Moscow

“The night belongs to the gay men of Moscow,” said a gay resident of Russia’s capital city. “It’s the only time we live our desires freely. Nobody can take that away.”

He’s referring to Moscow’s small but thriving group of gay bars. Some are familiar to just about everyone in the city, while other remain underground. And all of them are packed with men who need to blow off some steam — on the dance floor and otherwise.

Russian society has changed drastically this past decade. Moscow has one of the most vibrant nightlife scenes in the world, along with brand new shopping malls, expensive boutiques, and fancy restaurants. All this happened too quickly for some segments of society, and while Europe continues to break barriers in terms of gay civil rights, Russia has yet to extend some of the most basic protections to its gay citizens. So, while same-sex activity was decriminalized in 1993, the country's continued homophobia is no secret. Moscow's Gay Pride parade has been banned repeatedly, gay rights protests are met with violence from the police, and displays of the erect penis had to be removed from a gallery exhibition recently.

In May 2011 Moscow gay rights activists and far-right opponents clashed at a sixth attempt to hold a gay pride parade. It had been hoped that Moscow's new mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, would finally allow parades after years of offical refusal to grant permission. Activists were attacked as they raised rainbow flags and posters, and about 40 peope were detained by police who intervened. A separate gay activist meeting nearby was also broken up by police.

Nevertheless, pockets of acceptance exist and even flourish in the former communist empire, especially in the capital and in St Petersburg. As Gay.ru puts it, "with unmistakable Russian panache" they're making the most of it. This Russian/English website, (Gayly.ru is the other, in Rusiian) provides an amazing window into this complex, culturally rich, and intensely proud society, with which any reader of Pushkin, Tostoy, Dostoyevsky or Checkhov will have an acquaintance.

So never mind the "face control" and steep prices of the ritzy clubs. In cheaper gay discos, overflowing with gay and straight, mostly young unisex crowds; in the coffeehouse scene of artists, poets and musicians; in cruising areas called 'pleshkas' or in the hot steam of saunas you'll find surprising energy - in what Gay.ru calls this "city of genuine and sincere souls."

 

Getting here

International flights arrive at Sheremetyevo International Airport, 18 miles northwest of the center. Aeroexpress rail service from the airport to Belorussky Station in Moscow city center takes just 35 minutes, for about $10. Some hotels will get you directly from the airport to their doorstep. Aeroflot operates flights from most European cities, as well as from Canada and the United States.

Low cost airlines often come in at either Moscow-Vnukovo  or Domodedovo to the south. The Spanish airline Vueling, Berlin-based German Wings and British BMI are among those with the lowest airfares from around Europe. Aeroexpress high-speed rail links connect each ariport to downtown Moscow. From Vnukovo arrive at Kievsky Station; from Domodedovo go to Paveletsky Station.

 

Getting around

Moscow’s Metro is one of the best in the world, so don’t be afraid to use it when you’re investigating the city. Purchase a magnetic card that's good for any number of trips and insert it into the slot at the entrance. On the surface, buses, trams, and trolleys all use the same type of ticket, which you can buy at marked kiosks. The Metro closes between 1-5:30am, but many clubs stay open until around 6 or 7am - with after hours until 11am or noon.

 

Local Media

Queer is the glossy gay monthly magazine for all Russia (look for the КВИР logo in cyrillic), with website in Russian.

For good online sources of gay news and listings see Gay.ru  Another good site, Gayly.ru, is in Russian only, but links lead to English-language resources.

The Moscow Times, is a free English-language paper with information about the constantly changing club and restaurant scene, local news, and lots of useful advice on getting around. Website Expat.ru has a "survival guide" to Moscow in English, plus restaurant reviews and cultural events listings. Moscow.ru is another useful site, in six languages.

Many websites are Russian-only, but some are in English, especially those of hotels and restaurants. See url links at our maps and listings tab above. Moscow hotels with multi-lingual staff may be helpful with language difficulties, and they'll point you in the right direction.

 

Currency and Money

The ruble has been Russia’s currency for more than 500 years. There are ATMs around the center of the city, but they aren’t as common as elsewhere so you might want to keep a bit of cash on hand in case of emergency. Most larger hotels have currency exchange offices.

 

Top Experiences

The Bolshoi (Teatralnaya pl 1, City Center; Metro: Teatralnaya) fine opera all year, best ballet from September when world-touring stars return. See the website Internet Journal for an insider view of ballet and opera in Moscow, in English.

The Moscow State Circus is comprised of two separate branches: the Bolshoi, or Great Moscow Circus (prospekt Vernadskovo 7; Metro: Universitet), classic Russian style, known for clowns and animal acts; and the Circus Nikulin (Tsvetnoy bulvar 13; Metro: Tsvetnoy Bulvar), the "old circus," with acrobats, trapeze artists, jugglers, tightrope walkers, and performing animals. The Bolshoi website is Russian-only; see Circopedia.org for English-language notes.

St. Basil's Cathedral (Krasnaya Ploshchad -Red Square; Metro: Ploshchad Revolutsii) commissioned by Ivan the Terrible to commemorate the victory over the Golden Horde; the onion domes of spiraling colors are still the most distinctive icon of all Russia.

Pushkin Fine Arts Museum (ulitsa Volkhonka 12, Kropotkinskaya), six building of galleries, exhibits include the Troy Gold, top works by Van Gogh, Gauguin, Picasso, Dufrenoy and Matisse, plus the December Evenings of classics, among the music festivals here.

 

Gay Bars/Clubs

Clubs in Moscow come and go frequently, often leaving websites up. It's difficult for outsiders to know what's open. Even locals like Gay.ru can't keep up. Clubs below have recent confirmations, or current events listings, to be found in our maps and listings page, with website links. Non-Russian speakers will need a website translator --Google does okay.

12 Volt Club (ulitsa Tverskaya 12, building 4; Metro Tverskaya) lesbian-owned, straight-friendly cafe/bar, DJ music, food, pleasant vibe.

69 Club (ulitsa Rozanova 4; Metro Begovaya) six rooms, video lounge, dance floor; mixed crowd, theme parties, women's nights, drag, striptease; European and Japenese food, WiFi. Wednesday to Saturday 11pm to 6am, afterhours until 11am or noon.

Baza (Milyutinskiy pereulok 6; Metro Lubyanka) small mixed boisterous music and show pub with drag shows, nightly 11pm to 6am.

Central Station MSK (4 Yuzhniy proezd; Metro Komsomolskaya), old Three Monkeys at new venue, hot go-go dancers, foam parties, karaoke, drag cabaret shows, restaurant, guys under 23 get in free.

Chuba Bar - BVP (ulitsa Myasnitskaya 26a), friendly gay dance club, weekend afterhours until 10am, top DJs.

Nashe Cafe (Tverskaya 25/9), energetic dance crowd dances until dawn, drag shows, chill-out lounge for quieter moments. Women's bar Dyke Cafe also at this location with lounge, dancing and go-go girls.

PinkFly (Kostomarovsky, 3), women-only club, strippers, strict face-control at the door, dress-to-impress.

Propaganda (Bolshoi Zlatoustinskiy 7; Metro Kitay Gorod), mixed intimate lounge, small sunken dance floor, adjoining chill-out spaces; cosmopolitan, fashion-conscious mix of Russians, expats and tourists; 9pm to midnight warmup, then house/techo until 6am. Gayest for Sunday T-dances.

Secret (Nizhniy Susalnyj pereulok 7, Bldg 8; Metro Kurskaya), dance and show club, two dance floors, young mixed crowd, sexy go-go boys, drag shows, talent contests, food, nightly 11pm to 6am.

Sharm (ulitsa Dubininskaya 69; Metro Paveletskaya), two-level dance club, big dance floor, young male stripper shower show, dark room, dress & "face control" entry policy.

Tsifri (Digits) Cafe (Glinischevskiy Pereulok 3), weekday bar/cafe, Mexican and European food, weekend pop music dance club, sexy shows lin the later hours, near Metro Pushkinslaya, downtown. The former 9.1.1. Club.

Gay Saunas
Russian banya are basic, traditional features of life here, for the relief of all that ails a body, and the spirit too. Birch branch beatings, hot sweats and cold plunges, massage, and of course vodka have long figured in getting away from a frigid world; sometimes all-male, but often mixed. Villages had communal saunas, families often have their own, and city authorities of all regimes built them in every neighborhood. To explore a bit, off the beaten track, see a list of over 40 such Moscow establishments at the English-language website NewDosug

Traditional establishments are often discreetly sexual at the least, but for bathhouses similar to those in Europe and America, with a more blatant scene, the new gay saunas are your best bet.

Mayakovka Spa (Oruzheynyl pereulok 13, bldg.2), the first western-style gay sauna, under 24-year-olds free entry, bar, porn screenings, jacuzzi and steam room.

Nashe Spa (2-oi Paveleckij Proesd 5, C1), cruise maze, stripper stage shows, dance floor, bar, naked young waiters, dry sauna and steam, pool, massage: "any complexity/ for every taste."

Thermas Sauna (ulitsa Sadovaya Spasskaya 18/1), central location, pool, steam, solarium, restaurant/bar, private rooms, some commercial sex action.

Voda (Bolshoi Savinskiipereoulok 12, bldg 3), large, clean, popular facility; pool, workout area, steam and dry sauna; good-looking young crowd, sex in labyrinth and steams rooms.

Moscow Accomodations
General-public hotels/hostels with proximity to gay scene, wide range of prices.

Ararat Park Hyatt Hotel (Neglinnaya St 4, Meshchansky; 7-495-783-1234) world-class, residential style hotel in central Moscow, within immediate vicinity of Bolshoi Theatre, minutes walk from Red Square and central business district.

Comrade Hostel (Maroseyka St 11, 3rd fl; 7-495-628-3126) three minutes from metro in historic Kitai Gorod near Red Square and Moscow River; cafes, restaurants, stores and clubs. Refurbished 200 year-old building, dorm room bunk beds, free internet access, cozy common room, kitchen access.

Godzillas Hostel (Bolshoi Karetnyy 6; 7-495-699-4223) largest hostel in Moscow, English/American management, single, twin, triple rooms, 4-10 bed dorms; 24-hour reception, no curfew, internet cafe, multi-lingual, helpful staff.

Golden Apple Boutique Hotel (Malaya Dmitrovka 11; 7-495-980-7000), five-star, 92 rooms, elegant, comfortable; business facilities and health club 24 hours a day.

Hilton Moscow Leningradskaya (Kalanchevskaya St 21/40; 7-495-627-5550) in iconic Soviet era tower, renovated to Hilton standards, short walk to Leningradskiy Rail Station, easy access to Red Square and Kremlin.

Hotel Akvarel (Stoleshnikov Alley 12, Bldg 3; 7-495-502-9430), stylish business-class lodgings at center of cultural district; 23 pleasant and quiet rooms, each with satellite TV, internet and all amenities.

Hotel Budapest (Petrovskie Linii 2/18; 7-495-925-3050) at heart of Moscow in neo-classic building; near Red Square, St Basil's Cathedral, the Bolshoi, and Okhotny Riad shopping.

Napoleon Hostel (Maly Zlatoustinskiy St, Dom 2; 7-495-628-6695), in trendy Kitai Gorod district of cobblestone alleys, old merchant houses and tiny churches, 5 minutes walk from Red Square and  Kremlin. Friendly 24-hour multi-lingual staff for information, train and theater tickets, taxi assistance.

Nova House (Devyatkin pereulok 4, apt. 6; 7-495 623-4659) on quiet street, beautiful pre-revolutionary building in old Kitai Gorod preservation district, 4 minutes walk from Metro. Bicycles, internet access, common rooms, kitchen, staff assistance for travel and visa needs.

Trans-Siberian Hostel (Barashevskiy pereulok 12; 7-495 916-2030), Lonely Planet: "you won't find a private room at this price anywhere else in Central Moscow." Mixed 4, 6, 8 bed dorms, twins and triples, breakfast included, multi-lingual staff, full services, ten minutes walk from Kitai Gorod.

Restaurants and Cafes

Art Garbage / Zapasnik (Starosadsky pereulok 5; Metro: Kitay Gorod), Moscow Union of Artists' comfy nook off Kitai-Gorod, home-like setting, hearty eclectic food: meat and potatoes, buffalo wings, Mexican pancakes, pasta, chinese noodle dishes. Good desserts, reasonable prices, live music twice weekly.

Bookafe (Sadovaya-Samotyochnaya 13; Metro: Tsvetnoi Bulvar), intimate coffeeshop and bookstore, arts crowd, open all-hours; books on fashion, photography, architecture, gay erotic art in English, German and French. Food from sandwiches and snacks to crepes, pizzas and Fettuccini Alfredo; also breakfast.

Cafe Margarita (ulitsa Malaya Bronnaya 28; Metro: Mayakovskaya), warm, cozy, fun and unpretentious ambience; book-lined walls, and classically trained musicians play upbeat tunes. Full bar, Russian food with pan-Euro influences includes blini and borsch.

Cafe Pushkin (Tverskoy Blvd. 26A; Metro: Pushkinskaya) open around the clock for gourmet Mediterranean and Russian cuisine, breakfast, lunch and dinner; meat, fish, soups, salads and vegetarian; wine list, beer on tap, grand piano music, summer roof terrace.

Correa's (Bolshaya Ordynka Zamoskvorechie 40/2), Muscovite favorite from Puerto Rican-New Yorker chef Isaac Correa: fusion cuisine, rich aroma of fresh coffee, tomatoes, basil and olive oil. Also breakfast muffins, pancakes and cereals; veggie options, deli classics, great desserts; with five locations.

Darbar Restaurant (Leninsky prospekt 38, off Hotel Sputnik lobby), area's most authentic Indian food, reasonable prices, English-language menu.

Goodman Steakhouse (Novinsky bulvar 31, Barrikadnaya; Metro: Krasnopresnenskaya), classic American-style setting, low lighting, retro music, wall photos, leather couches; authentic, not inexpensive Australian and New Zealand beef steak; English-language menu.

Gorki (1st Tverskaya-Yamskaya St 3), plush old-style Soviet chic setting, Sicilian chef, Russian caviar and beef stroganoff, or Italian pastas, meat and fish; extensive dessert selections, good service.

Jagannath Vegetarian Restaurant (Kuznetsky Most St 1; Metro: Kuznetsky Most), funky cafe/buffet restaurant, predominantly vegan; health food store bulk items, moderate prices, scant English spoken.

Arkady Novikov heads a group with around 50 restaurants, each unique and specializing in a single concept or ethnic cuisine - critically acclaimed quality at commensurate price ranges. See their well designed  Novikov Group Engllish-language website for information on each one.

 

---

See St. Petersburg for listings in the old capital of the Czars, in our archive site.