Police Raid “Kisskoteka” Dating Party in Moscow, Beating Guests and Searching for “LGBT Propaganda”
Security forces raided the Moscow dating party “Kisskoteka” over the weekend, reportedly looking for drugs and signs of so-called “LGBT propaganda.”
Dozens of guests were forced to lie face-down on the cold floor for several hours; several men were beaten and insulted with homophobic slurs, while others were ordered to do push-ups and hold planks.
The independent project Veter spoke with guests and staff members who described scenes of intimidation and humiliation.
“They burst in screaming ‘Face down!’”
The party took place on the night of October 18 at the Moscow club Grafit. According to witnesses, police entered around 1 a.m. from multiple entrances. “They came in shouting, some hitting people with batons,” said Alexey (name changed for safety), one of the guests. “Everyone was ordered to lie face-down with their hands behind their heads. I saw an officer grab a guy by the hair and slam his face into the floor.” For the first few minutes, some attendees thought the raid was part of a performance.
Veronika, who was working at the club that night, recalled: “Suddenly a huge OMON officer pushed me aside to reach the stage, the DJ was pinned down, the music stopped. They screamed, ‘On the floor, quickly!’ That’s when we realized it wasn’t a show.”
Hours on the floor
Guests and staff were kept on the concrete floor for nearly two hours. Requests to collect coats from the cloakroom were met with insults or kicks. Men and women were later separated and brought out in small groups to have their documents photographed. “They were rough with the guys — punching them, forcing some to do push-ups or hold planks. Many were shivering; we were freezing,” said Veronika, who later fell ill from the cold. According to testimonies, the police mocked male guests for their appearance, calling them “faggots” for wearing bright clothes or accessories. Alexey emphasized that the event itself had no LGBT theme: “There were no references to LGBT issues anywhere. It’s a dating event where people come to meet someone — some just dress up for the occasion.” Dogs were brought in to search for drugs, and several guests were forced to provide urine samples on site. Organizers had explicitly banned drugs and hard alcohol in the event announcement. The officers, witnesses said, presented no formal charges. The only administrative violation mentioned was the organizers’ failure to file a venue notification after a last-minute change of location.
Aftermath
After the raid, organizers offered to refund ticket costs in full, but many guests declined, saying they preferred to support the community or requested free entry to the next event instead. “If the party doesn’t break the law and isn’t underground, why shouldn’t we go?” Alexey said. “In Moscow, any event can be raided. Even Underdog bar had one — what, should we stop drinking beer now?”
Some staff members, however, said they would no longer cooperate with the organizers. Others suggested the police might have targeted the Grafit venue itself, which has reportedly faced repeated inspections.
From “Kiss Club” to fear
The Telegram community “Kiss Club” emerged in 2022, promoting events built around tenderness and flirting rather than sex: “A party for those who love kisses and affection,” read its first announcement. “No explicit contact — just openness and playfulness.”
According to former organizer Ksenia, the idea came from a woman who had moved from Luhansk to Moscow after 2014. Early events were openly LGBT-friendly, but after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the introduction of the “LGBT propaganda” law, organizers began removing any content that could draw attention. “They toned everything down,” Ksenia said. “It used to be sensual and tactile. Now it’s more like regular dating events. One of the latest parties even had a Russian-style theme — everyone in kokoshniks.”
A wider crackdown
The raid on “Kisskoteka” fits into a growing pattern of police and activist attacks on sex-positive spaces in Russia, described in detail by The Insider in its recent investigation ““ Since the high-profile “naked party” scandal of TV host Nastya Ivleeva in 2023, authorities have repeatedly targeted erotic and sex-positive communities under accusations of “immorality” or “LGBT propaganda.”
Police raids have hit BDSM and swinger clubs from Moscow to Yekaterinburg; organizers have been fined, sentenced to community service, or forced underground. The latest incident at “Kisskoteka” shows that even non-sexual dating events can now be subjected to violent raids and public shaming.
Reporting: based on testimonies collected by Veter and additional context from The Insider.
Dozens of guests were forced to lie face-down on the cold floor for several hours; several men were beaten and insulted with homophobic slurs, while others were ordered to do push-ups and hold planks.
The independent project Veter spoke with guests and staff members who described scenes of intimidation and humiliation.
“They burst in screaming ‘Face down!’”
The party took place on the night of October 18 at the Moscow club Grafit. According to witnesses, police entered around 1 a.m. from multiple entrances. “They came in shouting, some hitting people with batons,” said Alexey (name changed for safety), one of the guests. “Everyone was ordered to lie face-down with their hands behind their heads. I saw an officer grab a guy by the hair and slam his face into the floor.” For the first few minutes, some attendees thought the raid was part of a performance.
Veronika, who was working at the club that night, recalled: “Suddenly a huge OMON officer pushed me aside to reach the stage, the DJ was pinned down, the music stopped. They screamed, ‘On the floor, quickly!’ That’s when we realized it wasn’t a show.”
Hours on the floor
Guests and staff were kept on the concrete floor for nearly two hours. Requests to collect coats from the cloakroom were met with insults or kicks. Men and women were later separated and brought out in small groups to have their documents photographed. “They were rough with the guys — punching them, forcing some to do push-ups or hold planks. Many were shivering; we were freezing,” said Veronika, who later fell ill from the cold. According to testimonies, the police mocked male guests for their appearance, calling them “faggots” for wearing bright clothes or accessories. Alexey emphasized that the event itself had no LGBT theme: “There were no references to LGBT issues anywhere. It’s a dating event where people come to meet someone — some just dress up for the occasion.” Dogs were brought in to search for drugs, and several guests were forced to provide urine samples on site. Organizers had explicitly banned drugs and hard alcohol in the event announcement. The officers, witnesses said, presented no formal charges. The only administrative violation mentioned was the organizers’ failure to file a venue notification after a last-minute change of location.
Aftermath
After the raid, organizers offered to refund ticket costs in full, but many guests declined, saying they preferred to support the community or requested free entry to the next event instead. “If the party doesn’t break the law and isn’t underground, why shouldn’t we go?” Alexey said. “In Moscow, any event can be raided. Even Underdog bar had one — what, should we stop drinking beer now?”
Some staff members, however, said they would no longer cooperate with the organizers. Others suggested the police might have targeted the Grafit venue itself, which has reportedly faced repeated inspections.
From “Kiss Club” to fear
The Telegram community “Kiss Club” emerged in 2022, promoting events built around tenderness and flirting rather than sex: “A party for those who love kisses and affection,” read its first announcement. “No explicit contact — just openness and playfulness.”
According to former organizer Ksenia, the idea came from a woman who had moved from Luhansk to Moscow after 2014. Early events were openly LGBT-friendly, but after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the introduction of the “LGBT propaganda” law, organizers began removing any content that could draw attention. “They toned everything down,” Ksenia said. “It used to be sensual and tactile. Now it’s more like regular dating events. One of the latest parties even had a Russian-style theme — everyone in kokoshniks.”
A wider crackdown
The raid on “Kisskoteka” fits into a growing pattern of police and activist attacks on sex-positive spaces in Russia, described in detail by The Insider in its recent investigation ““ Since the high-profile “naked party” scandal of TV host Nastya Ivleeva in 2023, authorities have repeatedly targeted erotic and sex-positive communities under accusations of “immorality” or “LGBT propaganda.”
Police raids have hit BDSM and swinger clubs from Moscow to Yekaterinburg; organizers have been fined, sentenced to community service, or forced underground. The latest incident at “Kisskoteka” shows that even non-sexual dating events can now be subjected to violent raids and public shaming.
Reporting: based on testimonies collected by Veter and additional context from The Insider.