You're reading: Shave, haircut for Hr 100 at old-fashioned barber shop

This is no place for women. Strictly speaking, they can come in if they want, but they won’t be served.

But they can watch their men get a classic hair cut in this American-style barber shop, called Firm, which recently opened on 9-B Mykhailivskiy Provulok.

Located in the basement of a century-old house, Firm has a pleasant and warm feel to it, partly created by oak paneling. A big comfy sofa beckons one to slouch while waiting your turn. Popular American magazines and complimentary adult beverages like whiskey and beer help to kill time.

Firm is hoping to be more than just a place for a classic hair cut and a shave. It wants to be a cool hangout spot, a contemporary male haunt.

Anton Maksakov, owner of Firm, is sure that his new barbershop will lure men with its friendly, fun and classy atmosphere.

“In Kyiv, there are no available men’s [places]. No club or just a nook where a guy seeking escape from his wife or girlfriend can sit alone, collect his thoughts. And have a quality haircut, of course!” says Maksakov, a 32-year-old owner of an advertising agency. Along with colleague Borys Zelenkevych, he decided to fill the niche.

There used to be a time when there were plenty of such places in Kyiv. In czarist times, barbershops or tsyryulni  were common. There is even a monument in Kyiv to remind us of that. Perhaps, the most famous fictional barber is Svyryd Golokhvastov, who stands on his bronze knee on Andriyivskiy Uzviz, holding the hand of his fiance. They are characters of Mykhailo Starytsky’s famous play called  “Chasing two hares.”

In the Soviet Union, barber shops disappeared and gave way to unisex hair salons. So, in a way, Firm is reviving an old tradition.

If a man needs  a manicure,  pedicure or piercing, this is not the place to come. It’s haircut, or shave, or to fraternize with the barber and friends and chew the fat – and the customers seem to like the options, says Maksakov.

“There are chaps we have become friends with. For them, visiting the barbershop becomes a habit. Being regular customers, they can drop in for a good chat over a cup of tea,” Maksakov says.

Cuts are not cheap, starting from Hr 100. A beard or moustache trim, or a shave with a straight razor is also Hr 100. The owner feels that the price is justifiable because the service the shop offers is so far exclusive in Kyiv.

Maksakov, is the only investor in the company, and does not disclose figures. He says he read a lot about the business before starting it, and found little of it useful.

So far, the flow of customers is unpredictable. The two barbers that were initially supposed to work on different shifts, sometimes have to come in together. Other times, even one sits idle.

However, Maksakov is not put off and plans to open a men’s accessories and cosmetics shop in Firm. It will become another proof of Firm’s masculinity:  no unisex items and fragrances will be on sale, it’s real men’s stuff only.

Little finishing touches also are coming soon: shelves will be installed to store the razors and beer mugs of regular customers, for example.  Maksakov feels this is very European.

“It’s very important that our customer feels that Kyiv is a European city, that there is a place where he has a clear feeling that he is in Europe. We propagandize the European essence of Kyiv,” he says.

Kyiv Post staff writer Denis Rafalsky can be reached at [email protected]