Beau-monde celebrates dacha season opening

‘I didn't have a dacha until I grew up and made a fortune. Then I bought a suburban house, which my family and I live in all year round," famous actor and showman Leonid Yarmolnik said during a party at the Dacha art gallery. Moscow's beau monde, invited to celebrate the opening of the dacha season, had come to watch a dacha fashion show presented by designers Viktoria Andreyanova and Oksana Yarmolnik.

Yarmolnik went on to say: "And I have a garden there, albeit a rather small one, where I grow onions, dill and radishes as well as apples, raspberries and lots of flowers."

"I haven't got a dacha at all," Andrei Grigoryev-Appolonov from the band Ivanushki-International, sadly lamented. "I haven't got a family, either. My life consists of performances, hotels and concerts and that's it."

Other celebrities at the party included rock-movement veteran Andrei Makarevich, television producer Kirill Legat, pop singer Irina Ponarovskaya, fashion designer Yelena Suprun, magician Yury Longo and owner of the World Class chain of sports clubs Olga Slutsker.

(by Dmitry Mozheitov)

Stars play cards

Popular TV host and former member of the band Neschastny Sluchai, Valdis Pelsh, recently became the lucky owner of a beer barrel and a gilded toilet seat. He received this precious bounty as the winner of the "Zolotoye Ochko" (Golden Blackjack) card championship played by a number of show-biz stars in the Caramel beer bar on June 7.

The turn-out was poor: Only eight stars responded to the appeal of the event's organizers. Those in attendance, however, represented nearly all areas of show business: from model and TV host Irina Dmitrakova to Theater of Satire actor Alexander Voyevodin.

The atmosphere of dim light, candles, card tables and abundant beer, the choice of the Olympic competition system and the choice of "Ochko" (the Russian name for "Black Jack") – all had passions running high in the bar throughout the night.

The highlight was the final game between Pelsh and TV host Lela Turubara. Spectators cheered Pelsh and made bets on him, which drove Turubara almost crazy. Suddenly, in the middle of the game, he leaped up and shouted "I can't win. She is a witch! She is using black magic to steal my victory."

Former TV host Tatyana Sudets, who was among the spectators, promptly came to his help: "Valdis, I'm with you," she cried. "I'm also a magician but I practice white magic. I'll help you!" Sudets was lavishly rewarded for her help: As usual, white forces finally defeated the black, and Pelsh presented her with his prize barrel of beer.

Turubara came second, followed by Irina Dmitrakova and Radio Chanson DJ Ksenia Strizh, tied in third place.

The tournament was organized by famous producer Sergei Knyazev, in an effort to call attention to what he believes is a genuinely Russian game and opposed to the massive expansion of Western games, such as roulette, Jackpot and others.

"Ochko is a popular Russian game with a long history. Even the Russian tsars enjoyed playing it in their free time," Knyazev said.

(By Dmitry Mozheitov)

Film director Savva Kulish dies

Famous movie director, scriptwriter, cameraman, Chairman of the Moscow Union of Cinematographers and President of the Moscow Guild of Film Directors, Savva Kulish, died of a stroke on June 9 at the age of 64, the Intermedia agency reported.

Kulish cannot be identified with any one school of moviemaking. He started his career as a member of the crew on the set of Mikhail Romm's famous "Ordinary Fascism" (1965). In 1968 he directed the "The Dead Season," which went down in the history of Russian cinema – a spy story presented not in the Soviet Union's usual heroic-patriotic way, but accentuating people's inner worlds and the values of human life, happiness and freedom of choice.

Throughout all of his creative life, Kulish never tired of repeating that spiritual values represent the foundation of any state. "It is hard to live in a country which does not have such a thing as a national idea," he said in one of his recent interviews. "Russia's national idea is rooted in its great, unshackled culture. But we are losing it and we should remember that restoring culture is more difficult than restoring the economy."

"In all of his works Kulish asserted the value of goodness," movie director and Kulish's close friend Anatoly Nikitin told the Echo of Moscow radio station.

His most famous works as director include "The Committee of 19" (1972), "Take-Off" (1979), "Stories… Stories… Stories from the Old Arbat" (1982), "Rock Tragedy" (1988), "The Iron Curtain" (1994) and "The Last Letter" (1996).

President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences to the relatives and friends of this outstanding film director.Savva Kulish will be buried at the Troyekurov Cemetery in Moscow, beside his father's grave.

Bezrukov family moves into a ‘high-energy' zone

Famous actor Sergei Bezrukov, particularly well-known for his theater role as Russia's famous 20th-century poet Sergei Yesenin, and as the only voice in the notorious NTV political satire show "Kukly,' has moved – with his family – to a new, freshly renovated apartment, the weekly 7 Dnei reported.

Actually, the Bezrukov family bought two neighboring apartments (a two-room and a one-room) and had them merged into a bigger one.

It is interesting to note that before the builders started, Irina invited an psychic and a Feng Shui specialist. The former measured the apartment's energy, found it to be remarkably high and advised which of the rooms was best for the child. The Feng Shui expert determined individual numbers and directions for each of the family members, and gave instructions on doorway positioning.

The family plans to throw a house-warming party in September.

Drive to the East

The band Prime-Minister, widely recognized as one of Russia's most stylish and professional bands, has put out a new album with the catchy title of "Drive to the East."

The presentation took place in the Moscow entertainment center Metelitsa and was hosted by the band's long-standing friend, famous showman Otar Kushanashvili. A flock of show-biz stars was in attendance, among them pop singers Nikolai Trubach and Murat Nasyrov and bands Tete-a-tete, A-Studio and J Power.

The party ran through the night. Prime-Minister entertained their guests with an inspiring live performance, featuring both new songs – "Dorogaya" (My Dear), "Ukrainskaya" (Ukrainian), "Angel," "Chyorno-bely dozhd" (Black-and-White Rain") – and old hits – "Vostochnaya" (Eastern) and "Zimni sad" (Winter Garden).

"I make no conjectures as to how long the band will last," producer Yevgeny Fridlyand said, concluding the party. "But I'm certain of one thing – the guys have yet to sing their best song, and real success is still ahead of them."