0:00:02 > 0:00:05Since communism collapsed in Russia, anything can be bought and sold.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10Including sex.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13Wow! It's enormous!
0:00:13 > 0:00:17- Welcome!- The super-rich have been running wild
0:00:17 > 0:00:21and the high-class Russian call girl is now a global icon.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28But is there another, darker side to sex in Russia?
0:00:28 > 0:00:29Nice to meet you. I'm Stacey.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32'Where there's poverty, desperation
0:00:32 > 0:00:35'and a government at war with some of its own people.'
0:00:35 > 0:00:40It's like to swim in the shit to use a prostitute.
0:00:40 > 0:00:45'Just how glamorous is the high life of the sex industry's winners?'
0:00:45 > 0:00:48Oh, wow! Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!
0:00:50 > 0:00:53'And why is life so tough for its losers?'
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Oh, my God, this is ropey!
0:01:07 > 0:01:11'I'm in the suburbs of St Petersburg, in the west of Russia.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15'Inside this tower block is a world that few of us ever get to see.'
0:01:21 > 0:01:24'Behind this door is one of the city's secret brothels.'
0:01:45 > 0:01:46(OK, OK.)
0:02:00 > 0:02:03(Hide in that corner.)
0:02:03 > 0:02:07'Even to get this close has taken weeks of negotiation.'
0:02:11 > 0:02:12(Is it OK?)
0:02:14 > 0:02:16(I can come? Thank you.)
0:02:21 > 0:02:23(Thank you.)
0:02:23 > 0:02:25(Hey.)
0:02:25 > 0:02:28'Prostitution is illegal in Russia.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32'Running a brothel can get you five years.'
0:02:33 > 0:02:35Hello.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37You OK?
0:02:37 > 0:02:39STACEY CHUCKLES
0:02:39 > 0:02:42How was...how was your client?
0:02:42 > 0:02:44THEY SPEAK OWN LANGUAGE
0:02:50 > 0:02:52STACEY LAUGHS
0:02:52 > 0:02:54PHONE RINGS
0:02:54 > 0:02:57'There is no pimp or gang in charge here.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02'The women each pay towards the rent and a security guard.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04'The rest of the money they earn is theirs.'
0:03:04 > 0:03:06Oh!
0:03:06 > 0:03:08Hello! You look amazing!
0:03:09 > 0:03:12'But the collapse in the value of the Russian rouble
0:03:12 > 0:03:14'over the last year has been bad for business.'
0:03:14 > 0:03:16You OK?
0:03:16 > 0:03:21'On a good night, Natalia, one of four women working here,
0:03:21 > 0:03:23'can service up to ten men.'
0:03:30 > 0:03:33Does that mean you've had to lower your prices?
0:03:39 > 0:03:41PHONE RINGS
0:03:41 > 0:03:43How much have you made tonight?
0:03:45 > 0:03:47- Less than 100.- Really?- Mm.
0:03:49 > 0:03:50Can I have a quick look around?
0:03:50 > 0:03:52(I'll be really quiet.)
0:03:54 > 0:03:58- There's no-one around here, so you can go around.- Can I?- Mm-hm.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02'Ivana, the brothel's resident dominatrix, shows me around.'
0:04:14 > 0:04:15Oh, my God, this is ropey!
0:04:17 > 0:04:19Not very soundproof.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23So, often, you'll be in this bed
0:04:23 > 0:04:26and your pal will be in that bed and you can hear each other?
0:04:27 > 0:04:30Oooh! That's not a bit awkward sometimes?
0:04:43 > 0:04:48I mean, the girls are in high spirits, but this is so grim.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51They've got this...
0:04:51 > 0:04:53for privacy.
0:04:53 > 0:04:58And sometimes they're making ten quid, 11 quid.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02'The girls can only afford one security guard per shift.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05'But even with Boris on duty, it's still dangerous work.'
0:05:15 > 0:05:16Really?
0:05:18 > 0:05:20What weapons?
0:05:34 > 0:05:38And what's your relationship like with the police? Do they not help?
0:05:47 > 0:05:50Thank you. I'm going to go. I'll see you again.
0:05:50 > 0:05:55'President Putin wants places like this wiped off the map.'
0:05:55 > 0:05:57Thank you!
0:06:00 > 0:06:03His rule now has the blessing of the Russian Orthodox Church,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06which is right behind his crackdown on Western vices.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12And St Petersburg, Russia's most liberal and open city,
0:06:12 > 0:06:14has plenty of them.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17To the left of me, there's a sign, "Relax,"
0:06:17 > 0:06:19giving me a telephone number.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22Another one here, directly behind me, "Relax For Men."
0:06:22 > 0:06:25To my right-hand side, another one.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29I've made films about sex workers all over the world
0:06:29 > 0:06:31and I've never really seen this before.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33I feel like it's quite exclusive.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36In other parts of Russia, it's not quite so obvious.
0:06:36 > 0:06:37Here in St Petersburg,
0:06:37 > 0:06:40it does feel like the streets are paved with prostitution.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47These numbers all lead to brothels.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53'But some girls have to work without even the security
0:06:53 > 0:06:55'a place like that can offer.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58'They work in St Petersburg's frozen streets.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03'I'm out here with a couple of volunteers
0:07:03 > 0:07:06'from one of the only charities that helps prostitutes.'
0:07:09 > 0:07:11So, Natasha, what have you handed over there?
0:07:14 > 0:07:16And since the financial crisis,
0:07:16 > 0:07:18has there been a change out here on the streets?
0:07:27 > 0:07:29'Natasha reckons there are around
0:07:29 > 0:07:31'three million prostitutes in Russia.'
0:07:32 > 0:07:34Hello! How are you?
0:07:35 > 0:07:37Nice to meet you. I'm Stacey.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39Has it been busy? Have you had any clients?
0:07:42 > 0:07:45- Three or four.- Oh. And what were they asking for?
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Do you know these guys?
0:08:02 > 0:08:03Are you OK? Do you want to move?
0:08:08 > 0:08:10My posh van(!)
0:08:16 > 0:08:18Tell me your prices.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23That seems...
0:08:24 > 0:08:26THEY LAUGH
0:08:26 > 0:08:30She asks, if you would make a blowjob, how many would you charge?
0:08:30 > 0:08:32I'd be charging more than that, I can tell you.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38- You'd be fine on the streets. - You reckon? Yeah.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40Some eyeliner and a pair of boots.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43THEY LAUGH
0:08:46 > 0:08:47What's happening?
0:08:51 > 0:08:53Stop it! Where?
0:09:05 > 0:09:08It's crazy. And that happened just across the road?
0:09:13 > 0:09:16And that's completely standard, that normally happens?
0:09:17 > 0:09:20Yeah? Do you have to pay police?
0:09:22 > 0:09:24How much?
0:09:26 > 0:09:29So, every time you come out and work the streets,
0:09:29 > 0:09:32you have to pay a police officer 500 roubles?
0:09:38 > 0:09:41And so, what do the police do for that money? Do they protect you?
0:09:45 > 0:09:47No?
0:09:47 > 0:09:49So, what does that money do?
0:09:54 > 0:09:57I just think it's insane that such corruption exists
0:09:57 > 0:09:59here, on the street.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01THEY LAUGH
0:10:03 > 0:10:05That's so unfair.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10Just to keep them out of the way, keep them quiet?
0:10:16 > 0:10:20So she's off. That's client number five just for tonight.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24And she hasn't even made 40 quid yet.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34'Several other girls also tell me that they
0:10:34 > 0:10:37'have to pay the police every night.'
0:10:41 > 0:10:44It's so frustrating that the government's moral crackdown
0:10:44 > 0:10:47means the police get to extort more money in bribes.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51'I can't put this to the police directly,
0:10:51 > 0:10:53'because it would endanger the girls.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57'So instead, I'm going to visit President Putin's right-hand man
0:10:57 > 0:10:58'here in St Petersburg.'
0:10:59 > 0:11:03- Hello.- Hello. - Deputy Milonov, how do you do?
0:11:03 > 0:11:05'Deputy Vitaly Milonov is an MP,
0:11:05 > 0:11:10'an Orthodox priest and a protege of the president.'
0:11:10 > 0:11:15Can I ask you, very simply, why are you so anti-prostitution?
0:11:15 > 0:11:20I mean, the war on prostitution has failed spectacularly.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22In Russia, in the Soviet Union,
0:11:22 > 0:11:25we were very effective by fighting prostitution.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27You want to go back to the Soviet Union time?
0:11:27 > 0:11:31I want to take the good tradition of effective fight with these,
0:11:31 > 0:11:35er...with these signs of a wild world.
0:11:35 > 0:11:40With all of that said, would it surprise you if I told you that
0:11:40 > 0:11:45I've had conversations with numerous prostitutes on the streets
0:11:45 > 0:11:46and they have all told me,
0:11:46 > 0:11:50every single one of them have told me that they have to pay
0:11:50 > 0:11:53the police 500 roubles
0:11:53 > 0:11:58to be able to be left alone to work as they wish?
0:11:58 > 0:12:01Er...I think that those policemen
0:12:01 > 0:12:04who take bribes are disgusting persons.
0:12:04 > 0:12:10Absolutely. And I don't want to give any words of mercy to them.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14They...they have to be punished for a longer period of time
0:12:14 > 0:12:16than the prostitutes, of course.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19Do you think you sound a bit out of touch?
0:12:20 > 0:12:22- Er...I think...- With the real world?
0:12:22 > 0:12:26No. They put themselves out of, er...
0:12:26 > 0:12:28out of, er...law, you know.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31They put themselves on the dark side.
0:12:33 > 0:12:34If they want help, OK,
0:12:34 > 0:12:39they need to tell that they're not going to do it any more.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42This is the only chance to receive the government help.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46- Do you think it's that simple? - Yes.- You do?- Yeah.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48Can I ask, when was the last time you were out on the streets
0:12:48 > 0:12:52talking to prostitutes and trying to understand their trail of thought
0:12:52 > 0:12:53and their world and their reality?
0:12:53 > 0:12:59Last time, I kicked out the door of a whorehouse
0:12:59 > 0:13:04and took all the prostitutes out of there on the street and...
0:13:04 > 0:13:05How's that effective?
0:13:05 > 0:13:08You don't think it's more complicated than that?
0:13:08 > 0:13:10It's a sign of a modern world,
0:13:10 > 0:13:15"Oh, they've been psychologically damaged,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18"that's they why they choose to become a prostitute."
0:13:18 > 0:13:19OK, they're not...
0:13:19 > 0:13:24Someone has chosen to become a murderer, someone has...
0:13:24 > 0:13:26I think there's a significant difference
0:13:26 > 0:13:29between a murderer and a prostitute.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32- Oh, it's the same.- It's the same? - It's the same. It's the same.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34- It's the same, is it? - It's the same.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38- And if you want to legalise one sin, you can legalise another sin.- Right.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40So you heard it here, guys,
0:13:40 > 0:13:42prostitutes are exactly the same as murderers...
0:13:42 > 0:13:44Don't become...
0:13:44 > 0:13:47- I didn't... I said that... - You did.- That one...
0:13:47 > 0:13:50That to be a prostitute, to be homosexual,
0:13:50 > 0:13:56to be a, you know, to steal some goods in the store, it's the same.
0:13:56 > 0:14:02And our attitude towards the sin is the same. It cannot be legalised.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06You talk about them like they're outlaws! They are humans.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08They are your Russian fellow citizens.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12It's like you demonise them, like you demonise other minority groups.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14- No, I'm not demonising. - You definitely are.- No, no.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18They are doing... They're going the wrong way.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20You know, it's dirty.
0:14:20 > 0:14:25It's like to swim in the shit to use a prostitute.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27- In your opinion.- Yeah.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29In the opinion of a majority of Russians.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32That's scary, if that's true.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34Well, at least they know that...
0:14:34 > 0:14:37Yeah, you're coming and... SHE LAUGHS
0:14:37 > 0:14:40..you're never going to truly be able to help them
0:14:40 > 0:14:45in the way that you perhaps should as, um...somebody of authority.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48- But I will leave you to it, OK? - OK.- Thank you, Milonov.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52Thanks so much.
0:14:52 > 0:14:53You take care.
0:14:53 > 0:14:58I do appreciate and respect an individual as a human being.
0:14:58 > 0:15:03- No, you don't.- I do respect a human being, but not his sins.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07The only way to help him is to clear him out of his sin.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10- This is the only way... - That'll help, yeah(!)- Yeah.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12OK, Milonov, thanks ever so much.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15- I'll see you later.- Yeah.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25'Milonov's war on prostitution
0:15:25 > 0:15:27'is firmly aimed at the low end of the market.'
0:15:30 > 0:15:33But there's another world that is seemingly immune to the new moral crusades.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39These women cater exclusively to Russia's rich elite.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56The gateway to this world is online.
0:16:04 > 0:16:10Oooh! OK, so this girl, standard traditional services,
0:16:10 > 0:16:13striptease, anal sex.
0:16:13 > 0:16:18Ah! Strap-on, anal fisting, in brackets, to you.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22So I don't think she's up for being fisted,
0:16:22 > 0:16:24but she's more than happy to fist yours.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26SHE LAUGHS
0:16:26 > 0:16:30Her price is 2,000 roubles an hour.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36No, 20,000. 20,000?! That's about £200.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40A whole night is 70,000.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42That's about £700.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47She describes herself as the best in St Petersburg
0:16:47 > 0:16:50and there's a load of prostitutes in St Petersburg.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52Yeah, for sure, this is the one that I want to see.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54This is who I want to meet.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01Avrora is 24, born the same year the Soviet Union fell apart.
0:17:01 > 0:17:06'She grew up as a flashy new Russia started to emerge, of oligarchs,
0:17:06 > 0:17:09'self-indulgence and absolutely luxury.'
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Don't she look amazing?
0:17:15 > 0:17:19'Every month, she hires a top professional photographer
0:17:19 > 0:17:21'to take new pictures for her website.'
0:17:23 > 0:17:26It's freezing cold, but I don't think that's an issue,
0:17:26 > 0:17:31because your boobs always look better when it's a bit chilly.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38It feels like she's very much calling the shots.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40She's directing the whole thing.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43Which I think is kind of cool.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46You know, it's for her website, she's her own boss.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49'Even though prostitution is illegal,
0:17:49 > 0:17:51'the high-class escort has a loophole.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55'She's not paid for sex, she's paid for her time.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58'What she chooses to do with it, in theory, is her own business.'
0:17:58 > 0:18:01She's a grafter, all right. It's freezing, it's so cold!
0:18:03 > 0:18:05Cold? No? It's normal?
0:18:05 > 0:18:08It's not cold?
0:18:12 > 0:18:15- Have you given the builders a wave? - I don't know.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17THEY LAUGH
0:18:17 > 0:18:20- A free- ad. Yeah, a free advert, yeah. Free advert.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23- We need to get you, like, a billboard.- Yeah.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32So many young women I know would love to make a living like this,
0:18:32 > 0:18:35posing in front of the camera.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39The thing that's more difficult perhaps to get your head around
0:18:39 > 0:18:41is that you've then got to go and have sex with strange men.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52'But at least four nights a week, that's exactly what Avrora does.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55'Straight after the shoot, she's off to see a client.'
0:18:56 > 0:18:59- So, you start work at 5.30? - Ah, yeah.
0:19:06 > 0:19:11- Oh, OK. She is also a sex worker, a high-class escort?- Yeah.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15And the hotel that we are heading towards, it's a four-star?
0:19:18 > 0:19:20And is it... I'm right in thinking
0:19:20 > 0:19:24you will only entertain in four or five-star hotels?
0:19:44 > 0:19:46Let's go.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50After you.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53Oh, wow!
0:19:53 > 0:19:54Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!
0:19:54 > 0:19:56STACEY LAUGHS
0:19:56 > 0:19:58That's really pretty!
0:20:00 > 0:20:02OK. Well, I'll leave you here.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05- Have fun.- Yeah. - Have a good evening.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07And you finish in four hours?
0:20:07 > 0:20:10- Yeah.- OK. Thank you. Bye!
0:20:10 > 0:20:16'In just four hours, Avrora makes around £600.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18'That's almost double what the average Russian
0:20:18 > 0:20:21'earns in a whole month.'
0:20:21 > 0:20:26So off she goes. Um...he's waiting upstairs in the hotel room.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30Two hours of rampant sex, just the two of them,
0:20:30 > 0:20:33then her pal's going to come and join them.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35No questions asked at reception.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37She's going to make a fortune.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41Just another day in her life.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48In Russia, like in most places, as the poor get poorer,
0:20:48 > 0:20:50the rich are getting richer.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53And as the recession bites, it's not surprising that more and more
0:20:53 > 0:20:57young women are willing to use their bodies to get ahead.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03OK. This is us.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17Andrei runs one of the most popular high-class escort agencies
0:21:17 > 0:21:19in St Petersburg, MissBliss.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23Lilliana has just signed up.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30The contrast between this girl and...Avrora.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32She's not got a clue what to do.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37She comes across as being incredibly shy and a bit awkward.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41Avrora, she wouldn't let anyone near here.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43She had it all going on herself.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46This girl, she's never been an escort before,
0:21:46 > 0:21:52so this is her first escort shoot, I suspect.
0:22:01 > 0:22:02How does it work, Andrei?
0:22:02 > 0:22:04Do they approach you, or do you approach them?
0:22:33 > 0:22:38Andrei, I know Russia is currently going through a financial crisis.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41Has that affected you, your website, your girls?
0:23:00 > 0:23:04I don't want you to get confused, I am very open-minded.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08My concern is when vulnerable women are being encouraged
0:23:08 > 0:23:10to take part in this if they've had
0:23:10 > 0:23:12a very chaotic and difficult background.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49'At the moment, Lilliana works as a massage therapist,
0:23:49 > 0:23:51'earning about £40 an hour.'
0:23:52 > 0:23:56How do you decide how to price?
0:23:56 > 0:23:59- 500.- Dollars?- Yes.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01- For how many hours?- For two hours.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04I mean, that's serious cash.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08- Yeah, I like it.- I bet.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10What are you going to do with all that money?
0:24:17 > 0:24:20- Spend it on myself. - Spend it on yourself. Yes!
0:24:20 > 0:24:23That's what I wanted to hear!
0:24:28 > 0:24:30'While some girls are eager to join the world of sex work,
0:24:30 > 0:24:32'others feel trapped by it.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38'It's midnight and I'm at a small club in the centre of St Petersburg.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45'The city is famous as the heart of Russia's alternative nightlife.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47'Tonight is burlesque.'
0:24:48 > 0:24:51ROCK MUSIC
0:24:51 > 0:24:54'And topping the bill, Alyona.'
0:24:54 > 0:24:56CHEERING
0:25:03 > 0:25:05Burlesque is a new thing for her.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12She used to be a stripper in some of the city's biggest clubs.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19WHOOPING
0:25:26 > 0:25:28CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:25:33 > 0:25:38To be totally honest with you, I'm in complete awe of her body.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40She's got these unbelievable abs.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43She must work out two or three times a day.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45That was amazing!
0:25:45 > 0:25:48'But it was the extras that were expected of her
0:25:48 > 0:25:51'that have made Alyona look elsewhere.'
0:25:51 > 0:25:54Describe to me what it's like working in the strip clubs
0:25:54 > 0:25:55here in St Petersburg.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18So, essentially, these strip clubs are, in fact, brothels?
0:26:39 > 0:26:42'Alyona is taking a stand for her principles,
0:26:42 > 0:26:45'but gigs like this aren't enough to pay her bills.'
0:26:53 > 0:26:55Hello! Hi!
0:27:04 > 0:27:05Six days a week,
0:27:05 > 0:27:09she teaches pole-dancing at studios around St Petersburg.
0:27:14 > 0:27:19I'm constantly in awe of women here in Russia.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21They look the part, don't they?
0:27:26 > 0:27:30Alyona, you can see her muscles, her definition. She is a true athlete.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33So I can see it's probably a bit frustrating
0:27:33 > 0:27:36when people are expecting you to do something
0:27:36 > 0:27:38that you don't feel comfortable with.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41You just want to be taken for your talent, you know?
0:27:47 > 0:27:50I've got the wrong gear on. Oh, Christ! Argh!
0:27:52 > 0:27:53Oh, fucking hell!
0:27:55 > 0:27:57STACEY SHRIEKS
0:27:57 > 0:28:00Oh, fucking hell! I think I'm not that flexible.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04I'm a beginner. I'm a beginner!
0:28:11 > 0:28:13I get...I get the idea, so...
0:28:17 > 0:28:19STACEY SHRIEKS Stop, stop, stop!
0:28:19 > 0:28:21Whoo!
0:28:21 > 0:28:23I think I've shit myself. STACEY LAUGHS
0:28:23 > 0:28:28Would you say this is perhaps more your full-time job now,
0:28:28 > 0:28:31since you've sort of lost faith in the strip clubs?
0:28:33 > 0:28:35So, you feel comfier here?
0:28:35 > 0:28:37MALE TRANSLATOR
0:28:39 > 0:28:41Somebody told me, I don't know whether or not it's true,
0:28:41 > 0:28:46that there's a big superclub in Moscow and you've got an interview.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48That's exciting!
0:28:57 > 0:29:01'The Moscow superclub has a strict no-sex policy.'
0:29:01 > 0:29:02I'll see you soon. Oooh! Thank you.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06'This could be her big chance to make the money her skills deserve.'
0:29:06 > 0:29:08Thank you, thank you.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10'Her audition is in a week's time.'
0:29:19 > 0:29:21Alyona's principles are clear.
0:29:21 > 0:29:25She's thought it through carefully and isn't prepared to sell sex.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28I wonder if Lilliana, who I met at her photoshoot,
0:29:28 > 0:29:31has given her new profession as much thought?
0:29:32 > 0:29:35'I'm meeting her away from her agent, Andrei, as she prepares
0:29:35 > 0:29:39'to make the leap into the sex industry for the first time.'
0:29:44 > 0:29:47- So we're finished.- Beautiful!
0:29:48 > 0:29:51Are you happy? You like it?
0:29:55 > 0:30:00Tell me how you're feeling honestly about your new career path.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11Lilliana, some people watching this might assume that you've been
0:30:11 > 0:30:16through some kind of trauma, or your upbringing was quite chaotic,
0:30:16 > 0:30:20that's the only reason you could've come to this decision.
0:30:36 > 0:30:40Wow! So you are a true rebel, really.
0:30:45 > 0:30:51Lots of people, um...have very strong views about prostitution
0:30:51 > 0:30:53and prostitutes themselves.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55Some of them will say it's very demeaning
0:30:55 > 0:30:58and you're selling yourself like a piece of meat.
0:30:58 > 0:31:00What would you say to them?
0:31:30 > 0:31:33'Lilliana's decision to become an escort does seem to be
0:31:33 > 0:31:37'something she's clear about, but I do wonder how it will change her.'
0:31:44 > 0:31:46'Someone who might know is Avrora,
0:31:46 > 0:31:48'the high-class escort we left at the hotel.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54'She lives in an apartment on the outskirts of St Petersburg.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59'Her clients never come here.'
0:31:59 > 0:32:01(Have I got the right door?)
0:32:02 > 0:32:04'And she won't be here for much longer either.'
0:32:07 > 0:32:09- Oh, hi.- Hi! - Sorry, I was in the shower.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12- Oh, no problem!- Come in.- Are you OK?
0:32:12 > 0:32:15'Sex work is proving so profitable that she's just bought
0:32:15 > 0:32:18'a large apartment in the centre of the city.'
0:32:20 > 0:32:22And so, today, what's the plan?
0:32:22 > 0:32:25Er...today, I've got to go to Moscow.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28- Ah! That's a long old commute.- Yeah.
0:32:29 > 0:32:30And he's a regular?
0:32:30 > 0:32:34Yeah, it's regular. It's in one of my favourite venues.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36Ah!
0:32:36 > 0:32:38He's, er...he's young.
0:32:38 > 0:32:42He's, um...a very...a very good person
0:32:42 > 0:32:44and I have really good sex.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48- So it's one of my favourite regulars.- Ah.
0:32:48 > 0:32:50- Psychologically...- Mm-hm?
0:32:50 > 0:32:54..do you think it has any impact on you, honestly speaking?
0:32:54 > 0:33:00Um...after so many years in the sex industry, now I'm more sexy.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03Maybe now I'm more self-confident
0:33:03 > 0:33:07because a few years ago, I was very shy.
0:33:07 > 0:33:12But you don't think it has any negative impact whatsoever?
0:33:12 > 0:33:14Mm, no, I don't think so.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18I'm familiar with, like, the traditional rabbit, like,
0:33:18 > 0:33:21I know this, but I never tried this one.
0:33:21 > 0:33:22Yeah?
0:33:22 > 0:33:26This is the most glamorous sex toy I've ever seen.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29It looks very sexy.
0:33:29 > 0:33:33Yeah. Because you've got a diamond heart hanging out of your arse.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39- You say this guy tonight, he's a regular.- Mm-hm.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43Have you had to lower your prices over the time because of the
0:33:43 > 0:33:47financial crisis here, or you've managed to keep it the same?
0:33:47 > 0:33:49Um...it's the same.
0:33:49 > 0:33:53Um...I don't make any discounts for clients
0:33:53 > 0:33:56because lingerie, clothes, cosmetics
0:33:56 > 0:33:59come from Europe, not Russia.
0:33:59 > 0:34:05So now it costs more, so, why should I earn less?
0:34:06 > 0:34:08Good for you.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13- Agent Provocateur!- Yeah.- Wow!
0:34:13 > 0:34:17- Yeah, this is... - It's English.- Yeah, it's British.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19- You know the range? - Yeah. This is the best.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22No wonder you can't lower your prices.
0:34:22 > 0:34:27I'm feeling slightly inadequate in my...cotton bra.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34Ladies first.
0:34:34 > 0:34:36I feel like your bellboy.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38We're going to the airport.
0:34:40 > 0:34:42'While most women involved in sex work
0:34:42 > 0:34:44'are struggling in the recession,
0:34:44 > 0:34:48'Avrora is flying high above it.'
0:34:48 > 0:34:50Are there any other places where you're popular?
0:34:56 > 0:34:57- Really?- Yeah.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01- Cuba? Really?!- Yeah.
0:35:01 > 0:35:05- So, he took you to Cuba for a holiday?- Yeah.
0:35:05 > 0:35:07Wow!
0:35:11 > 0:35:13Thank you.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21Her whole world is so fascinating to me,
0:35:21 > 0:35:24because I've spent time in the past with prostitutes,
0:35:24 > 0:35:29sex workers and...their lives have seen such a struggle.
0:35:29 > 0:35:30You know?
0:35:30 > 0:35:35And in many respects, it's been quite degrading and quite desperate.
0:35:35 > 0:35:39But for her, that couldn't be further from her existence.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42She genuinely seems to love what she does for a living.
0:35:43 > 0:35:45Yeah.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51'While Avrora flies to her rendezvous,
0:35:51 > 0:35:53'we're off to Moscow, too.'
0:35:53 > 0:35:54'By train.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59'Alyona is heading for her interview at the superclub,
0:35:59 > 0:36:02'hoping to reboot her career as a well-paid stripper.'
0:36:10 > 0:36:13'Moscow is four hours from St Petersburg,
0:36:13 > 0:36:15'but worlds away in style and wealth.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19'This is the true home of the super-rich.'
0:36:19 > 0:36:20Wow!
0:36:20 > 0:36:22'With a club scene to match.'
0:36:22 > 0:36:24It's enormous!
0:36:24 > 0:36:27Massive! Let's go and get you a new job!
0:36:27 > 0:36:29After you.
0:36:34 > 0:36:35Hi!
0:36:35 > 0:36:38'The owner of Golden Girls is Lucky Lee.'
0:36:45 > 0:36:48- OK, Mr Lucky, let's go!- Welcome!
0:36:50 > 0:36:51Thank you.
0:36:51 > 0:36:53This way? Oh. OK.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55UPBEAT MUSIC
0:37:15 > 0:37:17MUSIC BLARES
0:37:22 > 0:37:25Oh, look at these girls! Hi!
0:37:30 > 0:37:33'Lucky Lee used to be a banker, then he saw the film Showgirls
0:37:33 > 0:37:37'and decided that running an erotic nightclub was his true vocation.'
0:37:37 > 0:37:40Welcome, welcome, welcome.
0:37:40 > 0:37:41Oh, wow!
0:37:46 > 0:37:48SENSUAL INSTRUMENTAL
0:38:04 > 0:38:07- Any sex?- Sex?
0:38:07 > 0:38:08LUCKY LAUGHS
0:38:19 > 0:38:21Ah! Oh!
0:38:21 > 0:38:23Oh, here we go.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26I'm so...so enjoying this, Lucky(!)
0:38:26 > 0:38:28THEY LAUGH
0:38:28 > 0:38:29Whoo, Lucky!
0:38:29 > 0:38:32I know what you're thinking.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34I can't stay.
0:38:34 > 0:38:35HE LAUGHS
0:39:01 > 0:39:02What kind of money do they make?
0:39:09 > 0:39:12And what's that comparable to in terms of other careers
0:39:12 > 0:39:13here in Russia?
0:39:23 > 0:39:26And, Lucky Lee, tell me how you would describe
0:39:26 > 0:39:30the typical Russian attitude towards sex now.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32HE CHUCKLES
0:39:54 > 0:39:57So, you're going to change Russia?
0:39:58 > 0:40:00Lucky, good luck!
0:40:02 > 0:40:03You're going to need it.
0:40:06 > 0:40:10So, Alyona is currently in hair and beauty, as you can see.
0:40:10 > 0:40:11She's up in 20 minutes.
0:40:11 > 0:40:15And I do genuinely think she's very, very nervous.
0:40:15 > 0:40:17She ain't had no tea.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19I was sat eating a salad and she said she had butterflies,
0:40:19 > 0:40:21she didn't want to eat.
0:40:22 > 0:40:24Alyona's bumped into Foxy,
0:40:24 > 0:40:27an old friend from the St Petersburg dancing scene
0:40:27 > 0:40:29who has already made the move.
0:40:38 > 0:40:40Amazing! You earn good money?
0:40:40 > 0:40:42MALE TRANSLATOR
0:40:42 > 0:40:44That's what I like to hear!
0:40:44 > 0:40:46THEY LAUGH
0:40:48 > 0:40:49You look lovely.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53You're going to be fine.
0:40:53 > 0:40:57Ready? And then through that way, through that door.
0:41:02 > 0:41:03CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:41:03 > 0:41:08But before the audition can start, Lucky Lee leads his daily ritual.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52APPLAUSE
0:41:53 > 0:41:55APPLAUSE
0:41:58 > 0:42:01I feel like I'm standing in some kind of game show.
0:42:03 > 0:42:04Hosted by Lucky Lee!
0:42:09 > 0:42:11Finally, it's time for Alyona's audition.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13WHOOPING
0:42:13 > 0:42:15MUSIC BLARES
0:42:17 > 0:42:19WHOOPING
0:42:29 > 0:42:31I really love her mate.
0:42:40 > 0:42:41WHOOPING
0:42:47 > 0:42:51Alyona ain't messing. She means business!
0:43:09 > 0:43:11LUCKY SPEAKS OVER MIC
0:43:11 > 0:43:14APPLAUSE
0:43:19 > 0:43:20CHEERING
0:43:23 > 0:43:27- Lucky Lee!- Hello again! Welcome to my office.- Hi, dude.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29- Take a seat, please.- Thank you!
0:43:29 > 0:43:32'Pleasantries over,
0:43:32 > 0:43:36'Lucky wastes no time breaking down Alyona's performance.'
0:44:10 > 0:44:13It's not...it's not a bad thing.
0:44:13 > 0:44:16It's a business...it's a business decision.
0:44:46 > 0:44:48Do you...do you know what, Lucky Lee?
0:44:48 > 0:44:50The viewers will come to their own conclusions,
0:44:50 > 0:44:52but you might look slightly hypocritical,
0:44:52 > 0:44:55because all along you've been banging the drum that
0:44:55 > 0:44:59it's so necessary for you to be surrounded by strong women
0:44:59 > 0:45:02and I'm sat next to an incredibly strong woman
0:45:02 > 0:45:04and you've said she's too strong, she's too masculine.
0:45:19 > 0:45:22Look, you guys will have to agree to disagree, we'll call it a day.
0:45:22 > 0:45:25But, Lucky Lee, thank you. I-I appreciate you're a busy man.
0:45:25 > 0:45:28- Thank you.- I appreciate your time. Thank you.- Thank you very much.
0:45:28 > 0:45:30You take care.
0:45:30 > 0:45:31HE CHUCKLES
0:45:31 > 0:45:33- Bye-bye.- Bye-bye.
0:45:33 > 0:45:34Thank you.
0:45:38 > 0:45:41Alyona's dream is not to be. But by now, I'm hardly surprised.
0:45:41 > 0:45:46For all Lucky's feminist posturing, he knows what his clients want.
0:45:46 > 0:45:49Girls who look stunning, but know their place.
0:46:09 > 0:46:13'It's my last night in Russia and we're back in St Petersburg.
0:46:13 > 0:46:17'It's 1am and I've just had a call from a hotel in the middle of town.
0:46:19 > 0:46:23'Lilliana, the rookie escort is just about to see her first ever
0:46:23 > 0:46:25'client and has invited me along.'
0:46:35 > 0:46:36You feel OK?
0:46:38 > 0:46:42To me, honestly, you look very nervous.
0:46:55 > 0:46:57I'll walk with you.
0:47:03 > 0:47:05'This is it, the point of no return.
0:47:07 > 0:47:11'It almost feels like she's giving up her virginity all over again.'
0:47:11 > 0:47:14Fingers crossed that she's safe and...
0:47:14 > 0:47:18she still feels like it was the right thing to do...
0:47:19 > 0:47:22..in a couple of hours from now.
0:47:26 > 0:47:28So now we just have to wait.
0:47:28 > 0:47:31It's 2am, I'm in the back of a transit...
0:47:33 > 0:47:36..Lilliana's in a very luxurious hotel,
0:47:36 > 0:47:38eating fruit and drinking champagne.
0:47:38 > 0:47:41Andrei, the pimp, essentially, has left.
0:47:42 > 0:47:44It's Tuesday night.
0:47:45 > 0:47:47What else would I be doing(?)
0:47:54 > 0:47:57She's just finished. She's a bit early.
0:47:59 > 0:48:01Hi!
0:48:03 > 0:48:05OK? Yeah?
0:48:05 > 0:48:07How was it?
0:48:25 > 0:48:28He tipped you 20,000? That's 200 quid.
0:48:40 > 0:48:42OK, let's go back to my hotel, we'll get you a drink
0:48:42 > 0:48:45and then you can go home, yeah? Yeah? OK.
0:48:47 > 0:48:48Wow!
0:48:48 > 0:48:51That's a turn-up for the books.
0:48:51 > 0:48:53You really liked it.
0:48:55 > 0:48:58So tell me what happened. Who made the first move?
0:49:10 > 0:49:15OK, that's fair enough. Um...what's the long-term plan?
0:49:15 > 0:49:19Do you reckon you'll be doing this for months, years?
0:49:27 > 0:49:29OK? See you.
0:49:32 > 0:49:34See you.
0:49:34 > 0:49:36Wow! Bye!
0:49:45 > 0:49:47Just quite unbelievable, really, isn't it,
0:49:47 > 0:49:49that we've seen the entire process?
0:49:49 > 0:49:55Um...when I first met her, she'd never received payment for sex.
0:49:57 > 0:49:59She was sort of this nervous, giggly...
0:50:01 > 0:50:03..young girl.
0:50:05 > 0:50:07And now I've just put her in the back of a cab
0:50:07 > 0:50:09after her first client.
0:50:09 > 0:50:12She's seems very happy and very content
0:50:12 > 0:50:13with the decision that she's made.
0:50:16 > 0:50:18Me, I believe that...
0:50:18 > 0:50:22her life is...about to change.
0:50:22 > 0:50:24I think you can't do...
0:50:25 > 0:50:29..that kind of job for a living and it not have any impact on you.
0:50:31 > 0:50:33For the moment, Lilliana seems to be
0:50:33 > 0:50:36one of the winners in the new Russia.
0:50:36 > 0:50:38But she represents just a fraction
0:50:38 > 0:50:41of the three million sex workers here.
0:50:41 > 0:50:44This country is highly polarised
0:50:44 > 0:50:47and nowhere is that clearer than among sex workers.
0:50:47 > 0:50:49A few do make it to the top,
0:50:49 > 0:50:51earn a fortune and are flown first-class,
0:50:51 > 0:50:55but the grim reality for most is a seedy world of violence,
0:50:55 > 0:50:58possible HIV and persecution
0:50:58 > 0:51:01by authorities who should be helping them.