The large number of Russian citizens has transformed Parq into a bit of Moscow in Bali. This area was once called “Russian Village” because many Russian citizens live in apartments or work at the Parq co-working space.
By
Kompas Team
·7 minutes read
TIM KOMPAS
The tourist area of Parq Ubud in Gianyar Regency, Bali, seen from the air, in April 2023. Parq Ubud covering an area of 4.5 hectares has 100 residential apartment rooms and is equipped with various facilities. Visitors to Parq Ubud are dominated by foreign nationals, especially Russians.
The sound of a piano echoed from inside a restaurant in Parq Ubud, Gianyar regency, Bali province, on Saturday evening (8/4/2023). Igor (25) skilfully played the tunes of singer Sia's song "Chandelier". Apart from pop music, he also played other types of classical music. Before long, he rose from his seat and walked off the stage.
He then played music he composed, which was stored on the laptop. It was 180 degrees different: this time the music was fast with thumping bass. “So, part of me writes for piano, part of me writes for boom, boom, boom!” said Igor excitedly.
Music is not his livelihood at this time. Igor is a project manager for a large information technology (IT) company headquartered in Moscow.
He is originally from Donetsk, the eastern region of Ukraine, which borders Russia. He has two passports, namely Ukrainian and Russian passports, even though the two countries are at war. Donetsk is a region of Ukraine once controlled by Russia.
Igor has been living and working remotely for almost three months now. Igor does not live in the Parq residential area. He chose to do routine work in the peace of Nusa Dua, which is more than 40 kilometers or 1.5-2 hours’ drive from Ubud. He only goes to Parq every weekend to "absorb" energy from foreign nationals who work remotely there.
According to Igor, the professions of foreigners staying at Parq include entrepreneurs, creative workers and buying and selling crypto. Their absorption in front of laptop monitors every day influences him to be high-spirited about work.
Igor already has a limited stay permit card (kitas) that is valid for two years and according to him can be used to work and do business in Bali. He considered resigning from his job because he was tired of Russian companies.
I'm from a fairly large city in Russia, Saint Petersburg.
Other than working, there are also foreigners who simply enjoy a vacation at Parq, such as Gregory, a Russian citizen. This 37-year-old man lays down more while doing virtual work on his cell phone.
Gregory and his friends then chatted in Russian, which is often heard in Parq. "I'm from a fairly large city in Russia, Saint Petersburg," answered Gregory when asked where he was from.
He lives in Bali due to the invitation of his friends. They helped him get a bank account in Bali so he could keep dealings amid the financial exclusion of Russia as sanctions for invading Ukraine. Gregory initially lived in Bali in September-early November 2022, then moved to visit Thailand. He went to Bali again last March. Renting a sunset-type Parq apartment unit (approximately 60 square meters in size and costing Rp 18.6 million [US$1,244]-Rp 24.8 million per month), he spends more time in the tourist area.
KOMPAS/JOHANES GALUH BIMANTARA
Activities of a number of tourists in the swimming pool area of Parq Ubud in Ubud, Gianyar Regency, Bali, Sunday (9/4/2023). Most of Parq's visitors are foreign nationals.
Avoid military service
Gregory also took a vacation to Bali to avoid military service in his home country. He does not know how long he will stay in Ubud. ”When the war started, I went to Bali to avoid conflict and military service. I am currently 37 years old and still fall into the category of [mandatory] military service," he said.
Gregory likes living in Ubud because he enjoys the beautiful scenery of rice fields. He does not have a work permit so he only spends his time on vacation at Parq. Relaxing by the pool is not the exclusive right of Parq apartment tenants. There are those who only visit to enjoy the food or drinks sold there, like Alena, also from Russia. “I live in Canggu; I go to a friend's place who lives in Ubud, but not in Parq. Near here," she said.
Alena is originally from Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, which is a federal subject of Russia. The majority of Kazan's population are Muslims, including her father.
She has been in Bali for eight months and plans to stay for a long time. She has already applied for a residence permit for five years, which means a permanent residence permit.
In the restaurant and cafe area, crowds of strangers could be heard conversing in a language similar to that used by Gregory and his friends. In fact, there is also a restaurant specializing in Russian foods or foods from the country of the “red bear”. Various menus, such as sirniki, pelmeni and borsch, are sold at a price range of Rp 75,000-Rp 150,000.
Russian Village
The large number of Russian citizens in this location has transformed Parq into a bit of Moscow in Bali. In fact, this area was once called “Russian Village” because many Russian citizens live in apartments or work at the Parq co-working space.
Last March 2023, Bali Deputy Governor Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardana Sukawati stated there was a certain exclusive village of foreigners in Ubud, Gianyar. According to him, there needs to be supervision to know if there is a violation of the business license in the exclusive village.
The Deputy Governor's statement was immediately followed up by the head of the Bali Regional Office of the Law and Human Rights Ministry, Anggiat Napitupulu. Anggiat and his team then carried out an immigration check at Parq Ubud.
The results of the operation did not find any violations. Therefore, this area can still operate normally.
JOHANES GALUH BIMANTARA
The atmosphere in the restaurant area at Parq Ubud, Gianyar Regency, Bali, Sunday (9/4/2023).
Putu Agus, a resident in Ubud, said the nickname "Kampung Russia" (Russian village) is attached to the Parq area. He also does not mind the existence of the village as long as it does not change the values and norms of the local community. "In the past, the Parq area was a paddy field with poor irrigation, so the owner sold the land," he said.
To find out whether there is Russian exclusivity, Kompas is staying at a Parq apartment unit. When entering the lobby, a slight sense of anxiety arose because there were two officers in uniform carrying rifles.
Staff members at the reception welcome local people who want to rent apartment units. However, the employee asked permission to photograph the consumer's face along with proof of payment.
The Parq building has a modern design with minimal Balinese architectural features. Rice fields still flank an area of 4.5 hectares with a total of 100 rooms for rent. Apart from apartments, cafés andrestaurants, there are also co-working spaces, a fitness center and a spa.
During the evening, we are free to choose where to sit to enjoy coffee, tea and snacks. However, as far as the eye can see from the inside area to the open space, we are the only local tourists staying at Parq. The only other local residents seen were café staff members and residential employees. The atmosphere in the place is like being in a foreign land.
Regarding the large number of Russian citizens in Ubud and the emergence of the nickname Russian Village, Kompas has contacted the Russian Embassy in Jakarta and sent inquiries, but there has been no response as of the time this article was written.
We don't want people to make negative assumptions.
The owner of Parq, I Gusti Ngurah Eka Sidhimantra, said the nickname "Russian Village" in Parq is not detrimental from a business perspective. He denied Parq seemed exclusive only for Russian citizens.
"We don't want people to make negative assumptions. Maybe many people wonder what is behind the high walls of Parq. However, many mass media [outlets] have come and seen first-hand what is in this area. This is a public place for the public,” he said.
Eka explained tourists from Russia in Bali were now dominant. This has an impact on the number of visits by Russian citizens living in Parq. "During the COVID-19 pandemic, there were indeed many Russian citizens living in Parq. But now the number has decreased,” he said. (DVD/JOG/FRD/COK/ILO)
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