Restraint, intelligence and a high intellectual component - here she is, Natasha Barbier. Journalist, publisher of Mezzanine magazine and TV presenter. Real name: Natalya Vladimirovna Troepolskaya. Natalya chose her grandmother’s surname as a pseudonym... She has the right. She is a Woman with a capital W, she exudes an aura of charm, gentleness and homeliness, but at the same time deep intelligence and thoughtfulness in everything. And the surname Barbier is more suitable for such a lady than Troepolskaya.
Childhood
Natasha Barbier is a Russian designer, and a sense of style is her way of life. Barbier was born in Kronstadt, then the family moved to Saratov. The third of September is the date of her birth. According to the horoscope, Virgo is soft, gentle, pure, but firm in her intentions and knows how to achieve her goals. Natasha’s dad, Vladimir Borisovich Troepolsky, is a sailor, and therefore she calls herself nothing more than “the captain’s daughter.” Natalya’s mother is a teacher, she taught English, and Natasha owes her perfect pronunciation to her. She often recalls her childhood, which, according to Barbier, was happy. Therefore, she says that it is almost impossible to offend or anger her. Natasha Barbier, whose biography began in a seaside town, did not connect her life with navigation or anything related to it. She took a completely different path and, it seems, made the right decision. She loves her job and is not shy about talking about it.
Natalia Barbier now
Today Natalia Barbier lives alone. There were no children in the family, and there is no information about nephews either.
The presenter devotes all her free time to her favorite work.
Since 2020, he has been hosting the second program “To the Dacha!”, and its co-host is the well-known Larisa Guzeeva. In general, Natalya is an established designer and looks gorgeous at her age.
Do you like “Perfect Repair”? In my opinion, it has gone bad. But that's another story for me.
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Career
First there was Literary Russia, where the future celebrity worked as a correspondent, then the magazines Ogonyok and Domovoy. Apparently, the passion for home and interiors began with the latter... In 1998, Barbier took up the position of editor-in-chief of Mezzanine magazine, the first Russian magazine about decor, and from these heights she has not descended anywhere. She was and is often invited to appear on television. For example, Natasha Barbier has long been a presenter and part-time expert in the programs “Interiors”, “Ideal Renovation” and “House with a Mezzanine”. So she found her calling - interior decor and everything connected with it. Mrs. Barbier became a co-founder and president of the Association of Interior Decorators and regularly, every year, she organizes and conducts exhibitions “Decor Week”, “Garden Week” and “Table Decor”. Before her, virtually no one had studied this topic so deeply. Natalya was literally the founder of interior journalism in Russia, so Barbier has mastered her niche very tightly, and today few can compete with her. She is thoroughly and willing to tell her audience about everything that she understands and is confident in, and is happy to share her experience with her audience and give valuable advice.
Interesting Facts
- As a student, the future presenter did not want to live in a dormitory, so she tried to find any part-time job to rent an apartment. Thanks to the increased scholarship and the money she earned, she first rented rooms, and then could even afford to live in an apartment. They often offered dirty housing, which had bedbugs and cockroaches, but she managed to clean, decorate and make it cozy. Perhaps even then Natalya felt an interest in interior design.
- During the filming of the “Ideal Repair” program, various incidents occurred, such as that of Lolita Milyavskaya. The builders did not have time to hang the crystal chandelier, but in order not to disrupt the shooting, the presenter had to admire its beauty. The actress at this time looked at the empty ceiling and was also delighted. And the chandelier was then lying in the corner, but the cameraman was filming professionally, so the audience didn’t understand anything.
- The journalist’s grandmother is a long-liver, who turned 102 years old in 2015. She always led an active lifestyle and swam until she was 80 years old. Despite her surname Barbier, my grandmother is Russian by nationality. It was her last name that the presenter took at one time, only she removed the letter “r” at the end.
- Natalya not only manages to organize everyday life, but also teaches at the “Details” studio school. She often goes up to drink coffee on the balcony in the studio, while admiring the streets of old Moscow.
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Preferences
Natasha Barbier hides her year of birth with feminine coquettishness, but she was born around 1960 - in the photo young Natasha is in the first grade of a Saratov school, and this is 1967.
But biological years are not the main thing for a woman; the most important thing is the age of her soul, which is always young when she has something to want. So, she is the editor-in-chief of the Mezzanine magazine, and considers designer Alexander Rodchenko, artists Tatlin, Malevich and Lisitsky to be great masters. Natasha complains very much about the still lingering “industry” of design in Russia (or maybe this is a Russian stereotype), that we just can’t break out of these shackles, from the perimeter of provincialism. But all this, according to her, is due to history, and no one is to blame. She advocates for the art of decoration and hopes that someday elegant decorations of both the interior and the dining table will be naturally perceived by Russian people and will no longer be taken from the mezzanine on holidays, but will constantly accompany the inhabitants of an apartment or house. Natasha Barbier, whose personal life is covered with a veil of secrecy (she really doesn’t like to talk about this topic in the press), is sincerely offended by everything that is unaesthetic and not made with love. She believes that beauty is not when you wear Gucci and Louboutins in public and eat from plastic dishes at home. Beauty for Natasha Barbier is a state of mind that is constant and does not change under the influence of circumstances... A person of high art - nothing can be done, she is like that! Moreover, the items do not have to be very expensive, the main thing is that they must be flawlessly assembled together and look harmonious. And this is real art, says Natalya. At her home there is an old set of copper ladle from the Amsterdam flea market and silver fish utensils that once belonged to the Dorchester Hotel in London, and an old chandelier moved to her permanent residence from the Izmailovo flea market. And there is a time and a place for all this.
Life outside of work
In the presenter’s apartment you can still find many old things that belonged to her parents and grandmother. She does not chase fashion and high prices, preferring to live in a cozy and comfortable home, even if it has crooked walls and creaky parquet floors. Natalya loves to spend time in the kitchen, so she has arranged it in her own way.
She often amazes viewers with her impeccable taste and choice of stylish outfits, and this is no coincidence, because professional stylists help her create all the looks on air.
The presenter herself is a little skeptical about fashion: if she likes a dress, she will wear it for several years, regardless of the relevance of this item for the season. The journalist is sure that style is more important than fashion, and individuality is valued more than trend. She always tries to highlight her assets and often chooses classic plain dresses.
Personal life and beloved spouse
Natasha Barbier decided long ago for herself the question of a house by the sea. Her husband, Alexander Galushkin, fully supported her, and together with their friends they acquired housing in Montenegro in the city of Ulcinj. This is an inexpensive city that is not inhabited by Russians. They purchased their first house for 14 thousand euros, and it was inexpensive compared to neighboring Italy. Their house at one time laid the foundation for an entire Russian settlement located in Ulcinj, so many representatives of Russian bohemia live here. Little starry Russia in Montenegro - that’s how this area is correctly called! The stars prudently purchased real estate back when it was inexpensive, and now they can enjoy the wonderful climate and sea all year round! They have been living with their husband for a very long time, they love each other, support and understand. Love reigns in their family. They enjoy coming to their home. This, Natalya believes, is the key to a strong and happy married life, this is how she sees an ideal family.
From Delhi to Mumbai
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Delhi, The Leela Palace
The most convenient Aeroflot flight from Moscow to Delhi arrives early in the morning. The Maharajas' Express train from Delhi to Mumbai departs in the evening. It makes sense to spend this sub-daily period of time at The Leela Palace Hotel (the so-called “diplomatic” embassy area). Firstly (so that I am not accused of bias), if only because the express train starts from the old railway station right behind the hotel. Considering the Delhi traffic, this is convenient. And secondly, this is simply a very good hotel, built less than a year ago by American architects with maximum Indian love for luxury and excellent Western taste. I am not listing here the entire group of eminent designers and the equally representative international team of decorators (who were separately responsible for the lighting, the restaurants, the interiors of the rooms or the lobby - there are a lot of them); I will only note that in The Leela Palace collection this is the latest hotel to open, in which, it seems, all possible innovations in hotel design were taken into account. On the outside, it delicately - from the word "Delhi" and not only - fits into the general style of the city's development during the time of the architect Edwin Lutyens; inside, it sparkles pathetically with huge Murano chandeliers, marble floors, silver doors and even gold walls. At the same time, the decor does not overwhelm the five-million-dollar collection of contemporary art and does not distract from the simple pleasures of life such as the spa (rarely stylish and large), the rooftop pool with views of the entire city, and the restaurants and bars where Delhi's society now gathers. Because it's a fashionable place. And a great starting point on your trip to India.
Maharajas' Express
India is naturally different. Everyone has their own. It was my first time in India at a super spa hotel, so I guess I didn’t see the country. This time I saw it. And not just from the train window. But first, about the train.
This is a small town on wheels. It is designed so correctly: only 23 cars, generators at the edges (because the train moves in a zigzag, now in one direction or the other, electric locomotives join along with shift drivers, whose job seems to be constantly giving sound signals: this is India, on The paths of cows and animals may be different). And from different ends of the train it begins: one carriage for staff, then there are carriages for passengers, first those with four compartments, then three, then two, and the presidential carriage - a whole room with two bedrooms, a living room and even a bathroom, and not shower. And towards the center everything converges on two bars, two restaurants and a kitchen run by the absolutely wonderful and fiery chef Shanay Madhavan. The kitchen on wheels is a different story: everything here is clearly organized and arranged, 15 people prepare two menus - European and Indian, and in each place you can try dishes of the region crossed, thank God, adapted for Europeans. Shanay developed the menu based on experience: he has already worked in 82 countries, even in Moscow he was a chef at the American Embassy, and knows the specifics of cruise cuisine well. I’ll say right away that everything is tasty and of high quality, only vegetables are bought locally, and as for the bar - don’t repeat my mistakes, in India it’s quite possible to drink Indian white and sparkling Sula and you don’t have to order French or Italian wines. Sommelier Abhishek (one, but a good one) will explain this to you, or Sanjeev, the head waiter of the restaurants - I write the names with such confidence because out of curiosity I talked a lot with everyone and I know from them: work at Maharajas' Express is prestigious, everyone here has a special higher education, no one leaves, they are proud of the train as if it were their own.
This town on wheels is operated by Royale Indian Rail Tours Ltd. together with the oldest travel company Cox & Kings, whose representatives are involved in the entire excursion program along the train route, and even ride on it. Which is convenient. Because the luxury of the Maharajas' Express is not in the design of the compartments or the decor of the restaurants (they are adequate to the purpose of the train: they are as comfortable as a train can be), not in the gilded dishes or unlimited alcohol for lovers. True, even snobbish luxury is in a personal butler for each passenger (and he really is needed), in the most accurate schedule of excursions and routes, in the very opportunity to see India with all its contrasts, excuse the banality, without being overwhelmed by the unusual way of life for a European, the bustle and the dirt of the streets. Luxury is a unique opportunity to visit almost all the famous palaces of Rajasthan in the most comfortable way in a week, drink champagne under the stars in the fantastic Jodhpur Fort, dine in the desert around a fire, have tea at the house of, say, the current Maharaja of Vododara, try your hand at elephant polo ... Oh, this is a separate game - I have never seen anything more touching in my life, when a team of elephants slowly turns towards the goal and, puffing and stomping, all in a heap, with a swift, I would say, throw, trying to break through... goal! Just an anecdote - “how they rushed…”
There is something from Agatha Christie in this: stylized kaftans of waiters, a cocktail in a bar, strangers from all over the world at dinner, a kind of brotherhood of travelers on the same board, road conversations and falling asleep to the sound of wheels, and the morning in a completely new place ... Well, about the places - on the following pages.
EYES GO AWAY
I won't talk more about the Maharajas' Express train, but rather about the route itself, which operates in two directions: from Delhi to Mumbai and back. From Delhi, it seems to me, it’s more interesting: you just don’t have time to realize that you’re on the road, and the first stop is Agra. The name alone is worth it! Here it is necessary to explain that this path passes through the main and most important points of the Mughal Empire, which we have perhaps heard the most about and which we least imagine. Agra is its capital, they took an example from Agra, and it was the Agra fort with its powerful red walls that all other cities copied. This first day in Agra is very busy, but you can’t miss anything. The Taj Mahal is generally best viewed in the morning: the chances that a damp fog will obscure it at full sunrise are high. And you have to look at the fort: here, as if under a magnifying glass, you can see how the architecture of Islam and Hinduism grow into each other, how the rigidity of powerful power and the refinement of private palace life are intertwined in one heterogeneous ensemble. And you certainly can’t miss the optional family mausoleum, built by Empress Noor half a century before the Taj Mahal, smaller in size, but much more intricate and exquisite in decoration... The almost completely preserved wall paintings can be read like a book of miniatures, and, frankly, this elegant building is much more humane than the pretentious big Taj. And in general, Agra suggests that the empire was led, of course, by the Great Mughals, and they, it seems, were ruled by their wives...
The second day will begin with a search for a tiger in the reserve - and don’t expect what tiger in his right mind will come out onto the sparsely wooded slopes if there are a dozen cars with tourists on the road below and the same number of local residents are screaming like crazy? But many monkeys will come, devoid of a sense of shame and modesty... But then you will find yourself in pink Jaipur with its fort, surrounded by a many-kilometer wall like the Great of China, with its palace with mirrored halls, gardens on the lake, and the city itself is full of wonderful shops with antique fabrics and scatterings of Indian emeralds and sapphires, for those who are interested. Evening elephant polo will take you into the childish delight I described earlier.
Next will be the city of Bikaner, which is not worth a mass, but on the same day you will see another impressive fort (are you starting to get used to the scale?) and the evening dances of a family of acrobats from the untouchable caste (now this is no longer relevant) - on the edges of swords, on glass and with fire, a truly cinematic experience.
The image of the maharajas is gradually changing, from city to city. This one brought a railway into his domain, this one built water canals, the third one bought up all the crystal in Birmingham, the fourth one bought all the glass in Belgium, the fifth one in Jodhpur, at your next stop, supports local crafts and set up an excellent museum in the family fort, the same one where will you have dinner... A Bollywood movie is filmed there, and for some reason the presence next to you of extras and Raj Kapoor's granddaughter in the leading role does not surprise you at all.
The route progresses, and to Udaipur, whose maharajas did not interrupt the dynasty and were never conquered by anyone, which they are very proud of, you will already take for granted the luxury of white palaces on the lake (James Bond, “Octopussy” - remember?), and today’s coexistence on the territory of the palace of museums, shops, hotels and the royal owners themselves, and even the sweet patriarchal pride of the Udaipur people for their own, such a good and correct Maharaja - in contrast to the neighboring one, for example... You will begin to understand that the Maharajas no longer have a source of income other than transactions with their real estate - hence the number of open palaces and hotels - and responsibilities other than proudly bearing the family honor. However, some are involved in politics, some in charity. The second ones are more successful.
A little more archeology of the pre-Mogul period, a little more palaces (in the last one you are received by the heir of the Maharaja with his wife and daughters), a few more interesting scenes - for example, a very elderly servant looks with suspicion at the guests who have arrived in large numbers, this is an old starter, while the royal family itself is indistinguishable from the simply rich people of London or New York.
This is just the dotted line of the journey. It is beautiful. And you haven't seen it all yet! I'll come back here. It's a pity that the Maharajas' Express train has fixed routes.
Mumbai,
The Taj Mahal Palace
The train I rode on throughout the previous pages still has space limitations. The week of travel ended in Mumbai, which is more pleasant to call Bombay, and a couple of days of relaxation and soaking in Bombay's The Taj Mahal Palace became not a point, but downright an exclamation point on my Indian journey.
To begin with, after the rural desert landscape of Rajasthan, Mumbai is overwhelming in its size and scope of urbanism. Although it is an interesting, but very large city, although it is green, there is nothing to breathe, although it is by the sea, you can’t swim, although the Indian people are wonderful, polite, but there are a lot of them, a lot on the streets, and a lot of cars... The Taj Mahal Palace is a refuge, a shelter, a fresh paradise, a social party and a private club at the same time. If Mumbai is a supermetropolis, then The Taj Mahal Palace is its best neighborhood.
No, of course, I went outside the territory, and visited the Prince of Wales Museum, and looked at the Mumbai Victorian-neo-Gothic architectural style, and photographed the Art Deco buildings, but with what joy I returned to the walls of the hotel! And no ghosts of the recent tragedy, except for the noble memorial to all those who died here, including the dog Lucy, can cancel the feeling of comfort, security, coziness and antiquity in the best sense of the word...
I remind those who don’t remember about the tragedy: The Taj Mahal Palace was rebuilt, restored and opened just a year after the monstrous terrorist attack in Mumbai, when people died and the hotel almost burned out. At least the top two floors for sure. Previously, there was a club area there, and now these two levels are the most prestigious and expensive, the presidential apartments - almost the entire floor - and supersuites, which can only be reached by a special passage and with a special key. However, the entire hotel was renovated, everything that survived was preserved, the rest was restored, and when historian Viren, fanatically devoted to the history of The Taj Mahal Palace, took me around this palace for two hours, he sometimes forgot that almost everything is new, just like old.
The desire of the hotel owners not to change anything is understandable: this is not just a palace, it is a legend of India. Its creator, Jamsetji N. Tata (this surname is country-forming for India, everywhere you look, everything is “Tata” - from the airline to the mineral water), rightly angry at the British no dogs, no Indians, built in 1903 the most impressive hotel in this part Sveta. A mixture of Indian, Moorish and Florentine (Bombay architectural phenomenon!) styles, the palace satisfied the tastes of maharajas, movie stars, presidents and kings. The first electricity was turned on here, the first bathrooms were installed directly in the rooms (this had not happened before), the first licensed Harbor bar appeared here, where the famous Bombay gin cocktail was invented, and the most important social receptions are still held here to this day. they serve five-hour tea, just like a century ago... Only now all the technical stuff has changed after the reconstruction, and the luxury rooms, especially the 42 suites, have acquired individual features as conceived by four design firms from Malaysia, Italy, Singapore and the USA, so you can choose either stylized the ancient library Bell Tower suite, or the modernist Shankar suite - yes, it was in The Taj Mahal Palace that, secretly from everyone, before the release of the album, the outstanding maestro Ravi Shankar taught Beatle George Harrison to play the sitar...
And of course, the hotel rooms, and its corridors, and halls, and living rooms are full of works of art from the huge legacy of Tata the founder, who was not only a businessman, but also a philanthropist. But I told you that the Taj itself is a historical legacy, even the columns in the Ballroom were designed by Eiffel. And although I know for sure that the carpet on the stairs is new, it doesn’t look like it. He was the same - at the beginning of the last century. So The Taj Mahal Palace managed to look younger, maintaining the dignity and majesty of its age and without losing any of its long-time fans. And purchasing new ones.
Flowers of life on other people's windowsills?
The most mysterious and intriguing part of life that Natasha Barbier does not talk about is children. She loves children! She babysits her friends' children and her nephews. But the spouses are silent about their children. Perhaps this is a principled position. After all, there is a category of people who do not need children and who are not happy with the noise, din and ringing laughter in the house. They have completely different values, this is their choice and lifestyle. Well, to each his own, or maybe the Lord just hasn’t given Natasha the opportunity to enjoy motherhood yet. So, perhaps there is still more to come. Natasha Barbier feels comfortable in the company of friends, in her home, with her husband and is happy to share recipes for happiness in her understanding with her devoted audience.
