Russia

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    russia source:news - Google News

  • Six powers 'disappointed' as Iran rejects nuclear deal - BBC News

    20 Nov 2009 | 7:59 am
    BBC NewsSix powers 'disappointed' as Iran rejects nuclear dealBBC NewsFriday's meeting involved the UN Security Council's permanent members - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States - plus Germany. World Powers Disappointed Over Iran's Failure To Accept UN-Proposed Nuclear DealRTT NewsFOCUS: Sanctions on Iran likely to yield mixed results amid tense nuke talksKyodo NewsIran turns down nuclear dealFree Speech Radio NewsFars News Agency -eTaiwan News -CBS Newsall 1,232 news articles »

  • Significant Fall In Foreign Investment In Russia - RTT News

    20 Nov 2009 | 7:03 am
    Significant Fall In Foreign Investment In RussiaRTT NewsThe Netherlands remained the largest foreign investor in Russia with a share of 18.8 per cent of foreign investment in the country. and more »

  • Two North Korean Diplomats Arrested In Sweden - RTT News

    20 Nov 2009 | 5:25 am
    The LocalTwo North Korean Diplomats Arrested In SwedenRTT News(RTTNews) - Two North Korean diplomats in Russia have been arrested in Sweden on suspicion of smuggling cigarettes into the Nordic country. Sweden: NKorea diplomats arrested for smugglingeTaiwan Newsall 14 news articles »

  • John Terry and Ashley Cole to face Wolves, but what about Zhirkov? - Just Chelsea News (blog)

    20 Nov 2009 | 4:31 am
    John Terry and Ashley Cole to face Wolves, but what about Zhirkov?Just Chelsea News (blog)He also played for Russia against Wales a month ago, even though he wasn't considered fit enough to play for Chelsea at the time. His injury eturned as soon and more »

  • US transport chief urges safer roads in Russia - eTaiwan News

    20 Nov 2009 | 3:20 am
    CNNUS transport chief urges safer roads in RussiaeTaiwan NewsAP The US transportation secretary says Russia's biggest challenge in that domain is building a safe road network _ and he is urging the former Cold War Jonathan Tremblay: Russia Tampers with Time - A History of the Time ZoneHistory News NetworkRussian human rights situation 'cause for concern': EUThe News InternationalRussia And The EU After LisbonSpero NewsChannel News Asia -Alibaba News Channel -Focus Newsall 122 news articles »
 
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    World news: Russia | guardian.co.uk

  • Maxim Barsky voted new chief of TNK-BP

    Terry Macalister
    19 Nov 2009 | 11:12 am
    BP loses out as oligarch-favoured candidate Maxim Barsky appointed chief executive of Russia's third largest oil groupThe new domination of Moscow shareholders in the TNK-BP joint venture was underlined today when an inexperienced Russian favoured by the company's oligarch investors was chosen to take over at the country's third largest oil group.Maxim Barsky, 36, who will become chief executive of TNK-BP in January 2011 after five months' training at BP's London headquarters and various other parts of the business, was not BP's candidate.In the meantime, TNK-BP chairman Mikhail Fridman will…

  • Hermitage lawyer's death in Russian jail a crime, say colleagues

    Luke Harding
    18 Nov 2009 | 9:38 am
    Sergey Magnitsky, a key witness in Hermitage's battle with the Russian state, was refused medical treatment, claim friendsFriends and colleagues of a Russian lawyer who died in custody in Moscow after his pleas for medical treatment were refused have called for criminal charges to be brought against the prison authorities.Sergey Magnitsky died on Monday in a pre-detention centre in Moscow. The lawyer – who was 37 – was a key witness in the acrimonious legal battle over alleged tax fraud between Russia and Hermitage Capital Management, previously the country's top investment fund.Today…

  • Ukraine's forgotten famine | James Marson

    James Marson
    18 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    A political row over Russia's refusal to recognise the Holodomor is obscuring the horror of a famine in which millions diedAround a well-stocked Ukrainian dinner table one evening recently, I watched in surprise as a friend's grandmother carefully swept together the breadcrumbs on the table in front of her, then ate them from the palm of her hand."She knows the value of food," my friend explained. "She lived through the Holodomor."The Holodomor, or "death by hunger", was unleashed on the country in 1932-33 as part of Stalin's drive to collectivise farming across the Soviet Union. Forced grain…

  • Hedge fund's legal adviser dies in Moscow detention centre

    Elena Moya
    17 Nov 2009 | 12:47 pm
    Sergey Magnitskiy, who had been advising Hermitage Capital, died on Monday night in Moscow detention centreA hedge fund's four-year fight against an alleged Russian tax scam has taken a tragic twist with the death in prison of one of its legal advisers. .Sergey Magnitskiy, who had been advising Hermitage Capital, died on Monday night in Matrosskaya Tishina detention centre in Moscow, where he was held for almost a year."Sergey Magnitskiy was refused bail and kept in detention for a year without trial," Hermitage said in a statement. "He was denied the ability to see his mother and his wife…

  • Is Iran dropping Russia for Turkey? | Meir Javedanfar

    Meir Javedanfar
    17 Nov 2009 | 7:00 am
    As Ayatollah Khamenei sidles up to Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he could learn from Turkey's leader about balancing his alliancesThe famous Chinese strategist, Sun Tzu, wrote in his book, The Art of War: "If an enemy has alliances, the problem is grave and the enemy's position strong; if he has no alliances, the problem is minor and the enemy's position weak."Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is currently witnessing how the US, which he sees as the enemy for his nuclear ambitions, is working hard on building alliances, including with Russia. Khamenei is not happy.So much so that Iran…
 
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    Russian Athletics: News

  • Pushkaryova wins in San Antonio

    16 Nov 2009 | 8:10 am
    Russian Athletics News. Tatyana Pushkaryova won the women’s race of the Rock'n'Roll Marathon held in San Antonio. Svetlana Ponomarenko finished second

  • Russian win in Japan

    16 Nov 2009 | 8:03 am
    Russian Athletics News. European 10000m Champion Inga Abitova won the Yokohama Marathon beating Olympic Champion Constantina Dita of Rumania and Olympic Silver medalist Catherine Ndereba ob Kenya

  • Sergey Mudrov clears 2.30

    16 Nov 2009 | 7:52 am
    Russian Athletics News. Sergey Mudrov cleared 2.30 in the men’s high jump at the 12th edition of the Birsk Grasshopper high jump meeting in Birsk (Bashkortostan) on 14 November

  • Petrova finishes second in New York

    11 Nov 2009 | 5:42 am
    Russian Athletics News. Lyudmila Petrova repeated her last year's success finishing second at the 40th New York Marathon

  • Samokhvalova finishes third in Venice

    27 Oct 2009 | 1:19 am
    Russian Athletics News. Alyona Samokhvalova finished third at the Venice Marathon setting a PB of 2:28:47
 
 
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    ESPN Feed: russia

  • Manchester United v Everton: Preview

    20 Nov 2009 | 5:27 am
    ...until March. We are delighted with that.''Everton winger Diniyar Bilyaletdinov is suspended for the trip.The Russia international serves the second of a three-match ban for his sending-off in the 1-1...

  • Blue Jackets score three power play goals to win third straight

    19 Nov 2009 | 6:14 pm
    Rick Nash scored on a power play and Kristian Huselius added a short-handed goal in the final seconds of the fight-filled opening period, sending the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Thursday night.

  • Ford: Eyeing contenders at ATP's year-ender

    19 Nov 2009 | 12:52 pm
    Is Roger Federer out of gas as the tour rolls into London for the year-ending ATP World Tour Finals? And if Fed can't get stoked to secure the No. 1 ranking, who might burst through the door he leaves open?

  • Swedish team agrees to join KHL next season

    19 Nov 2009 | 10:17 am
    Russia's KHL, in its second year of operation, announced Thursday it has signed a letter of intent with AIK Stockholm that would see the Swedish club join its league next season.

  • Flyers-Sharks Preview

    19 Nov 2009 | 10:10 am
    Flyers-Sharks Preview
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    The Beet Goes On

  • And Now for Something COMPLETELY Different

    19 Nov 2009 | 9:36 pm
    Here are photos of British Humour Night taken by the bar's photographer.The Germans sketch   Neil's monologue It's the Arts sketch  Lysistrata   

  • BRITISH HUMO(U)R NIGHT 2, Some Highlights (Thanks Alice!)

    19 Nov 2009 | 11:03 am

  • D.A.R.E. to . . . What?

    18 Nov 2009 | 1:29 am
    I was all in a lather and ready to fire off some rapier-wit snipes to this columnist because this time she really has GONE TOO FAR. But, in the end, I decided it is best to treat her like a misbehaving toddler and just ignore the behavior.Instead, I bring you some good karma.Do you know about Operation Beautiful? Go check it out.Isn't that nice? Talk about your random acts of kindness.I have a Facebook Friend who always posts lovely positive affirmations. And not in a Stuart Smalley way. Not that Stuart isn't wonderful, you understand. But FB Friend lacks Stuarts self-doubt.Speaking of…

  • Um, I'm PRETTY Sure I Didn't Say It QUITE That Way

    13 Nov 2009 | 7:29 am
    Oh, the Interwebz! It is a wonderful place.Thanks to the miracle of blog statistic sites, I discovered another lovely American woman who blogs about her life in Moscow. And today she joined the original Fab Four Blogging Babes at lunch. My blog stat info showed a reader coming from a site I didn't recognize, so I followed the link, and lo and behold! New friend! My blog stat info also showed this link. Hmmm. Also mysterious. What the heck could that be?Ah, yes! The cat scratching box people!You may recall, if you are a regular here Chez Beet, that about a month ago I wrote and posted this…

  • The Apples Sure Don't Fall Far From the Tree

    11 Nov 2009 | 10:28 am
    A million years ago, like, back in May, I agreed to join a book group here in Moscow, largely because my friend was part of the group.We all nominated titles we'd like to read during the 2009-2010 year. The Spouse had recently handed me a copy of The Death of Achilles by Boris Akunin. It takes place in 1882 Moscow, and I wanted to read it, so I nominated it. The group approved it at a meeting I did not attend.Someone kindly created a schedule with a hostess, a book, and a presenter for each month. When they read your book, you are the presenter.I have been in book groups before, but we never…
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    15

  • Worlds First Space Blogger

    The online blog of astronaut Maksim Suraev is an event of international and spacewide standing. For the first time in history, Russian cosmonaut will be posting news and different interesting stories with lots of photos straight from the outer space. read more..

  • The Church Artist

    Ivan Shishman is a church artist. Besides he is a father of seven and drinks sometimes. This time he has got an order from Crimean church to make an artwork on the inside surface of its domes. read more..

  • Social Network Art

    For several years Russia, as well as other former soviet republics, together with the rest of the Internet world suffers from expansion of the social network services. For the moment the most popular of them here is Vkontakte (“in contact”). It is often considered (without any official confirmation) that its design, style and architecture were “stolen” from Facebook. read more..

  • How the Salt Is Mined (And Not Only Kitchen Salt!)

    When you are 1500 feet deep, there’s no wind, there’s no ambient sound, and there’s no sunlight as well (no wonder!). However, ride on the elevator doesn’t take too long – during these seconds you virtually see your whole life in front of your eyes. The open cage whooshes downwards swinging around like crazy and your guts really seem to come all the way up to your throat! When you’re out of the cage, you arrive to a small platform, where multiple tunnels are intercrossed. These tunnels are made for so called “taxis”, small diesel-powered vehicles that can transport 2 to 12…

  • Space things

    As Russia is being the first country to cross the threshold of space, it has lots of so-called “Space cities”. Usually, they are situated in some cities where the great Soviet and Russian cosmonauts were born and all the things from astronauts’ food to the models of most renowned space shuttles are displayed there. read more..
 
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    Sean's Russia Blog

  • Revolutionary Manliness

    Sean
    2 Nov 2009 | 12:51 pm
    For those interested in a taste of my academic work, I’ve contributed an entry called “Revolutionary Manliness” to the Soviet history site Seventeen Moments in Soviet History.  If you register, and you should because the site is a wonderful resource especially for instructors, you can check out the accompanying source, “Klasha the Komsomol Girl.” Here [...]

  • United Russia Deputy Murdered

    Sean
    25 Oct 2009 | 10:35 am
    Here’s a murder you probably won’t hear about in the Western press.  Grigory Nosikov, 48, was found dead on Wednesday of stab wounds outside the gates of his house, which is located in the Naro-Fominsk district some 60 miles west of Moscow.  Nosikov was not a journalist, oppositionist, or a human rights activist.  If he [...]

  • Zyuganov on Lenin

    Sean
    22 Oct 2009 | 7:07 pm

  • Mr. Garcia Goes to Tbilisi

    Sean
    19 Oct 2009 | 12:12 pm
    Andy Garcia has been cast to play President Mikheil Saakashvili in the upcoming film Georgia.  I just hope that Garcia’s audition required to see how he looked chewing on his tie. The film, directed by Renny Harlin, will revolve around the last year’s war between the Caucasian nation and Russia.  Though war remains extremely politically charged [...]

  • Luzhkov the Weather Warlock

    Sean
    18 Oct 2009 | 1:25 pm
    I think I finally understand why the Kremlin was so hell bent on securing Yuri Luzhkov’s continued domination over Moscow politics: the weather.  Yuri Mikhailovich can control the weather.  Or so he promises.  According to Time, For just a few million dollars, the mayor’s office will hire the Russian Air Force to spray a fine chemical [...]
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    Siberian Light

  • The Little Golden Calf

    Andy
    19 Nov 2009 | 11:32 pm
    If you love Russian literature, then you’ll hopefully be delighted to learn that Russian Life Books (an offshoot of the company that produce Russian Life magazine) are about to release a new translation of The Little Golden Calf, one of the Soviet Union’s most famous satirical novels. The Little Golden Calf tells the tale of Ostap Bender, who, through illicit means, comes into a fortune of a million roubles. Of course, in the Soviet Union, where there are no legal millionaires, being filthy rich isn’t as easy as Ostap thought it would be… According to the blurb at…

  • snob.ru – Adverts appearing across London

    Andy
    17 Nov 2009 | 11:49 pm
    All over London, adverts for snob.ru, the online magazine for Russia’s affluent elite have been popping up, targeting the British Russian ex-pat community. I took this picture on the London Underground at Euston yesterday: And this massive billboard towers over Earls Court (see original on Flickr): Has anyone else seen any more examples of snob.ru advertising to the ex-pat community around the world? Send me a picture and I’ll publish it here. Check out Russian News Online for the latest stories from all the top Russia Blogs. snob.ru – Adverts appearing across London Related…

  • Russian Film Festival London 2009

    Andy
    18 Oct 2009 | 11:45 pm
    The Third Russian Film Festival London kicks off on 30 October this year, with a bundle of fascinating films from Russia, both old and new, including 10 new UK premieres. Headlining the festival is Anna Karenina, film director Sergei Soloviev’s adaptation of the Tolstoy classic. The film, shot on location at Tolstoy’s former estate at Yasnaya Polyana apparently took 14 years to make, and is the final part of his ASSA, ASSA 2, Anna Karenina trilogy. Other new premieres include the aforementioned ASSA-2, an adaptation of Chekov’s Ward 6, Paper Soldier, a drama set in the…

  • Football: How to watch England vs Ukraine Live Online

    Andy
    6 Oct 2009 | 5:35 am
    For the first time in history, an England football game will not be shown on British TV. Instead, football fans will this weekend either be forced to pay to watch England v Ukraine live online, or to take a trip to their local Odeon cinema, where the game will also be broadcast live. The ground breaking decision to broadcast the match live on the internet was taken by rights owner Kentaro after Irish-owned TV company Setanta, who had previously owned the rights to broadcast this match, went bust. Kentaro tried to sell the rights to another British broadcaster, such as BBC, ITV or Sky Sports…

  • Holiday Reading

    Andy
    9 Sep 2009 | 12:10 am
    I’m off on holiday for a few weeks so no more updates until the end of September. If you’re looking for Russia related reading in the meantime, please do feel free to check out the Russian News aggregator I built a few months ago. (Update: Sorry, I know the BBC News feed isn’t working. They’ve changed the settings on their site – I’ll fix it as soon as I’m back!) As well as covering Russian News on the homepage, it also has a page listing the latest posts from all the Russian Blogs I know about, all of which are well worth checking out. (PS – if…
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    Russian Navy Blog

  • Happy Armistice Day!

    11 Nov 2009 | 8:31 am
    Ultra-Realistic Modern Warfare Game Features Awaiting Orders, Repairing Trucks

  • What's that being loaded on Yura?

    21 Sep 2009 | 3:02 pm

  • "Soviet Means Quality!"

    16 Jul 2009 | 3:29 pm
    Bulava fail. Again.Из-за нештатного срабатывания первой ступени ракета самоликвидировалась", - говорится в сообщении управления пресс-службы и информации Минобороны РФ.First stage.

  • Dima

    3 Jul 2009 | 3:56 pm
    More pics of Yuri and Dima at U-96.

  • Admiral Tributs Goes Pirate Hunting

    29 Jun 2009 | 3:39 pm
    Udaloy class BPK 534 Admiral Tributs gets underway for the Gulf of Aden. Will pass the Udaloy class Admiral Pantaleyev on her way back to Vladivostok.
 
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    La Russophobe

  • November 23, 2009 — Contents

    larussophobe
    20 Nov 2009 | 8:10 am
    MONDAY NOVEMBER 23 CONTENTS (1)  EDITORIAL:  A New Low in Russian Barbarism (2)  EDITORIAL:  Russia Sinks lower into the Mire of Failure (3)  Putin seeks to “Reunify” Georgia (4)  Putin + Medvedev = Asphyxiation for Russia (5)  OPEN THREAD Posted in contents

  • EDITORIAL: A New Low in Russian Barbarism

    larussophobe
    20 Nov 2009 | 3:43 am
    EDITORIAL A New Low in Russian Barbarism We here at La Russophobe spend a good deal of time gaping slack-jawed in horror at the latest example of Russian barbarism.  But now and then, even we are surprised by the depths to which this misbegotten mire of a country can sink.  For instance, the New York Times reports: Mikhail Khodorkovsky, [...]

  • EDITORIAL: Russia Sinks Lower into the Mire of Failure

    larussophobe
    20 Nov 2009 | 3:39 am
    EDITORIAL Russia Sinks Lower into the Mire of Failure An LR editorial just days ago pointed to some more spectacular failure by Russian athletes in chess, boxing, ice hockey and tennis.  But that was just a zakuska for the main dish served up last week by the Russian national soccer team as it went down to utterly [...]

  • Putin wants to “Reunify” Georgia

    larussophobe
    20 Nov 2009 | 2:47 am
    Paul Goble reports: Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who has often described the collapse of the Soviet Union as “the greatest tragedy” of the 20th century, has now said that the “reunification” of Georgia has “already been decided,” a suggestion some of his listeners believe was a call for restoring Moscow’s control over Georgia and even the [...]

  • Putin + Medvedev = Asphyxiation for Russia

    larussophobe
    20 Nov 2009 | 1:45 am
    Paul Goble reports: Ongoing debates about the modernization of Russia have attracted attention to the unfortunate reality that “all the institutional innovations of the last decade are leading to the degradation of the state as a creative subject and to its conversion into a system of life support for a narrow circle of people,” according to [...]
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    Russia Blog

  • President Medvedev's Follow-up On Disassembling State Companies

    15 Nov 2009 | 4:59 pm
    The Kremlin may well want to encourage speculation as to whether President Medvedev was truly instructing Prime Minister Putin on making state enterprises "comptetitve", but it is wholly unlikely that the two would do anything that wasn't pre-arranged between them. If it were otherwise, a political rupture would be underway, with wide repercussions, and nothing indicates such a thing now. (Of course, human nature being what it is, no one likes to take direction too long from even the most illustrious former boss.) The follow-up to the President's speech Friday does make it seem, in any case,…

  • Medvedev Signals Kremlin Policy Shift

    13 Nov 2009 | 10:00 am
    Two trends of Russian government policy seem to be shifting, as witnessed by President Medvedev's major address today in Moscow. The first is the tendency in recent years for government to punish those individuals and companies deemed guilty of economic misbehavior. Now, it seems, the Kremlin is taking a more free market approach. In foreign policy--connected to business, as well--the Kremlin seems eager once again to bring foreign capital back into the country, and to protect it. Russian leadership also seems to be warming a bit to the U.S., and cooling to Iran. At least that is the…

  • Russia's European Dreams

    12 Nov 2009 | 1:06 pm
    In the past two decades, the world has witnessed yet another historical opportunity missed: the fall of the Berlin Wall has not led to a logical conclusion – Russia’s full economic, political and even military integration with Europe and the West in general. In the recent past, Russia’s Westernizers’ centuries-old dream of joining Europe was nearly within reach, but then it faded again, to wait for another miracle. In the 19th century that goal was closer than ever, as Europe and Russia were strongly linked within a unified cultural and economic space despite their religious…

  • Courting Russia on the Iranian Nuclear Issue?

    11 Nov 2009 | 3:13 pm
    Photo Source: Associated Press If you're looking for behind-the-scenes insight, one of the better places to find it is through reports and assessments from STRATFOR, a leader in geopolitical intelligence, analysis and research. Yesterday, in its "Geopolitical Diary," the company's analysts took on the issue of Moscow-Tehran relations. Against a backdrop of the Iranian regime's nuclear program and its unwillingness to cooperate fully with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), STRATFOR suggests that Russia could be "about to shift its international role within the Iran talks." Russia…

  • Fedor Emelianenko Knocks Out the Undefeated Brett Rogers, Thanks Russian Orthodox for Their Prayers

    9 Nov 2009 | 9:53 pm
    On Saturday, November 7, Fedor Emelianenko proved one more time that he is the best fighter in the world by knocking out the undefeated Brett Rogers in the second round. For the first time in Russian history, the First Channel (main government TV station) showed an MMA fight, just 12 hours after CBS aired it live in America. As Fedor Emelianenko said in his post-fight interview, he was “more popular in America than in Russia;” his manager added “not anymore.” Russians prefer box to the brutal and bloody Mixed Martial Arts, but Fedor’s victory was impossible to ignore. When asked…
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    Windows to Russia!

  • Trip to Israel - Was a Blast! (photo set 1)

    20 Nov 2009 | 3:07 am
    Hey Everyone,We just got back from Israel and we had a great time. We got to spend some wonderful time with the best people that we could ever meet. We stayed with Chelita and Misha who have lived in Israel for many years now. They were born in Moldovia and decided the climate in Israel suited them better. So take a look at the pictures and I will try to put a little comment below or above each one...Above - Arab village in the West Bank Area!Above - Arab Village in the West Bank Area!Above - Hot Tub and Sauna in our Hotel!Above and Below - Sleeping commendations in Hotel!Above - Chelita -…

  • Tourist Icebreaker's From Russia!

    20 Nov 2009 | 1:16 am
    If you follow "Windows to Russia" you know then that I like to follow vessels that sail the oceans of the world and especially ones that have a Russian background. This vessel's that we will talk about today are as Russian as it gets: Video - "The retired Russian ice-breaker Sampo based in Finland is the only vessel of its kind in the world to offer tourist trips. The ship's captain says it takes about 10,000 tourists each season around the Bay of Bothnia who like to see it smash its way through ice up to a meter thick at this time of year."So when I found this great video I had to post it.

  • Russian News From Russia: November 20th, 2009!

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:08 am
    Murdered Russian priest received death threats:A Russian Orthodox priest who carried out missionary work among immigrants from ex-Soviet republics received over a dozen death threats before his murder on Thursday, a Russian paper said.New outfits for the Russian army: bulletproof clothes and boots:This exhibition of modern army equipment in Moscow features fire-resistant clothes for tank crew, grenade-proof boots and vitamin bars for special forces.Youth group vows to get “Putin’s granny” out of psychiatric clinic:Activists from Nashi – a pro-Kremlin political youth movement - have…

  • Russia's Nikolay Valuev vs. Britain's David Haye - Update!

    19 Nov 2009 | 1:06 pm
    I did an article on these guys before we left for Israel and I never got to find out who won. I found this video of the last round and after watching this video and other videos on the fight...I would have to say - Haye ran away the whole time and Valuev chased him all over the ring. (The Judges say Haye won?)Windows to Russia!comments always welcome.

  • Swine Flu Politics in Ukraine?

    19 Nov 2009 | 6:42 am
    I had a controversial article that upset a few people not long ago. I was not exactly showing love for a Ukraine government that seemed to be playing games with the Ukraine people for political malice... (WHO update report below)Pandemic (H1N1) 2009, Ukraine - update 217 November 2009 -- Preliminary tests reveal no significant changes in the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus based on investigations of samples taken from patients in Ukraine. Analysis are being performed by two WHO influenza collaborating centers as part of the global influenza surveillance network.Preliminary genetic sequencing shows…
 
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    Russia

  • Is Russian Cinema Dead?

    Vadim Nikitin
    17 Nov 2009 | 8:30 pm
    In the 1990s, the Russian film landscape had come to resemble something straight out of Tarkovsky’s Stalker, with stray dogs wandering through Mosfilm studios in Eisenstein’s footprints and actors and directors stumbling around a menacing no man’s land in search of money and meaning. What happened before, and after, is the subject of an engrossing (and plenty flawed) BBC documentary entitled Movie Nights in Moscow on Radio 3, in which Oxford professor Rana Mitter travels to Russia and speaks to directors, academics and viewers to determine the state of cinema in Russia…

  • Who (Really) Rules the Kremlin?

    Vadim Nikitin
    16 Nov 2009 | 8:55 pm
    Putin, according to Forbes, which has named the Russian Prime Minister the third most powerful man on Earth, towering not only above Oprah (45) and Google CEOs Brin and Page (5) but also, conspicuously, above his own president (Medvedev, 43). Forbes goes on to declare Putin the ‘anti-Obama’, who ‘might as well be known as Czar, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russians’ and is ‘vastly more powerful than his handpicked head-of-state, President Dmitry Medvedev’. While the magazine does note that ‘Medvedev [is] beginning to show chutzpah; recently went…

  • Kremlin Saves Russians from Killer Democracy

    Vadim Nikitin
    11 Nov 2009 | 7:49 pm
    The Russian government may not have a stellar judicial record, as Khodorkovsky can confirm. Yet the fact that he is alive at all he owes to his country’s even worse democratic record. You see, whereas “a recent survey shows around two thirds of Russians support the death penalty”, Medvedev and the Kremlin apparat are committed to extending Russia’s longstanding moratorium on executions in line with Protocol Six of the European Convention on Human Rights,” which prohibits the use of the death penalty in peaceful times”. Mikhail Margelov, head of the foreign…

  • Why I Didn’t Celebrate the Fall of the Berlin Wall

    Vadim Nikitin
    9 Nov 2009 | 9:40 pm
    Don’t get me wrong: I cried as much as anyone when I watched the BBC 9 o’clock newscast from November 9, 1989. In fact, it was precisely the raw human solidarity behind those unforgettable scenes that exposed the farcical, hypocritical and self-serving nature of the official commemorations marking the fall of the wall tonight. Merkel, Sarkozy, Kohl, Obama: Not a single one of the leaders waxing lyrical about the fall of the wall is actually against walls per se. They are only against Communist walls, walls built by ‘bad guys’; but are perfectly fine with erecting ever…

  • Who Misses the USSR?

    Vadim Nikitin
    8 Nov 2009 | 7:48 pm
    The Global South, it seems. According to a BBC poll published on the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, “opinion about the disintegration of the Soviet Union is sharply divided. Europeans overwhelmingly say it was a good thing: 79% in Germany, 76% in Britain and 74% in France feel that way. But outside the developed West it is a different picture. Almost seven in 10 Egyptians say the end of the Soviet Union was a bad thing and views are sharply divided in India, Kenya and Indonesia”. This despite the fact that India and Indonesia, as well as Russia, have experienced…
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    From Russia with Love

  • Pumpkin Fruit Bread

    18 Nov 2009 | 2:13 am
    Steamed pumpkin today for making wonderful pumpkin fruit bread next week. Will mash the pumpkin here in a few minutes and then freeze it. Pumpkin fruit bread or muffins is/are always a hit. I hope to make it for orphanage staff for Thanksgiving. Here's easy secret of how to freeze unbaked muffins and then have them freshly baked for a special breakfast. And then here's the recipe. Oh it's so good

  • Escape of the Century: Night Crossing to Freedom

    15 Nov 2009 | 4:13 pm
    Although they had no experience with hot air balloons, Peter Strelzyk and Gunter Wetzel tossed around the idea of building one to escape from East Germany. Peter was an electrical technician and both loved to tinker. They headed to their village's one library and bookstore and began to dig for information.Last Monday, November 9, 2009, was the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. In

  • Escape Artists: The Berlin Wall

    11 Nov 2009 | 1:42 pm
    After The Wall went up in 1961, many East Germans did more than fantasize about getting across the border to freedom, they pooled their resources and creativity and developed plans. Most were unsuccessful but hundreds did make it to West Germany.At first the wall was simply barbed wire, but too many found a way through, including border guards. East German generals estimated that over the years,

  • Captivated at Checkpoint Charlie: The Berlin Wall

    9 Nov 2009 | 1:06 am
    It was this painting at the Checkpoint Charlie Museum that stopped me in my tracks. This fascinating museum overlooks that most popular of crossing points of the Berlin Wall. Say care to join me for look around?The painting grabbed me and I dug around for a tissue. (Click to enlarge photo.) It covers most of a wall and I may have stood there for five minutes taking it in. The older lady on lower

  • Runaway Bus in Russia: The Rest of the Story

    6 Nov 2009 | 1:50 am
    Just in case you missed this, recently a passenger bus in Perm, Russia had brake failure and crashed into 20 vehicles before coming to a stop two kilometers down the road. The drama peaked when the bus plowed through a pedestrian walkway and a man escaped certain death by millimeters. His peripheral vision must be amazing. Watch the video.Doesn't that just make your heart pound? Good lesson for
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    The Last Ditch

  • Rule of law, or rule of men?

    Tom Paine
    19 Nov 2009 | 5:45 am
    MPs' expenses: Scotland Yard chief says more MPs could face investigation - Telegraph. To me, this story is a litmus test. Do we have the rule of law in Britain in the sense of Thomas Fuller's splendid words "Be you never so high, the law is above you," or not?...

  • Why Normblog isn't

    Tom Paine
    18 Nov 2009 | 8:22 am
    normblog: Bow - wow - ow!. I read every post published on "Normblog" with interest. Generally, it is intelligent, well written and wrong. Occasionally it's intelligent, well-written and right. Sometimes it's about cricket and I can't judge. But it's never a blog. I am not being a purist. Nor am...

  • The fine art of ignoring elephants

    Tom Paine
    17 Nov 2009 | 11:34 pm
    Home alone: the house where binge mother left children | UK news | guardian.co.uk. Oh, the drama. The Guardian is so much more subtle than the Sun or the Mail, but the journalistic craft is just the same. Look how deftly placed the word "binge" is in that headline. Look...

  • Patrick McGoohan explains "The Prisoner"

    Tom Paine
    15 Nov 2009 | 2:32 am
    YouTube - Patrick McGoohan "The Prisoner Puzzle". I am grateful to reader Peter Gardner for drawing my attention (in a comment to my recent post) to these YouTube videos of McGoohan being interviewed about The Prisoner. The past really is another country. Two grown men having an intelligent conversation (over...

  • An ideological train crash

    Tom Paine
    15 Nov 2009 | 1:42 am
    Mentally disabled actors are victims of modern 'blacking-up', says campaigner | Society | The Observer. Nicola Clark, mother of an actress with Asperger's, thinks its "offensive" that healthy actors should play the parts of the mentally ill. When did Britons become so prone to take offence? Ah yes, that would...
 
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    blackpurl's knitpickings

  • We have a new bakery!

    19 Nov 2009 | 7:50 am
    Right next door to our local supermarket is a brand new bakery. This is exciting for us because we are lovers of fresh bread. We have tried a few different things there already. Whole grain bread, sandwich rolls, and my personal favorite croissants! Croissants are not new here in Krasnodar but to find them freshly made and not filled with chocolate or some type of cream is a rare treat.Tom went in the other day and the person behind the counter had never seen an American. He asked Tom his nationality and wanted to take his picture. It is funny to us that after four years there are still…

  • thought for today

    18 Nov 2009 | 6:28 am
    A committee is a group that keeps minutes and loses hours.Milton Berle

  • which path would you choose?

    17 Nov 2009 | 6:09 am
    There are several superstitions here in Russia. One of them involves a setting like the one in the photo. On the right side of the photo there is a narrow path between the tree and the column or you could choose the wider path between the two columns. Superstition says that walking under that angled beam means walking through the devil's gate.It is fascinating to me to watch a group of people walking this direction so that I can take note of which path they choose. Not being superstitious I always choose the wider path.Which path would you choose?!

  • 15 Nov 2009 | 5:31 pm

    15 Nov 2009 | 5:31 pm
    I finally learned how to post from my cellphone!

  • um... thanks?!

    13 Nov 2009 | 5:22 am
    I am still taking Russian lessons. I speak well enough to translate for Tom when he has counseling appointments. However, there is always room for improvement as far as grammar and Russian expressions are concerned. Especially, when constructing sentences... I have a tendency slip into using English structure when speaking Russian quickly without thinking it through. Today my teacher began working with me on improving my translating skills. She chose a short story and would read a sentence or two and I had to translate them as quickly as possible. I did fairly well. We both knew my what my…
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    RussianMarketer

  • Arkady Volozh CEO Yandex Interview CIF 2009 Prague

    Nick Wilsdon
    19 Nov 2009 | 6:57 am
    Here’s a video interview with Arkady Volozh, CEO Yandex from the Prague CIF conference, in english. Some of the key points are summerized below: Interview Points Yandex currently has 60% market share Russia’s mathematical heritage gives them their edge over other search engines Reasons they are better than Google? Better search, more localised informational services (i.e. Yandex Maps shows traffic jams in Moscow) 90% of all search requests are for Russian content They index the whole web now, not just Russian material Finding talent is the key problem for Russian internet firms…

  • Yandex Adopts Twitter in Russia

    Nick Wilsdon
    23 Sep 2009 | 6:43 am
    Twitter, the popular western micro-blogging tool, has now been adopted by Yandex, the largest search engine in Runet. This move will significantly improve their popularity and audience in Russia. Yandex have started indexing the ‘tweets‘ (or messages) and allow users to search these on their advanced search page. They have also published a list of the most popular ‘Twitterers‘ in Russian. It looks like Twitter as a promotional channel is soon to hit the Russian marketing space. a Yandex Adopts Twitter in Russia Technorati Tags: Social Media, Twitter, Yandex

  • Yandex Rated Fastest Growing Global Search Engine

    Nick Wilsdon
    9 Sep 2009 | 12:41 am
    ComScore has released a study of the global search market showing that more than 113 billion searches were conducted in July 2009, representing a 41% increase versus year ago. As expected Google was No.1 with 76.7 billion searches conducted, or 67.5% global market share. However the Russian portal, Yandex showed the fastest rate of growth with 94% more searches than July 08. LiveInternet, the Russian statistics site also gives positive news for Yandex, showing that they hold 51% market share against Google’s 30%. This figure is boosted by the continued rise of Mail.ru (10%), who uses…

  • Moscow Times Conference Reviews E-Marketing in Russia

    Nick Wilsdon
    2 Sep 2009 | 7:56 am
    This week The Moscow Times has conducted a series of interviews on the state of e-marketing in Russia. Essential reading for anyone working in or considering expanding into RuNet. These should remain open to public viewing, follow the links below: Changes in Consumer Preference on the InternetBy Inessa Ishunkina, Project director TNS Russia RuNet of TodayBy Vladimir Dolgov, Google Russia Country Manager Opportunities and Challenges of E-Marketing in RussiaBy Nick Wilsdon, CTO E3internet-Marketing Linking Loyalty to the CustomerBy Hanspeter Kipfer, Vice President Applications Oracle Eastern…

  • AOL Valued at Less Than $5.66 Billion on Stake Sale

    elenaka
    31 Jul 2009 | 2:05 am
    July 27 (Bloomberg) — AOL, the Internet unit being spun off from Time Warner Inc., may be worth less than $5.66 billion, based on the price Google Inc. received for its 5 percent stake in the company. Time Warner, based in New York, said in a regulatory filing today it repurchased the stake on July 8 for $283 million, a price that includes cash distributions owed to Google. AOL, an online pioneer, is worth a fraction of the $20 billion implied when Google paid $1 billion for the stake in 2005. Time Warner said in May it plans to spin off AOL into a separate, publicly traded company this…
 
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    English Russia

  • Worlds First Space Blogger

    The online blog of astronaut Maksim Suraev is an event of international and spacewide standing. For the first time in history, Russian cosmonaut will be posting news and different interesting stories with lots of photos straight from the outer space. read more..

  • The Church Artist

    Ivan Shishman is a church artist. Besides he is a father of seven and drinks sometimes. This time he has got an order from Crimean church to make an artwork on the inside surface of its domes. read more..

  • Social Network Art

    For several years Russia, as well as other former soviet republics, together with the rest of the Internet world suffers from expansion of the social network services. For the moment the most popular of them here is Vkontakte (“in contact”). It is often considered (without any official confirmation) that its design, style and architecture were “stolen” from Facebook. read more..

  • How the Salt Is Mined (And Not Only Kitchen Salt!)

    When you are 1500 feet deep, there’s no wind, there’s no ambient sound, and there’s no sunlight as well (no wonder!). However, ride on the elevator doesn’t take too long – during these seconds you virtually see your whole life in front of your eyes. The open cage whooshes downwards swinging around like crazy and your guts really seem to come all the way up to your throat! When you’re out of the cage, you arrive to a small platform, where multiple tunnels are intercrossed. These tunnels are made for so called “taxis”, small diesel-powered vehicles that can transport 2 to 12…

  • Space things

    As Russia is being the first country to cross the threshold of space, it has lots of so-called “Space cities”. Usually, they are situated in some cities where the great Soviet and Russian cosmonauts were born and all the things from astronauts’ food to the models of most renowned space shuttles are displayed there. read more..
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