1995 – the performances «Washed Windows» and «Underwear for Africa» at the Hermitage

Andrei Bartenev:
«Sveta Vickers took all the kids under her wing, and at her place we did several completely crazy New Year performances, utterly hooligan ones. Things like «Washed Windows», for instance. At the time I was making my first sketches for the «Underwear for Africa» project, and we, probably for the first time, showed naked men in Moscow with some kind of sticks sticking out where their genitals should be. People were unbelievably happy».

1995-1996 - Andrei Bartenev's performances at the «Titanic»
Andrei Bartenev:
«At first Oleg Tsodikov very cautiously invited me to do something. But then we found our rhythm and began putting on regular performances with fabulous budgets. They paid for everything — production, running costs, the performers. We would sign contracts stating that we would show a performance for a certain period only at the «Titanic». It was always New Year, Tatiana's Day, the Eighth of March...
I only lasted at the «Titanic» thanks to Tsodikov and Krivoshein, their extraordinarily trusting attitude towards me. They would say: «You feel this is right? Then do it!».
It was at the «Titanic» that I met Kostrov, and from 1995 on he wrote the music for all my performances. At first he was very easy to work with. Then, around 1998, it got harder. At first Oleg was in the sort of mood where he'd tell me «Anyone can write cheerful music» — in response to my requests to make something a bit more upbeat. When in 2002 I needed sad music, he'd declare: «Anyone can write sad music». There was always some kind of mutual attraction between us, but somehow our moods never quite matched. And yet the most brilliant music for my performances and ballets was written precisely by him».