An Irish cultural wave is sweeping the city, and it’s all the more remarkable for being all-Russian. At its centre is a man who speaks more Irish than many of the Irish themselves, so much so that he now makes his living teaching the language to other Russian Hibernophiles in the city.
“It is a movement here of Irish culture, a gluaiseacht,” says Yuri Andreichuk, a sean-nós-singing bodhrán player. “There is a closeness in the mentality of the Irish and the Russians. Our peoples shared similar experiences in the past, a history of struggle for ordinary folk, and a strong rural tradition too. So in Irish traditional culture, we find very big similarities and resonances.”