Lent Around The World! (Easter Time)

Lent, in most Christian denominations, is the forty-day liturgical season of fasting and prayer before Easter. The forty days represent the time Jesus spent in the desert, where, according to the Bible, he endured temptation by Satan. Different churches calculate the forty days differently.

The purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer—through prayer, penitence, alms giving and self-denial for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events linked to the Passion of Christ and culminates in Easter, the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In Western Christianity, but with the exception of the Archdiocese of Milan which follows the Ambrosian Rite, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and concludes on Holy Saturday. The six Sundays in Lent are not counted among the forty days because each Sunday represents a "mini-Easter", a celebration of Jesus' victory over sin and death.

In those churches which follow the Byzantine tradition (e.g. Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholics), the forty days of Lent are calculated differently: the fast begins on Clean Monday, Sundays are included in the count, and it ends on the Friday before Palm Sunday. The days of Lazarus Saturday, Palm Sunday and Holy Week are considered a distinct period of fasting.

There are several holy days within the season of Lent.

* Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent in Western Christianity. * Clean Monday (or "Ash Monday") is the first day in Eastern Orthodox Christianity. * The fourth Lenten Sunday, which marks the halfway point between Ash Wednesday and Easter, is sometimes referred to as Laetare Sunday, particularly by Roman Catholics. * The fifth Lenten Sunday, also known as Passion Sunday (however, that term is also applied to Palm Sunday) marks the beginning of Passion tide. * The sixth Lenten Sunday, commonly called Palm Sunday, marks the beginning of Holy Week, the final week of Lent immediately preceding Easter. * Wednesday of Holy Week is known as Spy Wednesday to commemorate the days on which Judas spied on Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane before betraying him. * Thursday is known as Maundy Thursday, or Holy Thursday, and is a day Christians commemorate the Last Supper shared by Christ with his disciples. * Good Friday follows the next day, on which Christians remember His crucifixion and burial.

In the Roman Catholic Church, Mass is a three day event called the Easter Triduum that begins with the opening song of the Holy Thursday celebration. After the Holy Thursday celebration, the communion bread and wine is taken from the altar with no formal closing. Instead, the parish is invited to worship the holy Body of Christ. The next day is the official commemoration of The Passion of Jesus Christ and is usually celebrated at 3 PM local time though some parishes usually change the time due to work schedules. This commemoration is part of the Triduum Mass which the opening is just a prayer followed by the day's readings. The service usually ends with a shortened communion involving only the Body of Christ and a post communion prayer before the service ends without dismissal. The Easter Vigil is the start of the end of the Triduum mass and usually starts with a fire service before the readings which explore the history of mankind. The service also includes baptism and confirmation services which are usually celebrated after the homily. The Easter Vigil and Triduum Mass ends in the usual way with full communion.

Holy Week and the season of Lent, depending on denomination and local custom, end with Easter Vigil at sundown on Holy Saturday or on the morning of Easter Sunday. It is custom for some churches to hold sunrise services which include open air celebrations in some places.

In the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican traditions, the altar linens and priest's vestments are violet during the season of Lent. However, during the holy days the linens often change.

There are traditionally forty days in Lent which are marked by fasting, both from foods and festivities, and by other acts of penance. The three traditional practices to be taken up with renewed vigor during Lent are prayer (justice towards God), fasting (justice towards self), and alms giving (justice towards neighbor). Today, some people give up a vice of theirs, add something that will bring them closer to God, and often give the time or money spent doing that to charitable purposes or organizations.

The number forty has many Biblical references: the forty days Moses spent on Mount Sinai with God (Exodus 24:18); the forty days and nights Elijah spent walking to Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:8); God made it rain for forty days and forty nights in the days of Noah (Genesis 7:4); the Hebrew people wandered forty years traveling to the Promised Land (Numbers 14:33); Jonah in his prophecy of judgment gave the city of Nineveh forty days in which to repent (Jonah 3:4).

Jesus retreated into the desert, where he fasted for forty days, and was tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1-2, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-2). Jesus overcame all three of Satan's temptations by citing scripture to the devil, at which point the devil left him, angels ministered to Jesus, and he began his ministry. Jesus further said that his disciples should fast "when the bridegroom shall be taken from them" (Matthew 9:15), a reference to his Passion. Since, presumably, the Apostles fasted as they mourned the death of Jesus, Christians have traditionally fasted during the annual commemoration of his burial.

It is the traditional belief that Jesus lay for 40 hours in the tomb which led to the forty hours of total fast that preceded the Easter celebration in the early Church (the biblical reference to 'three days in the tomb' is understood as spanning three days, from Friday afternoon to early Sunday morning, rather than three 24 hour periods of time). One of the most important ceremonies at Easter was the baptism of the initiates on Easter Eve. The fast was initially undertaken by the catecholamine to prepare them for the reception of this sacrament. Later, the period of fasting from Good Friday until Easter Day was extended to six days, to correspond with the six weeks of training, necessary to give the final instruction to those converts who were to be baptized.

Converts to Christianity followed a strict catechizing or period of instruction and discipline prior to baptism. In Jerusalem near the close of the fourth century, classes were held throughout Lent for three hours each day. With the legalization of Christianity (by the Edict of Milan) and its later imposition as the state religion of the Roman Empire, its character was endangered by the great influx of new members. In response, the Lenten fast and practices of self-renunciation were required annually of all Christians, both to show solidarity with the catechisms, and for their own spiritual benefit. The less zealous converts were thus brought more securely into the Christian fold.

Traditionally, on Easter Sunday, Roman Catholics may cease their fasting and start again whatever they gave up for lent, after they attend Mass on Easter Sunday. Other Western denominations have also followed this general principle to a greater or lesser degree.

No matter how you celebrate Lent, it should be a time to recollect & renew!

2008 date for Easter:
March 23 (Western)
April 27 (Eastern)

Kyle & Svet

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From Russian MIR to International Space Station! (ISS)

(Top photo MIR & Bottom Photo ISS)

Hello,

I was drinking my wonderful cup of morning coffee & thinking today about the MIR Space Station, which lead me thinking about the International Space Station!

The MIR (Russian: Мир, which can mean both Peace and World) was a Soviet (and later Russian) orbital station. MIR was humanity's first consistently inhabited long-term research station in space, and the first 'third generation' type space station, constructed over a number of years with a modular design.

MIR currently holds the record for longest continuous human presence in space at eight days short of 10 years, and, through a number of collaborations, was made internationally accessible to cosmonauts and astronauts of many different countries. The most notable of these, the Shuttle-MIR Program, saw American Space Shuttles visiting the station eleven times, bringing supplies and providing crew rotation. MIR was assembled in orbit by successively connecting several modules, each launched separately from 1986 to 1996.

The station existed until 23 March 2001, at which point it was deliberately de-orbited, breaking apart during atmospheric re-entry over the South Pacific Ocean.

The Famous MIR was replaced by a joint adventure called, The International Space Station(ISS) which is a research facility currently being assembled in space. The on-orbit assembly of ISS began in 1998. The space station is in a low Earth orbit and can be seen from Earth with the naked eye: it has an altitude of 350-460 km (189-248 statute miles) above the surface of the Earth, and travels at an average speed of 27,700 km (17,210 statute miles) per hour, completing 15.77 orbits per day. The ISS is a joint project among the space agencies of the United States (NASA), Russia (RKA), Japan (JAXA), Canada (CSA) and several European countries (ESA).

The ISS is a continuation of what began as the U.S. Space Station Freedom, the funding for which was cut back severely. It represents a merger of Freedom with several other previously planned space stations: Russia's Mir 2, the planned European Columbus and Kibo, the Japanese Experiment Module. The projected completion date is 2010, with the station remaining in operation until around 2016. As of 2008, the ISS is already larger than any previous space station.

The International Space Station has a role to play as NASA moves forward with a new focus for the manned space program, which is to go out beyond Earth orbit for purposes of human exploration and scientific discovery. "The International Space Station is now a stepping stone on the way," says Griffin, "rather than being the end of the line". He says ISS crews not only will continue to learn how to live and work in space but also will learn how to build hardware that can survive and function for the years required to make the round-trip voyage from Earth to Mars.

I find it wonderful that the world can work together and build this Space Station! It is really something to be proud of, but it makes me wonder why: Even in Soviet Union times, that world scientific groups could work together to achieve great goals, but Governments of Countries have to play games?

Think about it: If governments would get along like the Scientific Community does in the World, We would probably have a lot less problems! Scientist from all over the world work together many times, they respect intellect! Knowledge is Power!

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome

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Russia: 65 years of The Stalingrad Battle!

Today we'll remember one of the bloodiest battles of the World War II & the turning point of the war for the Soviet Union .

The battle for the city of Stalingrad in the Soviet Union was the largest and bloodiest battle in the history of human warfare. It also marked the beginning of the end of the mighty German army.
The battle began in the beginning of September, 1942 and ended on February 2nd, 1943. Casualty figures are not exactly known, but estimates put the death toll at well over 800,000. The German army lost more than 150,000 soldiers and the remaining 650,000 were Russian soldiers and civilians who died defending their city.

This battle was most likely the decisive battle of the world war. If the Germans had won, Russia would have fallen for sure, the Nazis would have gained control of Russia's vast oil fields and all of their vital farmland and natural resources for the production of steel. Germany would have become immune to blockades against their supply routes. They would have been nearly impossible to defeat.

The Soviets were so desperate to defend the city, they destroyed all the bridges crossing the Volga River and all available boats so that their own armies could not retreat from Stalingrad. They were stuck there to fight or die. This newspaper describes this very action taken by the Russians.
You can read more about the Stalingrad Battle in Wikidedia. And to look at very impressive documentary photos here. LINK....


Full version of this video (Lost Evidence: " Stalingrad " 1 of 5) you can watch here.

We placed a picture of Pavlov's House at the header of this article because we want to tell you this story. And this story is just one particular story of the Stalingrad Battle.

The house was a four-story building in the city centre of Stalingrad, built parallel to the embankment of the river Volga and overseeing the "9th January Square", a large square named for Bloody Sunday (1905). The house was attacked by the German invaders in September 1942. A platoon of the 13th Guards Division was ordered to seize and defend it. The platoon was commanded by Yakov Pavlov, a junior commander replacing his wounded superior. They were successful, although only four men survived the combat. Together they went on defending the building on their own. After several days, reinforcements finally arrived, equipping the defenders with machine-guns, anti-tank rifles and mortars. The men, now a garrison of twenty-five, surrounded the building with barbed wire and minefields, and established anti-tank and machine-gun posts at the windows. For better internal communications and supplies they breached the walls in the basement and upper floors, and dug a communications trench to Soviet positions outside. Supplies were brought in via the trench or by boats crossing the river, defying German air raids and shelling.

Nevertheless food and especially water was in short supply. Lacking beds, the soldiers tried to sleep on insulation wool torn off pipes, yet usually the Germans kept shooting at the house with deafening machine-gun fire day and night. The Germans attacked the building several times a day. Each time German infantry or tanks tried to cross the square and to close in on the house, Pavlov's men put them under heavy fire from within the basement, from the windows and from the roof top. Leaving behind a square covered with corpses and steel, the Germans had to retreat again.

Eventually the defenders, as well as the Russian civilians who kept living in the basement all that time, held out during intensive fighting from 23 September until 25 November 1942, when they were relieved by the counter-attacking Soviet forces.

Pavlov's House became a symbol of the stubborn resistance of the Soviet Union in the Battle of Stalingrad, and in the Great Patriotic War in general. It stands out prominently because the German armies had previously conquered cities and entire countries within weeks; yet they were unable to capture a single half-ruined house, defended most of the time by just over a dozen soldiers, in spite of trying for two months. It is reported that the building at the "9th January Square" was marked as a fortress in German maps. (Read more in Wikipedia)

"The Motherland Calls!" — the tallest statue in the world (82 meters tall) when erected in 1967. To remember this awful war, and awful battle! When Motherland calls - everybody will go - will go and die!

I wrote this article just to show you a part of our Great War! And I ask you do you really think that people who survived this war, people who still remember this War (I and my girls still cry at our Victory Day). Do you think such people really wants a new War?...


And I just found out that Dmitri Minaev visited Volgograd (the modern name of Stalingrad) last year and here you can find his impressions: LINK.
Read that's interesting!

Best wishes
(by the way Russian people still wish peaсe to each other as one of New Year wish!),
Svet and Kyle

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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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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Russia: The Dollar is Hurting Overseas!

(Picture courtesy of columbia.edu)

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of wonderful coffee and thinking how the dollar is affecting Expats?

With the dollar now worth about 20 percent less in many cases against world currencies. The weak dollar and recent tax laws are hurting many of the millions or so Americans who live out of the USA, especially those paid in dollars! It is being felt by students, professionals and pensioners all over the world. The dollar is at a 26-year low against sterling and expected to stay above $2 to the pound for the next six months at least.

For those who work and live in Europe are often self-employed. The dollar's plunge to all-time lows against the Euro has already caused changes in incomes and lifestyles. Example $15,000 transfers to around 10,200 Euro's. So the dollar does not go as far anymore. When you earn money primarily in the States and then transfer it to Europe. The pain of the weak dollar is presented full force!

Adding to American Expat woes are laws passed last year which raised the amount some pay in U.S. taxes. Expatriate groups argue that the combination of the weak dollar and new tax laws will make Europe a less attractive destination for Americans wanting to work overseas. In fact it is making destinations all over the world less attractive.

This all makes for unhappy Americans who play around the world cheaply! Now they have to eat at McDonald's, like I do. :))

Kyle

comments always welcome.

Russians: Do Not Give Us Dollars!

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee & thinking about the Worlds attitude toward the Dollar.

The Dollar has hit new all time lows. It is not just the World that says this, it is even showing in the USA. The sub prime issue, is bigger than anyone thinks. Those US Banks that gave the loans, also sold those same loans to foreign investors! (These foreign investors do not want to hear about defaulted loans)

The Dollar which is weaker than the Canadian dollar and Australian dollar right now, is being supported by countries such as China, Russia, Japan & all of Europe. At any given moment, China could destroy the USA monetarily. Just by converting their stockpiled of $ to Gold, Silver or Euros. Russia keeps a certain amount of her reserves in $. Russia could convert and do the same damage almost as China. The three countries that have the largest reserves is China, Russia & Japan! (China having the largest reserve)
==========================
Article on the Russian Reserves..........(RBC)

"Russia’s gold and foreign currency reserves stood at $455.2 billion as of November 9, up $7.3 billion or 1.6 percent from $447.9 billion a week before, the Central Bank of Russia has reported.

From October 5 to November 2, the reserves went up by $23.1 billion. In the last five weeks, from October 5 to November 9, they increased by $30.4 billion, or 7.1 percent.

The significant rise in such a short time could be due to the Central Bank’s increased acquisition of foreign currency on Russia’s forex market, bringing the reserves to their highest level ever recorded.

As a result, Russia has slightly reduced its gap from China and Japan, which have the largest gold and foreign currency reserves in the world. China’s reserves top $1.434 trillion, up $101 billion in the third quarter of this year alone and a more than 45 percent increase from January to September 2007 compared with the same period a year ago. Japan has over $945 billion.

The draft guidelines of the state monetary and credit policy for 2008, published by the Central Bank of Russia, say that the gold and foreign currency reserves will increase by $114.9 billion in 2007. In 2008 they are projected to rise by $37.9 billion to $68.4 billion, depending on Russia’s macroeconomic policy. In 2009 the reserves are expected to increase by between $8.6 billion and $46.3 billion. In 2010 they could drop by $4.5 billion or rise by $5.6 billion and $20.8 billion.

Meanwhile, from January 1 to November 2, Russia’s gold and foreign currency reserves increased by $144.2 billion, which is $29.3 billion more than the Central Bank had projected for the whole year.

Gold and foreign currency reserves are highly liquid financial assets controlled by the Central Bank and the Finance Ministry. They consist of monetary gold, special drawing rights, the reserve position in the International Monetary Fund, and foreign currency."

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

Now as the ruble grows stronger against the dollar, more Russian companies are paying salaries in rubles instead of dollars. The salary structure has changed. Back in 2005, 45 percent of salaries were paid in rubles, and 44 percent in dollars. Currently, 80 percent of companies calculate salaries in rubles, and only 15 percent in dollars. (info RBC Report)

The good thing, "Unemployment is not a threat for Russia, with 72 percent of companies planning to hire more employees in 2008. (the problem of personnel training remains) In 2007, 70 percent of companies had difficulty finding personnel. Demand is very strong for competent office managers, secretaries, and young specialists with foreign language skills."
(Analytical department of RIA RosBusinessConsulting)

The path that the Dollar is taking is a rocky path indeed! (more like boulders)

Kyle

comments always welcome.

Russia: Troop Build-Up On Western Border?

Russia’s Defense Ministry has not ruled out the possibility of building up troops on Russia’s western borders following the suspension of the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty. (http://www.state.gov/t/ac/rls/fs/11243.htm)
(http://www.huliq.com/27306/nato-west-regret-)

On July 14, 2007, President Putin signed a decree on Russia’s suspension of the CFE Treaty and related international agreements. Putin had stated earlier: "Russia’s missile testing programs and the suspension of the CFE Treaty were in response to unfounded actions by Russia’s partners, namely the United States, to build missile shield in Europe." (http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/06/03/europe)

The State Duma is due to consider a bill on the suspension of the CFE Treaty Wednesday. Duma Chairman Boris Gryzlov said on Tuesday that many: "European countries and the US have not ratified the treaty, and deputies considered it necessary to suspend it. European countries have had three years to express their attitude towards the treaty, but they have not done so."
(http://www.asil.org/insights/2007/07/insight)

By the way Russia voted to pull out and have given their 150 day notice to NATO.

So all in all, The Games That Countries Play Go On!

Kyle

comments always welcome.

Russian Consulate Locator!

Hello,

I found this very useful Site to find the Russian Consulates all over the world!

http://www.russianembassy.net/

Hope this helps someone.

Kyle

comments always welcome.

Svet Sunday: Tell It To My Hand!

Hello!

Today I want to tell you about one theme what it seems was interesting for me all my life.
I'll tell you a little about Zagorsk school for deaf and blind children. Life of such people was always interesting for me, how they understand this world, how world understands me. I remember my Mom told me that when she was a student in Moscow Pedagogic University Olga Skorohodova came to meet the students. Olga Skorohodova was blind and deaf from early childhood but my Mom told that she was speaking well, told interesting things and answered the questions (she had an interpretor who helped her). She wrote books and poems and later when I already was a student of Moscow State University (Faculty of Computational Mathematics and Cybernetics) I liked to sit in the library reading her books.

I already was student of fourth year when two my class-mates called me and told that they are members of a volunteer organisation and that was very interesting life and they told me that they were visiting the Zagorsk school for deaf and blind children and helped them. Next week they were going there to remove snow from roof. That was the end of March and the snow was heavy, ready to melt off and the roof could be broken by that. They offer me to join to them and I was happy! They told a lot of unbelievable things about this school, they told me about Alexander Suvor - who had been a pupil of these school and were studying in Moscow State University that time. They taught me daktil (a finger ABC what use deaf people), when you talk to deaf and blind person they put their hand on yours and you tell "to their hand". We spent in Zagorsk school couple days, we removed the snow and talked to kids and all was happy :))). I even thought that I should give up my Math faculty and study Defectology in Pedagogic University. But it did not happen.

So when Kyle offered me to write Sundays articles I decided I will write what is interesting for me to write and hope it will be interesting for our readers. I made sum research in Internet about Alexander Suvorov to know what he is now.

That is one of articles what I found,
http://www.russiajournal.com/node/689

===================================
"Alexander Suvorov, 54, is one of Russia's outstanding figures in youth work and disabled education.

A psychology professor, Suvorov is one of the brightest innovators in education and socialization for the disabled. "

"My academic titles and functions in various schools and youth organizations are spelled out in the autobiography," Suvorov says. "But my one actual function everywhere is being the children's friend."

Losing touch with the world:

Suvorov lost his sight at the age of three and his hearing at the age of nine. His only contact with the outside world since has been an occasional glimpse of blurred visual images, and an ability to hear loud noises and music, though not human speech.

Overcoming the odds :

But when Suvorov communicates with the disabled, one witnesses an amazing strength of will, energy, and passion for life that shames the able-bodied who think they struggle with difficult problems.

Among Suvorov's blessings was a family ready to devote every ounce of energy and enormous amounts of time to his well being. He was also fortunate to have superb teachers.

Suvorov's mother spared no effort in finding the best institution to help prepare her blind son for the none-too-easy life he faced. Having spent four years in a school for blind children in his home city of Frunze in the Kirgiz republic, the 13-year-old Suvorov was then placed in a blind-and-mute boarding school in the town of Zagorsk, famous as the best available.

Not only did Suvorov learn several systems of communication, including Braille and the dactylo alphabet, he also managed to preserve and develop his speech abilities, escaping the menace of speech disorder often suffered by people who lose their hearing.

The will for self-development and education carried Suvorov from Zagorsk to Moscow State University's department of psychology. He was one of four Zagorsk graduates who entered Russia's top university in 1971 for an experimental special education program for the disabled. According to their teachers, Suvorov recalls, the group not only successfully kept up with, but even outstripped their able-bodied classmates.

Following his graduation, Suvorov spent several years working at the Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute for General and Pedagogical Psychology, then decided he wanted to put his energy into something other than pure academic research.

Working with the Disabled:

Suvorov came to work with disabled children in 1981; first at his old Zagorsk school, and then at various establishments linked to the well-known Children's Charity Order, DOM.

Suvorov has supported the organization of the Children's Charity Order since 1981. Founded in 1990, the association of youth workers and children has since become the leading Russian organization dealing with children suffering disabilities. It has branches in hundreds of cities, and carries out educational, rehabilitation, and social activities all over the country. By virtue of its Russian abbreviation, the order is commonly referred to as Dom (Russian for "home").

Dozens of local DOM branches, youth camps, rehabilitation groups, training seminars, and lectures keep Suvorov permanently on the road. He usually travels alone. Interviewed at Moscow international youth festival on May 30, he explained he had just arrived from the city of Nabereznye Chelny, Tatarstan, and already had train tickets to travel to a Black Sea camp.

Asked whether he was ever frightened of traveling alone, the blind and deaf professor replied: "What should I be afraid of? I'm in my own country, and even if I can't handle something myself, any normal companion would come to help me. I've never had a situation where they haven't."

During brief breaks between journeys, Suvorov occasionally lands in his current Moscow home, where he lives with his younger brother, Vasily. The younger Suvorov devotes much time tending to his blind brother, as does their sister, Olga, who lives in a different city, but still comes frequently to help look after Sashenka, as he is affectionately known.

A Man of Many Talents:

But Suvorov has not given up scientific work. Having researched personal self-development for the blind and deaf, he received a doctor's degree in 1994, completing a dissertation titled "Humanitarianism as a Factor of Personal Self-Development." While working as a researcher and lecturer at several research and educational institutions, he also published some 90 works-scientific, educational and literary. His most recent, a handbook called "Combined Pedagogics," is soon to be released.

Suvorov has devoted much of his time to describing the importance of humanitarianism in the rehabilitation of the handicapped, and for interpersonal relations in general. It is an issue, he says, to which he keeps returning when fashioning his work and own behavior.

And a thankful society has honored its hero. Suvorov was awarded the Knight's title by the Sverdlovsk Region DOM branch, a charity order medal from the all-Russian Good Dozen contest, a Gratitude Certificate from the Naberezhnye Chelny DOM branch, and an honorary doctorate in Humanitarian Sciences from Susquehan University in Pennsylvania in the United States.

But his most prized award, Suvorov says, is the Lev Tolstoy Gold Medal presented by the International Children's Fund Association in 1997.

Suvorov is also a poet. A couple of his collections of verse have been published. The following is one of his most recent poems:

===================================
A happy one's an egoist.

He feels not Compassion for another man's distress.

He gives condolences, and says he's sorry,

And yet remains for now blind and deaf.

Until the thunder strikes in fire and fury,

And cruel chance comes banging on the door,

Until his grief starts pouring from above,

For him to learn to see, and hear, and love."
===================================

Alexander Suvorov is taking part in a lot of Pedagogic Programs, Programs what teaches Humanity, believes in the best in the people, helps kids who has problems... I think we'll study them and who knows maybe one day we will take part in some of this program, trying to help somehow... so might be I'll be back to my experience what I've got years and years ago in the Zagorsk School :).

I worked hard on this article and if this theme is interesting for you I want to share with you some links what I found
1) in English:

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2003/0
http://leninist.biz/en/1982/ONBP322/4.2-A.Think
http://communication.ucsd.edu/people/PADDEN/B

2) in Russian/some links in Russian are still interesting for anybody cause of pictures ;)/:

http://suvorov.reability.ru/(Site Of Suvorov)
http://www.solidarnost.org/article.php?issue=26&s
http://www.love-to-life.com/eva_htm/suvorov.htm
http://www.electrostal.ru/electrostal/leisure/cultur
http://www.nsad.ru/index.php?issue=38%A7ion=1
http://www.pravoslavie.ru/guest/061115202399
http://www.miloserdie.ru/index.php?ss=1&s=8&id
http://www.altruism.ru/sengine.cgi/5%C2+-=2/36

I want to finish my article with beautiful poem by Olga Skorohodova (Hope our Russian friends help us to translate it in English)

Думают иные

Думают иные - те, кто звуки слышат,
Те, кто видят солнце, звёзды и луну: -
Как она без зренья красоту опишет?
Как поймёт без слуха звуки и весну!?

Я услышу запах и росы прохладу,
Лёгкий шелест листьев пальцами ловлю.
Утопая в сумрак, я пройду по саду,
И мечтать готова, и сказать люблю...

Пусть я не увижу глаз его сиянье,
Не услышу голос, ласковый,живой,
Но слова без звука - чувства трепетанье -
Я ловлю и слышу быстрою рукой.

И за ум, за сердце я любить готова,
Так, как любят запах нежного цветка.
Так, как любят в дружбе дорогое слово,
Так, как любит трепит сжатая рука.

Я умом увижу, чувствами услышу,
А мечтой привольной мир я облечу...
Каждый ли из зрячих красоту опишет,
Улыбнётся ль ясно яркому лучу?

Не имею слуха, не имею зренья,
Но имею больше - чувств живых простор:
Гибким и послушным, жгучим вдохновеньем
Я соткала жизни красочный узор.

Если вас чарует красота и звуки, -
Не гордитесь этим счастьем предо мной!
Лучше протяните с добрым чувством руку,
Что б была я с вами, а не за стеной.

Ольга Скороходова (Olga Skorohodova)


Be Happy!

Svet

Comments always welcome.