Anastasia Sueta brings Russian culture to top life in the Emirates

Art restaurants, since the 1990s, have been bringing a new feel to the hospitality industry by blending the traditional guest experience with the ambience of an art gallery or museum. It is now common to see original artworks and art installations in their corridors, rooms and lobbies. The restaurants host art exhibitions, cultural events, talks and even art residencies, in their spaces. This not only allows guests, visitors and diners the opportunity to have a close and intimate look at local artists and art, but also helps finances when the artworks are sold.

Anastasia Sueta is Art Director of Chalet Berezka, the Russian restaurant in Nakheel Mall, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai. A multifaceted creative professional with over 20 years of experience on stage, her career spans singing, presenting, voice-over work, and event hosting. She has made a mark as a professional singer, karaoke emcee and backing vocalist, and is also a TV and radio host. A lead singer at Chalet Berezka, she founded Sueta Band in 2022 — a cover band that performs across Dubai with a team of musicians.

Anastasia was the first Russian emcee-girl in Dubai, and her international experience includes performances in Almaty, Kazakhstan (2019), and Bali, Indonesia (2018), as well as work at the OSH Restaurant and Karaoke in Dubai (2020). She has performed as a backing vocalist for some of Russia’s most famous pop stars, including Alla Pugacheva, Valeria, Igor Nikolaev, and Ivanushki International.

Anastasia Sueta looks at the world.

Her voice-over work spans children’s audiobooks, where she has voiced multiple characters, including 18 different voices for The Little Prince, the novella written and illustrated by French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Anastasia holds two degrees, one in special psychology, focusing on children with intellectual disabilities and speech therapy, and the second in TV and radio presenting and journalism.

She talks to Gulf Today about her life and stage

How did your work at Chalet Berezka begin?

Oh, it’s quite a fascinating story! One evening, I went to Chalet Berezka for karaoke, and by some miracle, a table opened in the hall’s centre. As the evening went on, I realised something was missing from the party’s energy. I decided to sing Bonnie Tyler’s song and as I performed, I made it my mission to get everyone out of their seats to create a celebration. And it worked! The room lit up, everyone danced, and the energy shifted completely. After my performance, Michael Korepin, one of the founders, turned to the manager and asked: “Why doesn’t this girl work for us?” All agreed that I had to be part of Chalet Berezka. After that, I met Michael Korepin in person, and that’s when we started discussing the vision for the concept of the establishment.

Your vision is rooted in Russian fairy tales, is that right?

Yes, it is rooted in my lifelong love of fairy tales. I grew up reading tales from all over the world, particularly Russian fairy tales. Regarding the concept, we knew we wanted to incorporate Russian folklore and heroes, blending them with contemporary elements. The show programme evolved to include theatrical pop-ups, Russian folk songs, and modern interpretations of our cultural heritage. We created a unique atmosphere at Chalet Berezka — a fusion of classic Russian characters, vibrant energy, and a sense of fun. The result is a space that celebrates our cultural roots while offering something fresh and exciting to our audience.

Is there any special inspiration behind the ambience of Chalet Berezka?

Of course, we have a unique idea, and it lies in the love of the Russian people for a real holiday. This is incredible, crazy fun when, no matter what, you throw away all your failures, forget about all your problems, and go off dancing and singing, forgetting about everything. This is the unique idea of our establishment — so that every guest who comes to us gets acquainted with Russian traditions and culture.

All this is accompanied by great humour and, of course, Russian cuisine. The design idea also resonates with our Russian culture. First, our black and white prints, symbolises the Russian tree — birch. The prints are on our chairs and furniture, like Khokhloma and Gzhel. We have mixed the original Russian style with the modern. The entire Chalet is filled with large screens, and we broadcast the beauty of our country, from stunning nature to our cultural riches, in the form of ballet. In addition, since everyone here misses the snow, we immerse our guests in winter coolness and red rowan (tree species) atmosphere and introduce them to our culture as much as possible. At the same time, we get to know their own traditions.

Walk us through the visual elements of the restaurant.

The idea of using walls and projections was to create not just a space for dining, but a truly real immersion in the atmosphere of Russian culture. Every time we return to this ideology, so that people can appreciate Russian culture, its beauty, and its richness. Our goal is for every guest, regardless of cultural background, is that they feel a connection with Russia’s history, traditions and soul, but through a modern, dynamic interpretation. Screen projections allow you to tell stories through visual images, changing landscapes of Russian nature, scenes from life inspired by classical art, and modern interpretations of folklore stories. These elements bridge the cultural heritage of the past and the trends of the contemporary world.