Russia: Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Political Repressions!

Remembering Stalin’s Great Purge victims:

On Friday Oct. 30th, 2009 – Russia marks the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Political Repressions. Millions suffered from Stalin’s repressions from the 1920s through to the 1950s.

President Medvedev said attempts to justify the Stalinist repressions under the pretext of state interest are unacceptable:

“I am convinced that no development of a country, no success or ambitions of the state, should be achieved through human grief and loss. Nothing can be valued above human life, and there is no excuse for repression.”

Windows to Russia!

Renovating the Yevpatoria RT-70 Radio Telescope…

70-m aerial P-2500 (RT-70 radio telescope)
Yevpatoria RT-70 radio telescope

Interesting tidbit of news today. It involves a huge Soviet era radio telescope…

It is said on the news in Moscow that Russia and Ukraine are to work together to renovate the giant Soviet-era radio telescope near Yevpatoria on the Crimean Peninsula.

This information came to light after an inspection led by the Russian Space Agency. The finding was that work needed to be done to keep utilizing the telescope for future space missions.

The 32-year-old telescope has an antenna almost the size of a football field. With its 70m antenna diameter, it is among one of the largest radio telescopes in the world. The Soviet era radio telescope has an advantage in comparison with other largest radio telescopes in the fact that the telescope includes powerful transmitters. These transmitters would allow this scope to communicate with extra terrestrials if need be and makes this telescope unique in that aspect…

It is needed in top form because Russia needs to use the telescope for support on a planned Russian robotic mission to the Martian moon Phobos in 2011…

This is really cool and I love the fact that Ukraine and Russia are getting along better…

Windows to Russia!

Russia: Her Drivers!

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee and I was thinking of the other day about how mad I got at another driver. The Russian driver is like the American driver, they only care if they get where they are going and will they run over you in the process.

Traffic Awareness in Russia...

In America Road Rage is well known, there have been many shootings on the roads of America over dumb and stupid happenings.

In Russia the same thing happens: The Russian driver will come up behind you and ride on the tail of your car. Then he will honk, flash his lights and even drive into oncoming traffic to pass you. They endanger all around them. The other day I was traveling 100 km per hour in a 60 km per hour zone. I was going at the pace of traffic. Then behind me appears a SUV that wants to go 200km per hour. (mind you we are speeding anyway) He flashes his lights, he honks his horn and he tries to pass me on both sides of the road.

The traffic that is coming at us is swerving to miss him and a wreck could happen. I accelerate to 130 km and he gets enough room to pass on my right. Now as he passes, he gives me the famous middle finger.(yes they use it in Russia also)

When I was raised, If you use that finger, you better be able to back it up! At this point I was going to stomp a Russian Butt.

But….., His car was much faster than mine. :((

Now my wife is calmly talking on her cell phone and not getting excited about anything.

That is when I realized how stupid I was being to go to his level. With me having had 6 heart attacks and such, does not seem like I was too smart.

So I have made up my mind that, Russian drivers are as stupid as American drivers!

To expound farther, In Russia they have what is called blue lights. A car with these Blue Lights has the right away to go any speed and break all laws. The cops never pull over a Blue Light.

So It looks like that in Moscow there are a lot of Blue Light wannabes, They just do not have the Blue Light.

Reminds me of the Blue Light special at K-Mart!

Just my two Rubles worth!

Here is an article by Moscow Times:

“”Driver Shot In the Hip After Tirade:

A shouting match over who had the right-of-way ended with one driver shooting the other in the hip in southern Moscow, police said Tuesday.

The 36-year-old injured driver told police that he was driving his Toyota Land Cruiser on Khavskaya Ulitsa on Monday evening when a Lada sedan tried to cross the street in front of him. The cars stopped bumper to bumper, and neither would give way to the other, a city police spokesman said.

The two drivers started throwing insults, and the Lada driver finally shot the other driver in the hip and fled, the spokesman said.

The injured driver, who was not identified, was hospitalized with a gunshot to the left hip. Police heard his account after being alerted that a patient had been admitted with a gun wound.

Police are looking for the Lada driver, who could face four to seven years in prison if convicted on charges of armed hooliganism.

The police spokesman said the attack was the first registered incident of road rage this year.

A minor traffic accident on Volochayevskaya Ulitsa in October resulted in manslaughter. An argument between a male and female driver over the fender bender ended with the man pushing the woman into the busy street, only to see her get killed by a passing truck. In August 2005, a driver jumped from his car and fatally beat a truck driver after the truck driver repeatedly tried to pass his car on Volgogradsky Prospekt. In March 2005, a man died and another was injured in a shooting following a car crash on a bridge across the Bittsa River, 25 kilometers south of Moscow.””(The Moscow Times)

Kyle

comments always welcome.

Windows to Russia!

Lake Baikal Deep Underwater Telescope…

The Baikal underwater telescope NT-200 in Russia has been set up to capture elusive neutrino particles in a bid to unravel the secrets of the formation of the Universe.

At 1.1km beneath the surface of the world’s deepest lake and pointing towards the center of the Earth, it is one of the most unusual telescopes on the planet.

BBC did this wonderful video with one of the physicists that works on the project. Bair Shaibonov spoke with BBC about the several weeks each year he spends working on a remote scientific base on the shores of Baikal.

This is a cool video and makes you wonder at how we can figure out that using a lake is a great way to do a telescope…

Windows to Russia!

Seasons of Contrast Mark Russia…

Winter is here...

Here in Moscow, Russia where we live and even where our village is located 450 km down the South side of Moscow. Winter has enveloped us and will stay present for about 8 months…

Sveta and I just got back from another village trip and less than a month later from the previous trip…

That short month signaled an end to the very short autumn and the start of a harsh Winter…

Moscow has very distinct seasons but Spring, Autumn and Summer are very short. The Winter is king and rules the largest portion of the year. In our trip to the village this time we had freezing ponds and water buckets with a thick layer of ice every morning, sealing the surface of the water in them, unbroken and quarter inch thick…

The seasons are definitely a contrast and that makes the soul happy. Because nothing is better than being able to experience Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.  Since Winter is my favorite season that makes Russia a wonderful place for me… 🙂

A lake near our village...

The picture above is a treat from nature. The day was perfectly still and no breeze cared to flutter the surface of the lake. I saw a perfect opportunity to get a picture of mirrored clarity…

Found While we walked the hills. Love This Pine...

So it may be a while until we get back to the village. Winter makes it hard to get there because the road to the village is treacherous and long at times. I have kicked myself in the butt several times because I did not search for a 4×4 Russian van and opted instead for a Volga. But the comfort of our Volga makes us glad we got her instead. Sveta and I have talked about putting a 4×4 drive train under our Volga wagon. That would be a wonderful perfect Volga… 🙂

I have several articles to do about this trip to the village. We discovered something that is fantastic. So stay tuned…

We had a great weekend hope yours was just as good…

Windows to Russia!

Windows to Russia the Great Lent!

In this we will talk about Russian Great Lent

2008 date for Easter:
March 23 (Western)
April 27 (Eastern)

Tradition of the Great Lent originates from ancient Christian church and is kept only in Orthodox. Lent is called Great because of its importance and is kept in memory of 40 day lent of Jesus Christ who, after his baptism, retired in a desert.

Great Lent is the longest (49 days) and strictest. It is recommended to manage without food in the first two days and the last one of Lent and be moderate in other days. You can eat fish only on the day of Annunciation and Palm Sunday. Vine and oil is allowed on Saturdays and Sundays. Lent is not a diet for physical health, but for moral health. Lent is considered as a deeping into spiritual world where you can appreciate the value of a word, as a word is silver, but silence is gold. Lent is a real heroic exploit and far from everyone can do it.

What did people eat at Lent time?

Let’s imagine Lent fair: dry mushrooms, peas, radish, carrot, onion, beet, sauerkraut, pickled cucumbers, bilberries, cranberries, apples, honey, jam. There were special Lent dishes – Turya (salted water with bread pieces and chopped onion), Tolokno (fried oats with salted water), Kulesh (thin gruel made from peas, potatoes and groats). In fact, Lent table could not be so poor, as there are many vegetable dishes. The principal thing was refusal of pleasures and that made believers be thankful for this simple food. Great Lent prepares a believer to the greatest event – resurrection of Jesus, Easter.

Beginning of the Great Lent. Tone eight.(March 10th)
Great Lent. By Monastic Charter – Full abstention from food

Clean Monday. (On Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of the 1st week of Great Lent the Great Vespers the canon of St. Andrew of Crete is read).
St. Porphyrius, bishop of Gaza (420).
New Hieromartyr Peter priest (1930).
New Hieromartyr Sergius priest (1933).
Virgin-martyr Anna (1937).
New Hieromartyrs John bishop of Rylsk and John priest (1938).
St. Sebastian, monk of Poshekhonye (1542).
Martyrs Sebastian and Christodoulos (66).
New Martyr John Calphas (“the Apprentice”) at Constantinople (1575) (Greek).
St. Photina, the Samaritan woman, and her sisters Anatola, Phota, Photis, Parasceva, and Cyriaca; her sons Photinus and Joses; and Sebastian the Duke, Victor, and Christodulus — all martyred under Nero (66) (Greek).
Martyr Theoclitas, martyred with St. Photina (Greek).
New Martyr Elias of Trebizond (1749).
The Mezhetsk Icon of the Mother of God.

The Scripture Readings

Isaiah 1:1-20 (6th Hour)
Genesis 1:1-13 (Vespers, 1st Reading)
Proverbs 1:1-20 (Vespers, 2nd Reading)
First Week of the Great Lent. Tone eight.(17th of March)
Great Lent. By Monastic Charter: Strict Fast (Bread, Vegetables, Fruits)

Martyr Eudocia of Heliopolis (152).
New Hieromartyr Olga (1937).
New Hieromartyrs Basil, Peter, John, Benjamin, Michael priests, New Hieromartyr Antony, Virgin-martyrs Anna, Daria, Eudokia, Alexandra, Martyr Basil, Virgin-martyr Nadezhda (1938).
New Hieromartyr Alexander priest (1942).
New Hieromartyrs Abbess Antonina of Kizliar (1924), Methodius (1920) and Anastasia Andreyevna, fool-for-Christ.
St. Martyrius, abbot of Zelenets (Tikhvin) (1603).
Martyrs Nestor, Tribimius, Marcellus, and Anthony of Perge in Pamphylia (3rd c.).
Martyr Antonina of Nicaea in Bithynia (284-305).
Virgin Domnina of Syria (450-460).
St. Agapius of Vatopedi Skete of Kolitsou, Mt. Athos, and his four companions.
St. Swidbert, monastic founder on the Rhine River (713).
St. David of Wales, bishop (6th c.) (Celtic & British).
St. Albinus, bishop of Angers (550).
St. Leo-Luke of Corleone, Sicily (900).
New Martyr Paraskevas of Trebizond (1659).
Martyrs Sophronius and Silvester (Greek).
Martyrs Charisius, Nicephorus, and Agapius (Greek).

The Scripture Readings

Isaiah 3:1-14 (6th Hour)
Genesis 2:20-3:20 (Vespers, 1st Reading)
Proverbs 3:19-34 (Vespers, 2nd Reading)

Second Week of the Great Lent. Tone one.
Great Lent. By Monastic Charter: Strict Fast (Bread, Vegetables, Fruits)

St. Theophylactus, bishop of Nicomedia (845).
New Hieromartyr John priest (1923).
Martyr Vladimir (1942).
Sts. Lazarus and Athanasius, monks of Murman Island, Onega Lake (1391).
Apostle Hermas of the Seventy (1st c.).
Hieromartyr Theodoretus of Antioch (361).
St. Dometius, monk (363).
Kursk “Sign” Icon (1898) Icon of the Mother of God.
St. Felix of Burgundy, bishop of Dunwich and enlightener of East Anglia (648) (Celtic & British).
St. Paul of Prusias, confessor (840) (Greek).
Martyr Dio (Greek).
Martyrs Quintilian and Capatolinus in Nicomedia.

The Scripture Readings

Isaiah 7:1-15 (6th Hour)
Genesis 5:32-6:8 (Vespers, 1st Reading)
Proverbs 6:20-7:1 (Vespers, 2nd Reading)

Third Week of the Great Lent. Tone two.(24 of March)
Great Lent. By Monastic Charter: Strict Fast (Bread, Vegetables, Fruits)

Martyrs Agapius, Publius (Pauplios), Timolaus, Romulus, two named Dionysius, and two named Alexander, at Caesarea in Palestine (303).
New Hieromartyr Demetrius priest (1938).
New Hieromartyr Michael priest (1940).
Hieromartyr Alexander of Side in Pamphylia (270-275).
Martyr Nicander of Egypt (302).
St. Nicander, monk, of Gorodets (Novgorod) (1603).
New Martyr Manuel of Crete (1792) (Greek).
St. Hebarestes.
St. Zachariah, pope of Rome (752).

The Scripture Readings

Isaiah 13:2-13 (6th Hour)
Genesis 8:4-21 (Vespers, 1st Reading)
Proverbs 10:31-11:12 (Vespers, 2nd Reading)

Fourth Week of the Great Lent: Adoration of Cross. Tone three.(31st of march)
Great Lent. By Monastic Charter: Strict Fast (Bread, Vegetables, Fruits)

Hieromartyr Basil, presbyter of Ancyra (362).
Martyr Drosida (Drosis) of Antioch, and five virgins (104).
St. Isaac, founder of the Dalmatian Monastery at Constantinople (383).
Martyrs Callinica and Basilissa of Rome (2nd c.).
St. Basil of Mangazea in Siberia (1600).
Venerable Euthymius of Constantinople.
“The Izborsk” Icon of the Mother of God (1657).
St. Paul, bishop of Narbonne, Brittany (3rd c.) (Celtic & British).
New Martyr Euthymius of Mt. Athos (1814) (Greek).
New Martyr Basil (Zelentsov) bishop of Priluk (1930).
New Martyr Schema-abbess Sophia of Kiev (1941) and her priest Demetrius Ivanov (1934).

The Scripture Readings

Isaiah 29:13-23 (6th Hour)
Genesis 12:1-7 (Vespers, 1st Reading)
Proverbs 14:15-26 (Vespers, 2nd Reading)

Fifth Week of the Great Lent. Tone four.(7th of April)
Great Lent. By Monastic Charter: Strict Fast (Bread, Vegetables, Fruits)

Martyr Mark, bishop of Arethusa (364), and with him Hieromartyr Cyril the Deacon of Heliopolis, and others, who suffered under Julian the Apostate (362).
New Martyrs Priest Paul (Voinarsky), and brothers Paul and Alexis Kiryan, of the Crimea (1919).
New Hieromartyr Micael priest(1933).
Venerable John, Anchorite of Egypt (4th c.).
St. Eustathius (Eustace) the Confessor, bishop of Kios in Bithynia(9thc.).
Sts. Jonah (1480) and Mark of the Pskov Caves.
St. Diadochus, bishop of Photike in Epirus (ca. 486).
St. Eustasius, abbot of Luxeuil (7th c.).
Sts. Gwynllw and Gwladys, parents of St. Cadoc.

The Scripture Readings

Isaiah 45:11-17 (6th Hour)
Genesis 22:1-18 (Vespers, 1st Reading)
Proverbs 17:17-18:5 (Vespers, 2nd Reading)

Sixth Week of the Great Lent. Tone five.(14th of April)
Great Lent. By Monastic Charter: Strict Fast (Bread, Vegetables, Fruits)

Transation of the relics (1652) of St. Job, patriarch of Moscow (1607).
Martyrs Theodulus, reader, and Agathopodes, deacon, and those with them at Thessalonica (303).
New Hieromartyr Alexis priest (1930)..
New Hieromartyr Nicholas priest (1931).
St. Publius of Egypt, monk (4th c.).
Sts. Theonas, Symeon, and Phorbinus of Egypt (4th c.).
St. Mark the Anchorite of Athens (400).
St. Plato, abbot of the Studion (813).
St. Theodora, nun, of Thessalonica (892) (Greek).
New Martyr George of New Ephesus (1801).
Repose of St. Philip the First, metropolitan of Moscow (1473).
Five girls martyred at Neanidor of Lesbos (Greek).
Martyrs Theodora and Didymus of Alexandria (305).
The Martyr Fermus.
New Martyr Argyra at Constantinople (1725).
New Martyr Panaghiotis of Jerusalem (1820).
St. Derfel of Lianderfel.
St. Ethelburga, queen and Abbes of Lyminge, Kent.
Martyrs Claudius, Diodorus, Victor, Victorinus, Pappia, Serapion, and Nicephorus (Greek).

The Scripture Readings

John 10:1-9 Matins Gospel
Isaiah 66:10-24 (6th Hour)
Genesis 49:33-50:26 (Vespers, 1st Reading)
Proverbs 31:8-31 (Vespers, 2nd Reading)
Hebrews 7:26-8:2 St. Job
John 10:9-16 St. Job

Passion Week: Great Friday, Passion of Jesus Christ. (21st of April)
Great Lent. By Monastic Charter – Full abstention from food

St. Basil the Confessor, bishop of Parium (760).
New Hieromartyr Sergius (1938).
Hieromartyr Zeno, bishop of Verona (ca. 260).
St. Isaac the Syrian, abbot of Spoleto, Italy (ca. 550).
Martyrs Menas, David, and John of Palestine (630).
Virgin Anthusa of Constantinople (801).
St. Athanasia, abbess of Aegina (860).
“Murom” (12th c.) and “Belynich” (13th c.) Icons of the Mother of God.
St. Acacius of Kapsokalyvia Skete, Mt. Athos (1730).
St. Basil, bishop of Ryazan (1295).
Deposition of the Belt of the Most Holy Mother of God in Constantinople (942).
Martyr Sabbas the Goth, who suffered at Buzau in Wallachia (372) (Romania).
St. Sergius, patriarch of Constantinople (1019).
Martyrs Demas, Protion, and those with them (Greek).

The Scripture Readings

John 13:31-18:1 (Matins, 1st Passion Gospel)
John 18:1-28 (Matins, 2nd Passion Gospel)
Matthew 26:57-75 (Matins, 3rd Passion Gospel)
John 18:28-19:16 (Matins, 4th Passion Gospel)
Matthew 27:3-32 (Matins, 5th Passion Gospel)
Mark 15:16-32 (Matins, 6th Passion Gospel)
Matthew 27:33-54 (Matins, 7th Passion Gospel)
Luke 23:32-49 (Matins, 8th Passion Gospel)
John 19:25-37 (Matins, 9th Passion Gospel)
Mark 15:43-47 (Matins, 10th Passion Gospel)
John 19:38-42 (Matins, 11th Passion Gospel)
Matthew 27:62-66 (Matins, 12th Passion Gospel)
Galatians 6:14-18 (Royal Hours – 1st Hour)
Matthew 27:1-56 (Royal Hours – 1st Hour)
Romans 5:6-11 (Royal Hours – 3rd Hour)
Mark 15:16-41 (Royal Hours – 3rd Hour)
Hebrews 2:11-18 (Royal Hours – 6th Hour)
Luke 23:32-49 (Royal Hours – 6th Hour)
Hebrews 10:19-31 (Royal Hours – 9th Hour)
John 18:28-19:37 (Royal Hours – 9th Hour)
1 Corinthians 1:18-2:2
Matthew 27:1-38
Luke 23:39-43
Matthew 27:39-54
John 19:31-37
Matthew 27:55-61

Paschalia

Feb 17 – Sunday of the Publican
and Pharisee
Mar 02 – Meatfare Sunday
Mar 09 – Forgiveness Sunday
Apr 20 – Palm Sunday
Apr 27 – Great and Holy Pascha
May 21 – Mid-Pentecost (Prepolovenie)
Jun 05 – Holy Ascension
Jun 15 – Pentecost – Trinity Sunday
Jun 22 – All Saints

It goes on but I think that you see the gist of things. Easter is here and Lent is going on.

So however you deal with Lent. It is a time for recollection and renewal!

Happy Easter!

Kyle & Svet

http://kylekeeton.com/2008/03/russian-easter.html

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Цштвщцы ещ Кгыышф!

And Who Says Russians Do Not Have A Sense of Political Humor…

This picture below is spreading like wildfire over the Live-journal net work of blogs…

I will give you a few things that stand out easily…

Putin has a halo… (Like a Saint does…)

Medvedev is standing on a platform by Apple Computer… (Hmm…)

The hat in Mayor Yuri’s hand… (Classic Russian…)

Just have a long look and you will see many little subtle political jabs and twists…

Such as Medvedev has an empty sword sheaf… (Hmm…)

Oops sorry I said you had too look and so now I will shut up and allow you to take in the picture…

Windows to Russia!

PS: Thanks to my Sweetie (Sveta) for finding this picture for me…

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Remembering Gas Prices From an American In Russia!

Remember Gas Prices?

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee & thinking about why oil is dropping.

I have studied what Russia has been doing to get price under control. They have launched investigations into price gouging all over the country.

Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin threatened to ouster chiefs of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) if they fail to promptly sort out the problem of monopoly on the jet fuel market. According to Putin, the way out is construction of alternative fuel and filling facilities, while the analysts predict that the cost of fuel in Russia will be growing along with the increase in crude oil prices.

Moscow has been saying all along that oil should be around $130 a barrel. So Moscow is supporting a smaller price per barrel….
http://kylekeeton.com/2008/06/russia-oil-to-stay-at-130-barrel.html

MOSCOW, June 17 (RIA Novosti) – Oil prices may level out at $120-130 per barrel, a spokesman for Russia’s largest private crude producer LUKoil said on Tuesday.

“I believe the prices will level off at $120-130 per barrel,” Sergei Kukura, LUKoil’s first vice president, said on the sidelines of an investor conference in Moscow.

“We consider $130 per barrel to be a fair price,” the official added

I would say $130 a barrel is a fair price, lets hope it drops a little more and becomes more fair!

The Saudis are upping production so that the price will slip back down to appease the World. Let the price get too high and the World will turn to other energy sources. The Saudis are masters at the oil game. The headlines are …..

Great News: On the New York Mercantile Exchange, crude oil prices fell $3.37 Thursday to $129.92 per barrel, as analysts worried the weak U.S. economy has forced demand to fall.

Now the world rejoices over $130 a barrel oil. Even if oil drops to $100 dollars a barrel the oil companies are happy! Remember only one year ago oil was less than $75 a barrel. 5 years ago oil was around $50 dollars a barrel.

Lets not forget that the USA is not the only player in the game.

Saudi / USA Relations: Surging prices, along with a weak dollar and an oil-thirsty Asia, have blunted America’s leverage with the key oil producer and helped sour the two nations’ relationship. Saudis have other big friends also….

I know that I am not happy about fuel prices: I remember the first time I filled my car up as a teenager. I paid 18 cents a gallon! (Remember: Gas Wars!) Then I remember how terrible it was when gas went to 40 cents a gallon. (I thought my life was ruined.)

We live in a Oil Addicted World!

So oil price will drop but it will never return to allow the price of my first gas tank fill up…..

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

Windows to Russia!
  • Oil rises above $82 amid weaker US dollar (sfgate.com)
  • Drumbeat: October 11, 2010 (theoildrum.com)
  • LUKOIL sees output decline in Russia, up abroad-VP (reuters.com)
  • Russia may raise oil export duty to $289-$292/ T in Nov (reuters.com)

Russia: USA Has Crossed The Red Line Already!

Remember those days! I do.

Hello,

I think that it is interesting that Russia is suppose to be happy about Missiles in their face, but America threatens: “not to cross a, red line” at the words of a leaked press article about the possibility that Russia could be playing the same game.

U.S. General Warns Russia on Nuclear Bombers in Cuba

By Henry Meyer

July 23 (Bloomberg) — A U.S. Air Force general warned Russia not to cross a “red line” by stationing nuclear bombers in Cuba, heightening a dispute over U.S. missile-defense plans.

My country, America has a bad case of: “I want my cake and eat it too.” Syndrome!

So while the USA is walking all over (the red line) Russia about the Missile issue.

Grandma always said: “Do unto others what you want done to you!”

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

Windows to Russia!

Sunken 18th (1713) Century Ship Found at Sea!

The most typical of all the Dutch small ships was a tjalk (tjalka). The name of the ship came from the old Dutch language. Tjalk was a flat-bottomed cargo ship with shallow draught and good qualities for use in the rivers and coastal waters of old Frislandia. Because of the flat bottom she was supplied by side sheet anchors. Mostly she was rigged with a removable mast. Only in the 19th century some of tjalks were provided with an additional small mizzenmast. The displacement of a tjalk was from 30 to 80 t. Besides the sprint mainsail the tjalk carried a sprint topsail, a fore staysail and a flying jib. By the beginning of the 19th century the sprint rigging of tjalks was often changed into usual for them gaff rigging, at that the main trysail was comparatively low with a short gaff and a very long boom. (Link)

A interesting find has been discovered.

A sunken ship that dates back three centuries has been discovered during the construction for the Nordstream gas pipeline project. Scientists want the ship raised before any new work is started on the pipeline.

The ship was discovered in the Gulf of Finland near the island of Gogland, along with the remains of five other ships from a fleet of Russia’s ships which sank after a storm in 1713.

“It’s a so-called tjalk, a military transport ship built to Dutch blueprints,” said Andrey Lukoshkov, the consultant for the project. It was also the time when Sweden and Russia fought each other over supremacy in Europe’s North,” this he told a local TV station in St Petersburg.

The ship is small at only 16 meter-long. The ship lies 54 meters deep and is almost unaffected by the passage of time. The captain’s cabin even still has his personal possessions and tableware.

The tjalk is one of the few remaining vessels from the period when Tsar Peter the Great was creating Russia’s navy. Scientists are scambling to find funding to safely raise it to the surface and move it to a naval museum in Kaliningrad. (Link)

It must be done before the construction of the pipeline starts on the site, which would be certain to damage it.

This seems to me to be a very important find and I hope that they can get the funding to raise the ship.

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

Windows to Russia!