In Moscow, New Barbershops Trim Away Old Notions Of Russian Masculinity

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One of the newest words in the Russian language — the English word barbershop — exudes sophistication and hipness. In Pomades, the shelves up front are full of the gels, waxes and oils that modern men use to coif themselves. There's a coffee bar, an old-school arcade video game, and in the back, five barber chairs. A haircut costs the equivalent of $17. Three-and-a-half years ago, Roman Bagadayev, 31, and his partner, Yevgeniya Tolmachyova, 29, started Pomades as an online shop for men's grooming products. That turned into a brick-and-mortar store, which then morphed into their first barbershop.

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"Moscow pushes people to do something," said Tolmachyova. "Everything here is very fast: people, traffic, business. So we're expanding. Now we have three barbershops." From its look and vibe, Pomades wouldn't be out of place in Brooklyn or downtown San Francisco. Despite chilly U.S.-Russian relations, Bagadayev says there's no contradiction, since all his customers have grown up on American movies, listen to American music and wear American clothing brands. "All Russians love American culture, actually," said Tolmachyova. "It's all about image. It's prestigious to have something from Western culture. It doesn't matter what it is: any brands, what you wear, what you eat." Muscovites are known for their trendiness — and it never takes very long for what's cool in New York or London to show up on the streets of the Russian capital.

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Until recently, Russian society took a narrow view of masculinity. Real men weren't supposed to worry about what they looked like, as over-attention to hair or skincare might raise suspicions. "In Russia, people are homophobic a bit," said Tolmachyova. "A Russian man starts taking care of his appearance – it's sometimes not socially approved." Now young people who never knew the conformism of the Soviet Union are developing their own styles.

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