Category: Russia

The Moscow Planetarium Lives…


This podcast above is about the Moscow Planetarium. It is from The Voice of Russia. I did several articles several years ago and as always, I am looking for follow up information on past articles…

http://windowstorussia.com/russia-moscow-planetarium-needs-to-be_14.html

http://windowstorussia.com/russia-moscow-saved-planetarium_18.html

The Moscow Planetarium was almost a goner and by a miracle has survived the test of time and has been scheduled for reopening on April 12, 2011. As my past posts pointed to. The Planetarium was in a struggle for the real estate. It seems that it was sitting on prime real estate and people wanted to get rid of a real land mark for future development. Thank goodness the Planetarium won…

There has been other not so lucky landmarks that have fallen to the ravages of greed. Such as “The Soviet Toy Store”…

http://windowstorussia.com/from-russia-ultimate-toy-store-with_19.html

All my life I have watched the past be destroyed in the name of the all mighty dollar. We need to preserve the past because  the past is the gateway to the future…

Related articles

Russian News… (02-21-2011)


Riots in Arab countries cause gold, oil price growth:
Mass-scale riots in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa, especially in Libya, have caused growth in gold and oil prices. In London, the price of a barrel of the Brent crude is one dollar up, selling for 103.5 dollars. The gold price has grown by 0.5% to reach a seven-week high of 1396.5 dollars per ounce…

14 terrorists to go on trial in North Caucasus:
14 rebel fighters are due to appear before a panel of the Supreme Court judges in the Karachayevo-Cherkessia Republic, in the Russian North Caucasus, today. The defendants are accused of committing crimes against police and attempting to seize power in the republic. The fighters’ camp in the mountainous country of the republic was pulled down in November 2009…

Riots rage in Bahrain, Yemen, Iran, Morocco:
Protests also continue unabated in Bahrain, Yemen, Iran and Morocco, with demonstrators remaining in the streets attempting to ensure that their demands are met, namely that their governments step down and social problems be settled. A tent camp has been set up in Pearl Square in the Bahrain capital Manama for thousands of protesters to while away the night…

Russian, German, Polish MPs to discuss Russia-EU cooperation:
Russian, German and Polish MPs are due to hold their first trilateral meeting in Kaliningrad today to take up Russia-EU cooperation. The MPs will specifically focus on Russia-EU economic cooperation, including energy and transport cooperation, and also on simplifying visa-granting…

Russian space truck finds watery grave:
A Russian Progress M space truck uncoupled from the International Space Station Sunday to give way for a docking with the European cargo ship Johannes Kepler, expected to arrive on Thursday a week after being launched by an Ariane-5 booster rocket, which blasted off from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana…

Atlantic to be crossed on inflatable trimaran:
A team of Russian daredevils are hoping to become the first seafarers to cross the Atlantic non-stop and entirely on their own on an inflatable trimaran. The 7-thousand-kilometer journey is to start next Friday from a port in Namibia. With no motor on board, the propulsion will be from oars and sails…

Russia to have new early-warning radars:
The Russian armed forces are about to commission two early-warning anti-missile radars. One is near St Petersburg, and the other, near Armavir in the Russian Caucasus. A similar radar under construction near the Baltic port of Kaliningrad is to enter service in 2016. The announcements are from the Russian Defense Ministry…

Russia calls on US to lift sanctions against Sudan:
Russiarsquo’s Special Representative for Sudan Mikhail Margelov believes that the USA should lift sanctions against Sudan. The divorce; between northern and southern Sudan was the main issue at Mr. Margelovrsquo’s recent meeting with Sudanrsquo’s President Omar al-Bashir. Mr. Margelov says that Mr. al-Bashir is ready for contacts and compromises…

Chernobyl movie fails to score awards in Berlin:
The Russian entry at the 61st Berlinale Film Festival was left with no awards whatsoever. Iranian director Asghar Farhadi became the major winner with his Nader And Simin: A Separation scooping the Best Film, Best Actor…

Windows to Russia!

Nuclear-powered train in Russia…


Remember as a kid and reading Popular Mechanic or Popular Science magazines. They were always full of articles about things that you could verily imagine.  Such as things that Russia spouts about all the time, even now. Now Russia says that they will build a Nuclear Powered Train…

Russian Railways (RZhD) and the Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency (Rosatom) intend to create a nuclear-powered train, reports Interfax. According to RZhD vice-president Valentin Gapanovich, the train, consisting of 11 carriages, will house scientific exhibits. (Link)

What a wonderful thought. A nuclear powered train, that would be like something out of a science fiction book that I read as a kid… 🙂

That really is cool and I only hope that they fulfill what they say. You know they just might be able to do it. They have that very successful floating nuclear power plant and with a little tweaking on size they could adopt it to a train…

That is why I love Russia. Maybe someday we will travel Russia on a Nuclear Powered Train…

Windows to Russia!

Putin is a Mountain…


windows to russia

Tian Shan mountains...

The lawmakers in Kyrgyzstan approved February 17, 2011 to apply Putin’s name to a 4,446-meter (14,672-feet) mountain peak in the Tian Shan mountains south of the capital, Bishkek…

A whole mountain peak named after Putin! Does Putin get to play on the mountain? Would Putin want to play on the mountain? It looks like a pretty rugged set of mountains and might not be good for skiing and relaxing… 🙂

It is somewhere in “that there” mountain range picture?

Hummm – could they be wanting something from Putin?

Windows to Russia!

Medvedev Meets The Pope…


Dmitry Medvedev met with Pope Benedict XVI and Vatican Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone.

This was the first official visit of a Russian leader to the Vatican since establishment of full-format diplomatic relations. Following his brief working visit to the Vatican on December 3, 2009, Dmitry Medvedev signed an executive order on establishing diplomatic relations at the level of a Russian Federation Embassy in the Vatican.

The discussion focused on prospects for humanitarian, social, scientific, educational and cultural cooperation. Besides, the parties reviewed opportunities for promoting dialogue among confessions. (Link)

Now that is just way to cool. What a fantastic photo…

Windows to Russia!

Russia Today and Peter Schiff…


Peter Schiff...

As I sip my coffee and enjoy the aroma and flavor. I have been thinking about the fact that Peter Schiff has a column now on Russia Today…

I find that RT has an unbelievable wealth of information (good or bad) for those not “afraid” to look at and accept something different than the sheeple controlling main stream medias. I realize that RT is fairly mainstream in a sense in Russia and very Westernized by Russian standards. It is obvious that RT wants to be a media powerhouse in America and their slow and steady integration into the American media market is starting to cause some concerns out of the media giants in the West…

It seems that the refusal of the main stream media to acknowledge certain sources of information have left a opening for RT to gain traction in their endeavors…

RT likes to ask Americans why?

And that is not a question that certain people liked asked. It is one thing for bloggers such as me to ask why and believe you me there are a lot of bloggers asking why on a lot of issues. But when an news agency backed from Russia, has made huge headway’s into the public sector of America as RT has done…

In fact here is the link to RT’s USA section of their website. Just as the main stream media has a section on Russia for Russian news. RT has a section on the USA for USA news. Not news about the whole world all mixed together but news that allows you to concentrate on just America and her exploits of the day… 🙂

Now we have Peter Schiff writing a column for RT. I hope that he writes often and lays it all on the line…

I like RT and it is fun to watch their news programs. Sometimes they are so into their “Bad America” reports. That you chuckle at the obviousness.  Many of the RT reporters who are foreign, are present all over the city (Moscow) and they are no strangers to me or anyone else. They seem to have good attitudes and enjoy working for RT.  Unlike the hidden journalists from the Moscow Western press powerhouses…

One problem is that RT does not have the mass audience yet that can sway the masses in America. But they will and that has some heads turning in concern…

Windows to Russia!

Mil Mi-38-OP transport-passenger helicopter can fly to the heavens…


New Russian helicopter can land on top of Mount Everest…

A prototype of the Mil Mi-38-OP transport-passenger helicopter, developed at the Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant, is currently being tested in the Moscow Region. Designers say the helicopter’s performance is quite unique, that it will not age. Special wear resistant composite materials are used on the helicopter’s fuselage. Originally intended as a replacement for the Mil Mi-8 and the Mi-17, it is being marketed in both military and civil versions. It flew for the first time on 22 December 2003…

Windows to Russia!

Putin Keeps Laying the Groundwork for the Future…


When the old mayor was fired by President Medvedev and the new mayor installed was Putin’s right hand man in the Russian government. I said then that the new mayor, Sergey Sobyanin is an up coming future presidential prospective candidate…

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has suggested that Mayor Sergey Sobyanin lead the ruling United Russia’s branch in Moscow. “As far as I know the leader of United Russia’s Moscow organization has not yet been elected,” said the premier, who heads the party. (Link)

It reminds me of something George Orwell said, “He who controls the past commands the future. He who commands the future conquers the past.”

Makes sense to me…

Windows to Russia!

Coffee and the Double Dip Flu…


I am drinking my morning cup of coffee and thinking about the flu. Any flu: Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae (the influenza viruses), that affects birds and mammals. The most common symptoms of the disease are chills, fever, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, weakness/fatigue and general discomfort. Although it is often confused with other influenza-like illnesses, especially the common cold, influenza is a more severe disease than the common cold and is caused by a different type of virus…

If you ask me, I think that this flu should be called “Death warmed over!” And I know about death warmed over. I have been brought back several times by defibrillator and felt better then, than I do right now… 🙂

So as I sip my coffee and pluck away at this article. I came to the realization that I had a double dip flu. (Like a double dip recession and the second dip is worse than the first…) In the last few weeks I had the flu and got very sick. I was down and out for several days. Sveta took care of me and as I started to feel better, then Sveta came down with it. I then took care of her. Then I got hit again. Then I lost several days and am not really sure about much of what happened during those days. I guess Sveta canceled my teachings and other appointments. I know that I was incapable and I know that I was as sick as I have ever been in my life and somewhere Sveta felt good enough to take care of me again… (Bless her heart!)

Poor Boza has been beside himself with worry. He is not use to me being bedridden…

I do remember one thing from the last few days and found the remains of it in the refrigerator. Sveta made chicken/cabbage soup. She calls it her magic healing soup. She says that she puts her soul into making it and it will make me better…

Since I lost 5 kilos this week. I am going to try to eat some more of that magic soup. It seems to be working and because it sure sounds good today… 🙂

It is a beautiful day in Russia…

Windows to Russia!

Al Jazeera English, The Real Coverage on Egypt…


UPDATE:

Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, has resigned from his post, handing over power to the armed forces and ending a 30-year grip on the largest Arab nation.In a stunning reversal of fortunes, Omar Suleiman, the new vice-president, announced in a televised address on Friday evening that the president was “waiving” his office, and had handed over authority to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. (Link)

Al Jazeera is really the only true coverage of the issues in Egypt. Al Jazeera is being slammed by Mubarak and followers. I have even heard derogatory remarks from America and Israel. But the truth is this is the real situation and no cover up is intended and allowed…

Watch a few minutes of streaming live video. At least while we can still get such true pictures and coverage. If my site gets the video blocked try the link below. It leads to the main Al Jazeera site…

http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/

Makes you think doesn’t it? They are really down on America and it is getting worse. Our (American) involvement now and in the past has backfired hugely. This is a real example of why we need to keep our nose at home and take care of ourselves first and foremost…

Ron Paul said, “This is a typical example of what happens when we run on intervention-type foreign policies. We get in the middle of these fights. We’ve been in the middle of this for 30 years now. We’ve given Mubarak $60 billion. We’re responsible for a lot of the mess that is over there,”  (Link)

Hummm… (Powder keg comes to mind as I watch this video streaming live…)

Windows to Russia!