Svet Sundays: Strong people of Russia – Valentin Dikul!

Hello!

Yes, you are right! I like to find and tell about strong people. Sometimes these people have strong spirit and sometimes they are strong both physically and in a spirit way.
Such person is Valentin Dikul. And today I want to tell about him:

Look at the pictures of this legendary strong circus man! Valentin Dikul has a title of Strongest Man in the World.

He set these records:
450kg squat,260kg bench, 460kg deadlift. (1 kg equals about 2.5 lbs)

On this video you can see this:

And he was the only man who have carried the 1000 kg barbels on his shoulders for 10 meters.

Yes he is very strong man!

But now I want to tell you another story of him a story of strong spirit within the same man:




Valentin Dikul was born 03.04.1948 in Latvia, soon after the Second World War. His father was killed action, his mother died in giving to him. Little Valia (short name from Valenrin) was brought up in the birth orphanage, difficult and hungry, spent in with his life fights for leadership for a bread. The traveling piece of circus was his only real joy in life. Valia would run away to spend the entire day there. He very early that decided he must become a circus performer. He was talented and fantastically devoted. He quickly mastered the juggling and acrobatics, but finally decided to become a trapeze artist. He was fifteen years old when he performed his first number.

In 1962, when Valentin Dikul was performing a circus routine in Kaunas, Lithuania, a cable on his trapeze snapped, sending him plummeting 15 meters to the floor and breaking his back. Doctors told him that he would never regain the use of his legs. He was 16 years old.

Dikul had always dreamed of becoming a circus performer, and he was determined to get back on his feet and return to his passion. Immediately after his release from the hospital, he began a rigorous self-imposed rehabilitation program, often passing out from exhaustion on the floor of the gym.

After six grueling years, what seemed impossible was becoming a reality: Dikul was able to rise unaided from his wheelchair and walk across a room in a series of shuffling baby steps.

Today, more than four decades after the accident, Dikul is back in the big top, this time as a dumbbell-juggling, iron-bending strongman with several Guinness records to his credit. But his recovery has enabled him to do more than simply return to the circus. Now, as one of Russia’s leading authorities on treating spinal injuries, he serves as the director of a Moscow clinic group that specializes in the methods he used in his own rehabilitation. Read more about Valentin Dikul here.

I’ve seen this big strong kind man on the Health Festival two years ago. He told about his system, answered questions… He even told that Moscovites get help in his clinic for free. There will be this festival again 2-16 of December 2007. Dikul will seminar the 15th of December. We will try to go. So if you have questions to Valentin Dikul send to us and we’ll try to ask them of Valentin Dikul.

Maybe this article can help or inspirit someone!
Be Happy and Healthy!

Svet

PS When I worked on this article I looked through these links:

Dr DIKUL in Moscou, Russia – CareCure Forums
RUSNET :: CIS Today :: 2004/03/03 :: Strongman Sells Determination in Spinal Clinic
RUSNET :: Strongman Sells Determination in Spinal Clinic
Компания ЕАМ Спорт Сервис и журнал IRONMAN. Валентин Иванович Дикуль – один из известнейших силачей в Мире.
Валентин Иванович Дикуль
| Валентин Дикуль | Знаменитые люди Загорянки | Полуофициальный сайт городского поселения Загорянский – Загорянка и её обитатели
Zarplata.ru: работа, вакансии, резюме. Публикации: ВАЛЕНТИН ДИКУЛЬ: «СУДЬБА ЧЕЛОВЕКА В ЕГО ХАРАКТЕРЕ И ВОЛЕ»
http://nauka.relis.ru/08/9901/08901076.htm
Новые Известия / Запас силы Валентина Дикуля . День из жизни мастера
Dikul’s rehabilitation method worked for me. – CareCure Forums

Some are in Russian and some are in English.

Windows to Russia!
Comments always welcome.

A Little Bit of Beautiful Moscow Russia!

I know that I bore you all sometimes with political STUFF!
So these pictures are to make up for subjecting you to some of my articles! 🙂

1. Cathedral of Christ the Saviour Church!
2. Good thing that the Lion is nice!
3. Neat Picture!
4. Puskin Fine Art Museum!
5. Really cool tower!
Windows to Russia!

Expat Blog: Online Expatriate Community!

I wanted to tell you about the best Expat community.
expat community

The one Blog community that We feel is the best for Expats, is the Expat-Blog. Now an Expat is someone like me, an American living in Russia.

This is one of the best run Blogs and forums that I have found. If you are from one country but living in another country give it a try. (Even if you are not, still stop by.) You will find the community is friendly and inviting.

My Wife loves this community and thinks that I should only be signed up to Expat-Blog!

So if you want to go look at the site click on the Luggage Bag above! Or click right here: BLOG

You will not be sorry, the stories are fantastic.

Windows to Russia!

Watching the Case of Adopted Boy’s Death! (Ivan Skorobogatov / Nathaniel Craver)

“The death of a Russian-born adopted boy – and homicide charges against his Carroll Township parents – has York County in the headlines of state news agency Tass and televised broadcasts of state-run and independent Russian news.

Nathaniel, who was born as Ivan Skorobogatov, was adopted along with his sister in 2003 by Nanette L. Craver, 54, and Michael J. Craver, 45. Doctors counted more than 80 external bruises in various stages of healing — 20 of which were on his head and he was diagnosed to have died of traumatic brain injury.

Remember the part as you read about where Doctors counted more than 80 external bruises in various stages of healing — 20 of which were on his head, according to charging documents. Also the sister is safe and away from the people.

This kind of stuff happens way to much in our world…

Windows to Russia!

PS: So far I can not find this story on any major Western Press – such as TIME, CNN, ABC and FOX – If anyone sees an article on a huge news source about this let me know because they seem to not care about this particular incident…

The Art Of Toasting Bread?

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee & thinking about how much my wife loves toast! She never had toast until we met.

One day we were at the department store & I saw a toaster. She allowed me to buy it, Then I got to teach my Wife the art to fixing toast. From the first piece of golden brown toast with butter and jam on it, she fell in love! (Her favorite topping is cheese)

“Toast is sliced bread which has been browned by exposure to dry heat. Toasting warms the bread, making it more pleasant to eat for some, and makes it crisp such that it holds toppings more securely. Toasting is also a common method of making stale bread palatable. Toast is often served with butter,cheese,marmalade,or any number of other toppings. Toast is a typical breakfast food.”

Strange about what we take for granted when we grow up. I never thought that anyone in the world would not eat toast all the time for breakfast.

I see that once again that narrow minded American in me, keeps trying to look at the world from one view point!

That is why I love Russia!

Kyle

comments always welcome.

Russia: This is a Russian Squirrel!

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee. Then my wife reminded me about the pictures that she took yesterday! So my Wife the world famous photographer. Has found a new victim for her camera.

A Russian Squirrel!

http://www.windowstorussia.com/2007/08/ukraine-this-is-ukraine-squirrel_16.html

This link goes to a Ukraine Squirrel that I wrote about months ago. The Russian Squirrel looks allot like the Ukraine Squirrel. Regardless they are cute!

This squirrel was running around near the Moscow university! She took some pictures of the University. Impressive isn’t it!

So now you know a little more about Russia!

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

Snow Covers the Old Soviet Playground!

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee andthinking about the Old Soviet Playground!

We took pictures of it in the snow. Now of course I couldn’t keep my Wife from playing in it!

I did an article a long time back on this Playground, just click on the link above.

The one thing that amazes me is that it is still standing and open for anyone to play with. In America, society has gotten so twisted in on it self that this playground would be a snake bed of lawsuits. Society has gotten so bad in America, that they look anywhere but themselves for fault.

I am glad that I have had a chance to enjoy this playground. It is very peaceful and quiet. I still can hear the kids playing all over it. I can see kids driving the imaginary cars, for most kids in the Soviet Union this is as close to driving as they would ever get.

Kyle and Svet
Windows to Russia!

Yulia Timoshenko Could Be Kiev’s Mayor?

This is the facts:
The Ukrainian parliament passed a vote of no confidence in the Yulia Timoshenko headed government on Wednesday. 243 MPs voted in favor of the move with a required minimum of 226 votes.

Yulia has lost or has she?

Now comes the rumor part of the story: (According to the grapevine)
Yulia is rumored to be eyeing the spot of Mayor of Kiev. It seems that Leonid Chernovetskyi the present mayor of Kiev is not well liked and or loved! 🙂

Can she do it?

Windows to Russia!

Russia is Buying 4 Mistral-class Amphibious Assault Ships!

A good reader of “Windows to Russia” sent this link today: Georgia hopes France won’t sell Mistral to Russia. They know how much that I love it when Georgia jumps up and down, all upset over what Russia is doing.

I have written several articles about this sale of the French Warship to Russia. Now that Medvedev is in France, it seems that the whole world has restarted jumping up and down about how bad it is to sell a French Warship to Russia…

Well for all you Doom Sayers, it is not just one (1) ship but 4 French Warships being talked about. The last I had heard it was 3 French Warships. Then to my surprise, today it was announced by the Russian news that Medvedev and Sarkozy have laid the ground work for the sale and transfer of information to produce 4 of these Mistral Class French Warships…

After talks with President Dmitry Medvedev, on a state visit to France, Nicolas Sarkozy, his French counterpart, said one or preferably two 21,300-ton Mistral-class ships would be built at the STX shipyards at Saint-Nazaire, western France. The others would be built in Russia. (Link)

So all the Doom Sayers can go home and hide under the bed! France is going to sell 4 of these Mistral-class Amphibious Assault Ships to Russia…

Oh My – Lions,Tigers and Russian Bears – Oh My!

Windows to Russia!

Russia: Average Salary!

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee and thinking about what does the Average Russian make? Then compare that to what does the Average American make? So I did some search on the subject.

The average salary in Russia in 2007 has just reached $545 per month! $6540.00 per year!
The average salary in America in 2007 was at $48,409 per year or $4034.08 per month!
http://www.consumeraffairs.com, also .

The average American almost makes as much per month as the Russian does per year. I know this is true because I was the average American at one time. I made with in a few dollars the same exact salary.
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“The average salary in Russia stood at 13,800 rubles ($545) in September, 25 percent more than last year, the Federal Statistics Agency reported on Friday. Analysts warn that the growth of incomes will slow down in the next few years.
Incomes and salaries in Russia are still growing fast, the Federal Statistics Agency said in a report on Friday. The average wages went up 24.7 percent over the past year following a 25-percent hike a year earlier. The inflation-adjusted real salary went up 14 percent in the past twelve months. Disposable income rose 13.5 percent this year compared to 8.5 percent a year before.
Experts note that this year has not seen any dramatic economic changes in salaries. Incomes are rising mainly because of growing wages which make up 40 to 42 percent of the overall income.
Analysts note that the salary growth is pushed by the private sector. Pensions are still growing nowhere as fast as salaries. In 2004, the average pension amounted to 28 percent of the average salary and as little as 23 percent in 2007.
Director of Rosgosstrakh’s Center for Strategic Research Alexey Zubets predicts that the GDP growth will drop to 5 percent and income growth will go down to 6 percent in Russia.
Meanwhile, the Economic Development and Trade Ministry is concerned that the income growth is much higher that the growth of labor productivity. Low competitiveness means that both economy and living standards are not growing fast enough, the government says. www.kommersant.com”
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I find it interesting the huge wage gap between countries. I am here in Russia and the costs of material items are the same as in America. The cost of food is the same.

How many Americans could live on nothing?

Windows to Russia!