Lager, lager
While global warming is playing tricks with the weather, for many Muscovites, only two things can ease the suffering: cool shade and cold beer.
For maximum relief, the organizers of the Moscow beer festival decided to combine the two and turn the green expanses of the Luzhniki Stadium into an improvised beer garden. Swimming in the fountains is prohibited, but relief in the form of artificial rain is promised.
For the week-long festival, Russian and imported beer will be on sale along with various snacks at lowered prices. The ice arena will turn into a big restaurant where for an additional 25 rubles ($1) you can taste five different beer brands and cast your vote for the king of the Russian brews. There's also a lottery for a prize car, but with one and a half million visitors expected, chances of winning something are slim.
Concerts start every day at 5 p.m., but no superstars who might distract from the sacred activity of beer-drinking have been invited. As the festival director Anatoly Silin put it, "we want people to rest, not to leave their beer mugs and rush just to see some mummy trollies."
Pony rides and playgrounds should give kids something to do too other than watch their parents swill Baltika.
The beer festival runs from July 17 to July 25 from 11 a.m. to 10:30 pm. Entrance is free on weekdays, and 25 rubles on Saturdays and Sundays after 5 p.m. The stadium is at 24 Luzhnetskaya Nab. Tel. 201-0376. Metro: Sportivnaya.
- Anna Andreeva