Year: 2009

Hello,

I read 3 (three) articles today from main Western press sources. Multiples of forum articles and multiple of blog articles. The main consensus of the articles stated that it is obvious who is in charge in Russia. Putin is the one going to the World Economic Forum (Davos) and that means Putin Runs Russia!

But: The U.S. is only sending a top Obama advisor (Who is it?) and confidant Valerie Jarrett. Unless I am confused, that means Obama does not run the USA! By using Western press standards for Russia – a top Obama advisor (Who is it?) and confidant Valerie Jarrett run the USA.

This is an everyday example of the Western press twisting the information to make Russia something she is not.

So Valerie Jarrett: I guess you run America…

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

PS:

Medvedev went in 2007 but I guess we have a short memory and no one said: “I guess we know who is running Russia, Medvedev went to Davos!”

January 28, 2009, 19:39

The opening ceremony of Davos World Economic Forum starts at 20:30 Moscow time (17:30 GMT) with a keynote speech by Russian PM Vladimir Putin. Watch it live on RT.

Live on RT 17:30 GMT.

Hello,

Looks like Russia is up to her normal stuff…

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has paid a pleasant state visit to Uzbekistan. He came back to Moscow with some delicious Uzbek flat-bread, some natural gas and a honorary PhD from the University of World Economy and Diplomacy in Tashkent.

While Medvedev was trotting around the country enjoying life, Russia was redrawing borders between Georgia and Russia…

The legal registration of Russia’s shared borders with newly proclaimed independent states began on Tuesday with the appointment of the special presidential representative on the demarcation of borders with CIS countries. Otherwise from now on all Russian maps printed are to have a designated border for South Ossetia and Abkhazia. (That will upset Saakashvili)

So while Russia is making Saakashvili life miserable, lets go to Kiev for a second and see why it is no longer free to go to a cemetery…

The mayor of Kiev – Leonid Chernovetsky, known for his extravagant initiatives, has invented a new way to increase the city’s budget. From now on, people will have to pay for visiting Kiev’s cemeteries. (What!)

OK that just kinda falls into place with what I saw about Kiev for almost two weeks and no thank you that is just not right. Now while we talk about cemeteries, the thought of churches come up and issue such as who is the new head of the Orthodox church?

Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad has been elected the new head of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Council, which comprised clergymen, monks and laymen, announced on Tuesday the results of the voting for the post of Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia.

That is cool so now we wander to a not so cool – Ukraine flapping it jaws again about the Black Sea Fleet…

Some media sources earlier cited an anonymous Russian Navy official as saying that Russia is planning to redeploy a submarine from the Northern Fleet to the Sevastopol base in Ukraine’s Crimea, which triggered Kiev’s angry response.

Kiev never shuts it mouth on certain issues, what Kiev needs to do is concentrate on Ukraine and quit worrying about Russia.

So once again Russia is going round and round with her next door neighbors and it does not look like it will settle down anytime soon.

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

The Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church is in Moscow to elect a new Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. Metropolitan Filaret of Minsk and Slutsk has withdrawn from the election, leaving just two candidates. (Link)

Could a car thief, who stole a $US 45,000 offroader in Moscow last night, have ever imagined that it belongs to, of all things, the Orthodox Church? (Link)

Financial crises, the recent gas dispute with Ukraine and his love of ice cream – these are some of the issues Prime Minister Vladimir Putin touched upon in an interview with American news agency Bloomberg. (Link)

Gold has held above $900 per ounce this week for the first time since October 2008 with investors increasingly looking for shelter from worries over the global financial system and volatile currencies. (Link)

Russia’s northern capital St. Petersburg is marking 65 years since the breaking of the Nazi blockade. Formerly known as Leningrad, the city lived through 900 days of starvation and horror. (Link)

A Russian NCO has been captured by Georgian special service personnel in South Ossetia, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday. (Link)

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

Hello,

Seems to be the week to find underwater treasures. As I was drinking my morning cup of coffee I found this tidbit of an article.

A treasure-filled vessel discovered off the coast of Guyana may contain 10 tonnes of gold, 70 tonnes of platinum, 1 1/2 tonnes of industrial diamonds and 16 million carats of gem-quality diamonds, making it the most valuable underwater discovery ever. (Link)

Seems that this could be the largest dollar value underwater salvage job ever found. There also seems to be a blend of several countries wealth aboard this vessel. It is said that the primary cargo was mostly Soviet and the rest from Britain. This means that Russia could have a huge say in the split up of the treasure. This also means that many of the CIS countries could have a word or two to say about the treasure.

The ship Blue Baron was on its way to America from a European port, bearing cargo for the U.S. Treasury. It was intercepted near the shores of Guyana by a German submarine, which sank the Blue Baron in 250 meter deep water. The Blue Baron sank with its treasure worth approximately US$ 3.5 billion.

I say: That something of this value will be tied up in court for a very long time…

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

PS:
The ship in question, the “Blue Baron”, was attacked and sunk by a German U-Boat in June 1942. Through extensive and intensive research, Sub Sea navigated through the wreckage to discover large amounts of wealth, previously unknown to the world. The ship is thought to have been carrying tons of precious metals, several thousand tons of tin and copper, all of which are presently hidden amongst the debris. The total worth of the cargo equals out to more than four billion dollars, with the tin and copper alone valued at $165 million dollars. (Link)

January 26, 2009
21:30

D. Medvedev congratulated B. Obama on officially taking on the duties of head of state, and wished him success in this high office.

During the telephone conversation both parties expressed their intention to focus their efforts on renewing the potential of the Russian-American relations, and on resolving issues in a constructive way, including those where their opinions currently differ.

Their conversation also touched on the necessity of developing cooperation and coordination between Russia and the USA in dealing with most important common challenges such as overcoming the global financial crisis, ensuring a reliable system of preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the fight against international terrorism, etc.

Pooling of efforts is also required in the resolution of delicate regional problems – such as that in the Middle East, and that of Afghanistan.

All these issues are part of the broad agenda for the bilateral meeting between the Presidents of Russia and the USA which is scheduled for the near future. (Link)

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee and thinking about what I went through on Friday to acquire American dollars in Ukraine. I had to come up with only American dollars to satisfy officials.

Four months ago I could have withdrawn the money from an ATM. Not now! My card I carry is in dollars but not a single machine would dispense dollars. All I could get was Hryvnia the local currency but the higher ups in Ukraine did not want that they wanted $ Dollars.

So I went to a bank: Now in Kiev Ukraine there is a bank on every corner and two or three banks in between. There is no lack of a sign proclaiming to be a bank. But as I found out most are just little cubby holes that just desire to be a bank. These banks had hoards of people lined up and taking out money. But none of these small banks had any dollars.

After much effort in overcoming my Ukraine language abilities, I was directed to a large bank. The bank pictured above a huge bank that will be lucky if it survives much longer. I put camera away and got in line for a several hour wait.

There was many security guards on the outside of the bank and once inside the security situation doubled. I stood in line another hour once inside and went through three metal detectors. They looked for any excuse to toss people out the door so as to cut back on the run on the bank. From what I saw people had every form of container and package to hold their money and it looked to me like they were taking their life savings out.

I new the bank had dollars because I saw a official looking man put what looked like $100,000 dollars in a brief case. This man had two body guards and they walked to the front of the line pushing us pathetic people out of the way. 🙂

My turn came and the initial response was no dollars. I then became the very dumb American and did not understand what they said to me. I went completely dumb! The woman kept rattling words at me and I kept saying: I am American and I want dollars! (Я американский и я хочу доллары!)

She gave up and went and got her boss, that lady tried to talk to me and I gave that bewildered dumb look. She gave up, sighed and gave me my dollars.

I really wanted to say that your government wanted the dollars, not me but I was pressing my luck now. I had my dollars to finish the transaction, so I quietly escaped.

I have smelled fear and panic many times in my life and as I left the bank that is the memory that stayed with me. “The smell of fear from the people!”

I had my prize but I wondered about all the other people that are being demanded to pay in dollars. Seems unfair to me…

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

PS: To get these dollars cost me 1000 Hryvnia per 100 dollars. The first time I went to Ukraine I remember 300 Hryvnia per 100 dollars. (Ouch)

A strange fact in many governments: They like to be bribed and payed in American dollars. The hundred (100) dollar bill brings smiles to official faces. In Russia I have never had to pay except in Rubles. I like that…

Walking in Ukraine was always relaxing!

Hello,

It has been a few days since I last posted but sometimes life gets in the way of the fun stuff. 🙂

So I was just drinking my cup of coffee and thinking about the trip I just made.

I got back from Ukraine on Sunday Morning and it is sure nice to be back in Russia. Russia has become home and home is where the heart is!

First an interesting happening with the Ukraine Government requesting information, but information only deliverable by TELEX – (A public switched low-speed data network used for the transmission of administrative messages.) Of course this was information that I had in multiples of other forms but only Telex was acceptable.

Second interesting problem was Ukraine Government only would accept American Dollars! Not Ukrainian Hryvnia (UAH) currency. Yes you heard me correct I had to find dollars in a world that seemed to be lacking in dollars. Four months ago when I was in Ukraine all the ATM machines dispensed dollars, Not Now!

This story will unfold over the next few days. I am trying to get caught up on sleep and everything else.

Next post will be about finding dollars in a dollar poor area…

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

Hello,

It is really neat today to see Kiev wake up from the coma that no gas brought on. Today for the first time in 5 days the smoke stacks of factories are puffing vapor into the air. The people are running around all over the place instead of huddled by fires and electric heaters.

Now you can find heat all over the city and the steam is rising out of the manhole covers again. (You never miss something like that until it goes away.) I can burn myself on the steam heaters in the room again and hot water is really hot. 🙂

I hope that Europe has the same experience because it was no fun wearing all your shirts, pants, socks and sleeping with three blankets.

I feel sorry that Europe had to go through a gas shortage and really hope that it never happens again.

It is a good day in Kiev!

The gas is flowing again.

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

Hello,

A man who told everyone that he was getting death threats stands outside in broad daylight doing an interview with a newspaper reporter. (‘Novaya Gazeta’)

“I’m getting threats. What kind of threats, I asked him. If I don’t drop this case, I’ll get killed. Who are these threats from, I asked. I’m getting anonymous text messages, he answered. Right away, I said to him that maybe I should get a new lawyer, and he said No, I’m going to persevere,” Visa Kungayev, the father of Elsa Kungayeva, said.”

If he was getting death threats than what was he doing running around Moscow in broad daylight and doing interviews in front of the whole world. He was not protecting himself very well.

The lawyer of the Kungayev family, the relatives of a Chechen woman, who was murdered by a Russian army colonel, Yury Budanov, has been killed. Stanislav Markelov was shot dead in the center of Moscow in broad daylight on Monday.

According to witnesses, a man wearing a ski-mask approached Markelov and Anastasia Baburova, a 24-year-old free-lance journalist for ‘Novaya Gazeta’ newspaper, in the street and took out a gun.

The lawyer was shot dead on the spot, while the woman was fatally injured with a gunshot wound to the head, and died shortly after she was taken to the hospital. (Link)

I would think that they should have been doing the interview in a more protected place. The fact that he knew he was being threatened with his life should have given him a clue to keep a low profile.

The shame is that he was shot because that is the Russian way of dealing with it. I had several high profile friends in America killed the same way. People say, “I am getting death threats” then they go about their life like it does not matter. I guess we all think it won’t happen to us.

My Job in the Military everyone was taken out in broad daylight.

These kinda things make me go Hummmmm…

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.