Not so squeezable at the moment

Actress Amalia Mordvinova continues to work despite being seven months pregnant, according to 7 Dnei. She is rehearsing the main part in the play "Ne o solovyakh" ("Not of Nightingales"), scheduled to premiere in the Mayakovsky Theater. A rod was removed from the railing that is part of the stage decor, so that she could gracefully squeeze through it as in the past. Together with her husband Alexander Goldansky, by the way, Amalia has founded a repertory company called "Goldansky Theater Business." It will produce its first play this fall, after Amalia returns from the United States where she plans to go to give birth to her baby. The play will be Amalia’s debut as stage director.

Putin ain’t nuthin’ but a hound dog

Journalist and activist Valeria Novodvorskaya was the highlight of an Elvis Presley memorial show held in a Moscow nightclubs the other day, according to Komsomolskaya Pravda. Leader of the Economic Freedom Party Konstantin Borovoi, also attended, showing his bad ear and poor command of English performing a song from Presley’s repertoire. Valeria rushed to the stage, dragging Na-Na producer Barry Alibasov after her, grabbed the microphone and sang the song to the accompaniment of the band Mister-Twister, leaving Alibasov no choice but to beat time. After that she suggested that her performance be recorded and played twice a day on the radio at the times when the old-new Russian anthem is played, just to spite Vladimir Putin.

Cake for NTV

The NTV television company threw a party to mark its seventh anniversary. Three rooms in the Metropol restaurant were booked to seat over 1,000 invitees. Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov arrived together with sculptor Zurab Tseretely to say "Happy Birthday" to NTV. Pop star Philip Kirkorov wore a green sweater — the color of NTV logo. The highlight of the party was a 50-kg cake with the chocolate letters NTV on the top and a candle for every year that the network has been on the air.

New adventures in Hi-Fi

Contrary to persistent rumors, the trio Hi-Fi has not fallen apart and is preparing to release a new album, according to the band’s official Website at www.hifigroup.ru. The album is being recorded in the Orbita studio and will be available at stores in mid-February. It will soon be possible to download some of the new songs from Website. On Jan. 16, the band, together with its producer Eric Chanturia, returned from Tunis, where they gave concerts as part of the "Week of Russia.

Baskov is a lady’s man

The celebrated young opera tenor Nikolai Baskov has tied the knot. The wedding party was held on Jan. 27 in the Metropol restaurant and, according to Zhizn, cost $500,000 according to the most modest estimates. Three hundred guests, among them Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, State Duma Speaker Gennady Seleznev and pop star Alla Pugacheva, attended. There is not much information available about the bride, except that her name is Svetlana and that she is a 20-year-old third-year student at the Moscow State University’s Department of Law. Zhizn wrote that she showed determination and was not scared off by rumors about Nikolai’s non-traditional sexual orientation and her father’s disapproval. Her father, Boris Shpigel, is the head of the pharmaceutical company Biotek and Nikolai’s producer. He heard Baskov sing at one of Moscow’s high-life parties, was captivated by his voice, and immediately offered his patronage. He hadn’t expected that his daughter would grow that fond of Baskov. Zhizn reports that he suffered a heart attack shortly before the wedding. But this did not prevent him from making arrangements for a first-class party.

New passion for Korolyova?

It’s no secret that the marriage of Natasha Korolyova and Igor Nikolayev has long since gone wrong. The Dolphin and the Mermaid do not live together. But, according to Komsomolskaya Pravda, Natasha is no victim. Rumor has it she has fallen in love with a high-ranking official from Ukraine, causing Nikolayev a lot of pain and suffering. Natasha does not flaunt her new passion, but meets with her beloved secretly when she happens to be in Ukraine. It is also rumored that she is pregnant. The gossip mills also suggest that Nikolayev and Korolyova have finished dividing their property, with Igor retaining the apartment in Moscow and Natasha the dacha in Krekshino.

Not for the bulky driver

Pop-singer and songwriter Dmitry Malikov has decided to try his hand at producing, according to Zhizn. For his debut, he chose the Volgograd band Plazma. Bandleaders Roman Chernitsyn and Max Postelny are fans of Modern Talking, their songs are all in English and Chernitsyn’s voice is very reminiscent of that of Thomas Anders. Malikov gathered all his friends for a presentation of Plazma’s new album, Take My Love. The highlight of the party was a contest for the best performance of the album’s main song. It was claimed that the prize would be a Mercedes car. However, during the final awarding ceremony it turned out that only a 50-cm long toy car was meant, not the genuine article.