Category: Russia

I found this article interesting because I can tell you that being from America that this is a worthless report that should be abolished. It is American based and American backed…

Russian media experts disputed on Tuesday the accuracy of the 2011 Freedom of the Press report which ranks Russia 173rd out of 196 countries.

Russia jumped two positions in the report by the Washington-based Freedom House think tank, from 175th in 2010, but is still ranked on par with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe.

“I strongly disagree with those estimates, because, even if we do have negative factors, we are not at the level of Venezuela or certain African states,” said Pavel Gusev, the chairman of the Russian Public Chamber’s committee for media issues.

“Positive trends, media development and the fact that almost every Russian region has its own free media – free both in terms of their financial sources and in terms of expression – were ignored by Freedom House,” said Gusev, who is also the editor-in-chief of the popular Moskovsky Komsomolets daily.

Russia has only a handful of independent newspapers and just one independent TV channel. There have been several murders and beatings of journalists critical of the authorities in recent years.

The Internet has remained mostly free of censorship, turning it into a forum for public discussion and dissent. President Dmitry Medvedev dismissed rumors last week that the government planned to impose Chinese-style restrictions on the Internet.

I can tell you from experience that this is a political tool and is used to wage political war on countries that America deems not agree with their point of view. So Russia just needs to ignore this report and tell America to stick it where the sun does not shine…

I still say that Russia is just as free if not freer than America and these reports are the same every time. But when you control the end results of the reports. The reports become what ever you want them to be and say…

Windows to Russia!

A former Russian intelligence officer who helped the U.S. authorities uncover a Russian spy ring last summer has been charged with high treason and desertion, the Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Tuesday.

Ten Russians, including media star Anna Chapman, were arrested in the United States in June 2010 on suspicion of espionage. They plead guilty to conspiring to act as unregistered foreign agents and were returned to Russia in exchange for four men accused by the Kremlin of spying for Britain’s MI6 and the CIA.

“The FSB investigation department has completed an investigation into the case to charge Russian national Alexander Poteyev with committing high treason by divulging state secrets,” the FSB said in a statement.

It said the indictment against Poteyev was sent to Moscow’s main military court on April 21.

Poteyev fled to the United States with his family shortly before the arrest of the sleeper agents was made public. His case will be heard in absentia.

Windows to Russia!

The daughter of an executive at Russia’s second largest oil producer has been found dead in the Moscow region, a police source said on Tuesday.

He said the body of Viktoria Teslyuk, daughter of Robert Teslyuk, was found by the roadside near the town of Taldom, about 100 km north of Moscow “when the snow melted.”

The source was unable to offer an explanation for the death of the 16-year-old girl, who was reported missing on March 26.

The report was confirmed by a source within Robert Teslyuk’s inner circle but there has been no official comment from police or Lukoil.

Robert Teslyuk is general director of the Arman oil producing company, a joint venture of Lukoil, Shell and Sinopec, based in Kazakhstan.

The kidnapping of the son of Russian software tycoon Yevgeny Kaspersky made world headlines last month. The 20-year-old heir to Kaspersky’s estimated $800 million wealth was released safely in a police sting operation after being held for ransom for a week.

Windows to Russia!

I sat in my room this morning sipping that cup of coffee and realized that in the last week TV here in Kiev, Ukraine has really sucked. I mean really…

First literally every station that I can get in the hotel room had nothing but 24 hours a day “Royal Wedding”, then when the wedding was over they reran the wedding for those that missed it the first 1000 times it was shown. We got to see the royal couple kiss each other about 10,000 times in front of the world. Then just as the fervor over the wedding calmed down. America had to go and kill Osama bin Laden…

Now 24 hours a day all I get to see is Osama bin Laden and Presidents Obama face plastered on the TV. That is followed always by the scene of millions of Americans dancing in the streets like a bunch of drunk monkeys in celebration of a special holiday… (This morning I turn on the TV and the first person that I get to see was Obama claiming for the 1000th time that he gave the orders to kill Osama bin Laden…)

So as several people from America in New York told BBC…

Britain had their Royal Wedding to celebrate, but we have our death of Osama bin Laden celebration…

Something just was not proper about what I saw on TV over the killing of one man. looks like we have elevated Osama bin Laden to a lofty status and that can do nothing but be a bad omen. I see the Eastern world expressing “This make him a martyr?” While the Western world says, “No way! — Ummm — We hope!”

I can tell you that we already have made him larger than life. He took 10 years almost to kill and the Western world (USA) is dancing to his demise. His followers will most likely use that huge energy of his death, to propagate further issues…

Nothing good will come out of this…

Windows to Russia!

Posted from mobile phone…

Update: Osama bin Laden was not armed… Osama bin Laden was dumped at sea as a so called burial… Osama bin Laden was shot in the head execution style… Osama bin Laden is now much larger than life…

Hummm – sounds a little fishy to me…

A criminal case has been opened into the beating of a Russian journalist in Moscow, police reported.

Dmitry Andryushchenko, a journalist working for  Russian business radio station Kommersant FM, was attacked and beaten in northern Moscow late on Saturday following an argument with one of the attackers.

Andryushchenko said the attacker, who was drunk, first smashed his car, forcing the journalist to call the police. The man also called his friends, who arrived at the scene before police and beat the reporter.

Andryushchenko said he suffered a mild brain concussion and multiple bruises as a result, but refused to be hospitalized.

Police detained one of the attackers.

Preliminarily, the incident was not connected with the journalist’s professional activity.

MOSCOW, May 2 (RIA Novosti)

Russia celebrates a national holiday, Spring and Labor Day, on May 1, with trade unions and political parties set to hold rallies across the country.

In Soviet times May 1 was celebrated in Russia as International Workers’ Day and saw massive Communist Party rallies. In 1992, the name was changed to Spring and Labor Day but it still remains a national holiday.

More than 2 million people are expected to take part in holiday events across the country, including demonstrations by the ruling United Russia party, the Communists and trade unions, the ultranationalist LDPR Party and the opposition Solidarity movement.

Many Russians use this public holiday to relax. Some may go on a retreat to their called dachas to work in their garden and spend time with their families. It is also common for families to have picnics or barbecues…

This is kinda the true start of spring in Russia…

In Ukraine they celebrate the same holiday and everyone is running around with flowers for the women… 🙂

Windows to Russia!

Moscow is aware of the coalition’s plans about the ground military campaign in Libya, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday.

“The information shows that both NATO and EU work on the similar plans. EU develops these plans to secure humanitarian convoys, though it is being stressed that it would take place after the UN gave the green light,” Lavrov said in an interview with Russian Center TV channel.

He said the possible ground military campaign should be sanctioned with the UN Security Council.

“If anybody wants to ask for this mandate [on carrying out ground campaign], welcome to the UN Security Council. We will discuss, try to understand what is planned, because the digressions from the mandate that we are watching now, are enough to learn lessons,” Lavrov said.

The UN Security Council adopted a resolution imposing a no-fly zone over Libya on March 17, paving the way for a military operation against Gaddafi which began two days later. The command of the operation was shifted from a U.S.-led international coalition to NATO in late March.

A total of 14 of the 28 NATO countries are taking part in the operation Unified Protector in Libya, which includes airstrikes, a no-fly zone and naval enforcement of an arms embargo.

MOSCOW, April 30 (RIA Novosti) 

I was drinking my coffee this morning after a good night sleep and came to a conclusion that Russia has really messed up this visa issue. It is strange how a good cup of coffee will make things clearer at times…

Russia has been talking about how they are working so hard to make it better for expatiates to get visas and how Russia has stream lined registration. Medvedev has been trying to express how Russia is going to be better for people from the outside world to come and work in the Russian environment… 🙂

I sit here in Ukraine and think about how they have messed up the visa situation. I also was informed that they have changed the registration process and only “God knows” what that means to my fate in Russia yet…

To top off everything: When the Russian consulate takes your passport to put a visa in it. You do not have proper documentation during that time they have the passport in their possession. It was OK when it was only a day or two. But I am now stuck in Ukraine without my passport. It is in the Russian consulate sitting in a file for two full weeks while they let time tick slowly by…

I have copies of my passport and such, but that does not mean anything when the going gets tough. You have to have your passport as documentation to do many things or to prove many things when you travel the world. It is much more powerful though similar as a State ID in America…

I find it interesting of all the bull Russia puts you through. They then leave you stranded in a foreign country with no passport for two weeks at a time. On top of that they just give you a receipt for the money you pay and you really have nothing that says, hey this is your replacement for passport while it is kidnapped at the Russian consulate…

So as I sipped that wonderful cup of coffee here in Ukraine, I was grumpy with Russia this morning. But Russia gets hers. Everyday that I am in Ukraine I spend money with Ukraine. Everyday that they make me stay here is less income being generated in Russia. I do my business now from Ukraine. I buy cell phone cards in Ukraine. I buy food in Ukraine. I pay for sleeping arrangements (hotel) in Ukraine. I bank in Ukraine. Ukraine is home away from home and I can stay 90 days in Ukraine with out a visa…

Now Sveta is getting ready to come to Ukraine and take her vacation. Boza has to have a dog sitter and it looks like her (Sveta’s) mother will watch him. We are also trying to figure out how to go to the Black Sea without my passport?

So if you understand what I am saying. Russia has because of her inability to conceive a thought beyond today. Has lost out on tremendousness income potentials. I am now spending all my money that I was going to spend vacationing in Russia – vacationing in Ukraine. I am only one of a huge amount of people that have to deal with this issue and we all have buying power…

So while Ukraine smiles all the way to the bank at Russia’s ineptness over visa’s. I am going sip my coffee and grumble at how rescinding Russia is in the business world and convenience for human sageness…

Russia should quit complaining because of a lack of people willing to deal with the headaches. That is the same reason that Sveta has not gone to Britain for a family wedding. Countries make it hell on each other to travel…

I just love Russia and all the fun she puts expatiates through… 🙂

Windows to Russia!

Posted by Mobile!

Russia will “make the right choice” on regulating the Internet, President Dmitry Medvedev said on Friday, hinting that the government did not intend to impose Chinese-style bans on websites.

Unlike the Russian press and state-run TV channels, the rapidly growing Runet, or Russian Internet, has avoided government censorship and restrictions, turning it into forum for anti-government discussion.

“When people talk about Internet regulation, there is a feeling that the state wants to stick its hand in and create the kind of barriers that only exist in specific countries,” Medvedev told a meeting of online media representatives.

“The president’s task is to make the right decisions in terms of regulating public relations, including the Internet.”

Three weeks ago, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) caused alarm among Russia’s estimated 60 million Internet users by demanding access to Internet communication services like Gmail and Skype.

In a move reminiscent of Soviet style repression, the FSB claimed the “uncontrolled use of these services could lead to a large-scale threat to Russian security.”

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin dismissed fears of full-blown state regulation, saying that “it is not possible to restrict anything.”

Medvedev also said on Friday that Russia may bring forward an initiative to protect intellectual property from internet piracy.

MOSCOW, April 29 (RAI Novosti) 

I am having an extra cup of coffee today and it is really good. It hits the spot after the week that I have had. To sum the week up in a short post of text. Well – Russia just changed the visa rules again and they had just spouted and touted them as being much better than in the past. Life was to be better they said. I had my doubts and kept my mouth shut until I experienced them this visa trip… 🙂

Guess what? Russia succeeded in destroying any semblance of reality that they had in a visa program. After several years of good visa runs. I have now had one of my worst times getting a visa that I ever had. I was not alone in this wonderful escapade that Russia calls a better visa situation…

Nine of us tried to get a visa this week that I know of. I got one but have to wait two weeks. A South Korean man got turned down. Another American got turned down. A person from Britain got turned down. So on and so on and so on. We all have been getting visas for years from this consulate and all of a sudden, “Wham Bam Thank You Mama…”

So I have to smile and enjoy what comes my way. I will be in Kiev until at least the 13th of May. (Maybe longer.) Looks like Sveta will try to take a vacation and her I will trip the lights fantastic in Kiev Ukraine. That is alright with me, because anywhere with Sveta is like heaven…

So I have to make this short today. I am posting from my cell phone and it is not that easy for long winded posts. I will be writing a full post of details when I get back and explain what the new rules are… 🙂

Be looking for more updates in the next few days…

That is really why I love Russia! It just plain is stupid at times…

Windows to Russia!

Posted from cell phone…