T. N. ZAGORODNIKOVA

Candidate of Historical Sciences

Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Key words: India, Goa, Russian diaspora, mafia, hippies, tourism, Ayurveda

After it became possible for Russian citizens to move freely around the world, where you will not see compatriots as tourists, as guest workers, and for permanent residence. But to a greater extent, this concerned, first of all, Europe, and secondly, if Asia, and specifically India, then only as tourists. Recently, this picture has begun to change ¹.

Goa is a small state by the standards of India with an area of 3702 ^km2 and a population of 1.5 million. The sea coastline is 105 km long. This figure is important because it is on the coastline in small towns (often no larger than a village by our standards) that the alien population is concentrated. Among the local population, a large percentage of Catholics is 26% (the average for India is 2.3%), hence a high literacy rate of 82% (the average for the whole of India is 65%). This is explained by the history of Goa: in 1498 Vasco da Gama landed here, and at the beginning of the 16th century the Portuguese established their strongholds. Goa became the capital of the Portuguese viceroys, who ruled all their colonies in Asia from here. Gradually, the spread of Christianity began: construction of churches, baptism of the population. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to settle on the land of India, and they were the last colonizers to leave it - in 1961.

From the late 60s-early 70s of the XX century. Goa was a popular destination for hippies, mostly English and German. Then there was a period when there were frequent Israelis, and now, along with all these nationalities, the bulk of the non - Indian population of the state is made up of Russians-this is how representatives of all nationalities of the former USSR are called.

GOA IS A PARADISE IN THE LAND OF INDIA

Goa was and still is a great place for relaxation and relaxation, just a paradise on earth: long sandy beaches, rich vegetation, comfortable climatic conditions during the season* (water temperature 26 - 29°, air temperature 28-33°, humidity 64-89%); cheap accommodation. A tourist visa is granted for six months.

In early 2014, the Indian government decided to issue visas to Russian citizens in a simplified manner: tourists will be able to apply online three days before departure. The innovation was supposed to be launched in September of this year. A new Dabolim international airport has been built in Goa, and 755 charters from Russia were scheduled to arrive there in the 2013/14 season.

In recent years (20 - 40 years), India has begun to pay great attention to tourism, creating an infrastructure designed for foreigners and domestic tourism: hotels from 5 stars, restaurants, bazaars, excursion services, etc. Add to this, more than in the rest of India, the local population is tolerant of Europeans.

WHO CAN LIVE WELL IN GOA

Arriving Russians in Goa can be divided into three groups::

1. The main mass is tourists who come for 2-4 weeks, swim in the sea, go on excursions, buy souvenirs and go back, but not all of them. Some part of the population "gets sick" in Goa, the so-called Goa syndrome occurs, and the person stays permanently or arrives the next year for a longer period of time.

2. A smaller group consists of heirs or modern hippies: the audience is completely diverse. Most part -

* The season in Goa runs from October (November) to February (March, April and partly May). In October, there are rains, sometimes very heavy. And from the end of March to the beginning of April, it's already getting hot and stuffy.

these are quite young people, often very wealthy and recognizable, who are "tired" of the ever-increasing pace of life in the big city and have come to "understand themselves", "find peace in their soul", hang out, smoke weed or try other psychedelics*. Among these people, festivals, holidays, etc. are held, for example, on January 30 - 31 of this year, the II festival of harp music was held. Here is an ad on the Internet, which, in my opinion, fully describes the picture of this party: "A master class on playing the harp or a master class of other directions (fire shows, circus arts and other musical instruments, dancing, poetry, etc.), you can play with other musicians on an open stage or at a communal music bonfire."

The purpose of this and similar festivals is to communicate with your own kind. By site description OGoa.ru Goa is a holiday that is always with you: "Shiva Valley is a pleasant place in Anjuna. In the evenings, it transforms into a Goa trance disco. Aborigines bring their simple belongings here: primuses, gas burners, pans, kettles and organize mini-field kitchens. They prepare scrambled eggs, omelet sandwich, doshirak, masala tea, etc. Interestingly, there are no signs of hostile competition among a dozen merchants, and even mutual assistance is felt. Prices are cheap. For example, an omelet sandwich (omelet made from one egg with a slice of cheese baked with vegetables between two buns) - 50 rupees (30 rubles)."

3. And finally, there are some Russians in India who came just to live in a good place, in a good climate. For example, two (three, several) retired women agree, take their property to one apartment, the rest - rent, and with this money they live in Goa for six months - the maximum period for granting a tourist visa. A single woman works 6 months a year, saves money for a ticket and for living in India for the remaining 6 months. A family with small children rents out their apartment and moves to India or sends their grandmother and children to Goa for the season. Someone goes for treatment or even for the birth of a child.

According to the Russian Information Center (RIC), which operates in this region, on charter flights from Russia, Russian women are in the clear majority, with 70% being tourists under the age of 35. Statistics of the Center confirmed that in the Russian tourist flow to Goa, women make up 60%. Most of them (53%) are aged 28-35 years. Another 17% are individuals aged 18-28 years old. And only 12% of beautiful ladies are 45+. Up to 30% of Russian women come to Goa not for the first time ².

Representatives of the 2nd and 3rd groups come for six months with some reserve currency, but there are also those who stay forever, and in this case the question of employment arises. According to the Indian Embassy, 80,000 Russian citizens arrived in Goa last year, and 1,400 of them did not return until the visa expired. This does not mean that all of them stayed there forever, but some of them joined the ranks of illegal foreigners living in India.

* Psychedelics are a class of psychoactive substances that act to change the way people think; according to people who use them, they "expand the boundaries of consciousness "(author's note).

HOW TO LIVE WELL IN GOA

Goa is divided into two parts: south Goa, respectable and rich, with multi-star tourist hotels (representatives of the 1st group go here) and north Goa - more modest, where they go for a longer period of time (groups 2 and 3), although there are quite expensive holiday destinations and excellent hotels. In South Goa, as in any resort, a recreation and entertainment infrastructure has been created for tourists, which employs many Russian-speaking Indians, but there are often not enough of them, which makes it possible to find employment for Russians who have come for six months or live here permanently. This means working as representatives and guides of travel agencies, both local and domestic. They work or rather moonlight* also in hairdressers and massage parlors, restaurants, photo studios, yoga and kiting schools**, Ayurvedic hospitals, etc., etc. In north Goa, along with all the above-mentioned institutions, guest houses, kindergartens ("Sunny Circle", "Daisy") and schools are open, etc.The village of Morjim is already called "Little Russia"by locals.

10 years ago, Goa had the only Russian restaurant "Baba Yaga "(closed in 2006-2007), then opened the restaurant "Glavfish". Today, there are already more than ten of them - only in north Goa. The trend is that every season there are new Russian restaurants, eateries, beach bars, guesthouses (usually there is also a restaurant at the guesthouse). Qualified chefs and managers are usually sought out in Russia, and it is here that you can get a work visa. Accordingly, employment in this area is one of the real options to have a stable job in Goa. In this area of activity, Russian entrepreneurship is particularly developed: now you can find products that are familiar to us, for example, kvass or fermented milk products from Domik v Anjuna, or bread that is familiar to us. Ad in a Russian restaurant: "Free promotions all week. Hangover dinners on weekends."

Working in the entertainment industry is another opportunity to earn money: DJs, musicians, singers, dancers, fa-er show specialists... Most often, this is a one-time job by invitation when organizing a particular party already on the spot in Goa. Until about 10 years ago, North Goa was famous for its grandiose all-night celebrations in the open air, sometimes on the beach-parties with psychedelic music and dancing. They started in one place, then the whole group on cars and scooters moved to another place-patiplace; and it all started again, with an abundance of alcohol, psychedelics, etc.

The local population got tired of such gatherings, complaints to the authorities began, and a law was passed that now any mass gathering in the open air after 22.00 requires the permission of local authorities. Of course, even now there are similar events (due to the corruption of local authorities, the problem of obtaining a permit has become a matter of money), but much less often and not on such a scale. If you consider that the goal of a significant part of those who came for six months is to communicate with their own kind, hang out, then there are a huge variety of entertainment projects here.

Goa is not so far from the famous Bollywood, where there is always a need for extras for extras. In mid-May 2007, for example, a high-budget Bollywood film was shot on a 7-story ocean liner. The journey of the entire cast and extras involved in the film to the Maldives and back lasted two weeks, and everyone was fed and paid for every day of filming.

In Goa, as in any other resort, there is a wide variety of SPA centers and health and sports schools. Now here you can get a haircut from a professional stylist with a name. Due to the specifics of the place, specialists in theta, "making" dreadlocks and braids, piercings, massage are in demand, but manicure-pedicure does not stand up to competition with local ones - they do it just for a penny; there are special Indian specialists in removing dry calluses and corns. Someone works at home, someone on the beach, and someone gets a job in the salon.

In Goa, there are several Russian yoga centers where not only classes are held, but also seminars are organized with the invitation of famous yoga teachers and other spiritual practices. Classes are often held on the hotel lawn or on the beach. Ayurvedic hospitals are also open here. In 2013, a certain Zlata opened her "perinatal center" in Morjim: expectant mothers came to her 1 - 2 months before giving birth, gave birth and then together with their newborn babies swam on the beach.

To date, the layer of specialists working on a case - by-case contract-freelancers-has significantly expanded. These are artists, designers, programmers, web designers, etc. Here the specifics are that there is no permanent employer as such, the employer changes along with the end of one project and the start of work on the next. And it is also possible that the employee is located in Goa, and the employer is in Russia. More often, such a freelance artist has several employers at the same time. It is quite possible to find a job as a programmer both among Russians and in Goa among the local population. For example, create a website for a local Indian company that owns a hotel or restaurant.

For designers and people of creative professions, there are plenty of topics for self - expression and application of their ideas. You can, for example, design the cut of dresses and trousers, sitting on your veranda, and, using fine local fabrics, entrust their implementation to Indian tailoring workshops-since there are plenty of them on every corner and at any store, even the smallest. Production

* Legal work is possible if you have a work or business visa, and this requires a written request from India to a specialist located in Russia. Upon presentation of such a document, the consulate issues the required visa. There is no other way, even for money, to get it.

** Kite-a kite designed for towing a person.

local semiprecious stone decorations using macrame techniques, ceramics and chilim production*, psychedelic paintings of clubs and restaurants, and interior design of newly opened restaurants. Many people work quite professionally and subsequently develop their production here. In the town of Anjuna in north Goa, the famous bazaar opens on Wednesdays, which attracts traders and buyers from all over the state. There are annual fashion shows-fashion shows where everyone can show what they are capable of, but so far the works of Russian designers have not been seen.

Some representatives of the 2nd group are characterized by random, rather exotic, types of employment. They mean "hippies for life", and not those who came to pohippovat. They arrive with $ 50 in their pocket (sometimes even with children), spend the night on sun beds on the beach or in Russian restaurants. They usually categorically do not want to get a permanent job - "they didn't come here for a reason", but they need to live somehow, and someone makes cottage cheese for Russian restaurants, someone lives in an animal center (a center for stray animals), where you need to take care of animals and cook food for them, for this you can live and feed there for free.

A lot of Russians come to Goa with their children, and those who live here permanently often have large families. Several kindergartens and schools are already open in different villages, and you can hire a babysitter-a baby sitter, with an hourly fee. Here is an ad that appeared on the OGoa website on December 12, 2013.:

"Since the beginning of November 2013, a primary school has been operating in Arambol (North Goa). The school is located at the foot of a hill, close to both Mandrem and Arambol.

On the territory of the school there are conditions for staying during the day: a shady fenced territory, a convenient place for classes, a space for games and creativity, workshops, cozy rooms for classes and recreation. There are two meals a day included in the class price.

The main task of primary school is to realize the individual interests of the child, taking into account the goals of the family and the wishes of the parents. The program includes, but is not limited to, Russian primary school standards. Bright masters and mentors have gathered here to share their skills and abilities, thereby ensuring creative and emotional development through interaction with culture, studying and practicing the arts (painting, music, theater, ceramics), learning about yourself and the world around you through movement and travel (choreography, martial arts, " Lessons in Motion"and" Boat of Discovery"). Some of this broad list is included in the curriculum, while others are available as additional classes after school hours."

On the site OGoa.ru in the "Work" section there are quite exotic ads: "We are putting together a team to promote a project", or in the "Required" section you can find rare specialties in our everyday life: a Spanish language teacher or a psychoenergotherapist, or a poker dealer, etc., etc.

Salaries and income levels in Goa are certainly lower, compared to offers for similar vacancies in Russia, and even more so in Moscow. Often, specific, local tasks are added to the usual range of responsibilities. But all this pays off with the cheapness of living in India compared to Russia.

HOW TO LIVE EVEN BETTER: RUSSIAN BUSINESS IN GOA

Permanent residents of Goa are starting to open their own businesses: restaurants already mentioned above, schools and kindergartens, yoga courses, board skating school, massage parlors, Indian dance and music training, kitesurfing and much more. But the question arises: on what legal basis? Under Indian law, a foreign citizen cannot buy real estate and engage in entrepreneurship, which means that all these activities and all these establishments either have a co-owner/partner of an Indian, or exist illegally. In Indian reality, both are possible: the corruption (bribery intensity) of the Indian administration is huge, and an enterprise can exist for a season under one name, and the next open under another-this is quite common, and no one will "notice"it. On the other hand, a partnership with Indians is also possible, or the business is registered as a figurehead, which is not noticeable at the consumer level, and the enterprise (school, snack bar, etc.) is perceived as purely Russian. On one of the sites there was information that the famous first Russian restaurant in Goa "Baba Yaga" was closed by an Indian partner.

HINDI RUSI BHAI-BHAI**, OR THE ATTITUDE OF LOCAL RESIDENTS TOWARDS RUSSIANS

Unfortunately, Russian tourists have gained a bad reputation, primarily for their disregard for local traditions. In India: this is the appearance off the beach in a semi-naked form, excessive alcohol consumption, rude derogatory attitude towards local residents, for example, in Morzhim, a snack bar on the beach did not serve Indians. The local population has the impression that Russians start drinking vodka with the whole family in the morning. The Consulate General of the Russian Federation and the Russian Information Center in Goa have issued a special reminder for Russian citizens vacationing in Goa, where among other things there is a point: "Respect local laws and traditions, including in clothing. Clothing should not be provocative. Swimsuits, short shorts and skirts (for girls), bare torso (for men) off-beach activities in Goa are not welcome as well

* Pipe; occurs in the meaning of hookah and a pinch of tobacco, enough for one pipe.

** "An Indian and a Russian are brothers" is the slogan of Soviet-Indian friendship, proclaimed by N. S. Khrushchev at a rally in Bangalore on November 26, 1955.

topless may even result in a fine. " ³

But these appeals do not apply to everyone, and the Indians decided to take up the task themselves. A T-shirt with the inscription: "This is Goa! Respect him! " - "risks" to get every tourist who decides to walk around some resort cities with a bare torso. This initiative was launched by the Indian Su-Raj party together with volunteers. According to the Indian news agency TNN, the campaign, which clearly informs tourists about the requirement to dress decently, was launched at the initiative of one of the party members after his family was embarrassed at the sight of undressed tourists traveling on mopeds. The party has prepared special T-shirts for "ill-mannered" tourists and is going to hand them out completely free of charge.⁴

The church also appealed to tourists to dress decently when visiting the Basilica of Bom Jesus and the holy places of North Goa.

The authorities are concerned about the Russian mafia, which is accused of buying up real estate in Goa, distributing drugs and providing sex services in this resort. India's central newspapers ran numerous articles on the subject, calling for an end to the devastation of Goa, one of the top ten resorts in the world. But in some places, the same Indian media raise the question: where are the local authorities looking? They have enough authority to stop lawlessness and restore order.⁵ But this kind of policing sometimes produces unexpected results: a large drug trafficking organization with a network of distributors was uncovered in Goa, and it turned out that it was headed by officers from the local drug control ⁶ who started the rumor about the Russian mafia. A well-known lawyer in Goa, Vikram Varma (who has defended the interests of many Russians), also confirmed that the main problems of Goa are corruption and drug mafia. But not a foreign one, but a local one. "It is clear to anyone who has dealt with this problem that there is a drug mafia in Goa, but it is mainly local residents, not foreigners. Some officials and some representatives of the police are also involved in it." According to the lawyer, these people are interested in shifting attention to the Russians or to anyone else: "Recently, there was a lot of talk about some kind of Jewish-Israeli mafia. Even earlier - about the British "criminal forces".

Varma believes that tourists from Russia are not at all more criminal than others, it's just that there have recently become a lot of them, and they are striking. But most of the tourists in Goa are actually Indians (the "paradise state" is visited annually by up to 2.5 million tourists, of which only half a million are foreigners), and their crime statistics are much higher. It is enough to recall the high-profile scandals with attacks on women in Goa and in other parts of India. And in general, after the recent scandals of brutal rape in India, the statements of traditionalists about "depraved foreigners" somehow do not seem very convincing. ⁷

This, of course, does not mean that real estate is not bought up and the mafia is not present in Goa, but the Indian authorities have the right and power to stop the lawlessness.

But here comes April, and the heat comes to Goa: the season is over. In the off-season, life freezes: tourists do not come, and those who live here permanently go to the mountains - to Kashmir, Simla, Nepal. See you next season!

* * *

All the above facts have been collected for one purpose-to show that for the first time in the entire history of Russian-Indian relations, a significant number of Russians (in the expanded meaning of this word) are currently living in India. In this regard, the question arises: can we assume that a Russian diaspora is being formed in Goa?

In our opinion, it is still too early to talk about this. If several tens of thousands of Russians gather here during the season, then the vast majority are tourists; it is not possible to estimate the permanent residents here, but out of season they leave their places and go to the mountains. These are typical vagabonds: they may settle in another village on the coast next season, or they may even move to Vietnam, because there are already voices that Goa is no longer attractive to them due to the abundance of tourists.

How the process will go: towards greater settlement of some part of the Russians, or Goa will become purely tourist, time will tell.

¹ The article is based on websites: http://oGoa.ru; http://life-goa.ru, www.orien-talica.com, http://goabook.ru; www.tour prom, ru / news / and others; books: Karavaev V. Goa. Confessions of a psychedelic oyster. Goaglavpechat, 2011; Sukhochev A. Goa-sindrom. Ad Marginem, 2007, etc.; questions from friends and acquaintances who have visited Goa. Illustrations are taken from the site - http://oGoa.ru

² http://www.tourprom.ru/news/24509/

³ http://www.tourprom.ru/news/23662/

⁴ http://www.moscvichka.ru/moscvich-ка/2014/01/14/turistov-na-goa-poprosyat-ne-ogolyatsya -7117.html

⁵ The Times of India. Jan. 24, 2011; Aug. 27,2013.

⁶ Business Standard Monday, Apr. 14, 2014 - http://news.oneindia.in/india/goa-anti-narcotics-cell-cop-suspended-1339989.html

⁷ http://slon.ru/world/pochemu_goa_ vedetvoynu_s_russkimi_turistami-1031739. xhtml

Permanent link to this publication: