Year: 2008

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee later than usual today, I had to undergo some tests for my cardiologist and I have more tests to come in the next few weeks. As I was drinking my coffee I thought about how fantastic the health care is here in Moscow.

I have an insurance plan that costs me $500 per year. (Yes, per year : not per month!) It is not a plan from America, but a Russian health plan.

I have a cardiologist, a regular doctor (therapist), a dentist, a doctor for pain, a doctor for arthritis & in fact, a doctor for any issue that I need. These doctors are all women, no men. In Russia the medical field is dominated by women.

In America one trip to the cardiologist was $500. I had 6 heart attacks before I came to Russia & it was a concern of mine, about health care. Everything that I read was about how terrible the health care is in Russia.

I am here to tell you that if I had the cardiologist in America that I do now (in Russia), I may have not suffered 5 more heart attacks. I feel that if I had a cardiologist that cared about me, instead of did I have insurance (I did) & how fast can we get you out of the hospital! I would have been better off.
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My first heart attack was while driving to work. I drove myself to a hospital and was released in two hours after a cardiologist said: “It is all in his head!” Two weeks later I drove myself to another hospital, to find that I had a blockage of my LAD or *widow maker of 98 percent!

*(A widow maker is a nickname used to describe a highly stenotic left main coronary artery or proximal left anterior descending coronary artery of the heart. This term is used because if the artery gets completely occluded it will cause a massive heart attack that will likely lead to death.)

To make a long story short, I had a stent put in the second time and the following 4 trips to the hospital, I ended up with 5 more stents being put in for a total of 6 stents.**

**(In medicine, a stent is a tube that is inserted into a natural conduit of the body to prevent or counteract a disease-induced localized flow constriction.)

Out of 6 trips to the hospital I drove myself 5 times & rode the ambulance once. The insurance that I had, refused to pay for the ambulance ride? ($3867)

The total bills of all my heart fun times came to over $1,000,000.
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The health care in Russia has been fantastic, Now I have a group of doctors that take all the time that is needed and they run any test that is needed. They never make you feel like you are a burden all for $500 a year……

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

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Hello,

Just found a tidbit of information about renting office space in Moscow….
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Rent in Moscow business centers had skyrocketed. According to consultants Cushman & Wakefield & Stiles & Riabokobylko, the average cost for 1 sq. m. of class-A office space, not counting VAT, services and other charges, rose within the Garden Ring rose from $1000 in March to $1200 in April, up 75 percent in one year, and 20 percent in one month, that is 14 times more than the official inflation rate for that month of 1.2 percent. C&W&S&R say that Moscow has passed Paris in the rating of expensive office rentals, and may exceed London by 2010.
In the first quarter of this year, total office space in Moscow reached 7.31 million sq. m., almost 60 percent of which is in the Central District. Rent is rising is other parts of the city as well. Rent in Moscow City rose 40 percent in a year to $1340 per sq. m. in April. There is also high demand for office space in the northern bedroom neighborhoods, although rent there has increased only 1 percent in a year, to $600 per sq. m. In London, Europe’s most expensive capital, prices in the Western part of the city, the section favored by large corporations, are rising by 2-5 percent annually.

The situation in Moscow is due to reduced new construction in the center of the city. While it was planned to build 155,000 sq .m. of new office space in the first quarter of this year, much less than that was built. Furthermore, city officials have banned the building of new office space in the center. Until 2009, only projects begun before the moratorium will be completed. Olga Yasko of Colliers International said that 377,000 sq. m. of new office space were made available in 2007. This year, 429,000 sq. m. are planned, and next year 524,000 sq. m. will be made ready. The financial crisis has forced up the cost of credit for developers from 10-11 percent to 18 percent annually, which is also reflected in the prices.
www.kommersant.com
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Leaves me out of the office renting game.

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

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Hello,

Looks like Litvinenko is a issue again.
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18/05/2008 16:03 MOSCOW, May 18 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Sunday it was prepared to cooperate with Britain in investigating the case of poisoned defector Alexander Litvinenko after London lifted its unfounded accusations.

Former Russian security service officer Litvinenko died of radioactive poisoning in London in November 2006. London accused Russia’s security services of their complicity in Litvinenko’s death.

“We are ready for cooperation and interaction with them [British security services] but the first step should be made by Britain. We expect them to apologize for unfounded accusations as we are absolutely uninvolved in what they accuse us,” Viktor Komogorov, head of the FSB operative information and international relations service said.

A large amount of radioactive polonium-210 was found in the Russian security service defector’s body, but the British authorities have not yet made public any official document specifying the exact cause of his death or the results of the autopsy.

Litvinenko was fired from the FSB (formerly the KGB) following a 1998 press conference in which he and a number of other FSB officers alleged that they had been ordered to murder and kidnap a number of high-profile figures.

London has requested the extradition of its chief suspect in the Litvinenko case, Russian businessman and MP Andrei Lugovoi. Moscow has refused to extradite the former Kremlin security guard, saying its Constitution does not permit this.

Lugovoi, who met with Litvinenko in London before the ex-FSB officer fell ill, denies any involvement and says Litvinenko tried to recruit him for the British Intelligence Service (MI6).

The dispute has led to a dramatic deterioration in relations between London and Moscow, including tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats and the closure of two British Council offices in Russia.

Litvinenko received British citizenship in 2006 and published two books in the U.K. alleging the involvement of the Russian security services in a series of apartment bombings in Russia in 1999.
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I think that Britain needs to open up on this one, admit any mistakes & get coordination with Russia!

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

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Hello,

Big Fire could be seen from our Balcony. I couldn’t get the camera out in time to get the flames but it sure made lots of black smoke. This fire was about 5 km away…..
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http://en.rian.ru/russia/20080517/107646166.html

MOSCOW, May 17 (RIA Novosti) – A fire has broken out at an electric substation in south-east Moscow, but the transformer involved was not connected to the power grid and the work of the substation will not be affected, said a representative of the Federal Grid Company.

“Repair work is taking place at the substation, during which new equipment is being tested. A new transformer, not connected to the power grid, was being tested and a fire broke out. This will not affect the work of the substation itself,” said Olga Kindyashova.

The alarm concerning a fire on the territory of the substation was raised at 5:20 p.m. Moscow time (13:20 GMT).

There are no reports of injuries.

Firefighters are at the scene. The fire has been classed as a level ‘two’, with the maximum being five.
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It smelled the whole are up..(Yuck!)

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

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Hello,

I thought Russia was the only country with racial problems……

Never dreamed that there is racial problems in the USA. I lived there 47 years and saw it all. Now The UN is going to investigate these problems. (I do not think that the USA cares what the UN thinks!)
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U.N. racism investigator to visit U.S. from Monday
Fri May 16, 2008 2:48pm EDT

By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA (Reuters) – A special U.N. human rights investigator will visit the United States this month to probe racism, an issue that has forced its way into the race to secure the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination.

The United Nations said Doudou Diene would meet federal and local officials, as well as lawmakers and judicial authorities during the May 19-June 6 visit.

“The special rapporteur will…gather first-hand information on issues related to racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance,” a U.N. statement said on Friday.

His three-week visit, at U.S. government invitation, will cover eight cities — Washington D.C., New York, Chicago, Omaha, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Race has become a central issue in the U.S. election cycle because Sen. Barack Obama, the frontrunner in the battle for the Democratic nomination battle, stands to become the country’s first African American president.

His campaign has increased turnout among black voters but has also turned off some white voters in a country with a history of slavery and racial segregation.

Diene, a Senegalese lawyer who has served in the independent post since 2002, will report his findings to the U.N. Human Rights Council next year.

However, the United Nations has almost no clout when it comes to U.S. domestic affairs and is widely perceived by many as interfering. The United States is not among the 47 member states of the Geneva-based forum, but has observer status.

In a report last year he said Islamophobia had grown worldwide since the September 11 2001 attacks on the United States, carried out by al-Qaeda militants.

DEATH PENALTY

A U.N. panel which examined the U.S. record on racial discrimination last March urged the United States to halt racial profiling of Americans of Arab, Muslim and South Asian descent and to ensure immigrants and non-nationals are not mistreated.

It also said America should impose a moratorium on the death penalty and stop sentencing young offenders to life in prison until it can root out racial bias from its justice system.

Racial minorities were more likely than whites to be sentenced to death or to life without parole as juveniles, according to the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It monitors compliance with an international treaty which Washington ratified in 1994.

U.S. officials told the body, made up of 18 independent experts, that they were combating hate crimes such as displays of hangman’s nooses and police brutality against minorities.

Some 800 racially motivated incidents against people perceived to be Arab, Muslim, Sikh or South Asian had been investigated since the September 11 attacks, they said at the time.

Substantial progress had been made over the years in addressing disparities in housing, education, employment and health care, according to a U.S. report submitted to the talks.
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Now it is not just Russia everyone points the finger at. My country gets a taste of what they give Russia all the time……….

Never Dreamed….. “racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia”

Kyle

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RBC, 16.05.2008, Moscow 11:53:03.After an hour and a half of today’s special dollar trading session for tomorrow deals, the weighted average exchange rate stood at 23.84 RUB/USD. The official rate for May 17-19 could therefore be revised RUB 0.01 lower. Considering that the dollar, in contrast, climbed RUB 0.13 against the ruble over the two previous sessions, the latter currency has been able to recoup only some of that loss today. The current developments on MICEX can be attributed to the euro’s slight advance against the dollar on international exchanges. Meanwhile, commercial bank activity has been consistently high, and the trade volume amounted to USD 828m as of 11:30 a.m.

RBC, 16.05.2008, Moscow 11:20:38.Open Investments has set the offering price for its additional share issue at RUB 6,915 (approx. USD 289.9) per share, the investment and development company’s official documents state. The flotation was launched today, and the company is planning to place 1,692,252 shares with a par value of RUB 1,000 (approx. USD 41.93) each. The company’s shareholders can exercise preemptive right to acquire additionally issued shares in proportion to the amount of shares they already own.

RBC, 16.05.2008, Moscow 10:55:37.During an annual meeting, Evraz Group shareholders approved a dividend of $4.2 per common share and $1.4 per GDR for 2007, the company’s press office reported today. Therefore, the total payout for 2007 will amount to $9 per share and $3 per GDR, including interim dividend. The record date for the payment of dividend was set for May 14. In addition, the shareholders have appointed Ernst & Young as the company’s auditor.

RBC, 16.05.2008, Moscow 09:57:28.Russia has sent its first rescue crew of the Emergency Ministry to China to help the search and rescue operations which have been underway in the country after this week’s earthquake, the ministry’s press office said. The crew consists of 49 specialists, including 29 rescuers, 13 doctors and 3 psychologists. Yesterday, the ministry reported that two Il-76 transport planes were bound for China carrying 87 crew members and an airborne hospital. The second plane will take 38 people to China, including 28 doctors of the Emergency Ministry, and seven tonnes of medicines alongside the hospital facilities.

RBC, 15.05.2008, Moscow 16:55:31.According to preliminary estimates, Russia’s cash budget surplus reached some RUB 1.084 trillion (approx. USD 45bn) in January-April 2008, the Finance Ministry reported today. The primary surplus (excluding foreign debt repayments) amounted to nearly RUB 1.143 trillion (approx. USD 47.9bn). Budget revenue stood at roughly RUB 3.025 trillion (approx. USD 127bn), or 37.5 percent of the target for 2008, while cash budget spending totaled nearly RUB 1.941 trillion (approx. USD 81bn), or 26.2 percent of the amended target.

RBC, 15.05.2008, Moscow 15:29:51.The Russian government must present a draft federal budget for 2009-2011 to the State Duma in August 2008, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said during a cabinet meeting today. He stressed that the document needed to determine the country’s priorities and key macroeconomic objectives. It also must include exact and realistic estimates, as well as take into account the current trends in the global economy, Putin noted.

RBC, 15.05.2008, Moscow 14:07:19.Aeroflot – Russian Airlines’ net profit under RAS stood at RUB 1.336bn (approx. USD 56m) in the first quarter of 2008 against a RUB 1.15bn (approx. USD 48m) loss a year before, Russia’s flagship air carrier reported. As reported earlier, Aeroflot’s annual net profit fell 23.89 percent to RUB 6.074bn (approx. USD 255m) in 2007 compared to a year earlier.

RBC, 15.05.2008, Moscow 10:49:44.Mongolia’s President Nambaryn Enkhbayar will pay a working visit to Moscow on May 15-18. During a meeting with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev scheduled for Friday, the two Presidents are expected to discuss a large number of issues regarding bilateral relations, as well as exchange opinions on international and regional problems of mutual interest, the Russian leader’s press office reported today.

RBC, 15.05.2008, Moscow 13:52:56.Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has put forward a proposal at today’s cabinet meeting to set up a government board. The board is required to enhance the government’s efficiency and flexibility, as it is obvious that government meetings are a slow and bureaucratic process, the Prime Minister said. The board will include Deputy Prime Ministers and some ministers. Government meetings are to be held at least once a month, and all current issues would be resolved by the government board weekly, with particular ministers invited to attend.

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Russia Today:
Several kilometers of Russia’s border with Mongolia will be without fencing for a while to let some 100,000 gazelles move north. Years of drought have forced them to migrate to the Russian side of the border and, in doing so, many gazelles got tangled up in barbed wire and died.

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Gazprom Presented with 1/3 of Nation’s Gas Reserve

Before Dmitry Medvedev’s inauguration, Russia’s gas monopoly Gazprom had received a generous farewell gift from him. With no tender whatsoever, the monopoly obtained a third of gas fields of the federal reserve with the total resources of nearly 4 trillion cu meters. Gazprom’s wealth will step up by 13 percent as a result of that present.

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Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee & thinking about another car that I really like here in Russia.

The LADA:

The LADA is a trademark of AvtoVAZ, a Russian car manufacturer in Togliatti, (Samara Oblast or province). The name replaced the original Zhiguli brand, because of phonetic resemblance of Zhiguli to Gigolo, which hampered exports. Lada made its name in Western Europe selling the Lada Riva as an economy car in large quantities during the 1980s, but subsequent models have not enjoyed the same success.

The common Lada sedan/estate series, known as the Classic in the west (Signet in Canada), is one of the most produced car models in history. The car was based on the 1966 Fiat 124 sedan. Since 1980, more than 13.5 million Lada Rivas have been built, and unknown millions were produced between 1969 and 1979 badged as 2101s – 2107s (depending on engine size and interior specifications). Lada has since ceased production of the Classic but the car is in production at another Russian car plant as well as being built under licence in other countries.

The Lada was widely exported throughout the world in the 80s and 90s (the US was the only large market not to have imported Ladas, but Canadian cars can be found there) and is unique in being the only car model that can be found on every continent, including Antarctica (where the Russian research base used Lada Nivas). The rugged design of the Lada Classic, which was built to cope with extreme Siberian climates[citation needed] and poor roads, meant that high mileages were possible under normal conditions (300,000 mls + on the same engine). Because of their economy and ease of service, Lada Classics are commonly used as police cars, taxis, and as a range of public service vehicles in many parts of Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean.

Models:

VAZ-2104: “Lada” (domestic name – “Zhighuli”) is variant of VAZ-2105 sedan. It is 5-seat 5-doors classic station wagon 4×2. Rear wheel drive. Suspension: front – A-arms, coil springs, rear – solid axle, leaf springs. Engine: VAZ-2105 type – gasoline (carburetor) 4 cylinders in line, ohc, displacement: 1,294 cc (3.1″x2.6″), compression ratio: 8.5:1, power: 64 hp @ 5,600 rpm., torque: 68 ft.-lb. @ 3,400 rpm. Gears: (old models – 4) 5, top speed 84 mph, acceleration 0 to 62 mph – 18.5 s. Brakes: front – disks, rear – drrums, with hydraulic control. Measures: LxWxH: 13’6″x5’3.8″x4’8.8″, wheel base: 7’11.4″. Track front/rear: 4’5.7″/4’4″. Trunk space: 13.2/47.3 cu. ft. Curb weight: 2,050 lbs. Max. towing ratio: 1,507 lbs. Tyres: 175/70R13S. Fuel tank: 11 gal.

VAZ-21043: is powered by VAZ-2103 type engine: gasoline (carburetor), 4 cylinders in line, ohc, displacement: 1,452 cc (2.99″x3.15″), compression ratio: 8.5:1, power: 71 hp @ 5,600 rpm., torque: 76 ft.-lb. @ 3,400 rpm. Top speed: 89 mph, acceleration 0 to 62 mph: 17 s.

Export variant VAZ-21044: is powered by VAZ-21073 type engine: gasoline (single-point injection) 4 cylinders in line, ohc, displacement: 1,690 cc (3.23″x3.15″), compression ratio: 9.3:1, power: 80 hp @ 5,200 rpm., torque: 83 ft.-lb. @ 3,200 rpm. Top speed: 91 mph, acceleration 0 to 62 mph: 17.5 s.

VAZ-21045: is powered by Barnaul’s diesel engine VAZ-341 type. Displacement: 1,524 cc (2.99″x3.31″), CR 23:1, power: 53 hp @ 4,800 rpm, torque: 68 ft.-lb. @ 2,500 rpm. Curb weight: 2,050 lbs, full weight: 2,964 lbs. Top speed: 78 mph. Acceleration 0 to 62 mph: 23 s. Stopping distance from 62 mph: 175′. Fuel economy: 45.2 mpg at 56 mph, 31.4 mpg at 75 mph, 37.9 mpg in the city.

VAZ-21047: is luxury variant of VAZ-21043 (with same stuff as VAZ-2107 has).

VAZ-21048: (s. 2000) is powered by Barnaul’s diesel engine VAZ-343 type. Displacement: 1,770 cc, power: 62.5 hp.

VAZ-2105: “Lada” (domestic name – “Zhighuli”) is a 5-seat 4-doors classic rear wheel drive sedan 4×2. Suspension: front – A-arms, coil springs, rear – solid axle, coil springs. VAZ-2105 type engine: gasoline (carburetor) 4 cylinders in line, ohc, displacement: 1,294 cc (3.1″x2.6″), compression ratio: 8.5:1, power: 64 hp @ 5,600 rpm., torque: 68 ft.-lb. @ 3,400 rpm. Gears: 4, top speed 90 mph, acceleration 0 to 62 mph – 18 s. Brakes: front – disks, rear – drums, with hydraulic control. Measures: LxWxH: 13’6.5″x5’3.8″x4’8.8″, wheel base: 7’11.4″. Track front/rear: 4’5.7″/4’4″. Trunk space: 12.9 cu.-ft. Curb weight: 2,194 lbs. Tyres: 175/70R13S. Fuel tank: 10.3 gal. Fuel economy: 32.2 mpg at 56 mph, 23 mpg at 75 mph and in a city.

VAZ-21051: is powered by VAZ-2101 type engine: gasoline (carburetor), 4 cylinders in line, ohc, displacement 1,198 cc (2.99″x2.6″), compression ratio 8.5:1, power 58.5 hp @ 5,600 rpm., torque 63 ft.-lb. @ 3,400 rpm. Top speed: 88 mph, acceleration 0 to 62 mph: 20 s. Fuel economy: 32.7 mpg at 56 mph, 24 mpg at 75 mph and 22.4 mpg in a city.

VAZ-21053: is powered by VAZ-2103 type engine: gasoline (carburetor), 4 cylinders in line, ohc, displacement: 1,452 cc (2.99″x3.15″), compression ratio: 8.5:1, power: 71 hp @ 5,600 rpm., torque: 76 ft.-lb. @ 3,400 rpm. . Top speed: 93 mph, acceleration 0 to 62 mph: 17 s. Fuel economy: 31.8 mpg at 56 mph, 22.6 mpg at 75 mph and 22.2 mpg in a city.

VAZ-21063: Zhighuli (Lada) Striking representative of cars – “Lada” (domestic name – “Zhighuli”) VAZ- 21063 (1976-2000). It originates from FIAT-124bis (1964-72). 21063 – 5-seat 4-door classic sedan 4×2. Suspension: front – A-arms, coil springs, rear – solid axle, coil springs. There are rear drive, gasoline (carburetor) engine : 4 cylinders in line, ohc, displacement 1,294 cc (3.1″x2.6″), compression ratio: 8.5:1, power: 63.5 hp @ 5,600 rpm., torque: 68 ft.-lb. @ 4,000 rpm. Gears: 4, top speed: 90 mph, acceleration 0 to 62 mph: 19 s. Brakes: front – disks, rear – drums, with hydraulic control. Stopping distance from 50 mph: 125′. Measures: LxWxH: 13’8″x5’4″x4’9″, wheel base: 7’11.4″. Track front/rear: 4’5.7″/4’4″. Maneuverability: turning circle 37′; groung clearance: 6.2″. Curb weight: 2,304 lbs. Tyres: 175/70R13S, pressure: 24/28 p.s.i. Fuel tank: 10.3 gal. Fuel economy: 22.6 mpg (highway, city cycle). Coefficient of drag (Cx)=0.45. Since 1998 is being produced by Roslada company.

VAZ-21061: Engine: VAZ-2103 type: gasoline (carburetor), 4 cylinders in line, ohc, displacement 1,451 cc (bore/stroke = 2.99/3.15″), compression ratio: 8.5:1, power: 71 hp @ 5,600 rpm., torque: 76 ft.-lb. @ 3,400 rpm. Gears: 4 or 5, top speed: 93 mph.

VAZ-21065: Engine: VAZ-2103 type: gasoline (carburetor), 4 cylinders in line, ohc, displacement 1,451 cc (bore/stroke = 2.99/3.15″), compression ratio: 8.5:1, power: 71 hp @ 5,600 rpm., torque: 76 ft.-lb. @ 3,400 rpm. Gears: 4 or 5, top speed: 93 mph.

VAZ-2107: “Lada” (s. 1981) (domestic name – “Zhighuli”) is a luxury variant of VAZ-2105 sedan. Visible differencies: front grill, hood, bumpers, tail lights, front seats. It is 5-seat 4-doors classic rear wheel drive sedan 4×2. Suspension: front – A-arms, coil springs, rear – solid axle, coil springs. Engine: VAZ-2103 type engine: gasoline (carburetor), 4 cylinders in line, ohc, displacement: 1,452 cc (2.99″x3.15″), compression ratio: 8.5:1, power: 71 hp @ 5,600 rpm., torque: 76 ft.-lb. @ 3,400 rpm. Gears: 5, top speed 93 mph, acceleration 0 to 62 mph – 17 s. Brakes: front – disks, rear – drums, with hydraulic control. Measures: LxWxH: 13’7.2″x5’3.8″x4’8.8″, wheel base: 7’11.4″. Track front/rear: 4’5.7″/4’4″. Trunk space: 12.9 cu.-ft. Curb weight: 2,070 lbs. Max. towing ratio: 1,206 lbs. Tyres: 175/70R13S. Fuel tank: 10.3 gal.

VAZ-21072: is powered by VAZ-2105 type engine: gasoline (carburetor) 4 cylinders in line, ohc, displacement: 1,294 cc (3.1″x2.6″), compression ratio: 8.5:1, power: 64 hp @ 5,600 rpm., torque: 68 ft.-lb. @ 3,400 rpm. Top speed: 90 mph, acceleration 0 to 62 mph: 18 s.

Export variant VAZ-21073-40: is powered by VAZ-21073 type engine: gasoline (single-point injection) 4 cylinders in line, ohc, displacement: 1,690 cc (3.23″x3.15″), compression ratio: 9.3:1, power: 80 hp @ 5,200 rpm., torque: 83 ft.-lb. @ 3,200 rpm. Top speed: 96 mph, acceleration 0 to 62 mph: 17 s.

VAZ-21074: is powered by VAZ-2106 type engine: gasoline (carburetor) 4 cylinders in line, ohc, displacement: 1,569 cc (3.11″x3.15″), compression ratio: 8.5:1, power: 75 hp @ 5,400 rpm., torque: 86 ft.-lb. @ 3,200 rpm. Top speed: 93 mph, acceleration 0 to 62 mph: 16 s.

VAZ-21079: is powered by VAZ-415 type engine: gasoline (carburetor) 2 section Wankel, displacement: 2,616 cc, compression ratio: 9.4:1, power: 140 hp @ 6,000 rpm., torque: 137 ft.-lb. @ 4,000 rpm. Top speed: 112 mph, acceleration 0 to 62 mph: 9 s. Length: 13’6.8″. Curb weight: 2,210 lbs.

Now this is a LADA!

http://www.lada-auto.ru/

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

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Hello,

I found this sad situation about a Planetarium in Moscow that seems to be loosing the battle to greedy people……
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Opened in 1929 the futuristic silver-domed Moscow Planetarium has been closed for repairs since 1994. Plans to reopen the landmark structure, shut shortly after the Soviet collapse, are mired in a years-long conflict for control over its real estate.

The conflict took a startling turn last week when staffers say about 20 uniformed men forced their way onto the grounds, beat an unarmed employee and proclaimed that a new boss was in charge.

The space-age cupola of the planetarium, which opened in 1929, embodied the Utopian dreams of a nation that saw science as the key to a glorious future.

Now it stands as a symbol of an era in which millions of Russians believe the good of society is routinely sacrificed to the commercial interests of bureaucrats and businessmen.

“It’s shameful,” said Anatoly Cherepashchuk, director of the Shternberg Astronomy Institute at Moscow State University. “It’s no good when for 14 years all of Moscow and society suffer because of some disagreement among businessmen.”

Link: To Article
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I am not sure why science has to take a back seat to money all the time……..

Science Definition:

The word science comes from the Latin “scientia,” meaning knowledge.

How do we define science? According to Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary, the definition of science is “knowledge attained through study or practice,” or “knowledge covering general truths of the operation of general laws, esp. as obtained and tested through scientific method [and] concerned with the physical world.”

What does that really mean? Science refers to a system of acquiring knowledge. This system uses observation and experimentation to describe and explain natural phenomena. The term science also refers to the organized body of knowledge people have gained using that system. Less formally, the word science often describes any systematic field of study or the knowledge gained from it.

What is the purpose of science? Perhaps the most general description is that the purpose of science is to produce useful models of reality.

Seems that Science helps make the world a better place…….

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

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