Naomi Campbell looking glamorous in Dolce & Gabbana at the Milan premiere of Valentino: The Last Emperor back in November last year.

Since relocating to Moscow, Naomi has been embracing all things Russian and the country seems to be embracing all things Naomi, having named her “Woman of the Year” in 2009 (Glamour Magazine Russia). Naomi's love for Russia has been so infectious that we at Swide have too been bitten by the bug. We look at Naomi's most beloved Russian spots from restaurants, to galleries and even live show acts.

Naomi on Russian Dining:
At Interview Magazine’s 40th anniversary party, Naomi shared that her favourite restaurant in Russia is none other than the posh, Café Pushkin. Café Pushkin is probably the most elegant 24-hour establishment in all of Moscow. For a model that constantly travels back and forth from several fashion capitals and through various time zones, a place like Pushkin can be considered a gold mine when hunger calls. The café is remarkably decorated like a 19th century mansion filled with antique furniture and ancient artefacts. The enchanting café offers five dining hall options: the ‘pharmacy’, ‘library’, ‘fireplace’, ‘cellar’ and the ‘summer terrace’.

The 'library' hall-Cafe Pushkin

Each room in the Pushkin captures a particular mood and serve different purposes. For example, the ‘library’ is filled with antique globes, telescopes and paintings The ‘library’ hall’s relaxing backdrop aims at “facilitating the fluidity of conversation” while at the same visually stimulating lovers of the old world, while the ‘fireplace’ hall in contrast is designed for celebration rather than profound discourses.

The 'fireplace' hall-Cafe Pushkin

Not only is the interior ancient, so is the food. For the most part, one can expect traditional Russian cuisine to be served like Russian dumplings, fish dishes, Kartosha (Russian dessert) amongst many delicatable others.

Visit Cafe Pushkin for more information and discover what has supermodel great, Naomi Campbell coming back for more.

Naomi & the Arts:

When in Moscow, the ancient Manezh Central Exhibition Hall should be included amongst the list of must-sees.The historic exhibition hall was actually mysteriously burned down in March 2004, but soon after was rebuilt to look exactly the same and flourish as it once had. In the past, the Manezh has hosted many famous exhibitions by internationally respected artists and most recently showed Naomi Campbell’s designer and friend, Diane Von Frustenberg’s exhibition, “Journey of Dress”, curated by Andre’ Leon Talley. 

Natalia Vodianova, Diane Von Frustenberg and Naomi Campbell.

Exterior of the Manezh Exhibition Hall

Snapping a quick pic, Naomi Campbell seems to be enjoying herself at the Manezh Exhibition Hall.

When in Moscow, be sure to visit the culturally rich, Manezh Central Exhibition Hall. For a schedule of exhibitions, visit the Manezh Central Exhibitional Hall website.

Naomi & Soulful entertainmentl:

Since moving to Moscow, Naomi has been on the scene attending exhibitions, but also live performances. Naomi was spotted enjoying herself with her boyfriend, Doronin, at the Evdokimov show-performance where semi-nude men in elaborate hair and makeup mimic famous American pop divas.The Daily Mail reported that Naomi was so impressed with the performance that she actually asked to have a DVD autographed by the show’s main performer, Anatoliy Evdokimov.
Evdokimov recalls his memorable performance for Naomi:

“When I sang Tina Turner's “Simply the Best”, Naomi and Vladislav started to dance. I couldn't take my eyes of them. It turned out that Tina is Campbell's favourite singer”.

 Elegant restaurants and serious art exhibitions are all good fun, but there's nothing quite like witnessing an eye-popping, good ol’ drag show.

Check out Evdokimov’s website for a complete list of upcoming performances.

 Timaj Alwan

Source & Photo credit: Various