--- description: A look into Sochi's most reputable gay club title: The Mayak Cabaret in Sochi image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb6d809f9bd86624f/698682abcd804dfc38cc9671/mayak-caberet-sochi-russia-01.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [russia](/tag/russia/) ## russia Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The Mayak Cabaret in Sochi by [TIME Photo](/author/time-photo/) ## TIME Photo Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Feb 18, 2014 8:23 PM CUT  Penelopa, who would only give his stage name, steps out on stage for a performance at the Mayak cabaret in Sochi, Feb. 8, 2014. Penelopa, who would only give his stage name, steps out on stage for a performance at the Mayak cabaret in Sochi, Feb. 8, 2014.David Goldman—AP by [TIME Photo](/author/time-photo/) ## TIME Photo Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Feb 18, 2014 8:23 PM CUT  Performers get ready backstage before a performance at the Mayak cabaret, the most reputable gay club in Sochi, Feb. 8, 2014. David Goldman—AP  Penelopa, who would only give his stage name, gets ready backstage before a performance at the Mayak cabaret in Sochi, Feb. 8, 2014. David Goldman—AP  Andrei Sarkisian, second from right, who goes by the stage name of Miss Zhuzha, gets ready backstage before a performance at the Mayak cabaret in Sochi, Feb. 8, 2014. David Goldman—AP  Penelopa, who would only give his stage name, steps out on stage for a performance at the Mayak cabaret in Sochi, Feb. 8, 2014. David Goldman—AP  Kira, left, and Lisa, right, who would only give their stage names, perform during a show at the Mayak cabaret in Sochi, Feb. 8, 2014. David Goldman—AP  Workers wait for customers to arrive before a performance at the Mayak cabaret in Sochi, Feb. 8, 2014. David Goldman—AP  A dancer performs in the crowd at the Mayak cabaret in Sochi, Feb. 8, 2014. David Goldman—AP  Veranda, who would only his stage name, performs at the Mayak cabaret in Sochi, Feb. 8 2014. David Goldman—AP ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/8039/the-mayak-cabaret-in-sochi/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/8039/the-mayak-cabaret-in-sochi/"},"headline":"The Mayak Cabaret in Sochi","datePublished":"2014-02-18T20:23:35.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:08:39.141Z","description":"A look into Sochi's most reputable gay club","url":"https://time.com/8039/the-mayak-cabaret-in-sochi/","keywords":["russia","Photos","Sochi"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb6d809f9bd86624f/698682abcd804dfc38cc9671/mayak-caberet-sochi-russia-01.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Photo","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/time-photo/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb6d809f9bd86624f/698682abcd804dfc38cc9671/mayak-caberet-sochi-russia-01.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Penelopa, who would only give his stage name, steps out on stage for a performance at the Mayak cabaret in Sochi, Feb. 8, 2014.","caption":"Penelopa, who would only give his stage name, steps out on stage for a performance at the Mayak cabaret in Sochi, Feb. 8, 2014.","creditText":"David Goldman—AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/russia/","name":"russia"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/8039/the-mayak-cabaret-in-sochi/","name":"The Mayak Cabaret in Sochi"}}]}] ```