Vladimir Kuzmin presents his new girlfriend

Shattering rumors about his attempts to reunite with his former common-law wife and living legend of Russia's pop stage Alla Pugacheva, rock singer Vladimir Kuzmin made a "public presentation" of his new girlfriend, the weekly Zhizn reported.

The "presentation" took place in the entertainment center Kristall during the Alexander Popov Awards ceremony. Named after the inventor of the radio, it awards the best radio hosts and the best hit-producers and performers.

Unlike many who left shortly after receiving their prizes, Kuzmin stayed until the end, pointedly demonstrating his self-assurance and satisfaction, particularly with the presence of a young, blond beauty beside him. Incidentally, this was the first time after his divorce with actress Vera Sotnikova that Kuzmin has appeared with a female companion in public.

"This is my girlfriend, Katya," Kuzmin said introducing the young woman to a Zhizn correspondent. "We met last summer in Anapa on the Black Sea coast. I was vacationing there with my band and Katyusha was there with her parents. First she approached me for an autograph…"

Before leaving Anapa, I invited her to visit me in Moscow. And she came …" Kuzmin went on to say.

"I was born in the Republic of Tatarstan," the 19-year-old beauty told Zhizn. "But unlike some provincials I'm not afraid of Moscow and have no inferiority complexes.

"And I'm not embarrassed about the age gap between Vladimir and me either. I have never had any doubts about the honesty and decency of his intentions. A person who writes such wonderful songs simply cannot be evil. Currently we live together in the countryside house he acquired last year."

Scrapping an old saxophone for a new one is like parting with your beloved

Famous jazzman Alexei Kozlov has appeared on the stage with a new saxophone, the weekly 7 Dnei reported. Changing a saxophone is a big deal for a saxophonist. "Taking a different saxophone," Kozlov told 7 Dnei, "feels like dumping your long-standing life partner for the sake of a new infatuation."

For Kozlov, the "new infatuation" turned out to be a Keilwerth worth almost $3,000. The instrument is truly fascinating, with gold-plating and dark engraving.

As 7 Dnei has managed to find out, Kozlov is Russia's sole owner of a Keilwerth saxophone.

Mumiy Troll: A fresh spirit of Eurovision 2001

The band Mumiy Troll band represented Russia at the Eurovision 2001 song contest in Copenhagen, the weekly 7 Dnei reported. That was the decision of a special secret jury of eight composed according to the rules set by the European Broadcasting Union. Now that the contest is history, the jury's composition can be made public: composer Igor Matviyenko, showman Valdis Pelsh, ballet dancer Nikolai Tsiskaridze, DJ Groove, Radio Maximum host Rita Mitrofanova, actress Maria Shukshina, MTV host Yana Churikova and Olympic calisthenics champion Yulia Barsukova.

The head of the German delegation confessed that he was very glad to see a rock band entering the somewhat conservative contest, and that this rock band came from Russia.

A widely expressed opinion was that the appearance of a rock band would infuse a fresh spirit into the pop-dominated contest and representatives of Germany, Lithuania and Malta pledged to vote for the Russian band. At the same time, everybody acknowledged that Mumiy Troll was "out of the Eurovision format," to say the least.

Eventually, Mumiy Troll wound up in 12th place. Though far from impressive, the result preserves Russia's participation quota for Eurovision 2002. If the ranking had been under 16, Russia would have forfeited the right to send its representatives to the contest in next year's installment.

As a band from Estonia topped the contest's rating list, Eurovision 2002 will take place in Tallinn.

Pavel Bure: Hockey player-cum-businessman

Famous hockey player Pavel Bure, 30, seems to have decided to settle in Russia for a long time to come, the weekly Zhizn wrote. He has bought a luxurious apartment in Moscow's southwestern area and is busy furnishing it.

Moreover, citing reliable sources, Zhizn reports Bure has developed some far-reaching business plans in Russia, in particular to set up a chain of fast food in Moscow that will be called Rostiks. However, not he – but his mother – will reportedly be the boss.

Evil tongues hurried to spread the gossip that the "Russian rocket" is under his mother's thumb and that she effectively controls every step or move of his, including even his private life. Rumormongers say she persistently advised him to "pay attention" to the daughter of famous singer Iosif Kobzon, Natasha.

One way or another, in an interview with Zhizn, Bure confessed that he was not going to marry in the foreseeable future. "Thirty is far from a critical age, especially for a man," Bure said. [Bure turned 30 on March 31, 2001] "In fact, 30 is a wonderful age. Why? Speak to me again when I'm 40 and I'll tell you."

As for hockey, Bure has decided to take a long break. "I'm very tired and I received a number of serious traumas in the last year," Bure told Zhizn. "Besides, I've fulfilled my minimum program. I took part in the 1998 Olympic Games and I've beaten the record of 60 goals in a season. Now I have every right to take a rest."

In late May Bure plans to throw a huge party in Moscow to celebrate his "wonderful age" where he wants to see nearly all the show-biz stars of Moscow.

"Most of the stars are my personal friends and they have promised to come. Now I'm busy looking for a good place for it," Bure added.

Olga Orlova is no longer pregnant

Famous show-biz star, socialite and former soloist of the band Blestyashchiye Olga Orlova has given birth to a boy weighing 3.72 kilos and 51 cm tall, the weekly 7 Dnei reported.

For the occasion, Orlova's husband and the owner of nightclub Gryozy, Alexander Karmanov presented his wife with an antique ring. And he named the newborn boy Artyom.

Karmanov drove his wife and his son to their freshly remodeled apartment from the maternity hospital.

Ever heard of freedom of speech?

One of The Russia Journal and LifeStyle's most avid readers, former Moscow Times editor Matt Bivens, is at it again. Bivens – who has written several articles about The Russia Journal and has cooperated with alternative paper the eXile on several stories related to RJ – has threatened to take The Russia Journal to court for reporting comments made by his former co-workers at the Times.

It all stems from an April 13 item that appeared in Lifestyle's gossip column. The story reported the antics of Bivens' close friend Matt Taibbi of the eXile in a pie attack on New York Times bureau chief Michael Wines.

The story also pointed out that the eXile had previously threatened physical attack on other journalists, including those at the Moscow Times. According to staff at the Times, Bivens had often cooperated with the eXile, getting the alternative paper to make life miserable for people Bivens didn't like.

The LifeStyle story said that "it was not known whether Bivens had participated in the baking of the pie or selection of Wines." In a possible case of protesting too much, Bivens sent a letter (in Russian) to RJ, saying that the "article ends with the mocking conclusion about lack of evidence of my supposed participation in preparing the pie and in choosing whom it was to be thrown at, although I had supposedly participated in smear attacks against The Russia Journal in the past." Bivens goes on to deny that he cooperated with the eXile on any stories.

In his letter to RJ, Bivens said that if a retraction were not written, he would be forced to "take action" against RJ, and he gave The Moscow Times' office as his return address. Because of the strange wording of the letter, LifeStyle called MT to see if Bivens had really sent it, a courtesy, by the way, that Bivens never offered RJ when he used his paper to attack us, or when he used the eXile to take personal shots at his own staff members or other journalists, according to his "close friends." Also, it appeared strange that the letter was dated April 24 but was only dumped at RJ's door on May 23. However, MT did, in fact, acknowledge it had sent the letter to RJ.

According to an eXile insider, Bivens also got the eXile to write a story protesting that LifeStyle had "slandered" him and persuaded Taibbi not to react to a full-page diatribe he published titled "No more crocodile tears for the Times."

In his letter to RJ, Bivens, who co-workers say "worships" Taibbi, said that to associate him with the eXile would harm his reputation. Taibbi, however, in the past has insisted to The Russia Journal that he and Bivens were close friends.