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The Morning Is Wiser Than the Evening
Интервью · 24.06.2008
By Анна Лекс
44100Hz continues introducing its readers to the "Persons and Characters of the Month". In May 2008 the portrait of Oleg Zotkin was named the best male photograph – a man who grew up in the club scene and a well-known organiser of morning after-parties. Oleg began his career at "A-club", after that he worked the door at the "Mix" club, then took charge of the Saturday parties there, and after Sergei Sergeev left, he took the post of art director. Today the legendary club on Novinsky is closed, and Oleg, wasting no time, is recreating the Mix atmosphere within the walls of the new bar-club Paparazzi.
44100Hz: Hi, Oleg! How did you spend the holidays, what did you get up to?
Олег Зоткин:
Hi! Wonderfully. I stayed in the emptied-out city. On Wednesday I worked, on Thursday I cruised around nighttime Moscow, on Friday and Saturday I worked. It turned out to be an interesting weekend. Lots of socialising, good music.
44100Hz: As far as we know, you work nights from Thursday to Saturday. What do you do in your free time away from promoter work?
Олег Зоткин:
We work only two nights a week, not counting holidays: Friday and Saturday. On Thursdays the bar hosts Arkady Air Slick's parties. Like all working people, in my free time I rest, sometimes actively, sometimes passively. But I try to make it varied. I think the most interesting kind of rest is travel.
44100Hz: How many years have you worked as a promoter? Have you held any other positions?
Олег Зоткин:
If I'm not mistaken, three years. I started with weekly parties at Mix, then became its art director, and after the club closed I worked, together with DeepmixMoscowRadio, at "Shanti" and Minibar. It should be noted that working at "Mix" taught us a lot; we had good teachers.
44100Hz: Tell us, how did you end up at "Mix"? And tell us in more detail what you did before that?
Олег Зоткин:
Before "Mix" I worked at A-Club as a bartender and manager, and at the Circus club as bar manager. At "A-Club" back then, Sergei Sergeev's parties were held on Thursdays, at one of which Matthew Herbert performed, for which they put up a chocolate monument to Sergeev. And the art director at Circus was Siniša Lazarević. My friend Denis Semirukhin, who's now been travelling around China for several years, I think, told me about the vacancy for a manager at "Mix". And Sergei Sergeev arranged an interview for me with the club's management and owners, which I passed successfully.
44100Hz: Can you recall the most shocking incident at the Mix club?
Олег Зоткин:
No, I can't. All sorts of things happened at "Mix". But probably the most shocking incident was the club's closing.
44100Hz: By what criteria did you judge whether to let a visitor into Mix or not?
Олег Зоткин:
Initially the approach was to chat with a potential guest to understand their intentions and mood. Accordingly, good intentions and a good mood were welcomed. Then appearance – after all, you can tell a candidate's range of interests from their clothes. Over time a group of regulars forms, who can bring friends and acquaintances along. At Paparazzi Bar guests are greeted on the same principle. Recently we turned away regulars and even acquaintances because of improper behaviour. Nothing personal.
44100Hz: What was the true reason for the Mix club's closing?
Олег Зоткин:
I already wrote about this after the club closed. But people still ask this question. The reason is that the owners decided to repurpose their business.
44100Hz: Do you know who now rents the premises on Novinsky?
Олег Зоткин:
No. Rumour has it, an insurance company. Honestly, it doesn't interest me.
44100Hz: Afterwards you did an after-party at Minibar, but the story didn't last long. What happened?
Олег Зоткин:
We have certain requirements for the place where we hold events. Paparazzi Bar meets those requirements to a greater degree.
44100Hz: Why do you always choose the smallest possible venues for after-parties? After all, there are plenty of people all over Moscow who want to keep the fun going after 5 a.m.
Олег Зоткин:
Not true, we don't always, and we don't choose them. After Minibar we were in a passive search. A mutual friend, Dmitry, introduced us to the owner of Paparazzi. After looking over the place and talking with the owner, we realised we liked this bar. And the main thing is our working hours, from 23:00 to 09:00, and I wouldn't claim that the format of our events is an after-party – people cruise around the city from one club to another, and they come to us too. What I like most is the time from opening until the moment the bar has the maximum number of visitors.
44100Hz: Now you've brought the after-party back to clubbers within the walls of Paparazzi Bar. Who's on the promoter team besides you?
Олег Зоткин:
The DeepmixMoscow parties are organised by the team of the Deepmix internet radio station. We don't have an exact staff roster, but it's Dima Zaginaylov, Dima Sorokin, Zhenya Zoller, Dima Izhevsky, Vasily Bvoice, Lega, Andrei Pushkarev, Katya Vanila, Maxim Grabke, Alexei Meshkov, Gorje Hewek and Sasha Chizh. As well as our designer Fyodor Miller. And also the photographers and partners: Mixtura.org and 44100.com. And also the whole PaparazziBar team: the owner, the management, the administration and the numerous staff. And our many friends! A huge thank you to everyone!
44100Hz: What guided you in choosing this venue?
Олег Зоткин:
First – comfort of the stay. Second – mutual understanding with the management. Third – a suitable technical base. Fourth – room for development. Fifth – location. Sixth – the kitchen and bar. Listed not in order of importance.
44100Hz: How much income does Paparazzi bring in over one night?
Олег Зоткин:
Trade secret.
44100Hz: What are the long-term plans for this project?
Олег Зоткин:
Yes, they're long-term, even far-reaching. Besides an additional programme of weekend events appearing, an evening programme will also be offered, daily. And of course various technical upgrades. The potential is there; time will report on the results.
44100Hz: What's the latest a party at Paparazzi has ever ended?
Олег Зоткин:
At ten. A couple of times. But I'm for strict adherence to the schedule.
44100Hz: How would you describe an after-party in three words?
Олег Зоткин:
I don't know. Party-party-party.
44100Hz: And in closing, three valuable pieces of advice for the residents of nighttime Moscow.
Олег Зоткин:
Love, be loved, travel more often. And thanks to 44100hz and everyone who voted for me!
We thank the "Sup" café for providing the venue and helping to organise the shoot.