'Without him, Russian New York will no longer be the same': the writer said what killed the 'Russian samovar'

The Russian Samovar, which has operated in Manhattan since 86, went bankrupt. The creators of the restaurant, along with art historian Roman Kaplan, were Joseph Brodsky and Mikhail Baryshnikov. The establishment owed about 200 thousands of dollars to the landlord. Meanwhile, once the institution was a New York legend, and all those who came from Russia were in a hurry to look there.

Writer Alexander Genis recalls the most famous Russian restaurant in America in an interview with the TV channel “Rain".

Alexander, please tell us how in recent years the Russian Samovar restaurant existed, which seems absolute to us? .. It is impossible for it to be closed, because this is such a monument of actually Russian culture.

First of all, it is not necessary to bury him, because the fact that the restaurant has declared itself bankrupt does not mean that it is closing. On the contrary, American laws give him a year to solve a problem with debts. And I very much hope that this problem will be solved. Not the first time the restaurant is experiencing difficulties. Once the building burned, there was a fire. Everything was, and it still exists and still attracts the immense attention of all Russians, no matter where they live.

I heard you talk about him in the past tense, but it is not. Until now, every Russian who comes, he is a Muscovite or anywhere else, always asks me to take him to Samovar. For some reason, the Metropolitan Museum isn’t asked to be reduced, but in the Samovar for sure. Everyone wants to know where Brodsky was sitting, which is not difficult, because a picture of Brodsky hangs right above this corner table.

Over the years - and I was at the opening of this restaurant, I know the whole history of "Samovar" very well and am very friendly with its owner. Wrong to call him master. Roman Kaplan is the soul of a restaurant; it is not the same as the owner. He goes around each table and drinks a glass with each. This is an absolutely incredible sight, because Roman bypasses his possessions, like Santa Claus, you know, there is such a wonderful feature in him - the ability to cheer up.

And in this restaurant, of course, food is not the main thing, although it is very tasty, I will tell you this as the author of several cookbooks. But the main thing, of course, is the atmosphere, the main thing is the guests. You always feel among your own. You know, I was thinking today, what the Samovar reminds me of, and I came up with a comparison with a thick Russian magazine. Here in my time there was such a party - the readers of "New World" or the readers of "Youth". These were people who, even without knowing each other, all belonged to the same circle. And this is how you can talk about the restaurant "Samovar".

But this does not mean that only the Russians were there. It's not like that at all. Anyone came there, and there were enough celebrities there. Once I was sitting in a restaurant, and at the next table sat two people who seemed familiar to me. Indeed, one was Norman Miller, and the other was Milos Forman, and they sat with gorgeous blondes, drank vodka, chatted and had a terrible fun. Another time Philip Roth was sitting at the next table, here I could not restrain myself, came up and met. He said that they did not feed better anywhere.

Explain to me then. The restaurant is booming, its legend and biography is amazing, the brand is the strongest. And while he is bankrupt. What is the reason?

With real estate. All restaurants, everything in the world is connected with real estate. The restaurant is located on a completely amazing place, this is the center of Broadway theaters, this is the place that attracts the whole world. It is, in general, the capital of humanity. And, of course, real estate there costs incredible money. And this restaurant, which occupies a house, an ordinary-looking house, small, low, is generally incomprehensible how it still lived there, because on the site of this house you can build a skyscraper of a hundred floors. Every millimeter of Manhattan real estate costs a lot of money, and the fact that Samovar managed to survive in this situation is a feat.

I really hope that he will be able to continue his existence. It seems to me, you know, when it closes, it will be a black day of Russian history, because the Russian emigration could not create viable organizations. Perhaps “Samovar” is the only public organization that has existed for so long, not one, but two or even three generations of Russians, I meet in this “Samovar”. Without it, New York, Russian New York will not be the same. This, of course, is a tragic story, if it closes, but I really hope that he somehow gets out.

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