Day: September 26, 2011

UPDATE: Alexei Kudrin resigned on Monday as Russia’s finance minister and deputy prime minister after a dispute with President Dmitry Medvedev. The president has already signed Kudrin’s resignation request, the presidential spokeswoman said.

Update 2: First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov will oversee financial issues in the Russian cabinet while Anton Siluanov will become acting finance minister following the dismissal of Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.

In an article earlier today I said: “We will see the long term repercussions to that slip of a Kudrin tongue.” Okay – Looks like we are finding out right now about that slip of tongue in America. The Russian press has taken the ball and ran today with Kudrin’s words of wisdom about Medvedev over the weekend. Now Medvedev has put his foot up Kudrins butt…

President Medvedev has asked Finance Minister Kudrin for his resignation following Kudrin’s public refusal to keep his position in the future if Medvedev heads the Russian Government.

Aleksey Kudrin said he has to discuss the situation with Prime Minister Putin first. Medvedev demanded that the issue is settled before the day’s end.

“You can discuss it with whoever you want, including the Prime Minister, but as long as I am the President I take such decisions,” Medvedev said. “If you believe that we have differences, you can tender your resignation right here and now.”

The president said making loud public announcement over the workings of the government, “looks improper and cannot be approved of” due to the violation of chain of command.

“Nobody abolished discipline and subordination in the government,” Medvedev said. The fact the Finance Minister’s statements were voiced while he was in the United States was particularly offensive, he added.

I also taught my managers that, “No One is indispensable!” I would also teach that you must always remember, “Someone else wants your job!”

I find this awesome because it is so much like a corporate show down in the real world. You gotta nip it in the bud before it gets out of hand…

Medvedev will not go down easily as a lame duck president. These last few days Medvedev has gained a lot of respect back, with me at least. That is what counts in my book. I promise you that Putin will kick Kudrin’s butt also…

That is why I love Russia…

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia!

PS: There was an article earlier about how Medvedev was reading the blogs on the situation of the Russian presidency. Looks like he really has been because us bloggers have stirred the WWW here in Russia over this situation. I have been simply slammed today on these articles…. 🙂

Related articles

• Russia’s Finance Minister Kudrin Speaks About Medvedev in America (windowstorussia.com)
• Kudrin’s further work depends on his future employer (news.windowstorussia.com)
• Russia’s Finance Minister Kudrin rejects job in future Russian government (news.windowstorussia.com)

Sveta called and it looks like we go to Turkey on the 2nd of October. We will be there on a 15 day and 14 night tour package that cost us $729.00 American dollars. That includes airfare, hotel and all food for two (2). Why that is less than $50 dollars a day…

So as I was sipping that cup of chicory today. I was thinking about Turkey and what I have to do to get ready for our trip. That is the worse part of it all. I will be worn out before I get to the trip. That is okay though and I know of a sweetie (Sveta) that is excited as all get out, to go to Turkey… 🙂

We bought a package to a well known hotel that caters to Russians and Germans as their main clientele. It is called the White Inn Hotel near Alanya, Turkey. It is on the Mediterranean Sea and it looks like a great place. We picked it because it is more isolated than most of the sea based hotels and reviews by Russians are really pretty good. It seems that Russians main complaints about this hotel is related to a tiny swimming pool (But what about the ocean?)  and alcohol. There seems to just be not enough free and strong alcohol… 🙂

Nestled between the Taurus Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea, White Inn Hotel is 5 km from the center of Alanya. It has a private beach area and offers air-conditioned guestrooms with balconies. White Inn rooms have parquet floors and simple furnishings. They come equipped with satellite TV and a minibar. The private bathrooms include a hairdryer. In the morning the Inn serves a buffet breakfast with fresh fruit and hot tea. The hotel’s restaurant offers buffet meals with traditional Turkish dishes prepared from fresh ingredients. Guests can relax in a sun lounger by the seasonal outdoor pool, or visit the fitness center. The hotel has a Turkish bath and provides free Wi-Fi in public areas.

We have done a lot of studying and we have come to discover that in Turkey, you seem to have three main traveling groups. The Germans, the British and the Russians. Now it seems to us that Britain’s dislike vacationing where the Russians and the Germans seem to be prominent. Whereas the Russians and the Germans just party anywhere and everywhere. Regardless if the British are around or not. The British make it clear in reviews what hotels are over run with them damn – Russians and Germans…

We picked a hotel that was not over run with the British… 🙂

Kyle and Sveta
Windows to Russia!

PS: I think I need to remember to take my chicory with me…

Related articles

• No Coffee – Still Chicory – Still Thinking’s… (windowstorussia.com)
• The Plans for a Turkey Vacation are Formulated and Finalized… (windowstorussia.com)
• This Morning in Russia I had Chicory instead of Coffee… (windowstorussia.com)

ROSTOV-ON-DON, September 26 (RIA Novosti): The Coca-Cola Company has launched a $120 million plant in south Russia to supply non-alcoholic beverages for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Russia’s Black Sea resort city of Sochi, the company said on Monday…

You just gotta admire Coca-Cola. They know how to work the system in Russia and they got their nose everywhere. They have a very long term strategy for Russia and the investment is a large sum of money. I find it interesting how some companies can flourish in Russia and others whine and cry and die…

I call that true capitalism. I was taught it is a “dog eat dog” world!

I taught my underlings, “You talk the talk – Then you walk the walk!” Then I would say, “You politely crush your competitors, while you talk and walk…”

Coke does just that in Russia…

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia!

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• Cash For Clunkers Worked on Domestic Cars in Russia… (windowstorussia.com)
• Cup of Chicory, Shashlik, Real Pepsi and that Fence… (windowstorussia.com)
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I watched the start of what we in America call a lame duck president. The minute that Medvedev supported Putin in the Next presidential election, he had to have known that his power would falter and sputter. I think that is why they waited so long to announce the facts of what they were doing. The Finance Misister Kudrin had this to say:

Putin, who announced his presidency bid at a United Russia pre-election convention, indicated that Medvedev would succeed him as prime minister to supervise post-election modernization reforms.

But Kudrin threatened to resign after the presidential election in March.

“I will definitely refuse,” Kudrin, 50, said when asked whether he would join Medvedev’s government. He spoke in Washington at a World Bank meeting.

“I have many disagreements with Medvedev on economic policy, first of all concerning the significant military spending,” said Kudrin, who is widely seen as the architect of Russia’s economic stability in the 2000s. Read More >>>

Okay! That caught a few off guard around Russia. Kudrin made it clear that he will follow Putin’s lead, but when it comes to Medvedev, Forget It!

I expect to see a wave of important people stop swooning over Medvedev now. Over the years I have watched presidents in America lose that ability (become a lame duck) to get anything done. They become byproducts of a system and unless they command real respect from the beginning then they get none in return…

This weekend it became very clear to the Russian population that Putin as we all suspected never really let go of the reins of Russia. Yes Putin did (as I stated in several articles), allow Medvedev to try to step out on his own. But that stepping out was always centered on international issues. The internal affairs of Russia were held in an iron grip by Putin…

I remember Medvedev firing the last Moscow mayor. I remember the bad decision on the Libyan UN vote. I remember the education reform bill. I remember many issues that I wrote articles about and I said that Medvedev hung himself by his actions. His actions were his true reactions to the situation and not his reaction for his political career. Many things that Medvedev has done have made him very unpopular. He has seemed weak at times and naive. He enacted things that would destroy a long term president, such as alcohol, bribery and tobacco control. He could get such things going and now Putin can continue such motions and not take the fall. Now it all make sense because he was a man who knew he did not have to run again for president…

I remember in particular that I realized that Putin was behind the old Mayors firing when the new mayor was

It is strange but I see a different Medvedev now after this announcement for Putin. I myself realize that my old ingrained ideologies about what a leader should be like overruled what I should have been picking upon. I was not alone in this happening. Russia looked upon Medvedev as a great guy but…

This has given Putin the opportunity of a lifetime for a leader. Putin has so many aces up his sleeves now that Medvedev has planted all the seeds. If Putin removes a bad seed in people eyes then he looks good to the people. If Putin lets a seed grow and it becomes a wonderful tree that everyone loves. Then he looks good. If Putin has to keep a bad seed then he always has Medvedev to take the blame for that bad seed. But if Putin prunes and takes care on the growing of the seeds that Medvedev planted then everyone comes out ahead…

I know that I kinda wandered from the branch, so to speak! But the Kudrin reaction was just the first of many that will be expressed in Russia. The only problem is that Kudrin expressed his reaction in America while at a World Bank meeting…

We will see the long term repercussions to that slip of a Kudrin tongue…

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia!

Related articles

• Kudrin’s further work depends on his future employer (news.windowstorussia.com)
• Lets Swap: Putin Runs for President and Medvedev for Prime Minister… (windowstorussia.com)
• Putin Blues by Western media (news.windowstorussia.com)