Legendary 'Rumochka in Zyuzino' Bar to Close After 13 Years

After 13 years in operation, the legendary «Rumochka in Zyuzino» will close in Moscow, according to its founder Alexei Kucherov, as reported by MSK1.RU.

The establishment operated in a two-story building on Bolotnikovskaya Street — where a car parts store used to be. This shot bar maintained an underground atmosphere but made it more friendly — with paintings by contemporary artists, such as Vasia Lozhkin, appearing on the walls. Drawing sessions, fairs, and concerts by musicians — from Yuri Loza to Alexei Vdovin — were held here. And the menu featured beer in three-liter jars, sandwiches with lard, eggs with peas, and shashlik, which were consumed at large communal tables.

The founder of the shot bar, Alexei Kucherov, told MSK1.RU that the reason for the closure is the renovation program. According to him, they were warned about the possible demolition of the building, but the project decided to continue operating until the end.

«A whole lot of time passed, renovation came, and now the building is being demolished. The information was already at the end of 2024. But it»s a long process, now there are some final touches going on. There«s no exact date [for closure] because there are disputes. But in any case, everything will end this year,» the restaurateur shared.

Alexei Kucherov also owns the wine bar Barrel at Winzavod. In 2024, the establishment reported a net loss of 1.9 million rubles (about $19,000 at current rates) with revenue of 59.9 million rubles (about $599,000 at current rates) (according to Kontur.Focus data for 2024). He also launched a winemaking project near Sevastopol called Hills and Rocks and founded the military goods store chain «Warehouse No. 1».

For now, the establishment plans to continue operating until the end of May, and what happens next is unknown. Alexei Kucherov explained that he is considering relaunching the shot bar in another location, but for now, there are no concrete plans.

«Of course, we thought about [relaunching]: there are requests from workers, musicians, and visitors. It was always not entirely a commercial project for us. We ourselves are creative people, we liked such a union,» added Kucherov. «A lot has to align: the place, the people. Just like it happened with the original Rumochka in Zyuzino. It all just happened by chance. We just got together and it took off.»

The closure of the project came as a surprise to many Muscovites. Although some recalled that a banner with the inscription «Last Season» hung in the establishment a year ago.

The artistic director of the group «Mamulki Band», Maxim Semenov, says that for him, «Rumochka in Zyuzino» was a special place where their team worked or relaxed.

«Yes, not the center, yes, difficult sound, yes, little space. But the team of this unique establishment managed to create an absolutely unique atmosphere (credit, of course, to Prokhor and Puza). In this wonderful place, one could catch Mrs. Tolstaya during the day, attend Mr. Drozdov»s benefit concert, or concerts by Mamonov or Fedorov… But most importantly, I never felt any negativity there, ever — it was our own,« he shared with MSK1.RU.

«I»m a local, it«s a cool budget spot where you can drink and have a snack. It»s very strange that there«s information about closure. There are always people there, even excluding concerts, like the beloved »Kirpichi«,» said Andrei, a patron of the establishment.

«Overall, it will be a real loss. Similar to Powerhouse for its respective crowd. Only electronic clubs opened and closed just like that, but courteous establishments in history have been few and far between, and the shot bar is almost the last one,» notes Muscovite Alexei.

The net profit of «Rumochka in Zyuzino» was 1.6 million rubles (approximately $16,000 at current rates) with revenue of 31.7 million rubles (about $317,000 at current rates) for 2024 (according to Kontur.Focus).

Recently, the team of the Powerhouse club on Taganka announced a possible closure of the project. Among the reasons, they cited a large amount of debt, rising prices, and a decrease in the average check amount. Also, in early January, the restaurant Blanc closed in Kitay-Gorod after eight years of operation and the bar «Darling, I»ll Call You Back« in Pyatnitsky Lane.