Moscow: a
comfortable city to
live in
"Welcome
everyone!”
Golf: made in
Moscow
“Food must be tasty. People must
enjoy it”. This was a popular
Communist mantra for decades. But
food in Russia became really delicious
only after the collapse of the Soviet
regime. “For a long time en masse
we’ve been deprived of good food
products and nice interiors", famous
restaurateur Arkady NOVIKOV said
in his exclusive interview to Capital
Ideas.
Golf had always been a mysterious
sport for Russians. It was not
developed during the tsar era or under
the communist regime. During the
Soviet period golf was banned as a
“bourgeois sport”. Golf courses started
to appear in Moscow only after the
beginning of perestroika.
CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
Travel
Food&Drink
The Kremlin clock
chimes from the Tsar
to the President
"Moscow is a fantastic
place, there's
always something
happening...”
The Kremlin clock located on the
Spasskaya Tower is not just the most
famous clock tower in Russia: it’s a
symbol. Not surprisingly, what melody
the chime plays has always been decided
by the country's leaders.
Moscow Vocabulary
Chef Jerome Coustillas, the holder of a
Michelin star, answered questions for
Capital Ideas
66–70
80–81
88–91
72-77
82–87
92–96
Roots
Life&Culture
Food&Drink
Jacob Bruce: scientist,
miltary leader, or
master of the black
arts?
Moscow vacations:
between beach and
Guiseppe Verdi
"I draw my
inspiration from
Russian cuisine ...”
In the summer, Moscow becomes
empty. Late July-early August is the
traditional holiday season. The theatre
season ends. Guest performers are
few. Yet true lovers of music, dance,
opera, cinema, theatre and art can
still find interesting events to visit.
Is it possible to mix Russian and
Italian cuisine? Italian chef William
Lamberti responds with a resounding
"of course!"
The stories of Jacob Bruce, a Russian
Count of Scottish descent, and a favorite
of Peter the Great, are still legendary...
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
5
Moscow and Beijing:
the new level
MOSCOW OFFICIAL
Moscow Mayor
Sergei Sobyanin
and Beijing Mayor
Wang Anshun.
6
Mayor of the Russian capital Sergei Sobyanin
led the official delegation of the Moscow City
government and visited China on May 18-22.
During the visit, meetings were held with the
mayors of Beijing and Shanghai, as well as
with the Chief Executive of Hong Kong.
In Shanghai, the Mayor of Moscow took park
in the program of President Vladimir Putin’s
state visit to the People’s Republic of China.
CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
The delegation included Deputy Mayor
Maxim Liksutov, Head of the Department of
Transport and Road Infrastructure Development, Deputy Mayor for Urban Development
and Construction Marat Khusnullin, Moscow
Government Minister Sergei Cheryomin,
Head of the Department for Foreign Economic Activity and International Relations
and other officials.
cooperation at
Beijing
On May 19 mayors of the capitals of Russia and China,
Sergei Sobyanin and Wang Anshun signed a Cooperation Program for 2014-2016 between the Moscow City
government and the People’s government of Beijing. The
two mayors were present at the signing ceremony of a
memorandum of cooperation between the Moscow Research and Design Institute for the General Plan of Moscow and the Beijing Municipal Institute of City Planning
and Design, as well as an agreement on the development
of relations between the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Beijing Department of the
China Council of the Promotion of International Trade.
After the, talks the two sides conducted a round-table
discussion on the issues of cooperation in the sphere
of urban planning. Deputy Mayor Marat Khusnullin
signed a memorandum on engaging Chinese partners
in the construction of the South-West Moscow metro
line. The Moscow Mayor was present at the signing
ceremony of a memorandum between Mosinzhproekt engineering company, China Railway Construction
Corporation and the China International Fund. Mr.
Sobyanin said that this agreement would give Chinese
partners an opportunity to participate in the construction of a new Moscow metro line.
“We’ve met recently in Moscow and agreed to attract
investment to Moscow Metro projects. We have one
of the most ambitious metro development programs
in the world, second only to Beijing and Shanghai, and
far ahead of Europe”, Sergei Sobyanin said before the
signing ceremony.
Sergei Sobyanin pointed out Mayor of Moscow pointed out that the program included the construction of
150 kilometers of metro lines and 70 stations.
“We agreed to develop a project so that Moscow can
join efforts with our Chinese partners to finance the
construction of a metro line, build it within a short
period of time and create transit hubs. This will be a
landmark project in terms of attracting private investment from China, enabling us to balance Moscow’s
investment portfolio and promoting investment and
infrastructure projects”, Sergei Sobyanin said.
The signing
of the
memorandum
of cooperation
between Beijing
and Moscow.
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
7
MOSCOW OFFICIAL
The master plan of
land use of the city
and the layout of
Beijing in a 1:750
scale.
During the meeting with the Mayor of Beijing Wang
Anshun, Mr. Sobyanin pointed out that Moscow and
Beijing were linked by a “long history of cooperation”
and that the two capitals were twin cities. He added that Moscow and Beijing were actively expanding
their economic cooperation. “Moscow accounts for
30% of the entire Chinese-Russian trade turnover”,
Mr. Sobyanin noted. He said tourism had expanded
substantially over the past few years and the number of Chinese tourists visiting Moscow increased by
about 40% annually. Mr. Sobyanin added that last year
visitors from China made up the biggest share among
Moscow’s foreign tourists.
“I am absolutely confident that your current visit will
serve to further strengthen and expand friendly relations
between Beijing and Moscow”, Wang Anshun noted. He
stressed his willingness to increase cooperation in other
fields, including the high tech industry on the basis of science and technology clusters in Moscow and Beijing.
Moscow and Beijing have numerous opportunities for
expanding cooperation, the Mayor of Moscow said.
“Despite the large trade turnover, direct investment
volume has remained insignificant. Moscow receives
an overwhelming majority of foreign investment from
European countries”, Mr. Sobyanin noted.
8
cow also invited Wang Anshun to attend the Moscow
Urban Forum which has become an effective platform
to share experience in the sphere of urban development.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin also visited the Exhibition Hall of the Urban Planning Centre of Beijing, where
he learned about the master plan for China’s capital and
prospects for the further development of the city.
The exhibition that was held over an area of 8,000 square
meters played an educational role and served as a platform that allowed experts and researchers from around
the world to exchange ideas. The exhibition’s pavilions
are devoted to Beijing’s transport development, district
and county municipal planning, the changes that the city
has undergone over time, and the protection of its historical and cultural heritage to date. In addition, visitors
are invited to explore the master plan for the city’s land
use and a 302-square-meter, 1:750-scale layout plan of
Beijing, which features models of buildings in the city
center and a 3D-presentation on the history of Beijing
and the city infrastructure.
This project that is open for city residents will be interesting for the Russian capital.
The Mayor of Moscow believes that the city government
is ready to create a well-balanced market and attract
investors from Asia. “This task implies that our cities, as
well as the business communities in Moscow and Beijing,
should attain new levels of cooperation," he noted.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin visited the Beijing South
Railway Station that opened in 2008. It is the city’s largest station and the second largest hub in Asia with a
total floor space of 320,000 square meters. This transit
hub houses 24 railway platforms, two metro stations, a
bus terminal and a taxi park in one building and boasts a
traffic capacity of 30,000 passengers per hour.
Mr. Sobyanin stressed that the signing of the cooperation
program would help to bring the cooperation between
Moscow and Beijing to a new level. The Mayor of Mos-
Finally, during the visit to Beijing, Moscow government
officials and their Chinese counterparts held roundtable discussions on the issues of city planning and the
CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
development of the transportation system. Deputy
Mayor Maxim Liksutov, Head of the Department of
Transport and Road Infrastructure Development, Deputy Mayor for Urban Development and Construction
Marat Khusnullin, Moscow Government Minister Sergei
Cheryomin, Head of the Department for Foreign Economic Activity and International Relations and Beijing
government officials took part in the discussions.
Shanghai
On May 20 in Shanghai, the Mayor of Moscow participated in the program of President Putin’s state visit to
the People’s Republic of China.
The two sides held extensive talks. The Russian delegation was led by President Vladimir Putin. Sergei
Sobyanin represented Moscow.
“Russian-Chinese cooperation has become a major
factor in international stability. Our cooperation with
the UN and other international organizations is gaining importance. We will continue to facilitate the development of regional ties, including within the framework of the SCO”, Putin said.
The Russian President held talks with the Chinese
leader Xi Jinping. After the meeting, a set of agreements was signed, including an agreement on the establishment of the Joint Commission on Investment
Cooperation and the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Victory in World War II.
After the ceremony, Mayor of Moscow Sergei Sobyanin signed a memorandum between the Moscow City
Government, China Railways Construction Corporation Limited and China International Fund Limited on
the engagement of Chinese investors into the development of the city transport system and the construction of the new South-West metro line.
Mr. Sobyanin held a meeting with the Mayor of
Shaghai Yang Xiong at the Hongjiao residence. The
Moscow side included Deputy Mayor of Moscow in
the Moscow Government and Head of the Department of Transport and Road Infrastructure Development, Maxim Liksutov, Deputy Mayor for Urban Development and Construction, Marat Khusnullin, and
Head of the Department for Foreign Economic Activity and International Relations, Sergei Cheryomin, the
President of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and
Industry Mikhail Kuzovlev. Russian Consul-General in
Shanghai Andrei Smorodin attended the meeting.
The sides agreed to enhance cooperation and exchange of experience in the spheres of transport, construction and economic development.
“It is important to strengthen cooperation not only at
the state level but also among large cities and agglom-
erations of Russia and China. Our cities have a lot in
common, including the dynamics of development and
urban policy goals", Mr. Sobyanin said.
He emphasized that Shanghai was developing the financial and social sectors, as well as transport infrastructure.
“Moscow is doing the same”, Sergei Sobyanin noted.
Mr. Sobyanin added that the main task was to
strengthen cooperation and expand exchange of experience between Moscow and Beijing , as well as between the business communities of the two cities
“Moscow is the largest importer of Chinese goods. The
Russian capital consumes the whole range of goods
produced in China and in Shanghai in particular”, Mr.
Sobyanin noted.
“The annual volume of investment in Moscow is
around $40 bln”, the mayor said. He added that Moscow purchased construction products and goods for
municipal facilities worth $20 bln a year. “The city budget is approximately $50 bln”, Mr. Sobyanin noted.
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
9
MOSCOW OFFICIAL
The mayor stressed that Moscow was constructing
commercial and city infrastructure and invited Chinese businessmen to participate in commercial projects and city orders. “All competitive platforms are
open for our Chinese friends”, the mayor said.
“We are eager to develop relations with Russian cities and regions, and with Moscow in particular”, Yang
Xiong pointed out.
Hong Kong
The visit of the Moscow City government to China
started in Beijing and finished in Hong Kong.
Sergei Sobyanin visited a subway station in Hong Kong.
The Moscow Government delegation included Deputy Mayor of Moscow in the Moscow Government
and Head of the Department of Transport and Road
Infrastructure Development, Maxim Liksutov, Deputy Mayor for Urban Development and Construction,
Marat Khusnullin, and Head of the Department for
Foreign Economic Activity and International Relations, Sergei Cheryomin, the President of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mikhail
Kuzovlev.
On May 21, the Mayor of Moscow and his government
officials held a meeting with the leading Hong Kong
and Chinese businessmen on the Island of ShangriLa Hotel. During a working breakfast they watched a
presentation of Moscow's development program for
the period up to 2020, the largest city infrastructure
development plan in Europe.
The meeting was attended by representatives of key
Chinese state-owned corporations, including China
Investment Corporation and China Railway Construction Corporation, as well as by top executives of the
Hong Kong business sector: Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Federation of Hong Kong Industries, China International Fund, Macquarie Capital, Meridien Capital
and other Chinese companies.
The Moscow government delegation visited the historic residence, Government House at Upper Albert
Road. The business lunch was attended by the Moscow government officials, Hong Kong Chief Executive
Leung Chun-ying, Yau Shing-mu, Under Secretary for
Transport and Housing, and Paul Chan Mo Po, Secretary for Development.
During the conversation, the Moscow Mayor pointed out that direct ties between the two regions had
started not so long ago, but are developing rapidly.
The visa-free regime encourages the strengthening
of human and business contacts. Three to four direct
flights a day between the two cities confirm this posi-
10
CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
tive trend better than any statistics. The cities have a
lot of potential in terms of sharing experience.
Results of the official visit
The two sides intend to work out an agreement regarding the development of the International financial
centers.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and President of PRC Xi
Jinping declared that Russia and China have launched a
new stage of comprehensive partnership and strategic
interaction.
Sergei Sobyanin visited the Central station of the Hong
Kong mass transit railway (MTR) and looked over the
transfer hub. MTR Corporation leaders told Mr. Sobyanin about the hub layout and about the subway. He
also showed Mr. Sobyanin the interactive subway
maps. Members of the Moscow government delegation held meetings with their Hong Kong counterparts.
During the visit, a memorandum was signed between
the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry and
the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.
Mayor of the Russian capital Sergei Sobyanin pointed out
that Chinese partners are interested in participating in
the Moscow Development Program for the period up to
2020. Chinese investors agreed to build one of the new
metro lines in Moscow.
During the visit, an agreement was reached with the
Chinese companies on investment into the construction
of the Moscow metro.
Karima Nigmatulina, head of the Moscow Research
and Design Institute for the General Plan of Moscow,
held talks with Ada Fang, president of the Hong Kong
Institute of Architecture, and Department of Housing
and Statistics officials.
According to the agreement signed by JSC Mosinzhproekt, China Railway Construction Corporation Limited,
Chinese International Fund Limited Chinese partners will
take part in the construction of the 15-km metro lline,
which is to connect the center of Moscow with new districts located south-west of the city. In addition to metro
development, Moscow is interested in investing into
major projects such as construction of the transport and
transit hubs, renovation of old industrial zones, and the
development of the New Moscow territories, including
the construction of business and leisure centers.
Per the arrangements agreed upon during the visit, a
round table discussion on the issues of city planning
and architecture was held in Hong Kong on May 30.
Representatives of Hong Kong major city planning
and design bureaus participated in the meeting. Moscow was represented by Alexandr Timokhov, Deputy
Chairman of the Committee for Architecture and Urban Development, and the Moscow Research and Design Institute for the General Plan of Moscow.
In order to extend cooperation, a round-table discussion
was held in Hong Kong concerning the acute problems
of city planning and architecture. The Hong Kong Institute of Architecture and the leading architectural and
city planning firms represented the Chinese side. Alexandr Timokhov, Deputy Chairman of the Committee for
Architecture and Urban Development, and the Moscow
Research and Design Institute for the General Plan of
Moscow represented the Russian capital. ■
The sides also exchanged ideas in the sphere of city planning and architecture. The Moscow delegation was interested in efficient transport system planning and other
projects implemented by the Hong Kong authorities.
Official Moscow
delegation and
Hong Kong’s Chief
Executive and
President of the
Executive Council
Leung Chun-ying.
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
11
MOSCOW OFFICIAL
Days of Moscow in
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin and the Mayor of Rome Ignazio Marino.
Days of Moscow, organized by the Department of Foreign Economic and International
Relations of the Russian capital, took place in Rome and Milan on May 26-30, 2014. The main
result was the signing of the Protocol of Friendship and Cooperation between Moscow and
Rome, and the Programme of Cooperation for 2014-2017 between the Government of Moscow
and the mayor's office of the Italian capital. The documents were signed by the mayors of the
capitals – Sergei Sobyanin and Ignazio Marino.
T
he Moscow delegation included Deputy Mayor for Social Development
Leonid Pechatnikov, Minister and
Head of the Department for External
Economic and International Relations
Sergei Cheryomin, Minister and Head of the
Department for Cultural Heritage of Moscow
Alexander Kibovsky, President of the Moscow
Chamber of Commerce Michael Kuzovlev and
other officials. The event was attended by the
Ambassador of Russia in Italy and the Republic of San Marino Sergei Razov.
The signed cooperation programme provides
for the exchange of experience between the
12
CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
cities on security issues, implementation of
intelligent management in the transportation sector and the preservation of the historic image of the capital when solving urban
development tasks, subway construction and
organization of parking lots in the city centre. We also expect to hold reciprocal Days of
Rome and Milan in Moscow in 2015.
Trade and economic cooperation between
Rome and Moscow has reached its historical peak; The Protocol and the Programme of
Cooperation signed by us today are the key
to not only maintaining, but also further developing our cooperation”, – said Mr. Sobya-
Rome and Milan
nin at the signing ceremony. “I'm glad to see in
you a person who actively seeks to develop cooperation between the cities," said the Mayor of
Moscow, speaking to Ignazio Marino.
In turn, Ignazio Marino recalled that the first cooperation agreement was signed between the
two capitals in 1996. He also said that in 2014,
the projected number of tourists from Moscow
and Russia to Rome amounts to over a million
people. “Just a few years ago, the tourist flow
amounted to several hundred thousand”, said
the mayor of Rome. “I want to hope that the
continuation of the Days of Moscow will turn
into the days of inspiration for the development
of cooperation between Rome and Moscow and
Russia and Italy," he added.
After the meeting, the parties exchanged gifts.
Marino presented the symbol of Rome – a
statuette of the she-wolf that fed the founders of Rome, and Sobyanin – a copy of a unique
historical record, “Notification Letter” of acceptance by Victor Emmanuel II of the title of
King of Italy. This is the first official document
that the King of the united Italy sent to the
Russian Emperor Alexander II. The document
features the handwritten signature of King
Victor Emmanuel II.
S.Sobyanin presents the Mayor of Rome with the unique historical document
“Notification Letter”.
MOSCOW OFFICIAL
Meeting with Italian
Entrepreneurs and Investors
to investors”. According to the mayor of the capital, last year, investments in Moscow's economy
reached a historic high – $90 billion. Direct investments amounted to $35 billion.
he business programme of the Days of
Moscow began in the Chamber of Commerce of Rome, where the delegation of
the Government of the Russian capital
met with Italian entrepreneurs and investors and the President of the Rome Chamber
of Commerce Giancarlo Cremonesi.
During the meeting, the Italian partners were
offered several major areas for investments in
the economy of Moscow. “Thus, annual investments in transport infrastructure only in a part
of the city amounted to about $10 billion", – said
the mayor of the Russian capital. He specified
that the metro and roads in Moscow were under
construction, and that the public transport fleet
was being purchased.
T
During the meeting, Italian business participation in programmes of modernization of Moscow and the topic of attracting investments into
the real estate sector of the city were discussed.
Sergei Sobyanin pointed out that “in Moscow,
there are almost no areas that are not attractive
14
CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
“This year was the first time we held a tender
for the construction of a toll road in Moscow.
Already three companies have expressed a desire to build it, through 100% of private invest-
ment,” the mayor said. The project is the construction of the Northern relief road for Kutuzov
Boulevard. Another major project in this area is
the construction of modern transport hubs that
hundreds of thousands of passengers in Moscow
utilize on a daily basis. In this regard, the Russian capital is interested in the Italian experience
in terms of constructing new transport systems
and infrastructure.
Another attractive area for investment is real
estate. “We see that this year the amount of investments in real estate will not fall, but is likely
to exceed last year's level," said Mr. Sobyanin at a
meeting with representatives of Italian companies in the Rome Chamber of Commerce.
The Moscow City Government sees the development of competitive advantages of the capital
metropolis, improvements in the business climate,
the development of urban infrastructure and the
creation of modern jobs as its key challenges in
terms of improving the quality of life in the city.
In turn, the Head of the Rome Chamber of
Commerce Giancarlo Cremonesi noted that
economic relations between Moscow and
Rome would only strengthen. “I am confident
that our economies may perfectly cooperate
and contribute to the development of our territories”, – Cremonesi said. The capitals of the
two countries are connected through longterm cooperation in various fields.
Also, the Russian Centre of Science and Culture
in Rome hosted a meeting of representatives of
the Government of Moscow with the Coordination Council of Russian Compatriots in Rome.
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
15
The Head of the Moscow delegation, the Minister of Moscow Government, the Head of the
Department for External Economic and International Relations Sergei Cheryomin at the forum
made a presentation on investment opportunities of the Russian capital at the forum.
“Today, the gross regional product (GRP) of
Moscow is over $380 billion and is comparable
to GRP of Austria, major cities of Europe and the
World”, – S. Cheryomin said.
“The dynamic development of trade and economic relations between Italy and Russia is of
strategic importance. Italy has traditionally been
one of the key trade partners of Moscow”, – the
Head of the Department for External Economic
and International Relations said.
Meeting between the head of the Department for External Economic
and International Relations Sergey Cheremin and the Mayor
of Milan Giuliano Pisapia.
Economic Forum “MoscowMilan 2014. Challenges,
Solutions and Perspectives”
“Italy, which occupied the 5th position as at the
end of 2012, and rose to 4th place by this indicator at the end of 2013. Judging by the figures
from 2013, the trade turnover between organizations registered in Moscow and Italian partners increased by 12.1% compared with 2012 to
reach $8,458.2 million”, – the Minister said.
n May 29, as part of the Days of Moscow in Milan, Palazzo Turati hosted
the forum on economic, investment
and technological cooperation called
"Moscow-Milan 2014. Challenges, Solutions and Perspectives."
According to him, ambitious plans of the New
Moscow development offer great opportunities
to attract investors. There are plans to create one
million jobs, and to build more than 100 million
square meters of real estate. The demand for investment at the moment is about $100 billion.
In his opening speech, the representative of the
Board of the Chamber of Commerce of Milan
Luigi Amato Molinari stressed that the business
forum hosted as part of the Days of Moscow in
Milan is of great importance for the development of relations between Russia and Italy, Milan and Moscow.
“Italian companies are known for their profound
experience in industrial construction and infrastructure projects. Reconstruction of the Moscow Railway, and construction of transportation
hubs – these are just some of the areas where
experience and financial participation of Italian
partners could be required”, – S. Cheryomin said.
“Our cities face important issues that are similar in scope:Milan will host the World Exhibition
“Expo-2015”, and Moscow – FIFA World Cup in
2018”, – he said.
On behalf of the Government of Moscow, he
invited Italian investors to participate directly,
without intermediaries, in city tenders, including construction of hotels under a special programme as part of preparation for the FIFA
World Cup in 2018.
O
“Milan is the showcase of Italy, the capital of
fashion and design. Although economics relations are also very important to us," said Luigi
Amato Molinari, "cultural relations can serve as
the basis for establishing business contacts between the capitals of Russia and Lombardy.
16
According to S. Cheryomin, over the past few
years Italy has been one of the top five foreign
partners of the Russian capital in terms of mutual trade volume.
CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
The Minister also stressed that Russia has a very
attractive tax structure. The income tax rate is
20% for corporations and 13% for individuals. The
number of foreign tax residents is growing.
On the Italian part, at the plenary session of the
Forum the President of A.I.C.E. Claudio Rotti,
the President of the Italian-Russian Chamber of
Commerce in Moscow and Milan Rosario Alessandrello, as well as others, made their speeches.
They noted that the development of economic
relations with Russia and the CIS are very important to Italy. More than 500 Italian companies work in Russia on a permanent basis. Much
has been done to strengthen bilateral relations,
but they still need to be developed. “Moscow
and Milan can use the opportunities that are
offered to them by Italy and Russia”, – Claudio
Rotti said.
The Advisor for Trade and Tourism of Milan City
Hall Franco D'Alfonso said that Moscow and Milan could become leaders in the development
of inter-municipal relations. For example, in the
sphere of tourism, the performance of Milan is
comparable to Moscow: today, the capital of
Lombardy is annually visited by more than 7 million people. According D'Alfonso, Russians came
in first place ahead of Americans.
The World Exhibition “Expo-2015” is a major
event in the life of Milan. “The city will be the
Italian port of the World, – he said. – And let
there be more Moscow in Milan!”
The event was also attended by the Consul General of the Russian Federation in Milan Alexander Nurizade, the First Deputy Chairman of the
Industry Committee of the State Duma Vladimir
Gutenev, the Moscow business ombudsman Michael Vyshegorodtsev.
During the forum, the Moscow Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (MCCI) and the Milan
Chamber of Commerce (PROMOS) signed a cooperation agreement.
The plenary session continued as panel sessions
“Banking and Finance”, “Investments and Real
Estate”, “Infrastructure and Transportation” and
others.
The economic forum on economic, investment
and technological cooperation “Moscow-Milan
2014. Challenges. Solutions and Perspectives” is
part of the Days of Moscow in Rome and Milan, in which the delegation of the Government
of Moscow participated. The delegation was
headed by the Minister of the Moscow Government, the Head of the Department for External
Economic and International Relations Sergei
Cheryomin.
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
17
MOSCOW OFFICIAL
Football and Fashion
O
House. The collection of the Moscow couturier,
prepared specially for this show, was dedicated
to the Italian film stars of the 1960s: Gina Lollobrigida, Sophia Loren, and Claudia Cardinale.
On May 29, there was the second friendly football match between the Moscow
youth team “Strogino” and Milanese team “Inter”.
A day earlier, the youth team of Muscovites played
against their peers from the team “Milano”, and
the Strogino players won with a final score of 2:0.
In the second match the Muscovites lost 0:1, but
remained the victors after the scores from the two
meetings were added up. The Minister of the Moscow Government, the Head of the Department for
External Economic and International Relations
of Moscow Sergey Cheryomin congratulated the
team of young players “Strogino” with the overall
victory after two matches.
The Head of the Moscow delegation Sergei
Cheryomin addressed the audience. He welcomed all participants in the show and thanked
Milan authorities for the excellent organization
of this event. The Minister also noted that the
language of fashion is international, and can
be understood in any country without translation. He commented that fashion is a special
theme in Milan, where every resident speaks
the language of fashion fluently. “Here, we are
especially pleased to show Italian friends our
achievements in haute couture art”, – Sergey
Cheryomin added presenting a new collection of
Valentin Yudashkin, a Corresponding Member of
the Association of Haute Couture in Paris.
In the evening of May 29, Palazzo Isimbardi hosted a show by the Valentin Yudashkin Fashion
May 30 saw a continuation of the presentation
of tourist opportunities of the Russian capital at
n May 29 and 30, the capital of Lombardy, Milan, hosted the final events
of the Days of Moscow.
18
CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
the Moscow Information Centre in Milan – MoscowInfoPoint, , which was part of a separate
programme of exhibition and congress events
of the Department for External Economic and
International Relations and the Committee for
Tourism and Hotel Business of Moscow.
The Days of Moscow in Rome and Milan ended
on May 30 with meetings with representatives of
transport companies and authorities of Milan responsible for development of the transport infrastructure. The members of the official delegation
of Moscow visited the Milan subway, subway construction sites and the traffic management centre.
All events were held with the participation of
representatives of the delegation of the Government of Moscow and were part of the official programme of the Days of Moscow in Rome
and Milan. The Moscow delegation was headed
by the Minister of the Moscow Government, the
Head of the Department for External Economic
and International Relations Sergei Cheryomin. ■
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
19
MOSCOW OFFICIAL
cation, construction and transport, possible risks and
prospects to the French business community.
The investment conference “Moscow: a city for business” was aimed at promoting a constructive dialogue
between the Moscow government and the international investment community. The Russian capital has
become one of the most rapidly developing cities with
the largest consumer market in Europe. The Moscow
government is clearly aware that further economic
development requires investment. Today the city
needs around 80 mln euros for transport infrastructure projects including the construction of 32 new
metro stations, 60 km of the new metro lines, 240 km
of railway roads and 330 km of motorways.
“Now the city is testing various methods for attracting
investment into the health care sphere, including direct
privatization and transfer of buildings on concession
agreements", Sergei Cheryomin, Moscow government
minister and Head of the Department for Foreign Economic Activity and International Relations noted.
French investors to
support Moscow projects
On June 11 an investment conference “Moscow: a city
for business” was organized by the Department for
Foreign Economic Activity and International Relations and the Russian Embassy in France in the residence of the Russian Ambassador.
The Moscow government presented the new investment strategy, projects in the sphere of energy, edu-
20
CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
“As part of the preparation for FIFA World Cup 2018,
we plan to reconstruct high-rise buildings at Novy Arbat and transform them into hotels. All three buildings will be put up for sale in the next two or three
months. The starting price is around $100 mln. We
are talking about hotels of different categories. Each
building has several entrances, so it can house two or
three hotels", Vladimir Efimov, Moscow government
minister and Head of the Department of City Property
said at the conference.
“The Paris Investment Agency will send a business mission of French entrepreneurs to Moscow soon. Such
ties will benefit both sides", Sergei Cheryomin said. ■
American businessmen
are interested in Moscow
projects
On June 13 an investment conference “Invest in Moscow: Doing Business in Russia’s Capital” was held at
Le Parker Meridien Hotel in New York. The conference
was organized by the Moscow Government Department for Foreign Economic Activity and International
Relations and the American Chamber of Commerce
in Russia.
Moscow government officials presented projects in
the sphere of housing services and utilities, energy,
health care centers and nurseries. The participants
held a round-table discussions regarding opportunities for foreign companies, their engagement in
government contracts, benefits and government
support, time frames and procedure of auctions on
the city property. The participants of the investment conference had a look at the successful foreign companies’ projects in Moscow, learned the
details about receiving permissions and other documents for construction projects. American partners
showed a keen interest in Moscow technoparks and
business incubators. ■
Prospects of cooperation
with Canadian business
The Moscow Government Department for Foreign
Economic Activity and International Relations organized an investment conference “Invest in Moscow.
Doing business in Russia’s capital” at the Sofitel Montreal Golden Mile Hotel in Montreal on June 16 and at
the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Toronto on June 18.
Moscow is one of the most interesting directions for
investment in Europe. And it’s not surprising because
the Russian capital remains an island of business and
investment stability. Moreover, real estate investment in Moscow is growing steadily and a positive
trend in the long run is guaranteed. Experts say that
Moscow’s success on the investment market is based
on the congruence of commercial interests of private
investors and the strategic goals of the city as well as
professional property management. All these factors
contributed to impressive results.
The Moscow government presented the most promising projects in the sphere of energy, transportation hubs
and city infrastructure to the Canadian investors. ■
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
21
FACE TO FACE
Academician Evgeny Velikhov:
Intellectual capital
competitive
advantage
Evgeny P. Velikhov, Doctor of Physics
and Mathematics, academician and
member of Presidium of the Russian
Academy of Sciences, told Capital
Ideas about recent developments in
Russian science and its investment
prospects, about the future of
Skolkovo start-ups and about Russia’s
brain drain.
Evgeny Pavlovich, out of all the investment instruments that are currently functioning in the sphere
of science in Russia, which ones do you think are
the most effective?
It depends on what you mean – fundamental science
or applied science. Although Avicenna said that these
spheres are two sides of the same coin, the matter is
actually far more complicated.
It is necessary to maintain a certain level of education in
order to provide for the sustainable economic and social development of the country. For the most part, this
goal is achieved through the help of agencies such as
the Russian Fundamental Research Fund, which functions via a grant system. The system is not ideal, but
it has been developed and it is functioning ok. Grants
that are given by the government are state-oriented
because taxpayers finance them. Grants from private
companies are more like charity. There are not a lot of
grants from private companies in Russia, although all
the necessary conditions are currently in place.
However, there is an alternative to grant systems – consortiums, where participants contribute relatively small
sums of money. I am familiar, for example, with how
my colleague Professor Zhadnov’s consortium functions. This consortium includes all the leading global
oil and gas companies, and they contribute substantial
investments. It’s important to note that members of
such consortiums don’t have any rights: they can only
observe the research process from a distance and learn
about the developments in the sphere of science they
support 3-4 years earlier than the rest of the world. In
22
CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
is Russia’s main
FACE TO FACE
June 3, 2014.
Prime Minister
of Russia Dmitry
Medvedev (third
from the right)
while viewing
the exhibition
of samples and
prototypes
of innovative
products during
Startup Village,
an international
conference
for startups
and investors
organized by
the Skolkovo
Foundation.
Second from
the right is the
Chairman of the
Board of Directors
at Renova Group
and President
of the Skolkovo
Foundation Viktor
Vekselberg.
this particular case, the sphere of interest is electromagnetic sounding and geophysics. The sponsors also meet
experts and scientists working in this field. As a rule, the
best of these experts are selected by corporations in order to help establish their own research centers.
So you mean foreign corporations are interested
in investing into Russian science? What scientific
fields are the most popular?
There is an interest, of course, but these corporations
do not usually invest in funds like the Russian Fundamental Research Fund. As for different scientific
fields, it really depends on both how developed the
field is and how practical it is for the corporation. For
example, the Boeing Company supports the Science
and Technology Center in Moscow and several mathematical centers in Russia.
The presence of prestigious science schools and research groups also increase interest in investment.
The level of prestige is generally determined by practical application of the certain scientific fields – that is
the most important factor for corporations.
How does the current global political climate effect
foreign investments?
Today, the world functions on a global scale and interaction at one level or another is always present. Occasionally, some bans and restrictions related to political
relations do appear. There has been some escalation
in this regard recently, but I have not come across any
serious restrictions so far.
What scientific fields have been developing rapidly
in Russia? What role does Skolkovo play in these
developments?
24
CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
Many fields are developing rapidly. For example, Russia
has very impressive schools in the field of energetics.
Skolkovo has created a conveyor belt of start-ups, so
to speak. These startups only have two options: find
a customer or disappear completely. I think that the
law implemented in Skolkovo is for the best. In the
future, everything depends on the second stage: the
use of start-ups and their transformation into new
corporations.
Even before Skolkovo was established, Russia had extensive experience in establishing such companies. For
example, ABBYY was founded at the Moscow Institute
of Physics and Technology. It currently dominates most
of the market and operates in 80 different countries.
What do you think about the Brain drain problem
in Russia? Does it pose a threat? What is the best
way to stop it?
There is no perfect place and it’s difficult to find a job
in every country, but a large number of our university
graduates work for foreign corporations. The problem
is not only in education and investment, but also in the
state of the industry. Industrial recovery is closely tied
to recovery in the scientific sphere, because science is
closely intertwined with practical application.
In order to avoid brain drain, everything, from school
to the production sector, should be integrated into a
single system. It is important that this system doesn't
have any gaps. Unfortunately, this approach has not
been adopted everywhere. The past 20 years have
been difficult for the scientific sphere because the
system that operated during the Soviet Union has
been annihilated and a new system has yet to fully
replace it.
On the other hand, a system of monetary incentives is
just as important as creating demand for young professionals. When a student graduates from university,
he or she starts thinking about starting a family and is
forced to take money into account.
A lot of leading countries, including Russia, are
starting to focus on the Arctic Region. What contribution can Russian science make toward the development of this region?
Russia traditionally conducts research in the Arctic and
we have major institutes that focus on the Arctic region. We have extensive experience in this geographical area. The Russian scientific sphere has focused on a
wide range of topics when it comes to this region: geography, resources, climate, security and environmental
impact. We’ve got interesting scientific developments in
this sphere and many of them have reached the level
of practical application. Russian science has made enormous contributions toward the development of the
region. For example, everybody is familiar with the Prirazlomnaya oil platform, which is a major accomplishment for our experienced research teams.
Moreover, the question of what is happening in the
Arctic Region is especially relevant today. The melting of ice caps, the elevation of oceans levels, environmental pollution, the formation of icebergs and climate change are all pressing issues. Russian science,
especially in the field of engineering, is particularly relevant when it comes to what is happening with the
permafrost area and the prospects of further research
and development.
You are the Head the The International Association
of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions (AICESIS). Could you please tell us about
the potential of the organization in terms of developing international economic cooperation?
It’s a unique organization – a network that spans the
entire globe and doesn’t have a hierarchical structure.
The Secretary-General is based in Brussels and he relies
primarily on the elected council or chamber. Currently,
this council is the Russian Public Chamber; our two-year
term expires in June 2015. Next year, Russia will host the
meeting of all councils and chambers of the AICESIS.
We work closely with various organizations. For example, I had an interesting meeting with the new Pope
(Pope Francis – Capital Ideas) and we intend to establish cooperation with the Vatican Economic Council.
Every major project is subject to expert assessment
regarding its social relevance and economic viability.
Obtaining approval for a project is a long process that
includes multiple stages, including local stages.
A scientist at the
quantum optics
laboratory in the
Russian quantum
center located
in the Skolkovo
technopark
(Odintsovsky
district, Moscow
region) aligns
the optical
arrangement for
exploring quantum
light properties.
The goals of the AICESIS include eradicating poverty
and inequality, curbing unemployment (youth unemployment in particular) and addressing cultural
and environmental issues. I think the most interesting field is the development of mathematical modeling. The future of economic development lies in the
ability to create powerful modeling systems that use
advanced information technology. Such models can
be used to make social and economic forecasts for a
country and apply long-term planning strategies.
The main goal set by the association is to preserve
the national capital that allows every country to be
competitive on the global market. Today, the capital is
concentrated in the intellectual sphere more than it is
in natural resources. The development of intellectual
capital is the main topic that we are discussing now
and will continue to discuss in the future. ■
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
25
FACE TO FACE
MOSCOW
IN WORDS
“But Sasha was from Russia, where the sunsets are longer, the dawns
less sudden and sentences are often left unfinished from doubt as how
to best end them.”
Virginia Woolf, Orlando
“In Russia it is always the future that is thought of. It is the crops next
year, it is the comfort that will come in ten years, it is the clothes that
will be made very soon. If ever a people took its energy from hope, it is
the Russian people.”
John Steinbeck, A Russian Journal
“So when Putin goes out to buy a Coke, thirty seconds later it is known
in Washington DC.”
Julian Assange, Cypherpunks: Freedom
and the Future of the Internet
26
CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
“But those were Frenchmen and you can work out military problems
clearly when you are fighting in somebody else's country."
"Yes", I replied, "when it is your own country you can not use it so
scientifically."
"The Russians did, to trap Napoleon."
"Yes, but they had plenty of country. If you tried to retreat to trap
Napoleon in Italy you would find yourself in Brindiri.”
Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms
“She's become a Russian again, he thought. When something works,
she's grateful. When it doesn't work, it's life.”
John le Carré, The Russia House
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
27
FACE TO FACE
I like when
gas stations
with a smile
William Kozik:
The history of cooperation between
the world-famous corporate
group Shell and Russia is over one
hundred years old. These days, this
relationship is developing more
rapidly than ever before. The
Sakhalin-2 project that is being
implemented by Shell, Gazprom
and the Japanese companies Mitsui
and Mitsubishi is just one example.
Nonetheless, Shell’s activities
in Russia are not limited to the
development of oil and gas field in
the Far East; the company’s portfolio
is quite diverse. Shell is also active on
the oils and lubricants market and
has a number of petrol stations in
Russia. “For the average consumer,
this is the most visible side of Shell in
Russia,” General Director of Shell Neft
in Moscow William Kozik said in an
interview with Capital Ideas, “this is a
truly huge market.”
Mr. Kozik, tell us honestly: do you only stop at Shell
gas stations to fill up your tank?
I try to (smiling), but it’s not always easy in Moscow. So
far, we don’t have that many gas stations here. This
goes for both Moscow and the Moscow region.
What’s the exact number?
I can tell you the exact number. As of today, there are
113 Shell gas stations in Russia. For the most part, they
are located in St. Petersburg, the Leningrad region,
Moscow and the Moscow region. We also have a few
stations in Smolensk and Tula, but these are few and
far between. In France, for example, Shell has around
600 gas stations. In Germany, we have around 2,000.
In the United States, these is somewhere between
13,000-14,000 gas stations. Of course, we would like
to expand our presence in this market segment in
Russia. It’s difficult to say how many more gas stations we would like to open, but I think we can definitely double the current number.
I’d like to point out that, although the number of stations is certainly important, quality has always been
the main priority for Shell. Since we’re already talking
about gas stations, I’d say that a convenient location
and good lighting are not the only key factors. The human factor is the most important thing. We have set
up our business to ensure that everybody who works
for Shell – and this includes thousands of people –
feels responsible for the final result.
This isn’t something that happens overnight; it’s
something that comes with experience. For example,
in order to gain a better understanding of what our
28
CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
people leave our
William Kozik,
the General Director
of Shell Neft LLC
in Moscow, answers
questions from
Capital Ideas.
FACE TO FACE
clients need, I often work as a gas station attendant.
I pick a gas station and put on gas attendant clothes.
Then, I provide service for every driver who stops by to
get gas for a full 12-hour shift. I did the same thing in
other countries before I came to Russia, too – Poland,
the Czech Republic, Hungary, Germany, Ukraine, etc.
It’s a truly valuable experience and you can’t become
successful without it. After all, clients in every country
are different. If you don’t know their habits and psychological makeup, the company is doomed to failure.
In Russia, for example, clients are a lot more demanding than they are in Europe. This is especially true for
clients who are well-off financially. These types of
clients want special treatment even in places like gas
stations. Typically, this type of person doesn’t leave
the car, doesn’t turn off the engine, and pays for gas
through the window. Russian women and girls are in
a category of their own. When they stop by a gas station, they frequently ask for help with changing the oil
and maybe a headlight bulb in addition to getting gas.
These are the specifics of the Russian market and it is
our job to be familiar with them because our clients
are our main priority. And let me tell you: knowing
the details is an absolute joy! I often get to witness
people leaving our gas stations with a smile after getting excellent service from Shell employees! We are
very happy with the public’s positive reaction to our
brand, because this is what really counts. After all, a
person we treated well will most definitely come back
to our gas station again. These types of skills cannot
be taught in training seminars: smile, say hello, be polite. Our staff members pass a training exam every day
when they deal with our clients.
Russia than anywhere else. In my opinion, there are
two reasons for this: a lot of bureaucracy and inadequate laws that are always changing. Plus, there is a
third reason: everything is very expensive here. Rent,
for example. In general, prices in Moscow are way too
high, starting with the most basic things such as a carton of milk. Taking all of this into consideration, I think
that Russia, unfortunately, is not an open market yet,
although it is certainly moving in the right direction.
Honesty, common decency and respect for people
are Shell’s key principles, so far as I can tell. What
else is important?
I don’t think I’m a typical foreigner in this respect. I
would say that I’m almost Russian at this point (smiles).
First of all, I’ve been living in Russia for three years,
so I’ve already lived through all the adjustments and
surprises. Second, I speak Russian. Overall, I think it’s
fairly difficult to be a foreigner (and especially a tourist) who doesn’t speak Russian in Moscow. There are
still very few signs in English in the city. There are also
problems with obtaining a Russian visa. Because of
this, foreigners think twice before making the decision to come to Moscow. We have already covered
the problem of high prices. Because potential tourists
see this information in the foreign media, I think most
people would hesitate before making the trip. So far as
endless traffic jams are concerned, I think I’ve gotten
used to them by now. Of course, there are many bad
and dangerous drivers in Moscow, but the number
of bad drivers is declining. People travel abroad, see
how foreigners drive and try to apply the same driving etiquette back home after they return. In general,
I think that people always try to improve. There have
been a lot of positive changes in Moscow that are visible to the naked eye, so to speak. There are new convenient pedestrian zones and beautiful parks where
people can rest completely free of charge. I think this
is a very important psychological aspect that serves as
evidence of a new way of thinking. ■
Trust, openness, the ability to work on a team and a
professional approach. We care about the environment and respect our “neighbors” – people who live
next to our plants or our gas stations. We should not
be causing any inconvenience for them. Finally, transparency. We always operate within the bounds of the
law no matter where we are. Shell has never taken
part in any corruption schemes and never will.
Considering these excellent principles, why are
there so few Shell gas stations in Moscow?
We can’t control everything. Every country has its
own restrictions and every government has its own
set of regulations.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges
when it comes to Russia?
There are a lot of them, to be honest. Of course, we
don’t expect to open Shell gas stations on Mokhovaya
or near the Red Square, but there are a lot more challenges when it comes to opening new gas stations in
30
CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
In your opinion, what should be the first step to fixing the problem?
Equal terms should be provided for everybody. Everything should be open and absolutely transparent.
Businessmen and investors who are already working
in Russia or are thinking about coming here should be
able to understand everything clearly.
Have the sanctions imposed on Russia by the West
had any effect on your business?
This is a complicated issue. Shell is an international
company that operates across all the major markets.
Of course, we are forced to abide by the resolutions
that the international community agrees upon. However, I really want to highlight that we want to work
in both Russia and Ukraine. Like any commercial organization, we do not want to get involved in politics.
Let’s change the subject and discuss Moscow.
What’s your opinion of the city from the point of
view of a foreigner who lives here?
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
31
NOTHING VENTURED
Philippe Saillard:
The key to success
in Russia is
responsiveness
Nissan actively and successfully
operates on the Russian market, and
promises to expand the company
dealership network to 200 centers by
the end of 2016. Philippe Saillard, the
CEO of Nissan in Russia, told Capital
Ideas about the challenges of running
a car business in Russia and about
the peculiarities of working here as a
foreigner.
Philippe, over the past few months, the majority of
car manufacturers have complained that demand is
dropping. Were you prepared for this turn of events?
This issue is not as simple as it may seem. Let’s start by
discussing the market itself. In 2008-2009, the market
was affected by a fairly serious crisis. After the crisis, we
observed a stable growth in the car market for a period
of almost 36 months. It was evident that this period of
growth will eventually come to an end. The current
drop in demand has primarily affected the “first-time car
buyers” market. If these buyers made up 40-50% of car
sales during the upsurge, their share in the market has
now dropped to 15%. Moreover, when people evaluate
the current state of the Russian car market, they typically consider only new car sales, completely forgetting
that there is a used car market as well. In Russia, used
car sales numbers totaled 6.5 million in 2013. The residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg are used to changing their cars every 2-3 years. Their used cars are then
shipped off into the regions, where they become a part
of a very large used car market. In the regions, a car
buyer faces a tough choice: buy a new car with a good
trim package for, say, 1 million rubles, or purchase a used
car with an even better trim package and 30,000 –
50,000 km on it (or even a car from a more prestigious
brand) for the same price. This is a great alternative to
new cars. This is the general overview of the car market.
When it comes to Nissan, we are doing great. Compared with April 2013, our sales increased by approximately 30% in April 2014. Believe me: the Russian car
32
CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
33
FACE TO FACE
Launch of the
Nissan vehicle
line at the
AvtoVAZ plant.
market is not at the “brink of collapse,” as some of our
competitors like to say. There is a slight, 5-7% drop
in the market this year, but around 2.7 million new
cars will still be sold. We think that there is definitely
a market and there is demand. It’s a bit easier for us
because we are upgrading our product line and are
launching new models on the market.
It seems to me that a jump in the popularity of
crossover vehicles in Russia is part of the reason for
Nissan’s sales growth…
That’s definitely part of it. But the main reason for Nissan’s sales growth in 2014 is the new Nissan Almera,
which was launched on the market last year. Thanks to
this model, we have been selling an additional 4,0005,000 cars every month. The Almera has helped us secure our position on the market. Moreover, Nissan is
well-known in Russia as a Japanese manufacturer of
excellent SUVs such as the Nissan Patrol, X-Trail and
Pathfinder. 10 years ago we created a crossover segment on the market when we released the Murano.
Currently, this segment starts with Juke: we sell over
25,000 cars of this model every year. And, of course,
we have to take our segment leader into account – the
Nissan Qashqai. This model was recently upgraded and
sales of the new generation Qashqai are just starting
now. We expect a lot from this new product!
Additionally, we plan on introducing a new C-segment
product at the Moscow International Automobile Sa-
34
CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
lon this summer. We want to expand our corporate
sales, and the majority of corporate car fleets consist of C-segment products. Second, a distinguishing
characteristic of Russian car owners is that they always want to upgrade their cars. First, they purchase
a B-segment vehicle, then upgrade to a C-segment
vehicle, the C-segment crossover and so on. We are
noticing that the general trend for Russian clients is
to always look for upgrades and we realize that a person who doesn’t see any new C-segment offers might
switch to a different brand.
How is the launch of the Datsun brand, which is
part of your corporation, doing in Russia?
Over the past two years, we have been building a
dealership network in order to sell Datsun cars in
Russia. We plan on opening 24-25 centers that will
be selling Datsun cars this summer. These centers
will be Nissan dealers that will open additional show
rooms in order to sell Datsun cars. Going back to
what I said earlier about Russian customers always
looking for upgrades: we will now be able to provide
cars for our customers at every stage – from the first
budget car that he or she will purchase with Datsun
to the entire Nissan product line, ending with the
premium brand Infiniti.
You have only recently started working in Russia. What impressed you the most during the time
you’ve spent here?
I’ve been living in Russia for 16 months. I can’t say that I
know everything about Russia, but I know for sure that
there is Moscow, and then there is the rest of Russia. I
have travelled a lot visiting our dealerships throughout
the country and I am starting to understand more about
Russia and Russian culture. Russia is definitely a very attractive country. First and foremost, it is very large and a
whole lifetime would not be enough to visit every part of
the country. It is a beautiful country that is full of surprises. I am particularly impressed by the richness of Russian
culture. Russia is also a country of contrasts. On the one
hand, there is a lot of wealth here and a lot of people who
can afford absolutely everything. On the other hand, one
only needs to drive 300 km outside of Moscow to see old
houses and people that lead very simple lives.
Returning to our conversation about car dealers, I want
to say that they are true entrepreneurs. They instantly
spot opportunities in the market and immediately think
of how to best implement their plans. I am amazed by
their responsiveness. In general, everything changes
quickly here: the exchange rate rises, the ruble drops,
there are constant changes to the laws and tax structures. In this environment, responsiveness and the ability to change your policies in accordance with new developments is one of the most important qualities.
What is so special about the Nissan team in Russia?
One of the advantages, which is sometimes also a
downside, of the Nissan team in Russia is the fact that
the team is very young. The average age is 31! These
are energetic young people with a good education
who are goal-oriented and are similar to our clients in
terms of their general mentality and what kind lifestyle
they lead. This is a big plus! At the same time, sometimes their lack of experience is evident when it comes
to working on a market that is more competitive than
the one in Russia. For now, though, their experience
and responsiveness are the most important.
What advice would you give to foreign businessmen
who are just starting to work in Russia?
Vladimir Putin
during the
inspection of the
AvtoVAZ conveyor
in Togliatti. From
left to right: the
Chief Director
of Operations of
Nissan Toshiyuki
Shiga and the
President of
AvtoVAZ Igor
Komarov.
I can only give advice to my fellow Frenchmen who
are similar to me in terms of culture. There have always been very close cultural ties between Russia and
France, which is why I think it is easier for a French
person to live here than a person of just about any
other nationality. First, I would recommend forgetting all the clichés and stereotypes about Russia. Russia isn’t just snow and cold weather. As an expat, try
to explore the country during your vacation instead
of taking a trip to Dubai. This is the best way to truly
get to know Russia. I guess I would give the same advice to a lot of Russians as well. My Russian colleagues
are more familiar with Italy and France than they are
with their own country. Living in Russia is not as difficult as it might seem to westerners. If you’re a French
person, a lot of things here will be familiar and easy
to understand. We’re even similar when it comes to
religion, culture and education. ■
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
35
NOTHING VENTURED
Thomas Sterzel:
Russia is a
d eveloping market
with fantastic
opportunities
Thomas Sterzel, the Director General
at Porsche Russland, told Capital
Ideas about what it’s like to work in
Russia, shared his secrets of running
a successful business in Moscow and
talked about his Russian clients –
self-made people with no need to
prove anything to the world.
The European car market is going through
a bad stretch right now, but Porsche continues to demonstrate sustainable sales
growth around the world. How do you manage to do this?
If we are talking about the car market in general,
that is correct: it is contracting, primarily when it
comes to the mass market segment. The experience of car manufactures in the premium segment has been a bit mixed and some have done
better than others, but this year has definitely
been more positive than last year. At Porsche, we
were off to a slow start in January and February,
but I am happy with the results we have posted
in March, April and May. We posted record sales
figures for these three months, selling over 400
cars in March, over 500 in April and over 450
in May. If we look at each month’s sales figures
separately, we have seen a 20% growth compared to last year. In terms of overall sales for the
year, we’ve seen a 6% growth in sales. I am confident that this trend will continue in June and July.
Mind you, all of these impressive numbers were
posted before the Macan was launched on the
Russian market. We think that the new model
will account for about 30% of our total sales in
Russia. I am glad that a lot of people seem to be
choosing to buy Porsche cars not only because
we are a big-name brand, but also because we
produce top-quality products. For example, we
recently conducted the Fourth Porsche festival.
We hosted over 1500 guests and ran a total of
900 test drives. Over 800 Porsche cars showed
up to the Festival. It brings me great joy to see
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
37
NOTHING VENTURED
that people are becoming members of the Porsche family and have integrated the car into their lifestyle.
You have released a new, relatively affordable crossover model – the Macan. What are your plans for
this new model, and do you think that releasing a
budget model will impact the image of your brand?
I have been with Porsche for over 19 years and can
definitely say that the company has gone through a
lot of changes over the past few years. From a company that used to only produce the uncompromising
911 model, Porsche morphed into a company that also
sells the Boxster and the Cayman. Now, our portfolio also includes the Cayenne, the Panamera and the
Macan. However, our brand philosophy has remained
the same: the authenticity and the basic DNA of the
original 911 model can be found in any Porsche vehicle.
Our brand means, above all else, a functional design,
the unforgettable feel of driving a Porsche car and the
precision of steering maneuvers.
What’s the difference between the perception of
Porsche in Russia and in Europe?
To be honest, there isn’t that much of a difference. Our
clients know that Porsche makes the best sports cars
that provide ideal drivability and feature top-quality German manufacturing and finishing. They also know that
38
CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
our repertoire includes 30,000 race victories, including
victories at the world-famous 24 Hours of Le Mans. This
year, Porsche will be returning to the race at Le Mans
after a 14-year hiatus. When it comes to our Russian clients, they are all independent, self-made people. They
do business in other countries and travel a lot. At the
same time, they spend a lot of time with their families
and are very much family-oriented. But still, they are
very independent and want their cars to speak to their
individualistic character. They are surprisingly calm and
self-confident. They are at peace with themselves and
aren’t trying to prove anything to the rest of the world.
Of course, there are some differences. The thing is
that the history of Porsche in Russia is very short. 14
years ago, Porsche was not even present on the Russian market. Thus, our clients are usually the first
people in their family who choose to buy our cars. In
Europe, the clients are a bit different: there are entire
generations of Porsche owners (grandfather, father,
son). In Russia, brand loyalty is a new concept, but I
hope we will get there in the next 30 years or so.
You’ve been working in Russian for a long time –
about 5 years. What would you say has impressed
you the most about the country?
Russia is a developing market, which provides our
team with fantastic opportunities. We have chance
to develop as a company and to develop the market.
Of course, this means constant trials and tribulations
– there is never a dull moment in Russia. In another
market, we would be able to overcome most of these
challenges in about 4-5 years. In Russia, on the other
hand, the process is going to take around 10-15 years
(laughs). I am happy that Russian clients like our
brand. They like that our cars are a European product,
so we are doing quite well here.
The infrastructure in Russia improves every year, and
this is definitely a great thing. The Olympic Games in
Sochi, the World Cup – all of these events will have
positive effects on the country’s economy. Yesterday, I
wrote to my colleagues in Germany about how much
Russian clients like our brand and told them about the
fantastic Porsche Festival that we were able to organize here. I told them that they should show more
interest in the Russian market. For example, Porsche
has a program called Porsche Travel Club. It would be
great for Europeans to have the opportunity to get to
know Russia better.
You are a successful CEO. Would you mind sharing
some of your secrets of success? “The Rules of Success” by Thomas Sterzel, if you will?
It is very extremely important to love your job and to
love doing it yourself. It is also very important to like
the people you work with, which is not always easy.
People are different and, as a German person, it is unrealistic to expect that you will be able to find German
people with a similar mindset in every country. This
is one of the most difficult parts about adapting to a
foreign country. Cold winters in Russia aren’t so bad.
Moreover, it is important to have a transparent decision-making system and a mechanism to integrate
your managers into this system. And, of course, you
have to be able to delegate tasks effectively.
What advice would you give to expats who have
just started working in Russia?
A lot of foreigners get the impression that Russia
doesn’t have a really positive image right now. But
this will pass. The most important thing is that the
colleagues you start working with here identify with
your company and your brand. They are perfectionists
and work a lot. And now, as opposed to Soviet times,
everybody is willing to take initiative instead of simply
doing what they are told to do. For example, people
from several company departments were involved in
the Porsche Festival project, and everybody worked
extremely hard. Although, I will say that communication is not a strong point for Russian managers. We
are working on it, though. If you are running a business here and you have certain business processes in
place, you can trust your colleagues completely. ■
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
39
NOTHING VENTURED
Walter Neumann:
It is important
to be open
here
Walter Neumann, the CEO of Azimut
Hotels – the largest hotel brand
represented in Russia – noted in his
interview with Capital Ideas that, in
spite of the fact that some tension
and misunderstanding directed
toward Russia in Europe has led to
a slight drop in room stock sales
recently, he is optimistic about
business development in Russia.
What is happening in the hospitality industry in
Russia right now?
For Azimut Hotels, the past two years have been going
quite well. We have acquired the Olympic Hotel in Moscow and another two hotels in Sochi. We are currently
holding negotiations with Hotel Belgrad in Moscow. If
we're talking about our company, we have significantly
increased our room stock and are currently the largest
hotel brand in Russia when it comes to the number of
total rooms. I am proud to be the head of a group that
has Russian roots and is at the same time represented
on the international market. We are currently operating in three countries – Russia, Germany and Austria.
We are working to increase our room stock and the
number of courtiers where our brand is represented.
Our shareholders say that this is just the beginning. As
for the hospitality industry in Russia as a whole, we are
holding a lot of big conferences, a lot of government
delegations from other countries are coming to Russia
and the number of individual travelers is increasing as
well. It is true that some tension and misunderstanding
directed toward Russia in Europe has put a bit of pressure on the domestic market, which has resulted in a
9% drop in room stock sales in April this year. Nonetheless, I am optimistic about this process. The issue will
be resolved soon and we will continue to move in the
right direction.
What do you like about Russia and about the Russian hospitality market? What improvements could
40
CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
NOTHING VENTURED
be made in order for you and your company to be
more comfortable working here?
We are a Russian company, but we have an international approach and an international team. If previously the West was branching out into the East, now
the East is branching out into the West. There aren't a
lot of companies that can measure up to us in terms
of size and strength. Our goal is to expand not only
by establishing our own hotels, but also by singing
a great deal of management contracts. My personal
goal is for our brand to be represented in 6 countries
by 2020. And while we currently operate in 19 cities,
this number will increase to 35 cities by 2020.
So far as I know, you've had a chance to work in a
lot of different hotels. Is it easier to work in Russia
or in Europe?
Every country has its upsides and downsides. When
you work in Russia, you have a lot more influence
over some aspects of the business than you would in
Germany. You need to be open in your approach and
consider what each country has to offer you. It's also
important to put your leadership qualities to good
use. I have lived in Russia for over 10 years and I like
what I see here. In Germany there are certain limitations imposed on you once you reach a specific level
in your career. In Russia there are a lot more ups and
a lot more downs. I hope that we continue to stay
at the top and will be able to develop our business
successfully here!
42
CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
When you became the head of Azimut Hotels in
Russia, did you change a lot in terms of the way the
company was managed?
I think that every new director brings his or her own
management style to the company, and that this is quite
normal. Each one of us has our own vision, mission and
values that are different from those of other managers. And although we share a common goal, we have
our own unique way of achieving that goal and have
the freedom to choose people who will help us along
the way. I didn't change any of the key employees in
the company, but I am sure that I was able to influence
them in a certain way and help them move in the right
direction. My management style is that I am very direct
and simple. I like to work with people who are open to
communication and are honest and straightforward. I
think that colleagues should share a common vision and
company values – this is the key to success. If I don't like
something, I say so without hesitation.
Could you tell us about your company's unique competitive advantage?
Let's take a look at our competitors. Large European
companies (like Marriot and Radisson) have the same
approach to their business in every country they operate in. When you look at how these companies function, you can immediately tell where they originated
– the United States, European countries, etc. Our primary market is Russia and we understand what Russian clients need better than anyone else. This is why
we are very quick to come up with solutions to unusual
problems when providing service to our guests. For example, we are planning to equip all of our hotels with
free, high-speed Wi-Fi before the end of this year. This
is absolutely necessary for our clients. In Germany, WiFi is frequently not available in hotels or is very pricey.
You have a lot of hotels in Russia. How closely do you
have to monitor what's happening in each hotel?
I try to keep communication lines as open as possible
in our company. This means that I always have to stay
in touch. It's great when my colleagues share their
sales figures with me or come to me with a problem.
We currently have 22 hotels and I am aware of everything that is happening in every one of them. Our
management style is based on trust. If I cannot trust
my managers, who else can I trust? I need a strong
manager in every hotel – a director and a true leader
who has the authority to make certain decisions. Of
course, these decisions must fall in line with our overall company strategy. We have a conference with our
top managers every Monday and every one of them
then relays information to their employees. I can only
be as successful as my team is.
What advice would you give to expats who are just
starting to work in Russia?
I was always open to new experiences, and Russia is no
exception. Foreigners who come here need to remember that Russia is a country that is very different from
Europe. It is important to be open here. There are certain things about Russia that fall in line with my own
personal values, and I like that. For example, the West is
losing its focus on family and family values. When I came
to Russia for the first time 23 years ago, I saw that the
most valuable union here is the family. I really liked this.
Russia also has a lot to offer in terms of culture: music,
ballet, theatre and so on. I think that I am lucky to have
come to a country that shares my personal values. This
is why I very much enjoy my time here! Russia is a country that is definitely worth a try! ■
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
43
QUALITY TIME
Moscow: a comfortable city to live in
R
ussia’s capital is situated on the Moskva
River bank; however, there are other stretches
of water there, too. These include over 140
rivers and streams, 4 lakes and over 400 natural
and artificial ponds.
G
reen areas, such as gardens, parks, mini-
parks, manors, wildlife reserves, and etc.,
account for a third of the city’s area, all of them
boasting facilities for recreation and sport.
I
n Moscow, there are 260 museums and
exhibition halls, 182 theatres, 3 circuses, a
zoo, 2 botanical gardens, 116 parks, 118 natural
conservation areas and 64 palatial architecture
and landscape gardening monuments.
R
ussia’s capital boasts over 450 sports
facilities, such as stadiums, sports palaces,
pools, shooting ranges and skating rinks,
which are used both for training sessions and
competitions in all kinds of sports, including
international ones.
44
CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
Moscow Mansions and Parks
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
45
QUALITY TIME
Capital Ideas has conducted a survey
among foreigners who are living and
working in Moscow and made a list
of the most popular recreation areas of
the Russian capital. So where do expats
usually spend their leisure time?
In recent years, the look of the city has
dramatically changed. Today, Moscow
is not simply a place to work: there are
plenty of places to rest withing the MKAD
Ring Road. Old country estates have
been renovated; parks, public gardens and
water basins have been modernized. So
you can spend your spare time there
after a busy day or go for a picnic to
the green areas or to the beach with
your family at weekends.
Green oases
Gorky Central Park of
Culture and Leisure
(Gorky Park)
Address: 9 Krymsky val str.
Phone: +7 (495) 995-00-20
Website: http://www.park-gorkogo.com/
Metro stations: Park Kultury (circle line / red line),
Oktyabrskaya (circle line / orange lane)
The park is open 24 hours a day, the entry is free
The main entrance is located at Sadovoye Koltso,
you can also enter the park from Leninsky prospect
and through Neskuchny garden
46
CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
G
orky Park is one of the most popular recreational areas
in Moscow where one can be close to nature, feel the
rhythm of life and forget all the rush and problems of
the city.
600 years ago there was thud of hoofs as the Horde was approaching Moscow. 200 years later Russian warriors stopped
the invaders and another. 200 years after that, the Russian
army chased Napoleon's troops out of Russia. At the beginning
of the 20th century there was a dump site. In 1923, during the
Soviet period, the territory was transformed into the All Russia
Handicraft and Agricultural Exhibition with surrounding parkland. The Park stretching for about 119 hectares was opened
in 1928. In 1932 the park was named after Maxim Gorky. The
famous Avant-garde architect Konstantin Melnikov designed
in Moscow
the Partere of the park, stretching from the main entrance to
Neskuchny garden. Today, Neskuchny garden and the nature
reserve Vorobyovy Gory are parts of Gorky Park.
Since 2011, Gorky Park has been operating on a new standard:
it has become the first world-class park in Russia. Today it’s
a perfect place for recreation, sports, dance and outdoor
games. Free Wi-Fi and charging stations for cellphones and
laptops are available at the park. There are rare black-neck
swans and fish in the pond. There are many flowerbeds, new
tennis courts, grounds for golf and yoga. For kids there is the
largest sandpit in Moscow and for those a bit older there
is the largest artificial skating rink in Europe. At each alley
of the park you can find drinking water posts and there are
lots of cafes and snack bars. In the summer, you can rest by
the beach or lie in sun-loungers or hammocks. The park is
equipped with emergency service panels. If you need assistance, the staff is ready to help. In case of emergency, the
security staff will take all necessary measures.
From the main entrance there is a 6-km bike route to the
Mosfilm film studios. The park offers various sport activities
including tennis, table tennis, soccer, basketball, beach volleyball and skate park. Everyone can find an interesting way
to spend leisure time.
Why it is popular: The park is located in the center of the city,
you can easily reach the place and find a parking lot. The park is
modern and even edgy. One can develop creative abilities, play
sports, listen to music. It’s the perfect place for leisure. ■
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
47
Vorobyovy Gory
Address: 2 Andreevskaya emb.
Phone: +7-(499)-739-27-08
Website: http://www.vorobyovy-gory.ru/
Metro station: Vorobyovy Gory
Entry is free.
The name Vorobyovy Gory appeared in the 15th century. Sophia Vitovtovna, the wife of grand prince Vasily I, bought a
village from the local priest Vorobey. The place became the
country estate of the grand princes. In 1520s Vasily III built a
wooden palace. In 1547 Ivan the Terrible escaped to Vorobyovy
Gory from the Moscow fire. In the 17th century Vorobyovo was
Kolomenskoye
Address: 39 Andropov prospect
Phone: +7 (499) 782 89 17
Website: http://mgomz.ru/kolomenskoe
Metro station: Kolomenskaya
The park is open Mon – Sun 7.00–0.00 from May
till September, 8.00–21.00 from October till April.
Museums are open Tue-Fri, Sun 10.00–18.00, Sat
11.00–19.00, ticket office closes at 17.30 and 18.30
respectively
Entry to the territory is free, museums 30-200 roubles
48
V
orobyovy Gory is one of the highest points in the city, an
observation platform and a recreation area popular with
Muscovites and tourists. The observation platform provides a breathtaking view at the Moskva River, Luzhniki
Stadium, the Novo-Devichi Convent, St. Andrew’s Monastery,
the Shukhov Tower, skyscrapers of the Moscow City, Tower
2000, Ukraine Hotel and the Foreign Ministry building. Going
down one can see the Holy Trinity Church where, as the legend
says, Kutuzov prayed before leaving Moscow.
QUALITY TIME
CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
K
olomenskoye is one of the earliest human settlements at
the territory of contemporary Moscow. Archeological findings date back to the Stone Age (5,000-3,000 years B.C.).
The history of Kolomenskoye village is intertwined with
the medieval history of Russia. According to the legend, the village
was founded by the residents of Kolomna town who had survived
a bloody battle with the Mongols. The village was first mentioned
in the testament of Ivan Kalita (1336 and 1339), the grand prince of
Muscovy.
The earliest existing structure of the country estate is the Ascension church first mentioned in 1532. It was built to commemorate
the long-awaited birth of an heir to the throne, son of Vasily III –
the future Ivan the Terrible. The church was the tallest building of
among the most important tsar residences like Kolomenskoye
and Preobrazhenskoye. Tsar Alexis I, father of Peter the Great,
lived in Vorobyovy Gory with his family. Later young Peter visited the estate. In the times of Empress Elizabeth I there were
two wooden palaces, a garden and a large birchwood. The last
palace in Vorobyovy Gory was built under Catherine II.
At the beginning of the 19th century, wooden palaces were demounted. Today the only existing structure of the old Vorobyovo is the Holy Trinity Church (1811) which was situated on the
outskirts of the village. St. Andrew’s Monastery is located in the
east part of Vorobyovy Gory. In the middle of the 17th century
it became the cradle of Russian education – teaching brotherhood and a religious school were the predecessors of the Slavic
Greek Latin Academy which laid the foundation for Ecclesiastical Academy and Moscow University.
From 1935 until the early 1990s the place was called Leninsky
Gory. In 1952 the new building of the Moscow University was
completed and Leninsky Gory became the symbol of Soviet
science.
The natural landscape of Vorobyovy Gory is unique. There is no
other place in Moscow – so close to the center of the city –
where you can find a broad-leaved forest with specific flora and
fauna. It is a natural reserve. There are many alleys in the park,
picturesque slopes and embankment. It’s good for big companies and for solitude. It’s a perfect place to admire the nature,
paint landscape and read classic literature.
Why it is popular: The park offers various activities including
boat trips, long walks and bike routes. The observation platform
gives a breathtaking panoramic view of the city. ■
the time (the height is 62 m). It was the first stone church of tentlike variety crowned by a tiny dome with the cross.
The residence of the Russian tsars has got a picturesque park. At
the territory of Kolomenskoye one can see wooden building transported from all around Russia. In the Church of Our Lady of Kazan
there is one of the most venerated icons in Russia – Derzhavnaya.
Museum visitors can take part in festivals, ride horses or take a
boat trip along the Moskva River. Visitors can also participate in
the costume show “The old Russian wedding” and learn some
wedding traditions and rituals.
Why it is popular: you can get acquainted with the early history
of the Russian state, visit a Russian Orthodox church, have a rest
in the park or take part in festivals. ■
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
49
QUALITY TIME
Tsaritsyno
Address: 1 Dolskaya str.
Phone: +7 (499) 725-72-87 –information, +7 (495)
322-68-43 –booking excursions, +7 (499) 725-72-28
–educational programs
Website: http://www.tsaritsyno-museum.ru/ru/
Metro station: Tsaritsyno
The park is open every day 6.00–0.00
Excursions: Tue-Fri 11.00–18.00, Sat 11.00–20.00,
Sun and public holidays 11.00–19.00
Patriarshi Prudy
(Patriarch Ponds)
Address: 7/1 Bolshoi Patriarshi pereulok
Metro stations: Mayakovskaya, Tverskaya
T
saritsyno is one of the most unusual places in the Russian capital. Muscovites and visitors like this recreation
area. Today, this area is called the Tsaritsyno museum
and reserve. The history of the place dates back to
the times of vyatichi and is connected with the families of
boyars and princes – the Streshnevs, the Golitsyns and the
Kantemirs.
Tsaritsyno was known as one of the most beautiful estates
in Moscow. Among prominent figures who visited the estate
and admired it one can name historian Nikolay Karamzin,
poet Pyotr Vyazemsky, and writers Ivan Turgenev and Ivan
Bunin. Tsaritsyno combines magnificent natural landscape
and architectural ensemble created by Vasily Bazhenov and
Matvey Kazakov. The strange fate of the vast estate and unsolved mystery of the construction attract tourists and his-
T
he atmosphere of the place is filled with mysticism, secrets
and history. Today Patriarch Ponds is a popular place for
walks, a piece of old Moscow. Such a place in the center
of the city is ideal for walks and unhurried conversation
under the shadow of trees. In the winter, the pond turns into a
skating rink. In summer you can try delicious pastries from nearby cafes. This is a decorative pond so swimming is banned.
In the Middle Ages the area was known as Goat Marshes. According to one version there was a goat farm in the area and
the wool was supplied to the tsar’s household. Another version states that an evil spirit played tricks with the locals. It
is said that in the ancient times vates of the pagan cult made
sacrifice to their gods. The sacrifices were drowned, and at
most solemn occasions they were beheaded. A brook called
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CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
torians. The estate looks both romantic and mysterious like
a museum of unrestrained projects of the 18th century full
of ideas, fantasy and caprice. Despite repeated attempts to
finish construction after two hundred years the estate fell
to decay.
Why it is popular: you can go boating, ride a Segway, drive
an electro car, climb lianas in the Panda Park, do kiting, lie in
pillows at the pier, watch a light show at the fountain or go
to the dance floor in the evening. ■
But architecture is not the only attraction of Tsaritsyno.
A wonderful park is good for activities and relaxation. Forest
landscape gives you an opportunity to forget the noise of the
city and enjoy the wonders of nature.
The museum offers various interactive programs for children,
highlight tour, theme and costume excursions. There is also a
cultural and educational center. Visitors can see permanent
exhibitions at the Grand Palace and the House of Bread with
the help of an audio guide.
Chertory flowed from the marshes along the walls of Bely
Gorod (White Town) – now the Boulevard Ring – and poured
into the Moskva River near Chertolsky Gates. Until the end of
the 17th century it was a barren land. Then Patriarch Germogen built his residence in the area. The marshes were drained
and the territory transformed into Patriarch’s Sloboda.
Why it is popular: a green oasis, a rare place in the center
of Moscow where you can have a walk with kids, do your
morning jogging and see places depicted in Mikhail Bulgakov's novel “The Master and Margarita”. ■
The place is steeped in mysteries and secrets. For example,
cats and dogs do not come close to the pond, swans and
ducks swim in the pond at daylight, but at night they leave
for the Zoo located nearby.
It is a popular place for concerts, flash mobs and other informal events. There is a bike hire if you prefer outdoor activities
to a bench.
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
51
FACE TO FACE
52
CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
Arkady Novikov:
Welcome
everyone!
“Food must be tasty. People must enjoy it”. Communists had repeated this
mantra for decades. But food in Russia became really delicious only after the
collapse of their regime. “For a long time en masse we’ve been deprived of
good food products and nice interiors", famous restaurateur Arkady Novikov
said in his exclusive interview with Capital Ideas.
T
he name of Arkady Novikov has become a synonym of excellent food both in Moscow and
abroad. In London in particular. By the way even
Arkady himself doesn’t know the exact number
of his restaurants in the Russian capital!
Mister Novikov, the times when it was hard to find
a good restaurant in Moscow are gone?
Absolutely. Moreover, even foreigners are dreaming of coming to Moscow for a normal meal now.
(Smiling)
Is it a joke?
No, I’m not joking. You know I travel a lot, visit different countries and it’s always interesting for me
what’s happening in cuisine at the global level. And
from this point of view, the changes in the restaurant business in Moscow are not a breakthrough,
they are a rocket launch into space. Yes, in the Russian capital there are not so many restaurants as in
London or New York but in some districts like Stary
Arbat, Kamergersky pereulok, Neglinnaya, Tsvetnoy
boulevard the choice is wide enough.
When did it start?
In the beginning of 2000s in fact. But the first highrated restaurants – “Sirena”, “Nostalgie” – appeared
in Moscow in the beginning of 1990s. They laid the
ground work and the process got started. And what’s
more important the development is still going on. Every day somebody opens a new restaurant in the city.
Previously only Russians used to open restaurants in
Moscow and it was said that there was no place for
foreigners in this business, at best they could start up
joint ventures. And now foreigners are coming to the
restaurant business in Moscow and the number of
foreign restaurants is increasing.
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
53
FACE TO FACE
What’s your advice to foreigners intending to start
up a restaurant business in Moscow?
Come and start it up! You know a few years ago it was
hard. And now: welcome to everybody!
You mean today it is equally easy for foreigners and
Russians to open a restaurant in Moscow?
Yes, a person who understands the business and has got
all necessary abilities won’t face any problems. In Moscow there is no so-called “mafia” controlling the sphere.
In general it is even easier to work in Moscow than in
Europe. It’s easier to find staff, and people here are hardworking. Our people are really eager to work and do their
best. Frankly, I used to think that in Russia everything is
difficult. But now having an experience of work in the
West I can say that it is easy to work here. Maybe there
are some bureaucratic problems, but trust me it’s a trivial
matter so don’t pay much attention to it. Certainly it’s too
early to talk about investment into the restaurant business, but positive indicators are already popping up.
Could you really call Russian staff in the restaurants highly proficient?
Well, relatively proficient. New restaurants are opening fast and the training of skilled staff is lagging. In
the West the personnel is better trained but that’s because our restaurant business is still very young.
Are all your chefs foreigners?
No, why? I’m working with Russian chefs and they are
very talented. 95% of chefs in my restaurants are Russians.
Did they undergo training in the West?
No they learned here working with foreign chefs. You
know the main problem in Russia is not the training
of chefs, it’s the lack of ideal local food products. We
have to import almost everything – about 70-80%
of fish, meat, etc… Unfortunately, there are no such
products in Russia yet.
It’s a serious problem. Does it affect the prices?
Of course it does..
You’ve got a restaurant in London. Was it as easy to
open it there as in Moscow?
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CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
Oh no. In Moscow I’m like a fish in water. And it’s definitely easier to swim. In London the laws and the rules
are different.
How long did it actually take to open a restaurant
in London?
15 months.
Why are your restaurants successful?
First of all, I always choose a good location. Location,
location, location! That’s the first step. The location
defines the concept. But sometimes it’s the other
way round: you are looking for a place for a certain
concept. Second, I try to use only high-quality food
products in my restaurants. Third, I’m particular about
good service.
are high profile people. But if you come to “Kamchatka” pub located nearby you’ll see a different atmosphere and different people. There are also “Nedalny
Vostok”, “Beloye solntse pustyni”, “Donna Margarita”,
“Cherdak”… I like this mix, this cocktail. When you can
put some vodka into tomato juice. It’s interesting to
do something unusual. That’s artistry. In our business
a lot depends on senses. But of course knowledge, experience, power, energy and luck are also important.
In one word, everything must fit.
What’s next, Mister Novikov?
Happy life! (Smiling) Frankly speaking, I don’t know.
But we’ve got several projects of opening restaurants
in Moscow and abroad. ■
Each of your restaurants has got a unique concept
or there is something common in all your restaurants?
No, the concept is unique...
By the way how many restaurants have you got in
Moscow?
I’ve never counted. I don’t know the exact number –
40, 50…
Who comes to your restaurants? What’s your target group?
Everybody – from hipsters to bankers because my
restaurants are different. The customers of “Vogue”
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
55
TRAVEL
English by substance,
A luxurious building – a late XVIII century classical architectural monument on Tverskaya
Street, 21 – today is the home of the Museum of Contemporary History. In Soviet times,
by the way, the building house a Museum of the Revolution. Nevertheless, a grandiose
building with iron gates, two lions and an armoured car at the entrance is famous not for
the museum pieces, but for its history dating back to 1831. It is here, to the English Club of
Moscow, that every self-respecting gentleman in Moscow tried to get into for decades.
A
private club in Moscow intended for visits of
the city's high society was established in 1772.
Amusingly enough, the founders of the English Club in Moscow were not Englishmen,
as would be logical, but the French – Leopold Godeyne and Peter Tulier. First, the club creators
conceived it as a kind of place where foreigners living
in Moscow could freely communicate and take part in
recreational activities. Nevertheless, the English Club
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CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
quickly turned from a forum for communicating with
foreigners into a trendy club for Moscow nobility. At
the same time, the Moscow English Club created in the
image and likeness of exclusive clubs for gentlemen
popular in England was not the first institution of its
kind in the country. The leadership belongs to St. Petersburg. It was in St. Petersburg, during the reign of
Catherine II, when Englishmen who worked in Russia
by themselves, yearning for the homeland, began to
but russian by spirit
TRAVEL
The Moscow Club did not lag behind its northern
brother after it opened. During its long history, the
Moscow English Club changed several addresses.
It was in the house of Gagarin Princes on Strastnoy
Boulevard. After the Patriotic War of 1812, the club
moved into the house of I.I. Benkendorf, and then to
the Muravyov’s house on the Bolshaya Dmitrovka
Street. Only in 1831, the English Club finally settled in
the Razumovsky’s palace, known today as the Museum of Contemporary History of Russia.
gather in a hotel owned by a Dutchman named Cornelius Gardiner. In 1770, the hotel closed, and then one
of the regulars of informal meetings suggested that the
English Club be organized. The establishment opened
March 1, 1770. Its main motto became “harmony and
joyfulness”. As entertainment the English club in St.
Petersburg offered visitors card games and a great
restaurant that served only English cuisine. During the
first year of its existence, the English Club proved so
popular that it was forced to introduce a limit on the
number of members – 300 people.
List of club
members.
1881.
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CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
Sixty Cows
B
eing a member of the English Club, starting from the second third of the nineteenth
century, meant to make an excellent career
in the high society. Having a limited number
of members added an elite allure to the club
and there were always members who wanted to join
in. It got to the point of absurdity: members of the
nobility started putting their newly-born offspring on
the waiting list. Many of them grew up, entered the
service, retired, grew old and died, but their turn never
came. This is not surprising, since the current members
of the club left it in connection with death, or because
of bankruptcy or financial ruin. The famous Brockhaus
and Efron encyclopaedia of those years stated: “Being a member of the English Club in Moscow meant
to succeed”. The number of high society members in
Moscow, who were lucky to become members of the
English Club in different years ranged from 300 to 600
people. The club accepted exclusively men. However,
once a group of members tried to change the rules and
allow women to attend the celebrations of the club.
But, by secret ballot 36 members voted “for” and 50 –
“against“. The initiative did not pass! The procedure for
admission to the organization was also very strict and
conservative. A future member of the club had to be of
noble blood, and have a decent fortune. Later, he had
to get references from two existing member. Only with
these conditions and a vacancy the freshman candidacy was put to vote. Not less than two thirds of the
members of the club had to vote for him. In the event a
candidate did not get the required number of votes, he
was never able to become a member of the club. It is
interesting to note that almost all matters of the internal life of the club were solved solely by a secret ballot
vote. Those present were handed out black and white
balls, one of which had to be put in a special box. The
white ball in this case meant a vote “for”, and the black
one – “against”. For the vote to be declared valid, the
box was to have no less than 45 balls inside. The first
instalment for joining the club was 10 paper roubles in
1772, in 1817 – 110 roubles, in 1840 – 35 silver roubles,
and in 1860 – 100 roubles. In addition to annual contributions, the club had an extensive system of fines in
place. Members were excluded from the club for long
absence, as well as for gambling debts, but vacancies
were kept and members had opportunities to restore
membership. For this, it was necessary to pay a huge
sum in those days – 300 roubles (worth 60 cows).
Sometimes the club showed charity and paid pensions
to poor or needy residents of Moscow. Only during the
first century of its work, the English Club spent over 90
thousand silver roubles on charity. Honorary members
of the Club were almost all Moscow noble people, for
example the 1812 war heroes: Prince P.I. Bagration, A.P.
Yermolov, General Partisan D.V. Davydov, M.D. Skobelev. The English Club was regularly visited by famous
writers: A.S. Pushkin, E.A. Baratynsky, P.Ya. Chaadaev,
N.M. Karamzin, V.A. Zhukovsky, I.A. Krylov, L.N. Tolstoy, A.N. Ostrovsky, N.A. Nekrasov. The Club regulars were major philanthropists: Mamontov, Morozov,
Knopp and Prove. The members of the Club were the
following “city fathers”: the member of the royal family – Governor General of Moscow Grand Prince Sergei
Alexandrovich, Moscow Governor Generals: V.F. Dzhunkovsky, V.A. Dolgorukov, Prince D.V. Golitsyn.
Officially, the Club closed at 1:00 am, but card players
sometimes sat up until six in the morning. For this, they
were expected to be fined, and the penalty increased in
price depending on the duration of the game. At 1:30
am there was one sum, half an hour later it doubled,
and another half an hour later it increased four times,
then six times, and then 8 times. Strangely enough, A.S.
Pushkin frequented the “Infernal” room. In literature
there is a description of the poet losing a large sum
playing cards. Because of the loss and inability to pay,
A.S. Pushkin was about to be expelled from the Club
forever. The poet could pay the club only when he received a fee for “The Captain's Daughter”. Leo Tolstoy
enjoyed his time in the billiard room of the Club. One
day in 1862, he lost a thousand roubles to a passing by
officer. He had to pay, but the Count had no money on
him. Leo Tolstoy was rescued by the editor of “Russian
Messenger” M.N. Katkov, who appeared to be nearby.
The publisher lent the Count the necessary thousand,
for which he received the right tto publish his new novel, "Cossacks", first.
Gamblers
Chatsky? No Admittance!
reat interior of the rooms and their unusual
names still surprise the visitors of the Museum of Contemporary History of Russia. The
Club’s rooms “Infernal” and “Children’s” are
most referred to in the literature. Although
they had no relations at all either to otherworldly forces, or to children. Both rooms hosted card gambling.
In the “Children’s” room they played “small” games, but
in the “Infernal” room people sometimes lost fortunes.
he appearance of Russian literature classics
in the English Club was not a coincidence. In
his book "Moscow and Muscovites", a famous
Moscow ethnographer M.N. Zagoskin remarkably accurately described the role the English
Club played in life of each Moscow nobleman: “I know
one member, and it is necessary to say that he was not
one of a kind, who divides his life into four major epochs: birth, the first officer's rank, marriage and admis-
G
“Game of Cards.”
Illustration by
L. Pasternak for
M. Lermontov’s
drama
“Masquerade.”
1891.
T
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
59
TRAVEL
sion to the English Club". The life of the English Club
was reflected in the works of Pushkin, Griboyedov,
Karamzin, Baratynsky, Gogol, Nekrasov, Dostoevsky,
and Tolstoy. But most accurately the manners of the
Club were described in Griboyedov’s “Woe from Wit”.
Historians to their surprise discovered an interesting
entry in the survived archives of the Club. It turns out,
in 1815, a member of the English Club Sibilev suggested
that Mr. Chatsky be granted membership in the Club!
The new member was voted twice and both times he
failed miserably. It is believed that Chatsky as a guest
repeatedly visiting the English Club was not accepted
as a member because of his too freethinking speeches.
This is not surprising, since every word uttered in the
“talking shop” of the Club was immediately reported
to the Emperor Nicholas I. Historical records say that
the monarch regularly asked his entourage, what was
thought on one issue or another in the “talking shop”
of the Club. At the same time, Griboyedov’s researchers unanimously say that the writer thought of the plot
for "Woe from Wit" by personally watching the misadventures of Chatsky, who became the prototype of the
antagonist of his work.
Wednesday Feasts
I
n addition to big card games and political battles,
the English Club was famous for lovely lunches.
Feasts on Wednesdays and Saturdays were most
appreciated. On these days, the lunch cost three
roubles for the Club members. For those who did
not want to have lunch, but just wanted a “bite”, there
was a “Fruit” room. Here fruits, salads, appetizers and
soups were served. Cooks to the Club were selected no
less meticulously than new members. Economy foreman P.I. Shablykin was responsible for lunches. Moscow was filled with the most fantastic rumours about
him. They said that the foreman loved exotic delicacies
so much that he had “eaten” away some of his houses.
His main fad was to serve in the Club a season delicacy
at certain times of the year. For example, various species of oysters were served each in its time. The same
applies to salmon, Atlantic salmon, sturgeon and other
fish. Symbolically, the last grand lunch given at the Club
was held in 1913 and was dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty.
Disfavour
D
espite its tremendous popularity, the English Club was in disfavour three times. First,
during the reign of Paul I. It is well known
the Emperor worshiped everything German
and sincerely hated the British. The Club was
closed, but not for long. Immediately after the murder
of Paul I and the accession of his son, the Club reopened.
The second time its work was suspended for quite objective reasons, during the 1812 War. Finally, for the third
time the English Club was closed for 79 years in 1917.
However, by this time the Club’s life barely smouldered.
There was not enough money. To earn money in some
way, in 1912, the Club reluctantly leased the yard area
coming out on Tverskaya Street. Soon, the magnificent
facade was fenced off with lots of shops and pavilions,
popularly referred to as the English trade rows. After
the revolution in 1917, the Club was closed forever. This
room housed the Moscow police. In 1922, a permanent
exhibition “Red Moscow” was opened in the palace,
which gradually grew into the “Museum of the Revolution”. The English Club resumed its work only in 1996,
but in quite a different area of the city.
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CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
Just As 100 Years Ago
T
oday, the English Club again, as a hundred years
ago, welcomes its numerous visitors. However,
now it is situated not in the palace on Tverskaya
Street, but nearby on 3rd Street of Yamskoye
Field, 18. Nowadays, it is not difficult to become
a member. You do not necessarily have to be a gentleman or have a large fortune. Simply observing the charter of the club is enough. Membership have also faded
into history, today only charitable donations of the Club
members are welcomed, the size of which is not regulated. However, in order to be admitted to the English
Club, just as before, a written application and references
of two current members of the Club are required. The
final decision is made by the Board of Trustees, which
is later approved by the Management Board. Among
the members of the Moscow English Club today, as
before, there are many famous artists. Co-Chairmen
of the Board of Trustees are People’s Artists of Russia
S.I. Belza and A.A, Shirvindt, the art director of the Moscow Academic Satire Theatre. Among the members of
the Board of Trustees are: the People's Artist of Russia Yu.B.Vassilyev; a film director, the People's Artist of
Russia S.S. Druzhinina; a composer, the People's Artist
of Russia M.I. Dunayevsky; a director, the People's Artist of Russia, a member of the Russian Union of Writers
E.A. Ryazanov; a composer, the People's Artist of Russia
A.L. Rybnikov; a deputy of the State Duma, the Russian
Hockey Federation President V.A. Tretiak; a film director, the People's Artist of the Russian Federation V.I.
Khotinenko, and well-known politicians, big industrialists and businessmen. Heads of Russian representative
offices of multinational corporations have often become
members of the Club since it has returned from the hiatus. However, the main condition for their admittance to
the Club was a great command of the Russian language.
The fact is the English Club in modern Russia as conceived by its founders is English in substance but Russian in spirit. The new English Club offers its members
a vast cultural programme – festive balls, own theatre
plays, recitals of famous artists, movies pre-first runs. To
discuss political life in the country, Club members invite
well-known politicians, political scientists, academicians
and experts. Club members discuss the investment climate in the country with government members, prominent economists and businessmen. ■
Coronation of
the Csar of Russia.
The Czarina
Passing the
English Club.
Moscow,
1883.
For Capital Ideas courtesy of National Geographic Society, Russia
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
61
QUALITY TIME
G lf: made in
Moscow
Golf has always been a mysterious sport in Russia. It was not developed in the tsar era or under
communists. During the Soviet period, golf was banned as a “bourgeois sport”. Golf courses
started to appear in Moscow only after the beginning of perestroika.
N
o one can definitely say who invented golf. It is
believed that golf was first played by shepherds
tending their flocks and passing the time by hitting rocks to targets with their shafts. Italians say
that in the times of the Roman Empire, soldiers
used bent sticks to drive leather balls along the ground as a
warm-up. The French were fond of jeu de mail (a mixture of
billiard, croquet and mini-golf). The Dutch preferred kolf, a
game with a ball we can see in pictures of the 15th century.
But it is widely recognized that the origins of golf came from
the east coast of Scotland. Players of the 15th century used a
sort of a club to hit a ball. The game was played in open spaces
and it was necessary to pass sand hills, holes and other natural
obstacles.
Unfortunately, the brave-hearted Scots were so absorbed by
the game that King James II was forced to ban golf for men
from noble families (women were not engaged in the
game anyway). His reason was that reckless Scots had
stopped practicing their military skills.
Andrey Vdovin, President of the Russian Golf Association:
Andrey Vdovin. President of the Russian Golf Association.
“Golf is gaining popularity. Every year one or two golf courses open in
Russia and 300-400 people become golfers. We follow the path of the
Russian tennis and alpine skiing. Golf used to be an elite leisure activity
and now it has become a sport for middle class.
When we talk about golf clubs we must understand the differences
between them. There are open clubs and membership clubs. All visitors
are allowed to play golf in the former and the latter are only for members. But I’m sure the main criteria for open clubs and membership
clubs are the same: quality of the golf course, transport accessibility
and well-developed infrastructure.
As for specific examples I’d like to mention membership clubs Agalarov
Golf & Country Club where Russian Championship is held; Tseleevo
Golf and Polo Club which hosts M2M Russian Open, a European Tour
event. Among the open clubs I’d like to draw your attention to the 18hole championship golf courses at Links National Golf Club and Forest
Hills Golf Club. As President of the Russian Golf Association I’d like to
change the attitude toward golf in Russia and make this Olympic sport
more and more attractive for children. That’s why, in cooperation with
the Ministry of Education and Science, we are introducing golf as a
third lesson of physical education in comprehensive schools”.
So where can one play golf in Moscow:
Moscow City Golf Club
Address: 1 Dovzhenko str., Moscow
Website: http://www.mcgc.ru/
The oldest golf club in Moscow was opened in 1987. The club offers a
well-designed 9-hole golf course, a training ground, a mini-golf field,
spa-center and other facilities. It is very prestigious to be a member of
this club because of the special privileges you are provided. For example the club offers a cigar lounge for business talks, a billiard room, golf
computer simulators which allow you to sharpen your playing skills if the
weather is not good.
Important info: The club hosts various golf tournaments (5 to 8 tournaments a month during the season from May till October), the events are
covered by the media.
Moscow Country Club
Address: Nakhabino-1, Krasnogorsk district, Moscow region
Website: http://www.moscowcountryclub.ru/
Russia's first 18-hole championship golf course hosts an event of the PGA
European Tour. The well-known golf club was designed by the famous
golf architect Robert Trent Jones Jr. This prestigious Moscow golf club
can host European and world tournaments of different complexity levels.
Professional golfers and beginners play and train at the club. Golf lessons
are available for beginners and those who want to improve their playing
skills. Professional instructors have playing experience, teaching skills and
speak several languages.
Important info: Non-members are invited to the legendary golf course
from Monday to Friday. Weekends are available only for permanent
members of the club.
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
63
QUALITY TIME
Pestovo Golf & Yacht Club
Address: 1 Nikolskaya str., building 1, Rumyancevo village, Fedoskino settlement, Mytishi, Moscow region
Website: http://www.pestovogolf.ru/
Pestovo Club embodies a concept that is absolutely new and unique for
Russia. It is modeled after the world’s best golf clubs whose grounds feature residential buildings, rest and recreation facilities. An outstanding
18-hole championship golf course was designed by the architects Paul
and Dave Thomas.
The 6,487-meter (about 7,094 yards) golf course of superior quality can
accommodate prestigious Major series tournaments.
Important info: The club offers a magnificent clubhouse, a yacht club,
an equestrian center, luxurious cottages, apartments and a fitness center. The club has got meticulously laid-out infrastructure and superbly
trained staff. Pestovo Club offers three types of membership for the clients: individual, family and corporate.
Pirogovo Golf Club
Address: 3A Klyazminskoe Vodokhranilische village, Moscow region
Website: http://pirogovo.ru/
The 9-hole golf course of the Pirogovo club was designed by the wellknown golf architect Sergey Baranchukov. It is an exclusively picturesque
high-quality course that can suit golfers with different skills, it is interesting for beginners and professional players. The owners say that the
hallmark of the club is its golf course. At the design stage the architects
were challenged by the task to preserve the maximum number of trees
and they really did their best. The grounds also include a training ground
and Golf Academy for children.
Important info: The perk of the golf course is a “floating hole” – a golfball hits it after passing through the playing ground and water. A yacht
club with a mooring area for 40 boats is located nearby so you can easily
park your boat and play golf.
Tseleevo Golf & Polo Club
Address: 56 km Dmitrovskoye highway, Dmitrov district, Moscow region
Website: http://www.tseleevo.ru/
This golf course is considered to be the most beautiful and complex in the
Moscow region. Professional golfers often regard the course as a benchmark of quality in Eastern Europe. Golfers from around the world are eager to play at the course. And this is not a big surprise as the course was
designed by a unique specialist, “the best golfer of all time” Jack Nicklaus.
Jack is the holder of numerous titles including US Open championships.
His name was registered in the Guinness World Records and he was listed ninth among the best athletes of the 20th century. Nicklaus called
Tseleevo golf course one of best designs in his career.
This is a unique golf course included in the Top Five of golf courses in
Eastern Europe. The club offers an 18-hole golf course, Golf Academy with
three holes and a driving range. The club is equipped with advanced golf
simulators for beginners and players who want to practice their strikes.
If you need good equipment for your favorite sport the PRO shop can
always offer you the necessary clothing and accessories of the famous
brands: Callaway, Ping, Titleist, Nike, FootJoy, Marie Valois.
Important info: Tseleevo Golf & Polo Club is a private closed club so you
can enjoy an 18-hole golf course without being bothered by strangers or
journalists. A team of instructors is always at your disposal if you want
to practice strikes, choose golf equipment or learn some secrets of the
sport.
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CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
Training Golf Course in Krylatskoye
Address: 2 Krylatskaya str., Moscow .
Opening hours: 9:00 – 21:00 every day
Simulator game price: 1000 roubles an hour.
If you need regular training and don’t want to lose your precious time
in traffic jams while going outside Moscow, the golf course in Krylatskoye is the best option for you. The total length of the golf course is 300
meters and the width is 250 meters. The golf course is equipped with 13
platforms for practice, 6 of them are under the shed to protect you from
bad weather. There is also a short golf range (Pitching Green). The advantage of this golf course is its picturesque location in the floodplain of
the Moskva River.
Important info: The peculiarity of this course is that the players are allowed to make strikes straight from the lawn. Experts say that the atmosphere and layout in Krylatskoye is similar to famous Scottish golf
courses.
Pavlovo Golf Club
Address: Pavlovo Podvorje Shopping & Entertainment Mall, build. 10, Istra
district, Moscow region
Website: http://pavlovo-golf.ru/
The only compact golf course in Russia (Pitch&Putt format) was opened
in 2010. It has got a partially artificial latest-generation surface which
can imitate grass lawn. Pitch&Put golf format is a game played at courses
where hole length is less than 100 meters and the golfers can practice the
most important skill – the short game.
The main golf course has got 9 holes. The price of the membership pass is
quite reasonable. You can also acquire a family membership pass and visit
the club with your wife and two children (under age of 18). There is a Children’s Academy of Golf in the club where little golfers can play mini-golf.
Important info: The golf club is open 24 hours a day. An interesting way
to get acquainted with golf is a “golf clinic” – a demonstration lesson for
a group of people (5 to 50 people). This exciting and unordinary golf class
is very popular at corporate events and celebrations.
Devyatka Golf Club
Address: 1A Yurovskaya str., Khimki, Moscow.
The advantage of the club is its picturesque location in the floodplain of
the Skhodnya River in Kurkino district. The golf course is situated at the
Natural ecological park. The club was opened in 2010 with the assistance
of the Moscow Golf Development Federation. The club with a 9-hole golf
course is considered one of the newest in the Russian capital. The owners of the club follow an affordable price policy, that’s why the prices for
golf tuition and practice are probably the lowest in the city. Short golf
grounds and practice ranges are available for guests.
Important info: The club is open 7 days a week in all weather
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
65
TRAVEL
The Kremlin
from the Tsar
to the President
A Clock for a Prince
A wonder of the world
n the Middle Ages, as a rule, each large fortress
had its own clock tower, adorned with a musical
clock. The territory of modern Belarus even had a
workshop bringing master clockmakers together.
This workshop had its own coat of arms, flag, and
even armories in the case of defense of the city from
enemies. It is believed that the custom of building
clock towers came to Moscow from Western Europe
via Belarus.
year later, after the dismantling of the first
clock by the founder of the Romanov dynasty, Tsar Mikhail Federovitch ordered a
new clock to be placed on the Spasskaya
tower, modern for its time. Because Moscow did not have suitable specialists, the famous
clockmaker Christopher Galloway was specifically
invited from England. Under his leadership, in 1625,
a group of Russian serfs manufactured and then
installed a new clock on the Spasskaya Tower. Kirill Samoilov specially molded thirteen bells of different sizes for its toll. However, to be honest, the
appearance of the second Moscow Kremlin clock
would have caused huge confusion to a modern person. The wooden dial was covered with blue paint,
symbolizing the sky, adorned with images of yellow
stars, and the sun and moon. Instead of numbers on
the dial, Christopher Galloway placed Slavic alphabet
letters in copper. In Russia it was traditional for each
of the letters of the alphabet to correspond to a specific number. To draw an analogy with the modern
alphabet, the letter "A" would be 1, "B" would be 2,
"C" would be 3 and so on. Medieval Muscovites were
able to quickly compare a letter in their minds with
its numeric value to work out the time!
I
Today, many Muscovites and visitors believe the
Kremlin clock is not only the most famous, but also
the oldest clock tower in Moscow. But that is not true.
In fact, the first clock tower in Moscow was in the
courtyard of Grand Prince Vasily, son of the famous
Dmitry Donskoy. It had a complex mechanism, which
included a human figure with a hammer striking once
every hour.
Only a century later, in 1491, the Frolovska Tower, later
renamed the Spasskaya Tower (Saviour Tower), was
the first clock tower to be built in the Kremlin. The installation of the clock coincided with a major renovation by order of Ivan the Third, within the dilapidated
white stone walls of the Kremlin. Unfortunately, no
description of the appearance of the first clock on the
Spasskaya tower has survived. We only know that
it weighed 960 kilos. Subsequently, it fell into disrepair and was sold in 1624 to the Spassky Monastery in
Yaroslavl for just 48 rubles as scrap.
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CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
A
Also unlike a modern clock, the dial of the second
Kremlin clock spun by itself. The hour and minute
hands were stretched out, and instead the current
time, day and night, was shown by a fixed hand,
clock chimes
The Kremlin clock located on the
Spasskaya Tower is not just the most
famous clock tower in Russia: it’s a
symbol. Not surprisingly, what melody
the chime plays has always been
decided by the country's leaders.
TRAVEL
The South side of
the Red Square.
1823.
stylized as an elongated beam of light. The clock
was so beautiful that foreigners visiting Moscow
called it a "wonder of the world." Unfortunately, in
1626 it burned down, but soon afterwards was restored by Christopher Galloway himself. After the
renovation the clock mechanism worked intermittently until it finally broke down at the end of the
seventeenth century.
Window to Europe
O
nce again the clock on the Spasskaya Tower reappeared in 1705 thanks to Peter the
Great. At this time, the third clock apparently differed little from a modern clock
tower. All that was in place were the moving hands and the twelve numbers on the dial, and
the bells played a tune. Characteristically, simultaneously with the installation of the new clock, Peter the
Great reformed the timescale. He introduced the Julian calendar, and after that the everyday life of Russian citizens included the words, "half an hour", "fifteen
minutes" and a "minute." Prior to this there existed a
system of daytime and nighttime. Prior to the changes,
daytime was considered to be from dawn to dusk and
was divided into several parts: predawn, sunrise, noon,
afternoon, sunset, twilight, nightfall and midnight.
The Kremlin Spasskaya Clock Tower built under Peter the First sounded every hour, half hour, and quar68
CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
ter hour, playing an original tune. Most of the clock
towers of this time played tunes created by strikes
on different-sized bells to a particular frequency and
the Spasskaya Tower clock was no exception. What
was unusual is that unlike previous clocks, the installation of the next clock was under the auspices of the
Russian clockmaker Ekim Garnov. However, after the
clock was commissioned, the Kremlin created a whole
staff of clockmakers, many of whom were foreigners.
Unfortunately, even the joint efforts of several Kremlin clockmakers could not keep Peter’s clock from frequent breakdowns. We can say that the clock spent
more time standing still than moving, until in 1737 it
stopped working completely during a great fire. It was
restored, but given that by this time the capital had
moved to St. Petersburg, Peter the Great had completely lost interest in the Moscow clock.
"Oh, you dear, Augustin"
E
verything changed after the accession to the
throne of Catherine the Second. Once, in the
second year of her reign on an inspection
visit to Moscow, the Empress ordered the
replacement of Peter the First’s Dutch clock
with a bigger English clock which was stored in the
Palace of the Facets Chamber in the Kremlin. Four
years later, in 1767 a famous clockmaker, Fatts, was
invited from Germany to Russia to install it. For three
years the German worked hard on installing the new
clock, and when it was finished, there was another
incident! Instead of simply bells chiming or sounding
out the tune of one of the national songs, in 1770 the
clock suddenly struck up a merry Austrian tune: "Oh,
you dear Augustin!" Obviously the tune was quickly
replaced. But this event entered world history as the
only time when the main clock in a country played a
foreign tune.
Nevertheless, the fourth clock served for a long time.
Even during the great fire of 1812, it was not destroyed, but merely stopped working. After the war,
during the reconstruction of the city, the clockmaker
Yakov Lebedev personally offered his services to the
Moscow authorities to restore the legendary clock by
his own means. Permission was granted in 1815, and
the clock chimed once again. For his patriotic passion Yakov Lebedev was officially awarded the title of
"Master of the Spasskaya clock." Unfortunately nothing lasts forever. In 1851, a well-known company "The
Butenop Brothers" were invited to survey the clock,
and said that the iron gears and wheels were worn
out, the face was decayed, the floors were rotten, and
the clock itself was in a critical condition and close to
complete disintegration.
The Moscow authorities categorically rejected the
proposal to dismantle the unique clock and the
clock company was instructed to immediately proceed to repair and modernize the clock. After some
time, the clock did start to work again, but it had
a completely different mechanism. It was put together from parts of the old clock and new clock
parts, ordered from the best clockmakers in Europe.
From that moment, the renovated mechanism of
the clock could withstand high humidity and significant temperature changes. Using a system designed by Harrison, the pendulum in the clock was
installed with a temperature compensation system.
The gross weight of the clock was now 25 tons!
The clock had also undergone significant changes
in its appearance. Four new black dials were made
by special order. Their surface was made from copper and gilded, with the digits separated into one
minute and five-minute gradations The new dial
was six meters in diameter, and each of the numbers was 72 centimeters in height. The number of
bells playing the clock tunes by automatic strikes
using special hammers was increased to 48 pieces.
The clock’s tunes were specially chosen by the emperor: Nicholas I. By his order, the clock played the
hymn "How Glorious is our Lord in Zion" at 3 and
9 o'clock, and “The March of the Preobrazhenzsky
Regiment”, from the time of Peter the Great, at 12
and 6 o'clock. The Emperor was offered a list of musical melodies for the restored clock which also included the state anthem "God Save the Tsar." But
Nicholas I for some unknown reason strictly forbade this, saying that the clock on the Spasskaya
Tower could play any tune other than the national
anthem. This lasted until the 1917 revolution.
Two of the nine Kremlin chimes bells that ring every 15 minutes.
The clockwork mechanism of the Spasskaya Tower chimes in the Moscow Kremlin.
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
69
FACE TO FACE
TRAVEL
The clock dial of the Kremlin chimes on the Spasskaya Tower erected by the N.P. Butenop brothers in 1851-52.
Electronic control
O
n one of his first acts after the Soviet
government moved to Moscow, Vladimir
Lenin ordered the clock to be restored.
Its mechanism had been damaged during
the storming of the Kremlin by an artillery shell. However, when the Bolsheviks appealed to
the well-known clock makers Pavel Bure and Sergei
Roginskii, the scale and importance of the work was
priced at 240,000 gold rubles. The Soviet government,
which was counting every penny during the Civil War,
could not find the money. H. Berens, who before the
revolution had serviced the Kremlin clock, agreed to
help. He, without bargaining, set to work and in 1918
the clock chimed again. However, now at 12 o’clock,
the iron hammers beat out the "Internationale", and
at midnight, "You fell a victim", in honor of the fallen
soldiers of the Red Army in the Civil War.
The next restoration of the clock took place in 1932.
On the personal instructions of Joseph Stalin a new
clock face was produced, which was however, an exact copy of the previous one. Most importantly, the
repertoire of tunes was changed. First of all, the funeral march at midnight was cancelled, leaving only
the "Internationale", and six years later it was canceled
as well, as a special committee proclaimed the work
of the clock’s musical mechanism unsatisfactory.
Lastly, a major reconstruction of both the Spasskaya
tower and the clock was carried out in 1974. Specialists from the Scientific Research Institute of the clock
70
CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
making industry stopped the main clock of the country for 100 days. During this time, they completely
dismantled and restored all the clock parts, and introduced electronic control of the clock, which up to this
point had been carried out manually.
The latest Melodies
T
he emergence from the wreckage of the Soviet
Union marked the beginning of a new Russia in
the next round of the life of the Kremlin clock.
Symbolically, on Boris Yeltsin’s inauguration
day in 1996, after more than half a century of
silence, the clock on the Spasskaya Tower once again
played a tune. At noon and midnight, at six o'clock in the
morning and at six in the evening it played a "Patriotic
song", and at three and nine o'clock in the morning and
evening it played "Glory, Glory to You Holy Rus" from
the opera "A Life for the Tsar" by Mikhail Glinka. The
"Patriotic Song" by Glinka was not chosen accidentally,
because from 1993 to 2000 it was the official national
anthem of the country. The latest cosmetic reconstruction of the Kremlin clock was carried out in 1999.
Since then, the Spasskaya Tower bells play the new
official Russian national anthem instead of the “Patriotic Song”. It can be heard at noon, midnight, and at six
o'clock in the morning and six o'clock in the evening.
The anthem lasts 1 minute and 42 seconds, thanks to a
series of special hammer strikes on the bells and special
metal bars placed on the Spasskaya Tower.■
For Capital Ideas courtesy of National Geographic
Society, Russia
useful
info
Department for external economic and international relations of
the Government of Moscow
Address: 13 Tverskaya Street, Moscow, 125032
Ph: +7 (495) 633 68 66
Fax: +7 (495) 633 68 65
E-mail: dms@dms.mos.ru
www.dvms.mos.ru
Department of Science, Industrial Policy
and Entrepreneurship of the Goverment of Moscow
Address: 22 Voznesensky Pereylok, Moscow, 125009
Ph: +7 (495) 957 05 10
Fax: +7 (495) 957 05 92
E-mail: dnpp@mos.ru
www.dnpp.mos.ru
Department of Economic Policy and Development
of the Government of Moscow
Address: 21 Voznesensky Pereylok, Moscow, 125032
Ph: +7 (495) 957 01 54
Fax: +7 (495) 629 33 42
E-mail: dprm@mos.ru
www.depir.ru
Department of City Property of the Government of Moscow
Address: 20 Bakhrushina Street, Moscow, 115054
Ph:+7(495) 959 18 88
Fax: +7 (495) 959 19 82
E-mail: dgi@mos.ru
www.dgi.mos.ru
Moscow Exchange
Address: Office 1: 125009 Moscow, Bolshoy Kislovsky per, 13
Office 2: 125009 Moscow, Vozdvizhenka Str, 4/7, Bld 1
Phone: +7 (495) 363 32 32, +7 (495) 232 05 55
Fax: +7 (495) 705 9622
www.moex.com
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
71
Jacob Bruce:
ROOTS
s cientist, miltary
leader, or master
of the black arts?
The stories of Jacob Bruce, a Russian Count of Scottish
descent, and a favorite of Peter the Great, are still legendary...
A
descendant of an ancient clan of Scottish
kings, Jacob Bruce was born in 1670 to the
family of a Colonel in the service of the Russian military. Among his ancestors were the
kings Robert and David, who reigned in Scotland in the early 14th century. His father came to Russia
during the reign of Oliver Cromwell, joined the army,
and died in 1680.
Orphaned at the age of eleven, Bruce studied diligently,
wanting to be of use to his new homeland. Living in
the German Quarter, young Jacob was addicted to the
sciences. This passion was to remain with him for his
entire life. A brilliant mathematician and astronomer,
a scholar who spoke six foreign languages excellently,
Jacob would spend his whole life scaring those around
him with his knowledge of science. Idle talk called the
Count a "warlock" and a "black magician", but he would
only laugh in the face of such superstitions.
At the age of 13 he was signed up as a private in the
Preobrazhensky Regiment. After that, his life became
inextricably linked with the destiny of Peter the Great.
The Tsar was obsessed with artillery, and recognizing
his abilities, sent Jacob to an artillery company.
In 1687 and 1689, as a warrant officer, Bruce participated in the unsuccessful Crimean campaigns
of Count V. Golitsyn. During the events of 1689, he
stood by the side of Peter the Great at the Trinity
Lavra of St. Sergius Monastery.
In 1694, already as a lieutenant, Bruce took an active
part in the Kozhuhovsky campaign. He was an active
participant in the Azov campaigns of 1695-1696. He
made detailed maps of the area from Moscow to Asia
Minor, which were then printed in the Tessing printing
press in Amsterdam. For this work, Bruce was granted
the rank of colonel.
He accompanied the Tsar on all his European travels in
the late 17th century as part of the "Great Embassy ". He
trained in the Netherlands and England. He undertook
numerous instructions from the Tsar for the procurement of textbooks, books and other equipment.
The Great Northern War (1700-1721) began very badly
for Jacob, who had already reached the rank of major
general of artillery. Bruce’s errors and sudden disgrace
saved him from captivity and death at the Battle of
Narva in November 1700. After the disaster of Narva,
the general was appointed to the post of governor of
Novgorod and acting Major-General of the Artillery.
From that moment, Jacob’s life and work became inextricably linked with Russian artillery.
Practically from scratch, Bruce managed to rebuild the
Russian army artillery, for regimental, field and siege
uses, to which Peter gave much aattention, thinking these kinds of troops to be the equal to infantry
and cavalry. It was Jacob who insisted on the separation of field artillery and siege artillery. By 1701, 273
cannons had already been cast, and another 140 cast
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
73
ROOTS
dition the Tsar gifted Bruce a gold medal with his
portrait, covered in diamonds. Similar signs of royal
favor were very highly appreciated.
In 1707 the Swedish army began its "March on Russia". During this period, Jacob was engaged in the
erection of fortifications along the border frontiers,
overseeing the work of metal working factories, and
dealing with training gunners.
On the eve of the Battle of Poltava, Peter gave Lieutenant-General Bruce an order to set up an artillery
base in Belgorod. Cannons and supplies were delivered there, and from there, the rest of the artillery
units were supplied.
The Field Marshal General deeply treasured the life of
every soldier, and not without reason, perceived the
artillery units of the Russian army to be an elite force.
Along with the Tsar, he participated in the famous
battle of the Forest on the 28th and 29th of September 1708, commanding the left flank. For this victory,
which was later called the "mother of the victory of
Poltava”, the Lieutenant-General received a gift of
219 serfs houses.
Map of a part of
the Great Russia,
the Euxine
(Black) Sea. Jacob
Bruce and Georg
von Mengden,
1697.
a year later. In the following years, the rate of casting
remained unabated. In the period following Narva to
Poltava, 1006 heavy weapons were cast. During this
period, caisson style carts were developed, in which
cap charges and projectiles were transported. Caissons
of this type, known as "Peters", remained in service in
the Russian artillery for almost 150 years, until the second half of the 19th century.
For the first time in military history, Peter the Great
coined the term “horse artillery”, but not only to move
it around, but also for use in battle. This innovation was
only introduced in France 100 years later, by Napoleon.
Napoleon later spoke with great admiration to his Adjutant General Narbonne: "He was, like me, an artillery
lieutenant!"
In 1703, Bruce was involved in building the fortress of
Petropavlovsk, and then participated in the siege of
Kopor'e. The garrison surrendered after a five-day artillery bombardment. On May 23rd, the Russian flag was
raised over Kopor’e.
In 1704 Bruce commanded the artillery during the
sieges of Narva and Ivangorod. In 1706, LieutenantGeneral Bruce commanded the artillery in Russia’s
victorious battle at Kalisz. For this victory, he was
awarded the Polish Order of the White Eagle. In ad-
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CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
Never leaving his post at the headquarters, Jacob
was constantly concerned about the timely provision of guns and ammunition for the army. By the
summer of 1709 it became clear that a decisive battle
could not be avoided. When analyzing the events of
the Great Northern War, the authoritative historian
Yevgeny Tarle pointed out that, in fact, the Poltava
battle plan was based on the so-called "mere opinion" that Jacob Bruce put forward "in the train at
Poltava" on June 4th 1709, during a military council
assembled by Peter the Great on day of his arrival to
visit the troops. According to Tarle, "Peter expanded
and developed this plan, and it marked the transition
of the Vorskla offensive into a decisive battle."
In the first phase of the battle, the Russian artillery
literally mowed down the ranks of the enemy army,
which eventually led to its destruction. The massed
strikes by the Russian artillery became a turning
point in the Battle of Poltava, and the preparation
for the entire Russian army to go on the offensive.
On June 27th, Jacob Bruce was granted Russia’s highest award: the Order of St. Andrew and, as usual, a
large estate.
In 1710, Jacob Bruce participated in the capture of
Riga and Kexholm, and was then sent on a diplomatic mission to Poland. Russia was preparing for a new
war with Turkey and looking for allies to participate
in the campaign.
Wedding of
Peter the Great
and Catherine.
February 19, 1712.
Engraving by
Alexey Zubov.
On May 29th, 1711 in Yavorov, Jacob Bruce was among
the few confidants present at the unofficial marriage
ceremony of Peter and Catherine. For most of this year,
Jacob Bruce was at the peak of his military career. On
August 3rd 1711, shortly after the death of the captive
Swedish Prince Alexander of Imereti, Tsar Peter conferred on Bruce the rank of Fieldmarshal. He was still
inseparable from the Tsar, who once again took the
army on campaign against the Swedes in Germany.
In his last major military campaign in Pomerania and
Holstein in the following year, when the northern allies
waged war to capture German possessions from Sweden, Bruce had the opportunity to command the artillery contingents from Russia, Denmark and Saxony.
In December 1717 Jacob Bruce became president of the
Collegium of Mining and Manufacturing, and in 1718, he
became General Director of all the fortifications for the
Russian state. He was also one of the leading diplomats
of Peter the Greats era, and headed the delegation of
Russian diplomats to Gdansk, during the negotiations
in Nishtadt at the Åland Congress. His signature is upon
the Nishtadt peace treaty signed on August 30th, 1721.
And yet, most of all, Bruce proved himself to be a scientist and researcher, laying the foundations of Russian
science. During the Great Embassy, on Peter’s behalf,
he studied for several months in England, working in
Isaac Newton’s laboratory, and collaborated with such
renowned scholars as John Colson, John Flamsteed,
and Edmond Halley. On his return from England in late
1698 he actually became Peter’s scientific consultant,
conducting astronomical observations, and established
the first state-owned observatory.
The Sukharev Tower observatory was equipped by
Bruce in 1700 as a future school of the sciences of
Mathematics and Navigation, and it opened in May
1701. Then in 1715, when the Russian capital was moved
to St. Petersburg, he set up a Naval Academy there,
and Bruce equipped an observatory in St. Petersburg.
Bruce then set up a third observatory at Glinka on an
estate near Moscow, which he bought from Prince
Alexei Dolgorukov in April 1727. Jacob spent the last
eight years of his life on this estate, actively engaged in
astronomical observations.
Bruce was the first translator of special and scientific
literature, as well as scientific journals on artillery, geography, mechanics, astronomy, and other disciplines.
These were published in Russia, not only in translation,
but also under Bruce’s editorship. It is no coincidence,
that in 1706, when the first civil Publishing House was
opened in Moscow, Peter the Great ordered Bruce to
"oversee" its publishing activities. The Publishing House
was headed by Vasily Kiprianov, who was actively engaged in education and business activities. Through his
knowledge (he was an astronomer, mathematician,
artillery expert and engineer, botanist, mineralogist,
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
75
ROOTS
Battle of Poltava.
June 27, 1709.
geographer, author and translator of many scientific
works), Count Jacob Bruce was undoubtedly the most
enlightened of all of Peter’s associates. During the
preparation and translation of works, Bruce oversaw
the progress of all of the printing industry in Russia.
Under his direct supervision, the civil Publishing House
published a lot of different books and pamphlets, such
as: dictionaries, a book for the School of Mathematics
and Navigation, a Description of the City of Jerusalem,
a book on the Afon style school of iconography, pictures on a globe both of the planet and the heavens,
a book on the Battle of Prut, and so on. But most of
all, his name is associated with being the author of the
first Russian calendar, which appeared in print in 1709,
with the "image" of Vasily Kipriyanov under Jacob’s "supervision. Although he did not subsequently publish
calendars himself, nonetheless he can be reasonably
considered to be the founder of the calendar business
in Russia, since he took an important role in putting
them together, predominantly imitating the style of
German calendars. This legacy remains as a monument
to his studies, along with his library and collection of
“curiosities”, which at that time were only appreciated
in Russia. Before his death, he bequeathed them to the
library of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The composition of the collection was quite diverse: there are
about 735 books and maps, manuscripts, tools, and all
sorts of rare items (about 100 in all).
Not everyone in Moscow and St. Petersburg reacted
kindly to the publishing of the calendar, seeing it as "a
work of the devil." In an anonymous letter sent to the
Tsar, the Tsar was criticized for having created "schools
of mathematics and a science academy which was
against god and supported heretical views, in which the
astronomer annually printed anti religious calendars."
Bruce’s "Calendar" contained many useful tips and
messages for the tables of the days, such as , determining when to marry, build a house, and even when to
shave your beard!
Astronomy and astrology are intricately connected
in these tables, along biological timekeeping and biorhythmology, although the author himself did not realize at the time that he had begun the search for new
directions in the human sciences. These would only be
implemented later in the 20th century, and then only
partially.
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CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
Myths and legends of James
Bruce
I
t is not surprising that over time, Bruce’s image in
people's memory was strongly associated with him
being a sorcerer and a warlock. Muscovites, for example, began to treat the Sukharev Tower with caution. Jacob Bruce moved there, and at the behest of
the Tsar, organized a School of Mathematical and Navigational Sciences. An observatory was constructed on
the top floor of the tower. The glow from the window of
the observatory each night quickly assured Muscovites
that something untoward was taking place there.
Candlestick trader Alexei Morozov, for example,
claimed that at dusk, he once saw iron birds built
by the astronomer fly out of the windows, do a few
laps around the building and return. The next night,
the merchant returned to the tower together with
his household. There was a light shining in Bruce’s
office illuminating the looming figure of the Count.
They heard hysterical shrieking coming from the
tower. Suddenly one of the windows opened, and
out flew three iron monsters with human heads. In
terror, Morozov and his household fled off through
the city, as far away as possible from that terrible
place. Soon there was a disturbing rumor in the city:
that the Lutheran from the Sukharev tower was
communicating with evil spirits, and with their help,
was transforming human beings, whose moans
could be heard everywhere in the neighborhood,
into flying metal dragons.
His contemporaries talked about Bruce as a sorcerer
who had a "mechanical doll which knew how to talk
and walk, but had no soul." The Metal Serving Maid
ministered to the Count in his observatory. When Jacob
Bruce resigned and left the city, he took her to his estate at Glinka near Moscow. There the doll roamed
freely among fancifully trimmed limes and flirted with
the peasants. On seeing the doll, the Count’s serfs at
first ran away, but then got used to it, and referred to
her as "Jacob’s girlfriend" among themselves.
But perhaps the most famous legend is about how
Bruce froze a pond in summer and skated on it. Supposedly in the midst of summer, in a hot July, Bruce invited many notable persons to visit. They were offered
a variety of activities, including boating. Then they were
all invited for lunch. After this they returned to the park
and watched fireworks, skating on the ice of the same
pool, which had been turned into a skating rink in just a
few hours. According to another version, Bruce turned
the pond into a skating rink in front of astonished witnesses by waving a magic wand.
These miracles seemingly bear no relation to the reality that Bruce the wizard actually created. However,
in 1992 in the journal "Science and Life" an article was
published in which the author tried to prove that
Bruce did manage to freeze the water in the pool in
the height of summer. On his orders, in March, still
early spring, ice was frozen to a solid depth, and then
covered with straw, sawdust and wooden covers.
After this it was covered by a layer of clay and soil.
This was laid on the bottom of a pond from which the
water had been previously emptied. At the appointed
time, water was again supplied to cover it from an
upper pool. When the sawdust and soil was removed
from the ice, then it popped up to the surface, and it
was possible to skate on it. Of course, such an explanation for one of Bruce's antics may seem controversial. But whatever it was, it indicates that it is unlikely
that all the miracles that happened in the "Glinka" can
be attributed to myths.
Calendar of
Bruce, 1709.
Bruce frightened Muscovites even after his death. His
body was buried in the crypt at St. Michael's Lutheran Church in the German quarter, but every night the
lights in his observatory still came on. Muscovites said
that the spirit of the sorcerer was guarding his magic
book. By the way, according to legend, Bruce died as
unusually as he lived. It was rumored that the sorcerer
died accidently during one of his experiments in his
estate at Glinka. Rumor had it, that Bruce ordered his
servant to cut him to pieces and then pour the magic
elixir of eternal youth over them, made using a recipe from the very same book. The experiment almost
succeeded. But when the Count’s dismembered body
parts began to coalesce, Bruce’s wife stormed into the
lab, killed the servant and stole the elixir. After that the
dead man’s restless spirit moved into Sukharev Tower
along with his book...
In conclusion, in the words of Russian scientist Vladimir
Vernadsky regarding our character, "Bruce did not wait
for his biography; so we are still not clear about his real
role in the cultural and creative work of Russian society. In folk legend, this fine scholar of modern times
retains the image of a magician and an astrologer ... In
fact, Bruce was the first Russian observer, experimenter, and astronomer, for whom the historical data has
been preserved". ■
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
77
useful
info
Chamber of commerce and industry of the Russian Federation
Address: 109012 Moscow, St. Ilyinka, 6/1, bldg. 1
PH: +7 (495) 620 00 09
Fax: +7 (495) 620 03 60
http://www.tpprf.ru/en/
Department for Work with Foreign Legal Entities and their
Representative Offices
Ph: +7 (495) 620 02 14
Fax: +7 (495) 620 01 70
E-mail: daif@tpprf.ru
Ph: +7 (495) 620 02 62, 620 02 21
Fax: +7 (495) 620 01 70
E-mail: daif@tpprf.ru
Moscow Chamber of commerce and industry
Address: 38 Sharikopodshipnikovskaya Street, bldg. 1,
Moscow, 115088
Ph: +7 (499) 940 33 12
Fax: +7 (495) 675 03 16
E-mail: mostpp@mostpp.ru
Moscow Investment & Export Promotion Agency
Address: 2, Lobachevskogo st., Moscow 119415 Russia
Ph: +7 (495) 431 47 78
Fax: +7 (495) 431 47 78
E-mail: info@miepa.org;
http://www.miepa.org/en/
Main Administration for Service to the Diplomatic Corps
(GlavUpDK)
Address: 20 Prechistinka Street, Moscow, 119034
Ph: +7 (495) 637 31 71
Fax: +7 (495) 637 28 82
E-mail: info@updk.ru
http://www.updk.ru
78
CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
around the world
Since the beginning of 2013 Capital Ideas has been successfully presented at roadshows “Destination Moscow” held in London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Boston,
New York and many other cities around the world
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen!
We hope that you like Capital Ideas. Please give us your feedback and send us your
comments. This will all help to make Moscow a better place to work and live.
Sergo Kukhianidze, Editor in Chief
Write to Sergo Kukhianidze at sergomrk@mail.ru
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
79
MOSCOW VOCABULARY
This section of the magazine – “Moscow Vocabulary” – was created in honor of Ronald Reagan, who appeared to be a fan – and collector – of Russian proverbs and sayings. We would
like to guide you through the world of Russian idioms, which are just as bright and colorful.
ЯЗЫК ХОРОШО ПОДВЕШЕН – yazyk horosho podv’eshen.
(One’s tongue is hung well)
Explanation: Someone is a smooth talker
ШАПКАМИ ЗАКИДАЕМ – shapkami zakidayem.
(We’ll pelt you with our caps)
Explanation: We expect to win without difficulty
СЧИТАТЬ ВОРОН – schitat’ voron.
(To count the crows)
Explanation: To be bored
ТАНЦЕВАТЬ ОТ ПЕЧКИ – tantsevat’ ot pechki.
Pictures by Anastasia Saifulina
(To dance from the stove)
English equivalent: To begin with something that is elementary
СОН В РУКУ – son v ruku
(The dream has come into one’s hand)
English equivalent: Said of a dream that has come true
СМОТРЕТЬ КАК БАРАН НА НОВЫЕ ВОРОТА – smotret' kak baran na novyye vorota
(To look at someone or something like a ram at a new gate)
Explanation: To look quite lost
ПУШКОЙ НЕ ПРОШИБЕШЬ – pushkoy ne proshib’osh.
(You won’t breach it with a cannon-ball)
Explanation: To determine one’s aptitude
ПТИЧЬЕГО МОЛОКА НЕ ХВАТАЕТ – ptich’yego moloka ne khvatayet
(Someone lacks bird’s milk)
Explanation: A great abundance of everything
ПЕРЕЛОМИТЬ СЕБЯ – perelomit seb’a.
(To break oneself in two)
Explanation: To change one’s behavior, character, habits
НУЖЕН КАК ПРОШЛОГОДНИЙ СНЕГ – nuzhen kak proshlogodny sneg.
(As needed as last year’s snow)
Explanation: There’s no need to
ПУД СОЛИ СЪЕСТЬ – pud soli s’yest.
(To eat a pood (an old Russian unit of weight -16.38 kg) of salt with
someone)
English equivalent: To spend a long time together with someone
FACE TO FACE
LIFE&CULTURE
Moscow vacations:
between the beach
and Guiseppe Verdi
Moscow becomes empty in the summer. Late July-early August is the time most
Russians usually go on holiday. The theatre season ends and there are few guest
performers. Yet true lovers of music, dance, opera, cinema, theatre and art can still
find interesting things to do.
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F
our nights in a row in
mid-July, opera fans have
a chance to enjoy the immortal music of the genius
of Giuseppe Verdi at the
Bolshoi Theatre. And though the
play La Traviata is not new (the
production has been on stage for
over two years), avid theatregoers still certainly recommend to
get acquainted with this version
of the story of the courtesan Violetta. First of all, it is worth seeing
the brilliant opera singer Venera
Gimadieva – the soloist of the
Bolshoi Theatre and winner of
many international competitions.
She is young and very pretty. On
May 28, Venera turned 30. The
new star attracted attention a few
years ago at the premiere of The
Golden Cockerel by Rimsky-Korsakov, where she performed the
role Queen Shemakha. The second
success of Venera was Violetta in
La Traviata, after which the beautiful singer was invited to the London Covent Garden. By the way,
La Traviata was staged for the
first time at the Bolshoy Theatre
in 1858. In those times, the part of
Violetta was sang by such famous
opera primas as Antonina Nezhdanova and Galina Vishnevskaya.
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
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FACE TO FACE
LIFE&CULTURE
I
n July, another special gift is
prepared for true connoisseurs of opera. In the middle
of the month, the New Opera
Theatre stage will see a solo
concert of the world star Dmitri
Khvorostovsky – a singer whose
reputation speaks for itself. He can
be heard more often in London
and New York than in Moscow.
Therefore, fans of Dmitry catch
the luck by the tail – do not miss
your idol.
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CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
I
t is good to spend summer
weekends in Moscow parks.
Starting on May 1, the summer cinema "Summer time"
opened in the place of the
skating rink in the small but cozy
Hermitage Garden. It is a silent
cinema, and guests are provided
with headphones to listen to the
show. Films can be viewed directly in the open air, the inflatable
screen and ottomans for the viewers have settled on the green lawn.
A
nd in Muzeon Park,
which is located near the
Central House of Artists,
you can take not only a
walk among roses, but
also take a tour along the monumental sculptures of 1930s-1950s
and of a later Soviet period. Here
you will find the famous monument of the main Russian security
officer Felix Dzerzhinsky, who for
many years decorated the area in
front of the almighty KGB building.
This collection of monuments of
famous personalities from Pushkin to Stalin, from Lomonosov to
Lenin on such a small plot of land,
perhaps, is impossible to find anywhere else.
A
nother huge park on the
outskirts of the city –
Tsaritsyno – make an
impression on anyone
who visits for the first
time. First, by its scope. This park
and palace complex spreads over
an area of more than one hundred
hectares. The park was founded by
the order of Empress Catherine II.
The Empress was not mistaken.
The palace built in the pseudoGothic style amazingly fits into
the natural landscape. Tsaritsyno
is a regular venue for interesting
exhibitions – one of them, “Literature Museum: the memory of
the future”, will be held in July and
August. Here manuscripts, autographs and rare editions of books
by famous Russian writers and poets such as Nikolai Gogol and Aleksander Block, Sergei Yesenin and
Yuri Olesha are collected.
S
ummer will be over, and
as September sets in,
Moscow's cultural life will
revive markedly. A new
season will start in all
theatres. It promises a lot of the
premiers. One of them is planned
to be staged at the Vakhtangov
Theatre. In late April, the Director Vladimir Mirzoyev began to
rehearse the play Figaro. This is
not the first Figaro on the Moscow stage for the last five years.
This Beaumarchais hero endlessly
travels the city’s theatres. How
can one not remember the catch
phrase “Figaro here, Figaro there”?
But Mirzoev’s productions always
arouse interest of theatregoers.
Especially, because his new new
play stars his favorite talented actor Maxim Sukhanov.
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
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FACE TO FACE
LIFE&CULTURE
T
hose who missed out
on seeing the new Gargantua and Pantagruel
project directed by Moscow's Konstantin Bogomolov at the Theatre of Nations
in May and June because tickets
were sold out a month in advance
may get a chance to see the performance in the fall. This director
is not afraid of experiments, “introducing” in Rabelais’s narrative
songs by “Laskovy May” (Tender
May) and Mark Bernes, featuring
witty captions and close-ups of
the actors during performances
on big screens hanging above the
stage.
I
n September, the Tchaikovsky
Concert Hall will host a unique
concert of the Pyatnitsky State
Folk Choir. This truly iconic
musical group was established
over 100 years ago and has long
been the most successful guest artist from the USSR in the world. The
organizer of the first folk choir in
Russian history was a connoisseur
of singing art, a famous collector
of Russian folk songs Mitrofan Py-
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atnitsky (this year marks the 150th
anniversary of his birth). In the early
twentieth century, he travelled the
villages and settlements of the central part of Russia, listened to folk
singers and recorded them with
the phonograph. The first concert
of the choir he established, which
consisted of 18 peasant-singers,
took place in 1911 on the stage of
the Nobility Assembly in Moscow
(now the Pillar Hall of Unions). For
more than a century, the music library of the choir has accumulated a great many folk hits. Among
them are known to all from childhood Russian “Flying Ducks”, “Here
is someone walking down the hill”,
“Peddlers”, “Black Raven”, “Oh, it is
not the evening yet”, “Field, Dear
Field”, “From behind the island to
the midstream”, “Kalinka-Malinka” and many others. Totally over
4,000 hits!
A
nd circus lovers are offered
an interesting event – as
from September 10, the Circus on Vernadsky Prospekt
will host the World Circus
Festival “Idol 2014”. We expected arrival of the world circus legends and
young talents from different countries. For example, last year, Moscow
was visited by equilibrists from Hungary and Germany, bicycles acrobats
from China, musical clowns from
Spain, as well as the famous Italian
clown David Laribli. List of this year's
festival guests promises to be more
extensive.
I
n late September, a great delight awaits all fans of ballet – the State Kremlin Palace
will gather some of the most
talented dancers on its stage.
Kremlin Gala, a unique performance, will be held as part of the
project “Ballet Stars of the XXI Century”. The Swedish Royal Ballet, the
Paris National Opera, the Royal Ballet of London, Hamburg Ballet, New
York City Ballet, and, of course, the
Bolshoi Theatre will send their representatives. ■
July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
87
FOOD&DRINK
Moscow
there's always
Chef Jerome Coustillas, the holder
of a Michelin star, answered
questions for Capital Ideas
Not long ago, in the Slavyanskaya Square area, a new restaurant was opened by
Jerome & Patrice under the auspices of the GinzaProject company. Unlike other
projects, there is no gold and crystal to be seen, and everything is done in stark
moderation – bare plaster walls, shaded corners and nicely illuminated racks of bottles
of wine along the walls. However, the main "pearl" of the place is the French chef,
the owner of a Michelin star Jerome Coustillas. And he really is a "star"! Jerome has his
own restaurant, La-Colline on the Rubliyovo – Uspenskoyo highway with a completely
different menu than the one at Jerome & Patrice, and he has experience of working
in the famous Moscow restaurants of Le Duc and La Maree.
So, Jerome, let's start from the beginning. How long
have you lived and worked in Russia?
I left France a long time ago, about 16 years back. I have
already been living in Russia for 13 years. To be completely honest, initially I came here to work for the money. Russian restaurant owners have always paid me very
well. At first I thought about going to America, because
it's warm there, and there’s plenty of sun and money,
but I came to Moscow instead. And I don’t regret it at
all! The capital of Russia is a fantastic place, there's always something happening, everything is in motion, and
there is constantly something new going on.
So what was not enough for you at home in France?
It's a country with a great tradition and experience
in cooking. Perhaps it would have been worth honing your talent there?
You are right and wrong at the same time. France has
always been at the center of Europe, and so its "classical" cuisine took a little from each culture. Indeed,
French cuisine has become a real standard in the eyes
of the world, and all the chefs were honored to learn
from our chefs. We share cooking techniques with all
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CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
is a fantastic place,
something going on...
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FOOD&DRINK
chefs, so now many cuisines have a lot in common,
and the whole concept of a "national cuisine" is disappearing. I left France because I had learned everything
I could at home. I left because France has become
more like a museum. The people are living in the past,
not realizing that many things need to change...
But are you still a French chef?
I learned and grew to the standard of a chef in the traditional way: first, I washed dishes in the kitchen, then
became an assistant chef, then head of the cold storage room, sous chef, and later a chef in my own right.
Of course, this was all in different restaurants. Later, at
the invitation of Alain Ducasse, restaurateur and owner
of fine dining establishments, I worked in a restaurant
in the Hotel Warwick in Paris. That's where I got my
first Michelin star, and I was only 29 years old. So, am I
a French chef? No, rather, I am a chef of the world! I do
not have any special principle for creating dishes. I have
spent more than a quarter of a century in the kitchen
and I have seen practically everything. The food in Jerome & Patrice is in a large sense provincial, based on old
traditional recipes. Of course, I added a bit of modernity
to them, but all the basic things and preparation technology have remained unchanged. I also try to take new
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CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
trends into account while maintaining a traditional approach. That’s why the cerviche is made with Mediterranean sea bream, complemented with popcorn with a
taste of wasabi, and the black cod becomes black in the
truest sense because it is pre- marinated in cuttlefish ink.
Do you have problems with the quality of products
supplied to the restaurant? How do you deal with
these problems?
Of course, compared with France, the situation is not
easy. In France, many high quality products can be
bought at reasonable prices, and you can easily find
almost everything you need there. In Russia, we have
managed to solve most of the problems and find good
Russian suppliers. There are no problems today with
the supply of some products, such as vegetables and
fish. For my signature dish "Cock bourguignon" we
buy roosters on the market. But meat in Russia is a
serious problem. The meat here is awful!
The big difference between France and Russia is the
fact that in France, there are many family run restaurants, but here they are practically none. Everything is
expensive here. Property costs a lot of money to rent,
so they simply can’t survive here.
So what in your opinion separates the Russian public from the French, if we talk about taste?
There is a huge difference. Russians always want to
accurately and clearly understand what they are eating. The French don’t care what the dish is called or its
ingredients, only the taste is important to them. The
French prefer stronger flavors – spicy, salty, and sour.
The Russians prefer a milder taste, and more balanced product combination. What dishes do the Russians prefer to order? Crème brulee made from white
mushrooms, salad with scallops, monkfish with green
peppers, fried octopus ...
During my time living in Moscow, I have learned
Russian tastes well, and I understand what they like
and what they don’t like. So because I am working for the Russian public, I have adapted my menu.
Those who have worked with me know very well
that even after the first tasting, I start to understand what I want to achieve in the end. That’s why
the finished dish often has nothing in common with
what I try in the beginning. In any case, I'll continue to work on the menu and I am always thinking
about how I can please our guests with new dishes
and new tastes! ■
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FOOD&DRINK
I draw my
from Russian
cuisine ...
Is it possible to mix Russian and Italian cuisine? Italian chef
William Lamberti responds with a resounding: “of course!”
Lamberti was an accomplished chef in restaurants
in Florence: “Enoteca Pinchiorri (3"Michelin" stars);
the “Halkin” restaurant in London (the first Italian
restaurant in London to given a "Michelin" star).
He moved to Moscow in 1996, and began working
here with Arkady Novikov. He opened the "Pyramid"
restaurant, and organized the setting up of the "Grand
Opera" restaurant. In 2004 he was appointed chef at
the "Gallery" restaurant, and in 2005 became the chief
consultant for the kitchen in the “Café de Fauchon”
gastronomic boutique within the "Fauchon” outlet. This
was followed by Blackberry, “Balcony”, Buono, and the
position of head of brand at "ABC taste." In the summer
of 2011, he opened his own restaurant, the Lamberti at
Patriarch's Ponds: Uilliam's.
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inspiration
FOOD&DRINK
What kind of cuisine speaks to you the most as a
chef? And what you do you prefer to eat personally?
I can’t say which style of cooking is my favorite or
which I prefer the most. Firstly, I follow trends. I often
go on business trips to the U.S. and Europe. I study
the market, looking for something different that appeals to me. Currently, I'm interested in and fascinated by Australian cuisine. Not exactly the cuisine
itself, but how it is served and the general concept.
The ingredients are coarsely chopped, and there are
some slightly strange combinations of ingredients
and flavors. I myself am very fond of everything that
my wife cooks.
So, how about Russian cuisine? Is it possible to mix
Russian and Italian cuisine?
I like it very much. Just as from any other type of cooking, I draw inspiration from Russian cuisine. In none of
my restaurants do I ever adopt a purely Italian style of
cooking. Even if most of the time that is what I am expected to do, because I’m Italian. But if we talk about
mixing the styles, then certainly it is possible. Often
the dishes prove to be extremely interesting. Take, for
example, in Uilliam's restaurant, we have Borodinsky
risotto with Borodninsky bread crumbs. Is that not a
mix of Italian and Russian cuisine? But if we talk more
globally, things are not so simple or clear cut. These
days, in my opinion, the boundary between the cuisines of different countries has become very blurred.
Styles have become very blurred.
So, do you really believe that everything is all mixed
up now? What about individual national character?
When I started out, French cuisine was the fashion. Nobody had even heard of Spanish chefs, but
the French approach to cooking, such as "nouveau
cuisine" and French names were the most relevant
in those days. So I went to work in France, where
I studied cuisine and learned an understanding and
respect for the products and for small details. Let's
say, for example, that you're going to roast a duck
liver and it lies on the table for a couple of hours
at room temperature, waiting for it to be done. So
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CAPITAL IDEAS July-September 2014
when you cook it, it will turn out well. The problem
is that it has already started to oxidize, while lying in
the warmth and that isn’t good. Liver must be kept
lying in the refrigerator until the moment of cooking. Such small details create an understanding of
cooking. So "nouveau cuisine" is not so much a set of
some techniques. It is a state of mind. After gaining
this experience, I then began to move on with this
wealth of knowledge.
What is the priority for you, a healthy dish or its
taste?
I think people in Moscow just want to eat tasty food. If
we talk about the culture of food consumption, in Italy,
it is certainly much higher. There, we have families visit
restaurants, with grandmothers and great-grandmothers – it's just something that is done.
In all the years that you have lived here, have you
noticed any changes in the gastronomic culture of
Muscovites? How do they differ in their tastes compared to, say, Italians?
Much has changed over the years. The most important thing is that people have begun to travel more.
That is something that I’ve never thought about.
Where do you purchase ingredients for the restaurant from? All Moscow restaurateurs talk about the
problems of the supply of suitable products and
their quality...
We work with suppliers that we have already tested
by time, but there are certainly problems with them.
This problem is widespread. So, partially I buy products here, and the rest we bring in from Italy. For example, I am satisfied with the quality of Russian meat
and fish from certificated local suppliers. Personally,
I buy products from Dorogomilovsky market. Many
products, of course, do not compare in quality in comparison with Italy, but some here are quite good. For
example, you can always find a good Italian cheese or
Russian meat here.
Fashion is everywhere, including in cuisine. What is a
popular trend for the Moscow public now?
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FOOD&DRINK
They have tried different dishes and ingredients that
were strange at first sight. Our customers have become more demanding and started to become very
well-versed in gastronomy. Sometimes it is hard to
surprise a customer!
Do you go to restaurants yourself? What do you think
of Italian restaurants in Moscow restaurants?
Of course I go. I go in terms of a learning experience,
to see if something new has arrived. Also, I often go
to my friends' restaurants. There are some great restaurants here in Moscow serving Italian cuisine. As
for the Italian restaurants here, I know a few that are
even better than in my own country. Of course, the
chef is bound to be an Italian chef.
What ensures the success of a restaurant today:
the name of the chef, the owner's name or, above
all, the food?
I believe that it is a symbiosis. When a team runs like
clockwork, and loves what they do, the customers will
feel it. Of course, the name of the owner or the chef will
attract an audience. But the problem is primarily to keep
them coming, and this comes down to the well-coordinated work of the whole team.
Tell us about your new restaurant "Ugolek” and the
reasons for its immense popularity and success...
This was a very long-awaited project, even for us. Here,
everything was considered to the last detail. It seems
to me that the customers feel it as well. However, I am
never snooty. Success tells you only one thing; you have
to carry on working twice as hard.
What other restaurant concepts would you would
like to open in Moscow?
I have a few ideas, but they are still a secret! (He
laughed). ■
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July-September 2014 CAPITAL IDEAS
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MOSCOW: A COMFORTABLE CITY
TO LIVE IN