NIGHT LIFE IN MOSCOW

Evening Star, Issue 21724, 19 May 1934, Page 26

NIGHT LIFE IN MOSCOW

AMUSEMENT CRAZE ''•Now that the rigours of the first Five-year Plan have somewhat abated a craving for amusement is becoming more and more pronounced in Moscow. There is something of the same psychological Jet-down that made the first years of the Now Economic Policy, immediately after the horrors and hardships of the civil war, a period of much revelry, Moscow’s still very meagre organised " night life ” centres in the Hotel Metropolc, where throngs gather to drink champagne and to dance around a circular fountain in the centre of' the huge dining room every night before the “ free day.” (The Gth, 12th, ISth, 24th, and 30th of every month are observed as general holidays in the Soviet Union.) The Metropolc prices arc expensive, and nothing is left off the hill, even the privilege of taking one of the toy balloons which are attached to every table, wrapping a bit of Gaming paper about the string, and sending off the balloon to . explode .somewhere in midair, which .is the main diversion on .such occasions. Dress still remains rather shabby at the Metropolc turn-outs; and a dinner jacket, to say nothing of more formal clothes, usually heralds the presence uf a junior diplomat. Tho Muscovites are fond of the circus, and tho sawdust-covered arena of the Moscow circus draws its crowd of enthusiastic spectators every night. Tho solo suggestion of propaganda is apt to come from the dialogue of two clowns, who appear in grotesque costumes, with one trouser Jeg vastly longer than tho other and other misfits to match. They then proceed to crack jokes about the failings of tho Soviet clothing industry, softened by a constructive exhortation at the end to the workers to strive for better quality. '■ The opera, the theatres, and cinemas arc other sources of entertainment. The opera house has adopted an innovation in reserving almost all the best seats for udarniki ”of various State enterprises, so that it is difficult for tho casual citizen to gain admittance. 'The udarniki is literally a shock brigade worker; hut the term also covers engineers, employees, students, and others who are credited with performing meritorious work. The traditional Russian winter sports, skating and ski-ing, arc extremely popular. Far more people participate in outdoor spor.ts than was the case before the war, and the long skating rink at the chief Moscow park is crowded every night, while ski-jng contests and races are also very common.