Thoughts from Russia with Coffee…

A photo of a cup of coffee.
Coffee Time…

This morning while drinking my cup of coffee, I was thinking that it is time to winterize the village home. Other words, get it ready for the long Russian Winter…

Looks like we will try to do that this weekend because according to the Russian news this is going to be a Winter that we will not forget…

That settled I thought about a very good article that I read yesterday. It was about the doctor care in Russia. It was called, Limitations of Russian Medical Care by American Russia Observations Blog…

Robert MacDonald the owner of the blog has a flare for much detail that I really like. He has lived in Russia a long time and I only hope that I may live here that long also…

The article caught my interest because I have much of the same experience as he does with Russian medical care and I, much like him, have had good experiences with Russian medical care and doctors…

His blog reminds me that, No it is not a perfect world but with the right attitude you come to an understanding that not all glitters with gold in America and not all is dirt in Russia…

The next thing that came to my mind while drinking my coffee was that they have turned the heat on in our building. That is the sign that Winter is coming. Now I love winter so Russia is an ideal place for me… 🙂

One more thought crossed my mind as I am finishing this article. One of our friends in the village had gotten pneumonia. He was prescribed antibiotics. The antibiotics were to be given by injection. Now in America he would have to go to the doctor and get all the shots done. He would also have to have a prescription for the antibiotics. He would also have to have a lot of money to pay for said shots and antibiotics or very good insurance…

In Russia no prescription needed, no doctor or nurse to pay to give the shots and very little money for the antibiotic.  In fact in Russia we do it all basically ourselves…

The reason it came to my mind is that I am needing to have the steroid shots again for my arthritis, it has been several years and the effects have worn off completely. Like the last time, all I have to do is go to the pharmacy and get the steroids and needles and give them to myself. Simple, easy, cost effective but not painless… 🙂

That is why I love Russia…

Windows to Russia.

Russia and News…

Russian News From Russia...

Lets have some news from Russia with our morning cup of coffee or tea:

The Bank of Russia sold a little over $1bn worth of foreign currency on the domestic market in September, First Deputy Chairman of the Bank of Russia Alexei Ulyukayev told journalists today. The regulator sold $0.6bn worth of foreign currency on the domestic market between September 1 and 22. “During the first few months of 2010, the ruble demonstrated an increase, and the value of the basket of two currencies slid,” the Central Bank’s chief Sergei Ignatyev told journalists. Meanwhile, the basket of two currencies has been increasing in value in the last several months, due primarily to a lower surplus of the balance of payments account. Ignatyev reiterated that the bank purchased $0.5bn in foreign currency in July of this year.

More…

Russia and the United States have settled all issues regarding Russia’s bid to join the World Trade Organization, Russia’s Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin stated today at the 7th annual forum Yalta European Strategy. He also reiterated that the Russian and U.S. presidents had agreed to complete the talks by the end of September, and kept their word. A special working group in Geneva will now finish off a joint report, Kudrin added. The WTO accession process can start in two to four months to be completed in half a year or a year at the most, the finance minister explained. In theory, Russia can become a WTO member in 10 months.

More…

In an interview today, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Vladimir Vysotsky filled RBC in on Russia’s priorities in the Arctic. He is convinced that Russia needs to defend its interests, as there are plenty of contenders for both the Arctic and the Antarctic. “We are already witnessing a number of states who, although not on the Arctic Council, are seeking to penetrate and are already positioning their interests. China, for one, has entered into agreements with Norway to develop the Arctic zone. We can understand the economy and the infrastructure that China now has – it is becoming a serious partner, both in terms of benefits and problems,” Vysotsky said.

More…

The program on the privatization of state companies is expected to promote competition in the Russian economy and ultimately, its efficiency, President of VTB Capital Yury Solovyev told RBC-TV today. “Many people are saying that the government is doing this to overcome the budget deficit. I think the key priority and the reason behind the privatization program is to increase competition in the Russian economy,” he explained.

More…

Russia’s natural gas production jumped 15.6 percent to 468.847bn cubic meters in January-September of 2010 compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, the Russian Energy Ministry indicated in a report today. In September alone, Russia produced 47.94bn cubic meters of natural gas, 4.2 percent greater than in the same month of 2009.

More…

Russia’s inflation amounted to 0.8 percent in September and to 6.2 percent since the beginning of the year, the Russian Federal Statistics Service (Rosstat) reported today. In September of last year, inflation stood at zero, and at 8.1 percent in the first three quarters of the year.

That is all folks…

Windows to Russia!

Russia is Going to be Cold this Winter…

The Coldest Winter for the last 1000 years (one thousand years)…

This is what the scientist are predicting. They are saying that after a Summer like we just had, this backlash is what will happen…

This is all centered around the Gulf Jet Stream that brings warm air up North. They say that as the Gulf Stream dies so will the ability to counteract the freezing cold. Looks like this last summer was a dieing gasp of the Gulf Stream and now we are seeing a downward drop of said Gulf Stream…

The prediction is including all of Europe and they say that this could be the start of a new ice age if the Gulf Stream disappears completely…

Actual jet stream configuration
Jet Streams…

The announcement has been made on local news and the Russian authorities are getting ready for an extremely cold Winter (even by Russian standards)…

Windows to Russia!

Coffee Thoughts in Russia…

World reserves of foreign exchange and gold in...
World reserves of foreign exchange and gold in billions of US Dollars…

While sipping on a cup of coffee this morning and enjoying the crisp 2 degree Celsius, clear skied weather. I was thinking of something that had happened in the world…

It seems that the world currency devaluations will come. They have no choice but to devalue. With the Western world printing press running 24/7…

But that also will be unsuccessful as a tool to save the financial situation that the world has created.

Though Russia I see as one of the exceptions and has circumvented a major part of the devastation by failing to use stimulus packages to weaken its rouble.

So now every time the IMF tries to suppress gold prices with its gold dumping, Russia is right there buying it up, which must infuriate the elitists in Europe and the US.

So even though almost 2/3s of their economy’s growth loss has been due to drought and fires. Russia with close to $500 billion in foreign exchange, will have no trouble buying gold, which from my calculations is close to 706.38 tons and climbing monthly. Russia it seems has found an easy way to dump dollars.

So as long as the IMF wants to try to suppress the gold price by dumping gold on the market. Countries like Russia and China will buy, buy, buy and buy some more. Using those devalued dollars to purchase Gold…

I hear they are starting to buy silver also…

Windows to Russia!

Russia: As The Winds Do Change! (Part 5)

Could a storm be brewing?


A little tid-bit of information that I posted a couple of weeks ago….

Update on Story: Ukraine says that the tanks were bond for Kenya and there was 33 tanks and parts and ammo…. (Hmmmmm oh OK!)

The United States and Israel have consistently refused to rule out the possibility of military action against Iran over its refusal to halt its uranium enrichment and Georgia would be an ideal bridgehead for a U.S. invasion of Iran. Then NATO proceeds to comment on the fact that it will rebuild the NATO class airport that was destroyed in Georgia. It will be better than it was and all the latest updated equipment. Russia seems to be getting the picture also, that Ukraine is shipping Soviet T-72 Tanks to Afghanistan for NATO (USA). Seems if I remember correctly (Soviet Times), Tanks are worthless in Afghanistan due to the terrain but they are great in the plains area of Iran.(Link)

This Ukraine is shipping Tanks is confirmed today with the CNN article:

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — The Foreign Ministry says pirates have seized a Ukrainian-operated ship off Somalia. The ministry says the Faina was sailing with 21 people on board under the Belize flag, though it is operated by Ukrainian managing company Tomax Team Inc. The ministry says in a statement that the ship’s captain reported being surrounded by three boats of armed men Thursday afternoon. The ship’s passengers include 17 Ukrainian citizens including the captain, as well as three Russians and one Latvian citizen. The ministry had no information on the ship’s cargo. But the Interfax news agency cited an unnamed source as saying the ship was loaded with about 30 T-72 tanks and spare parts for them. (Link)

Opps – looks like it is cover up time for Ukraine, NATO and the USA! Update – seems that Ukraine first gave out information that the tanks were going to South Sudan, then hours later they changed the story to Kenya. Well wait and see what the next story says.

They also where caught very far from the normal shipping route. The explanation was: We were trying to avoid pirates so that is why we are so far off course.

So before anyone jumps up and down and says NATO don’t have Russian made T-72’s, think again, Iraq has 77 to 120 of these tanks which some Western sources refer to as the T-74 but NATO refers to as the T-80. Many of these tanks are in action as they are upgraded by NATO to NATO standards. Czech is upgrading all their T-72’s to NATO standards right now.

In fact allot of Russian equipment is used in NATO, from Migs to tanks….

As the Wind Blows it has de-leafed a tree and exposed some interesting things….

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

PS: The yellow area on the world map is Somalia, They only had a little ways to travel before they were home free. The sources are reporting several hundred tanks have already been delivered.

Windows to Russia!

Svet Sunday: Russia remembers Great Patriotic War!

Today we remember victims of Great Patriotic War (how we call WWII in Russia). It started 22 of June 1941 at 4:10 am fascists cross the border of Soviet Union near Brest.

That’s how Russia Today describes it:

One of the bloodiest pages in the history of Russia and the former Soviet countries is being remembered today. On June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union. The four-year-long war claimed the lives of nearly 30 million Soviet people.

The motto of the Soviet Union was to stop the enemy at all costs – and the cost was immense.

In the first three weeks of the war the Red Army lost almost a million of soldiers….

Today I offer you to watch this video. You’ll see how diffrent people met this day 67 years ago:

We’ll always be thankful to people who fought the War.
We’ll always remember victims of the War…

Please, be happy just because you are alive!
Svet

comments always welcome.

Windows to Russia!

Russia: Olympics Crushing The Little People!

This is a Russian Disgrace, Putin needs to be following his Olympic issues very closely! We have been to this little area and drove through this wonderful little Old Village. It is very quaint, the scenery is beautiful from this village and the homes are not fancy. It looks like a old village that has lost its original shine. Just like many Russian villages.

Residents of Imeret lowland that had been chosen to construct facilities for Sochi 2014 Olympics clashed with bailiffs and police yesterday, July 22, 2008. Armed with sticks and bottles of incendiary mixture, 200 locals were defending their houses.

Accompanied by bailiffs, the land surveyors attempted past morning to enter a dwelling at Nizhni Imeret Street. The traffic police blocked the road and the bailiffs showed to hostess Svetlana Droficheva a writ of execution spelling out the ban on opposing their cadastral activities.

The news that authorities set eviction into motion spread amid the neighbors in no time. Some 200 barricaded themselves inside the house, the remaining stood on the defense in the street.

Chief of Adler authorities Evgeny Piven showed up at around 11:00 a.m. to confirm that the bailiffs really have the writ and the owners are to admit them to the house for cadastral work. “Over our dead bodies,” the locals rebuffed.

Meanwhile, the police and the bailiffs set to assaulting the gates. The locals didn’t retreat and police used pepper gas against them. A woman felt sick and an ambulance was called to help her, but the locals didn’t yield that time.

Officers of Russia’s riot police, OMON, were summoned to break down the resistance of people, whose houses are within the construction site of Sochi Olympics. Luckily the conflict didn’t escalate into a war. The tension was eased by police acting chief Yuri Starshikov. He approved of “my house is my castle” standing of residents and said they have ten days to appeal the writ. (Link)

One thing that is worth fighting for is your home. The statement “My home is my castle” is appropriate!

This bottom line is: The Olympics are not worth lives, sorrow, stress, destruction & taking homes. I hope the residents win!

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

From Russia: Medvedev and Novaya Gazeta!

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee here in Moscow, Russia and looking at a video about a press release that Medvedev did.

In a surprise move: Dmitry Medvedev discussed Democracy and the Khodorkovsky case in an interview with Novaya Gazeta, which is known for its critical stance towards the Kremlin…

Everyday Medvedev shows what he is about and when he does things like this he shows that he is trying to change the older ways of Russia!

According to the President’s press service: “This will not be the last interview with Russia’s printed press. This is to become normal and a regular feature of Dmitry Medvedev’s time in office.”

Windows to Russia!
Kyle and Svet

comments always welcome.

Once Again Woe is We the Web duth Weave…

Rainbow flag flapping in the wind with blue sk...
Rainbow Flag…

For the first time in the Moscow’s history, the authorities are allowing the members of Russia’s gay community to stage a protest…

Scarcely has the former Moscow Mayor Yury left his workplace when the city he shaped for almost two full decades made a change that was contradictory to the norm…

The quiet murmurer of disapproval has increased and the fingers are being pointed at a Medvedev. Stating that he should have seen this coming…

Russia still has a “Wild West” flare about her and that is part of the attraction Russia holds for me. But this flare could cause issues from certain groups that vehemently express the desire of being anti gay…

I hear the murmurs stirring amongst the breezes and they are not conductive to pleasantness…

Could this move be too soon after the demise of a popular mayor?

Windows to Russia!

Russia: Easter – April 27, 2008

Hello,

My wife and I had an article before Easter in the West on March 23rd, 2008. I had an article then about the Russian Easter. I am now bringing it back up…

The Article Here (LINK).

Russian Easter!

Easter in Russia is celebrated according to the rituals laid down by the Eastern Orthodox Church. Apart from differences in rites and rituals, the bone of contention between Western Christians (Protestants and Roman Catholics) and the Eastern Orthodox Christians is the date of Easter celebration. In determining the vernal equinox, the Eastern Church uses the Julian calendar while the Western Church employs the Gregorian calendar.

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

Moreover, whereas Western Churches hold Easter sunrise services, in Russian Orthodox Church Easter services last all through Saturday night. The congregation gathers in the church or cathedral on Saturday evening and takes part in an Easter vigil commemorating the buried Christ.

Easter service is also held in a different way. Already on a Saturday night people put on their best clothes and come together in dark churches that symbolize a gloomy world without the light of faith.

The holy week is pretty much busy in most Russian homes. Once a spring cleaning is done, it’s time for baking Easter bread. The eggs are painted on Holy (“Clean”) Thursday and fresh Easter cakes (Paskha) are prepared on Saturday. It’s a tough time as Saturday is the strictest fasting day when orthodox Christians are almost not allowed to eat. Tasting food while cooking is also forbidden. But everyone is looking forward to the feast, and the cooks do their best. It is a tradition to bless Easter eggs and bread in the church. Fasting ends after the Easter Mass and feasting begins.

The Easter Day starts with a long family breakfast. The table is decorated with fresh flowers, pussy-willow branches and, of course, painted eggs. Besides Easter bread and Paskha that are only eaten on Easter, there is lots of other food on the table like sausages, bacon, cheese, milk, etc. – so basically everything that was prohibited during the Forty Day Fast. However, the feast starts with a piece of aromatic Easter bread.

Sharing food on Easter has been a long tradition in Russia. That is why after breakfast people visit their friends and neighbors exchanging eggs and small Easter breads. If the first egg you get on Easter is a truly gift given from the heart, it will never go bad, says an old Russian wisdom.

It is also common practice to visit cemeteries and bring eggs, some bread and beer to the graves. In doing so, people let deceased loved ones enjoy the feast.

Strangely enough the weather on the Easter Day is usually very nice and sunny. “The sun plays”, say the Russians. It is an old custom to open the cages and let birds go free on Easter.

In the past, only men were allowed to ring church bells. Bell-ringing could be heard everywhere creating a joyful atmosphere. There was no Easter without swinging on a swing. It was great fun, especially for kids and girls.
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It is still very popular to roll Easter eggs on the ground or down a hill. The aim of the game is to break the eggs of other players without damaging your own ones. Experienced players pay special attention to the form of the eggs and even make special gutters for the eggs to have a better roll. Farmers believe that rolling eggs keep the soil fertile.

Painted eggs are an international Easter symbol. In Russia Easter eggs are believed to possess magic powers. They are supposed to protect crops against hail damage, keep cattle healthy and ward off evil spirits. An Easter egg hidden in the foundation of a house would bring the owners happiness and prosperity. It should even be possible to make yourself look younger by rolling an Easter egg over the face. So it’s no wonder that painted and blessed Easter eggs used to be kept as lucky charms for a long time. One day someone started making and painting wooden eggs. Porcelain, golden, silver and gemstone eggs are very precious. The most exquisite ones are probably the Imperial Easter Eggs designed by the world-famous jeweler Peter Carl FabergĂ©’s for the Russian Royal Family.

Traditional Easter eggs are red. Of course, it is also possible to use other colors. In Russia eggs are often cooked together with onion skins or wrapped in colorful fabric remnants. Spinach dyes eggs green and beet root gives them a red tint. Easter eggs get a nice shine if rubbed with vegetable oil.
At midnight ringing church bells announce the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Priests come to the altar holding a crucifix and candles. Solemnly singing, they walk through the church and then around it. Everyone lights the candles and follow the procession. Churches and cathedrals are now full of singing voices and candle lights.

The Orthodox liturgical chant substitutes a Catholic organ and creates a very special atmosphere. The Mass goes on till dawn. Today, the president and other politicians also attend the Easter Mass.

As there are no bench rows in orthodox churches, some people find it difficult to stand the whole mass that goes on for hours. But the impressive ceremony is worth every effort. The Easter service ends early in the morning when the priests go around the crucifix. Numerous church bells start ringing, the singing gets louder, and finally the priests tell everybody to forgive each other and seal it with a hug and a kiss. Everyone happily follows this appeal. The traditional Easter greeting can be heard everywhere: “Christ is risen!” and the answer: “He is truly risen!”

Kyle & Svet

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