Smokey rooms tucked away behind posh clubs in 1897 St Petersburg conjure images of dedicated followers of magic. Kerosene lamp light in the haze of tobacco and ornate mirrors creates the scene for the perfect illusion. Dark and hypnotic, his voice is calm and deep. "Tsilindr." A single word, as he removes his famous purple top hat and lowers it down again, gently atop his head.
