Windows to Russia

RBC, 11.07.2008, Moscow 14:24:02.Russia is still positive that Iranian threats are not credible and are a mere excuse for US missile shield plans despite Iran test firing missiles in the Persian Gulf, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told journalists today. The tests organized by Iran have confirmed that it only possesses missiles with a range of up to 2,000 kilometers. This bears out Russia’s stance that the missile defense shield the US is currently seeking to build in Eastern Europe is not needed to intercept this type of missiles, Lavrov added.

RBC, 11.07.2008, Moscow 15:59:15.The Russian government is discussing the possibility of acquiring Oman’s stake in the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), Igor Sechin told journalists today. He added that Russia had already made a proposal and that the matter was currently under discussion.

RBC, 11.07.2008, Moscow 15:17:05.Russia’s Federation Council Speaker Sergei Mironov approves of the idea of holding a special G8 session, the so-called grain summit, as well as a meeting of G8 countries’ Agricultural Ministers, he told a press conference organized by RBC today. The food crisis is now increasingly gripping the world, while a third of globally cultivated areas are used to produce biofuel instead of food crops, Mironov said. He also mentioned other factors causing the food crisis, such as spiraling global food prices. Mironov pointed out that Russia is the only country in the world which has an opportunity to increase its cultivated area, adding that it is an important reserve that could help alleviate the crisis.

RBC, 11.07.2008, Moscow 14:45:58.The timeframe for holding an international conference on the Middle East in Moscow will be determined in September 2008, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told journalists after a meeting with his Jordanian counterpart Salah Eddin Bashir. Lavrov pointed out that Moscow wished to use the conference to promote cooperation in carrying out agreements that were reached in Annapolis, USA during the previous conference.

RBC, 11.07.2008, Moscow 13:19:50.The budget deficit of Russia’s constituent entities fell several times in the first half of 2008, Russian Deputy PM and Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin told the Federation Council today. He specified that he was speaking about those regions and republics of Russia where a budget deficit had been planned. Kudrin stressed that the debt of Russia’s constituent entities was also decreasing. This enabled the government to reallocate federal budget funds. For instance, RUB 6bn (approx. USD 256m) will be earmarked from the federal budget to cover the expenditures of Russia’s constituent entities. The reallocation of another RUB 19bn (approx. USD 810m) from the federal budget will be discussed at a meeting of a trilateral working group, Kudrin said.

RBC, 11.07.2008, Moscow 12:23:51.The Bank of Russia is set to upgrade its discount rate from 10.75 to 11 percent on Monday, the Russian monetary regulator’s external and public relations department said today.

RBC, 11.07.2008, Moscow 09:35:36.Gazprom predicts that by 2020 gas consumption in Russia’s Primorsky region will increase tenfold. By that time, the holding expects its production in Sakhalin and Yakutia to run up to 57.5bn cubic meters of gas a year, according to the preliminary documents prepared by Russia’s gas monopoly for the Sakhalin-Khabarovsk-Vladivostok pipeline project. The pipeline will carry 8bn cubic meters of the Sakhalin gas, while Gazprom’s annual exports to Asia Pacific countries will rise from 800m cubic meters in 2015 to 30.1bn cubic meters in 2020.

RBC, 11.07.2008, Moscow 11:41:10.The Federation Council has ratified a Russian-Kazakh intergovernmental agreement signed on October 3, 2006, which provides for cooperation in the creation of a joint venture between Gazprom and KazMunayGas. The new company is to be established on the basis of the Orenburg gas processing plant. The joint venture is expected to buy raw gas produced in Kazakhstan’s Karachaganak gas condensate field, process it at the Orenburg plant, and sell it on the Kazakh market, as well as export it through Gazprom.

Hello,

I am drinking my cup of coffee & thinking about how the West has different ways to look at issues than East does. This is a slide show thanks to Liu Yung.

I found that I understood the whole slide show. I think that it makes sense….
I only saw one picture that confused me. The one with plate and silverware, seems that it was backwards.

What about you?

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

Hello,

A Russian ship which sank in 1771 off the coast of Finland is to be raised out of the water. It is said to be carrying works of art bought by the Russian empress, Catherine the Great, in Amsterdam.

The ship’s cargo contained around 300 works of art, including paintings by Rembrandt, as well as jewelry, silverware, etchings and porcelain. The cargo hold which lays at a depth of 41 meters, was undamaged as it is wrapped in buckskin and kept in lead containers filled with wax.

Years ago the ship was discovered by Finnish explorers and the cargo was proclaimed the property of Finland, in line with international maritime law.

This has created an issue in Russian-Finnish relations.

This makes you wonder how many valuables are just laying at the bottom of the ocean.

Do you think there is a lot of Gold at the bottom of the ocean?

Kyle

comments always welcome.

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Hey Everyone,

I was drinking my morning cup of wonderful coffee here in Russia and thinking about Part 3 of my Visa Trip to Ukraine.

As you know Part 2 left me less than enchanted with the police of Ukraine and at that point I had decided to get some rest and start the new day at the American Embassy. So that is what I did…

Now this visit to the Embassy was exceptionally fun and fruitful. This was the turning point of the trip from hell – into the trip with the light at the end of the tunnel. I have no complaints about the service that I got from the American Embassy and the day spent with them was a good reminder of American Bureaucracy. (Can anyone say Headache Time!) I got to converse with multiples of Americans and meet some new friends for future adventures. One friend in particular was an 80 year old professor that was a shear joy to talk with and exchange information…

The American Embassy in Ukraine was a whole different world than the American Embassy in Russia. I wrote an article about the American Embassy in Russia. (Article)

Can we say Night and Day? There is a huge difference between the Embassies. In the American Embassy in Ukraine we (America) have gone all out to make sure that Ukraine knows that America has money and is a heavy fortified Embassy. We have lots of money spending, show and tell in the American Embassy in Ukraine.

In Russia the American Embassy is 180 degrees the opposite direction. Give me the Russian Embassy any time. Low profile and less flash is an attribute. The same job is accomplished with a whole lot less overhead.

One thing that stood out to me was the political undertones from the American Embassy in Ukraine that infiltrated into the Ukraine Governmental section. America is and has been buying the Ukraine government for some time now. Biden just bought and paid for Ukraine’s help to rearm Georgia. That is a No – No and should be stopped. American politics need to stay out of Ukraine or any other country for that matter…

The American Embassy was very nice and in the usual governmental grind of gears, they accomplished all that I needed to have accomplished and all that they in their power could accomplish. I got a new passport, so at least I could get a visa and get home to Russia.

I had two choices of what I could do.

1. I could apply for a new passport from America and wait at least 10 days before I would get it. (Cost $100.00)
(Or)
2. I could get an Emergency Passport and make my way back to Russia and deal with the new passport with the Moscow American Embassy. (Cost $100.00 and no fee in Moscow for another new passport)

Lets put it this way: If I had chosen choice one (1), I would still be in Ukraine, twiddling my thumbs.

So my second day in Ukraine was winding down as I left the American Embassy in Ukraine with another passport that made it a little easier to transverse the streets of Kiev…

Note: Remember – When you apply for a new passport the old passport is null and void even if you find it later. Next article Part 4 – I get a phone call from the Ukraine Embassy…

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Natalia Kurnikova, (shown next to painting) owner of a Moscow art gallery, seen after the purchase of an oil painting by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, right, sold at a charity auction in St. Petersburg, Russia, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2009. The painting was bought for 37 million rubles (US $ 1.1 million). Putin painted the canvas in late December for a charity auction that exhibits works by other Russian politicians and celebrities.

Hello,

Last night I dropped Svet off at the Train Station in Kiev. I have to stay in Kiev a little longer and finish our work here. Svet just sent me this note about a Putin painting…

I don’t know is the news new or old. Putin’s painting was sold 37 millions rubles = 860 thousand EURO.

http://www.zman.com/news/Article.aspx?articleID=33241

Natalia Kurnikova who bought the painting said that is the first and maybe the last painting of the artist.

The money will be used to build a hospital and restore a church in St.Petersburg.

I love you!
Your svet

comments always welcome.

Russian war ships sail for Georgia

Lets look at a video and touch on the subject of history: This history is about “The Winter War” on November 30, 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Finland. It was a war Russia would rather forget, while Finland wants to keep the memory alive. Finns are commemorating the 70th anniversary of the start of the Winter War against the Soviet Union.

I have read a little bit about this war today and watched the video. Seems the Finns showed that with determination that you can defend against a bigger enemy!

My question is why Finland? (I have read all the reasons but really – Why Finland?)

The Soviet Union seemed big enough in size…

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Hello,

Reserves were formerly held only in gold, as official gold reserves. But under the Bretton Woods system, the United States pegged the dollar to gold, and allowed convertibility of dollars to gold. This effectively made dollars appear as good as gold. The U.S. later abandoned the gold standard, but the dollar has remained relatively stable as a flat currency, and it is still the most significant reserve currency. Central banks now typically hold large amounts of multiple currencies in reserve.

Rank	Country/Monetary Authority	Foreign exchange reserves (millions of USD)	Figures as of
—	World (sum of all countries)	$ 7,208,609	—
1	People’s Republic of China (does not include Hong Kong SAR & Macau SAR)	$ 1,589,900	January 2008
2	Japan	$ 1,007,981	February 2008
—	Eurozone (EU member states which have adopted the euro, incl. ECB)	$ 556,965	January 2008
3	Russia	$ 494,500	March 2008
4	India	$ 301,235	February 2008
5	Taiwan	$ 277,840	February 2008
6	South Korea	$ 262,400	February 2008
7	Brazil	$ 193,782	March 2008
8	Singapore	$ 171,735	February 2008
9	Hong Kong	$ 160,300	February 2008
10	Germany	$ 147,255	January 2008
11	France	$ 128,513	January 2008
12	Malaysia	$ 116,300	February 2008
13	Algeria	$ 110,000	December 2007
14	United Kingdom	$ 104,580	February 2008
15	Italy	$ 103,459	January 2008
16	Thailand	$ 100,500	February 2008
17	Mexico	$ 90,380	February 2008
18	Libya	$ 79,000	September 2007
19	Iran	$ 76,100	November 2007
20	Switzerland	$ 75,559	January 2008
21	Turkey	$ 74,900	February 2008
22	United States	$ 73,521	February 2008
23	Poland	$ 68,564	January 2008
—	European Central Bank (ECB, reserves not wholly owned by any single EU member)	$ 64,285	January 2008
24	Norway	$ 58,930	January 2008
25	Indonesia	$ 57,130	February 2008
26	Nigeria	$ 56,800	February 2008
27	Argentina	$ 49,000	February 2008
28	Canada	$ 43,613	February 2008
29	Romania	$ 41,078	January 2008
30	Czech Republic	$ 37,017	February 2008
31	Denmark	$ 36,317	January 2008
32	Philippines	$ 36,100	February 2008
33	Egypt	$ 32,915	February 2008
34	Venezuela	$ 32,723	March 2008
35	South Africa	$ 32,723	February 2008
36	Peru	$ 32,587	March 2008
37	Ukraine	$ 31,842	January 2008
38	Australia	$ 31,832	January 2008
39	Sweden	$ 31,561	January 2008
40	Saudi Arabia	$ 31,320	October 2007
41	United Arab Emirates	$ 29,620	2007 est.
42	Israel	$ 28,662	January 2008
43	Netherlands	$ 27,486	January 2008
44	Morocco	$ 25,690	January 2008
45	Hungary	$ 24,200	January 2008
46	Colombia	$ 21,850	February 2008
47	Iraq	$ 21,260	2007 est.
48	Vietnam	$ 20,000	September 2007
49	Spain	$ 19,999	January 2008
50	Kuwait	$ 19,630	2007 est.
51	Lebanon	$ 19,400	2007 est.
52	Kazakhstan	$ 19,040	February 2008
53	Slovakia	$ 18,964	January 2008
54	Austria	$ 18,831	January 2008
55	Bulgaria	$ 17,367	January 2008
56	New Zealand	$ 17,236	January 2008
57	Chile	$ 16,910	January 2008
58	Belgium	$ 16,717	January 2008
59	Serbia	$ 15,864	February 2008
60	Pakistan	$ 14,063	February 2008
61	Croatia	$ 13,819	January 2008
62	Macau	$ 13,600	January 2008
63	Angola	$ 12,290	2007 est.
64	Portugal	$ 12,530	January 2008
65	Botswana	$ 9,629	2007 est.
66	Finland	$ 8,602	January 2008
67	Jordan	$ 8,005	January 2008
68	Yemen	$ 7,871	2007 est.
69	Tunisia	$ 7,714	February 2008
70	Lithuania	$ 7,053	February 2008
71	Oman	$ 7,004	2007 est.
72	Trinidad and Tobago	$ 6,761	2007 est.
73	Cyprus	$ 6,176	2007 est.
74	Syria	$ 6,039	2007 est.
75	Qatar	$ 6,368	2007 est.
76	Latvia	$ 5,903	January 2008
77	Bangladesh	$ 5,490	January 2008
78	Bosnia and Herzegovina	$ 5,151	January 2008
79	Guatemala	$ 4,559	2007 est.
80	Bolivia	$ 4,917	2007 est.
81	Uruguay	$ 4,429	January 2008
82	Uzbekistan	$ 5,600	2007 est.
83	Cuba	$ 4,247	2007 est.
84	Azerbaijan	$ 4,000	2007 est.
85	Equatorial Guinea	$ 3,928	2007 est.
86	Costa Rica	$ 3,915	2007 est.
87	Belarus	$ 3,788	January 2008
88	Turkmenistan	$ 3,644	2007 est.
89	Ecuador	$ 3,618	2007 est.
90	Estonia	$ 3,581	February 2008
91	Malta	$ 3,522	2007 est.
92	Bahrain	$ 3,474	2007 est.
93	Greece	$ 3,387	January 2008
94	Kenya	$ 3,300	February 2008
95	Sri Lanka	$ 3,252	2007 est.
96	Honduras	$ 2,892	2007 est.
97	Ghana	$ 2,837	2007 est.
98	Iceland	$ 2,792	February 2008
99	Dominican Republic	$ 2,525	2007 est.
100	Côte d’Ivoire	$ 2,500	2007 est.
101	Paraguay	$ 2,463	2007 est.
102	Tanzania	$ 2,441	2007 est.
103	Cameroon	$ 2,341	2007 est.
104	Congo	$ 2,242	2007 est.
105	El Salvador	$ 2,224	January 2008
106	Papua New Guinea	$ 2,193	December 2007
107	Uganda	$ 2,100	2007 est.
108	Burma	$ 2,000	January 2008
109	Republic of Macedonia	$ 1,803	2007 est.
110	Mauritius	$ 1,772	2007 est.
111	Armenia	$ 1,657	December 2007
112	Albania	$ 1,615	December 2007
113	Cambodia	$ 1,600	December 2007
114	Jamaica	$ 1,490	December 2007
115	Mozambique	$ 1,470	November 2007
116	Gabon	$ 1,459	2007 est.
117	Moldova	$ 1,360	February 2008
118	Senegal	$ 1,350	2007 est.
119	Georgia	$ 1,300	2007 est.
120	Panama	$ 1,260	2007 est.
121	Sudan	$ 1,245	2007 est.
122	Kyrgyzstan	$ 1,155	January 2008
123	Zambia	$ 1,100	2007 est.
124	Slovenia	$ 1,076	January 2008
125	Nicaragua	$ 1,075	2007 est.
126	Chad	$ 997	2007 est.
127	Republic of Ireland	$ 930	January 2008
128	Burkina Faso	$ 897	2007 est.
129	Lesotho	$ 889	2007 est.
130	Ethiopia	$ 840	2007 est.
131	Benin	$ 825	2007 est.
132	Namibia	$ 750	2007 est.
133	Madagascar	$ 745	2007 est.
134	Barbados	$ 620	2007 est
135	Laos	$ 514	2007 est.
136	Rwanda	$ 511	2007 est.
137	Swaziland	$ 395	2007 est.
138	Togo	$ 363	2007 est.
139	Cape Verde	$ 344	2007 est.
140	Tajikistan	$ 301	2007 est.
141	Luxembourg	$ 294	January 2008
142	Guyana	$ 292	2007 est.
143	Haiti	$ 221	2007 est.
153	Vanuatu	$ 149	December 2007
144	Malawi	$ 140	2007 est.
145	Zimbabwe	$ 120	2007 est.
146	Gambia	$ 120	2007 est.
147	Guinea	$ 119	2007 est.
148	Burundi	$ 118	2007 est.
149	Seychelles	$ 118	2007 est.
150	Belize	$ 92	2007 est.
151	Samoa	$ 70	2004 est.
152	Tonga	$ 55	February 2008
154	São Tomé and Príncipe	$ 36	December 2007
155	Eritrea	$ 22	2007 est.

The Russian rouble  has a position on the Chinese market. From now on it will be traded equally with Australia`s and Singapore`s dollar, the Japanese yen and South Korea`s won.

The Russian government has been working with China to get the rouble used as a trade currency. So now it has happened the yaun is trading against the rouble…

This is to relieve the use of the dollar and euro as dominant currencies.

Interesting Tidbit of information… (Link)

Windows to Russia!

• Long haul to rouble prominence (rt.com)
• Global Report: U.S. Losing Its Competitive Edge (fastcompany.com)
• That Morning Cup of Coffee… (windowstorussia.com)
• South Ossetia Gives From the Heart to Russia… (windowstorussia.com)

Hello,

Recently I walked to work again:

Kyle has already published a very good article about my walk to work.

But this particular morning, that I am telling you about; I was in just a little bit of a hurry and a little bit lazy. So I decided to take a Tram.

The Tram just pulled up to the metro station and I got in. There was just three stops to ride…; Unfortunately I rode just half of a stop and disaster struck….. (Click: read more for Tram Disaster!)

The Tram stopped & opened the doors and they told everybody to get out! This is what I saw when I left the Tram and had to WALK to work anyway. 🙂

Pictures..

So now as you can see, it was just a little road accident – nothing terrible, no serious victims! Thank God! But nobody could leave the place of the accident, so they were just waiting for road police.

That’s really rather common situation with trams in Moscow. That’s sad! It’s especially sad when you think about all these people who were waiting for a tram! When I think about this, I always remember a mathematical task what we were solving in special mathematical school. That was a task about a bus what is going by schedule every 10 minutes and about poor guy who stands at bus stop already one hour. And the question was what possibility for him to see the bus during next ten minutes. The truth is (I always considered that this is like paradox) that the longer he is waiting the bus the less possibility for him is to see the bus during next 10 minutes. And I remember my Mom tried to explain me how the situation could happened: The more you wait the bus the more likely the bus is broken or something happened.

You’ve seen my pictures. So remember if you are waiting tram or trolleybus too long it might be something happened – think how to get to your place another way.

Never get despair in life, there is always another way!
Best wishes!

Svet

comments always welcome.

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