Belka and Strelka were two dogs who were onboard the Sputnik-5 spacecraft when it entered into orbit on August 19, 1960. They circled the Earth 17 times and then returned home.
Accompanying them were two rats and forty mice…
These furry little creatures are heroes in Russia…
It has been exactly 50 years since this happened. So watch the movie and learn a little bit about Soviet History!
Earlier in March, Sveta and I watched the movie that came to the big screen in Russia’s first 3D computer-animated movie, “Belka and Strelka: Star Dogs”
We liked it and was very cute..
Windows to Russia!
![A day-old chick](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/Day_old_chick_black_background.jpg/300px-Day_old_chick_black_background.jpg" "A day-old chick")
In what Sveta and I consider a bad move on the part of the Kremlin. Russia made a decision that lifted a trade ban on poultry imports of 71 U.S. company‘s on Thursday. Russia will retain the ban on the remaining 16 companies that do not want to meet the country’s sanitation requirements.
Russia banned imports of U.S. chlorine-treated poultry as of January 1 2010, citing new safety requirements. U.S. poultry has traditionally accounted for almost 80% of Russia’s total poultry imports.
This is not a necessarily a good thing for Russians to do. But it looks like from local sources, that lots of money has exchanged hands in getting American chicken back into Russia. The American chicken farms had a huge hurt put on them and they need to get back in the Russian market. At any cost…
It is a shame because Russian farmers proved that they could keep up with the demand of chicken.
The American chicken as per a good reader and friend named Blackseabrew who is in the business of farming in America says:
” ‘Modern’ poultry production condemns the poor chickens to living in their own filth leading to all kinds of problems from breathing in the fecal dust and excess ammonia. This produces a meat that is less than firm and very absorbent. This absorbency is terrible for us because of what happens when the chicken is cleaned. Because processing is highly mechanized…and frankly not practical for cleaning chickens….many intestines are torn during evisceration thereby soiling many of the carcasses, which are then ‘sterilized’ in a chlorine bath(better known as a fecal bath) which the absorbent meat sponges up for us to later eat. I believe up to 5% of the carcass weight is usually this chlorinated water. Yuck again. Just read what Joel Salatin has published about this.
Russia should not trust American chicken from the big producers. They have not changed anything in their production methods. Only the wording on the package.
Kyle, I’d be more than happy to send you some of my next batch of pastured poultry.
Below is a link to a video I shot of my automated chicken plucker I built a couple of years ago. It’s quite entertaining.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wuD_AJHKu0 “
That was a great video by the way. If you are a little squeamish do not watch it because it is a fact from a real farm. I was impressed with the chicken plucking device. Sure beats doing it by hand like I grew up doing…
We will eat only Russian chicken by the way. Unless we could take Blackseabrew up on his true farm raised chicken from America… 🙂
Windows to Russia!
Police in Moscow have arrested nearly 700 football fans during a game between Moscow Spartak and Zenit St Petersburg.
The violence at Moscow’s Luzhniki stadium happened at the start of the country’s Premier League.
More than 500 of those detained were Zenit fans, after they threw seats at Spartak supporters.
Fireworks and smoke cartridges were also set off among the 52,000 spectators. Around 3,000 police officers were on duty.
Heck, in America football the players are always fighting. In European football the fans are always fighting. Jails are full tonight in Moscow, Russia.
I think I am starting to like European Football better. (soccer) 🙂
Kyle & Svet
comments always welcome.
![President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Alexander_Lukashenko_2007.jpg" "President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko")
Belarus Will Recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia… (Promise)
That link above was an article of mine. Now that article comes to the forefront in the game of political moves.
The Kremlin may publish the transcript from a CSTO summit in which Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said he was ready to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia, a senior Russian presidential official confirmed on Wednesday.
That is why I published what I did about the information. I could see that Lukashenko “opened mouth and inserted foot” on this one…
Russia has transcripts of said meeting and they are now going to use them if Lukashenko fails to preform what he expressed that he would do…
Some would say this is blackmail!
It is not, because he said this statement in front of all the presidents of the countries that comprise the CSTO. During the CSTO Summit…
Now Lukashenko says that he can not do this tidbit of an item because Russia is not helping him overcome the issues that would come up from the Western world if he would acknowledge South Ossetia and Abkahzia…
Other words, his mouth got him stuck between a rock and a hard place!
Seems to me that the Kremlin may not be very happy with Lukashenko…
Windows to Russia!
Nicaragua, Venezuela and the tiny island nation of Nauru are the only other countries to have recognized the republics.
Rays That Rain Death...
It is official and all the Russians running around like Chicken Little, can calm down now. There is no “geophysical weapon” trying to destroy Russia…
It has been interesting around Moscow. The word got out, through the grapevine that all the heat and drought was caused by a space ray from America…
So scientist in Russia have investigated and now have assured the populace that this is not a true happening.
Prominent Russian physicist Aleksandr Ginzburg says the only force to blame is Mother Nature herself. This has nothing to do with America…
Well now the babushkas can all go back to selling sauerkraut and peaches at the metro stations and quit worrying about the death ray from the sky…
Windows to Russia
Hello,
Americans have played Democracy a lot longer than Russians have. It dawned on me that Russian people really do not know what a President is all about. I grew up with the concept as an American. My wife does not understand, her life was Communism & many times she wishes that it still was that way!
I remember reading that America wanted George Washington to be a King! I am sure that idea took awhile to leave the minds of people who had lived under a King all their lives.
1991 was the first Russian President Boris Yeltsin, by my count 17 years is not a very long time. I think that older Democracies need to have a little more finesse toward other countries that are at least making an attempt at trying.
It has been made clear to me, by living in Russia that America is only pushing Russia the wrong way. America needs to learn to play chess……
(Add Obama to the list now)
| # | President | Took office | Left office | Term |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Boris Yeltsin | July 10, 1991* (inaugurated) |
December 25, 1991* | 1** |
| December 25, 1991 | August 9, 1996 | |||
| August 9, 1996 (inaugurated) |
November 5, 1996 (went to surgical procedure) |
2 | ||
| — | Viktor Chernomyrdin (Acting) |
November 5, 1996 | November 6, 1996 | – |
| 01 | Boris Yeltsin | November 6, 1996 (returned from surgical procedure) |
December 31, 1999 (voluntary retired) |
2 |
| — | Vladimir Putin (Acting) |
December 31, 1999 | May 7, 2000 | – |
| 02 | Vladimir Putin | May 7, 2000 (inaugurated) |
May 7, 2004 | 1 |
| May 7, 2004 (inaugurated) |
Incumbent (Term expires May 7, 2008) |
2 | ||
| 03 | Dmitry Medvedev (President-elect) |
(Term starts May 7, 2008) | — | 1 |
==================================================
Big difference!![](http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa306/kylekeeton/coffee.gif")
Makes you think about all the slam dunking America does against Russia. Wrong chess moves…….
Kyle & Svet
comments always welcome.
Karzai and Medvedev...
I found this interesting and see a deeper meaning in this situation. I have watched the situation on this side of the world and find it strange that America seems to ignore important issues and exasperate mundane issues. It seems to me that Medvedev has made huge head way into a relationship with Afghanistan…
President Dmitry Medvedev is hosting a summit on terrorism and drug trafficking in Russia’s city of Sochi with the leaders of Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Pakistan.
It is the second four-nation meeting of its kind. The first one was held in Tajikistan’s capital of Dushanbe last year. Back then leaders focused on cross border projects, security issues and economic recovery of the region.
This is one of those issues that America seems to be allowed to escape proper management of importance…
I have been watching a Russia increase her influence in Afghanistan over the last few years. This has been a one step at a time and being done on the governmental level…
I see a Hamid Karzai who is getting his ducks in order for when America walks away from the mess they created. Just like we are doing in Iraq…
Hamid has made a few interesting statements over the last few months and his thinking is starting to show. I really do not think he is as much of a puppet as we first thought and he definitely is not as dumb as the Western press tried to portray him as…
Just a few thoughts that have crossed my mind several times over the last few months…
Windows to Russia!
![Russian tall ship Kruzenshtern](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/Kruzenstern_-_Brest_2008-2.jpg/300px-Kruzenstern_-_Brest_2008-2.jpg" "Russian tall ship Kruzenshtern")
Russia’s tall ship Kruzenstern has won the World Cup in an unprecedented regatta in the North Sea that has been underway since August 10th.
The race with a final destination in Amsterdam started 16 miles from Cape Skagen, involving the Kruzenstern and its only worthy rival, another well-known Russian sailing ship Sedov.
The whole idea was initiated by Stema, a German shipbuilding company, which believes there is not a single ship in the world capable of competing with the Kruzenstern.
I have several articles on this ship and I just am amazed at the beauty of this craft. I would love to be able to take a voyage on board the Kruzenstern…
Windows to Russia!
![Official drawing of Standard of the President ...](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/62/Standard_of_the_President_of_the_Russian_Federation.svg/300px-Standard_of_the_President_of_the_Russian_Federation.svg.png" "Official drawing of Standard of the President ...")
Russia’s trade surplus amounted to $85.6bn in January-June 2010, having increased 1.99 times from $43bn in the corresponding period of the previous year, the Russian Federal Statistics Service (Rosstat) reported today citing the Bank of Russia’s data.
Russia’s foreign trade stood at $293.9bn in the reporting period, 41.5 percent greater than in January-June 2009. Meanwhile, exports surged 51.4 percent to $189.86bn, and imports jumped 26.4 percent to $104.2bn.
Earlier, the Bank of Russia indicated that the country’s trade surplus stood at $84bn, nearly double that from H1 2009.
Next…
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin thanked on Tuesday the foreign governments and pilots who have contributed to efforts to extinguish wildfires in Russia.
Pilots from Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Italy, France and Turkey took part in smothering the wildfires, while many other countries contributed rescue workers.
“It is particularly pleasant to know that when we are in trouble, we do not have to ask for help or support. Practically all of our partners responded, showing their solidarity with Russia,” the premier said.
Next…
A blast hit the Hermitage cafe in the city of Pyatigorsk at around 4.25 p.m. today. According to the Russian Emergencies Ministry, there are casualties, but their number is still unclear. The city’s emergency authorities are already working at the explosion site.
According to preliminary data, 15 people died as a result of the blast. Meanwhile, authorities say an explosive device was hidden in a car parked next to the cafe.
Next…
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his wife Svetlana Medvedeva are scheduled to pay an official visit to Yerevan on Thursday at the invitation of Armenian President Serzh Sargsian. Medvedev is expected to lay a wreath at the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial and have a state dinner with Armenian leader, the Arminfo news agency reported today citing the Armenian president’s press office.
Next…
Russia’s capital was named the fourth most expensive city for foreign workers, or expats, according to a recent survey published by Forbes magazine.
The survey published on July 1 places Luanda, Tokyo and N’Djamena ahead of Russia in regard to the cost of living standards.
The results of the survey were based on four criteria: monthly rent for upgraded housing, the average cost of a cup of coffee at a cafe, the average cost of taking a date to the movie theater, and finally how much it costs to grab some fast food.
Next…
Confidence ratings in Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin have grown again, according to a survey by Russian Public Opinion Fund released on Tuesday.
The levels of trust in the Russian leaders have risen in August compared to June but fell in comparison to January, the survey said.
A total of 57% of Russians said in August they trusted Medvedev (the figure stood at 53% in June and 62% in January).
Putin, the poll revealed, is again considered more trustworthy than Medvedev. The poll showed 64% trusted the prime minister (in June the figure stood at 61% and 69% in January).
The number of those who say they do not trust Medvedev is 14%, whereas 13% do not trust Putin.
Next…
A court in the Siberian city of Irkutsk has sentenced a woman driver to three years in jail to begin in 2024 after finding her guilty of killing one sister and leaving the other physically handicapped, a court spokesman said on Tuesday. Because she has a child…
The accident was caught on camera and shows Shavenkova getting out of her car after striking the girls. The driver did not run to the aid of the victims, but instead walked around the car to check out the damage done to her vehicle.
The case has caused much social outcry over the callus behavior of the woman…
Windows to Russia!
![RIA Novosti](http://en.rian.ru/i/eng/logo_sml.gif" "RIA Novosti"){kind=logo}
![Tanks and barricades on Moscow’s streets: August 19, 1991](http://en.rian.ru/images/16026/24/160262452.jpg")
Tanks and barricades on Moscow’s streets: August 19, 1991![](http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png")