Will I get a nightclub for my birthday?

Businessman Umar Dzhabrailov gave fashion designer Olga Soldatova the nightclub Virus for her birthday. Dzhabrailov has nothing to do with the club any longer. "I've always liked Virus," Soldatova said, "but the night-crawlers haven't accepted its cold interior design... People couldn't stand the cold [atmosphere]. I'll approach the problem from a different angle and make the club into a warm place," she added.

Without waiting long, Soldatova gave the club a new name, Zvezda (Star), and, before launching the remodeling in question, threw a house-warming party to which she invited her best friends: Radio Maximum DJ Rita Mitrofanova, Hi-Fi band soloist Dmitry Fomin, famous transvestite-showman Fiery Lady and others. The party culminated in a fashion show, which hinted at the club's future design. Soldatova demonstrated her Summer 2001 collection featuring her favorite motifs: erotic bathing suits and bikinis and clothes styled after work-wear decorated with embroideries featuring Deineka's drawings and Soldatova's self-portrait.

(by Dmitry Mozheitov)

Vetlitskaya back from visit to Tibet

Pop singer Natalia Vetlitskaya spent three weeks touring around Tibet, visiting its monasteries, meditating and performing cleansing rites, the weekly Zhizn wrote. She made the journey at the advice of her relatives and friends who became concerned about her health. Vetlitskaya had been suffering from shock after her long-time bodyguard Dmitry Tuvin was murdered.

While in Tibet Vetlitskaya, folllowing the instructions of her personal Guru, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, abstained from meat and ate only Vedic foods sanctified at the statues of the Gods. To be exact, her diet was limited to modest servings, which she then largely gave to the monkeys that Tibetan monasteries keep as sacred animals, leaving very little for herself. The monkeys make use of their high status and, as a result, behave like professional beggars. People cannot refuse them because this may result in anger from the Gods.

Despite the hardships she encountered, Vetlitskaya returned to Moscow looking refreshed, feeling optimistic and in high spirits. She is now expecting her Guru to pay her a return visit.

Bedtime awards for adults

Pop singer "Bad Girl" Lika, vigorously wagging her hips and caressing herself, sang a song in which the most polite word was "ass." Pop singer and "Bad Boy" Oscar went even farther as he almost bared his ass for everybody to see, and journalist Andrei Cherkizov entertained the audience by artistically taking the false jaw out of his mouth.

The antics took place at the Postel 2000 (Bed 2000) annual ceremony, which awards the most outstanding sex-related achievements. This is the fourth time the weird contest has been held in Moscow.

These outstanding representative of gay culture, pop singer and dancer, Boris Moiseyev, winner in the "Long Sex Life" category, shamelessly displayed his expensive underwear. Boris Nemtsov ("Sex Politician"), meanwhile, was conspicuous by his absence.

Former soloist of pop band Blestyashchiye, Olga Orlova ("Sex Bomb"), who recently became a mother, entertained the public with songs. TV sports newsreader Yulia Bordovskikh ("Sex Symbol of Blue Screen"), who won after competing against Lelya Turubara and Yekaterina Andreyeva, consoled her unlucky rivals by wishing them success in the future. Predictably, Moscow's top male stripper Sergei Glushko (stage name Tarzan) had no equal in the "Macho" category and the Hi-Fi trio took home the "Gruppensex" award. Incidentally, the Postel Award was instituted by none other than State Duma Deputy Andrei Wolf.

(by Dmitry Mozheitov)

A Grandmaster's birthday

World chess champion Grandmaster Anatoly Karpov has turned 50. A high-profile event was held in the Bolshoi Theater for the occasion, attended by former president of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev and other politicians, government members and show-biz stars, the weekly Express-Gazeta reported.

President Vladimir Putin issued a decree awarding Karpov with a Third Degree "For Distinguished Service to the Motherland" Order, and the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexii II honored him with a Third Degree "St. Sergii of Radonezh" Order.

After the official ceremony and a concert, a narrow circle of 40 invitees celebrated in private. "I didn't expect it to go that well," Express-Gazeta quoted Karpov as saying. "I was greeted by so many people! And I received two major awards. I've never been honored like this. Greetings began to arrive at midnight – by telephone from my friends in France."

Famous ballerina Anastasia Volochkova was a participant in both parts of the event: First she greeted Karpov from Bolshoi Theater's stage and, then, in person, during the banquet. "We got acquainted quite recently when we were introduced to each other by a mutual friend," Volochkova told Express-Gazeta. "I'm happy that he has a lot of great friends and that he is surrounded today by truly famous personalities from the worlds of politics, business and arts. I would like to wish him to be always surrounded by kindness, light and intelligent people."

On the same day, Karpov presented his official Website at www.karpov.ru and invited everybody to visit it.