Windows to Russia

Hello, – It is Monday the 8th of June, 2009!

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee and thinking about what Russia is up to. It has been awhile since I have done one of these. Russia is always up to something and sometimes that something is good and sometimes not so good. It really counts on your veiwpoint…

Lets see what Russia is up to?

The big news in Russia is that Ukraine gathered the money and got the May gas bill paid ($648.8 million). That helps with keeping the gas going but it does not solve the issue of filling the underground storage tanks to insure uninterrupted supplies to Europe for the winter. Russia just takes one step at a time with Ukraine…

While the Kremlin keeps the pressure on about Ukraine and the gas situation. The Victory of Russia’s girls at the French Tennis Open this weekend pushed Svetlana Kuznetsova back into the top five of the WTA rankings where she joins two other Russians girls. This is hot news in Russia as the Russian girls destroyed the competition at the French Open…

While Russia was playing tennis all weekend and winning, the Ex Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev made a statement that said, the United States needs to carry out far-reaching reforms if it is to successfully meet modern social, economic and environmental challenges. Other words – Gorbachev says that the U.S.A. needs to have its own perestroika… (Go Gorby!)

While Gorby is expressing his feelings of love for the U.S. the Orthodox Church in Russia was celebrating Pentecost, one of the main Christian feasts also called “the fiftieth day,” for 50 days after Easter if the Easter day is counted…

While Pentecost was celebrated lets talk about a global issue!

Global military spending totaled $1.464 trillion last year, a real-term increase of 45% from a decade ago and 4% rise year-on-year, a prominent political think tank said on Monday. The figures were published in the SIPRI Yearbook 2009, released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute on Monday. (Link)

Has any one really stopped to think about what this paragraph is saying?

Now how about this statement: “According to SIPRI estimates, there are around 8,400 operational nuclear warheads in the world, and almost 2,000 of these can be launched within minutes.”

That’s several short minutes to the end of the Earth…

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Hello,

Grab a cup of coffee and have a read:

This is Medvedev’s opening speech – June 6, 2009 in St Petersburg, Russia.

This forum has very historical significance to the world. It is the first World Grain Forum and is being organized by Russia.

Experts say grain consumption by 2030 will grow by 30-40% in the years to come and if the situation is not taken seriously now, that the future is bleak indeed for the people on Earth.

PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA DMITRY MEDVEDEV:

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, dear friends.

First and foremost, I naturally want to welcome you to St Petersburg and to thank for having come here to discuss one of the most pressing problems we face today.

I am certain that the discussions in the Forum’s various venues today will be productive, since solving the problems of the grain market is one of the most important ways of ensuring food security on our planet. And though this may sound immodest, I think it was a good idea to gather everyone together to discuss this subject. When we proposed this idea – it was at the G8 summit last year – no one anticipated that the discussion of food security issues would be taking place during a financial crisis, but that makes what we will be discussing today more important rather than less.

The grain sector of the agricultural industry is a traditional and very significant source of revenue for our country. We intend to strengthen our position in the world grain market, in both the financial and the organizational sense. In recent years Russia really has regained its status as a major grain exporter, and as far as wheat exports are concerned we are in the top three.

Our country is indeed the largest in terms of territory – it has 40 percent of the world’s black earth [black soil with a very high percentage of humus]. In total we have about 9 percent of world’s reserves of arable land, and of course this gives Russia a unique competitive advantage. We now have the opportunity to put back into operation some 20 million hectares of arable land that have not been used since the radical change in our nation’s economic life took place.

However, providing the world with grain is not simply a question of food security. It is also a very complex social issue that affects stability in various regions of the world. In addition to discussing greater international cooperation in this field, which I consider essential, the principal task of the Forum should be a profound analysis of what is currently happening in grain markets. In effect there are three crises – financial, food, and energy – that are unfortunately not only linked to one another but also capable of creating a very nasty synergistic effect.

We are all concerned about the problems of mass hunger and malnutrition. They remain one of the most difficult tests for humanity. It was this threat that occasioned one of our key Millennium Development Goals, reducing hunger in the world. Today there are a total of one billion hungry people in the world. Just think for a minute about what that figure represents! Every sixth person on the planet goes hungry. The civilized world no longer has the right to continue to ignore this situation. To put it bluntly, many of us today simply accept the fact that every five seconds a child dies of hunger on our planet. The world is increasingly concerned with revenues and profits. And that is obviously immoral.

Read More…

Medvedev has been on a roll lately. He is pushing a new world currency to replace the dollar and now pushing for Russia to become a leader in feeding the world. The agriculture business in Russia is growing leaps and bounds. It has finally started to recover from the near death blow of the Soviet Union collapsing. Russia is putting back into use, unbelievable amount of land that went dormant during the Soviet fall.

Russia’s President – Medvedev is realistic not abstract….

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Hello,

Krasnozavodsk which is near Moscow experienced a rare moment in history that I am sure that they never want to experience again…

At first I was ho hum about this tornado. I grew up in tornado ally in America (Kansas City area) so when my wife got all excited, I just said: “yup, a tornado.” Then went on about what ever I was doing. I really never thought about it, until I realized it seemed to keep popping up on the news like every 5 minutes in Moscow, Russia.

The reaction in Moscow has been one of almost terror at times and it has been the talk of the city. Svet posted a article on her video blog: Russian Video: Tornado near Moscow! It has been hit by visitors like crazy. She just set a new record for her website with Goggle on this article.

I was so nonchalant about this because I grew up with multiples of tornadoes on the farm. I remember spending lots of time in our storm shelter. (With the bugs, snakes and mice. Cool!) I remember seeing huge Oak trees twisted like a peppermint stick also. But like many things in life you get numb to things like that.

So I learned a lesson from this. There was a lot of damage and it really caught these people off guard about how quick it all happened. I learned that we all have different experiences in life and what I took for granted was a shock to others.

This was a once in a life time experience for Svet. She has never seen or had a tornado near her in her whole life. I am very glad that she posted on her blog about this experience. It helped her understand what a tornado is.

Svet learned that she does not wish for anymore tornadoes to come by Russia again. They do a lot of damage and kill and injure people fast. Last report 60 people seriously injured.

So while it was an exciting happening, lets hope that tornadoes do not decide to make the Moscow, Russia area a new tornado ally…

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Hello,

Summer is here in Russia and one of the things about summer is that you get cheap delicious tomatoes and not the indoor hydroponic type. When fresh tomatoes from the real farms are out – it is time to eat up!

This recipe will take the acidic of the tomatoes and tone it down. Russians love sour cream and in Russia it is called Smetana. That was the first Russian word I learned because I love sour cream so much. In Russia sour cream will go on just about anything from soups, meats and veggies.

This is not exactly a Recipe that screams out Russia in flying colors. But Russians like fresh garlic, they love tomatoes and they really love Smetana! 🙂

So Lets Make Some Super Simple Sour Cream Tomatoes:

Ingredients:

* Some ripe tomatoes (any type just not hydroponic style)
* Fresh Garlic (to taste)
* Sour-cream (lots and thick)
* salt (to taste)

Prepare:

Quarter cut tomatoes into big chunks, (put in big bowl)

Add a lot of fresh sliced garlic toes, (I just push the garlic slice into the tomato itself.)

Pour or scoop sour-cream over top the tomatoes and garlic then gently mix. (do not squish)

Let it stand for up to an hour in the refrigerator.

Then ready to eat – Enjoy Yummy!

Notes: Use garlic powder for those who only want a little flavor. Russian for the most part love garlic and fresh + lots = garlic! This recipe is also great with green tomatoes…

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Russia’s Medvedev says crisis not yet over:,

President Dmitry Medvedev told Russia’s main economic forum on Friday that the current global financial crisis has yet to reach its lowest point.

Russia’s capital inflow at $2 bln in May:
Foreign capital inflow into Russia reached over $2 billion in May, Central Bank First Deputy Chairman Alexei Ulyukayev said on Friday.

Russia’s largest brewery to cut investments by two thirds in 2009:
Russia’s largest brewery Baltika will reduce investments by three two thirds to 100 million euros in 2009, the company’s president said on Friday.

Russia says $75 per barrel reasonable price for oil:
A reasonable price for oil is at least $75 per barrel, Russia’s first deputy prime minister said on Friday adding that production could drop in Russia if the credit crisis persists.

ISS astronauts to test new Russian spacesuits:
Two astronauts aboard the International Space Station will conduct a spacewalk on Friday to install new equipment and test new Russian-made spacesuits, Russia’s Mission Control said.

Mother follows jobless daughter in Far East suicide death leap:
A 51-year-old woman leapt from her 10th floor apartment a day after her daughter committed suicide after being sacked from debt-ridden air carrier Dalavaia, a police source said on Friday.

UN Security Council ‘close’ to adopting resolution on N. Korea:
The five permanent members of the UN Security Council ‘are close’ to passing a draft resolution on N. Korea which includes new sanctions against the reclusive communist regime, Russia’s UN envoy has said.

Protesting workers in northwest Russia paid wage arrears:
Workers at a closed enterprise in Pikalyovo in northwestern Russia were paid over 41 million rubles ($1.3 million) of wage arrears in full on Thursday, a spokeswoman for BasEl Cement said.

Russia not to join OPEC any time soon:
Russia will not join the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries any time soon, the CEO of Russia’s leading independent oil producer said Thursday.

Storm leaves 65 injured in central Russia:
Heavy rain and strong winds have left 65 people injured in central Russia, an emergencies ministry spokesman said on Thursday.

Hello,

Prime Minister Putin On Thursday arrived in Pikalevo, a town in northern Russia, to personally monitor a situation that local officials let get out of hand.

Putin said Thursday that should the owners of the three enterprises fail to agree between themselves, production will be restarted without them. “If the owners cannot agree between themselves, the integrated complex will still be restored… If you can’t agree between yourselves, it will be done without you!” (Time to say: “Yes Sir!”)

Looks like Putin laid the law down to the the heads of the plants, which are the major employers for Pikalyovo’s 22,000 residents in a meeting and it was not a pleasant meeting according to press in Russia!

Putin got the people their pay and will get the plants reopened. It was a corrupt group of business men that abused their power in the community. People in the world can say what they want. but Medvedev and Putin are serious about corruption in Russia. They want a strong good Russia!

Looks like heads are going to roll on this issue…

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Update: Gettem Putin!

Oleg Deripaska, whose fortune was evaluated at $28 billion last year, was being very nervous during the meeting with Putin in Pikalyovo. He forgot to sign the contract about the delivery of supplies for idle enterprises to resume operations.

“Has Oleg Vladimirovich (Deripaska) signed? I do not see his signature. Come here and sign it,” Putin said, throwing a pen onto the table.

Deripaska signed the document, stood up and left holding the pen in his hand.

“Give the pen back!” Putin told him.

“You have made thousands of people hostage to your ambitions, your lack of professionalism – or maybe simply your trivial greed,” Putin told Deripaska and two other businessmen who own cement and alumina factories in Pikalyovo.

“Where is the social responsibility of business? Where is it? We keep talking about it non-stop. No one in the administration will ever convince me of the fact that the regional administration has done all they could to help the people. When I told you that I was going to come here, what did you tell me? You said that I shouldn’t, you said that you would show me a different enterprise. Why was everyone running about like cockroaches here before my arrival?” the prime minister said giving a heavy look to Leningrad region Governor Valery Serdyukov.

The problem has been solved. The enterprises in the town will resume their activities, the people will have their jobs and wages back. (Link)

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee here in Moscow, Russia. I was doing some thinking about the Russia – Ukraine – Europe gas situation. While Obama is trying to build bridges in the Middle East and the Western news can only concentrate on that event. Russia is and has been for years now, trying to figure out how to build a bridge to the European Union and keep Ukraine from pulling the pilings out from under the bridge.

The Western press nor the Western Governments – have hardly acknowledge the problem that Russia has been trying to be very front and center about. Then – when Ukraine does not pay her bills, the Western press will start in spouting about “Bad Russia!”

How serious is it going to get?

Watch the Russia Today interview and let Vitaly Ermakov, from the Cambridge Energy Research Associates, gave his verdict on the possible complications of Ukraine’s suspending gas payments.

Now lets touch on what Putin says:

“No one in Russia is intending to rejoice or gloat over Ukraine’s difficulties in paying for the product it receives from us,” Putin said in Helsinki. “But we cannot pay for this either.”

Putin also said: “I want to stress that without pumping gas into its underground storage facilities, Ukraine won’t be able to survive and will be forced to tap gas from its export pipelines. It will be forced to do this, you can’t even blame them for it.”

Putin also stated: “We have appealed to Barroso, the president of the European Commission, as well as the president of the Czech Republic, the prime minister of Sweden and Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko on coordinating these efforts.”

Putin also expressed: “We have intensified monitoring over the transit of Russian gas to Europe,” he said. “This monitoring shows that, unfortunately, Ukraine has so far not begun pumping gas into underground storage facilities. This may create problems with gas deliveries during the wintertime.”

This is not something to take with a grain of salt. Putin is trying to let the world know that Winter is coming and Ukraine has no gas in her storage. That is about 5 billion dollars of gas that has been sold and lost.

I have already posted about this up and coming issue. Russia: The Murmurings of a Ukraine Gas Row are Beginning!

Europe knows that this is a problem and looking the other way will not make Ukraine a good transit partner.

I hope that the people in Ukraine who have taken the gas money and squirreled it away in hidden bank accounts are happy. The citizen of Ukraine has paid their gas bills and they know who takes their money.

Ukrainians deserve an honest government to take care of them…

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Boza and I took a very long walk today. I decided that walking was more important than writing an article this morning and even more important than my morning cup of coffee!

Lets take a walk and see how the path becomes more narrow and wild. Boza loves this type of walks…

We go from asphalt, to gravel, to dirt and the the path is almost gone. Then back again…

Well as you see we finally discovered part of the city buried in the woods. You never seem to get away from utility companies. The shelter looking building is a place that Boza and I stop to take a small break. The woods are so beautiful…

Boza just loves this covered path full of lilacs and other sweet smelling bushes. Just watch out for the bees. As we come out in to the open again we come upon the largest lilac bush I have ever seen…

Almost Home…

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Russia News Source – RIA: June 2nd, 2009!

Russian Navy to commission Nerpa submarine in fall:
A nuclear attack submarine involved in a fatal accident during sea trials last year will be commissioned by the Russian Navy in the fall and then leased to the Indian Navy, a source said on Tuesday.

North Korea prepares for medium-range missile launch:
North Korea’s military appears to be making preparations for a medium-range missile launch from the country’s east coast, the Yonhap news agency cited a South Korean lawmaker as saying.

Russian UN envoy backs ‘strong’ response to N.Korea nuclear test:
The international community should give a “strong” response to North Korea’s nuclear test, Russia’s UN envoy said in an interview with a Russian government daily on Tuesday.

Search continues for missing Air France plane in Atlantic:
French and Brazilian planes and warships are continuing to search the area of the Atlantic Ocean where an Air France passenger plane is believed to have crashed with 228 passengers and crew on board.

Washington refuses to recognize S.Ossetian elections:
Washington said it would not recognize last weekend’s parliamentary polls in the former Georgian republic of South Ossetia, the U.S. State Department said in a statement.

Post-war life in Abkhazia:
According to the Abkhaz Government’s rough estimations, the restoration of the Abkhaz capital will take over ten years. 60% of real estate in Sukhumi requires major repairs.

Russian car maker GAZ could launch Opel production in 9 months:
The Russian carmaker GAZ could start producing Opel cars within nine months if a consortium of investors taking over the German auto producer give their backing, GAZ said on Monday.

Tourism in Russia: A business with a promise:
Domestic and foreign travel may become a key way to diversify Russia’s economy.