KGB (bar)
Encyclopedia
KGB is a Soviet-era
themed bar located in the East Village
of New York City at 85 E. 4th Street, New York, NY 10003.
for Ukrainian Socialists who met behind its double-locked doors to hide their political affiliations from the rampant McCarthyism
of the era. Since opening in 1993, the KGB Bar has become something of a New York
literary institution. Popular authors read here pro bono
on Sunday evenings (fiction), Monday evenings (poetry), and most Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. KGB has been named best literary venue in New York City by New York Magazine, the Village Voice, and others.
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
themed bar located in the East Village
East Village, Manhattan
The East Village is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, lying east of Greenwich Village, south of Gramercy and Stuyvesant Town, and north of the Lower East Side...
of New York City at 85 E. 4th Street, New York, NY 10003.
History
Before its present incarnation, the second-floor venue was a speakeasySpeakeasy
A speakeasy, also called a blind pig or blind tiger, is an establishment that illegally sells alcoholic beverages. Such establishments came into prominence in the United States during the period known as Prohibition...
for Ukrainian Socialists who met behind its double-locked doors to hide their political affiliations from the rampant McCarthyism
McCarthyism
McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence. The term has its origins in the period in the United States known as the Second Red Scare, lasting roughly from the late 1940s to the late 1950s and characterized by...
of the era. Since opening in 1993, the KGB Bar has become something of a New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
literary institution. Popular authors read here pro bono
Pro bono
Pro bono publico is a Latin phrase generally used to describe professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment or at a reduced fee as a public service. It is common in the legal profession and is increasingly seen in marketing, technology, and strategy consulting firms...
on Sunday evenings (fiction), Monday evenings (poetry), and most Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. KGB has been named best literary venue in New York City by New York Magazine, the Village Voice, and others.
Reading Series
The bar hosts several regular reading series which include:- Trumpet Fiction - Literary fiction & arts, held on the second Saturday of every month, hosted by Jonathan Kravetz
- Fantastic Fiction - A monthly speculative fictionSpeculative fictionSpeculative fiction is an umbrella term encompassing the more fantastical fiction genres, specifically science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural fiction, superhero fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and alternate history in literature as well as...
reading series at the KGB Bar, held on the third Wednesday of every month, currently hosted by Ellen DatlowEllen DatlowEllen Datlow is an American science fiction, fantasy, and horror editor and anthologist.-Biography:Datlow was the fiction editor of Omni magazine and Omni Online from 1981 through 1998, and edited the ten associated Omni anthologies...
and Matthew Kressel