Russia Sex in Strange Places

Since communism collapsed in Russia, anything can be bought and sold.

Including sex.

Wow! It's enormous!

-Welcome!

-The super-rich have been running wild

and the high-class Russian call girl is now a global icon.

But is there another, darker side to sex in Russia?

Nice to meet you. I'm Stacey.

'Where there's poverty, desperation

'and a government at war with some of its own people.'

It's like to swim in the shit to use a prostitute.

'Just how glamorous is the high life of the sex industry's winners?'

Oh, wow! Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!

'And why is life so tough for its losers?'

Oh, my God, this is ropey!

'I'm in the suburbs of St Petersburg, in the west of Russia.

'Inside this tower block is a world that few of us ever get to see.'

'Behind this door is one of the city's secret brothels.'

(OK, OK.)

(Hide in that corner.)

'Even to get this close has taken weeks of negotiation.'

(Is it OK?)

(I can come? Thank you.)

(Thank you.)

(Hey.)

'Prostitution is illegal in Russia.

'Running a brothel can get you five years.'

Hello.

You OK?

STACEY CHUCKLES

How was...how was your client?

THEY SPEAK OWN LANGUAGE

STACEY LAUGHS

PHONE RINGS

'There is no pimp or gang in charge here.

'The women each pay towards the rent and a security guard.

'The rest of the money they earn is theirs.'

Oh!

Hello! You look amazing!

'But the collapse in the value of the Russian rouble

'over the last year has been bad for business.'

You OK?

'On a good night, Natalia, one of four women working here,

'can service up to ten men.'

Does that mean you've had to lower your prices?

PHONE RINGS

How much have you made tonight?

-Less than 100.

-Really?

-Mm.

Can I have a quick look around?

(I'll be really quiet.)

-There's no-one around here, so you can go around.

-Can I?

-Mm-hm.

'Ivana, the brothel's resident dominatrix, shows me around.'

Oh, my God, this is ropey!

Not very soundproof.

So, often, you'll be in this bed

and your pal will be in that bed and you can hear each other?

Oooh! That's not a bit awkward sometimes?

I mean, the girls are in high spirits, but this is so grim.

They've got this...

for privacy.

And sometimes they're making ten quid, 11 quid.

'The girls can only afford one security guard per shift.

'But even with Boris on duty, it's still dangerous work.'

Really?

What weapons?

And what's your relationship like with the police? Do they not help?

Thank you. I'm going to go. I'll see you again.

'President Putin wants places like this wiped off the map.'

Thank you!

His rule now has the blessing of the Russian Orthodox Church,

which is right behind his crackdown on Western vices.

And St Petersburg, Russia's most liberal and open city,

has plenty of them.

To the left of me, there's a sign, "Relax,"

giving me a telephone number.

Another one here, directly behind me, "Relax For Men."

To my right-hand side, another one.

I've made films about sex workers all over the world

and I've never really seen this before.

I feel like it's quite exclusive.

In other parts of Russia, it's not quite so obvious.

Here in St Petersburg,

it does feel like the streets are paved with prostitution.

These numbers all lead to brothels.

'But some girls have to work without even the security

'a place like that can offer.

'They work in St Petersburg's frozen streets.

'I'm out here with a couple of volunteers

'from one of the only charities that helps prostitutes.'

So, Natasha, what have you handed over there?

And since the financial crisis,

has there been a change out here on the streets?

'Natasha reckons there are around

'three million prostitutes in Russia.'

Hello! How are you?

Nice to meet you. I'm Stacey.

Has it been busy? Have you had any clients?

-Three or four.

-Oh. And what were they asking for?

Do you know these guys?

Are you OK? Do you want to move?

My posh van(!)

Tell me your prices.

That seems...

THEY LAUGH

She asks, if you would make a blowjob, how many would you charge?

I'd be charging more than that, I can tell you.

-You'd be fine on the streets.

-You reckon? Yeah.

Some eyeliner and a pair of boots.

THEY LAUGH

What's happening?

Stop it! Where?

It's crazy. And that happened just across the road?

And that's completely standard, that normally happens?

Yeah? Do you have to pay police?

How much?

So, every time you come out and work the streets,

you have to pay a police officer 500 roubles?

And so, what do the police do for that money? Do they protect you?

No?

So, what does that money do?

I just think it's insane that such corruption exists

here, on the street.

THEY LAUGH

That's so unfair.

Just to keep them out of the way, keep them quiet?

So she's off. That's client number five just for tonight.

And she hasn't even made 40 quid yet.

'Several other girls also tell me that they

'have to pay the police every night.'

It's so frustrating that the government's moral crackdown

means the police get to extort more money in bribes.

'I can't put this to the police directly,

'because it would endanger the girls.

'So instead, I'm going to visit President Putin's right-hand man

'here in St Petersburg.'

-Hello.

-Hello.

-Deputy Milonov, how do you do?

'Deputy Vitaly Milonov is an MP,

'an Orthodox priest and a protege of the president.'

Can I ask you, very simply, why are you so anti-prostitution?

I mean, the war on prostitution has failed spectacularly.

In Russia, in the Soviet Union,

we were very effective by fighting prostitution.

You want to go back to the Soviet Union time?

I want to take the good tradition of effective fight with these,

er...with these signs of a wild world.

With all of that said, would it surprise you if I told you that

I've had conversations with numerous prostitutes on the streets

and they have all told me,

every single one of them have told me that they have to pay

the police 500 roubles

to be able to be left alone to work as they wish?

Er...I think that those policemen

who take bribes are disgusting persons.

Absolutely. And I don't want to give any words of mercy to them.

They...they have to be punished for a longer period of time

than the prostitutes, of course.

Do you think you sound a bit out of touch?

-Er...I think...

-With the real world?

No. They put themselves out of, er...

out of, er...law, you know.

They put themselves on the dark side.

If they want help, OK,

they need to tell that they're not going to do it any more.

This is the only chance to receive the government help.

-Do you think it's that simple?

-Yes.

-You do?

-Yeah.

Can I ask, when was the last time you were out on the streets

talking to prostitutes and trying to understand their trail of thought

and their world and their reality?

Last time, I kicked out the door of a whorehouse

and took all the prostitutes out of there on the street and...

How's that effective?

You don't think it's more complicated than that?

It's a sign of a modern world,

"Oh, they've been psychologically damaged,

"that's they why they choose to become a prostitute."

OK, they're not...

Someone has chosen to become a murderer, someone has...

I think there's a significant difference

between a murderer and a prostitute.

-Oh, it's the same.

-It's the same?

-It's the same. It's the same.

-It's the same, is it?

-It's the same.

-And if you want to legalise one sin, you can legalise another sin.

-Right.

So you heard it here, guys,

prostitutes are exactly the same as murderers...

Don't become...

-I didn't... I said that...

-You did.

-That one...

That to be a prostitute, to be homosexual,

to be a, you know, to steal some goods in the store, it's the same.

And our attitude towards the sin is the same. It cannot be legalised.

You talk about them like they're outlaws! They are humans.

They are your Russian fellow citizens.

It's like you demonise them, like you demonise other minority groups.

-No, I'm not demonising.

-You definitely are.

-No, no.

They are doing... They're going the wrong way.

You know, it's dirty.

It's like to swim in the shit to use a prostitute.

-In your opinion.

-Yeah.

In the opinion of a majority of Russians.

That's scary, if that's true.

Well, at least they know that...

Yeah, you're coming and... SHE LAUGHS

..you're never going to truly be able to help them

in the way that you perhaps should as, um...somebody of authority.

-But I will leave you to it, OK?

-OK.

-Thank you, Milonov.

Thanks so much.

You take care.

I do appreciate and respect an individual as a human being.

-No, you don't.

-I do respect a human being, but not his sins.

The only way to help him is to clear him out of his sin.

-This is the only way...

-That'll help, yeah(!)

-Yeah.

OK, Milonov, thanks ever so much.

-I'll see you later.

-Yeah.

'Milonov's war on prostitution

'is firmly aimed at the low end of the market.'

But there's another world that is seemingly immune to the new moral crusades.

These women cater exclusively to Russia's rich elite.

The gateway to this world is online.

Oooh! OK, so this girl, standard traditional services,

striptease, anal sex.

Ah! Strap-on, anal fisting, in brackets, to you.

So I don't think she's up for being fisted,

but she's more than happy to fist yours.

SHE LAUGHS

Her price is 2,000 roubles an hour.

No, 20,000. 20,000?! That's about £200.

A whole night is 70,000.

That's about £700.

She describes herself as the best in St Petersburg

and there's a load of prostitutes in St Petersburg.

Yeah, for sure, this is the one that I want to see.

This is who I want to meet.

Avrora is 24, born the same year the Soviet Union fell apart.

'She grew up as a flashy new Russia started to emerge, of oligarchs,

'self-indulgence and absolutely luxury.'

Don't she look amazing?

'Every month, she hires a top professional photographer

'to take new pictures for her website.'

It's freezing cold, but I don't think that's an issue,

because your boobs always look better when it's a bit chilly.

It feels like she's very much calling the shots.

She's directing the whole thing.

Which I think is kind of cool.

You know, it's for her website, she's her own boss.

'Even though prostitution is illegal,

'the high-class escort has a loophole.

'She's not paid for sex, she's paid for her time.

'What she chooses to do with it, in theory, is her own business.'

She's a grafter, all right. It's freezing, it's so cold!

Cold? No? It's normal?

It's not cold?

-Have you given the builders a wave?

-I don't know.

THEY LAUGH

-A free

-ad. Yeah, a free advert, yeah. Free advert.

-We need to get you, like, a billboard.

-Yeah.

So many young women I know would love to make a living like this,

posing in front of the camera.

The thing that's more difficult perhaps to get your head around

is that you've then got to go and have sex with strange men.

'But at least four nights a week, that's exactly what Avrora does.

'Straight after the shoot, she's off to see a client.'

-So, you start work at 5.30?

-Ah, yeah.

-Oh, OK. She is also a sex worker, a high-class escort?

-Yeah.

And the hotel that we are heading towards, it's a four-star?

And is it... I'm right in thinking

you will only entertain in four or five-star hotels?

Let's go.

After you.

Oh, wow!

Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!

STACEY LAUGHS

That's really pretty!

OK. Well, I'll leave you here.

-Have fun.

-Yeah.

-Have a good evening.

And you finish in four hours?

-Yeah.

-OK. Thank you. Bye!

'In just four hours, Avrora makes around £600.

'That's almost double what the average Russian

'earns in a whole month.'

So off she goes. Um...he's waiting upstairs in the hotel room.

Two hours of rampant sex, just the two of them,

then her pal's going to come and join them.

No questions asked at reception.

She's going to make a fortune.

Just another day in her life.

In Russia, like in most places, as the poor get poorer,

the rich are getting richer.

And as the recession bites, it's not surprising that more and more

young women are willing to use their bodies to get ahead.

OK. This is us.

Andrei runs one of the most popular high-class escort agencies

in St Petersburg, MissBliss.

Lilliana has just signed up.

The contrast between this girl and...Avrora.

She's not got a clue what to do.

She comes across as being incredibly shy and a bit awkward.

Avrora, she wouldn't let anyone near here.

She had it all going on herself.

This girl, she's never been an escort before,

so this is her first escort shoot, I suspect.

How does it work, Andrei?

Do they approach you, or do you approach them?

Andrei, I know Russia is currently going through a financial crisis.

Has that affected you, your website, your girls?

I don't want you to get confused, I am very open-minded.

My concern is when vulnerable women are being encouraged

to take part in this if they've had

a very chaotic and difficult background.

'At the moment, Lilliana works as a massage therapist,

'earning about £40 an hour.'

How do you decide how to price?

-500.

-Dollars?

-Yes.

-For how many hours?

-For two hours.

I mean, that's serious cash.

-Yeah, I like it.

-I bet.

What are you going to do with all that money?

-Spend it on myself.

-Spend it on yourself. Yes!

That's what I wanted to hear!

'While some girls are eager to join the world of sex work,

'others feel trapped by it.

'It's midnight and I'm at a small club in the centre of St Petersburg.

'The city is famous as the heart of Russia's alternative nightlife.

'Tonight is burlesque.'

ROCK MUSIC

'And topping the bill, Alyona.'

CHEERING

Burlesque is a new thing for her.

She used to be a stripper in some of the city's biggest clubs.

WHOOPING

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

To be totally honest with you, I'm in complete awe of her body.

She's got these unbelievable abs.

She must work out two or three times a day.

That was amazing!

'But it was the extras that were expected of her

'that have made Alyona look elsewhere.'

Describe to me what it's like working in the strip clubs

here in St Petersburg.

So, essentially, these strip clubs are, in fact, brothels?

'Alyona is taking a stand for her principles,

'but gigs like this aren't enough to pay her bills.'

Hello! Hi!

Six days a week,

she teaches pole-dancing at studios around St Petersburg.

I'm constantly in awe of women here in Russia.

They look the part, don't they?

Alyona, you can see her muscles, her definition. She is a true athlete.

So I can see it's probably a bit frustrating

when people are expecting you to do something

that you don't feel comfortable with.

You just want to be taken for your talent, you know?

I've got the wrong gear on. Oh, Christ! Argh!

Oh, fucking hell!

STACEY SHRIEKS

Oh, fucking hell! I think I'm not that flexible.

I'm a beginner. I'm a beginner!

I get...I get the idea, so...

STACEY SHRIEKS Stop, stop, stop!

Whoo!

I think I've shit myself. STACEY LAUGHS

Would you say this is perhaps more your full-time job now,

since you've sort of lost faith in the strip clubs?

So, you feel comfier here?

MALE TRANSLATOR

Somebody told me, I don't know whether or not it's true,

that there's a big superclub in Moscow and you've got an interview.

That's exciting!

'The Moscow superclub has a strict no-sex policy.'

I'll see you soon. Oooh! Thank you.

'This could be her big chance to make the money her skills deserve.'

Thank you, thank you.

'Her audition is in a week's time.'

Alyona's principles are clear.

She's thought it through carefully and isn't prepared to sell sex.

I wonder if Lilliana, who I met at her photoshoot,

has given her new profession as much thought?

'I'm meeting her away from her agent, Andrei, as she prepares

'to make the leap into the sex industry for the first time.'

-So we're finished.

-Beautiful!

Are you happy? You like it?

Tell me how you're feeling honestly about your new career path.

Lilliana, some people watching this might assume that you've been

through some kind of trauma, or your upbringing was quite chaotic,

that's the only reason you could've come to this decision.

Wow! So you are a true rebel, really.

Lots of people, um...have very strong views about prostitution

and prostitutes themselves.

Some of them will say it's very demeaning

and you're selling yourself like a piece of meat.

What would you say to them?

'Lilliana's decision to become an escort does seem to be

'something she's clear about, but I do wonder how it will change her.'

'Someone who might know is Avrora,

'the high-class escort we left at the hotel.

'She lives in an apartment on the outskirts of St Petersburg.

'Her clients never come here.'

(Have I got the right door?)

'And she won't be here for much longer either.'

-Oh, hi.

-Hi!

-Sorry, I was in the shower.

-Oh, no problem!

-Come in.

-Are you OK?

'Sex work is proving so profitable that she's just bought

'a large apartment in the centre of the city.'

And so, today, what's the plan?

Er...today, I've got to go to Moscow.

-Ah! That's a long old commute.

-Yeah.

And he's a regular?

Yeah, it's regular. It's in one of my favourite venues.

Ah!

He's, er...he's young.

He's, um...a very...a very good person

and I have really good sex.

-So it's one of my favourite regulars.

-Ah.

-Psychologically...

-Mm-hm?

..do you think it has any impact on you, honestly speaking?

Um...after so many years in the sex industry, now I'm more sexy.

Maybe now I'm more self-confident

because a few years ago, I was very shy.

But you don't think it has any negative impact whatsoever?

Mm, no, I don't think so.

I'm familiar with, like, the traditional rabbit, like,

I know this, but I never tried this one.

Yeah?

This is the most glamorous sex toy I've ever seen.

It looks very sexy.

Yeah. Because you've got a diamond heart hanging out of your arse.

-You say this guy tonight, he's a regular.

-Mm-hm.

Have you had to lower your prices over the time because of the

financial crisis here, or you've managed to keep it the same?

Um...it's the same.

Um...I don't make any discounts for clients

because lingerie, clothes, cosmetics

come from Europe, not Russia.

So now it costs more, so, why should I earn less?

Good for you.

-Agent Provocateur!

-Yeah.

-Wow!

-Yeah, this is...

-It's English.

-Yeah, it's British.

-You know the range?

-Yeah. This is the best.

No wonder you can't lower your prices.

I'm feeling slightly inadequate in my...cotton bra.

Ladies first.

I feel like your bellboy.

We're going to the airport.

'While most women involved in sex work

'are struggling in the recession,

'Avrora is flying high above it.'

Are there any other places where you're popular?

-Really?

-Yeah.

-Cuba? Really?!

-Yeah.

-So, he took you to Cuba for a holiday?

-Yeah.

Wow!

Thank you.

Her whole world is so fascinating to me,

because I've spent time in the past with prostitutes,

sex workers and...their lives have seen such a struggle.

You know?

And in many respects, it's been quite degrading and quite desperate.

But for her, that couldn't be further from her existence.

She genuinely seems to love what she does for a living.

Yeah.

'While Avrora flies to her rendezvous,

'we're off to Moscow, too.'

'By train.

'Alyona is heading for her interview at the superclub,

'hoping to reboot her career as a well-paid stripper.'

'Moscow is four hours from St Petersburg,

'but worlds away in style and wealth.

'This is the true home of the super-rich.'

Wow!

'With a club scene to match.'

It's enormous!

Massive! Let's go and get you a new job!

After you.

Hi!

'The owner of Golden Girls is Lucky Lee.'

-OK, Mr Lucky, let's go!

-Welcome!

Thank you.

This way? Oh. OK.

UPBEAT MUSIC

MUSIC BLARES

Oh, look at these girls! Hi!

'Lucky Lee used to be a banker, then he saw the film Showgirls

'and decided that running an erotic nightclub was his true vocation.'

Welcome, welcome, welcome.

Oh, wow!

SENSUAL INSTRUMENTAL

-Any sex?

-Sex?

LUCKY LAUGHS

Ah! Oh!

Oh, here we go.

I'm so...so enjoying this, Lucky(!)

THEY LAUGH

Whoo, Lucky!

I know what you're thinking.

I can't stay.

HE LAUGHS

What kind of money do they make?

And what's that comparable to in terms of other careers

here in Russia?

And, Lucky Lee, tell me how you would describe

the typical Russian attitude towards sex now.

HE CHUCKLES

So, you're going to change Russia?

Lucky, good luck!

You're going to need it.

So, Alyona is currently in hair and beauty, as you can see.

She's up in 20 minutes.

And I do genuinely think she's very, very nervous.

She ain't had no tea.

I was sat eating a salad and she said she had butterflies,

she didn't want to eat.

Alyona's bumped into Foxy,

an old friend from the St Petersburg dancing scene

who has already made the move.

Amazing! You earn good money?

MALE TRANSLATOR

That's what I like to hear!

THEY LAUGH

You look lovely.

You're going to be fine.

Ready? And then through that way, through that door.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

But before the audition can start, Lucky Lee leads his daily ritual.

APPLAUSE

APPLAUSE

I feel like I'm standing in some kind of game show.

Hosted by Lucky Lee!

Finally, it's time for Alyona's audition.

WHOOPING

MUSIC BLARES

WHOOPING

I really love her mate.

WHOOPING

Alyona ain't messing. She means business!

LUCKY SPEAKS OVER MIC

APPLAUSE

CHEERING

-Lucky Lee!

-Hello again! Welcome to my office.

-Hi, dude.

-Take a seat, please.

-Thank you!

'Pleasantries over,

'Lucky wastes no time breaking down Alyona's performance.'

It's not...it's not a bad thing.

It's a business...it's a business decision.

Do you...do you know what, Lucky Lee?

The viewers will come to their own conclusions,

but you might look slightly hypocritical,

because all along you've been banging the drum that

it's so necessary for you to be surrounded by strong women

and I'm sat next to an incredibly strong woman

and you've said she's too strong, she's too masculine.

Look, you guys will have to agree to disagree, we'll call it a day.

But, Lucky Lee, thank you. I-I appreciate you're a busy man.

-Thank you.

-I appreciate your time. Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

You take care.

HE CHUCKLES

-Bye-bye.

-Bye-bye.

Thank you.

Alyona's dream is not to be. But by now, I'm hardly surprised.

For all Lucky's feminist posturing, he knows what his clients want.

Girls who look stunning, but know their place.

'It's my last night in Russia and we're back in St Petersburg.

'It's 1am and I've just had a call from a hotel in the middle of town.

'Lilliana, the rookie escort is just about to see her first ever

'client and has invited me along.'

You feel OK?

To me, honestly, you look very nervous.

I'll walk with you.

'This is it, the point of no return.

'It almost feels like she's giving up her virginity all over again.'

Fingers crossed that she's safe and...

she still feels like it was the right thing to do...

..in a couple of hours from now.

So now we just have to wait.

It's 2am, I'm in the back of a transit...

..Lilliana's in a very luxurious hotel,

eating fruit and drinking champagne.

Andrei, the pimp, essentially, has left.

It's Tuesday night.

What else would I be doing(?)

She's just finished. She's a bit early.

Hi!

OK? Yeah?

How was it?

He tipped you 20,000? That's 200 quid.

OK, let's go back to my hotel, we'll get you a drink

and then you can go home, yeah? Yeah? OK.

Wow!

That's a turn-up for the books.

You really liked it.

So tell me what happened. Who made the first move?

OK, that's fair enough. Um...what's the long-term plan?

Do you reckon you'll be doing this for months, years?

OK? See you.

See you.

Wow! Bye!

Just quite unbelievable, really, isn't it,

that we've seen the entire process?

Um...when I first met her, she'd never received payment for sex.

She was sort of this nervous, giggly...

..young girl.

And now I've just put her in the back of a cab

after her first client.

She's seems very happy and very content

with the decision that she's made.

Me, I believe that...

her life is...about to change.

I think you can't do...

..that kind of job for a living and it not have any impact on you.

For the moment, Lilliana seems to be

one of the winners in the new Russia.

But she represents just a fraction

of the three million sex workers here.

This country is highly polarised

and nowhere is that clearer than among sex workers.

A few do make it to the top,

earn a fortune and are flown first-class,

but the grim reality for most is a seedy world of violence,

possible HIV and persecution

by authorities who should be helping them.