On the night of October 19, 2025, security forces raided the Grafit club in Moscow, where the dating party Kisskoteka, organized by the Kissing Club community, was underway. According to the outlet Vetër, officers were searching for drugs and signs of what authorities call “LGBT propaganda.” The text was first published on Vetër’s website.
Witnesses said the party began at 10:00 p.m. and was supposed to run until morning, but at about 1:00 a.m. officers burst into the venue shouting. A guest identified as Alexey, whose name was changed for safety reasons, said some attendees were struck with batons and violently thrown to the floor. Everyone was ordered to lie face down with their hands behind their heads. He also said he saw one man grabbed by the hair and forced face-first into the floor.
“Face to the floor, lie down now!” employee Veronika said the officers shouted as the raid began.
Some staff members and guests initially thought it was part of the show. They soon realized it was not: the DJ was pinned down, the music was cut off, and several women had their arms twisted behind their backs. Veronika said people were kept on the cold concrete floor for about two hours. When they asked to get their clothes from the cloakroom, officers responded with insults or kicks. She said she later fell ill from the cold.
Men and women were then separated, and groups of five to seven were brought to the center of the hall for document checks and photographs. Veronika said the treatment of men was especially harsh: some were hit in the stomach or face, many were shoved and kicked, and some were forced to do push-ups or hold a plank position. Alexey said those singled out most often were men officers called “faggots” because of bright clothing or appearance, even though, he stressed, the event was meant for heterosexual знакомства.
Witnesses also said some guests were searched with dogs and forced to provide urine samples on site. The event announcement, however, had prohibited drug use and strong alcohol. Kseniya, who had hosted dating games at these parties in 2023 and 2024, told Vetër she had never personally seen drug use there, though some acquaintances had complained of smelling marijuana at earlier events.
According to the organizers, no guest was ultimately charged. The only formal complaint concerned the organizer’s failure to file notice of a public event after the venue was changed. After the raid, attendees were offered full ticket refunds, but some refused, saying they wanted to support the project instead.
Kseniya also said rumors suggested the operation may have been linked less to the party itself than to the venue: according to her, police regularly carry out checks at Grafit, much as they have at other Moscow venues in the past. The Kissing Club Telegram channel has existed since September 2022. Kseniya said the parties were initially LGBT-friendly, but organizers later removed any posts that might conflict with tightened Russian legislation.