Hello,![](http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa306/kylekeeton/coffee10.gif")
Today in Moscow, Russia the snow was falling as I walked the dog. It swirled all around and the dog chased the snow bunnies! The temperature has hovered around 0 degrees C. all day and the last of the leaves blew off the trees. Brrrrr….
Looks like Old Man Winter has arrived!
Kyle & Svet
comments always welcome
Russia to Loan Money to Cuba
The RF government sanctioned yesterday the loan to Cuba. The money will go for buying Russia’s goods and services, RIA Novosti reported with reference to November 1 ruling. The maximum amount is $335 million.
Then maybe if Obama is smart he will ….
Obama, Medvedev Might Meet This Month
Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev may meet with U.S. President-elect Barack Obama already this month, RF Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
Then Russia…
Russia Sends Helicopters to Central Africa
The Russian Federation and the European Union inked in Brussels an agreement on Russia’s participation in the EU military mission in Chad and the Central African Republic (EUFOR Tchad/CAR), the RF Foreign Ministry announced.
Of course Russia has to stir up the European area….
Poland hits out at Medvedev’s missile plans
The Russian president’s remarks concerning the possible deployment of tactical missiles near Poland are an “unfriendly act,” the Polish foreign minister said on Thursday.
Seems to always be a bus blown up somewhere. Why kill innocent people…
11 killed in public minibus explosion in North Ossetia’s capital
Eleven people were killed in a public minibus explosion in the center of the capital of Russia’s North Caucasus republic of North Ossetia, investigators said Thursday.
Ukraine keeps playing games with USA warships….
U.S. warship sails near Ukrainian port but skips planned visit
The USS Mount Whitney maneuvered for some three hours in the Black Sea near the Ukrainian port of Sevastopol on Thursday, but did not dock at the port as previously planned.
Bond, James Bond…..
Latest James Bond smash opens in Russia
The much-anticipated James Bond film Quantum of Solace, featuring Britain’s Daniel Craig as the world’s most famous spy, opened in movie theaters across Russia on Thursday.
Medvedev means what he says….
Medvedev: Change for America, change for Russia
In the meantime, Western media perceived the political part of Medvedev’s address as hostile criticism. Many newspapers wrote that Medvedev attempted to warn US President-elect Barack Obama against the deployment of the missile defense system in Europe. Foreign journalists were surprised with Medvedev’s suggestion to extend the presidential term in Russia from four to six years. It is worthy of note that Putin was strongly against making any constitutional changes at this point.
Yup, just another day in Moscow!
Kyle & Svet
comments always welcome.
Hello,
Today we promised to show the real Israel! So for today and tomorrow, we are going to show pictures that you would see just driving around Israel…..
Tomorrow more pictures of Israel….
Kyle & Svet
comments always welcome.
Hello,
I was drinking my delicious morning cup of coffee and thinking that Moscow does play chess and Washington D.C. plays checkers……
The US has described as “disappointing” Russia’s plans to deploy new missiles in the Baltic region to counter a US defence shield in central Europe.
The message from the Kremlin is also clear: if the US wants good relations with Moscow then the new administration had better start by junking George Bush’s foreign policy.
A growing number of European politicians are voicing fears over the U.S. deployment of a missile shield all across the continent. More than 50 British MPs have called for a public debate into an issue which many fear could result in a new global arms race.
Kremlin plans to deploy missiles in the western Russian territory of Kaliningrad have sparked criticism in the West and led to fear of a new arms race. President Dmitry Medvedev said the move was a response to the proposed U.S. missile shield in eastern Europe.
Just hours after U.S. President-elect Barack Obama delivered his victory speech, Russia’s leader delivered a scathing rebuke of U.S. policy and reminded Obama of some of the major foreign policy challenges he will face in office.
Looks like Medvedev just made a move and Checked the missile issue: Is he bluffing or not?
Iskander (NATO reporting name SS-26 Stone) is a short range, solid fuel propelled, theater quasi-ballistic missile system produced in Russia.
I myself think he is very serious and the world should take Russia seriously and quit looking down their noses at Russia……..
Kyle & Svet
comments always welcome.
PS: Update on the Russian Missile issue! Looks like they are serious…
Anti-Missile Defense
// In Kaliningrad and Kozelsk
A simple response to American missile defense
Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of Russia Dmitry Medvedev yesterday declared his weightiest response yet to the U.S. missile defense system in Europe. Iskander-M tactical ballistic missiles will be placed in Kaliningrad Region. In addition, the president canceled the reformation of three regiments of the 28th (Kozelsk) Guard Missile Division of the Strategic Missile Forces.
The placement of Iskanders in a special district of Kaliningrad Region was announced in July of last year by First Deputy Prime Minister Sergey Ivanov. The missiles will be able to reach practically any point in Poland, where ten American antimissile missiles will be placed. At the beginning of this year, the 152nd missile brigade was scheduled to be refitted with Iskanders and relocated outside Chernyakhovsk, Kaliningrad Region. The press service of the infantry forces told Kommersant that the time of the relocation and the number of Iskanders is not public information.The mobile Iskander-M (NATO classification SS-26Stone) is intended to hit objects on land deep within the opponent’s battle order. Two missiles are mounted on a single 9P78 launcher. They have a range of 50-280 km. and a payload mass of 480 kg. They can bear cassette, penetrating and blast-fragmentation warheads.
It was announced in 2007 that five missile brigades would be equipped with Iskander-M complexes by 2015. Only one division is known to have Iskanders in its arsenal (two squadrons with two Iskander complexes each). Alexander Khramchikhin, head of the analytical department of the Institute for Political and Military Analysis, said “the Iskanders in Kaliningrad Region will be the first target for a potential opponent and so their relocation will certain entail the strengthening of all groups of forces in the area.” The forces in the Kaliningrad special district (including Air Force, Air Defense and Navy forces) number around 100,000 people.
Reformation of the 28th Missile Division (Kozelsk, Kaluga Region) began last year. It has five missile regiments with a total of 46 silo launchers for RS-18 intercontinental ballistic missiles (NATO classification SS-19Stiletto). They have a range of over 10,000 km., a starting mass of 105.6 kg., length 24 m., diameter 2.5 m., two phases, separable warhead, and up to six nuclear charges.
Gen. Col. Leonid Ivashov, president of the Academy of Geopolitical Sciences, said “The RS-18 are obsolete complexes that have exceeded their operational life. They were produced and were in service at the end of the 1970s and beginning of the 1980s. Soon they will become a danger not to the opponent, but to us.” One circumstance seems to have led to the president’s decision to preserve the 28th Missile Division. Thirty RS-18 missiles were bought by Russia from Ukraine in 2003, where they had been stored disassembled. Therefore, at present they can be considered “new” and placed in service until 2030. Editor-in-chief of the Moscow Defense Brief Mikhail Barabanov said that “assembly work and fine tuning of the missiles has been going on for a long time. The president simply indicated where to put them.”
by Ivan Konovalov
Gambling Paradise all over Kiev!
My Hotel!
Bird Bush!
What a Sunset!
Monastery!Hello,
I have been in Kiev, Ukraine about 6 times. I have traveled from one end of the city and back. Its Metro is about a quarter of the size (or less) of the Moscow Metro, which made it very easy to transverse and see the whole city in a matter of a week. This time in Kiev I was alone and was very bored. So I walked, walked, walked and walked. I also watched TV and that is something I do not do in Moscow.
I came to a realization that Kiev is a Soviet City. From the old cobble stone roads in the heart of Kiev to the statues and water fountains everywhere. When you walk downtown Kiev the building architecture is coordinately Soviet style.
I also came to the realization that Kiev wants to shed its Soviet background. The new building structures going up on the outskirts of Kiev are classic modern.(Lots of Glass!) They have many newspapers in English. Many more people speak English in Kiev than in Moscow. Every McDonald’s the teenage workers all spoke English if you asked. They have lots of English speaking TV stations. They are very anti Russian, while very pro American on TV.
I guess that I am an old fogy because I like the style and feel of the Soviet era. I like the grandness and powerful building structure from the Soviet era. The heart of Kiev was a good place to walk and had many surprises to delight the eyes. The very center of Kiev is one huge cobble stone crossroads. These crossroads are still guided by traffic cops and the traffic flowed smoothly.
The Metro is Soviet era and looks many times like you are traveling in the Moscow Metro. Also the stations are very deep in Kiev. (Very deep.)
I see a city that is struggling with its past and future. That is the beauty of the Soviet past but the wannabe of a western future.
I will say that Kiev is no Moscow! But Kiev is a beautiful city and I myself find that Kiev, Ukraine has always been good to me.
Kyle
comments always welcome.
Hello.
On our trip we first stopped in Tel-Aviv, Israel. These are some pictures of Tel-Aviv. Tel-Aviv is just like any major city in the world. You can find everything and anything.
Impression of Tel-Aviv: Very very heavy Military presence, lots of poverty, high crime, beggars everywhere, huge drug problems and lots of American companies. (The rest of Israel is different than Tel-Aviv))
Tomorrow we have pictures of the (real) Israel. We rented a car so we got to travel all over the country. 🙂
Kyle & Svet
comments always welcome.
RBC, 01.11.2008, Moscow 18:56:04.RussNeft’s net profit under RAS grew almost twofold in January-September 2008 compared to the same period a year earlier, from RUB 4.48bn (approx. USD 165m) to RUB 8.831bn (approx. USD 326m), the Russian oil company said in a statement. According to the document, RussNeft posted a net loss of RUB 3.392bn (approx. USD 125m) in the third quarter, while a net profit of RUB 8.716bn (approx. USD 322m) was reported for Q2. The oil producer attributes the decrease from July to September to falling oil and refined oil product prices and the dollar’s appreciation against the ruble, as well as adjustments in tax obligations.
RBC, 01.11.2008, Moscow 18:28:26.Trading on the Russian stock market finished with its key indices rising considerably. The MICEX index was up 4.78 percent at 766.92 points and the RTS index up 3.75 percent at 802.39 points. On the RTS, Severstal surged 17 percent, MTS rose 7 percent, and LUKoil jumped 9.5 percent, while Gazprom and Norilsk Nickel added over 6 percent each.
RBC, 01.11.2008, Moscow 17:45:28.Aeroflot-Russian Airlines has reached an agreement with several oil companies on the introduction of a pricing formula for jet fuel, the company’s press office said. The oil companies will be represented by Gazprom Neft. The parties came to the agreement while implementing the government’s decisions aiming to eliminate fuel shortages. Airlines and oil companies will now sign long-term contracts that will include a pricing formula effective during the entire period of the contract. The prices indicated by Platts, a leading global provider of energy information, are to be taken as the benchmark when calculating the prices.
RBC, 01.11.2008, Togliatti 17:09:17.The Russian sales of AVTOVAZ shrank 1.6 percent to 533,700 cars during the first ten months of 2008, the Russian automobile producer’s press office reported today. Meanwhile, the company’s exports of Lada cars rose 10.4 percent. In October 2008 alone, AVTOVAZ sold 56,700 vehicles on the Russian market, a 19.3-percent drop from October 2007.
RBC, 01.11.2008, Kiev 16:46:12.Although Ukraine has repeatedly provided reasons for banning several foreign TV channels which did not comply with the Ukrainian law, the Russian Foreign Ministry has continued to stir up tensions over the issue, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry’s press office said in a statement today. While doing so, Moscow is intentionally distorting facts and misinforming people, the document reads. The Ukrainian authorities’ demands that Russian channels bring their broadcasts in line with the country’s law are absolutely legitimate and have nothing to do with the Russian ministry’s speculations, according to the statement. Among the violations that must be stopped is the advertising of tobacco and alcohol products by Russian channels, as well as their breaches of copyright and the broadcasting of items violating the Ukrainian law on public morality.
RBC, 01.11.2008, Moscow 15:24:03.The combined profits of Russian lending organizations amounted to RUB 367.923bn (approx. USD 13.58bn) in January-September 2008, the Bank of Russia announced in a banking sector overview published today. A total of 1,059 lending organizations (94.2 percent of those operating as of October 1) posted combined total profits of RUB 367.92bn (approx. USD 13.58bn), while only 65 (5.8 percent) reported a total net loss of RUB 13.118bn (approx. USD 484m).
RBC, 01.11.2008, Moscow 13:31:44.Russia’s National Wealth Fund stood at nearly RUB 1.667 trillion (approx. USD 62.82bn) as of November 1, the Finance Ministry’s press office reported today. Of the total amount, RUB 170bn (approx. USD 6.27bn) have been deposited with the Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs (Vnesheconombank). The fund has increased 35.7 percent from RUB 1.229 trillion (approx. USD 47.56bn) in October alone, and more than doubled from RUB 782.8bn (approx. USD 28.89bn) as of February 1, when the fund was first established. The balances of the fund’s foreign currency accounts amounted to USD 20.41bn, EUR 14.07bn, and GBP 2.38bn as of November 1.
RBC, 01.11.2008, Chisinau 11:29:02.Transnistria’s acting Foreign Minister Vladimir Yastrebchak has requested Russia to provide support to the republic in light of the financial crisis, RBC was told in the Transnistrian Foreign Ministry. Yastrebchak noted that the global crisis would apparently affect Transnistria’s industrial production, as well as its banking sector. He also pointed out that Transnistria would like to receive support from Russia in order to implement its social programs, ensure financial stability, and prop up the Transnistrian ruble. Yastrebchak expressed hope that Russia would meet the republic’s request, adding that Transnistria was ready to ensure accountability and transparency in regard to how the funds would be spent.
Hello,
Yesterday I gave a small run down on visa issues and how you do not want to go to Israel and try to get a Russian Visa!
Today as promised, I am going to show you a couple of friends that we meet over the internet in the world of blogging. They ended up being the best reason to go to Israel and we are glad that we did, even though it took about two weeks longer to get the visa. This is Chelita and Misha her Husband. Chelita has a blog Былое и думы! This is where I stole these pictures from. She has already posted pictures from our visit on her blog.
Chelita and Misha are a couple of the most fantastic people Svet and I 
have ever met. They are like saints in disguise. Cheltia cooked some of the most delicious food we have ever had and Misha was the most pleasant host anyone could be.
They would not let us stay at a hotel and insisted that we stay with them the whole time in Israel. So we set up base at their flat and had a fantastic time.
Svet and I want to thank Chelita and Misha for the vacation of a life time. We have promised to go back and we will…..
Chelita makes sure that you get fresh veggies and fruits. The dates are fantastic like this.
Kyle & Svet
comments always welcome.
MOSCOW, November 3 (RIA Novosti) – Joseph Alliluyev, the son of Joseph Stalin’s daughter Svetlana, died in Moscow on Sunday.
Alliluyev, born in 1945, was the only grandson of Stalin to have met the Soviet dictator. He worked as a cardiologist, and published over 150 papers on heart disease.He kept a low profile throughout his life, never giving interviews.
Svetlana Alliluyeva, aged 82, Stalin’s only daughter, defected to the United States in 1967 and has U.S. citizenship.
Not just a few people!Hello,
While drinking a cup of coffee, I was thinking about the huge demonstration that was held in Moscow on the 2nd of November.
More than 20,000 activists of Nashi Movement held an action of protest in front of the US Embassy in Moscow on November 2, 2008.
Nashi affirm that endless wars that have been rattling the world during the latest decades, the world financial crisis, which bankrupts whole countries, the long-lasting and pompous ceremony of the “democratic election” in the USA are all linked with each other into the never-ending American show. The world has to pay a big price for these festivities: thousands have been murdered, millions and billions of innocent people live in misery, whereas immoral politicians cash in on their grief. Tens of wars have been organized throughout the world, with the latest one of them, the war in South Ossetia, having taken about 2,000 human lives.
After a month of traveling away from Moscow and Russia. I got to see how other countries think and how they feel about America. The feelings are mutual between countries. America is loosing that edge of being the shining spot in the world…..
Kyle & Svet
comments always welcome.