Travel Russia!: March 2006

Friday, March 31, 2006

Moscow daily photo

Welcome to see latest photos of the Moscow downtown. This is breathtaking views from high rise apartment. Our photos have been updated daily many years. We use SONY Digital Still Camera (DSC F717 and DSC R1). This is real manual work, that is why you can see the best possible quality available for the web.

Ivan.ru take panoramas of University and Stadium, New Maiden Convent, Academy of Sciences, Shukhov Tower, Christ The Savior Cathedral, and Metro Bridge. There are, also, photos of ordinary people from Moscow and all this since 2003! Best recomendations.

At Flickr Moscow group

...there are 1861 photos today. Some of them very nice.

Thursday, March 30, 2006

RAO UES of Russia has made site about GOELRO (transliteration of the Russian abbreviation for "State Commission for Electrification of Russia") plan. There are some GOELRO posters, wallpapers and screensavers there.

As I think, most interesting on this site is audio-video archive. For example, this clip (2,5 Mb). Starring: Vladimir Ilich Lenin.

Visa to Russia

Generally, there are six types of Russian visas:
a tourist visa,
a business visa,
a student visa,
a personal (private) visa,
a transit visa,
a short 72-hour visa.
Each visa type corresponds to the purpose of your visit.
However, many people come for a short business trip with tourist visas, or to visit their friends with business visas. So, when choosing the type of visa, the only consideration should be — price / speed of processing / period of stay / the number of entries, and not the formal name of the visa.
Generally, the best options in terms of price, processing speed and flexibility are tourist and business visas. It's better to get a tourist visa if you plan to stay in Russia no longer than one month, and need a single- or a double-entry only. It's better to get a business visa if you plan to stay in Russia longer than 1 month and / or need a multiple-entry visa.
It is easier to obtain a tourist visa, because a business visa costs more, and takes longer to process, although it may save you time and money if you are going to visit Russia several times during 1 year.

Read more about Russian Visa at WayToRussia.Net.

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

10-year old girl, selling drugs

"The drug dealer, a 10-year old girl, failed to get rid of the evidence before she was detained," the spokesman said. "About 30 heroin doses ... were found in her apron during a search. The girl was hiding her money in a yogurt tub and on that day her earnings were about 2,000 rubles ($72)."

Originally posted: http://en.rian.ru/russia/20060328/44879972.html

Monday, March 27, 2006

Soviet caricatures from Krokodil

Image text: How are they imagine United Kingdom in United States.

Image text: Around gangsters:

- I can't connect with my brother - thief and bribe-taker.
- But there is he sat?
- In the senate!

Image text: Aim and means:

- People is on the first place for our government, Jim: means for war gets mostly from them.

Image text: Hard way:

- It's difficult to become popular, now...
- Why?
- As it was earlier, you could write something totally foolish, then Mayakovskiy makes a fun of it and you get known through all the Union.

Image text: Three splinters: vodka, belief and bribe.

Krokodil (Crocodile) is a cult comic magazine based in 1922 year and stil alive. See this and many more caricatures in it's archive.

Sunday, March 26, 2006

Alexander

Originally posted: http://zhgun.livejournal.com/320846.html

Mr. Putin plagiarist?

Large chunks of Mr. Putin's mid-1990s economics dissertation on planning in the natural resources sector were lifted straight out of a management text published by two University of Pittsburgh academics nearly 20 years earlier, Washington researchers insisted yesterday.

Originally posted: http://washingtontimes.com/world/20060324-104106...

Wouldn't be wondered if it's true.

Saturday, March 25, 2006

Last news from Minsk

Elections in Belarus have ended.

Alexander Lukashenko won with 83% of voices. Main opposition candidate Alexander Milinkevich garnered 6.1% of the vote.

Lukashenko has had more than 100 activists arrested since Monday, many culled from the daily protests by thousands in downtown Minsk. Many fear a violent crackdown when the opposition mounts a major rally Saturday.

Originally posted: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-e...

As far as I know, there are no violence now. It seems, to be no revolutions in Minsk.

Friday, March 24, 2006

Most full catalog of Russian web-servers

Is you know, how to place 367236 sites on one page? Aleksey Tutubalin knows! Black Square is the most full catalog of Russian web-servers, designed in tradition of Kazimir Malevich.

Learn face of usual Russian web-site by clicking on different points of square. It also can be interesting, to see history of Russian Internet in squares. ;)

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Which dead Russian composer are you most like?

Complete test and get the answer! For example, I am like Dmitri Shostakovich. =)

Other

Thank me:

About me

Lytdybr:

Lao Lytdybr:

My step

Humor

Pictures:

Other humor:

Weblogs

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

About dictatorship

Saparmurat Niyazov, president of the former Soviet republic, urged his country's youth to read his book Rukhnama, while speaking on state television Monday during a concert celebrating Naw Ruz (the Persian New Year).

"Anyone who reads the Rukhnama three times will find spiritual wealth, will become more intelligent, will recognize the divine being and will go straight to heaven,"

Originally posted: http://www.cbc.ca/story/arts/national/2006/03/21/bo...

This book is shortest way to heaven, I ever heard. Give me it!

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Photo

Online exhibitions:

Photo blogs:

Russian beauties:

Other photo:

Explore Russia, meet Russians

Explore Russia:

Meet Russians:

Russian brides:

Elections in Belarus today

V.Putin had to decide to leave "Big 8" or still to support dictatorship and to have beseeching humble Belarus. But he is a sly fellow, he tries now to keep both of profits. He called out AL and reprimanded him. Perhaps he said to AL "I’m so tired from your paranoia! Stop hysterics! Let’s they will gather, what can they do against you? Why are you so afraid by results of votes? Declare about 78% of votes went to you and continue to enjoy yourself".

Originally posted: http://dsheiko.livejournal.com/25279.html

News

News:

Analytics:

Sport:

Friday, March 17, 2006

Jack Straw about Iraq

The "misjudgments", he argued, were taken after the end of the war. "What we have learnt is that the post-war situation has been more difficult than we planned," he said. "The planning for that was less satisfactory than it should have been." The US-led coalition hadn’t understood that the "early euphoria had to be built on very rapidly. That didn’t happen quickly enough."

Originally posted: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,174-209..

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Spring aggravation?

The leader of the Russian Communist Party has said the outbreak of bird flu in a number of European countries including Russia is a plot by the United States.

"It’s strange that not a single duck has yet died in America - they are all dying in Russia and European countries. This makes one seriously wonder why," Gennady Zyuganov was quoted by UPI as saying.

Originally posted: http://www.mosnews.com/news/2006/03/15/zyugan...

One hundred posts!

This is my post number one hundred! This is a long way I am done. =)

Thanks to everyone, who helps me for last two months! Special thanks to Jane Keeler, from "From Russia with blog", who was first linking on me, to Raffi Aftandelian, from "Maaskva: nashimi glazami", for his kindness and to Veronica Khokhlova, from "Neeka's Backlog" for promoting me in Global Voices Weblog.

There are two things, what I should strongly work on: some unique content and my English, of course. =)

Now I should categorize my content, so don't be afraid of some system posts.

Hope, I was interesting. ;)

P.S. Afraid, I gonna use "Travel Russia!" as my blog's name. It gave me good SEO results on MSN (now waiting indexing from Google) and this auditory important for me.

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

The communist party!

Originally posted: http://theweaselking.livejournal.com/1498318.html

Thanks to W. Shedd for link.

Live photo journal

Russian blogger and photographer konoplinovich recently visit open-air Museum of Wooden Architecture "Vitoslavlitsy", near Velikiy Novgorod. In his blog you can also find great photos of Saint Petersburg, Saint Isaac's Cathedral, Vladimir Ilich Lenin's monument and many more! Best recommendations.

Monday, March 13, 2006

Presidential elections in Belarus

Presidential elections gonna be in Belarus on 19th March. Let's see two opinions:

Perhaps you heard the expression "Last Europe dictator". He, who is called so, heard this too. He very dislike this words. However 12 years passed and the dictator is in power now as before. It’s forbidden by the Constitution of Belarus. So, he rewrote the Constitution. Than he called presidential elections in order to there will be less conversations about dictatorship. KGB reported to him opposition forces are weak and it was guessed that there will not be any troubles. He order already to prepare papers about the dictator took 78% of electors’ votes, but it’s happened surprise.

Originally posted: http://dsheiko.livejournal.com/23974.html

I find it interesting, and frankly quite predictable, that the elections about being placed in a narrative of the Ukraine’s Orange Revolution. In fact, some are already giving the would-be "revolution" a name - the "Denim Revolution." The drama is certainly building with all the physical attacks on the opposition. Let’s see how this narrative plays out in reality. To me this poses all sorts of questions about how "democratic" elections in the Former Soviet states are being framed in the West.

Originally posted: http://seansrusskiiblog.blogspot.com/2006/03/belaru...

I am really don't know what will happen there... United States and Russia had a big interests on this elections and they will compete. Peaceful, I hope.

Vladimir Vladimirovich™

Once upon a time Vladimir Vladimirovich™ had a dinner in his dining-room together with Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev. The two men faced a saucer with pancakes, a green tin of granular salmon caviar, a piece of New Zealand butter in a silvery pack, a bottle of "Gzhelka" vodka, and two glasses from IKEA.

"A modest party you have", mumbled Vladimir Vladimirovich™, putting some caviar on his pancake, "Where are the guests?"

"What guests?.. Now I have none...", Mikhail Sergeevich waved his hand in disappointment and filled his glass with vodka.

"Well, to you!", said Vladimir Vladimirovich™, raising his glass, "If not you, I would be still in GDR, saving money for a 'Lada'. Thanks, Bro." The two men drank the health of Mikhail Sergeevich.

"You see, how it all happened", putting some dew-coated butter on his pancake, "I gave you all the opportunity to earn billions, and I myself now have to advertise pizza".

"A historical unfairness", nodded Vladimir Vladimirovich™, chewing his pancake, "This is going to happen to me as well. To everyone, in fact".

"I wonder", asked Mikhail Sergeevich, refilling their glasses with vodka, "Who's next? How can we guess?"

"There's nothing to guess", said Vladimir Vladimirovich™, taking the glass into his Presidential Hand, "Lukashenko is sure to be the next. He has a Maidan of his own already".

"You don't say so!", exclaimed Mikhail Sergeevich in surprise, "Well, everything flows and changes, and we are getting old, aren't we, Bro?"

"I still have some time left", said Vladimir Vladimirovich™, raising the glass, "Seven hundred fourty-five days more!"

"You mean what?", asked Mikhail Sergeevich, raising, in turn, his glass, "Are you counting the days?"

"It's Kasparov who counts", answered Vladimir Vladimirovich™, "I have no time for it - I'm ruling the country. Cheers, Bro! To perestroika!"

The two men drank again.

Vladimir Vladimirovich™ is a blog with fun stories about president of Russia Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. Mr. Parker also published a book by materials of site.

Sunday, March 12, 2006

Wallpapers from best Russian illustrators

I am searching wallpaper for my desctop, today. There is a one Russian site, there I get wallpapers all the time. Wallpapers from best Russian illustrators are placed on Wallpapers[ru] and I hardly recommend it to you.

By the way, that's what I am choosed:

Originally posted: http://wallpapers.ru/cgi-bin/arty3/forum/show.cgi?m=...

Khodorkovsky's destiny as destiny of Russia

Deep in the bowels of Siberia, in a grim penal colony where the winter temperatures reach 40 degrees below zero, a man who was once one of Russia's richest tycoons and head of its largest oil company is now serving an eight-year sentence.

Originally posted: http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/editorial/14...

Saturday, March 11, 2006

Everything changes

Everything changes... And my blog too. Here list of today's, innovations. I hope you wouldn't dislike it very much. ;)

Name! Yes, I change my blog's name. Greet "Travel Russia!". I am afraid that is not a human name, but robots one. Target auditory of this name is search engine bots. ;)
On the other side, RubLog is a simple weblog server, maybe I shouldn't steal another's name...
SEO changes in blog template, that I write recently, done at last.
Menu Explore Russia on the right bar was deleted. Add this page to favorites, if you want to remember this menu. On the blank space I will create a blog navigation menu.

Friday, March 10, 2006

What the Russian papers say

Novaya Gazeta: "Russia will benefit from any Iranian scenario"
Vedomosti: "Algerian army to receive new Russian weapons"
Kommersant: "Business community worried by Putin's counterterrorism bill"
Gazeta: "Russian almost a priority in Ukrainian election campaign"
Biznes: "Domestic gas prices will rise in Russia"

Originally posted: http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20060309/44123237.html

Daily papers reviews are aviable at RIA Novosti.

Russian tales - Sadko

In the north of Holy Russia lies the mighty and glorious town of Novgorod, known to all as Lord Novgorod the Great. And once there lived in great Novgorod a bard, a musician of some repute, by name: Sadko. He had little in the way of gold, and to support himself he made the rounds of the noble feasts and banquets, entrancing and delighting everyone, whether prince or boyar, merchant or peasant, with his marvelous skill on the gusli and his golden voice and his skill at weaving words and music into mighty visions of the exploits of Russian folk. He was always in demand and he looked forward to a day when he might have saved enough money to allow him to sing and play simly for pleasure rather than sustenance.

Sadko is a well-known Novgorodian tale about a bard and sailor. This and many more Russian tales aviable on Russian Crafts.

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Chukotka and Sakhalin photo

We were flying just ahead of the sun, outside the time. Time zones changed one another and we could not follow this sudden change. We landed first in Tcheliabinsk and then in Irkutsk; night changed by the day, and then again we were high up in the sky, falling into a deep and bright dreaming.

See beautiful photo collections of Chukotka and Sakhalin by Sergey Emets.

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Apologies

Japan’s sports minister has been forced to apologize for a public gaffe after saying he was very happy to see Russian figure skating star Irina Slutskaya fall at the Turin Winter Olympics, AFP reported.
Two-time world champion Slutskaya, who was the last to perform in the closely-fought women’s figure skating competition, fell on a combination of jumps, clearing the way for Japan’s Shizuka Arakawa to take the gold medal.

Originally posted: http://www.mosnews.com/news/2006/03/07/japanes...

That's fun, how rules of etiquette sometimes limit our actions. Everyone knows, that Japan’s minister did not bear it malice to Irina Slutskaya, but everyone thinks apologies is a very big deal, now.

Good luck to Shizuka Arakawa and his fan minister Kenji Kosaka. =)

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Women's day - 8th March

8th of March is an International Women's Day - one of the main holydays in Russia. Congratulations to all women in the world. Wish you to be happy, beautiful and healthy.

Women is the most beautiful and clever part of humans and we love you this day, more then any other day of the year.

For mens:

In Russia, it is usual to present flowers on 8th March. You still have time to make it, with Send Flowers or Flowers 2 Russia.

The Russian Photography Collection 1917-1945

Image text: The Free Land Use Act

The Russian Photography Collection is comprised of approximately 7,000 gelatin-silver photographs by the leading photographers and photojournalists working in Soviet Russia between the two World Wars.

Must to see!

Monday, March 06, 2006

Russia’s Main Pro-Kremlin Party Posts 1 Million Members

Boris Gryzlov, leader of United Russia and also the speaker of the State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, said: "By morning, the quantity of our party members was 999,546 people. Taking into account that over 500 party membership cards were rendered per day, today a millionth party member will receive his or her card".

Saturday, March 04, 2006

Moscow Photos

There are good photo collections of Moscow and Saint Petersburg, I find today. You can also check portfolio of it's author Albert Hajrullin.

Learn Russian

Almost all people in big cities of Russia know English language. In small towns situation much worse, thats why it is very useful to learn Russian.

Friday, March 03, 2006

John Paul II

The 1981 assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II was the result of precise orders from the Soviet Union, an Italian parliamentary investigation has concluded.

Originally posted: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13509-20668...

It's can't be true. There are no one reason to order it in Kremlin in 1981. I think, someone just want to "brand" John Paul II as a world's communism defeater...

It is Spring!

Sorry for lack of news yesterday. We worked, and worked, and worked, and has finished site of Civil G8, at last. I'll try to waste more time on my blog, now.

You should know: I love all my readers very much, I very greatful to all who helps me, and I very proud of my blog.

What's more I want to say... Did you see it? It is Spring! =)

Thursday, March 02, 2006

Backlinks

Caution! Some unuseful backlinks for web directories.

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov

Mr Kadyrov, previously a rebel fighter who fought against the Russians, was appointed to carry out Mr Abramov's functions in his absence and began to stamp his own mark on Chechnya by introducing elements of Sharia law, which is derived from the teachings of the Koran. He has advocated polygamy and has clamped down on alcohol consumption and gambling.

Originally posted: http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article348393...

Trip to Moscow

American, now living in Vladimir, blogger Jane Keeler has visited Moscow, recently. Today, she post entire report about this trip (with good photos) in "From Russia with blog". There are a lot of places, where she take photos: Novodevichy Monastery and Novodevichy Cemetery, VNDKh and Space program monument, Kremlin, Red Square, Trinity Monastery, MXT Chekhov Theater, Moscow State University and even Communists demonstration.