Lena is 30 and Korean. She was born in communist North Korea, and her parents emigrated shortly after to the Soviet Union. Lena grew up in a small town by the sea in southern Russia. “I love the sea,” she says with a grin.
There was no work back home, so like many others, Lena moved to Moscow in search of a job and a taste of prosperity.
She first worked as a secretary, but rent and life in Moscow are expensive. Some of her girlfriends are “bandits” – that’s what prostitutes call themselves here – and they introduced her to the side hustle. Later, Lena lost her day job and fully entered the world of prostitution. She hops from club to club each night, looking for men willing to pay for sex.
In Moscow alone, it’s estimated there are around 150,000 prostitutes. The actual number is likely even higher. Life in the city is expensive, and even if the girls earn enough to cover their basic needs in middle-class jobs, the luxury world of Moscow’s nightclubs, restaurants, boutiques, and upscale department stores remains out of reach.
On average, a girl makes between $150 and $200 per client. A portion goes to a network, a pimp, or the club. Another cut goes to the police to look the other way – prostitution is illegal in Russia.
A disturbing survey found that one in eight schoolgirls aged 10 to 16 listed “call girl” as their dream job. Not to pay for food or rent, but to afford Dolce & Gabbana jeans.
When the sun sets, Lena heads to a club or sits in a café. She smiles at men, hoping to spark a conversation. The price is quickly negotiated, and then it’s off in a taxi to the client’s home.
“Are you ever scared?” I ask her. “Ever had a bad experience?”
Lena spits three times into the air – a Russian gesture for good luck – and tells me she’s always been lucky so far, things have gone smoothly.
“Sure, sometimes there’s a drunk guy or trouble, but most of the time it can be resolved peacefully. I take a good look at people beforehand and choose who I go home with. And I have girlfriends who regularly check in with me by phone.”
Lena is an exception. She didn’t become a “bandit” to buy designer clothes. She supports her family back in southern Russia with her earnings – and she’s saving.
She proudly tells me she thought about buying an apartment in Moscow as an investment, but the prices are too high. She’d rather invest in Europe. A restaurant on the coast of Spain, or maybe a hotel in Croatia – you can still get those for a decent price, she says, and she’s planning to buy one.
“Spain is my dream country,” she adds.
Lena makes a very smart impression. She speaks good German and seems knowledgeable about real estate prices and costs across markets. She tells me about price-per-square-meter in certain Moscow districts and compares them with Spain and Croatia.
“No, I’d be stupid to buy something here. The Moscow real estate market will collapse in two years anyway – it’s completely overvalued,” Lena says.
“Do you enjoy your job?” I ask, then quickly add, “Yeah, I know, dumb question.”
“You know,” she says, “I meet a lot of people, learn a lot about life, and to be honest – I enjoy sex too.”
“Do you think there’s anything shameful about it?” I ask.
By now, “bandits” are just part of life in Moscow. A Russian man has his wife at home and can have as many girls on the side as he can afford – not to mention the foreigners.
“A lot of the men I choose, I actually like. I might’ve slept with them anyway. This way, I make money and improve my situation. I don’t really have any other prospects.
It’s just a pity that I never see many of those men again – or if I do, it’s purely business.”
“Isn’t that kind of schizophrenic?” I ask.
“Maybe. But I don’t have a choice,” Lena answers.
“Are you still looking for a job as a secretary?” I ask next.
Lena laughs. “No way. As a secretary, I make $300 to $400 a month. As a bandit, I can make $1,500 or more.”
I wish Lena good luck as we part. She’ll need it. HIV, tuberculosis, and STDs are on the rise. Many clients refuse to use condoms. The side hustle becomes Russian roulette.
But maybe also a way out – out of Russia and into a new beginning somewhere else.
Lena’s already come a long way – from poor North Korea to southern Russia, and then to Moscow. Maybe she’ll make it to Spain and leave this life behind.
Or maybe this “job” will break her.
Russia offers many opportunities right now. The economy is growing, and the middle class is developing rapidly.
But opportunities only exist for those with the right education or the right connections to the power networks that run the country.
For a simple girl – especially from the countryside – there are almost no opportunities.
