Russia

[Butterfly Man]

Traveling through Russia in a coupla weeks and wanted to maybe check out acts in St. Petersburg and/or Moscow ...anyone know anything?

Jewels ... Dah or Nyet?

[Butterfly Man]

Since nobody gives a rats ass about my inquiry, then when I find out everything in about 5 hours when I land there ... I aint tellin shit to none of you scumbags ... by the way it was nice to see Mrs. Jones and that arrogant Flying Dutchman juggler down at the Dam Square yesterday

[Butterfly Man]

Overcharged and squeezed by blank faced, black laced, fast paced unsmiling faces.

Had my pockets picked in Nevsky prospect in SPb and rained on doing Arbat street in Moscow.

Anna Kornakova can kiss my ass.

[Gogolxxx]

If you are still alive Bobby then your doing well. Zipcode was when there and said it was one of the most dangerous place he's been to. I know people who speak russian fluently and they are scared to go there.

[Irina]

I just came back from Russia, it was freezingly cold, and the only "buskers" I saw on Nevsky Prospect in SPb were a couple of drunk dudes with a bear-cub, collecting tips "for honey"...I asked them if police gave them any grief, but they said they have an 'agreement" with the cops...I was born there,but I would not risk busking in Russia...and who needs Russian roubles anyway?

If you are in SPb in summer - you can look for Leo, the puppetier,who used to work in Central Park in 1990-1996.He's in Russia now, and he works in Summer Gardens on weekends when he's not booked for parties.

[Stretch]

15- Police viewed as biggest threat to foreigners in Moscow
----------
Moscow Times
"'[The police] have completely lost any idea of what the law is,'
Muradov quoted one of the survey's respondents as saying. 'And the
most amazing thing is that they don't think there is anything
wrong with that.'" (4/15/03)
http://www.free-market.net/rd/25521687.html

[Julia]

Well, talking from experience, Moscow is ok, just have to use common sence and remember this ain't Kansas Dorothy!
when in Russia, you have to behave like them abit. I guess, alittle arrogant, don't be afraid to bribe, and try not stand out, but if you do, and you probably will. then stand out alot, pretend to be stupid, thats always a good one, never bribe the cops more than 10$.
I performed on the street two summers in the road, in Moscow on Arbat, there are some performers there they are really nice, the once that do circular shows there areabout three groups who do circular shows, the break dancers, who don't really have it together yet, (or they didn't back then) a group that I worked with Kamikadze show, three people one who talks, one who does all the tricks (fakir stuff) and a drummer. there are also other people who start performing at 8pm by Vachtangov college, they are storytellers, very rude stories, but very funny if you understand russian.
apart from that a few misicians, one little girl acrobat portrait artists, also a pavement artist. well thats about it. the circular shows normally happen untill 8-9 after that its thestory tellers, people come to see them alot, and they are normally abit drunk, like a Dublin crowd sort of thing, or late night Edinburgh.
Well, thats my input.
Moral of the story is, you can make a living on the street in Russia/Moscow, but you'll have to live like them too.

later, Jewels