The ISS – International Space Station has turned 10 today…


International Space Station insignia.
ISS – International Space Station…

The ISS started active operation in 2000 0n November 2nd. The first crew was Sergei Krikalev and Yuri Gidzenko of Russia. Plus William Shepherd of the United States…

Since that historic day on November 2nd, 2000 a 189 cosmonauts and astronauts from 15 countries have called the ISS home…

Today the space station has been developed and evolved into a comfortable many-room “apartment” that orbits the earth…

The space station is really several years older than the 10 years because it floated mostly empty for a few years before being permanently occupied for the first time. So the 10 year mark is from the beginning of permanent house guests… 🙂

The current ISS crew are Russian cosmonauts Alexander Kaleri, Oleg Skripochka and Fyodor Yurchikhin, plus also NASA astronauts Shannon Walker, Douglas Wheelock and Scott Kelly…

More Windows to Russia articles on the ISS…

http://windowstorussia.com/russia-happy-birthday-international_20.html

http://windowstorussia.com/from-russian-mir-to-international-space_28.html

Windows to Russia!

Russia and WikiLeaks…


Picture of Julian Assange during a talk at 26C3
Julian Assange…

Just a tidbit of information that is passing around the grapevine…

It seems Julian Assange, founder of the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks has decided to post some information about Russia, China and their current governments…

The rumor is out that the FSB (The KGB successor) will and can permanently silence WikiLeaks if need be…

The rumor is that the silence from Moscow about this rumor is a bad sign for WikiLeaks…

I believe that could be true. I would think that pissing off America would be enough for a while, but it looks like Julian Assange has a death wish…

Contacts in America make it clear that he is definitely on a tightrope and all that has been done now is put a target on his forehead. Then the blame can be instilled on Russia…

If you have heard about this let me know…

Oh “the web we weave”…

Windows to Russia!

Ukraine Was Beautiful and Fun…


Sveta and I just got back from a visa trip to Ukraine. I have got to say that Ukraine is looking better every time that I go there, since the new president has taken over office…

Now Sveta and I forgot to take any real cameras so you have to live with the cheap cell phone camera that I had. But it worked and we have lots of memory pictures…

Sveta and I walked all over Kiev and found several coffee shops that had wonderful coffee and tea. It was cold and brisk so these shops were a help to stay warm. I found the coffee kiosks everywhere to be a good thing also in Kiev…

Kiev just felt great and the Cave Monastery that we visited was once again a trip that was priceless. The caves underground were wonderful and we spent a good hour walking around underground studying saints. I was able to get my 2011 calendar from the Monastery and we got some lamp oil to burn in our oil lamp…

I have a strange quirk about only using a Orthodox calendar from the Kiev Cave Monasteries! (Pechersk Lavra)… 🙂

Enjoy the pictures. Kiev, Ukraine is really a treat to visit and is very safe to wander aimlessly…

Windows to Russia!

Remember This – It Holds True Even More Today!


The whole world needs to follow this!

Kyle & Svet

Windows to Russia!

China not Russia the Evil Demon Empire of Destruction…


Red Dawn a Remake...

American propaganda is still hard at work…

Hollywood is remaking the 1984 film called “Red Dawn”, but this time with Chinese as the scum invading country instead of the evil Soviet Empire….

Russia has lost her spot at the top of the heap of countries that will destroy America. But China has risen to the occasion and is now starting to surpass even the dreaded Muslims… 🙂

Looks to me like a  remake of the 1984 cold war teen action film, tells me much about America’s paranoia and insecurities…

A wonderful twist is that they did not have to look far for an inexpensive set to make the movie at. Much of the movie was shot in and around the ghost town we call Detroit. (Which is ideal for a deserted city because it really is a deserted city.) With unbelievable blocks of empty streets and abandoned factories that are the perfect real-life backdrop for the city’s war scenes… (They say it will cost around 40 to 50 million to make the movie, now that is a budget film in this day and age.)

Looks like Russia is going to have to work a lot harder to get back on top of that “Evil Demon Empire” list of countries…

We can’t have Russia letting down the old Soviet tradition! Can We?

For more details about this film, visit the MGM website or this Red Dawn fansite.

Windows to Russia!

Microsoft and Skolkovo become partners…


Skolkovo innovation hub near Moscow...

Russian News lit up today…

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and the chairman of Russia’s Skolkovo hi-tech center Viktor Vekselberg signed a memorandum of understanding in Moscow on Monday…

Ballmer said Microsoft plans to set up a research center in Skolkovo and implement research projects together with Russian universities and scientific institutions. The company will also support hi-tech start-ups…

Ballmer estimated investments in the projects at multiples of millions of dollars and said that Skolkovo has superb innovation capacities…

Windows to Russia!

France Will Sell Mistral with All Technology…


French ship Mistral (L9013)...

It has been announced that France is willing to supply its helicopter carrier ships to Russia without any restrictions in the transfer of technology. This came in a statement by Director of the French naval defense company DCNS Pierre Legros at the Euronaval exhibition in Paris…

How Interesting after the hoopla of no technology being the forefront of discussion from the USA and NATO…

Looks like the battle is on for Russia’s money and “no holds barred” now on the battle front. It is said that Spain, France, Italy, three Russian ship builders, South Korea and several others have jumped on the tender that Moscow has put out…

Money talks and technology is included… 🙂

Windows to Russia!

Come to Russia you can Read Some of the Signs!


While drinking my morning cup of coffee here in Moscow, Russia. I was thinking about what use to stop me from traveling to other countries in the past. When you are in America or where ever you live, you have a comfort zone around you. What I mean by that is – The world around you is familiar to you!

I use to think that I would never travel somewhere that I could not speak the language or that other countries would not be safe. I am here to tell you that those and many other reasons are not good reasons to not travel.

I traveled extensively in America and I want to say that a lot of the world is as safe if not more so than America. Just be smart just like you do back home in a strange situation.

Not speaking the language is a hindrance but really not a trip stopper. I have discovered that most places in this world have English signs for important places and sites to see. If all you do is travel to Europe then you really will have no problems at all. In Moscow, Russia all the new signs being put up are dual language. They have the Cyrillic letters and English letters on the signs. I was noticing that our street signs at our new home in Russia are all dual language…

Besides in a few days you will be saying: Spasibo for thanks, da for yes and Het (net) for no and sound like a Russian in no time.

You know that you fit in when someone actually asks you for directions. 🙂

So traveling is cool…

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Maslenitsa 2010 in Russia! (Yummy and Fun!)


Maslenitsa 2010 will take place between February 8 and February 14. This is a pre lent festival. So as Russian traditions are observed and people eat their fill of blini (Pancakes) the festivals help to bid farewell to winter. The idea is to dispel the cold with symbols of spring other words: Pancakes with their round shape and yellowish color represents the sun and an effigy (Man of Straw) is burned to welcome warmer weather. Other activities, like group fist fights (Ouch), sledding, and troika rides, are traditional Maslenitsa activities.

So look at the week of expectations!

Monday is called “a meeting”. With the first pancake it is tradition to give to beggars for them to mention the poor dead.

Tuesday is called “zaigrysh” (games). On this day, the morning begins with a funny game.

Wednesday is called “gourmand” (A gourmand is a person who takes great pleasure in food.) On this day, the hostess act on saying: “What is in the oven, First of all delicacies, of course, pancakes.” On this day Mother in-laws invite Son in-laws to eat pancakes.

Thursday – “razguliay”. On this day begins Maslenitsa full strength. As well as helping to drive winter away and bring the sun into play again. Example to do this, like riding horses clockwise around the village.

Friday – “Teschin evening” (Inlaws). Son in-law invites Mother in-law and treat them pancakes.

Saturday, the “zolovkiny chat” Sister in-law invites female relatives of her husband. If the husband’s sisters were married, the daughter of guests invited and their unmarried friends. But if the sister was already married, she invited relatives married. Bride daughter had bestowed their gifts zolovok.

On Sunday the last day of Maslenitsa is called “Forgiveness Sunday”. On this day, you should apologize to all relatives and friends for all the resentment, thus relieved of their sins before Lent. Also on the last day of Pancake week, you burn a man of straw – the symbol of winter. The ashes of the man of straw fly all over the fields – for a rich summer harvest.”

I now just love Russian pancakes (At first I had reservations about a Russian pancake) and this week is great because I will be making pancakes for almost every meal…

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Russia: Gazprom Is Huge!


Gazprom: New Home! (not built yet!)
from PH “Kommersant”
OAO Gazprom has become the third largest company in the world by market capitalization. Gazprom stock gained 5.34 percent on the MICEX on May 8, raising the monopoly’s market value to $348 billion and knocking the Chinese cellular communications operator China Mobile, worth $341 billion, out of third place in the world ranking. According to Reuters, the American company ExxonMobil occupies first place on that list at $476 billion, and Petrochina is in second place with $447 billion.
Windows to Russia!