I Love Vasily

On this day 15 years ago, I was standing at a street in Moscow holding a sign, which read I love Vasily. How did that happen?

In 1994 I spent some months in Moscow, trying to learn their beautiful language. At 6 p.m. on weekdays, I spun the dial of my tiny transistor radio to 104.7 - home of Radio 7 and the show Vasily's Neighborhood, hosted by Vasily Strelnikov. I've never heard another show alike again. I was literally chained to the loudspeaker.

Every evening the listeners could win a t-shirt in a contest, requiring to recognise 4 tunes, the original artists and the ones in the recordings played. I did not even have to try.

Nevertheless, my opportunity came, when Vasily announced that the show will participate in Moscow's first ever St. Patrick’s Day parade. Everyone holding a sign saying I love Vasily would get a free Vasily's Neighborhood t-shirt.

All I had was a lot of time, a legal pad, duct tape and coloured pencils. My hand hurt like hell, when I had finished my poster.

The parade was on Sunday on Moscow's Kalinin prospect. Nowadays it's called New Arbat street. I was there quite early and went to the beginning of the street. I still remember that I bought some ice cream from a nice lady while walking down that street.

There were quite some people along the street, but nobody was holding a poster. But as soon as the parade started, hundreds of posters appeared like out of nowhere. Also mine.

My luck was, that for once I was early. Vasily was there but he had only 50 t-shirts. I grabbed one of the last.

By the way, picture 8, 9 & 12 are from Moscow's first St. Patrick’s Day parade.



Vasily's blog.