Passport magazine: Russian lifestyle
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Cover Story

Birthday Bash at the Ritz!
By Lipner
Photos by Alex Zhukov

As far as birthdays go, a fourth is a little like throwing a party for a child who has no experience and no real comprehension of the world around him. But a magazine at four years? A miracle! Like restaurants in most cities, four years makes you an institution!

Passport Magazine couldn’t watch the fourth birthday go by without a grand celebration of attaining a certain status in the boom and bust world of magazine publications in Moscow; a city that not only never sleeps, but requires those who want to prove something, to prove it over and over again and to shout to the world – I’m still in the running here!

Publisher John Ortega, adventurous expat that he has always been, didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to celebrate the unique success of his uniquely interesting magazine. He has seen it all during the almost four years he has been at the helm of a survivor in the pack of English-language magazines and newspapers that have come – and then gone, during the conception, birth and growth of his Passport enterprise. If John was to rate his magazine as he does his wines at his monthly wine tasting for the gatherings of friendly expat wine lovers, he would say without hesitation – “It’s a five! I love this magazine!”

Linda Lippner and John Ortega

Teri Lindeberg and Michelle Moore

Vera Mityaeva, Ekaterina Kholopova
and Andrey Davydov

Luc Jones with colleagues

Rajeev Agarwal and Anna Kulyagina

Julia Evdokimova and George Voloshin

Ernesto Arteaga, Dr. Andre Koboloff and Stanislav Leontiev

John Bonar, Ram Kumar and John Ortega

Charles Borden introducing folk dancers

Timur Beslangurov, Daniel Stanic, Michael Wheller, Paul Sutton and Robert Norton

John Ortega and Hans Koeleman

Jon Hellevig

A gathering of contributors, loyal advertisers, staff members and friends and supporters of Passport joined John Ortega at the Ritz Carlton as he hosted a spectacular fete to usher in a fifth year of Passport with heartfelt wishes for many more years of Passport to serve the needs, both of business and pleasure, of the English-speaking community in Moscow. And all celebration aside, Passport, does serve a need. We expats do want to know what is up with our compatriots in this great and exciting city. We do want to find out where we can go to have a good time, or an excellent meal with top-rated wines or to catch a good show at the Bolshoi, at the International House of Music, or at B-1 Maximum. We want to know where to take our kids on a Saturday afternoon, or where we might go for an excursion outside the city, or even outside the country. But our main interest is the past, present, and future of Moscow, this changing city that we live in. Passport serves us best when it gives us a glimpse into the mores, the history and the future of our adopted city. Great articles about the changing scene in Moscow real estate, Moscow business trends, Moscow fashion and culture – and Moscow traffic! Great articles about the history of its art and articles about its history!

What better way to celebrate everything that Passport means to us than at the newest, most luxurious international hotel in Moscow, the Ritz Carlton on Tverskaya. Fine wines, personally chosen by John Ortega, music and dance performances, an elegant buffet dinner and good conversation, all contributed to an evening that allowed Passport fans in attendance to say, “Thank you, John Ortega!” John was the perfect host, meeting and greeting, giving away door prizes and wonderful bags of guest goodies as party favors. He was the host with the most as he introduced practically everyone there who had ever had anything to do with Passport and asked them to say a few words. We all did say a few words which summed up what we all were thinking - Great Job, John, and Happy Birthday Passport!

When Passport Magazine first made an appearance at Moscow’s bars, hotels, restaurants and business centers, few would have believed that four years later, not only would the publi cation still be going strong, but in fact going from strength to strength. And what a place to celebrate the recently opened Ritz-Carlton Hotel. One hundred lucky guests ranging from advertisers, contributors and close friends of John Ortega whose Passport magazine has given us a good read every month with articles ranging from the serious to the light-hearted. Passport will no doubt continue to be enjoyed by newcomers to Moscow, by old timers, and by Russians and expatriates – anyone who wants to read about Moscow.

Best wishes for the next four years!
Luc Jones
Partner, Antal International Ltd.

“Show Me Your Passport”

Moscow: perspiration, inspiration and frustration in equal measure, and adding up to 150% . The city where ‘chaos’ and ‘reliable’ are somehow synonyms. “Nyet – it is Russian Law” is both the mantra for nothing doing and a catalyst for action. The city that invented The 5 Year Plan n ow works on 5 minute futures. Where the Metro runs to the second but on the roads you can count the delays in hours.

Amid the babble, where is the Rosetta stone to decode the zeitgeist? Easy! Passport passes on all its understanding: from Soviet party art to the art of partying, oenology to zoology, bargains to BBQs, all is expertly and “expatly” explained. The magazine is essential, and the Passport people are vital, in every sense.

Long life to you all and thank you.
Ross Hunter
Headmaster of the International English School

Dmitry Pinski and John Ortega

Herman Gewert, Jon Hellevig, Stephan Andersson and Andrey Davydov

Robert Courtney

John Bonar, Ross and Sue Hunter

Daniel Klein

John Roche and Eddie Meszaros

Milka Kresoja and Slobodan Sokic

Saqib Shaikh and John Ortega

Christina Ratishvili

Tatiana Tchernozoub and Timur Beslangurov

Ludmilla Sapavosky and Ruslan Sapovsky

Kim Balaschak and Dr. Andre Kobuloff

Maxim Mokeyev, Taviroj Songkumpol and Somchai Sangchant







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