Before the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russian wealth was synonymous with corruption, crime, and a vulgar seize of outrageous fortunes. Today, Moscow's newly-cultivated high society demands legitimacy, respect, and cultural recognition. Appropriating the tropes of earlier aristocracies, they even fabricate the illusion of an established history. Despite the very visible high society, Moscow is surrounded by poverty. A small strata of society is amassing fantastic fortunes, taking haute couture shows by storm, flaunting their wealth at debutante balls, and mingling at parties, fashion shows, and art openings while the poor are getting poorer.