Christie’s and Sothebys are well known among the Russian elite as places to pick up antique furniture, an artistic masterpiece or an original Pushkin
manuscript. Auctions are also an increasingly popular method of selling property in many countries. In Russia, however, those in the market would find it difficult to name just one recent property auction. This months issue of Real Estate Catalog looks in depth at the relatively undeveloped practice of auctioning residential real estate, and tries to find out why so little goes under the hammer. One of the city’s central parks will host the annual St. Andrew’s Society Stramash this weekend, with food, fun and music. If you look up at the sky, you may notice something different &mdash a large, yellow thing believed to be the sun, which is expected to remain above us all weekend. And where better to spend the last and possibly only rain-free weekend in August than at the St. Andrew’s Society Stramash in the middle of a central Moscow park. This society’s annual party taking place Saturday is, despite the name &mdash a Scottish word that roughly means “state of disturbance and confusion” &mdash a family affair, with lots of food, drink and local music groups playing. A ticket to the event will buy you a daylong supply of barbecue meat and salads provided by the Spanish-Mexican restaurant Navaros as well as wine, beer, Grouse Whisky and soft drinks, such as the inimitable and very Scottish, Irn-Bru.
“People often come because they know that the food is going to be really good,” said Esther Daniels, one of the event’s organizers.