Russia Celebrates on the Eve of Donald Trump's Inauguration

ByDRAGANA JOVANOVIC ABCNews logo
Friday, January 20, 2017

At a newly opened nightclub in the heart of Moscow, revelers celebrated on the eve of Donald Trump's inauguration.

On Friday, Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States, and many Russians hope his presidency will usher in a new era of improved relations between the two countries.

"We just like to celebrate anything, our holidays, foreign holidays, the beginning of improvement of Russia-U.S. relations, any reason is good to celebrate," Irina Baikalova told ABC News as she sipped on a cocktail at Arbat 13 nightclub in Moscow.

A crowd of Russian and foreign clubbers watched as Willi Tokarev, a famed Russian-American singer-songwriter, performed his new song, "Trumplissimo America!"

"Trump, Trump -- it is unbelievable. Trump, Trump, he's a superman, Trump, Trump -- symbol of America. Trump, Trump, he's really president," Tokarev sang.

Tokarev told ABC News he composed the song and wrote the lyrics after he says he was asked to by mutual friends whom he shares with Trump. "You cannot imagine how much people love Trump, both in the States and here," Tokarev said.

The cult of Trump is growing across Russia.

The tiny town of Tula, about 120 miles outside of Moscow, appears especially taken with Trumpmania. There, a guesthouse has been named for the incoming American president and features a restaurant with a Trump-centered menu. There's even a Trump band, which performed last night at Arbat 13 in Moscow.

Also in Tula, you can find Trump-branded sugar cubes. There's talk of presenting them to the new U.S. president to "sweeten our relations with the United States," according to Sergei Selaev, the general manager of Tula Produkt, the plant that manufactures them.

"We will probably send it to Trump after today's inauguration, when he is the commander-in-chief," Selaev said. There is a growing demand for their limited-edition Trump sugar cubes from all over Russia but also from abroad, he added.

Across from the U.S. embassy in downtown Moscow, the official Russian Army supply store put up a poster with Trump's picture, offering Inauguration Day discounts of 10 percent to all American citizens and U.S. embassy employees.

Then there the Trump commemorative coin, valued at a whopping $10,000 and emblazoned with his likeness and the words "In Trump we trust." Only 45 coins exist -- 25 silver coins, five gold and 15 that are silver and gold..

The coins were made by Art-Grani, a Russian metal-working company based 650 miles outside of Moscow. Sales manager Kristina Glinina told ABC News over the phone that it is not the first time they have produced such expensive coins. "The first one was of our President Vladimir Putin in 2014, and it sold well," she said.

She added: "We see our mission as immortalizing in metal the bright events of history and modernity, not only in our country but of the whole world, today's event is it!"

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