Tolya Titaev is a pivotal figure in connecting the burgeoning Russian skate scene with the global skateboarding community. Co-founder of the brand Paccbet (Rassvet in English) with Gosha Rubchinskiy, Tolya uses the brand as a platform to showcase Russian skaters through footage and product releases. He also owns Oktyabr Skateshop in Moscow, a renowned skate shop stocking top brands from America and Europe, making him a key cultural mediator in the skate world.
We had the opportunity to speak with Tolya about his journey and his vision for integrating Russian skateboarding into the international scene after years of isolation from Western skate culture.
The Genesis of Paccbet
Could you share the origins of your brand, Paccbet?
I had been skating for a long time and had sponsors, but something didn’t feel right. I didn’t feel like I belonged anywhere. Then I met Gosha Rubchinskiy, who was starting a brand. We realized we needed to create our own skate brand. I wanted to have the freedom to ride what I wanted and support what I believed in.
My main goal was to make Paccbet the first thing people thought of when they thought about skateboarding in Russia. Now, we’ve achieved global recognition, a skate brand that is recognized worldwide as being from Russia.
Skating in Russia vs. America
How do you compare the skate scenes in America and Russia?
Currently, I believe Moscow is the ideal city for skateboarding. There is a lot of space, and a large part of the population doesn’t fully understand what skateboarding is. While everyone knows and skates in places like Barcelona and Paris, nothing particularly unique happens there anymore. We have more freedom in Russia. You can skate in certain areas, and people look at you like you’re doing something strange or devilish.
It’s like you’re breaking new ground, literally.
Exactly! It’s also cool that many people don’t understand what we’re doing at all. They may threaten to call the cops, but that’s usually ineffective. The police have changed; many young officers are familiar with skateboarding. When they arrive, they usually leave because they understand it’s not a real issue. Some might even tell us to wait until their superiors leave and then continue skating. There is a police station near the Taganka metro, and they are very chill. If they see this, respect to them! We even skate on a manual pad and cube at their entrance. Atlantic Drift and Bobby DeKeyzer have skated there, and they never got kicked out. Once, the police even told us to come back after their boss’s inspection was over.
The biggest problem in Russia is the lack of good indoor skateparks where you can skate during winter. That is our only major drawback!
How Russians View Americans
How do Russian skaters and young people view Americans? What should an American skater expect when visiting?
I can’t say for sure, but I think they’re curious about how American kids live. I believe it would be very interesting for Americans to visit. However, there could be some challenges since most people here don’t speak English. It also depends on who you hang out with. From what I’ve seen from American skaters who have visited, they’ve generally had very positive experiences. You could ask Cambryan Sedlick about his visit.
Tolya’s Skateboarding Beginnings
When did you start skateboarding?
I started at 11 and got my first sponsors at 14. I won an online contest on the skateboarding.ru forum, which got me a year’s sponsorship from Jart. At that time, Zhenya Bobkov was taking photos of me and also interviewed me for skateboarding.ru. He helped me get on DC. On the same day I won the Jart contest, I received an email from DC inviting me to their store to get shoes.
Nostalgia for Old Moscow
Do you feel any nostalgia for old Moscow? Your latest clothing line seems to be inspired by the aesthetics of skateboarding from that time.
Absolutely! I often think about the past— the history, style, and the city. I used to leave school at 2:00 PM and skate at Park Pobedy every day. The place had a unique community and vibe. Although Park Pobedy was abandoned long ago, it has recently been renovated. Since then, Blondey McCoy and the Cons team, as well as Atlantic Drift, have skated there. It’s now a part of global skate culture. It’s funny to think back about how the police used to kick us out of there.
The Evolution of Moscow
What are the main differences between old and new Moscow?
They are like two different cities – pre and post-renovation. Before the reconstruction, nobody cared about street conditions or renovations. It was like the Soviet Union, or even worse, the post-Soviet era.
Now, the city is being renovated annually, with many young people participating in projects, giving the city a completely new look. Skate spots are everywhere. There is no need to search for spots. They’re just everywhere. Sometimes we lose track of time because there are so many spots that we skate through in a single day.
Overcoming Criticism
As someone representing skateboarding in Russia, have you faced any local criticism?
Oh, constantly! I come across these people often, but I don’t pay attention to them anymore. It’s usually driven by envy.
Recently, I met a young boy who I wanted to sponsor. He said that it was his dream to be part of the Paccbet team. So, we gave him some gear, including Oktyabr Skateshop t-shirts. But the guys who had given him boards before we did told him not to wear Oktyabr shirts! This shows how much these people hate competition; they even forbade a kid from wearing the clothes he liked. His mother had just bought him most of our new collection. The kid was a bit scared. I told him “Man, now you are skating for Paccbet, you can do whatever you want.”
I’ve received a lot of negative feedback, but I try to take it lightly. If you take it too seriously, you’ll end up staying at home, afraid of criticism.
Paccbet’s Pricing
There were some comments under a documentary you were in that said Paccbet is too expensive and not worn by many in Russia. Can you explain the pricing?
Initially, we offered standard clothing at fair prices. We also made our second collection using Gildan, which actually drew some online criticism. But my intention was to make the brand more accessible. Then Paccbet partnered with Comme Des Garcons, who used Gildan to save money. People didn’t care that almost every skate brand uses Gildan.
I then decided that if we weren’t going to use Gildan, then we would sew everything ourselves. With the third and fourth collections, we didn’t consider the pricing and realized afterwards that the clothes were too expensive.
We’re working to make the brand more accessible now, but not in the same way as last time. It’s challenging because it’s costly and time-consuming to change manufacturers. We’re working to maintain quality while balancing affordability.
Choosing a Russian Name
You wanted an international brand, wouldn’t an English name have been easier?
But then we would just be doing what everyone else is doing. We are Russians, so it should be in Russian, right? We knew that Рассвет (Rassvet) sounds and looks great, and that’s it. We didn’t worry about the rest. We even made a joke out of it. Since people were pronouncing the brand Paccbet (ПАККБЕТ in Russian), we based some pieces on it. But now we’re writing it in English as Rassvet, which everyone recognizes. It’s better than being called Dawn or Sunrise just to fit in.
Paccbet: Fashion or Skate Brand?
Is Paccbet more of a fashion brand than a skate brand?
Definitely not. Gosha helps with the design and concepts, and Comme Des Garcons handles production. When you start something, you don’t have a fixed, long-term business plan. It’s only with time that you might realize mistakes were made. But this season, people will see our work more as skaters.
Collaborations
Gosha has had many collaborations with big brands before Paccbet. Do you have any collab plans?
Yes, we have plans. In the fashion world, collaborations are great for increasing brand recognition, but we’ve made it our goal to build a strong brand without relying solely on collaborations.
We did a collaboration with Carhartt, which was beneficial for us. Carhartt was happy, we were happy, and people still tell me that it was their best pair of pants or t-shirt, even though there was nothing exceptionally special there. Moving forward, we want to create a team for each collection, not just the three of us.
While we have collaboration plans, we don’t want to have 5-6 collaborations per year. There are so many collaborations now that people are beginning to forget what a classic collection from a brand even looks like. Customers have told me, “If it’s a collab, I’ll buy it, if it’s not, then I don’t care.” This makes the brand idea seem less important.
Oktyabr Skateshop
How does your skateshop, Oktyabr, differ from other shops?
Our aim was to create a skate shop that people know they can visit when they come to Moscow to meet others, find out about skate spots, and get the inside scoop on the city. We want it to be the place where you can find all the best gear for Russian skaters. Unlike other Russian skate shops, we stock brands that are difficult to find elsewhere.
We want to give people in Russia the opportunity to see brands like Fucking Awesome in person, without having to wait weeks for delivery. We have the connections to make it happen here. We also give small Russian brands and friends the chance to sell their products and do some mini-collaborations. We aim to educate people on global skateboarding, not just local. Oktyabr is a platform where people can present videos, zines, or even a single t-shirt. If we think something is cool, we’re happy to help.
Balancing Paccbet and Oktyabr
How do you manage the workload between Paccbet and Oktyabr?
That’s the most common question I get asked! Honestly, it’s tough. From the beginning, it was a massive workload, and it was difficult to prioritize tasks. Like anyone else, sometimes I just wanted to go skate. But with commitments on both sides, I had to make choices, and I sometimes made the wrong ones. Everyone knows that feeling when you really want to skate but just can’t.
I’m now finding a balance. Work is my priority, and then I make time for myself. For instance, before a trip, I make a plan and assign tasks to my partners. But there are still moments when I think I’m going to burn out [laughs].
Supporting Young Skaters
You sponsor many talented skaters through your shop, how do you find them?
When we opened, my goal was to encourage and mentor the younger generation, instilling in them the right values and understanding of skateboarding. When I see a kid at a skate spot who skates well and feels the board, I give them some boards. It’s exciting to watch their progress. If someone has passion, it should be supported. Kids need encouragement and guidance.
I want to give these guys the chances that I didn’t have. No one told me, “Hey, here’s a cameraman, here’s a photographer, go shoot. We need some footage in two weeks.” I was only told, “We’re shooting a video, and it will be released in a year…” After that, I’d never hear from them. Our team hangs out together, and we go to skate spots every day during the summer. We start early because I have to work later. There’s always content coming out for Instagram, videos, zines, and so on.
A Mentor Figure
What is your role with the kids at the shop? Are you a father figure, a friend, a leader?
I’m all three in one. I’m always there for them and try my best to help sort things out. If they have issues with their families or relationships, or they just need some advice, I try to help. Life for teenagers is challenging. We’ve all been there, and sometimes you just need a push in the right direction.
Future Plans
In past interviews you’ve been asked where you see yourself in five years, but you’ve evaded the question. Do you have any idea now?
I don’t know, I’d like to keep doing what I’m doing now. I also joke about wanting to open my own McDonald’s or something similar.
It’s difficult to say for sure because I have so many plans and I need to decide which ones I’m going to prioritize. If I had ten clones, I could handle everything more quickly, but for now, I have to choose.
Oktyabr is operating almost autonomously, and with Paccbet we’re moving in the right direction. At some point, I will need to switch my focus to something new, once everything can function without my constant attention. It seems that each time you create something, you eventually need to step back and allow others to express themselves.
Closing Questions
I have some questions that I think the American audience might be curious about. How much cocaine did you do to be so thin, and are you related to Vladimir Putin?
Well, I don’t know if I’m thin because of the cocaine or because of nerves, but I’ve been sober since September 27, 2019.
And thankfully, I have no family ties with Putin.
Do you ever say “I must break you” before focusing your skateboard?
[Laughs] No, not really. Is that from a meme about Russians? I might yell something like “Blyat” or “Suka!”Interview by: Roma Pavlov
Photos: Masha Zhidkova
