BACK FROM...RUSSIA!
Virato recently returned to America from a very exciting two month lecture and workshop tour of St. Petersburg and Moscow, Russia where he spoke to thousands of people on TV and radio, and gave many lectures, conducted several events. The trip was part of a TV special on ITN, Europe's largest television network. The TV production crew, Visual Voodoo, Collin Rothbert, Producer, came all the way to St. Petersburg, Russia from London to shoot the program with Virato. 

HTB Television (Russia's PBS) also did an interview with Virato, as did several radio stations, and magazines in St. Petersburg.  One program on HTB discussed how Virato's psycho-spiritual techniques have been effective in some of Russia's drug rehab programs, and how many psychologists attend his lecture and events

An independent TV production company in St. Petersburg is creating a special video for the Russia market. For info on this video send e-mail to riyaz@mail.ru
 

TRIP DETAILS
St. Petersburg, Russia -- Virato was here in the city made popular by our famous Czar, Peter the Great of Russia. He arrived on 3 October and stayed with us until  November 21. He returned to America from Moscow, November 27, 2000. (He's been coming to Russia since 1992.)  As usual, many young ladies sought out Virato! Now in his mid 60s, he asks, "Please do not be jealous or envious of me. It is the power of the Tantric spiritual practice and way of life! Tantra is a life of joy not suppression...of love not envy! I invite you all to come to Russia with me.

Almost all of the time Virato is in Russia someone is filming him. He has never been to Russia where he has not been in the media limelight. His trips are both deeply spiritual providing Russians with a crisp, clean and pure view of reality, filled with  unconditional love and a fully enjoyable time. Virato is the one spiritual teacher we know of that can  indeed bring us to the Heaven or Nirvana we seek...in the here and now--by connecting spirit with the earth. 

Virato spent time with many new and old friends and lovers: Dhiraja, from St. Petersburg (an Osho sannyasin who spent the entire two months with him as his interpreter), Oxana,  a recent graduate of Moscow University, and now a psychologist. Victoria, a loving Tantrika, and Tanya, Julia,  Anupam, Marianna, and  of course his loving sannyasin from Moscow, Juliette (Ma Prem Agni). 

Hundreds of others, men and women, whose names we never did get also came to his many parties and lectures. But please don't get us wrong, Virato has as many, or more, male friends in Russia. Here are some words about his events.

With Russia's foremost yoga teacher, Andre Lapain, Virato, this past year also  co-led the largest Intensive Event he has ever conducted anywhere, with over 240 people!

In St. Petersburg, Virato has developed a personal and business relationship with Olga, the manager of Spartak, the best nightclub in the city. Spartak must be experienced. The youngest (17 up) and hottest people go here, and they love Virato! Beer (a pint) is 25 rubles (less than a buck), and the food is very tasty and reasonably priced. (sometimes there is a cover of 80 rubles to get in). 

Olga, about 30, is the director of the club (the food/drink is run by the mafia), and she is cool! Her cool husband, also young, took Virato and his guests to very "special" places on the "church property" for some "special" experiences. The place is big with hundreds of people every night. Virato did two special performances at Spartak one on Halloween (the first such party that anyone knows of in Russia, where they do not celebrate Halloween  as we do) .He was the hit of the evenings. The club plastered 4000 large posters all over St. Petersburg heralding his arrival  He performed live for over 2 hours, and the young girls were ecstatic. Two of them, Vera and Anna, have asked to become his sannyasins. They stayed with him the remainder of his time in St. Petersburg. 

Virato conducted a weekend event with 32 people at a secluded resort about 20 miles outside St .Petersburg. As usual, it was a powerful and transformative event. He has added a new, and very magical process ...called the "Journey into the Forest."

In Moscow they visited Moscow's hottest night clubs, Metaelitsa, and again through Virato's friend Marianna Markova (Sylvester Stallone's and Madonna's interpreter), we got to meet Leeka, Moscow's newest and hottest pop singer, as well as Miss Moscow. We also met Russian royalty: Natasha, president of Russia's famed "Russian Club" through Marianna. Natasha's lineage goes back to Russia's Czars. These are the sort of people you can expect to meet. 

"These trips are really magic. I had no idea I was such a celebrity," says Virato, smiling. "I do not deny the ego, I say enjoy existence. To be Divine is divine... let us dance in the garden of the Divine"

Virato and his friends found time to visit St. Petersburg's famed Hermitage of Peter the Great, and the majestic Russian Museum. They also visited several Orthodox Christian churches, and an arboretum.

Virato learned to travel by himself, along with a few Americans (and one man who came all the way from Singapore) who joined him (as long as he had destination and/or clear instructions in writing). They used the metro, and "private" taxis (95% of all the taxis we used were simply cars drive where the driver made a few bucks). Cost is between 30 and 150 rubles which is about $1 to $5 dollars US. Expect to pay more late at night (2-4 AM). They will drive you many miles for this amount.

Virato (along with his Russian assistants) does his own shopping most of the time to select the very best supply of food for the day. They did go to several restaurants, however restaurants and night clubs can take you into the financial stratosphere. Some in St. Petersburg and Moscow charge as much as $75 cover just to get in the door! Dinner for two can easily run over a hundred dollars without expensive champagne. 

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