]A harsh scolding from U.S. Ambassador Alexander Vershbow has
]prompted a crackdown at the Gorbushka market, Moscow's mecca of
]pirated films and music, and city authorities on Tuesday promised
]that this was only the start.

]Gone from the second floor are the row upon row of cheap pirated
]videos, DVDs, music discs and computer games, which just a month
]ago made up an estimated 75 percent to 95 percent of all goods
]sold there.

From Jello:

Every day my dollars buy less rubles, and now they've taken my beloved Garbushka... its like the current administration is out to ruin every expat in Moscow :(

Some background: The Gorbushka started out as an open air weekend market, selling (usually very nice) reproductions of tapes and CDs and movies. It became quite large, and a couple years ago it moved into several large buildings. Along with the software/music/movies, now came appliances, computers, and anything and everything electronic. All crammed in tiny stalls lining narrow hallways. Its like those shots you see of Hong Kong, where the small businesses are so dense, and the hustle and bustle so intense (I made a rhyme!). This place is great. Now they've ruined it.

This action was just a token effort to make Russia look good for getting into the WTO. It is not possible to stop rampant pirating in Russia, or even in Moscow (where people have much more money than outside Moscow), because people simply do not have enough money to buy the real deal. Even with the reduced prices they mention. For the foreseeable future, this is just an inconvenience. You can still find any software and popular movie you want around one of Moscow's large bookstores, or on its mainstreets. The real reason this sucks is that there were ALL KINDS of wierd electronic, and international music at the Gorbushka... and now its going to be very hard to find that stuff legitimately, or pirated for $3 a pop.

Poo

Gorbushka Tossing Out the Pirates