August 1997 - the Opening of Jazz Cafe

Dmitry Shalya:
«In August 1997 "Ne spat!" ("Don't Sleep!") wrote: "In the centre of Moscow, on Ordynka, a new cafe has recently appeared bearing the same name. The "Cafe" owes its appearance to two citizens of Macedonia who own several others in the city, including the popular "011". The new establishment will most likely become a gathering spot for the capital's bohemia."
They hit the nail on the head. Jazz Café, under the leadership of Sinisha Lazarevich, became the city's main club in just about a month. It was here that the techniques underlying all the glamorous establishments of our city were first road-tested. At the entrance, standing like an unassailable cliff, was Misha the Yugoslav, deciding whom to spare and whom to condemn. The balance of Jazz Café's patrons was strictly maintained: a bit of bohemia (for the pathos), fifty fashion models (for the beauty) and lots and lots of respectable gentlemen (for the money). It was then that shoes became the main "in or out" criterion. The better the footwear, the higher your chances of getting onto the coveted dance floor. So importers of elite footwear ought to be grateful to Mr Lazarevich - it was at his prompting that their business turnover multiplied many times over.
That said, the promoters of Jazz Café did not forget about their own dear selves either. The average patron left 200-300 dollars here over an evening. The establishment flourished.
And it was not the only one. The late 90s turned out to be a golden time for Moscow clubs. People had lots of money. They spent it easily, without a second thought. Fat wads of banknotes were tossed across the bar counter, untold enriching the owners of the capital's fashionable establishments. And since "respectable" clubs were catastrophically few, while those wanting to get in were a dime a dozen, mighty face-control men sprang up at the doors of "Galereya", "Garazh" and "Giusto". Now even with a fat wallet, getting into an elite establishment was a problem. Club owners rubbed their hands with glee. They thought it would always be this way»...