Russia: The Red Square!

GUM Department Store DaytimeHello,

Last night my Wife and I went to Red Square. For it is now the great New Years celebration! I put together a video of some of the Kremlin, Lenin's Mausoleum, Gum Department store and everything else that is located on the Red Square. If you have never seen the Red Square this will be a treat for you!
Have a Happy New Year!

Kyle & Svet

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Moscow: Cross Walks are Deadly!

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee and thinking about...

As we continue through the Holidays, we must all be much more conscience about pedestrians. People need to get out to buy Holiday gifts & go to family and friends for Holiday dinners.

We do not all have cars; The ones who do have cars, need to care about pedestrians. In Russia as I have said before, Pedestrians are like a target in a Cross Walk! I have seen many close calls and very serious (death) involving crossing the roads in Moscow! WHY?....(Click: read more for rest of the story!)

==========================

One Pedestrian Killed, 2 Injured by Police Vehicle
The Moscow Times

One young woman was killed and two others injured after they were mowed down by a police car while crossing the street in a crosswalk in southwest Moscow, police said Thursday.

The three women, all 18-year-old citizens of Kyrgyzstan, were crossing Ulitsa Profsoyuznaya at around 8:45 p.m. Wednesday when they were struck by the patrol car, a Lada hatchback heading out of town, police sources told Interfax.

The car was driven by a warrant officer from a police precinct in the Moscow region town of Domodedovo, the sources said.

The accident once again throws a spotlight on reckless driving in Moscow and the customary disregard that drivers demonstrate toward pedestrians here.

The warrant officer told investigators that he did not notice the women, and blood-alcohol tests showed that he was sober, Interfax reported.

The names of the women and the officer were not given in the report. City traffic police and the city branch of the Investigative Committee, which is handling the investigation, both declined to comment Thursday.

No one answered at the Kyrgyz Embassy in Moscow.

A Domodedovo police spokeswoman said only that an internal investigation had been opened. She refused to say whether any formal charges were brought against the warrant officer and whether he had been arrested.

Perhaps nothing encompasses the savage pace of life in Moscow like the widespread driver disregard for pedestrians. Anybody who has ever tried to cross the street in Moscow, whether at a crosswalk or traffic light, knows how perilous this mission can be. Drivers not only rarely stop for pedestrians, they often speed up to make sure the would-be crossers stay put.

Ulitsa Profsoyuznaya, in particular, is notorious for its dangerous crosswalks. In January, Nastya Pak, 8, and her 5-year-old brother, Pyotr, were struck and killed while crossing the thoroughfare in a crosswalk with their mother.

Several police officers throughout the country have been involved in serious traffic accidents this year.

In August, a traffic cop in Samara struck two pedestrians while driving his own Lada, killing one and seriously injuring the other. A blood-alcohol test revealed that he was drunk.

In July, the head of the juvenile delinquency department of the Interior Ministry's Kirov region branch ran over a teenage girl in the town of Omutninsk. The girl suffered serious injuries, and when traffic police arrived, the officer refused to take a blood-alcohol test.

==========================

What causes accidents at marked crosswalks?

Research suggests that marked crosswalks give pedestrians a false sense of security. Pedestrians often step off the curb into the crosswalk expecting drivers of vehicles approaching the crosswalks to stop. However, drivers frequently fail to stop and cause an accident. At all crosswalks, both marked and unmarked, it is the pedestrian’s responsibility to be cautious and alert before starting to cross the street.

At midblock crosswalks on multi-lane roadways, another frequent factor in causing accidents involves the driver in the lane nearest the curb stopping for a pedestrian that is waiting to cross or who is already in the crosswalk. The driver of a second vehicle traveling in the lane next to the stopped vehicle tries to pass the stopped vehicle and hits the pedestrian, even though it is illegal for drivers to pass a stopped vehicle at a crosswalk. Pedestrians should be very cautious when walking in a crosswalk, especially when their visibility is limited by vehicles already stopped at the crosswalk.

==========================

The issue is the mentality of the driver in Moscow! Example; I try to stop for pedestrians in a cross walk. The driver behind me gets angry, honks his horn, flashes his lights & passes me on which ever side he can. (Remember that I am stopped to let someone cross!) The person in the cross walk then becomes a target for a rude, crude & socially unacceptable driver!

Sad!

What do you think?

Kyle
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/12/russia-sidewalks-are-made-for-driving.html
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/09/russia-safe.html
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/06/road-from-village.html
comments always welcome.

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Russia: The Holidays are Far From Over!

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee & thinking about how Christmas is not even half over in Russia!

I had my Christmas at the 25th of December but now the Russian version of Christmas is coming twice (?) on the 1st & 7th of January...... (click: read more for rest of article)

===========================
http://russian-crafts.com/customs/christmas.html

New Year Eve instead of Christmas

Few people in Russia remember, but when the communists took power in 1917 they banned the open expression of religion. While it was easy to pray at home, the Russian people were concerned about giving up their traditional Christmas celebration.

But where there is a will, there is a way!

They re-invented the New Year's holiday tradition to include a decorated tree, and introduced a character called "Grandfather Frost." Known as "Ded Moroz," Grandfather Frost looked very much like the western "Santa Claus" or "Pere Noel" - except he wore a blue suit.

Actually, Ded Moroz was a character that existed in the pagan culture, centuries earlier. For a time, Christmas was all but forgotten. In fact, it was generally celebrated only in small villages, where the citizenry was far from the prying eyes of the Party.

Today, Christmas is celebrated again, on January 7. But, to date, New Year's remains the bigger event.

Russian Christmas

Thirteen days after Western Christmas, on January 7th, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates its Christmas, in accordance with the old Julian calendar. It's a day of both solemn ritual and joyous celebration

After the 1917 Revolution, Christmas was banned throughout Russia, along with other religious celebrations. It wasn't until 75 years later, in 1992, that the holiday was openly observed. Today, it's once again celebrated in grand fashion, with the faithful participating in an all-night Mass in incense-filled Cathedrals amidst the company of the painted icons of Saints.

Christmas is one of the most joyous traditions for the celebration of Eve comes from the Russian tradition. On the Eve of Christmas, it is traditional for all family members to gather to share a special meal. The various foods and customs surrounding this meal differed in Holy Russia from village to village and from family to family, but certain aspects remained the same.

An old Russian tradition, whose roots are in the Orthodox faith, is the Christmas Eve fast and meal. The fast, typically, lasts until after the evening worship service or until the first star appears. The dinner that follows is very much a celebration, although, meat is not permitted. Kutya (kutia), a type of porridge, is the primary dish. It is very symbolic with its ingredients being various grains for hope and honey and poppy seed for happiness and peace.

Once the first star has appeared in the sky, the festivities begin. Although all of the food served is strictly Lenten, it is served in an unusually festive and anticipatory manner and style. The Russians call this meal: "The Holy Supper." The family gathers around the table to honor the coming Christ Child. A white table-cloth, symbolic of Christ's swaddling clothes, covers the Table. Hay is brought forth as a reminder of the poverty of the Cave where Jesus was born. A tall white candle is place in the center of the Table, symbolic of Christ "the Light of the World." A large round loaf of Lenten bread, "pagach," symbolic of Christ the Bread of Life, is placed next to the Candle.

The meal begins with the Lord's Prayer, led by the father of the family. A prayer of thanksgiving for all the blessings of the past year is said and then prayers for the good things in the coming year are offered. The head of the family greets those present with the traditional Christmas greeting: "Christ is Born!" The family members respond: "Glorify Him!" The Mother of the family blesses each person present with honey in the form of a cross on each forehead, saying: "In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, may you have sweetness and many good things in life and in the new year." Following this, everyone partakes of the bread, dipping it first in honey and then in chopped garlic. Honey is symbolic of the sweetness of life, and garlic of the bitterness. The "Holy Supper" is then eaten (see below for details). After dinner, no dishes are washed and the Christmas presents are opened. Then the family goes to Church, coming home between 2 and 3 am. On the Feast of the Nativity, neighbors and family members visit each other, going from house to house , eating, drinking and singing Christmas Carols all the day long.

=========================

So I get very confused; I ask my Wife when is Christmas? She tells me the 1st of January! Then she says but.... it is also the 7th of January! Just that the 7th is not as important.

I am not going to argue, I get lots of Winter Holiday fun & spend it with my Sweetie! I am a lucky man!

Kyle

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Sleepless in Russia; The Christmas Gift!

Hello,

For about a year we have slept on the worst bed on earth! Yes thee worst bed; I have slept on rocks, dirt, sticks, mud & you name it!!!! We had the worst bed in History of Mankind! :)))
Our Christmas gift to ourselves was a roll up 100% cotton mattress. This is the softest and most comfortable mattress I have slept on. Last night was the best night sleep we have had in a year.

It was pure heaven!

Cost was 964 Rubles that is about $40.00 American Dollars.

Ever wonder why we put up with things so easy to fix?

Kyle

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Russian News: December 26th, 2007

Moscow, December 26, 2007. - The Salon Press publishing house, a subsidiary of the RBC holding (MICEX, RTS: RBCI), has completed acquisition of a 100% stake in the Kvartirny Otvet magazine. Salon Press has also received exclusive rights to publish the legendary Italian architecture, design and art magazine Domus. Both publications successfully complement the leading Russian interior design publisher's product line and are set to boost its readership, as well as to create additional advertising opportunities for its clients.

"The publishing house's development strategy implies continuous optimization of its product range in line with the market requirements. Kvartirny Otvet targets general audience, while Domus is intended for a more dedicated reader," Salon Press General Director Sergei Shustov said.

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Russia: Traditions From Around The World!

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee & thinking about Winter traditions again.

We had come across an article "Christmas Time in Black Canal Zone".

It showed Svet and I about how Winter traditions started in Panama. We think that it is very important for people to know how traditions start!

We also came across this article from Malaysia! "Eid ul-Adha"! Another article on what another country does during the Winter Holidays!

http://tsl8.blogspot.com/
http://thesilverpeoplechronicle.blogspot.com/

I have traditions from America that I have put aside because they no longer fit my new life! My wife has gained new traditions from me & I have gained new traditions from Her!

What about You?

Kyle

comments always welcome!

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Windows In Russia!

Our Village House has nice windows!
Hello,

I found several articles on real & very old "Windows in Russia"!

http://www.krusenstern.ch/24-fenster.html
http://www.krusenstern.ch/23-fenster.html
http://www.krusenstern.ch/22-fenster.html
http://www.krusenstern.ch/21-fenster.html

The old windows in Russia are true works of art. The craftsmanship is fantastic. But as all things in the world, the art is fading away.

These are very nice preserved specimens. Most windows in villages of Russia are now collapsing and rotted!

I think that is sad.

Thanks to Krusenstern for publishing such nice examples of Russian Windows!

Kyle

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Merry Christmas From "Windows To Russia!"
Svet & Kyle

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Russian Visa!

CHANGES IN VISA REGULATIONS:

1. A foreign citizen can obtain a visa to Russia ONLY in the country of his/her citizenship. Exceptions include those who have a residence permit for a foreign country for the period more than 90 days. A visa may also be issued in a country other than an applicant's own in case of urgent necessity, such as participating in international, governmental, official, scientific, sport and cultural events. A final decision in these cases would be left up to the consulate.
2. A multiple entry business visa allows nationals of all countries to stay in Russia up to 90 days out of the period of 180 days.

Attention: a multiple entry visa is only available for people who have been issued a Russian visa before.
A copy of your previous Russian visa should be enclosed in your application for a multiple entry invitation.
If this is your first visit, you are only eligible to obtain a single or double entry visa for 1 to 3 months.

http://kylekeeton.com/2007/12/russia-visa-terror-continues.h
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/11/russian-visa-rules-are-changin
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/11/russian-consulate-locator.html
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/10/what-was-needed-to-get-visa-i

Kyle
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Russia: New Years; Food Traditions?

Black-Eyed Peas
Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee & thinking about food traditions for the New Year!

In America: There is a Southern saying that dictates eating habits in the Southern United States' New Year's: "Eat poor on New Year's, eat fat the rest of the year." A traditional Southern New Year's meal includes ham, corn bread, black-eyed peas and collard greens. Both black-eyed peas and collard greens are considered especially lucky additions to the dinner table. Black-eyed peas are thought to bring wealth because they look like little coins, in addition to the fact that they swell when cooked -- a sure sign of prosperity. Collard greens are considered lucky because they are green, like greenbacks -- money!

This is the food we ate at New Years when I was growing up & I passed this on to my kids!

I am not sure about Russian traditions but I found an article that helps...
"Now we go to the kitchen on 31 Dec. The table must be crammed with dishes. There is a sign - how New Year is celebrated, all the year will be in this way. So people try to put all possible and impossible on the table ;-) We cook as a rule about 8-10 different salads, sandwiches, preservings. The main dish is potatoes and meat (it can be young pig, or chicken, or turkey, or goose)." (Link)

What do you have for New Years food traditions?

Kyle

comments always welcome.

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Russia: Wake Up!

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2007/12/24/016.html (Reuters)

HELSINKI -- Russian trucks have lined up for 100 kilometers at the Finnish border ahead of the holiday season, prompting Helsinki to ask the European Union for help eliminating the record blockage.

While trucks are stuck at the border, retailers in Russia and the transportation firms are losing money, and local people are afraid to drive on the roads with one lane blocked by trucks......(Click; read more for rest of article!)

Finland's government said Friday that Transportation Minister Anu Vehvilainen had pleaded for the European Commission to influence Russia to reduce the traffic blockage by increasing electronic customs services, reducing border bureaucracy and developing roads on the Russian side.

Truck lines were about 50 kilometers long on Sunday morning at Finland's busiest border, Vaalimaa, east of Helsinki. They extended to more than 100 kilometers late Saturday, the Finnish Road Administration said.

"They now probably beat all records so far. A year ago the situation was similarly tough," senior road administration official Jukka Tamminen said Sunday.

Tamminen said he expected the lines to ease and nearly dissolve by Monday.

Customs officials at Vaalimaa have said there were lines 300 days last year.

Finland has raised the issue with Russia. Finnish President Tarja Halonen said after a meeting in September with President Vladimir Putin that Russia had made decisions that would help improve border traffic but had not carried them out fully.

Russians prefer to import goods through Finland to minimize theft and because harbors near St. Petersburg lack sufficient unloading equipment and warehouses.

Finnish customs have said they could double the amount of trucks that pass through as processing export papers takes only a couple of minutes. But procedures on the Russian side take longer.

The amount of goods imported through Finland has doubled since 2002 to about 3 million tons in 2006 and Russia's Transportation Ministry has admitted its officials cannot handle the growing number of vehicles.

Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen said earlier this month in an interview he was considering the introduction of a road tax for Russian trucks by 2011.

Kyle

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Svet Sunday: Tram Terrific!

Hello,

Recently I walked to work again:

Kyle has already published a very good article about my walk to work.

But this particular morning, that I am telling you about; I was in just a little bit of a hurry and a little bit lazy. So I decided to take a Tram.

The Tram just pulled up to the metro station and I got in. There was just three stops to ride...; Unfortunately I rode just half of a stop and disaster struck..... (Click: read more for Tram Disaster!)

The Tram stopped & opened the doors and they told everybody to get out! This is what I saw when I left the Tram and had to WALK to work anyway. :)

Pictures..


So now as you can see, it was just a little road accident - nothing terrible, no serious victims! Thank God! But nobody could leave the place of the accident, so they were just waiting for road police.

That's really rather common situation with trams in Moscow. That's sad! It's especially sad when you think about all these people who were waiting for a tram! When I think about this, I always remember a mathematical task what we were solving in special mathematical school. That was a task about a bus what is going by schedule every 10 minutes and about poor guy who stands at bus stop already one hour. And the question was what possibility for him to see the bus during next ten minutes. The truth is (I always considered that this is like paradox) that the longer he is waiting the bus the less possibility for him is to see the bus during next 10 minutes. And I remember my Mom tried to explain me how the situation could happened: The more you wait the bus the more likely the bus is broken or something happened.

You've seen my pictures. So remember if you are waiting tram or trolleybus too long it might be something happened - think how to get to your place another way.

Never get despair in life, there is always another way!
Best wishes!

Svet

comments always welcome.

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Russia: Look at Australian Christmas!

Hello,

Since I was a little kid I always wondered how it could be New Year in Australia?! Neither snow nor a fir tree... How could there be a real, New Year & Christmas!

When Kyle found an article of our Australian friend , I realized it could be Christmas in Australia!

And now we want to share with you this cute video:


More information, pictures and even slide show you can find here: Link!

You want to know more? Ask Alex!

Best wishes for everybody!

Svet and Kyle

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Russia: The Visa Terror Continues!

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee & studying an article about the visa issues in Russia!

I understand what is going on with the rules. I understand the political motivation behind the rules. I understand the conception of the rules.

What I do not understand is the desire of a country such as Russia to push away "freelancers, entrepreneurs and people who work at smaller companies." Russia has also devastated one of its greatest resources,"English teachers, who often meet their students through agencies that never previously bothered to get them work visas." This encompasses a lot of people.

What I see happening is that Russia wants only foreigners from Big Business, companies that can deal with the added overhead of the extra visa expense & time.

As my Wife said: "By this action, Russia has succeeded in only pushing out the intelligent foreigners. The ones who follow the rules, help the country and bring prosperity to Russia!"

My wife is very correct!
=========================
New Visa Rules a Big Headache For Expats
By Alexander Osipovich
Staff Writer

These should be happy times for Alessandro Balgera. After all, the 50-year-old Italian is getting married Wednesday.

But Balgera can only spend three weeks with his new Russian wife before he has to leave the country for 90 days, thanks to new visa rules that took effect in October.

"It's really sad. Extremely sad," said Balgera, a former hotel restaurant manager.

Balgera is one of many foreigners scrambling to deal with the new, tougher rules on multiple-entry business visas that were introduced in a decree signed by Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov on Oct. 4.

Under the new rules, such visas permit stays of no more than 180 days out of one year and for no longer than 90 days at a time. Previously, many expats used multiple-entry business visas to live in Russia year-round, making an annual visa run outside the country whenever their old one expired.

For them, 2008 promises to be a year of paperwork hassles as they try to obtain work visas or residency -- the two main ways they can legally remain in Russia year-round after their old visas expire.

The changes may go unnoticed by employees at big companies, which are usually well equipped to deal with the bureaucratic burdens of hiring foreigners. Many such companies got work visas for their employees even before the Zubkov decree.

But the new rules are proving to be a colossal headache for freelancers, entrepreneurs and people who work at smaller companies. Among the hardest-hit individuals are English teachers, who often meet their students through agencies that never previously bothered to get them work visas.

Anya Soroka, a Canadian citizen, does not know whether she will stay in Russia after March. It depends on whether her English-teaching agency will come through with a work visa.

"I'm not going to be devastated if I can't come back to Russia," said Soroka, an actress who supplements her income by teaching English lessons. "Obviously, I'd rather have a choice."

Most of the English teachers interviewed for this report said they expected to stay in Russia in 2008 because their schools were promising to sponsor work visas for them. But the process is fraught with uncertainty, said Kira Hagen, an American who has taught English and worked as a nanny for well-off Russian families. Hagen said she was hoping to return to Russia as a dependent of her husband, if his company gets him a work visa. If not, they might leave the country.

"We could probably make an emergency move to Poland right now, if we needed to," Hagen mused in her blog. "Or even Korea, if the ticket and housing were paid for."

Legal experts stress that coming to Russia on any document other than a work visa and earning income -- even as an independent contractor -- is illegal.

But that law has never been seriously enforced, and Zubkov's decree was an attempt to close the loophole, said Peter Reinhardt, a partner at Ernst & Young.

"The underlying presumption behind this rule change is that if someone is having to spend more than half their time here, then it can no longer conceivably be a business trip," Reinhardt said.

Government officials say the rule changes were based on the principle of reciprocity. Russians face the same restrictions when traveling to Europe on multiple-entry visas, Alexander Aksyonov, director of the Federal Migration Service's visa and registration department, said last month at an event organized by the American Chamber of Commerce. "If you take a look at the European Union countries, you will see that they have exactly the same system."

Changes were introduced after a Russia-EU agreement to simplify visa procedures went into effect in June. In some respects, the agreement did make things easier, especially for short-term business travelers. For instance, companies that want to bring a foreigner to Russia can now issue their own invitations, whereas before they had to get the invitations through the Federal Migration Service. But some expatriates find it absurd that an agreement intended to simplify visa procedures has actually made their lives more complicated.

The EU "caused more harm than good to European businessmen" with the agreement, Jon Hellevig, a managing partner at the law firm Hellevig, Klein & Usov, said in a news bulletin last month.

The fallout from the agreement might damage the Russian economy by scaring away foreign investors and entrepreneurs, Hellevig said by telephone. "I think perhaps it would be better if Russia did not insist on full reciprocity."

A EU diplomat said the visa agreement only covered short-terms visits and that Russia, not the EU, was responsible for imposing the 90-day limit. "Russia introduced the rule mainly on grounds of its policies toward foreigners living and working in the country," said Taneli Lahti, head of the political section of the EU's delegation to Russia.

Now, the two options that most foreigners have if they want to stay in Russia -- a work visa or residency -- both have their own difficulties.

Experts say it currently takes about three months to get a work visa. Most of that time is taken up by the process of getting a work permit, which a company needs to obtain before its employee can get the visa.

Not surprisingly, Russians applying for work permits in Europe face difficulties too. Unlike Russia, many EU countries require personal interviews at embassies for foreigners seeking work permits, and the rejection rate is higher, Hellevig said. The difference, he said, is navigating the Russian bureaucracy, which makes it more cumbersome to provide all the supporting documents needed for an application.

About 25 separate documents are needed, and "each one may have its own difficulties," Hellevig said. Among those documents are medical certificates proving that the foreigner in question does not have tuberculosis or leprosy.

Those diseases are rare in Europe and North America -- especially among wealthy businessmen -- but that didn't stop the head of the Federal Migration Service from defending the rule Wednesday. "The law sets out a list of diseases that foreigners must prove they do not have," Konstantin Romodanovsky said at a news conference in response to a reporter's question. "Explain to me, please, how can we give one list of required documents to citizens of Tajikistan and a different one to citizens of the EU? Surely, our laws must be objective."

The other legal way to remain in Russia -- obtaining residency -- is a multiyear process that comes with a number of stringent requirements. For instance, after they achieve temporary residency -- an intermediate stage on the road to becoming full-fledged residents -- foreigners cannot leave Russia without first getting an exit visa. Also, foreigners with this status do not automatically get the right to work: They still have to apply for work permits.

Many EU countries offer a more liberal approach. In Britain, for example, foreigners qualify for residency if they have been in the country with work permits or business visas for five years. In Russia, expatriates who have been here for 10 years or more face the same obstacles to residency as anyone else.

Still, residency is the best option for people like Balgera, the Italian getting married to a Russian woman next week.

Balgera sounded frustrated as he described his plans to apply for a series of separate three-month visas until he could get temporary residency and live full-time with his future wife. What was especially galling to him was that he got his multiple-entry business visa on Oct. 19 -- just days after the 90-day rule went into effect. "I had no idea whatsoever," he said. "If I had gone two days earlier, I would have won six months. ... But for one day, I lost everything."

Staff Writer Nikolaus von Twickel contributed to this report.

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2007/12/21/002.html

=========================

I was lucky, When we got my visa we beat the deadline. That will only last a year, then I have to have other plans in motion by that time.

My biggest complaint in all this: If Russia is playing games with the EU, why involve the USA in the new visa rules?

My Wife got a year tourist visa to the USA: Why then does Russia penalize the USA when the American visa rules are much different when traveling to America?

Kyle

comments always welcome.
(click: read more below; origial article)

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Russia: What Is A Sandwich?

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee & thinking about sandwiches! In America a sandwich is food, meal, art & tradition! The term Dagwood Sandwich comes to my mind.
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Dagwood A real sandwich is awesome! (click read: more to expand article like a Dagwood Sandwich!)

In Russia; the concept of a sandwich is still very foreign and new. Russia has a form of a sandwich called, бутерброд (buterbrod). (click: read more to expand article like a Dagwood Sandwich.)

"Dagwood Sandwich - It is a multi-layered sandwich with a variety of fillings. Used to denote a sandwich put together so as to attain such a tremendous size and infinite variety of contents as to stun the imagination, sight, and stomach of all but the original maker.

Dagwood sandwiches, a term so well-known it made Webster's New World Dictionary.

1930 - A term that originated in the comic strips in the 1930s after a comic strip character named Dagwood Bumstead, a character in the "Blondie" comic strip. According to the creator of the comic strip, Murat Bernard “Chic” Young (1901-1973), the only thing that Dagwood could prepare in the kitchen was a mountainous pile of dissimilar leftovers precariously arranged between two slices of bread. Dagwood became know for his huge sandwiches he created on evening forays to the refrigerator.

The comic strip is produced today under the direction of the creator's son, Dean Young, the strip has continued to keep up with the times."

Buterbrod: (According to my Wife: who is an expert on Russia. :))
Buterbrod is one slice of bread, with or without butter, & could have one of the following; Sausage (kielbasa), cheese, salmon or caviar. Never two of those items?? (Yummy?)

I happen to disagree with this Russian form of sandwich. So; I have converted my wife to sandwiches! :)

I make her every kind of sandwich that I can think of. She has eaten & liked grilled cheeses, hamburgers, grilled ham & cheese, Monte Christos, cold cuts & many more styles! (but she still tells me that Russian do not eat sandwiches like this)

She is right: All you have to do is go to McDonald's in Russia and you will see what I mean! The art of eating sandwiches in Russia is a new concept. (But that is another story!)

You learned something new about Russia today. That is why I love Russia!

Kyle

comments always welcome.

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Russia: Coke Is.....

http://www.russia-ic.com/news/show/5414/

Orthodox Believers Accuse Coca-Cola of Blasphemy

19.12.2007

A group of Orthodox believers from Nizhniy Novgorod has accused the company Coca-Cola of spreading a blasphemous advertisement insulting the religious feelings of Christians. In particular, they mean the image of the local temples drawn inside the contour of a Coca-Cola bottle and intentionally turned upside down Orthodox crosses. The Orthodox group asks the local procuracy and the city governor to ban the commercial and punish the administration of Coca-Cola.

An action against Coca-Cola started at one of the websites on the Internet where two Nizhniy Novgorod citizens posted photos of refrigerators with the “insulting” advertisement labelled on them. The crosses intentionally turned upside down are the main object of the Orthodox activists` rage.

At the same time the representative office of Coca-Cola in Nizhniy Novgorod explains that by placing sights of architectural and art objects on the bottles the company demonstrates its position concerning the cultural heritage protection.

Source: og.ru

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Russia: Putin "Person of the Year" Time Magazine!

Hello,

Just an item off the news wire:
=========================
NEW YORK (AP) — Time magazine on Tuesday named Russian President Vladimir Putin its "Person of the Year." The nod went to the Russian leader because of Putin's "extraordinary feat of leadership in taking a country that was in chaos and bringing it stability," said Richard Stengel, Time 's managing editor.

Putin, 55, is enormously popular in Russia, presiding over a resurgent economy flush with revenue from oil and natural gas. But critics say he has moved the country away from Russia's democratic reforms of the 1990s by tightening control of the media, courts and parliament. ==========================

Good choice for person of the year!

Kyle

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From Russia: Bulgarian Christmas!

Hello,
I was drinking my morning cup of coffee & was looking over comments made earlier. We had asked Ludmila, one of our readers to explain about Christmas in Bulgaria! This is what she wrote.....
=============================

Hi, Svetlana and Kyle!

This is how Bulgarians celebrate Christmas and New Year: Although Bulgaria has Orthodox Church, the people celebrate Christmas on 25 of December as it was in Russia before the Great October Revolution. The Bulgarians celebrated this holiday on 7th of January in the period from 1945 to 1989 as it is in Russia now, but after 1989 it was decided to change the date to the end of December. In fact, Christmas in Bulgaria is called Koleda. Koleduvane is a tradition which still remains in villages and not in big cities. Koledari (young men dressed in national costumes) spread Christmas cheer around village and sing folk songs. A special dinner consisting of at least twelve dishes is prepared and all of them are without meat. This is a family holiday and all members of a family gather together round the table and celebrate it. A traditional Banitsa with fortune slips is put on the table. It’s very delicious meal. It’s made from puff paste with some white cheese rolled in it and baked in an oven.

Santa Claus in Bulgaria is called Dyado Koleda (Grandfather Koleda) and he brings the children gifts as Santa Claus and Ded Moroz do. New Year Eve is joyful holiday when people gather together, eat a lot and go to the center of town or city at 12 o’clock or earlier. Five minutes before the New Year comes Bulgarian President gives a speech, which is transmitted on all state and private TV channels and in the midnight people cheers with “Na zdrave” with wishes for good health.

My regards,

Ludmila

================================
Thank You Ludmila,

It seems that the world all has a Santa Claus! If anyone else has a story about their countries: Christmas Traditions please leave a comment. I will be happy to include the Holiday Traditions on "Windows To Russia!"

Kyle & Svet

Stories of Traditions Welcome Here!!!

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Russian News: December 18th, 2007

Hello,

This is Russian News day!

RBC, 17.12.2007, Moscow 19:55:09.Over half of Russians (53 percent) believe the recent State Duma elections to have been free, democratic and fair, an opinion poll held by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center revealed. 19 percent of respondents held the opposite point of view. The opinion that the elections were fairly democratic is more widespread in rural (57 percent) rather than urban Russia (48-52 percent). The estimates, however, have changed for the better since the previous election of 2003, when 49 percent of poll participants thought the elections had been democratic, and 26 percent condemning them as unfair.Half the respondents said they saw no other party that should have been granted seats in the Duma apart from the four parties surpassing the threshold. Others regretted that the Agrarian Party (19 percent) and Yabloko (5 percent) were not on the list, as well as Civil Force, the Union of Right Forces, the Party of Social Justice and Patriots of Russia (4 percent for each).The poll was held among 1,600 Russians in 153 locations in 46 of Russia's regions and republics on December 8-9, 2007. The margin of error does not exceed 3.4 percent.

RBC, 17.12.2007, Moscow 18:57:03.The United Russia party has officially nominated Deputy PM Dmitry Medvedev as its candidate for President at the close of its 8th congress, with 478 delegates voting in favor, and 1 against the nomination....(click: read more for more news)

RBC, 17.12.2007, Moscow 17:54:38.Gazprom is willing to cooperate with the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) in the diagnostics, maintenance, exploitation, and modernization of Iran's gas network, as well as in raising its transportation and energy efficiency. The matter was discussed at a meeting of the energy working group of the Russian-Iranian trade and economic cooperation commission, the Russian Industry and Energy Ministry's press office said in a statement today. The meeting was chaired by Russia's Deputy Industry and Energy Minister Anatoly Yanovsky and Iranian Deputy Oil Minister Hossein Noghrehkar-Shirazi.According to the statement, the parties made a high evaluation of Gazprom's experience in servicing Iran's South Pars field project.

RBC, 17.12.2007, Moscow 16:51:46.Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to become the country's next Prime Minister after he steps down in March. The Russian leader made this statement at today's eighth session of United Russia. Putin noted that there would be no changes in the roles of the President and the government.

RBC, 17.12.2007, Moscow 12:20:57.The weighted average euro exchange rate closed at 35.62 RUR/EUR at this morning's special trading session for today deals, which is RUR0.22 lower than the official rate set by the Bank of Russia for December 17. Meanwhile, the low on euro deals stood at 35.56 RUR/EUR. The current developments on MICEX may be attributed to the euro's significant decrease against the euro on international exchanges. The latter is now trading at almost USD1.4380, down from nearly USD1.4610 at the same time on Friday. Consequently, the US currency has surged 1.5 percent against the euro on the global market since then.

RBC, 17.12.2007, Moscow 11:10:47.According to unaudited date, Magnit's net retail revenue climbed 40.5 percent to RUR82.443bn (approx. USD3.36bn) in January-November 2007 compared to the same period a year earlier, the retail chain indicated in its official statement. The company's revenue grew 49.15 percent to almost RUR3.212bn in dollar terms. The company opened 228 new stores, bringing their total number to 2,121 shops.

RBC, 14.12.2007, Minsk 19:15:51.Russia and Belarus are to develop a program for a common foreign policy for 2008-2009, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting of the Supreme Council of the Union State in Minsk today. He reiterated that the international cooperation of the two countries was implemented on the basis of an exisiting target program.The leaders of the Union State should seek to create a common economic space, Putin stated, adding that trade between Russia and Belarus was expected to top $24bn in 2007, an impressive 20 percent increase from the previous year.

That is all for today as far as news is concerned!

Kyle

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Svet Sunday: New Year and Christmas in Russia!

Hello,

The closer we come to our New Year holidays the more people ask Google about Christmas, Santa Claus and Grand Father Frost in Russia. Sometimes Google send these people to our site. So I'll try to answer these questions in this article.

When Kyle just came to Russia I warned him that we don't have Christmas at 25th of December! He was a bit disappointed and maybe did not believe me completely. But it was 24th of December and nothing happened just regular work day in Russia. But I told Kyle just wait for 31 of December - New Year Eve is the same like Christmas in Russia.

How do the people meet The New Year in Russia? (click: read more for rest of article)

All over the Russia people put Fir Tree (Ёлка) alive or artificial in the flats or homes, decorate them with glass and paper toys, colored lamps. People buys and cooks the best food, they try to find out in advance what clothes you suppose to wear this evening to have good luck next year. Every year it's something different it depends on what year it will be in Oriental calendar. And I already found out it for You! Next year will be a year of Rat or Mouse, if we are exact it will be Year of Earth Rat/Mouse. And all we know that mouse is very modest our dresses on New Year party should be "modest" colors also: something like chocolate, sand, gray, beige and swamp color... But the Mouse adores all shining stuff, so don't forget your silver, gold and platinum jewelery! ;)

Then people set a table for eats and turn on a TV; TV channels always have a good transmissions at New Year Ave, some old New Year movies and new New Year movies good concerts and so on... 5-7 minutes before midnight almost all TV channels transmit the Russian President "New Year Speech"... Putins always has had a good, kind New Year speeches and it's always a pleasure to listen to him this way! When the Kremlin Clocks starts gonging, people open Champagne, clink glasses, tell each other С Новым Годом! (what means Happy New Year!) and continue feast :).

People in Russia believe that the way you meet The New Year, Is the way you'll spend whole new year. That's why they have the best food on the table and they try to eat and drink as much as possible. - because there are so much things to tell and to wish each other for New Year and you need always drink for it! ;)

(A lot of people comes out and shoot fireworks - till 4a.m that really very beautiful site-seen and a lot of fun!)

What about Santa Claus - no Santa Claus that is Дед Мороз (Grandfather Frost) in Russia. And Grandfather Frost comes to the children at this, New Year night and put presents under the Fir Tree.

Really, there is not too much differences between Grandfather Frost and Santa Clause - and even in the stores we have a lot of Santa Clauses made in China, :) together with Grandfather Frosts and people buy them all and still call them Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost). Russian kids know the story about Santa and like it. They also know that Santa comes to kids in other countries and they wait for their Russian, Ded Moroz... then on the 1st of January; when parents are sleeping after the long New Year feast, kids are waking up and run to the Yolka (New Year Tree) to look what presents, Ded Moroz have brought to them! They are silent, don't want to wake up parents, and just enjoy the presents!

Now I'll tell you about Christmas in Russia. First of all I should tell that Christmas in Russia is at the 7th of January. How it could that be, maybe you want to ask me... That is cause of our calendar and our Orthodox Church. Before October Revolution (1917 year) Russian had Julian Calendar and it was not the same like in the rest Europe and America who had already Gregorian Calendar. Russian calendar was "late" for two weeks (Here is a link that you can read about Calendars) When Communists got power they changed the calendar in Russia and make it the same Gregorian calendar like in other counties. But Russian Orthodox Church refused to change calendar of Church holidays that's how it happens that Christmas in Russia is going after New Year.

As for Christmas - The in Soviet Union Church was separated from State, so New Years was State Holiday and day off and Christmas was not. Christmas was just usual workday in Soviet Union... After Soviet Union had collapsed our Government tries to revive some Church Holidays. Now Christmas is day off, in Russia,

Now we even have New Year holidays here (this year, we will be off since 29th of December till 8th of January). But Christmas has not become a really big holiday (maybe just for Church people.)

During New Year Holidays kids always go to watch New Year performances. The main characters there are Ded Moros and Snegurochka (his granddaughter) and now Ded Moroz tells public "С НОВЫМ ГОДОМ! С РОЖДЕСТВОМ ХРИСТОВЫМ" (Happy New Year and Marry Christmas!) And the mention of Christmas is one more of the changes that happened since Soviet Union collapsed.

Is Christmas important to you?

Best wishes and be happy!
Svet

comments and questions always welcome
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/12/russia-is-there-santa-claus-in-russia.html

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Russia: Sidewalks Are Made For Driving?

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee & thinking about how Russia is changing.

My wife came home the other day and said that the latest talk around her work was about how the Road police are going to give out tickets for "Driving on the sidewalks". She also said that we are suppose to wear seat belts. This is nothing new to me, being from America! But to Russians the idea of not driving or parking on the sidewalk will be a very new concept.

When you walk down the sidewalk of a busy street in Moscow, you have to be ready to quickly jump out of the way of cars. Yes I said........(click read more to expand article)

You have to get out of the way of cars! (Strange habit Russians have when traffic is backed up, they drive down the side walk to try to get around cars.)

Here is the situation: You are out for a nice stroll with your wife, you are talking about the future and enjoying life. You are strolling down a sidewalk that mothers are pushing their babies in strollers & kids are riding their bikes on! Then all happiness is shattered; There is a car behind you honking at everyone to get off the sidewalk. So that he can speed down it to get to the next corner & beat traffic! This happens all the time in Moscow.

Another example; I wait for my sweetie at the bus stop and almost every time I have to move out of the way, because a driver jumps the curb and weaves among pedestrians honking his horn & flashing his lights. He drives a hundred meters like this & drives back into the street. (ahead of maybe, 2-3 cars) (total maniac)

I hope that the Road Police really do give out tickets for driving on the sidewalk. Sidewalks are for people not cars!

What do you think?

Kyle

comments always welcome!

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Russia: Posts to Read!

Hello,

I am drinking my morning cup of coffee and thinking about some of the past post that we have done. So I am going to list 5 posts from the last two months of the Blog. That way you do not have to search......(click; read more for links)

http://kylekeeton.com/2007/11/russia-poem-translation-by-reader.html
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/11/svet-sunday-all-in-your-hands.html
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/11/svet-sundays-strong-people-of-russia.html
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/11/russia-secret-cities.html
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/12/russia-art-of-toasting-bread.html

Kyle

comments always welcome.

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Google / Blogger Apologized!

Hello,

Kyle got a flu.

This morning when he drank his coffee with cream and I drank my green tea with lemon, He was telling me that Blogger finally admitted that they had made changes with their "comments policy" and removed an URL string.

Kyle was very upset that I put him in the bed (but he has a temperature 39C./102.2F.), so he asked me to write an article about new comment policy of Blogger....(click read more for rest of article)

Blogger says; "Right now, the only way to add a URL to your name when commenting is to sign your comment with OpenID. We apologize for removing the URL field from the comments form prematurely two weeks ago. That was a mistake on our part that came from launching OpenID support on Blogger in draft."

This is Blogger full article: OpenID Commenting.

I am not sure how all this works, hope our readers from LiveJournal and another communities check it and tell us (is it convenient), like how Blogger tries to assure us...

Best wishes and take care!

Svet and Kyle {who always watches me (even from the bed) when I do articles ;)}

comments always welcome.

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Russia: Not Happy That; The Dollar is Melting!

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee & thinking again about the American Dollar. I have written several articles about the Demise of the Dollar! I have now just read that the Canadian Dollar is worth more than the American Dollar. I think that I read some where that the Australian Dollar is worth the same as an American Dollar.

Seems to me that the world currencies are adjusting to be more equal with each other.

This downfall of the Dollar is causing Russia to have inflation problems. To the Russians; "It's clear that Washington is not going to do anything to solve the problem that it has created. As former U.S. Treasury Secretary Connally also famously said, "The dollar may be our currency, but it's your problem." Especially in an election season next year, the United States is focused on how to minimize recessionary risks -- hence lower interest rates and a bigger fiscal deficit."(click: read more)

"Again, Russia is not alone in this predicament. Late last week, discussions within the Gulf Cooperation Council ended without any action to break the peg to the dollar, which places those countries in an identical inflationary predicament as Russia. Asian countries face similar concerns.

It's clear that Washington is not going to do anything to solve the problem that it has created. As former U.S. Treasury Secretary Connally also famously said, "The dollar may be our currency, but it's your problem." Especially in an election season next year, the United States is focused on how to minimize recessionary risks -- hence lower interest rates and a bigger fiscal deficit.

So will Russia and its economic partners continue to play the victim in order to maintain the dollar as the monetary anchor of the international financial system? Perhaps the time has come for Moscow to help organize a new cartel. No, nothing to do with energy, but rather a "sound money" cartel among those countries that collectively wish to reassert monetary stability. Of course, as we all know, this is just wishful thinking.

Martin Gilman, a former senior representative of the IMF in Russia, is a professor at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow." (Moscow Times)

The Horizon looks bad for the American Dollar! Looks like America has some recession years coming up. I remember the past well.

Kyle

comments always welcome.

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Russia: Putin; Smarter Than Your Average Bear!

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee & thinking about Putin.

In America we have a saying about, holding all the "Aces". (means, that you have the highest cards) How do you think Putin will play his aces?

You have to admit that Putin is one smart man! When Putin retires he needs to write a book called; "Putinisms!" I would love to read a book about how he thinks, to help understand his mind! He is shrewed and cunning! Reminds me of a Fox!...... (click: read more to continue)

"Dmitry Medvedev, endorsed by President Vladimir Putin as his preferred successor, asked Putin on Tuesday to become prime minister in his future government in order to ensure continuity.

Medvedev also said his priority in the Kremlin would be to raise living standards, and he praised Russia's growing might in the world.

Putin, who almost certainly cleared Medvedev's statements beforehand, gave no indication whether he would accept the post of prime minister. But he praised Medvedev as someone who respects democratic values, during a meeting with foreign ambassadors.

Medvedev's comments were his first since Putin backed him as the next president Monday, and they provided a glimpse into what politics might look like after Putin leaves the Kremlin next year. Medvedev, who has little visible power base in the Kremlin, is seen as beholden to Putin, whose preferred successor is expected to easily win the presidential election on March 2.

"Expressing my readiness to participate as a candidate in the presidential election, I am calling on [Putin] to agree to become the head of the Russian government after the election of the new president," Medvedev said in a speech shown repeatedly on state television throughout the day, lending it the appearance of a campaign ad.

Medvedev is not a registered candidate yet.

Sending a clear signal to the country's elite that he does not plan a government shake-up, Medvedev said, "It is important to keep the effectiveness of the team created by the incumbent president."

He echoed Putin in heralding the country's revival on the international stage. "The attitude toward Russia in the world is different now," he said. "We are not being lectured like schoolchildren. We are respected and we are deferred to. Russia has reclaimed its proper place in the world community. Russia has become a different country: stronger and more prosperous."

The conditions that Putin himself has set to become prime minister appear to have been fulfilled. Putin floated the idea of occupying the post on Oct. 1, but he said two conditions should be met first: United Russia must achieve a crushing victory in State Duma elections, and the next president must be a "worthy" person with whom he could work."(Moscow Times)

So Putin has all the cards, as we say! Lets see how he plays them over the next few years!

Kyle

comments always welcome.

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Russia: Is There A Santa Claus in Russia?

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee & thinking about Santa Claus! Does Russia have a Santa Claus? The answer is yes!

We in America believe that Santa Claus lives at the North Pole! Then on the 25th of December he delivers gifts to all the children in the world! (link to north pole)

(Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, or simply "Santa" is a historical, legendary and mythical figure believed by many children to bring gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day,

In Russia: He is called Father Frost & basically the same as Santa Claus.......(click read more to read about Father Frost)


"Russian Santa Claus:
In Russia, Santa Claus is known as Father Frost. He is usually illustrated with his granddaughter, the snow maiden, Snegurochka riding with an evergreen tree and presents in a traditional Russian troika. A troika is a sleigh drawn by 3 horses yoked abreast. The banner reads, "Happy New Year!"

Christmas is now celebrated in Russia on January 7. After the Russian October Revolution in 1917, the calendar was changed to place Christmas after New Year's Day. This was done in order to place more emphases on the non-religious New Year's Day. For this reason, the Russian Father Frost is associated with New Year's Day rather than with Christmas."(link)

So the answer is yes; Russia has Christmas and Santa Claus, though different than America, it just has a Russian twist to it!

Kyle

comments always welcome.

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Why Kill Innocent People?

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee & thinking about the bomb that blew up a bus this Sunday! Seems like this is the second bus to be blown up in Russia in the last month or month and a half!(article Moscow Times)

I can not understand why anyone in this world would injure innocent people. Seems strange to me to hate the world so much that you have to blow up buses to enjoy life!

I remember the Oklahoma City Bomb! (Timothy McVeigh) . That was a good example of someone killing innocent people for no reason.

What do you think? Are times changing for the worst?

Kyle

comments always welcome.
(to continue with more of the same article: Click: Read More!)

(article from Moscow times)
"A bus blast that killed two women and injured 14 others in southern Russia over the weekend was the result of an explosive device, investigators said Monday.

The bomb went off at about 4:30 p.m. Sunday while the bus was making a planned stop in Nevinnomyssk, a town in the Stavropol region, and the number of casualties would likely have been much higher if the bus had been on the road and full of passengers, Kommersant reported Monday.

Many of the passengers were outside taking a break when the explosion tore through the bus, which was heading from Stavropol to Pyatigorsk.

Besides the two dead women, identified as Susanna Gazoryan and Yelena Tarasova, 14 others were injured in the blast, Interfax reported, citing a source in the regional Emergency Situations Ministry. Five victims remained hospitalized as of Monday afternoon.

Photographs showed the gutted, charred shell of a bus with its windows shattered and the back of its roof lifted upward by the force of the explosion.

The bomb had the equivalent of 500 grams to 1 kilogram of TNT, an unidentified law enforcement source said, Interfax reported."

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Russia: Putin Supports Medvedev for President!

Hello,

While enjoying a cup of coffee! Just grabbed this news hot off the wire;

President Vladimir Putin on Monday 12-10-2007 backed the candidacy of The First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in the March presidential election -- this is the first time Putin has publicly supported a presumed successor.

Putin met with the leaders of four parties proposing Medvedev's bid, Putin noted that he has known Medvedev for more than 17 years & has confidence in him.

"I completely and fully support this proposal," Putin said in comments broadcast on state-run Channel One television.

To see the Qualifications of Medvedev.....

Resume:
Dmitry Yevgenyevich Medvedev

Born: Sept. 14, 1965

Place of Birth: St. Petersburg

Education: Leningrad State University, degree in law, 1987; doctorate in law, 1990.

Advantages: Close to Putin and his St. Petersburg circle; reputation of being a liberal intellectual; embraced by foreign investors; has refrained from hawkish foreign policy remarks.

Disadvantages: No proven record of being effective civil servant because the outcome of the national projects being supervised by him have yet to materialize; lacks ability to motivate subordinates; not popular among the siloviki.

{A Silovik (силови́к, plural: siloviks or siloviki, силовики́, from a Russian word for power.) is a Russian politician from the old security or Military services, often the KGB and military (armed forces) officers or other security services who came into power in the terms of Boris Yeltsin or Vladimir Putin.}

Notable Quotes: "Democracy and national sovereignty need to be together. But one should not overwhelm the other." Interview with Expert magazine, July 2006. "I was not born a boss, right? I always liked what I did, in the Kremlin administration and now in the White House." Interview with Itogi magazine, April 2007. "I would like very much for Gazprom to become the most expensive company in the world." Interview with Vedomosti, July 5, 2007.(link)

========================
Kyle

comments always welcome.

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Svet Sunday: Circus Translation!

Hello,

Today I want to publish a translation by Alec Vagapov of the song what I used for my "Circus Clip". That is a song by Bulat Okudzhava.

(link to Video)
THE CIRCUS

This is not a park you visit to relax and meditate.
In a circus one has got to fall and rise, not sit and wait.

Sliding round, round & round right beneath the top,
one must not have any doubts or think of something like a flop.

Dressing up for the occasion, doesn't really mean a thing,
our smile is insincere and it isn't worth a pin
in the face of purple plumes worn by the horses on the hop,
in the face of daring actors who don't fear but cherish hope.

Human Hope, you are a creature on the wing, you are so sweet!
Your old holy substance is amazing, beautiful indeed.

Even if we lose all hopes ( or we have never had such things ),
you are great at spreading out your amazing magic wings.

Over circus rings and stages, over fairs, shows and balls,
over horror of spectators and alarm of know-it-alls.

You appear as if risen from the dead, alive again,
to the eye of those who fall and rise, - not sit in vain.

I think the words are very true and I think that you can change the word Circus on word Life. And it will be still very true!
Do you agree?

Best wishes for All!
Live bravely!

Svet


(PS: The Russian original version below)

Булат Окуджава

Цирк

Юрию Никулину

Цирк –не парк, куда вы ходите грустить и отдыхать.
В цирке надо не высиживать, а падать и взлетать
и под куполом, под куполом, под куполом скользя,
ни о чем таком сомнительном раздумывать нельзя.

Все костюмы наши праздничные – смех и суета.
Все улыбки наши пряничные не стоят ни черта.
Перед красными султанами на конских головах,
перед лицами, таящими надежду, а не страх.

О Надежда, ты крылатое такое существо!
Как прекрасно твое древнее святое вещество:
даже если вдруг потеряна (как будто не была),
как прекрасно ты распахиваешь два своих крыла

над манежем и над ярмаркою праздничных одежд,
над тревогой завсегдатаев, над ужасом невежд,
похороненная заживо, являешься опять
тем, кто жаждет не высиживать, а падать и взлетать.

(1965)

Svet
comments always welcome.

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Russia: When I Walk The Sabaka?

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee & thinking about when I walk the Sabaka! (dog)

I come across lots of interesting things as I take my walks: I took these pictures of a children's playground near our Flat, sometimes the simplest places become Winter Wonder Lands!

Strange how snow can transform things. Then as far as the Sabaka is concerned, just stick your nose into the snow! Gotta be something good under that white stuff!(his name is Boza)

Kyle

comments always welcome.

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Russia: Putin got a New Country to Run?

Russian President Vladimir Putin is to head the Union of Russia and Belarus.

"A constitutional act proclaiming the Union is to be signed during Putin's visit to Belarus, sources close to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told the radio station, adding that a draft of the document had already been drawn up. According to Echo of Moscow, Putin is to become the Union's leader after he has resigned as Russian President, while Lukashenko is to head the Union's parliament."(rbc)

Cool!

Kyle

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Russia: The Art Of Toasting Bread?

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee & thinking about how much my wife loves toast! She never had toast until we met. One day we were at the department store & I saw a toaster. She allowed me to buy it, Then I got to teach my Wife the art to fixing toast. From the first piece of golden brown toast with butter and jam on it, she fell in love! (Her favorite topping is cheese)

"Toast is sliced bread which has been browned by exposure to dry heat. Toasting warms the bread, making it more pleasant to eat for some, and makes it crisp such that it holds toppings more securely. Toasting is also a common method of making stale bread palatable. Toast is often served with butter,cheese,marmalade,or any number of other toppings. Toast is a typical breakfast food."(wikipedia)

Strange about what we take for granted when we grow up. I never thought that anyone in the world would not eat toast all the time for breakfast.

I see that once again that narrow minded American in me, keeps trying to look at the world from one view point!

That is why I love Russia!

Kyle

comments always welcome.

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Russian News: December 7th, 2007!

Hello,

Just some news today from Russia; For you to read while you drink your morning cup of coffee!
===========================

Russian PM to visit Hungary:
RBC, 07.12.2007, Moscow 09:28:33.Russian Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov will pay a one-day visit to Hungary to attend the first Russian-Hungarian intergovernmental consultations chaired by the heads of government of the two countries. The consultations will also be attended by heads of the countries' government agencies concerned, with a view to analyzing the current state of affairs and the potential for developing trade and economic, fuel and energy, transportation and information cooperation between Russia and Hungary.

A government source told RBC that several documents are expected to be signed following the consultations, including a cooperation agreement between Hungary and a number of Russian regions, a memorandum of understanding for a Hungarian company's participation in building a residential block in the center of St. Petersburg, as well as a cooperation protocol between Russia's Federal Agency for Culture and the Hungarian Culture Ministry.

The source has not rule out the possibility that an agreement could be signed between Sukhoi Civil Aircraft and the Hungarian airline Malev for the supply of SuperJet 100 planes.

Sibir Energy co-owner gains control of Russian retail chain:
RBC, 07.12.2007, Moscow 09:58:01.Dixy retail chain founder Oleg Leonov has found a way to raise financing to support the company's aggressive growth without increasing its debt load as he aims to sell a controlling stake in the retail chain to Igor Kesayev, the owner of Russia's largest tobacco distributor Merkury and co-owner of the oil company Sibir Energy. The deal is due to close by February 1, 2008. Although Leonov is leaving the company, he intends to stay in the retail business. As of the announcement date, the market value of the controlling stake in Dixy stood at nearly $450m. Experts believe that the new owners' good financials and well-developed logistics can help significantly accelerate the retail chain's development, the RBC Daily newspaper wrote today.

Dollar loses ground vs. ruble on stronger euro at open:
RBC, 07.12.2007, Moscow 10:25:32.Early at today's special dollar trading session for tomorrow deals, the weighted average exchange rate stood at 24.51 RUR/USD, RUR0.04 below the official rate set by the Bank of Russia for December 7. The dollar's retreat from yesterday's steep RUR0.13 gain can be traced to the euro's recovery of some of its losses from Thursday on international exchanges, where it is now trading at USD1.4611, up 0.06 percent from USD1.4602 at 10 a.m. at the previous session.

Russia's upper house concerned with surge in motor fuel prices:
RBC, 07.12.2007, Moscow 10:30:51.The Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament, intends to address Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov in connection with a steep rise in motor fuel prices. A group of deputies proposed to add the item to the agenda of today's plenary session of the upper house. The proposal was drafted in collaboration with the Federation Council's budget committee.

==========================

Kyle

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Russia: Open Source Software?

Russia is combating software piracy in its schools by choosing to go completely: Linux over Microsoft Windows.

Since Russia is entering the World Trade Organization they no longer can ignore software piracy. The Country has chosen to go completely open source. (Due to cost of legalizing all school software.)

I’m sure other countries want to see how this works out for Russia. They are starting with the Russian education System. Then if successful will move on to the rest of the Government.

"One possible decision was to buy licenses for all the software being used: but so much software was being used, it proved too expensive… so the decision was taken to use free software, although not immediately, but over three years.”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7034828.stm(link bbc)

This great news for Russia and I really think that they will pull it off. We use nothing but open source at home. It is the wave of the future! Once Russia accomplishes it, Then China will be next!

Now you know why the Penguin is dancing!

Kyle

comments always welcome.

Ukraine By Train!

Hello,

I have always told you that we take lots of pictures. Well we take lots of videos also. Here is a video of Ukraine from a train window. (just pardon my humming)
It was early morning and the day was beautiful.

Enjoy!

Kyle

comments always welcome.

Russia: The Parliamentary Elections Are Over!

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee & thinking that I had said I would be updating the Parliamentary Elections for you.

So here is some information: (The Central Electoral Commission reported)

1. United Russia has won a victory in the Dec. 2, Parliamentary Elections. United Russia gained over 60% of the vote in the elections

2. Voter turnout:63% (average)

3. United Russia will receive up to 315 of the 450 seats in the Duma.

4. Four parties had surpassed the 7% threshold. (United Russia, Communist Party (CPRF), Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) and Fair Russia)

5. The city of St. Petersburg had some of the lowest voter turnout despite the party's strong leadership connections to St. Petersburg ---Putin and party leader Boris Gryzlov are both from St. Petersburg--United Russia achieved its lowest share of the vote there (48% in central St. Petersburg).

6. Moscow was next in line at the 55% turnout?

7. In Chechnya, 99.5 percent of voters went to the polls Sunday, said Ismail Baikhanov, the head of the republic's elections committee. (shows very strong support)

8. With a large majority, United Russia will continue to monopolize all the main posts within the assembly.

9. Final update will be posted around the December 8th, 2007. After the official results are out.

Kyle

coomments always welcome.

Windows To Russia: New Look!

Hello,

We tried to modernize the Blog. Trying to bring it up to date. The old blogger template was outdated and becoming more obvious that it was not up to standards. So my wife and I came upon this template and decided with some alterations that it would fit "Windows to Russia" just fine.

So we hope that you enjoy: The template came from, "Final Sense!"

Any suggestions are welcome during this reconstruction period! It takes a few days to get everything back in line again.

Kyle

comments always welcome.

From Russia: IRAN!

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee & thinking about Iran.

I came across an article yesterday that was allot like an article that I was getting ready to write. So I decided to ask and received permission to use his article.
=============================================
Rotus:

Ok, So You Didn't Hear It Here First

But you heard it here.

"WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A new U.S. intelligence report says Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003 and it remains on hold, contradicting the Bush administration's earlier assertion that Tehran was intent on developing a bomb.

The National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) released on Monday could undermine U.S. efforts to convince other world powers to agree on a third package of U.N. sanctions against Iran for defying demands to halt uranium enrichment activities."

I was in a university lecture hall in 2003 to hear former UN weapons inspector tell the audience that o weapons of mass destruction would be found in Iraq. I was in the same hall when Joe Wilson explained how he knew that the yellow cake uranium story in the 2004 State of the Union Address was false.

In recent months there have been several statements from the Bush White House that Iran is close to building a nuclear weapon. I am here to tell you that, at least for the next decade, that is false.

Although the intentions of the government, or the mullahs, in Iran are unclear and although some of their public statements are troubling, Iran does not have the capability to refine uranium to the level needed and is not now trying to build such weapon.
===============================================

I agree with Rotus & I myself feel that America needs to quit telling on the World. (Tattle Tell) Sometimes I am embarrassed at the articles from so called journalists, out of America and Europe.

Kyle

comments always welcome.

http://kylekeeton.com/2007/11/iran-calls-for-us-nuclear-apology.html

Russian Election Unfair? (Journalist Like To Lie)

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee & looking at the article after article about the Russian Elections. The Elections that were so unfair?

My Wife voted. When she came home I said, "Did they hurt you? Did they threaten You? Did they beat You? Did they hold a gun at your head while you voted?" She said, "No, it was very peaceful and polite!" I then sighed relief, the articles on all the terrible things that they do to voters in Russia is not true! :)))

Guess what? I live in Russia: I as an American, did not see the atrocities that are reported by foreign press! My wife as a Born here and raised here Russian, Does not understand the meaning of an article that says, "Russian Elections Are Unfair!"

One thing I do know, "More Russians vote at their elections than Americans do at theirs!

I have a great idea:

I think that America should let Russians come and see how a real election is done! The last time I voted was 2004 Presidential, Men and women stood near the entrance sidewalks to the voting building. (100 yards away or so) The building was a public school for kids. The women held signs that said, "Vote for (candidate)" The men had baseball bats and several were cleaning their Shotguns. Then if you had looked in the parking lot of the school you would have found the local Sheriff Department with banners telling you who to vote for! (WOW!)

Can anybody say,"Intimidation"

Have some links to how bad Russian elections are. Then don't believe all of the rhetoric!

My Grandma use to say,"Believe half of what someone tells you, for the other half is a lie."

She was right!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22061094/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,,2221445,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/03/AR2007120300678.html?nav=rss_email/components
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/03/AR2007120300483.html
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0712/S00190.htm
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200712/200712040001.html
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article2994961.ece
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,521063,00.html
http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/russia/2007/russia-071203-voa01.htm
http://www.congoo.com/news/2007December3/Monitors-Russian-Election-Unfair

Kyle

comments always welcome.

Russia: Village Or Towns?

Hello,

This is some Videos of what the Villages and Towns in Russia look like from the main Highways!





Towns will extend along ways on the length of a road, but not go very far from the road. Villages many times will be located several km from the paved roads on dirt trails. (this is my observation and I am sure Russians look at it differently)

Some towns have paved roads, where I have yet to see a village with paved roads. I get very confused what is a town and what is a village. (My Wife Knows)

Now you have seen a little more about Russia!

Kyle

comments always welcome.

Svet Sunday: Circus!

Hello,

Do you like circus? Do you ever think that circus is a place where people show incredible abilities to manage their bodies or communicate with animals and teach them to do difficult tricks...

Recently, when I worked on article about Valentin Dikul. I've read his thought when he told about differences between sportsmen and artists of circus.

He told that artist of circus sets records at every performance that's why when artist of circus have training he or she must set one and half of this record on each training. As for sportsmen they need to set records just on competition, so when they have their trainings they train hard but hope that they will be able to set new record on competition using their emotions.

So here on post I put a video, what I made by myself... :) & here is link to translation of the song's words!
First time in my life! There is a very good song and pictures of circus what I found in Internet. Hope you will enjoy it.

Be happy! And maybe it's time to go to the circus?

Svet

Comments welcome

Russia: Trip Through Time!

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee & thinking about the elections in Russia. I decided that I had enough of the elections in Russia! They are identical to the elections in America! (Enough said)

So my thoughts wondered to the country side of Russia. This picture that I took is not the best picture but it portrays what my mind is thinking.

The old road leads to an unknown future. As what is real is visible to the eye. What goes through my mind is that we are loosing these beautiful villages. We are letting them decay into dust!

We as a race of people are very much social animals. We seem to congregate into huge piles of people called cities. Look at Moscow, +11,000,000 people in a tiny little dot on the surface of the planet. Look at New York City, +18,000,000 people in a little dot on the planets surface.

I guess that I am different than most people, I want to be in a Village!

Kyle

comments always welcome.

Russian: Election Results!

I will keep posting some results as RBC gets them put on the wire!

Just scroll down to see latest results.

My Wife is out voting with Her Son & Mother. So the Svet Sunday will probably not be posted today. (I lied, Svet got her posting done.)

Have a good day.

Kyle

Russia: Voting Updates!

Official election results to be announced on December 7 or 8

RBC, 03.12.2007, Moscow 10:49:00.The Central Election Commission plans to announce the official results of Sunday's parliamentary election on December 7 or 8, 2007, Vladimir Churov, Chairman of the Central Election Commission of Russia, told reporters. "If all goes to plan, we will make the formal announcement on December 7 or 8," he said.

Yabloko party leader likely to contest poll results

RBC, 03.12.2007, Moscow 08:02:37.Yabloko political party leader Grigory Yavlinsky does not rule out the possibility that he may file lawsuits regarding irregularities during the election campaign, he told journalists during a press conference at the party's headquarters, noting that in his opinion violations of every single article of the election law could be observed during the campaign, including the procedures of drawing up candidate lists, the issuance of absentee ballots, and the opening and closing hours of polling station, among others.

96.2% of ballots counted, United Russia leads with 63.2%

RBC, 03.12.2007, Moscow 09:18:08.With 96.2 percent of the ballots counted, United Russia is leading with 63.2 percent of the vote, and the Communist Party is second with 11.7 percent, Vladimir Churov, Deputy Chairman of the Central Election Commission, told reporters.

The Liberal Democratic Party has 8.4 percent, Fair Russia has 8 percent, the Agrarian Party has 2.4 percent, Yabloko gained 1.6 percent, the Union of Right Forces (SPS) - 1 percent, and Civil Force has 1.1 percent.

The other three parties - the Democratic Party of Russia, the Social Justice Party and Patriots of Russia - have less than 1 percent of the vote.

United Russia set for landslide win

RBC, 02.12.2007, Moscow 21:28:12.With 12.3 percent of the ballots counted, United Russia leads in the country's general parliamentary election with 62.8 percent, Vladimir Churov, chairman of the Central Election Commission, told reporters. The Communist Party comes second, with 11.5 percent, followed by the Liberal Democratic Party with 10.5 percent, Fair Russia with 7.1 percent, the Agrarian Party with 2.5 percent, Yabloko with 1.2 percent, the Union of Right Forces with 1.1 percent, Patriots of Russia with 0.9 percent, Civil Force with 0.9 percent, and Democratic Party of Russia with 0.1 percent.

Four parties qualify for Duma seats, exit polls show

RBC, 02.12.2007, Moscow 21:18:21.Exit polls held by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) show that four parties, Unified Russia, Communist Party, Liberal Democratic Party and Fair Russia, have overcome the 7-percent threshold winning 61, 11.5, 8.8 and 8.4 percent of the vote respectively. According to VCIOM, turnout was around 59 percent in the parliamentary elections.

The rest of the parties have failed to break the 7-percent barrier, mustering a total of 10.3 percent of votes. According to preliminary estimates, the United Russia party could be awarded 306 seats, the Communist Party 57 seats, the Liberal Democratic Party 45 seats and the Fair Russia 42 seats in the State Duma.

Exit polls were held at 1,200 polling stations across 57 regions and republics of Russia, and the margin of error does not exceed 2 percent.

Polling stations close across Russia

RBC, 02.12.2007, Moscow 21:10:33.Russia's parliamentary election has completed all over Russia, with polling stations in the Kaliningrad region closing at 20:00 local time (21:00 Moscow time).

Moscow turnout exceeds half of voting-eligible Muscovites

RBC, 02.12.2007, Moscow 19:46:52.Moscow has witnessed a 50.04 percent voter turnout in the parliamentary elections as of 7 p.m., according to the Moscow city election commission. No significant problems had been revealed by that time.

Voting monitored by 1m observers

RBC, 02.12.2007, Moscow 19:39:16.Total number of political party observers is close to 1 million people, Igor Borisov, a member of the Central Election Commission, told reporters. "Observers from political parties are present in almost all polling stations, watching the voting process. Some parties cover 100 percent of polling stations, some less," he noted.

Borisov said United Russia had sent its observers to 100 percent of polling stations, Fair Russia was second with 50-90 percent depending on the region, followed by the Liberal Democratic Party, Yabloko with 30 percent and the Union of Right Forces, also with 30 percent. Other political parties are represented at separate polling stations, according to Borisov.

He said the Communist Party had reduced the number of its observers compared to the previous parliamentary election of 2003, to 50-100 percent of polls, depending on the region.

Kemerovo closes polling stations

RBC, 02.12.2007, Kemerovo 17:47:08.Voting for the State Duma ended in the Kemerovo region, with the voter turnout at 73 percent an hour before polling stations closed. According to the regional election commission, the region's residents voted today in 17 local elections of various levels alongside the general elections.

Voting goes to plan in the Far East

RBC, 02.12.2007, Moscow 17:35:18.Voting in the Far Eastern Federal District has been quiet, with no significant irregularities reported, Alexander Chekalin, Senior Deputy Interior Minister of Russia, told reporters at the information center of the Central Election Commission, citing data of as 4 p.m. Moscow time. He said voting was also going to plan in other federal districts.

Voting over in Krasnoyarsk region

RBC, 02.12.2007, Krasnoyarsk 17:17:14.Parliamentary voting has completed in the Krasnoyarsk region. Turnover stood at 55.85 percent as of 7 p.m. local time (15:00 Moscow time). Konstantin Bocharov, chairman of the regional election commission, said the data did not include figures from several polling stations in the Boguchansk district, due to lack of communication.

St. Petersburg posts higher turnout than in 2003

RBC, 02.12.2007, Moscow 15:54:47.Six hours after the opening of polling stations, some 20.15 percent of St. Petersburg's residents had voted in the parliamentary elections, compared to 16.96 percent at the same time during the previous elections in 2003.

Moscow shows lowest turnout in Central Federal District

RBC, 02.12.2007, Moscow 15:54:32.By 2 p.m., 28.19 percent of voting-age Muscovites had cast their votes, a source in the Moscow election commission said. This is the lowest figure for the Central Federal District, with the Yaroslavl region rising to the first position with 48.11 percent of voters who had taken part in the elections by 2 p.m.

Voting ends in Agin-Buryat Autonomous Area

RBC, 02.12.2007, Chita 15:22:53.The Agin-Buryat Autononmous Area closed polling stations at 2 p.m. Moscow time (8 p.m. local time) to register an 82.1 percent voter turnout, the regional election commission stated.

Chukotka posts highest turnout in Russia's Far East

RBC, 02.12.2007, Moscow 15:04:53.The Chukotsky Autonomous Area, with 76.67 percent of people coming to polling stations by 7 p.m. local time (10 a.m. Moscow time) boasts the highest turnout in Russia's Far Eastern Federal District, followed by Yakutia, with 68.52 percent as of 7 p.m. local time (1 p.m. Moscow time). The Amur region is in third place with a turnout of 67.8 percent.

Chechnya sees nearly 60% percent turnout

RBC, 02.12.2007, Grozny 14:58:50.As of 2 p.m., nearly 60 percent of voting-eligible people cast their votes in Chechnya, the republic's election committee reported, adding that no complaints had been received from the republics 431 polling stations.

Voting ends in Yakutia!

RBC, 02.12.2007, Yakutsk 14:40:14.Polls closed in the Republic of Yakutia, with a voter turnout of 69 percent as of 8 p.m. local time (12 p.m. Moscow time), the republic's election commission stated.

Russia: Hotline opened to address voter complaints!

RBC,02.12.2007, Moscow 14:33:57.Voter hotline operators have been taking calls reporting difficulties faced by international observers in the State Duma elections in Russia, member of the Public Chamber and Chairman of the Coordination Council of non-governmental organizations for protecting voting rights Andrei Przhezdomsky said. According to Przhezdomsky, the reports were mainly of informative nature, but showed that voters had some complaints as far as the organization of elections was concerned. For instance, there have been many calls from voters who failed to discover themselves in voter lists, and such issues were resolved in cooperation with the Central Election Commission in an urgent manner. As of 11 a.m. some 23,242 calls have been made.

Russia: Central Election Commission updates turnout figures!

RBC, 02.12.2007, Moscow 14:01:47.As of 12 p.m. Moscow time, the average turnout in Russia's parliamentary election stood at 43 percent, member of the Central Election Commission Elena Dubrovina told journalists. According to Dubrovina, the turnout has been decent so far, but comparable to that in 2003.

Russia: Poll close in Khabarovsk region!

RBC, 02.12.2007, Moscow 13:57:43.Polling stations closed in the Khabarovsk region at 1 p.m. Moscow time (8 p.m. local time) with a more than 57 percent voter turnout, preliminary estimates suggest. According to the regional election commission, some 600,000 out of 1,052 voting-eligible Russians living in the area took part in the elections.

Russia: Voter turnout exceeds 2003 election figures!

RBC, 02.12.2007, Moscow 13:24:20.As of 10 p.m., total voter turnout in the parliamentary elections in Russia amounted to 12.6 percent, Deputy Chairman of the Central Election Commission Stanislav Vavilov said, comparing the turnout to the 2003 elections figure of 5 percent by the same time. According to earlier reports, Central Election Committee Chairman said that the turnout had already reached 6 percent as of 10 a.m., but some 50 regions had not been taken into account at the time.

All of polling stations were open at 9 a.m. this morning, after the Kaliningrad region, the country's most western point, joined the election. In Russia's most eastern areas, Chukotka and Kamchatka, polling stations were opened more than fourteen hours ago.

Some 107m voters are eligible to participate in the elections, including 1.5m Russians abroad. Over 96,000 polling stations have been established. Eleven political parties, including United Russia, Communist Party, Fair Russia, Union of Right Forces, Yabloko, Liberal Democratic Party and others, are running for 450 seats in the State Duma. According to Russia's Central Election Commission, up to 3m Russian and around 330 international observers are monitoring the election process.

Russia: Novosibirsk reports almost 40% turnout!

RBC, 02.12.2007, Novosibirsk 13:45:24.As of 2 p.m. local time (11 a.m. Moscow time), nearly 39.23 percent of voters had cast their votes in the parliamentary election in the Novosibirsk region, compared to 34.19 percent at the State Duma elections in 2003, the region's election commission told RBC today, adding that no serious violations had been registered so far.

Wow! A Bear Hug Award!

Hello,

I want to thank Rotus for the wonderful award!

Also I really enjoy his Blog! (Rotus)No... Really! I do!




I also found out that he can sing, play guitar, dance?, tell jokes, write?, Read?, & other very important things. I found out all this by reading his Blog.

You should read it too! :))

Kyle

1st http://rotusblog.blogspot.com/
2nd http://residentreader.blogspot.com/

Russia's Election!

Hello,

The Election breaks down like this......

============================================

By: The Associated Press

A glance at Sunday's parliamentary elections in Russia:

_ WHO'S VOTING: 107 million people eligible to cast ballots for one of 11 parties to fill 450 seats in parliament's lower house, State Duma. Polls predict United Russia, Kremlin-backed party whose ticket is topped by President Vladimir Putin, will win as many as 80 percent of seats.

_ WHO'S WATCHING: Officials from several international groups will monitor the vote, but none from Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, whose election reports are considered authoritative in West. OSCE blames excessive Russian restrictions; Moscow accuses Washington of pressuring the organization.

_ WHAT'S AT STAKE: Vote will be less a competitive election and more a referendum on Putin's nearly eight-year presidency. If United Russia achieves expected overwhelming sweep, Kremlin could take that as mandate for Putin to lead Russia in some capacity after his second term ends next year.

============================================

Kyle

comments always welcome.