Black guides

Published by the Editions Nemo, in Geneva, the Black Guides are small tourist guides of Moscow and Saint-Pétersbourg published between 1998 and 2000. Presented like anti-guides made for anti-tourists, they post a editorial freedom near to that which one meets in the anarchist-libertarians publications. Resolutely alternate, they do not offer a mini-dictionary or of linguistic glossary, plans detailed, guided visits of the museums or monuments prestigious. Their goal is different and it is all their specificity: to give only some selected, often marginal, always original addresses. The impression of the Black Guides is into negative, i.e. in white in black pages. That at the same time made it possible to save on the expenses of impression while justifying the title of the collection. In addition, the black color was always asserted by the creator and director of the publication, Mikhaïl Wadimovitch Ramseier, as being the sign of the spirit anarchizing of the project, but also for the artistic connotations (photo black/white, drawing, Indian ink, etc), of mode, connected movement and at the same time of a certain classicism which evoke the black. On the editorial level, the Black Guides were written in a Russian version initially, then translated into English and French. The writers and the translators were selected among young Russians with the critical spirit and their texts all are impressed of humor, of freedom of style, obviously without concession and kindness, which is rather rare in this type of works being given the advertizing agreements between quoted editors, advertisers and places. On this subject, one will note that the Black Guides did not contain publicities, except for some companies partners or friends, which left them the bent frank ones as for the objectivity of the drafting.

Edition 1998

It is into 1998 that the first edition of the Black Guides was published, for Saint-Pétersbourg only, then presenting the addresses by district and classified according to three topics: “To buy”, “To eat” and “To leave”. They were published in French, Russian and English, in the separate in order to avoid the overload of publications Bi or trilingual volumes, considered difficult of access. The choice of the places presented and the ton of the drafting posted the ambition of the collection: to help the reader to approach the city by its hidden side, to offer the complement essential to the more traditional works, to help the reader to discover Russia of today, out of the beaten paths. At that time, rare were the guides on Russia, then coldly left the bosom the USSR (1991), and the majority of them remained centered on a traditional ultra presentation making the good share with the museums and other high cultural places, whereas the Russia news already started to abound with original establishments, following the example all big cities of the sphere, and perhaps more still because of its very recent opening. The Black Guides invited to buy CD in connected shops, to discover honey of Siberia sold with the ladle in a small artisanal shop, or to leave in alternative places like the Squatt Pouchkine or the Fish Fabrik. The practical infos were also more invaluable, such as for example the schedules of opening of the bridges: it should indeed be known that Saint-Pétersbourg is a city built on many islands, connected between them by bridges, and that from April at November, these bridges are raised during the night to let pass the boats which circulate on the Neva. Consequently, there is not rare to remain blocked on a quay, with having to await the closing of the bridge to return at home! In knowing the schedules is thus essential to any night bird, particularly at the time of the famous sleepless nights…

Edition 2000

For their second edition, the Black Guides reinforced their contents with Saint-Pétersbourg while adding “To sleep” and “to walk” to the first three topics making it possible to classify the addresses. But the great difference with the preceding publication was the publication of a guide on Moscow, also proposed to him in three languages. For the Black Guides, these were thus six works on the whole which left press. Just like Saint-Pétersbourg, Moscow was introduced like a modern, Western city and in perpetual movement. A gigantic city which, considering its number of inhabitants, has a number quite as significant of establishments in all kinds. The matter of the guide was thus to help the reader to find itself there in this maze of trade. If Pétersbourg were presented by districts, Moscow was divided by its subway stations, a logical choice taking into account the lifestyle of the Muscovites, who for a long time gave up dividing their city into districts, rather symbolic systems, and which prefer to be directed in their city according to the plan of the subway.

Assessment and projects

Diffused mainly in Switzerland and Russia, the Black Guides were very accepted by the press, the professionals of the voyage and the readers. On a commercial plan, the Black Guides were a success taking into account the sale of the quasi totality of stocks available, but did not allow to release from benefit, indispensable condition to the publication of a third edition. Indeed, so that the collection perdure, it would have been necessary to translate it into other languages and to propose some additional cities in order to allure a large diffuser and to ensure a more popular success thus. As many investments as the small house of Genevese edition could not be allowed. Not finding the partner ideal to continue the adventure, the editors had to throw sponge, in spite of their ideas of future editions. Among those, one found guides in German, in Spanish and Italian, topics enriched, Russian cities and of Eastern Europe added to the catalog, an edition especially useful for the expatriates and autochtones, with topics like: “To learn”, “To work”, “To live”, “to look after themselves”, “to furnish themselves”, “to ensure themselves”, etc

Data sheet

Black Guides, ISSN: 1422-5425
Writer responsible and directing of the publication: Mikhaïl W. Ramseier
original Drafting: Nathalia R. Katayeva, Alexandre V. Fiodorov, Alexandre D. Loguinov
Translations and adaptations: Adrien F. Englert, Olga I. Englert, Ivan I. Grézine, Karen Olson, Andrei A. Raevsky, Anna V. Raevsky, Mikhaïl W. Ramseier
Illustration of cover: Pierre-Alain Bertola
Realization CAM in Geneva by the Editions Nemo, impression in Belgium
1998: French edition: Saint-Pétersbourg - To leave, ISBN: 2-940038-24-4, 128 pages, format 100 X 145mm.
1998: English edition: Saint-Petersburg - Going out, ISBN: 2-940038-25-2, 128 pages, format 100 X 145mm.
1998: Russian edition: Санкт-Петербург - Развлечься, ISBN: 2-940038-26-0, 128 pages, format 100 X 145mm.
2000: French edition: Saint-Pétersbourg, ISBN: 2-940038-29-5, 128 pages, format 100 X 145mm.
2000: French edition: Moscow, ISBN: 2-940038-32-5, 128 pages, format 100 X 145mm.
2000: English edition: Saint-Petersburg, ISBN: 2-940038-30-9, 112 pages, format 100 X 145mm.
2000: English edition: Moscow, ISBN: 2-940038-33-3, 112 pages, format 100 X 145mm.
2000: Russian edition: Санкт-Петербург, ISBN: 2-940038-28-7, 128 pages, format 100 X 145mm.
2000: Russian edition: Москва, ISBN: 2-940038-31-7, 128 pages, format 100 X 145mm.

External bond

Web site of the Editions Nemo

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