Cabare Shum

A bar in the Writers' Quarter of St. Petersburg, located in the building where Vladimir Mayakovsky lived, serves as a gathering place for various city communities, bringing people together over drinks and conversations, all within close proximity to the arts, from performances to concerts.

The "Cabaret SHUM" bar opened near the Writers' Quarter, at 52 Mayakovsky Street, where Vladimir Mayakovsky lived from 1915 to 1918. Interestingly (or perhaps coincidentally?), the poet is the author of the poem "Shumiki, shumy i shumishi" ("Little Noises, Noises, and Big Noises"). Mayakovsky's room was a kind of club where friends would have late-night discussions about contemporary art, its role, and its purpose. The "Cabaret SHUM" bar has become a similar space for its guests.

The cabaret genre has a historical and organic connection to St. Petersburg: cabarets like "Podval Brodyachey Sobaki" ("The Stray Dog's Cellar"), "Priv al Komedianov" ("The Comedians' Rest Stop"), and "Lukomorye" were artistic centers in the early 20th century. At the "Cabaret SHUM" bar, the program varies depending on the day of the week. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, there are poetry slams, lectures (e.g., on Soviet modernism in St. Petersburg architecture), meetings of a book club, or Go tournaments. Fridays and Saturdays feature live concerts: improvised performances take place on the "Cabaret SHUM" stage with Vanya Vasin ("Kirpichi"), Pavel Artemyev (ARTEMIEV), actors from the MDT Theater, the Theater of Europe, "Masterskaya," FULCRO, and Olga Meganskaya, former lead singer of VIA GRA, and Pavel Polukhutenko, a teacher of supplementary school education.

The weekly "Theatrical SHUM" program, in collaboration with independent Russian theaters and creative collectives, features creative meetings at "Cabaret SHUM" with recipients of the Russian National "Golden Mask" award (Semen Alexandrovsky, Boris Pavlovich, Vsevolod Lisovsky, and others), monologues, and play readings.

The interior design of "Cabaret SHUM" is by Kira Grishina, the creator of the best bookstore in the country, "Podpisnye izdaniya," the legendary "Solyanka" club (Moscow), and the "Dom byta" bar (St. Petersburg). Following the traditions of historical cabarets, SHUM decorates its space with works by contemporary artists. For example, in the spring, the bar hosted an exhibition in collaboration with MYTH Gallery, featuring a series of works by Vadim Mikhailov, a participant in group exhibitions at the TsSI "Vinzavod" and the "Rikter" space, as well as ready-mades by Alina Glazun, a participant in exhibitions at the MMOMA museum and the Tretyakov Gallery. In the summer, street artist Viktor Zabuga created a series of works for a solo exhibition titled "Klyaksy" ("Blots") specifically for "Cabaret SHUM." Until November 27, an exhibition titled "AHE through the keyhole," in collaboration with the Engineering Theater AHE, is on display in all four rooms of the bar.

Within the space of the "Cabaret SHUM" bar, there is a side project – the "Lilya" bar, named after Lilya Brik.

"Cabaret SHUM" bar: Wednesday - Thursday: 6:00 PM - 12:00 AM Friday - Saturday: 6:00 PM - 3:00 AM