Birulevo forest park

Rumors of a dangerous district. That’s what Birulevo was known for. A place shrouded in mystery a place many Muscovites avoided. Birulevo was on the edge of Moscow. Two railway lines separated it. Life there was different. Even ten years ago people called it dangerous. Stories of thugs and violence were common. But things changed in other parts of Moscow. Birulevo remained the same. A local resident Anastasia barely noticed. She worked in central Moscow. She returned home too tired to explore. Another resident Nikael Bikua-Mfantse a member of the Russian national rowing team felt the same. He grew up in Birulevo. He longed to leave. He acknowledged the problems. He spoke of tension between locals and migrants. He mentioned a new park. Opened for locals it became a haven for migrants at night. A place where laws traditions and culture seemed to be ignored. He didn’t blame everything on migrants though. He said those born and raised in Birulevo weren’t angels either. Birulevo might appear ordinary. High-rise blocks grocery stores small buses to the subway. New cafes served ethnic food. Business boomed there. Why go to the city center when friends are nearby? Even policemen enjoyed the Azeri food. But tension remained. The cafe owner worried when things got heated. He couldn’t comprehend violence or carrying knives. That was a mountain tradition not a Moscow one. Yet some places in Birulevo were off-limits to Russians. A club where migrants gathered for parties. A bouncer a former prison guard controlled the entrance. Mostly Caucasian or Central Asian men were seen there along with their Slavic companions. On a Sunday night the club was full. The atmosphere was unlike modern Moscow. It resembled the wild 1990s street markets gangster shootouts bootleg alcohol. The guide checked drinks carefully. Many women seemed to work in the sex industry. Fights were common. The best advice was to stay low and avoid attention. Birulevo was not unique. Other parts of Moscow had immigrant communities. Police dealt with migrants squatting in abandoned buildings. Wealthier areas saw basement squatting. Crime statistics didn’t clearly show the cause. Petty thieves and pickpockets were the main offenders. Many Muscovites perceived non-Slavic appearance as migrant. Many held Russian citizenship from birth. Birulevo forest park. A place of contrasts. A place where a park offered some respite. A place where layers of Moscow society rarely mixed.