Sleeping with white women is an aspirational goal for many Indian men, for which they are prepared to fork out large sums. It is a task made easier by the hundreds of prostitutes from Central Asian Republics and Ukraine who frequently fly down to India. Here’s the story of one of these women and her experience working here.
Anya sat on a large couch with a floral chintz pattern, playing blackgammon with a friend. She tapped her cigarette and looked up at me with piercing blue eyes, slightly upturned at the corners, a sign of her Kazakh-Mongol heritage. She was tall and gangly, with a mop of windswept blonde hair and had a fragile yet steely air about her, like a porcelain doll which had taken a fall, shattered into tiny pieces, and been glued back together with the cracks visible.
A flamboyant Punjabi gent called ‘Tony’ had taken me to her Mumbai apartment. I had met him while researching a film on the white flesh trade in South Asia. He called himself her caretaker.
She was a professional escort, one of the thousands from central Asian countries like Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Georgia and Azerbaijan, who travel to south Asian boomtowns like Dubai, Mumbai, Delhi, Goa, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad to ply their wares. The women are usually labelled ‘Russian’ for the sake of convenience.
Sleeping with white women is an aspirational goal for many Indian men, and they are quite willing to fork out large sums of money – up to the equivalent of 1500 USD — to spend a night with them, considerably higher than the going rate for Indian women.
The prostitution issue had escalated to the point where the Indian embassy in Ukraine was asked to screen ‘suspicious’ visa applications from girls between the ages of 18-40. This action led to crowds of topless activists assembled outside the embassy, waving flags and protesting the stereotyping of Ukrainian women as sex workers. It was one of the more intriguing manifestations of runaway globalisation.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Most Expensive Made-In-India Cars
From Mercedes limousines to variants of the flagship Land Rover, a surprising number of luxury flagship models are now locally assembled or produced in India
Making Noise In Quiet
Manik Handa of Eudaemon explains what it truly takes to define quiet luxury in India’s crowded retail market
Luggage Travails of a Frequent Flyer
Luxury and semi-luxury luggage are the new fashion frontier amongst the Indian jet set. Our writer though recommends extreme caution, unless you are the kind who can afford to fly in private jets
Ruling The Street
Either through imitation or rejection, streetwear continues to dominate the wardrobe of young India. We talk to those who follow the scene closely to understand its rise in status
Street Cred
Royal Enfield’s Guerrilla 450 is a thoroughly fun and exciting motorcycle—it is not that the Himalayan has just tidied up for a visit to the city
Now Serving.Indigenous India
India's culinary scene is buzzing with a quiet revolution, fueled by a vibrant comeback of hyperlocal ingredients. This movement isn't just about digging up fresh, local produce from across the nation—it's about rediscovering the deep, rich tapestry of India's diverse culinary heritage
CHAITANYA AKKINENI OF OLD LOVES AND NEW
The Akkineni-Daggubati family scion is starting a new phase, and life is looking more exciting than ever
Independence Movement
As we step into India's 77th year of Independence, we're shining the spotlight on four stunning timepieces, all designed from within the nation's borders
Precision in Motion
How Alain Zobrist and Omega Time the Olympics
The New Frontier
While India witnesses a massive growth in the number of global skincare brands entering the market, an increasing number of homegrown brands takeover the space and trust among consumers