Support The Moscow Times!

City Nightclub Throws Putin Party

Bare-breasted women, celebrities and club promoters threw their support behind Prime Minister Vladimir Putin at a weekend lavish party.

"This is for Vladimir Vladimirovich, who is the coolest, the most respected man in all of Russia," organizer Andreas Lobzhanidze, clad in a pink shirt with Putin's picture on it framed by flowers, shouted to the crowd of some 2,000 at the trendy Moscow nightclub Rai on Sunday night.

Striptease dancers writhed with signs saying "I want the prime minister" as an electronic rendition of "Blueberry Hill" blasted out, a song now associated in Russia with Putin after he belted out the classic at a charity event in December.

Promoters said the party was to merely celebrate Putin — whose face wearing sunglasses was depicted on waiters' T-shirts — and not to ask him to run for president again.

"He's just so great. He is closer to the Russian people than any leader has ever been," pop singer and stylist Sergei Zverev said.

Behind him, young women poked their faces through a cardboard cut-out of a woman astride a motorbike with Putin.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov could not be reached for comment Monday, but he previously told the Russian media that the prime minister's image could not be used for commercial purposes, and that the nightclub had not sought permission to do this.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more