Spearmint Rhino is an American chain and the new venue on Novy Arbat ?€” which celebrated its grand opening last weekend ?€” is its first club to open in Moscow.
The club offers grand-scale shows featuring 50 dancers, who management said were selected from among the city's best erotic dancers. And American dancers ?€” imported from Rhino Spearmint clubs in the United States ?€” are among the stars of the show.
Among the club's other attractions is the fact that Rhino Spearmint is surprisingly quiet and laid-back for a Moscow strip club ?€” and that it appears to be (at least for the moment) absent the flathead factor.
For now, the majority of the club's clientele are Western businessmen and harmless, if serious-looking, Russians, all of whom spend their time sipping beer and chatting with the dancers, who roam the club totally naked ?€” like so many modern-day Lady Godivas.
Located behind the Novy Arbat shopping mall, Spearmint Rhino isn't easy to spot, a fact that may end up working in the club's favor. After all, if the Metelitsa-going public ?€” with its fantasies of naked pop star Irina Saltykova dancing in its collective head ?€” fails to notice Spearmint Rhino, the club will be the better for it.
Cover: $20. 19/2 Novy Arbat (in the courtyard, through the arch). Metro Arbatskaya. Tel. 203-4614/9245/9607. 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Credit cards: all.
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.
Remind me later.