Yalta In The Crimea!

Hello,

We did multiple articles in the past on: Yalta in the Crimea!

http://kylekeeton.com/2007/06/crimea-part-1
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/06/crimea-part-2
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/08/crimea-village

I thought I would pull out some more pictures that we never printed on the Blog! If you ever want to see what we consider one of the most beautiful areas of the world, just follow the links!

That is my Sweetie in the top picture! :)

Kyle

comments always welcome.

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Russia: Tourists Knocking On Russia's Door!

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee & thinking about the reports from travel agencies that more foreign travelers are coming to Moscow every year!

So I did some looking around and came up with this tidbit of information....
===================================
MOSCOW, January 30 (RIA Novosti) - Over 4.1 million foreign tourists visited Moscow in 2007, 7.5% more than the previous year, the city's tourism committee said on Wednesday. Germany had the largest number of tourists visiting the Russian capital, totaling over 296,000. The next four countries on the list were the United States, China, Britain, and France, respectively. The committee said the number of Moscow visitors is expected to increase to around 4.5 million this year, and to 5 million in 2010. A total of 3.7 million tourists visited the Russian capital in 2006.
===================================

That is 11233 foreign visitors a day!

I think this is a very good sign for Russia! People are starting to think of Russia as a safer place to visit. Now if the Media from around the World, would quit the sensationalism about Russia and Past Cold War games, Russia could double those tourist numbers!

Would you travel to Russia?
Do you think Russia is safe?

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

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Russian News: January 31st, 2008!

31/01/2008 16:26 MOSCOW, January 31 (RIA Novosti) - Suicide is the primary cause of violent deaths globally with over one million people taking their own lives annually, the head of Moscow's social and forensic psychiatry center said Thursday.

Suicide is the world's eighth leading cause of death. Globally, suicide takes more lives than murder and war put together, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) report.

"Since 1950 the figure has grown 60% worldwide," said Professor Boris Polozhy of the Moscow Serbsky Institute for Social and Forensic Psychiatry.

In Europe the country with the highest rate, among both men and women aged 25-64 years, is Lithuania, followed by Belarus, Russia and Latvia. The region with the lowest suicide rate is Latin America.

In Russia, the number of suicides has plunged 30% from 2001 to 2006, when a total of 42,855 Russians committed suicide. Currently, the overall rate is 30 deaths per 100,000, with over 22% of suicides committed by people aged 40-49. Almost six times as many Russian males commit suicide than females.

"The peak suicide rate in Russia was in 1995, and the figure is now falling," Polozhy said.

Research also shows that the most vulnerable jobs are psychiatrists, musicians, lawyers, military personnel and insurance agents......(Click: read more for rest of News Items)

31/01/2008 15:32 MOSCOW, January 31 (RIA Novosti) - Soviet soldiers buried in the Hungarian village of Kiskorpad will not be removed after the land was sold to a private owner, a Russian embassy spokesman said citing local authorities on Thursday.

The cemetery was sold "through a misunderstanding" and "Hungarian lawyers are considering the issue and drafting proposals in accordance with Hungarian laws," Irina Zvonova said.

"A move is out of question," she added citing the village mayor.

In May 2007, the removal of a monument to Soviet soldiers in another ex-Soviet country Estonia led to clashes between protestors and local police, leaving one dead, over 150 injured and more than 1,000 arrested.

The human rights group Amnesty International condemned the situation in Estonia and called on its leadership to respect the rights of ethnic Russians.

31/01/2008 15:42 MOSCOW, January 31 (RIA Novosti) - The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe may refuse to monitor Russian presidential polls due to restrictions, a spokesman for the OSCE's election-monitoring arm told a national daily.

In an interview with Moskovsky Komsomolets published on Thursday, Curtis Budden, a spokesman for the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), said that conditions set by Russia's Central Electoral Commission (CEC), meant that his organization would be unable to perform its functions fully.

He said Moscow had given permission for monitors to enter Russia on February 28, which would not give them enough time to adequately prepare to observe the March 2 vote.

The ODIHR refused to monitor Russia's parliamentary election on December 2 last year, citing visa delays and restrictions. The OSCE subsequently declared the polls not free and not fair.

Budden said the invitation the OSCE had received for the presidential polls "has serious restrictions both in terms of the number of observers and time they are allowed to observe."

The head of the CEC, Vladimir Churov, said on Monday that 70 ODIHR observers had been invited to monitor the presidential election.

The ODIHR asked Russia on Tuesday to reconsider its quotas for the number of observers as well as the observers' mandates. A Russian election official said the CEC was studying the OSCE's request, and the election body's deputy chairman, Stanislav Vavilov, said a reply would be provided soon.

President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia will not allow foreign countries to influence its presidential election.

Speaking at a session of the country's state security service, the FSB, Putin called for measures to deter "attempts to interfere in Russia's domestic affairs."

31/01/2008 14:53 MOSCOW, January 31 (RIA Novosti) - The state-run VTsIOM opinion center forecast on Thursday that Dmitry Medvedev, a first deputy prime minister and a presidential runner, will receive 74.8% of the vote in the March 2 elections.

Another three candidates have passed the registration procedures ahead of the polls in addition to Medvedev: Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov, the ultra nationalist Liberal Democratic Party leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky and Andrei Bogdanov, the leader of the tiny pro-Western Democratic Party.

"This is about the number [President] Vladimir Putin received in 2004 [71%]," VTsIOM Director General Valery Fyodorov told a news conference. He added that 75% of Medvedev's electorate were those who voted for Putin in 2004.

Publicly endorsed as his choice of successor by Putin, Medvedev enjoys high popularity ratings in the country and is the clear front-runner.

Fyodorov forecast that Zyuganov would receive 12.8% of votes, Zhirinovsky 11.5% and Bogdanov a mere 0.9%.

Fyodorov said that a survey conducted among a sample of 1,600 in 46 Russian regions last weekend showed that 63.5 % of respondents would vote for Medvedev, 5.3% for Zyuganov, 5.5% for Zhirinovsky and 0.4% for Bogdanov.

Zyuganov said he would take part in the TV debates.

Fyodorov also said that voter turnout on March 2 would be around 70.7%.

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Moscow Metro: Part 1

Hello,

I was drinking my second cup of coffee & I was thinking about the Moscow Metro. So I did a little home work on the Metro.
=======================
Moscow Metro (Russian: Московский метрополитен), which spans almost the entire Russian capital, is one of the world's most heavily used metro systems. It is well known for the ornate design of many of its stations, which contain beautiful examples of socialist realist art.In total, the Moscow Metro has 292.9 km of route length, 12 lines and 176 stations; on a normal weekday it carries over 7 million passengers. Passenger traffic is considerably lower on weekends bringing the average daily passenger traffic during the year to 6.8 million passengers per day. The Moscow Metro is a state-owned enterprise.
=======================
The Moscow Metro is opens at about 5:30am until 1:00am the next day. The cost to ride the Metro is currently: (Jan, 2008) ; 1 ride is 19 rubles (78 US cents).

I think that the Moscow Metro is fabulous and this is the first of three articles that I am going to do on the Metro.

Lastest Statistics from Metro Site! Link...

Passengers	2475.6 million passengers
— privileged category	917.3 million passengers
—— students and schoolchildren	254.6 million passengers
Maximum daily ridership	9149.5 thousand passengers
Revenue from fares (2005)	15997.4 million rubles
Route length	292.9 km
Number of lines	12
Longest line	Serpukhovsko-Timiryazevskaya (41.2 km)
Shortest line	Kakhovskaya (3.3 km)
Longest section	Strogino–Krylatskoye (6.7 km)
Shortest section	Delovoy Tsentr–Mezhdunarodnaya (502 m)
Number of stations	176
— transfer stations	60
— transfer points	27
— surface/elevated	15
Deepest station	Park Pobedy (84 m)
Most shallow underground station	Pechatniki
Station with the longest platform	Vorobyevy Gory (282 m)
Number of stations single entrance	70
Total number of entrances	271
— with surface vestibules	122
Total area of cladding	754.3 thousand sq. m.
— with marble tiles	340.1 thousand sq. m.
— with granite tiles	68.6 thousand sq. m.
— with different tiles	210.7 thousand sq. m.
— Other cladding materials	134.9 thousand sq. m.
Number of turnstiles	2374
Number of stations with escalators	124
Number of escalators	631
— including Monorail stations	18
Total length of all escalator	65.4 km
Number of depots	15
Total number of train runs per day	9915
Average speed:
— commercial	41.71 km/h
— technical (2005)	48.85 km/h
Total number of cars (per day)	4428
Cars in service (average per day)	3397
Total run of cars	679.6 million car-kilometres
— with passengers	649.5 million car-kilometres
Average run of cars per day	548.1 car-kilometres
Average passengers per car	53 people
Longest escalator	126 m (Park Pobedy)
Total number of ventilation shafts	393
Number of ventilation systems	4965
Number of medical stations	46
Total number of employees	34792 people
— males	18291 people
— females	16448 people
Timetable fulfilment	99.96 %
Minimum average interval	90 sec
Average passenger trip	13.0 km

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

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Russia: Boza Loves The Snow!

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee & thinking about the Snow!

I have just finished walking the dog (Boza) & it is snowing very heavy outside. The weather is wonderful, the air is fresh and clean. All the roads and ground is covered with a new coat of white. Just like a fresh paint job.

Boza likes the snow, He sticks his head under the snow & looks for treasures! The picture to the right ====> If you look closely you will see a treasure popping up out of the snow by Boza's nose...

How about you, Do you like the snow? (I Do)

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

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Russian News: January 29th, 2008!

RBC, 29.01.2008, Moscow 11:55:28.Foreign car sales surged 61 percent to 1.65m cars in Russia in 2007 compared to a year earlier, Russian Economy Minister Elvira Nabiullina said during the official signing of an agreement for the construction of a PSA Peugeot Citroen plant in Kaluga today. The Minister noted that total sales of both Russian and foreign cars (including those assembled in Russia) were expected to reach 4m in 2011. The ministry has already signed 23 agreements with car producers, and investments under these agreements total $5.2bn, Nabiullina stated, adding that total corporate investment in the automobile industry was projected to reach $6.5bn.

RBC, 29.01.2008, Moscow 11:41:59.Russia's central Election Commission (CEC) has received an official notice from presidential candidate Dmitry Medvedev on his refusal to participate in televised debates prior to the upcoming election, CEC's press office told RBC today. Meanwhile, another candidate Gennady Zyuganov has not yet filed a similar notice despite speculations on the matter in various media resources. Andrei Bogdanov is poised to participate in the debates.....(Click: read more for rest of the news!)

RBC, 29.01.2008, Moscow 10:41:05.About 30 minutes into this morning's special dollar trading session for today deals, the low on deals stood at 24.30 RUB/USD, which is RUB 0.30, or 1.2 percent, lower than the official rate set by the Bank of Russia for January 29. The ruble's noticeable advance against the dollar on the domestic market can be attributed to the euro's considerable appreciation against the US currency on international exchanges. The euro is now trading at nearly USD 1.4760, up from around USD 1.4660 at the same time at the previous session. Consequently, the euro has gained almost 0.7 percent against the dollar on the global market since then.

RBC, 29.01.2008, Moscow 09:28:14.The owners of the Euroset group of companies do not intend to sell their stakes in the Russian mobile handset retailer and are not currently discussing any borrowings from the public market, the company's Chairman of the Board of Directors Yevgeny Chichvarkin told journalists. Meanwhile, the group's President Alexei Chuykin added that any reports of a possible sale of their stakes in Euroset by the current owners were pure rumors that had been circulating for a fairly long time. Chuykin asserted that the company's business was under no threat whatsoever at the moment, and thus selling stakes in the company would have been senseless. This follows reports citing Euroset executives that the owners were in a position to transfer up to 25 percent in the group to a third-party investor either through a sale and purchase transaction or an IPO. While denying the feasibility of an IPO in the near term due to extreme instability on stock exchanges, Chichvarkin nevertheless did not rule out such a possibility completely in the foreseeable future.

RBC, 28.01.2008, Moscow 19:57:19.Tatneft's balance-sheet profit increased 27 percent in 2007 from a year earlier, reaching RUB 64bn (approx. USD 2.62bn), the Tatarstan-based company said in a statement. Its sales revenue rose RUB 198bn (approx. USD 8.1bn), up 13.8 percent from 2006. According to earlier reports, the company's RAS-based net profit grew 3.6 percent to some RUB 34.29bn (approx. USD 1.4bn) in the first nine months of 2007 compared to the same period in 2006.

RBC, 28.01.2008, Moscow 18:22:30.Inflation is expected to range between 5.8 percent and 7 percent in Russia in 2009, Andrei Klepach, head of the Russian Economy Ministry's macroeconomic forecasting department, told journalists today. This is the revised estimate of social and economic development for 2009-2010, which was discussed during today's meeting of Russia's government commission for budget planning. Klepach noted that inflation was expected to reach 7.5-8.5 percent in 2008. Meanwhile, the ministry intends to cut inflation to 5-6 percent by 2010 by means of structural changes in the economy, anti-inflation measures, and stricter monetary policy . Klepach added that the forecast figure could change in the future, but the government was doing everything possible to curb inflation.

RBC, 28.01.2008, Moscow 17:45:14.Russian President Vladimir Putin has held a telephone conversation with his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy today, the Russian leader's press office reported. The two Presidents discussed a number of current issues of bilateral cooperation, including affairs in which third countries were involved. Putin also wished Sarkozy a happy birthday.

RBC, 28.01.2008, Moscow 16:27:56.Chairman of Russia's Central Election Commission Vladimir Churov signed invitations to international observers during a press conference today. Among the observers invited to monitor Russia's presidential election were Churov's colleagues from Italy, the UK, Mongolia, Poland, and other states, including 70 officials from the OSCE. The number of observers invited to the presidential election remains the same as it was during the last parliamentary election.

RBC, 28.01.2008, Nizhny Novgorod 11:41:59.GAZ Group's consolidated revenue increased 30 percent to RUB 154bn (approx. USD 6.3bn) in 2007, the Russian automotive giant's press office reported. Sales on international markets including the CIS grew 40 percent to roughly RUB 10bn (approx. USD 409m).
Commercial passenger car sales rose 9.8 percent to 210,409 cars. GAZ Group attributes the increase to higher retail sales and real disposable incomes, as well as the implementation of national projects in the area of utilities and agriculture. GAZ's consolidated revenue from sales of commercial passenger cars increased over 22 percent to RUB 49bn (approx. USD 2bn) in 2007. Heavy truck sales grew 47 percent to 15,773 vehicles, while bus sales increased 7.8 percent to 22,344 vehicles, with revenue in this segment rising by almost a quarter to RUB 19.1bn (approx. USD 782m).

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Natural Gas GECF: May be put into effect in June 2008!

Natural Gas Production by Country
Group of Countries called, Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), which includes Russia, plan to set up an international organization on its basis, around the same principles as OPEC.

The forum doesn't have fixed membership structure, however Algeria, Bolivia, Brunei, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Indonesia, Iran, Libya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad & Tobago, the UAE and Venezuela could be identified as current members. Turkmenistan, Bolivia, Indonesia, Libya and Oman have participated at different ministerial meetings. Norway has status of observer.

The charter of the new structure could be submitted at the forum's seventh meeting in Moscow in June of 2008. Most of the charter that concerning membership, secretariat and financial provisions are almost a carbon-copy of OPEC's charter.

GECF then could have more clout to control the gas market in the same way as OPEC does the oil market.

But experts do not believe that a gas OPEC will quickly become as influential as its oil counterpart, with opposition from the United States and the European Union.

The USA has vowed to fight against the GECF, because no one has invited them! :)

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

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Svet Sunday: Vinni Puh & Day Of Troubles!

Hello,

Today we finish watching the trilogy about Vinni Puh (Russian version of Winnie the pooh). If you did not see the first two parts you can go here for the First part and here for the Second part (second part even has English subtitles!).

Kyle likes the cartoons a lot, and can not believe that they made just 3 parts. Yes, the truth is that there is just 3 parts, authors were going to make cartoons for every part of the book by Alan Alexander Milne, but they did not find consensus about how it should looks likes and it does not look like at all. We personally think that it's sad when people or countries can not find consensus!

This cartoon has two parts. And we published them both. So let's watch:

Part 1

Part 2


Here I tried to translate this story for you. Really that is very close to the book ;)
The donkey has birthday and is unhappy because everyone has forgotten it. Puh is coming by and find out about Donkey's birthday and they both find out that the Donkey (Ia-Ia) does not have the tail anymore. Puh is going to the piglet(Pyatachok) and they are searching for a present. Puh found a pot with honey and decided that is the best present for anybody. When he is walking to the Donkey(Ia-Ia) he can not handle it and ate all the honey. But that is not problem for him because our Puh is a such optimistic person - now he is sure that the pot without honey is even better, just the best present in the world because... because you can store anything there! Puh coming to the Owl (Sova) and ask her to write down "Happy Birthday! Puh" on the pot. The Owl shows puh her new string what she uses for doorbell. And this string looks like... Donkey's tail. Puh starts his investigation and find out that Owl assumed that it was a doorbell when she first saw it. And she pulled and pulled it - nobody answered and finally she broke it off (ouch!)

Then piglet decided to present to donkey a big beautiful green balloon. But he was in such hurry: he ran and fell down then the balloon popped! Then piglet was so upset, but he still came to the Donkey to say Happy Birthday (S Dnyom Rozhdeniya). The Donkey was happy to hear that someone remember of his birthday, but when he was told about bad luck of this balloon he got upset again. Then Puh came and tell Happy Birthday and presented his Great Empty Pot! Everybody become happy because Puh is a such type of person. And they even decided that this balloon suits this pot very well and it can come in and come out and that is great! The Owl comes and brings "the string" and when they ties it to Donkey everybody could see that is his tail back!

This is the final Vinni Puh cartoon!
We hope that you have enjoyed the series?

Svet

comments always welcome.

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Russia: Moscow Metro & Her People!

Hello,

My Wife was coming home from work & she came upon a Accordion Player in the Lubyanka Metro Station. She stopped and recorded this video!


Deep in the heart of the Moscow Metro was an old Gentleman playing beautiful music! The sound reminded us of an old Italian Movie!

Hope you enjoy the video, The Moscow Metro is full of interesting people & is a world all its own!

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

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Israel: Likes Vladimir Vysotsky!

Hello,

The idea of this article came to me several days ago when I came at work and one of my colleagues played music on his computer. What it was - something good, what I knew before - but I could not recognize any words. Of course, that was not Russian or English words. I listened a little bit and realized - that was songs of Vladimir Vysotsky but his songs were translated on Hebrew!

Vysotsky wrote that there is a quatrain of Israel people are from here (Soviet Union). And people who came to Israel did not want to forget our culture. They kept "bard songs" and even translated the songs to Hebrew. I don't know but after translation the song got something very special what take your heart and does not allow your heart back. That is at least my feeling about this translated songs. Maybe that's my Jewish quarter, that talks to me about Eternity. Who knows...

Today is 25th of January: birthday of Vladimir Vysotsky. He would be 70 today, he died 27 years ago. He died but people still love his songs they translate and sing them on different languages (http://www.wysotsky.com/index.htm). Here is a link where you can get a lot of information about Vysotsky and his original songs: http://www.kulichki.com/vv/eng/.

More translations,
http://www.geocities.com/akbaramuhammad/word/

And here I'll give you to listen my favorite song of him. This song is from his "Mountain circle". And we will listen to the song in Hebrew!



You want to know what the song is about. Find a language what you know and follow the link. Don't forget to listen to the original Vysotsky's song - just click on the note's sign at page with translation.

Горная лирическая

Български Лирична песен за алпийската стена Анна Колчакова 1990
български Надежда Асен Сираков 1987
български Планинска лирична Асен Сираков 1989
čeština NadějeJana Moravcová 1988
English A Day Akbar Ali Muhammad
English So there, the tremor left my hands... Andrey Kneller
English To a summit Natalie Golightly 2000
English To the top George Tokarev 2001
English Well, now, my hands don’t shake at all... Alec Vagapov 1999
français Vers les cimes
français Vers les cimes Sarah Struve
בריתאל הפסגהאלכסנדר בלפר
עבריתצמרמורתיונתן גפן1990
italiano È cessato il tremito delle mani Silvana Aversa 1992
Nederlands Naar de top Hans Sleurink 1997
norsk Mot toppen Jørn Simen Øverli 1989
polski I oto znikło drżenie rąk... Paweł Orkisz 2005
polski Na szczyt
polski Ustąpił dreszcz... Jan Słowiński
svenska Mot toppen Ola & Carsten Palmær 1986
lietuvių Pradingo drebulys Irena
Aršauskienė 2001
español De las montañas lírica Illya Gendler 2007

Svet & Kyle

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Learn Some Russian Words: From Svet!

Hello,

Today I would like to bring attention to a project of my Wife's!

She has been working very hard on a Dictionary for Russian to English Words! The Link is called "Say it in Russian!" The link is located on "Windows to Russia!" right next to this article located, in the middle column at the top! -->

I want Svet to know that I think she is doing a great job & anyone who wants to pick up some Russian words to use on your friends in your country, feel free to browse, Svets ever expanding Dictionary!

The Dictionary is at 5 pages! (She has plans for many more pages.)

Thanks Sweetie for a wonderful addition to our Blog!

Kyle

comments always welcome.

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NATO: Proposes Summit With Russia?

NATO has proposed a summit meeting between heads of state and government of the alliance member states and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the NATO Bucharest summit scheduled in April, the NATO spokesman said Wednesday.

"I can confirm that the (NATO) secretary general, in his capacity as chair of the NATO-Russia Council, has written to the Russian Federation, suggesting that we hold a NATO-Russia Council in Bucharest at the level of heads of state and government," James Appathurai told reporters at a regular briefing.

"The letter is addressed to President Putin," he said.

The spokesman said it is up to Putin to decide whether such a summit meeting will take place. He said the letter has been received by Moscow.

All the 26 NATO allies believe in added value in such a meeting, said the spokesman.

The NATO-Russia summit would be the first of its kind if it becomes reality in the end.

Source:Xinhua
=================================

I was right, I thought that NATO had issues with Russia! I just posted an article about Russia / NATO issues. I turn around and then find this all over the internet!

Lets hope that Putin is in a good mood and will decide to have this meeting.

Seems NATO might be getting a little bit intimidated by a possible Angry Bear!

Kyle

comments always welcome!

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Russia: Is NATO Scared Of Russia?

Russia concerned over NATO military buildup around its borders

23/01/2008 15:42 MOSCOW, January 23 (RIA Novosti) - Russia is concerned over NATO's expansion, which is aimed at building up its military potential around Russian borders rather than strengthening European security, the foreign minister said on Wednesday.

Russia has been unnerved by NATO's eastward expansion and recent U.S. plans to deploy missile defense elements in Poland and the Czech Republic.

"We are certain that the geographical expansion of NATO cannot be justified by security concerns," Sergei Lavrov told a news conference in Moscow.

"But it is clear that NATO is building up its military potential around our borders and its new members continue to increase their defense budgets," he said.

Lavrov said NATO's "open-door" policy has been inherited from the Cold War and can only antagonize relations with Russia.

"This policy cannot resolve any security problems," the minister said.

NATO has signaled its backing for the recent bids by Russia's former Soviet allies, Georgia and Ukraine, to join the alliance, a move that has infuriated Moscow.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that the country would have to take "appropriate measures" if Ukraine were to join NATO.

An additional problem overshadowing cooperation between Russia and NATO is the bloc's refusal to ratify an updated version of the Soviet-era Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty (CFE), aimed at regulating the deployment of non-nuclear weapons on the continent.

Russia imposed in December last year a unilateral moratorium on the arms reductions treaty, which the West regards as a cornerstone of Euro-Atlantic security, and said it would resume its participation in the treaty only after NATO countries ratify the document.
==================================
Looks like NATO has it out for Russia! Not a very friendly way for NATO to do business with its members!

Could NATO be scared of the Russian Bear?

Kyle

comments always welcome.

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Russia: Moscow Dislikes Rakushki!(Garages)

Hello,

I posted an article awhile back about the special garages that are everywhere in Moscow!
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/07/russian-garage

Well Moscow has decided that they have to go! Moscow wants to use the parking areas to build better parking and other businesses.

I will admit that these garages are everywhere, they also put them on kids playgrounds and that I think, should be a crime! I use to have a better thoughts about them but I have studied them and over half of them are empty & or just used to store junk!
=================================
Every Muscovite is familiar with the scene: a courtyard lined with unsightly metal garages that blight surroundings, obstructing paths and forming labyrinths that can be dangerous to navigate at night.

To the delight of many who loathe the rusty, ubiquitous rakushki, or metal storage sheds, City Hall has been demolishing them with great abandon over the past several years and putting up multistory garages or other buildings in their place.

Part of the problem is that while the garages are private property, the plots underneath them are usually city property. Proponents of ridding the city of rakushki argue that they take up valuable space that could be used for multistory garages that could help alleviate the city's dire traffic woes.

The lack of parking spaces has exacerbated heavy traffic jams because drivers park in the road, a practice that could be reduced with the construction of more multistory garages, said Grigory Vengerov, deputy head of the Moscow City Union of Motorists.

But Vengerov, who is working with City Hall to hammer out a legal basis for tearing down rakushki and replacing them with other parking facilities, also gave a nod to aesthetics, calling demolition of the sheds "correct." he said, "They are making the city ugly,"

Dmitry Strzhezhovsky, a youthful 70-year-old pensioner who lives in central Moscow, said rakushki prevented all the drivers except their owners from using the area to park.

"Besides, rakushki don't make the courtyard look beautiful," Strzhezhovsky said.

Ivanova, 52, said, Her courtyard in northern Moscow was completely filled with rakushki, making it impossible to drive or even walk through. She said there was no space in the courtyard for her to park her car and that she typically has to drive around nearby courtyards to find a spot and then walk home on foot. She said. "There are rakushki on the lawns, on children's playgrounds,"
=================================

This is becoming a hot issue here in Moscow, people do not want to loose their rakushki because the garage gives them a private, no one can steal parking space!

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

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Russia: It Gets Cold In Siberia!

Hello,

Thought that I would pass on a little tidbit of information about what is called the Pole of Cold! This thinking came about because a good reader (Ludmila) of ours commented about the -59 C. weather we where having in Siberia. So we started to look around....

The Northern Pole of Cold: There are several places in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Siberia, Russia which vie for the honor to be considered the "Pole of Cold". These are Verkhoyansk (located at 67°33′N, 133°23′E) and Oymyakon (located at 63°15′N, 143°9′E).

In the Southern hemisphere, the location of the Pole of Cold is much more clearcut: in Antarctica near the Russian (formerly Soviet) Antarctic station Vostok at 78°28′S, 106°48′E. On July 21, 1983, this station recorded a temperature of −89.2 °C (−129.8 °F) This is the lowest temperature ever recorded on Earth.

Russia is a vast country comprising a large part of eastern Europe and the whole of northern Asia. The traditional geographical division between Europe and Asia is the Ural mountains, which split the country from north to south in about longitude 60°E. The whole of northern Russia is within the Arctic Circle.
==================================
Weather Warnings That Are Being Issued!!!:

Moscow - Expected temperatures of as low as minus 55 degrees Celsius (minus 67 degrees Fahrenheit) in Siberia prompted weather warnings from Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry on Wednesday.

The ministry warned the unusually cold weather could kill, cause frost-bite, cut electricity to homes, disrupt transport, increase the rate of car accidents and even destroy buildings across Siberia.

In a statement, the ministry ordered regional departments to be on high alert and to contact local administration officials to prepare for the extreme chill expected to last until January 21.

Average temperatures in large Siberian cities in January usually range between minus 15 degrees Celsius and minus 39 degrees Celsius, according to data from the US site weatherbase.com.

Two people have already died in the region of Irkutsk in central Siberia, Russian state television reported. More than 30 others have been hospitalised in Irkutsk with frost-bite.

The freezing temperatures have also caused overloading of electricity grids because of heaters being switched on. That caused cut-offs to thousands of homes in the regions of Irkutsk and Tomsk, state media reported.

Schools have been closed down in at least four regions because of the cold. - AFP
=================================
(Click: read more for rest of article.)

What does Weather in Russia Mean?
In this large country climate ranges from cold Arctic conditions to hot desert and subtropical lands where tea and rice are grown. The dominant feature of Russian weather and climate is the extreme cold of winter, which prevails in all but a small part of the south of the country. This harsh Russian winter has helped to defeat invaders such as Napoleon and Hitler, and it affects most aspects of Russian life even today.

Adaptation to the Russian winter is a necessary but difficult process. Anyone intending to visit the country between late October and April should study the temperatures in the accompanying tables and take appropriate clothing! Only Antarctica, Greenland, Alaska, and Northern Canada experience comparable cold, frost, and snow as are found in winter over most of the Russian Federation.

Surprisingly, over much of the country temperatures in summer are quite warm, even during the short summers in northern and eastern Siberia. There is a rapid rise of temperature in spring, the season of the thaw (rasputitsa), and an equally rapid fall of temperature in the autumn.

In effect, over much of the country there are only two seasons, winter and summer. This is a characteristic feature of what climatologists call a continental climate, and some of the best examples of this can be found in the Russian Federation.

There are two principal reasons for the cold of the Russian winter: the great size of the land mass of Europe and Asia, which means that the country is isolated from the moderating influence of warm ocean waters; and the high latitude of much of the country with a northern coastline on the Arctic Ocean, which remains frozen for most of the year.

The severity of the Russian winter is significant for transport. Except in the extreme south of the country the rivers are frozen for prolonged periods in winter and inland water transport comes to a halt. Road transport is also difficult and therefore the railways and air services are particularly important. The period when rivers are completely frozen varies from 70 days a year in the west of the country to as much as 250 days in northern Siberia.

It is a good general rule that the severity and length of winter increase eastwards. The only harbours that are normally ice free throughout the year are those on the Black Sea coast and around Murmansk and Archangel, where the influence of the Gulf Stream from the Atlantic raises sea temperatures. A shipping route from the Atlantic to the Pacific along the Arctic coast is kept open for brief periods in summer with the aid of powerful ice-breakers.

So intense is the cold in winter that northern and eastern Siberia experience a phenomenon called permafrost. Here the subsoil remains frozen all year although the topsoil may thaw out during the summer. This raises special problems for building construction and the laying of pipelines.

Almost everywhere in the country precipitation is rather low. In some of the major grain-producing areas of southern Russia, drought can drastically reduce crop yields in some years.

Spring and early summer months are the wettest over much of the country with rainfall of the showery, thundery, type. Winter snowfall, although frequent, is rarely very heavy and strong winds, the buran or blizzard, often sweep the ground bare of snow.
======================================

So as you can see Russia has some rough weather!

Thanks Ludmila,

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

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Russia: 2008 Index of Economic Freedom

Hello,

It is not very often that I get beaten to the punch on something that I feel is important! Real Russian Project has posted an article on Russia and economic freedom!

(article)

Rankings Versus Reality:
It’s Time for Inside-the-Beltway Conservatives
to Get Real on Russia

By: Yuri Mamchur

I scrapped my article because I think that Yuri did a good job at getting the point across!

Thank you Yuri, for real insight.

Kyle
comments always welcome.

PS: This is the link, to the know it all: American Foundation!
http://www.heritage.org/index/

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(Click: Read More for Yuri's article)========================================
Last week, the Heritage Foundation, one of the largest and perhaps most influential think tanks in Washington, D.C., published its annual global rankings of economic freedom. While think tank reports seldom have as much impact as their authors would like to believe, this particular document was published in partnership with The Wall Street Journal.

The report claimed that out of 150 countries surveyed in 2007, Russia is now ranked 134th in the world in terms of economic freedom, allegedly slipping fourteen spots from its lowly 120th ranking at the end of 2006. Russia was supposedly less free than all of the other countries in the former Soviet Union, with the exceptions of Belarus and Turkmenistan. Russia is also said to be lagging far behind such surging economic powerhouses as Pakistan and Cambodia.

Not just oil, gas, timber and metals anymore - Russia's booming consumer sector has drawn the most interest from emerging market fund managers and investment banks in the past year.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where members of the 10,000 strong Saudi royal family find their way into every major deal, was ranked sixty spots ahead of Russia. This could lead a cynical Russian to ask whether the Heritage rankings are based on a country’s actual investment climate and success in global markets, or whether the country in question is a close ally of America. The point here is not to belittle the hard won economic gains that have been made by any particular country, but to challenge the premise that countries can be neatly graded on some imaginary freedom scale by think tank scholars sitting in Washington D.C.

In the same year that the Heritage Foundation claims that Russia backslid on democracy and economic freedom, global investors cast a vote of confidence in the country by pouring over $55 billion into the Russian economy. Many scholars and pundits can try to dismiss this record as a lucky break caused by high commodity prices and a glut of global liquidity, but one need not look very far to find some very large holes in this argument.

First, the biggest IPO recorded worldwide in 2007 was for Russia’s Vneshtorbank (VTB) – the second largest retail bank in the country – not for some Russian oil and gas or mining conglomerate. Second, in 2008 the largest Russian IPO will be for Unified Energy Systems, when the Russian government will be breaking up the state-owned monopoly and privatizing Russia’s electric power grid. Third, for anyone who actually flips past the Wall Street Journal’s editorial page to the business pages, the fastest rising Russian stocks in recent months have not been energy exporting giants such as Gazprom, Lukoil, and Rosneft, but consumer-oriented companies that are enjoying strong domestic growth like Golden Telecom, Rostelekom, and Wimm-Bill-Dann.

Fourth, many countries are receiving huge windfalls from oil and gas prices as well, but their economies remain basket cases - Venezuela, Nigeria and Iran come to mind - while others have failed to convert their enormous natural resources into any globally recognized brands or diversified companies. Just ask yourself - how many global emerging market equity funds hold Petreleos de Venezuela in their portfolios, as opposed to Gazprom? And how many car factories are Toyota, Nissan, and Ford building in Saudi Arabia, as compared with Russia? To ask each question is to already know the answer.

Granted, Russia is still not Switzerland by a long shot. As President Putin's designated successor, Dimitri Medvedev, has repeatedly acknowledged, Russia has severe problems that threaten its long-term economic growth, including double digit inflation, a declining population outside major cities, and the age old bane of corruption. But the question remains: why do so many Western think tanks and scholars feel compelled to downplay or dismiss the real economic gains that Russians have achieved in the last eight years? Is it just opposition to the Putin government and its policies, or is there an ingrained anti-Russian bias in many American institutions, particularly among Washington’s leading conservative think tanks?

The Cold War has left behind many legacies, and one of them was a certain number of people and donors inside the Beltway who still proudly take credit for hastening the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1980s. Unfortunately, when it comes to Russia, many of these same aging donors and think tankers have remained stuck on autopilot since 1992. They still view Moscow as the seat of an Evil Empire that must accept having NATO on its doorstep and being cut out of energy deals in its own back yard.

After 9/11, many inside-the-Beltway conservatives were prepared to accept President Bush's vision of the America and Russia as allies in the war on international terrorism. But the well-financed "revolutions" in Ukraine and Georgia soon restored these die hard Russophobes to their previous default worldview. Rather than seeing these developments for what they actually were - the settling of accounts between rival clans of oligarchs and their political patrons in each country - each "revolution" was magnified into a zero sum struggle for power and influence between Moscow and Washington. Such simplistic attitudes naturally lead to a host of logical absurdities and ideological contradictions, with the only consistency being that Russia's position must always be wrong.

For example, when Gazprom stopped subsidizing several former Soviet republics with cheap natural gas in 2005-2007 , Russia was condemned for allegedly using energy as a weapon to punish ex-Soviet republics for not towing Moscow's line. Even Belarus, which The Wall Street Journal and The Economist had previously derided as an impoverished Kremlin puppet state, was instantly transformed, following its price dispute with Gazprom, into yet another victim of the Kremlin's "energy imperialism". The idea that Russia simply cannot afford to subsidize its neighbors anymore, or that former Soviet republics that claim to have adopted market economics ought to be charged at least half of what Western Europeans are paying for the same Russian gas never seems to have registered with these so-called "free marketeers".

Naturally, all of this leads us to the question of motives and double standards. No less a Putin skeptic than Washington Post reporter Anne Applebaum, has asked how much influence money from deposed Russian oligarchs like Mikhail Khodorkovsky has bought in Washington. It remains far more politically acceptable for elite Washington conservatives to be wined in dined in Amman or Singapore than in Moscow. When the President of Georgia is an alumnus of Columbia University and mouths all the right buzzwords, American think tankers don’t ask why they are attending a democracy promotion conference in Tbilisi that costs $6,000 per person while the average Georgian makes $300 a month.

Ultimately, why should ordinary Americans care about any of this? What affect does it have on their lives, their jobs, or their investments? The answer, which we have all been reminded of in recent weeks, is that after decades of Americans investing in the rest of the world, the world is now investing in America. If Kuwaiti and Abu Dhabi-based sovereign wealth funds can buy major stakes in Merrill Lynch and Citigroup then the Kremlin’s $180 billion Stabilization Fund can invest in American companies and capital markets. Russian companies also want to swap assets with multinational oil companies in return for exploration and development contracts in Russia - which means Gazprom and Rosneft may be acquiring shares of oil refineries in Texas or Lousiana in the not too distant future.

Twenty five years ago, when many American protectionists were alarmed about government-backed Japanese firms allegedly buying up a “bankrupt” America, a Reaganite supply-sider named George Gilder wrote a book titled Wealth and Poverty, supporting free trade and arguing for American optimism. Gilder wrote that “capital goes where it is welcomed.” and argued that Americans should welcome international investment, regardless of whether it comes from foreign firms with government ties or not.

What was true in the 1980s holds even more true in today's globalizing world. If American conservatives are confident that democracy and free trade will prevail over protectionism and authoritarianism, then they should believe that our marketplace will have a greater effect on Chinese, Arab or Russian investors and policies than their money will have on our markets. It would be a shame if a combination of Cold War nostalgia and ignorance were to cost the U.S. thousands of jobs, and prevent the formation of a lasting partnership between America and Russia.

The author of this article is a former intern at several Washington D.C. think tanks. The author currently works in the U.S. financial services industry. The views expressed here are his own.
=============================================

Russia: That Is Cold!-- Epiphany

Jan 19 - Brave Russians wash their sins away by taking a plunge in icy waters celebrating Epiphany!

Washing their sins away, some jumped and others chose to walk in to the cold water to rid them of their sins.

Marking Epiphany, priests blessed the water before believers took the holy bath.

The Russian Orthodox Church believe that bathing on this day commemorates the baptism of Jesus Christ in the River Jordan.

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No One Knows Who Killed Alexander Litvinenko!

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee & thinking about a comment that I received about Alexander Litvinko!

Rotus said."Recall that this spat began because Russia refused to extradite Andrei Lugovoy to Britain for trial for the murder of Alexander Litvinenko."

So I started to look up about: Who did kill Alexander Litvinenko?
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/05/60minutes/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17332541/
http://www.slate.com/id/2167972/entry/2167974/
http://www.upi.com/International_Intelligence/Analysis/
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/11/29/
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,251304,00.html
http://www.russiablog.org/2006/11/who_poisoned_alex
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6180432.stm
http://www.russiatoday.ru/documentary/release/892/video

The statements are all hearsay & accusations!
We all seem to know who did it, but yet we all can not prove it!
We have let media muddle and destroy the facts & allowed media to sway public opinion.

The bottom line is that no one knows!

Kyle & Svet

PS: Thanks Rotus for bringing that up, I find it interesting that the world has made up its mind on who killed Litvinenko! Reminds me of the old days; "Hang them first from the nearest tree, then ask questions later!"

Last But Not The Least Important Link: Russia's Killing Game!(Click: Read More!)
================================================
Alexander Litvinenko and Russia’s killing game

The death from radiation poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko has cast light on the Russian power struggle, writes Boris Kagarlitsky

After the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya in October, I predicted that there would be a follow up to this story. Unfortunately, I was right.

Alexander Litvinenko’s death has become headline news in Britain rather than in Russia. This is quite logical – the British people won’t just stand and watch a political exile living in England being dispatched.

Scotland Yard confirmed that Litvinenko, a former KGB officer who was granted British citizenship only a month ago, was poisoned. On Friday 24 November he died.

Litvinenko’s employer, or at least sponsor in London, is the opposition oligarch Boris Berezovsky. He hastened to name the main suspect – Russian president Vladimir Putin.

The assault on Litvinenko seems to be connected to the assassination of Anna Politkovskaya, which makes the plot even more twisted.

Investigators believe that the former KGB agent was poisoned in a Japanese restaurant where he met an Italian journalist who allegedly possessed data concerning the Politkovskaya case.

After being interrogated by British detectives, the journalist, fearful for his life, took cover in Italy.

The whole situation could serve perfectly as a plot for a political detective novel.

The rules of the genre dictate that the evidence will lead to the top of the power hierarchy.

The number of victims will grow as the investigation goes on, but in the long run no charge will be filed, though everything will be as clear as a day.

Litvinenko had accused the Kremlin and the Russian intelligence agencies of paving Putin’s way to power by blowing up residential houses in Moscow in 1999 and blaming Chechen rebels. Some of Litvinenko’s arguments were quite convincing, some not enough.

The case of the house explosions in Moscow will never be solved. The true story of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attack in the US or the murder of John Kennedy and many other high profile cases of the 20th century will also never be revealed.

As a rule in these events, the official version loses its credibility with time while alternative versions lack evidence. The authorities ostentatiously refuse to examine these versions, and thus deflate them.

Private investigations generate contradictory facts and speculations. But the verdict is delivered by public opinion, which is always set against the powers that be.

Raising the ghosts of the past would be the most disadvantageous tactics for the Russian administration. Litivinenko, residing in London, was not a thorn in the side of the Russian authorities.

His version of the story behind the explosions in Moscow is just one of a number, and not the most convincing. But when a former KGB agent becomes a murder victim, his accusations gain credibility and the whole affair moves to the front burner.

The Kremlin’s foes will not miss a chance to use the poisoning of Litvinenko as one more argument against the authorities. Moscow will again be seen by the West as a capital of the “Evil Empire”. What is to the Kremlin’s benefit in all that?

It is only in “first approximation” that the critics of the present regime seem to be the only victims of the current events. If we consider the situation in more detail, we find that the authorities are extremely vulnerable to such developments.

The blows hit those in power, leaving the opposition leaders safe and sound. As a result the opposition gets its martyrs and the authorities are challenged.

Some pro-Kremlin analysts have even suggested that Litvinenko’s poisoning and the journalist’s murder are provocations and that the opposition itself and Boris Berezovsky in person have organised the affairs in order to discredit the Kremlin’s ruling elite.

But it’s difficult to think of Berezovsky trying to kill his closest associate in London. However vicious he might be, he is not crazy.

The 1999 explosions in Moscow reflected the struggle for power within the ruling elite. The current murders and murder attempts have the same nature.

Neither Putin nor Berezovsky would contract such murders – for both of them the possibility of the backlash is higher than possible revenues.

I think there are other stakeholders at a lower level who pursue their own interests and use their own methods.

Intensification of the struggle for power is the result of their activity. The less stable the situation in the country is, the more there is ground for drastic changes in the political life of the country.

And undermining Russia’s position in the world will permit the political elites to retain control over the new president, who will be elected next year. They want to make him a hostage of those who have taken him to power.

Dirty and ineffective political tricks will make Putin’s successor dependent on forces behind the Kremlin’s throne.

The Big Game is on and it’s not the presidential post that is at stake. It is the leverage of control over whoever is in this post.

Boris Kagarlitsky is a director of the Institute for Globalisation Studies in Moscow.
===============================================

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Russian News: January 22nd, 2008!

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia on Tuesday sent two long-range bombers to the Bay of Biscay, off the French and Spanish Atlantic coasts, to test-fire missiles in what it billed as its biggest navy exercise in the area since Soviet times.

British and Norwegian Tornado and F-16 jets were escorting the Russian 'Blackjack' bombers, Interfax reported, quoting the Russian Air Force.

However, the French Defence Ministry spokesman said his country had been informed about the Russian exercises.

Firing missiles off the coastline of two members of the NATO military alliance is the latest in a series of Kremlin moves flexing Moscow's military muscle on the world stage. =================================
RBC, 22.01.2008, Moscow 14:10:22.Revenue of Dixy Group, one of Russia's top food retail chains, surged 42 percent to USD 1.431bn in 2007 compared to a year earlier, the company reported today. In ruble terms, revenue amounted to RUB 36.604bn (approx. USD 1.48bn), which is 33 percent greater than in 2006.

RBC, 22.01.2008, Moscow 13:32:51.As a result of geological survey, Gazprom has been able to report a rise in gas reserves totaling 585bn cubic meteres in 2007, which is 7bn cubic meters greater than the estimate, the Russian energy giant's press office stated today. Natural gas production (excluding that of Gazprom's subsidiaries) amounted to 548.5bn cubic meters.

RBC, 21.01.2008, Moscow 16:51:14.Russia is not willing to exert pressure on Poland or other countries regarding the deployment of the US anti-missile defence system in Eastern Europe, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told journalists following a meeting with his Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski. Russia only wanted Poland to consider all risks and threats to both its own and European security before making a final decision, Lavrov said. He added that Sikorski had confirmed that this was Poland's intention as well. In turn, the Polish Minister noted that only the US and Poland would decide on the issue and that Russia would also benefit from the deployment of the shield, as it was designed to intercept ballistic missiles.

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The Cost of Believing in America!

I had to reprint this article: It says a lot in a short amount of time!
=================================
By Konstantin Sonin,

Ten years ago, an economic crisis in one developing country could set off a chain reaction among investors around the world. And once investors suffered sharp losses in one place -- for example, Thailand, South Korea or Indonesia -- they began rolling back everywhere. This time around, the scenario is playing out differently. Although the financial markets crisis that began last year has not yet reached the point where investors are pulling out of developing markets, money continues to flow freely in the opposite direction as the world's financial giants tap into government funds from former Third World countries.

Citigroup and Merrill Lynch announced multibillion-dollar losses in connection with their mortgage portfolios last week. Citigroup has twice over the past three months turned for cash to so-called sovereign wealth funds. It sold 5 percent of its shares to the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority for $7.5 billion in November, and now it is offering shares to financial corporations controlled by the governments of Singapore, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. The haste with which Citigroup is seeking investment from the developing world suggests that the company does not see any light at the end of the tunnel for its internal financial problems.

In all fairness, though, this is not the first time Citigroup has resorted to such measures. The Saudi royal family, along with others, first came to Citigroup's rescue early in the 1990s. In fact, it is difficult to find a global financial giant that is not hunting for cash these days. Merrill Lynch has already turned for help to a Singapore government investment fund, while Swiss-based UBS received $9.7 billion from another Singapore government fund last fall. At the same time, Morgan Stanley received a $5 billion investment from a Chinese government fund.

It is understandable why these corporations are turning to foreign investment funds for badly needed cash. They very well might not know the full scope of their financial losses stemming from the collapse of the subprime mortgage market. But what can be motivating the owners of these sovereign funds to invest? Of course, buying into a "distressed" company often leads to reaping big profits down the line, and there is the possibility that this might actually be one of those rare opportunities that investors dream about their entire lives -- to buy a valuable commodity at bargain prices. But there is also a high probability that they could end up on the losing side of this gamble. The owners of sovereign funds understand that, as foreign investors, they are treated as outsiders by U.S. politicians, and this carries a certain element of political risk from them.

The dollar has become the world currency based largely on the belief that the democratic system in the United States will not allow the government to shift to inflationary financing. Thus, Chinese and Singaporean investors are willing to channel huge sums of cash into Citigroup and Merrill Lynch in the belief that U.S. democracy -- with its competitive electoral system, independent judicial system and a media acting as a powerful Fourth Estate watchdog -- will continue to function as an effective and powerful regulator of financial corporations and guarantor of political and economic stability.

We have already become accustomed to a growing U.S. trade deficit and to the fact that the developing world finances American consumers to a large degree. It may now be the case that taxpayers' money from developing countries being sent to the United States will end up covering losses incurred by irresponsible bankers and inattentive market regulators.

Keeping faith in the United States' economy and democracy comes at a price indeed.

Konstantin Sonin, a professor at the New Economic School/CEFIR, is a columnist for Vedomosti.
==============================
Kyle

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Does The World Have Faith In America?

Hello,

Just some news off the wire, Russian stock market is being affected by this also. Looks like the world is losing a lot of faith in the American Dollar! Russian stocks down about 7 % today.
=================================
LONDON (Reuters) - World stocks nosedived and demand for safe-haven bonds and currencies soared on Monday as fears gripped investors that a deteriorating U.S. economy would drag others down with it.

The losses on the blue-chip stock indexes of Germany, Britain and France alone amounted to more than $350 billion, or roughly the size of the combined economies of New Zealand, Hungary and Singapore.

MSCI's main world stock index, a benchmark gauge of stock markets globally, sank 3.3 percent, falling below its 2007 bottom to lows last seen in December 2006 and taking it down more than 12 percent so far this year.

Its emerging market equities counterpart lost more than 5.5 percent. Meanwhile, the spread between emerging market bond yields and U.S. Treasury yields, a key gauge of risk appetite, was just off its widest in two years.

"Weak global economic data, poor corporate data, increasing fears about the possibility of a recession ... have left investors drowning in a sea of red," said Henk Potts, equity strategist at Barclays Stockbrokers.
=================================
I hear rumor that England is having to back the banks with a lot of their Nations money??
I also hear that Bush is asking countries for help and to still believe in America??

Looks like my articles are correct, The Dollar is going down! (Thump)
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/12/russia-not-happy-that-dollar-crashing.html
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/11/russia-dollar-is-hurting-overseas.html
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/11/russian-rubles-dollar-is-unstable.html
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/11/russians-do-not-give-us-dollars.html
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/10/russian-ruble-growing-stronger-everyday.html
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/09/10-reasons-why-russia-cant-trust-uncle.html
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/08/rbc-tells-it-like-it-is-dollar-going.html

This is not something I am proud of & wish that America would have dealt with her problems years ago. I was in the business of making money for companies all my working career! This was a problem that has been in the works for many years. Now it is a problem for the world!

Do you think that there is a replacement Dollar in the works?

America is going to have to bite the bullet on this one!

Kyle

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Russia: British Need To Cooperate!

Looks like: cultural and educational?
The Russian Foreign Ministry stated Friday that the British Council's regional offices might be allowed to reopen if Britain resumed cooperation with the Federal Security Service and expressed a willingness to ease visa rules for Russians. It was this lack of cooperation in the first place that expelled Britain!

Britain refused to hold talks to simplify the visa regime and stopped cooperating! After Britain became stubborn, the conditions had to be recreated for the resumption of talks.

Britain may not be ready to resume cooperation, there seems to be a list of 34 Russian diplomats who may face expulsion from Britain. The group includes Alexander Sternik, head of the Russian Embassy's political section, and Andrei Pritsepov, aide to the ambassador, & Britain still makes public statements that Russia is to blame for the all the issues! (Seems childish)

While all these issues are flying around; The Britain council's Moscow office remains open. Seems that the Moscow Britain office knows how to be nice and give the local government what they want?

A statement from Britain was issued, "The standoff was harming the Russian people but not Britain." also stated, "We concluded that the only victim in this issue appears to be the people of Russia." also said. "Sharing our cultural and educational technologies benefits Russians and not Britons. Thus it is only Russia that is losing." also said, "British newspapers are warning Russia of possible repercussions!"

Is Britain really serious about this? (What makes Britain so special?)

America once had to get tough with the British! Looks like Russia needs to put them in their place also!

Now I see the root of the Visa issues in Russia, We can all thank, British Government!

Kyle & Svet

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Russia: Wal-Mart Next?

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research), the world's biggest retailer, could expand its reach into Russia in within the next 24 months, according to a research note from UBS.

"We believe expansion into Russia rounds out Wal-Mart's 'BRIC' (Brazil, Russia, India and China) exposure," UBS analyst Neil Currie wrote in a note on Thursday.

Currie said he expected Wal-Mart to make the leap into Russia within the next 12 to 24 months, probably by taking a minority stake in a local retail chain.
=================================

This is not a good thing for Russia!
Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

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Svet Sunday: Vinni Puh, Could Visit You Too!

Hello,

A week ago we published a cartoon about Vinni Puh. (Russian version of Winnie the Pooh) During the last week, we discussed how it's difficult to translate Vinni Puh in English.

We translated some expressions from the cartoon and now we tried to translate the Vinni Puh song. (not exact translation more transition of the mood ;)):
------------------------------------------------
In the 1st video, Vinni Puh sang this song: (Link)

If I scratch my head - It's OK.
I have sawdust there And that is great!

In my head I have sawdust! But; I can compose:
My happy-songs, my noisy-songs, my puff-puff-songs, want-wishing-songs.

Vinni Puh lives so good in the woods.
That's because he compose his funny songs.

Does not matter what he's doing, if he does not loose his weight,
and he never loose his weight if he has his snack in time. :)
-----------------------------------------------
This time we can have rest because we found a version with English subtitles. I think the guys, Artem, Lesha & Co have done very good job!They translated just the second part but are going to translate all three. I've read in one forum that they appreciate any help with translation - their e-mail in subtitles.

So now we will watch and enjoy. (Would you want Vinny to visit you?)

Best wishes,
Svet and Kyle

comments always welcome

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Russia: American Style Foods!

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee and I was thinking how glad I am that Russians seem to eat so much less processed foods. I feel that my diet here is so much better. It is very easy to get fresh foods. You can buy fresh vegetables and fruits at almost every bus stop & Metro in Moscow. When we travel to the Village we pass by areas that specialize in certain fruits. On a 350 km trip we pass what I call; Pear valley, Apple way, Potato City, Cranberry Mile & Blueberry Village! These are just a portion of the available foods on the road trip. Then I was presented with an article about "Kellogg Foods" from America! I then realized that Russians are eating more like Americans everyday.

Once again Russia has let an American company buy up a gold mine! (link)

I have watched, in the 2 years I have been studying Moscow, The infiltration of American foods! Example: 2 years ago peanut butter and maple syrup was almost impossible to find. Now you can find more than one brand and the price is dropping fast! 2 years ago you could not find celery anywhere, now every fruit and veggy stand carries it as normal product. 2 years ago the availability of lettuce was very scarce. Now they have leaf lettuce everywhere! The list goes on and on....

We go shopping and you see rows of Lays Potato Chips,Coke,Pepsi & Products labeled American! The Red, White & Blue stands out like a sore thumb on the shelves. :)

Now Kellogg has infiltrated Russia in a big way! With all the food brands from America here, I feel right at home!

So if you travel to Russia, You will have no problem finding foods that you can eat and recognize.

I am not sure that is a good thing??

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

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(Click: Read more for Kellogg article!)
=================================
Kellogg, whose cartoon tiger is pictured on its Frosties cereal boxes, announced Thursday that it had purchased United Bakers Group, the country's biggest breakfast cereal maker, to take almost complete control of the local market.

United Bakers' products, marketed primarily under the Yantar and Lyubyatovo brands, are very popular, and the company said it had a market share of 90 percent. Kellogg's share is miniscule.

Both companies were tight-lipped about the terms of the deal, but Kellogg said it would have no impact on its 2008 operating profit.

Kellogg chief David Mackay described the acquisition as "an exciting strategic development for Kellogg.

"Consistent with our strategy, we continue to pursue the right kind of opportunities to grow our business," he said in a statement.

The deal gives Kellogg its first plants in Russia -- a total of six scattered across the country -- as well as a large sales and distribution network.

Kellogg is coming to the right place at the right time because consumers have just started shifting en masse toward light-and-fast meals for breakfast, said Andrei Nikitin, a retail analyst with UralSib bank.

"Power-advertising by the likes of Kellogg and a new business culture have weaned Russians from their traditional breakfast meals, such as kasha," Nikitin said.

"Many Russians now favor fast breakfast meals such as Kellogg Corn Flakes and Rice Krispies, in part because of strong advertisement by big companies with huge budgets like Kellogg," he said.

Rice Krispies are not widely available in Russia, although Special K, Corn Flakes and Frosties can be found on many Moscow store shelves. Tony the Tiger, one of the company's best-known trademarks, is known in Russia as "Tigr Tony."

"This is fertile soil for Kellogg, and the trend will accelerate," Nikitin said.

With the buy, Kellogg will make considerable savings on import tax, which had increased prices for its products, said Andrei Verkholantsev, consumer analyst with Antanta Capital Investment.

"Kellogg could leverage the synergy and economics of scale accruing from the deal to emerge as the single largest player in Russia," he said.

Yevgeny Okulich-Kazarin, general director of United Bakers, called Thursday's deal a reward for the company's hard work. "This is an opportunity for United Bakers to further grow the business," Okulich-Kazarin said in an e-mail.

Voronezh-based United Bakers, a closely held company, posted net sales of about $100 million in 2007. Like Kellogg, it also produces biscuits.

The company was founded in 2002 with an initial investment from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Eagle Urals Fund, a regional venture fund managed by the Dutch company Eagle Venture Partners, acquired the company in 2004 and immediately invited in new investors. Alfa Capital Partners took over in 2005 and a year later sold control to International Moscow Bank. United Bakers' nearly 4,000 employees, including its management team, will join Kellogg under the terms of the acquisition. The business will continue to have its headquarters in Voronezh and will report to Kellogg's European division.

With 2006 sales of almost $11 billion, Kellogg Company is the world's leading maker of cereal and a leading producer of convenience foods. Kellogg products are manufactured in 17 countries and marketed in more than 180 countries around the world.
=================================

Russia: Life Is More Important Than Vodka!

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee and thinking about life!

A few months ago in the little village that I talk about all the time in these pages!
Link 1; Link 2; Link 3; Link 4; Link 5; Link 6;
A very nice lady was murdered! Yes you heard correct, A village of just 10 to 12 people living there, had a murder.

The murder was over: Vodka;
A man who lived temporarily at the village, to help work on the rebuilding of the church asked a local Babushka for money to get vodka with! She refused to give him the money and he proceeded to beat her to death. He got his money & got his vodka, he was found the next day by police, very drunk! (End Of Story!!)

Not the end of story for me;
You see, the photo above was taken just a few days before she died. That is her house, this lady lived in this village all her life. She was part of the heart and soul of the village that I love very much. She had a beautiful home and she ran the local General Store (picture to right) for the village all the years it was open. Then a man who is there, only to be a worker for the Orthodox Church, kills Her!

Over Vodka???

I have thought about this everyday since it happened.

Do instances in life affect you this way?

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

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Russia: Village Homes!

Hello,

Just thought that we would post some pictures of village homes in Russia!

Kyle & Svet

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Russia: Coca Cola Woke Up!

Hello,

I have been writing about Coca Cola and their issues with Russia! Link 1 ; Link 2

It seems that Coke got smart and bowed to the pressure. This was a good move on their part, it might just have saved the Coke business in Russia!(Click: Read More for rest of article)
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Coca-Cola has called off a promotion after offended Orthodox believers lodged a complaint with prosecutors, a sharp reminder of the cultural pitfalls that foreign companies face when doing business abroad.

Hoping to tap into a growing tide of patriotism, the U.S. beverage giant had placed pictures of religious sites together with its logo on fridges in kiosks and shops in Nizhny Novgorod, the country's third-biggest city.

In mid-December, a group of Orthodox believers sent an angry letter to the Nizhny Novgorod prosecutor's office, the local bishop and the regional governor complaining about the promotion, which it claimed was blasphemous.

Some images, the authors of the letter said, portrayed religious sites upside down, including the cross. An inverted cross is said to represent a mockery of the Christian cross.

"In line with our internal policy of responsible marketing ... we have decided to withdraw the images of religious objects and not to use them in the future," Coca-Cola spokeswoman Yana Guskova said Tuesday.

Guskova maintained that the promotion had not intended to cause offense.

"This was an initiative using famous Russian historical sites and images to try to promote Russian cultural heritage and the idea that we need to preserve it," she said.

All the pictures contain an outline of a Coca-Cola bottle with a photograph of a local religious site, such as a cathedral, captured inside it. The slogan "The Value of Tradition" runs up the side of the fridge, while the Coca-Cola logo dominates the other.

Orthodox church representatives said, however, that Coca-Cola had ridden roughshod over cultural sensitivities. "Large corporations have to take into account the local context, particularly the Christian context," said Mikhail Prokopenko, spokesman for the Moscow Patriarchate. "[Coca-Cola] didn't recognize the boundaries."

The Orthodox protesters said in December that Coca-Cola should face formal charges for "inciting religious hatred." But Prokopenko urged restraint, and said, "Both sides are at least now listening to each other, thank God."

Irina Monakhova, a spokeswoman for the Nizhny Novgorod prosecutor's office, said investigators were conducting an inquiry into the claims at the request of the residents and would make their findings known by the end of January.

Coca-Cola has run similar -- but not so overtly religious -- promotions with refrigerators in St. Petersburg, Ufa and Kazan without any problem, Guskova said.

Advertising slip-ups, while not uncommon, are often accidental in Russia, said Donald Tursman, creative director at the advertising agency TWBA in Moscow.

"In Russia, most clients are very conservative. They avoid drawing too much attention to their brands. It's why most ads are bland and formulaic," he said. "If there is even a chance that an ad will cause a stir, they won't run it."

In contrast, he said, some Western advertisers "intentionally run controversial ads because they know the media will talk about it."(Moscow Times)
========================================
Coke needs to realize that this is not America! I think that they got off easy this time.

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

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Russia: The Bridge That Ran Away!

Hello,
I was drinking my morning cup of coffee & thinking about an article that has stayed in my mind for several days! This article reminded me of an old bridge in Missouri, USA. The bridge was all steel except the floor, (part you drive on) . That part was made of about, 4 inch thick by 12 inches wide, Oak planks! The State Department replaced the Oak planks one day; The next day all the planks were gone! Seems that bridge theft is not isolated to the USA.
==========================================
A steel 11.5- meter (38 feet) long car bridge was stolen in Khabarovsk, Russia's Far East, local officials said on Saturday.

The bridge was made of four steel pipes half a meter in diameter and covered with steel plates.

The thieves, who stole the bridge most likely to sell it for scrap, worked at night when there was no one around, a spokesman said. That is why they managed to dismantle the heavy construction and to take it away, Kazinform cites, RIA Novosti.

Local workers came to the scene on Saturday morning to discover that the only bridge which was the direct way to a thermal power station disappeared. Now the drivers will have to look for bypass roads, the spokesman added.

"The total loss sustained by the bridge-owner is estimated at 400,000 rubles ($16,000). However, repair works for the energy company will cost over a million rubles ($40,500)," the spokesman said.

The new bridge will be made of reinforced concrete, instead of steel, and repair works will take at least a month, the spokesman added.
======================================

This article tickled me: I have seen in my time a lot of crazy things. The criminals should be caught unless the locals hide them. (That is a lot of bridge for scrap metal!)

Yes the Oak plank criminals were caught: The men who took the planks built a barn,and that could have been the end of the story. But every plank had a State Seal burned into the end and middle of the plank! So being intelligent enough to steal the planks they did not notice that all over their barn was 20 to 25 little pictures of the State of Missouri!

This was a hidden memory until I read this article on stolen Russian Bridge! Strange how memories can be activated?

Did you ever see anything like a bridge that just disappeared?

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

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Russian News: January 15th, 2008!

RBC, 15.01.2008, Moscow 15:54:25.West Siberian Resources (WSR) and Alliance Oil Company are poised to sign a final merger agreement in early February, the Russian oil company's press office stated today. Meanwhile, the merger has yet to be approved by each company's Board of Directors, as well as by WSR's shareholders at a general meeting scheduled for late February, the Swedish oil producer indicated in a statement. In addition, approval from antitrust agencies will be needed. The merger is expected to be completed at the beginning of March. WSR and Alliance announced the signing of a memorandum of intent for the creation of a vertically integrated company earlier today. To achieve this, WSR will issue 1,783,540,968 common shares, or 60 percent of the company's share capital after the issue, in favor of Alliance's shareholders. Once Alliance becomes WSR's subsidiary, the Russian company's shareholders will retain a 60-percent stake in it. The total market capitalization of the joint company is expected to reach some $2.5bn.

RBC, 15.01.2008, Kiev 13:45:33.According to unofficial data, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko's visit to Russia can take place in the near future, a source close to the republic's government told RBC today. It is quite possible that Timoshenko will come to Moscow before the end of January. Ukraine's Embassy in Moscow has confirmed the fact that PM's visit was being planned, adding that Russian and Ukrainian Foreign Ministries were in talks on the visit time frame.(Click: read more for more news!)

RBC, 15.01.2008, Moscow 13:36:43.Central Banks of Russia and Cyprus have singed a memorandum of understanding on the basis of recommendations made by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision concerning consolidation and cooperation in banking supervisory matters, the Bank of Russia indicated in a statement today. The two banks are planning to exchange information on licencing procedures, combat money laundering and sponsorship of terrorist organizations, supervise the development of the banking sectors in accordance with national laws, among other things.

RBC, 15.01.2008, Moscow 09:44:23.Russian bank accounts frozen by France's judicial authorities have no funds that belong to the Russian government, the Russian Finance Ministry said in an official statement on Monday. The ministry stressed that the money was attached without a prior notification issued to the Russian government or the holders of the blocked accounts. According to the ministry's statement, French law enforcement officers froze Russian organizations' bank accounts at several French banks in Paris on January 2. These included the accounts of the RIA Novosti news agency and several deposits placed by the Central Bank of Russia. According to legal documents sent to French banks, the seizures were in line with a Stockholm arbitration court ruling made in favor of the company Swiss company Noga in 1997.

RBC, 14.01.2008, Chisinau 19:36:39.Moldova's inflation reached 13.1 percent in 2007, Moldova's National Bureau of Statistics reported. Specifically, prices for foodstuffs rose 15.4 percent, nonfood prices increased 11.6 percent, and tariffs on services climbed 13 percent. In 2006, the country's inflation amounted to 14.1 percent. Meanwhile, in December 2007 alone, inflation stood at 0.9 percent, with prices for foods gaining 1.4 percent, those for non-food goods moving up 0.8 percent, and the cost of services inching up 0.2 percent. Moldova's government proposes to keep inflation within the planned range of 10 percent in 2008.

RBC, 14.01.2008, Moscow 18:29:48.Foreign car sales jumped 61 percent to 1,645,630 cars in Russia in 2007 compared to a year earlier, the automobile manufacturers' committee of the Association of European Business in Russia indicated in a statement today. In December, foreign car sales rose 50 percent to 178,095 cars against the same month in 2006. The most popular foreign car brand on the Russian market in 2007 was Chevrolet, with sales of 190,553 cars, including GM-AVTOVAZ's share. Ford was in the second place with 175,793 cars sold, and Hyundai came in third with sales of 147,843 cars.

RBC, 14.01.2008, Moscow 15:24:30.Two hours before the close of today's special dollar trading session for tomorrow deals, the high on deals remained unchanged at 24.30 RUB/USD, while the low was down RUB 0.04, at 24.45 RUB/USD, dragging the weighted average dollar exchange rate to 24.28 RUB/USD, RUR0.01 below the official rate set by the Bank of Russia for January 15. The dollar's continued decline on MICEX has been triggered by the dollar's almost unremitting depreciation against the euro on international exchanges, where the latter is now trading at nearly USD1.4910, up from less than USD1.4870 this morning. Considering the current developments on the domestic and global markets, the ruble can be expected to keep strengthening against the dollar at the next special session.

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Russia: Orthodox Church New Year!

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee & my wife said, "Do not forget about New Years today?"

How could I forget; The fireworks were going off untill 2 am! I think Russians look for any reason to set off fireworks.

So for your information: this is the, Orthodox Church New Year! (remember Christmas was the 7th of January)

links to previous articles:
http://kylekeeton.com/2008/01/svet-sunday-holy
http://kylekeeton.com/2008/01/russia-still-have-
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/12/russia-holidays-a
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/12/new-years-food-

Kyle & Svet
comments always welcome.

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Svet Sunday: Vinni Puh! (Winnie the Pooh)

Winnie the Pooh & Vinni Puh!Hello,

Today I want to tell you about Winnie the Pooh! Oh, no! You all know about Winnie the Pooh, I am sure you read the book by Alan Alexander Milne and watched hundreds of series of Winnie the Pooh by Disney! Winnie the Pooh is very popular! You can see him everywhere: on cup of your little son or an application on a dress of your little niece. Even we; have sheets with Winnie the Pooh. They are very good by the way ;).

No, I will not tell you about Winnie the Pooh I'll tell you about Vinni Puh or even better, I'll show you a cartoon about Vinni Puh! Who is Vinni Puh? Vinni Puh is Russian version of Winnie the Pooh. Russian writer of children book Boris Zahoder had read the story of Alexander Milne in 1958. He liked this book very much and decided to retell the story for Soviet kids. And soviet cartoon-studia "Souzemulfilm" made 3 cartoons about Vinni Puh. (Part 2: Here)

Today we will watch the fist cartoon: "Vinni Puh gets acquainted with several very strange bees"(1969).

What else I can tell: Cartoons about Vinni Puh were our favorite. People in Russia picked up some phrases from the cartoons and still use them today!

Это "Жжж" не с проста - This Bzzzz could not be without reason (When Vinni sits under the Oak and hear some strange Bzzzz)
Кажется дождь собирается - It seems it will be raining.. (When Vinni tries to pretend he is a cloud, and Piglet/Pyatachok, walks under umbrella near the oak)



If you like this cartoon, we will post the rest? There are three of the series!

Do you want to see the other two?

Best wishes for all!
Svet

comments always welcome.

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Russia: Coke, Is Upsetting Russians?

Hello,

I have an article on this subject earlier! Now I have found a video that explains the issue better about what Coke has done to upset Russians!


What do I think?

I think that Coke needs to stay with neutral advertising. In Russia, the Red Coke Bottle is enough. Don't play with cultures that you are not familiar with!

Coke has had its issues in America, you would think that they would learn! Or are they doing this on purpose? (Read this article and you might think that they know what they are doing.)

Kyle & Svet
comments always welcome.

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Russian Monastary: Novospassky Monastery!

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee & thinking about a Monastery that we visited.

It was really neat; My wife and I love to find old churches and monasteries to take pictures of. We found this monastery that was in very good shape and very active in the Moscow community!

They also have a choir that is very good and we are going this weekend to get a compact disc of theirs....(Just Click: read more to get more information!)
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Novospassky Monastery (New monastery of the Saviour) is one of the fortified monasteries surrounding Moscow from south-east.

It was the first monastery to be founded in the Moscow Kremlin in the early 14th century, affiliated with the Saviour church. Upon its removal to the left bank of the Moskva River in 1491, the cloister was renamed the New Saviour, to distinguish it from the original one in the Kremlin.

The monastery was patronized by the Sheremetyev and Romanov boyars as a family sepulchre. In 1571 and 1591, the wooden citadel withstood repeated attacks of Crimean Tatars.

Upon the Romanovs' ascension to the Moscovy throne, Michael of Russia completely rebuilt their family shrine in the 1640s. Apart from the 18th-century bell-tower and the Sheremetev sepulchre in the church of the Sign, all other buildings date from that period. They include the large Spassky (Transfiguration) Cathedral (1645-49) with frescoes by the best 17th-century painters, the Pokrovsky (Intercession) church at the refectory, the House of Loaf-Giving, a hospital, monks' living quarters, and the palace of Patriarch Filaret.

During the Soviet years, the monastery was converted into a prison, then into a police drunk tank. In the 1970s it was assigned to an art restoration institute, and finally returned to the Russian Orthodox church in 1991.
=========================================

This is a grand old Monastery and if you are ever in Moscow, it is a must see!

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

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Russian News: January 11th, 2008!

RBC, 11.01.2008, Moscow 17:16:33.GM-AVTOVAZ produced 55,052 Chevrolet Niva and Chevrolet Viva cars in 2007, up 15 percent from the previous year, the automobile manufacturer's press office said in a statement today. The company's sales grew 14 percent to 54,610 cars. In particular, 6,457 cars were sold in the CIS. By the end of 2007, the company's dealer network included 121 dealerships in 79 Russian cities and a further 9 in the CIS.

RBC, 11.01.2008, Moscow 16:17:14.Russia's trade surplus increased 45.82 percent to $13.453bn in November 2007 compared to the same month a year earlier, the Bank of Russia reported. The estimates were given on a balance-of-payments basis. Exports grew 41.1 percent to $36.124bn and imports rose 38.4 percent to $22.571bn. Foreign trade according to the balance-of-payments methodology amounted to $445.935bn in January-October 2007, a 20.8 percent increase from the same period a year earlier.....(Click: read more)

RBC, 11.01.2008, Moscow 16:08:43.Ukraine supplied 4.621bn kilowatt-hours of electricity to Central and Eastern European countries in 2007, down 6.8 percent from the previous year's figure, the republic's Fuel and Energy Ministry stated. Electricity exports to the CIS fell 16.9 percent to 4.553bn kilowatt-hours, while imports from a number of countries, including Russia, reached 34m kilowatt-hours in 2007. Ukraine did not import electricity in 2006. Electricity exports to Central and Eastern European countries decreased 12.5 percent to 356m kilowatt-hours in December 2007 compared to the corresponding month a year earlier. Meanwhile, supplies to the CIS dropped 65.2 percent to 252m kilowatt-hours.

RBC, 11.01.2008, Moscow 15:40:17.Russia's gold and currency reserves stood at $476.4bn on January 1,2008. Therefore, the reserves grew 0.5 percent, or $2.4bn within the last three days of 2007. As a result, the Bank of Russia's reserves went up a total of $172.7bn, or 57 percent from the previous year. In 2007, Russia has been able to somewhat narrow the huge gap separating it from China and Japan, the world's leaders in terms of gold and foreign exchange reserves.

RBC, 11.01.2008, Chisinau 14:11:19.In 2007, Moldova increased its currency reserves by a factor of 1.7, the National Bank of Moldova told RBC. As of December 21, 2007, the bank's currency reserves reached USD 1,333.68m, up from USD 775.29m a year earlier. By the end of the first half of 2007, the reserves stood at USD 878.52m, and the level of USD 1bn was beaten in late August 2007. The rise in currency reserves is attributable to the National Bank's acquisition of currency surplus resulting from contributions by guest workers as well as new loan tranches from the International Monetary Fund. Earlier, Moldova's Prime Minister Vasily Tarlev said that the steady growth of the nation's currency reserves proved its financial stability and encouraged foreign investment.

RBC, 11.01.2008, Moscow 11:39:47.At today's special dollar trading session for tomorrow deals, the low on deals is currently at 24.35 RUB/USD, RUB 0.13, or over 0.5 percent, below the official dollar rate set by the Bank of Russia for January 11, 2008. The dollar's recession against the ruble has been prompted by the euro's steady rise on the global market, where it is now buying some USD 1.4810, up from USD 1.48 at today's open, and from USD 1.4670 yesterday morning. As a result, the weighted average dollar exchange rate has slipped as low as 24.36 RUB/USD.

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Govt. Bans Tobacco Advertising in Russia!

News off the wire!

"Russia’s government has approved the federal bill on the RF joining the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The respective decision was taken at the cabinet’s meeting.
Joining the convention means Russia will introduce a number of restrictions for cigarette producers in the nearest five years, banning the tobacco advertising, sponsorship and sales promotion in part and in whole.

Any state that signed the convention has three years to eliminate any chance for misleading a buyer as to the supposedly lower harm done by the light or superlight cigarettes vs. the ordinary ones. The tobacco producers will have to inform about all components of tobacco smoke and the warning inscription will cover at least 30 percent of each pack.

According to the WHO, smoking tobacco kills each fourth in Russia. Passive smoking is of equal danger, as it increases the risk of lung cancer by 34 percent and the risk of vascular pathology by 50 percent."(link)
==========================

"Russians die not of disease, but of alcohol, smoking and bad diet. And no proper measures capable of easing the effects of these factors are anywhere in sight," says the daily.

"Talking about low birth rates in Russia is a habit," the daily quotes Kirill Danishevsky, a consultant at the Open Institute of Health, as saying. "In the meantime, in this respect we are little different from the European countries. It is a far more complex puzzle why we and our near neighbors - Ukraine and Belarus - are states unique from the standpoint of mortality statistics. On the average Russian men die at the age of 56-58, while many of their counterparts in the West live to 78.

Medics say over-drinking kills 500,000 people with heart problems. Most of them had never complained about bad health. Few know that two bottles of vodka consumed over a period of less than two hours are a lethal dose for most Russians. Analysts say that on holidays and on weekends many of those who drink fall short of the lethal dose by a very narrow margin.

One hundred and sixty thousand of those who die of injuries are victims of hard drinking as well. Alcohol is involved in nearly 80 percent of all murders. These are committed not by maniacs or habitual felons, but by drinking pals.

Tobacco is the second worst killer. According to estimates, 65 percent of Russian men and 30 percent of women are chain smokers. About half of them die of smoking-related diseases.

http://top.rbc.ru/retail/10/01/2008/133095.shtml
http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID
Kyle

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Moscow: Inside GUM!

Hello,

The Gum Department Store is a showcase from the Soviet Era! We are always amazed when we go there; The building is old and gorgeous! Svet use to shop there when it was a Soviet Union Store. Now we go just to see the beautiful sites. It is a high dollar shopping experience with names from all over the world. I just thought that you might want to see what New Years looked like at GUM!

Beautiful is what I call it!

Kyle & Svet

Link to good article on GUM & its history!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Universal_Store
comments always welcome.
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Carp: Russian Delicacy!

Hello,

I had an article about Grass Carp along time ago! http://kylekeeton.com/2007/08/russia-grass-carp-is-delicacy
I never got around to showing you how they are kept in the big stores. I myself am not a Carp lover but Russians are. You can find fresh Carp all over the city!
The price is 140.90 Rubles per kilo; That is about $5.60 per kilo or around $2.25 a pound!

Thanks to my wife for the video.

Kyle

comments always welcome.
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Russian News: January 8th, 2008!

RBC, 08.01.2008, Tbilisi 13:45:11.Georgian presidential candidate Levan Gachechiladze and the leaders of the united opposition forces of Georgia appeared at the country's Central Election Commission demanding the dismissal of its chairman Levan Tarkhnishvili today. Gachechiladze called the election chief "a fraud, who has falsified the election on a nationwide scale" and said that the opposition leaders would continue their appearances in the commission building until they've achieved victory. In turn, Tarkhnishvili denied the accusations of rigging the vote and claimed that the opposition forces were threatening the commission. He called on those who were displeased with the election to appeal the results in district polling stations, the Central Election Commission, and in court. The election chief explained to journalists that the election was impossible to rig, if only, because practically all opposition parties were represented at all the levels of election administration.

RBC, 08.01.2008, Tbilisi 12:16:58.The Central Election Commission of Georgia has announced the results of the presidential election from 95 percent of the country's polling stations. According to the results, Mikhail Saakashvili was still leading the race with 52.1 percent. Levan Gachechiladze was in second place with 24.99 percent, while other candidates had gained less than 7 percent of the vote. Therefore, the election authorities have concluded that the early presidential election will be completed in one round. The commission is currently continuing to count the remaining votes. The Central Election Commission has not yet announced the results of a referendum regarding Georgia's entry to NATO and the date of the next parliamentary election. According to exit polls, some 61 percent of voters cast their ballots in support of Georgia's NATO membership, and 63.6 percent voted for holding a parliamentary election in the spring. It is expected that the official results of the referendum will be announced within a week....(Click: read more for lots of exciting news!)

RBC, 08.01.2008, Moscow 11:37:34.Armenia's trade deficit amounted to just shy of $1.81bn, or 22.9 percent of GDP, from January to November 2007, ARMINFO reported. According to the republic's National Statistics Service, Armenia's foreign trade grew 39.1 percent in the first 11 months of 2007 and 10.8 percent in November alone, to $3.933bn. Trade with the EU rose 37.3 percent to $1.497bn, with exports amounting to $516.6m and imports $981m. Trade with countries outside the CIS reached $1.147bn, and $1.288bn with the CIS. Armenia's key trade partners in terms of exports are Russia (17.3 percent of Armenia's overall exports), Germany (14.5 percent), the Netherlands (13.4 percent), Belgium (8.8 percent), Georgia (7.5 percent), Switzerland (4.6 percent), and the US (4.3 percent). The primary importers to Armenia are Russia (15.6 percent of total imports), Ukraine (7.8 percent), Kazakhstan (7.3 percent), Germany (6.8 percent), China (5.9 percent), and the US (4.6 percent).

RBC, 08.01.2008, Moscow 10:37:27.Moscow is seriously concerned about the continuing turmoil in Palestinian-Israeli relations, Mikhail Kamynin, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, told reporters, commenting on the situation in Palestinian territories. He noted that Russia condemned and considered unacceptable the attacks from the Gaza strip directed at Israeli towns, and referred to them as acts of terrorism that had to be stopped. Kamynin called on Israel and the Palestinians to keep to their obligations under the road map of political settlement in order to achieve peaceful and safe coexistence between Israel and the Palestinian Authority on the western bank of the Jordan river and the Gaza Strip. According to Kamynin, Russia will continue to assist in this both on a bilateral basis and within the framework of the international quartet of Middle East mediators.

RBC, 03.01.2008, Tashkent 15:42:12.The state-owned Uzbekistan Railways has signed an agreement with Transpromresurs (Russia) to upgrade its diesel locomotive fleet for $54m. The project to be financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has been designed for a term of two years. The entire project worth $83m provides for the construction of a locomotive assembly facility with a capacity of 292 locomotive sections a year based on the Uzbekistan Railways' maintenance subsidiary. The project is to be financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Uzbek company. Experts believe that with a stable growth of 7 percent on average, the total cargo traffic will reach 70m tonnes by 2012.

RBC, 03.01.2008, Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus has called on Russia to admit the fact that Lithuania had been occupied by the Soviet Union, and pay damages to the republic, Echo of Moscow radio reported on Monday. Lithuania wants $28 billion in compensation, according to estimates announced by Lithuanian officials and experts a few years ago. This is not the first time that Vilnius has made such demands in connection with the so-called ‘Soviet occupation’. In 1939, the republic’s pro-Communist forces formed an alternative people’s government, which invited the USSR to send in its troops into Lithuania. Later it applied for membership in the Soviet Union.

Kyle

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Svet Sunday: Святки (Holy Days) Is Time For Fortune Telling!

Hello,

I am happy to tell you that tonight is Сочельник (Sochelnik) - Christmas-tide (Christmas Eve) in Russian Orthodox Church. We already had a good article about old Russian Christmas traditions.

Today I'll tell you some folk traditions of fortune telling in Russia. It starts at Christmas Eve (January 6th) and ends with the Epiphany (January 19th). In old time people believe that's that on those days souls of dead ancestors wander around the world and check if their children and grandchildren lead righteous lives. And if someone would start talking to you through the window, you should answer him very politely, but you should not open the door: it is a spirit; people go through the door... At the Christmas Eve people believe there are two strengths in these days: Strength of Kind and Strength of Evil. And to what strength you join, the strength will make wonder with you!.....(Click: read more to rest of fabulous article!)

In Russia people believe that if it's snowing at Christmas Eve it will be good harvest for bread and if it's frost at Christmas Eve it will be Happiness and Love in family life. And I am telling you right now that is just very slight snowing now but frost -15 and it will be colder by midnight! So we'll see!

During these two weeks, people think a good time to find out about the future. Even the Russian Church does not consider this, like a sin.

There are some old folk fortune telling. They are most for girls who wants get married:

At midnight girls go out to a crossing and draw a circle in the snow with a burnt stick, and bend to the ground they try to hear the sound of a bell, or an underground bell. If she heard the sound of a bell it meant that she would get married this year.

To learn the color of the eyes of the fiancé they used such a fortune telling. At midnight girls used to go out with 'sochen' (a cottage cheese pie); they went wherever they liked to share the pie with the first person she met and to eat it. What the color of this person's eyes was, the same color her future fiancé eyes will be. If she asked his name, she could learn the name of her future fiancé.

A girl who wants to see her fiancé could do it in such a way: A girl sits in dark room at midnight, she has two mirrors at the table what face each other lightning candles and tries to see a some one in the gallery of reflections.

To know about future you can such way by watching shadows: Everyone takes a pure leaf of a paper, crumples it, puts on a dish or on a greater flat plate and sets fire. When the leaf will burn down or nearly so will burn down, you translate the shadows of it on the wall by candle. You try to learn your future by watching closely the shadows on the wall.

If you want to know if this girl and this guy will be together: you put two matches on each side a matchbox and set a fire. If the burned down heads of the matches will be turned to each other, that means this guy and the girl will be together.

Here I told you just very little part of Russian folk fortune telling. When I was writing this article I learned a lot about the traditions. Some of them I never knew about but some of them I know from my childhood and we even tried them with my classmates ;).

Do you know some folk fortunetelling? Do you believe in some of them?

Best wishes and Merry Christmas!

Svet and Kyle

comments always welcome

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Russia: Still Have One More Christmas?

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee and realized that Christmas still has one more time to be celebrated!

On the 7th of January, (in Russia) it is a Religious Holiday for Christmas....(Click: read more for the rest of the article.)
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"Christmas is NOT celebrated in Russia on January 7th. It is celebrated on December 25th. Of course, the follow up question would be "When is December 25th?"

Pre-revolutionary Russia used the Julian calendar universally, i.e. for government, personal purposes and church purposes. When the Soviet government changed to the Gregorian calendar, the Russian Orthodox Church did not make the change. They continued using the Julian calendar, which is (currently) 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar.

Since Christmas is a religious holiday, it was not celebrated as a Soviet state holiday (focus during the Soviet era was on New Year). As a religious holiday, it continued to be celebrated in churches and in homes, privately, on December 25 - but, the December 25 used by the Church. Even with the fall of the Soviet Union, the Church still uses the Julian calendar.

Think of it this way: Go to Moscow. Buy a newspaper on January 7. Look at the date - sure enough, it will say January 7. Walk into a Russian Orthodox church, carrying that newspaper. As soon as you enter the church, it is, for all practical purposes, December 25. (No, the newspaper will not change the printed date). Any announcements, bulletins, Gospel readings etc. will reflect that today is December 25. Turn around, walk out of the church and, as soon as you exit, it is January 7.

It should be plain to see, but this also means that the date for celebrating Russian Christmas is not connected to January 6 as Epiphany, as Julian January 6 falls on Gregorian January 19, which is Russian Epiphany (usually called "Theophany" in the Russian Church)."
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So, I have found it very interesting in Russia! The past has created a managerie out of the Winter Holiday Season!

That is why I love Russia!

Kyle & Svet
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/12/russia-holidays-are-far-from-over.html

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Russia: Israel Orthodox Christmas!

At least 5,000 Russian citizens to celebrate Orthodox Christmas in Israel

MOSCOW. Jan 4 (Interfax) - Five thousand Russian pilgrims will celebrate Orthodox Christmas in the Holy Land in Israel this year - three times more than in 2007, Yury Minulin, the director general of the Radonezh travel company, has announced.

Radonezh organizes pilgrimage tours in Russia and abroad.

"These figures are based on the assessment of the flights from Moscow to Tel Aviv sold by Russia's Transaero and Sibir (S7) and Israel's El Al airlines," Minulin said in an interview with the Interfax-Tourism portal.

In all, these companies are expected to fly between 12,000 and 15,000 Russian travelers to Israel by January 6, half of them tourists and those who intend to see relative. The other passengers are pilgrims and business people, he said. sd
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Kyle

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Moscow Traffic: Gotta Love It!

Hello,

Svet and I love to drive, but the normal drive is like this.(Video)

It really does take 3 to 6 hours to get out of Moscow!


Reminds me of the traffic that I endured in the USA! Do you travel in traffic like this everyday?

We thought you might like to see some Moscow traffic!

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

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Russian News: January 3rd, 2008!

RBC, 03.01.2008, Moscow 10:25:16.Urals Energy Plc. has announced that Morgan Stanley Securities Limited, which acted as the manager of the leading Russian independent oil company's private share offering, has exercised its over-allotment option. Morgan Stanley purchased 1,643 shares, or nearly 5 percent of the offering. Urals Energy Plc placed 32,857m shares worth a total of GBR65.6m (USD132m) worth of shares on December 5, according to the company's statement.

RBC, 03.01.2008, Moscow 11:32:06.HydroOGK is planning to rebrand in late January - early February 2008, the Russian power generation company said in a statement today. The company did not specify, which name the consolidated company would use. However, RusHydro was among the proposed names.As reported earlier, HydroOGK is undergoing restructuring in the form of consolidation with electric power plants and is scheduled to start operating as a unified company on January 9. Its shares are projected to be listed on Russian stock exchanges in April 2008. The company's GDR program is to start in March 2008....(Click: read more)

RBC, 03.01.2008, Moscow 11:42:48.The Moscow government's 2008 program provides for the construction of some 5.3m square meters of real estate in Moscow. About 1m square meters of housing are projected to be built in the center of the city, including 675,000 square meters of commercial building and 325,000 square meters of housing.Some 4.8m square meters of residential buildings were introduced in 2007.

RBC, 03.01.2008, Moscow 12:42:14.Some 28 hotels are to be opened in Moscow in 2008, the Moscow city government's representative told RBC today. Vladimir Resin, Deputy Mayor of Moscow signed a decree to this effect. According to the document, 21 hotels are projected to be opened in the center of the city, and the total amount of hotel rooms is anticipated to exceed 5,200.About 3.5m people come to Moscow annually and the figure is estimated to reach 5m in 2010 and 20m in 2025. More than half of tourists coming to Moscow are Russian citizens.

RBC, 03.01.2008, Tbilisi 13:43:56.Georgia's presidential candidate Badri Patarkatsishvili released a statement today confirming his decision to run for President in the elections scheduled for January 5, 2008. Earlier, Patarkatsishvili's campaign headquarters had been considering filing a refusal to take part in the elections on behalf of Badri Patarkatsishvili on January 4.

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Russian Presidential 2008 Speech!

Hello,

This is Putins farewell 2007 & looking forward to 2008 Speech!

Kyle & Svet
comments always welcome.

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Russia: We Know How To Eat New Year Dinner!

Hello,

I was drinking my after dinner coffee! (It is a Holiday so I get to drink two cups of coffee!) I was thinking how delicious dinner was.

We had my old time traditional, New Years Dinner, It is now our "Traditional, New Years Dinner!" ; New potatoes, black-eyed peas, fatback and corn on the cob! Svet said:"Yummy, Yummy!"

We had an article on why we eat these foods at New Years; Last night we followed Russian traditions, today we followed American traditions. I truly think that it is a toss up to which is better. All New Year Food is great!

Happy New Year, from:

Svet & Kyle

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Happy New Year: Putin Presidential Speech!

MOSCOW, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed on Monday the achievement of his nation in 2007 and wished everyone success in his last New Year speech as president.

"We not only restored our territorial integrity but also we felt united. These years we worked together in order to preserve our country and turn it into a modern, free and strong state, which may be convenient and comfortable for citizens' life," he said in a 5-minute speech broadcasted midnight on Monday.

"We see that Russia has been strengthening every year. We see that our economy is growing and new opportunities are opening for the people," he said while a celebration was going on at the Red Square.

"Let us wish each other new success and raise our glasses to the health and happiness of our relatives and to those we love and take care of most of all, and to whom we give our warmth and to whom we will be close," he said.

"Let your longest dreams to come true," the Russian head of state said, receiving applause, cheers and the New Year bell rings on the square.

Putin has pledged to step down after next March's presidential election. He has backed First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev to become his successor.

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Happy New Years,

Kyle & Svet

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