Windows to Russia
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- Happy the 8th of March!
Today is the 8th of March: International Day of Women in Russia! Our Dear women and girl readers!
Today we want to say to you that we sincerely appreciate your presence in our blog and all your comments what you leave here! Women are very important, you make life better! That's why we work so hard to make our blog even better place to be. We want to create for you sunny and joyful place, place where you would be happy! We wish you Love and Happiness, Understanding and Health, Joy and Adventures, Inspiration and Fun! We wish you all the best in the world what we know you deserve!
Thank you for visiting us!
Sincerely yours,
Svet and Kyle
comments always welcome.
PS: This postcard with mimosas is very traditional for this Holiday :).
Fri, 07 Mar 2008 14:40:00 -0600 - Russia: Maslenitsa, I Miss Real Pancakes!(Blini)Hello,
Maslenitsa Holidays
I was drinking my morning cup of coffee & thinking about pancakes while having breakfast with my wife. I watched my wife enjoy Crêpes filled with raspberry jam & cottage cheese!
You see in Russia, I many times have issues with food items (names & procedures)! I am a certified Chef, so I have learned a whole different world of cooking than what I see in Russia!
Several examples of this misconception is:
Pancakes: A type of flat bread prepared from a sweet batter that is cooked on a hot griddle or in a frying pan. They exist in several variations in many different local cuisines. Most pancakes are quick breads, although some are also made using a yeast-raised or fermented batter. Pancakes are many times served with Butter & Maple Syrup!
Crêpe: (pronounced /ˈkreɪp/, French IPA: [kʀɛp]) is a type of very thin cooked pancake usually
made from wheat flour. The word, like the pancake itself, is of French origin, deriving from the Latin crispa, meaning "curled". Crêpe are served many times with fillings such as whipped cream and jellies, then rolled up.
European pancake: called Pfannkuchen or Eierpfannkuchen in German, Palatschinken in Austrian, palacsinta in Hungarian, clătită in Romanian, palačinke in Slovenian, Serbian, Croatian and Bosnian, is thin and comparable to the French crêpe. Unlike thick American pancakes, it is filled with different types of food and can be eaten for lunch or dinner.
So I thought that I knew about pancakes, then I came to Russia to find out that Real Pancakes are non existent! McDonald's does not even have a Pancake meal or have pancakes with there Big Breakfast! (survival has been tough in Russia) Not a drop of Maple syrup in McDonald's?
What does Russia have in place of Pancakes? Russia has Blini!
What Is/Are Blini?
What is the definition of a blini, and what origin are they?
Blins had a somewhat ritual significance for early Slavic peoples in pre-Christian times since they were a symbol of the sun, due to their round form. They were traditionally prepared at the end of the winter to honor the rebirth of the new sun (Pancake week, or Maslenitsa). This traditi
Blini are small, yeast-leavened, buckwheat pancakes that originally come from Russia. Classically they are served with sour cream, cottage cheese & caviar or smoked salmon.
on was adopted by the Orthodox church and is carried on to the present day. Blini were once also served at wakes, to commemorate the recently deceased.
Traditional Russian bliny are made with yeasted batter, which is left to rise and then diluted with cold or boiling (zavarnye blini) water or milk just before baking them in the traditional Russian oven (to this day the process of cooking blini is referred to as baking in Russian, even though these days they are almost universally pan-fried, like pancakes). By Russian tradition the first blin is always destroyed while frying. Blintzes (blinchiki in Russian, considered to be a borrowed dish) are made from unyeasted batter (usually made of flour, milk and eggs) and are nearly identical to French crêpes. All kinds of flour may be used for making blini: from wheat and buckwheat to oatmeal and millet, although wheat is currently by far the most popular.
Other words Pancakes that are so thin that you can read a newspaper through them & full of cottage cheese to make my wife happy! :)
What does this have to do with Maslenitsa?
Maslenitsa: (Russian: Ма́сленица), also known as Cheesefare Week, Butter Week, or Pancake week is a Russian religious and folk holiday. It is celebrated during the last week before Great Lent—that is, the seventh week before Pascha (Easter). Maslenitsa corresponds to the Western Christian Carnival, except that Orthodox Lent begins on a Monday instead of a Wednesday, and the Orthodox date of Easter can differ greatly from the Western Christian date. In 2008, Maslenitsa will be celebrated from March 2 to March 8.
We have been eating Pancakes all week! (at least what Russians call pancakes)
Kyle & Svet
PS You want to know more about Maslenitsa? Watch the video!
comments always welcome.
Thu, 06 Mar 2008 23:51:00 -0600 - Russian News: March 7th, 2008!
RBC, 07.03.2008, Moscow 10:58:35.Itera seeks to increase the number of its investment projects it Turkmenistan. A delegation of the Russian natural gas producer's top managers is due to arrive in Ashgabat on March 9 to hold talks with the country's officials over Itera's participation in new and existing oil and gas projects. For instance, the company intends to sign a production sharing agreement (PSA) for three blocks of the Caspian Sea Shelf and receive a license for the survey and development of a new block. If Itera gets the license, it is likely to engage Zarubezhneft and Rosneft as partners, the RBC Daily newspaper reports.
RBC, 07.03.2008, Moscow 10:51:39.Half an hour into today's special dollar trading session for tomorrow deals, the weighted average exchange rate stood at 23.83 RUB/USD, having gained RUB 0.02 since the opening. The current developments on MICEX can be attributed to the euro's slight decline against the dollar on international exchanges. The European currency is now trading at USD 1.54, down 0.025 percent from USD 1.5404 at the opening.
RBC, 07.03.2008, Moscow 09:56:33.Russia's Central Election Commission is expected to officially disclose today the final presidential election results. According to a statement the commission's head Vladimir Churov made earlier, the results were to be summed up towards the end of March 7.
RBC, 07.03.2008, Moscow 09:35:27.Russia's Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov will chair a meeting of the presidential council for the development of physical culture and sports, sport excellence and the preparations and the holding of the Sochi Olympics in 2014 today. The meeting's participants will discuss financial support for the program of constructing Olympic facilities in Sochi, as well as see whether the previous meeting's instruction had been duly fulfilled, including with regard to the city's transport infrastructure. The meeting will also address the creation of the unified information center Sochi-2014 for contacts with the mass media and a hotline to answer the questions of the public. Regional Development Minister Dmitry Kozak and Transportation Minister Igor Levitin are expected to deliver their reports today.
RBC, 06.03.2008, Moscow 19:55:14.Open-ended mutual funds specializing in investment in the metallurgy sector demonstrated the biggest earnings in Russia in the first two months of 2008, according to a rating of the most profitable mutual funds for the year to date published by the RBC.Rating agency today. According to the study, seven out of ten funds with the highest earnings rate were metallurgy sector oriented.
RBC, 06.03.2008, Moscow 19:49:49.Russia exported 19.015m tons of oil in January 2008, 0.69 percent less than during the same month a year earlier, the Federal Customs Service (FCS) reported. In value terms, oil exports increased 1.7 times to nearly $11.657bn, with 17.839m tonnes (a 1.16 percent rise year-on-year) worth $11.359bn (up 70 percent) supplied to countries outside the CIS. Meanwhile, Russia delivered 1.177m tonnes of oil (down 26 percent) worth $597.9m (up 15.65 percent) to the CIS.
RBC, 06.03.2008, Moscow 19:28:11.Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works's (MMK) revenue under RAS grew 17.87 percent to RUB 190.287bn (approx. USD 7.91bn) in 2007 compared to a year earlier, the company said in a statement. MMK's gross profit increased 4.42 percent to RUB 61.282bn (approx. USD 2.55bn), while sales profit rose 2.67 percent to RUB 51.447bn (approx. USD 2.14bn).
RBC, 06.03.2008, Moscow 18:42:46.The Russian stock market finished with no defined trend today. The MICEX index was down 0.22 percent at 1,652.01 points and the RTS index up 0.42 percent at 2,050.9 points. On MICEX, Transneft soared 3.43 percent, Norilsk Nickel rose 0.71 percent, and LUKoil increased 0.81 percent. Meanwhile, Sberbank lost 1.56 percent, VTB fell 2.2 percent, and RAO UES slid 1.51 percent. Among the RTS's gainers were Transneft (up 5.38 percent), LUKoil (up 1.12 percent), and Norilsk Nickel (up 1.81 percent). However, Sberbank declined 1.23 percent.
RBC, 06.03.2008, Kiev 17:58:26.The Ukrainian parliament has resumed work in the session hall, which had been blocked for about a month after the country's government sent a letter to NATO, declaring Ukraine's readiness to join the organization's Membership Action Plan (MAP). After the opening of the session, the majority of Ukrainian deputies, except for the communists, voted in favor of joining MAP. The country will now seek to enter the organization if Ukrainians approve the move in a national referendum.
RBC, 06.03.2008, Moscow 16:10:24.Russia's foreign trade surplus surged 73 percent to $19.9bn in January 2008, compared to $11.5bn in the same period a year earlier, the Federal Customs Service said. In the same period, Russia's foreign trade increased 51.9 percent to $47.5bn, including $40.8bn with the CIS (up 54.9 percent) and $6.7bn with countries outside the CIS (up 36.2 percent). Russia's imports climbed 39.5 percent to $13.7bn, including imports from countries outside the CIS worth $11.6bn (up 44.5 percent) and $2.1bn from the CIS (17.6 percent). Exports rose 57.7 percent to $33.7bn, including $ 29.2bn worth of exports to countries outside the CIS (up 59.4 percent) and $4.5bn to the CIS (up 47.3 percent).
RBC, 06.03.2008, Moscow 13:25:12.The Bank of Russia's assets stood at some RUB 12.604 trillion (approx. USD 524bn) as of February 1, 2008, having risen 3.14 percent from December 1, 2007 and 45.54 percent from a year earlier, the Central Bank stated in a balance sheet today. According to the document, the bank's precious metals account increased 15.9 percent to roughly RUB 383bn (approx. USD 15.9bn) compared to December 1, 2007. Funds placed with non-residents and securities issued by non-residents rose 4.8 percent to nearly RUB 11.697 trillion (approx. USD 486.4bn), while credits and deposits amounted to RUB 46.610bn (approx. USD 1.94bn), securities equaled RUB 373.654bn (approx. USD 15.54bn), and other assets totaled RUB 104.56bn (approx. USD 4.35bn).The bank's capital stood at RUB 462.028bn (approx. USD 19.21bn) as of February 1.
RBC, 06.03.2008, Moscow 12:37:31.During today's cabinet meeting, Russian Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov strongly criticized natural monopolies for creating barriers for small businesses in Russia. He blamed state-owned monopolies for hiking water and electricity prices and accused officials of bribery, adding that no simplified procedures for small businesses had been introduced so far. Zubkov urged Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov to take specific and active steps to eliminate bureaucratic barriers for small businesses.
Thu, 06 Mar 2008 23:50:00 -0600 - The Knowledge, Or Lack Of It, In The USA Is Positively Frightening!
Russia’s gold and forex reserves up $6.8bnRussia’s gold and foreign currency reserves stood at $490.7 billion as of February 29, $6.8 billion up from $483.9 billion a week before.
The reserves rose for the second week in a row. From February 15 to 29, they increased by $9.7 billion, or 2 percent.
The significant rise in such a short time could be due both to the dollar’s depreciation against the euro and the Central Bank’s increased acquisition of foreign currency on Russia’s forex market, bringing the reserves to their highest level ever recorded.
As a result, Russia has slightly reduced its gap from China and Japan, which have the largest gold and foreign currency reserves in the world. China’s reserves top $1.5 trillion, up 43 percent last year alone, due to foreign investment and strong export revenues. Japan has over $973 billion.
Gold and foreign currency reserves are highly liquid financial assets controlled by the Central Bank and the Finance Ministry. They consist of monetary gold, special drawing rights, the reserve position in the International Monetary Fund, and foreign currency.
======================================
Hello,
I was drinking my wonderful morning cup of coffee & thinking that I am aware of what Russia is capable of, but our beloved leaders in the west appear to be a little slow to digest it all. Maybe its because they have never lived or worked overseas.
When the Soviet Empire crashed, out of its smoldering ruins emerged Russia....
Since then, Russia has grown at a real terms average of 7 per cent a year. In 2007, growth hit 8.1 per cent - higher than the year before, despite the US-originated sub-prime crisis that has hobbled much of the world.
Russia's reserves have ballooned from practically zero in 1998 to $480bn (£242bn) today - the third largest haul on earth. The country is now almost debt-free - with a budget surplus of 6 per cent of GDP, and a trade surplus almost twice as much again." (How often has the USA in recent times had a budget surplus?)
Compare the statistics above with what little the U.S. has accomplished over the last 7 to 8 years. The S&P 500 Index, a reflection of the U.S. economy, ended 1999 at 1,469.25 and 2007 at 1,468.36. In other words, no change. The federal government's budget surplus of $236 billion in fiscal 2000 was a budget deficit of $412 billion in fiscal 2004, that's a swing of $650 billion in just 4 years. During the 8 years of the Clinton administration, "private-sector" payroll jobs increased by 21,140,000. During the first 7 years of the Bush administration that fell to 4,132,000. Nonfarm productivity growth has gone down every year since 2002, reaching just 1.0% in 2006. Finally, U.S. national debt was $9.13 trillion in December 2007. It was expanding by about $1.4 billion a day or nearly $1 million a minute. (Scary Huh!)
Russia's prosperity is built on nine successive years of expansion, a sixfold increase in average incomes and almost $500 billion of currency reserves.
Not all is roses though: Inability to contain consumer-price growth, which overshot its target in every one of Putin's eight years as president except 2003. Russia must find ways of containing inflation that accelerated to 11.9 percent in 2007. Failure to do so may trigger unsustainable wage demands, squeeze consumer spending and dent company profits.
Monetary policy isn't effective because, 17 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia hasn't developed a fully fledged consumer-credit market. Mortgages are few and credit-card use is in its infancy outside the biggest cities.
Cash Is King
Cash dominates transactions, with almost 90 percent of Bank Cards used only to withdraw rubles from bank accounts! This is a good sign to me, Russians have not fallen into the credit trap like most of America has!
My wife says, "If you don't have the money to buy it you do not need it!"
She is very correct!
Kyle & Svet
Now you have more knowledge of Russia!
comments always welcome.
http://www.wakeupfromyourslumber.com/node/5725
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=43221§ionid=3510213
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&refer=home&sid=a52mcF2m1U6k
Thu, 06 Mar 2008 01:24:00 -0600 - Russia: We Will Buy YOU!
Hello,
I had a saying when training managers: "Respect all who you work with, for they may be your Boss Next Year!"
Nikita Khrushchev, the leader of the Soviet Union in 1956, told the Western world, "We will bury you." Now Dmitry Medvedev, the newly elected president of Russia, has come back with a revised offer -- "We will buy you."
You know what? I think that he is correct!
The USA should have shown more compassion & less gloating during the fall of the USSR!
Kyle
comments always welcome.
Tue, 04 Mar 2008 15:34:00 -0600 - Russia: Is Really A Wonderful Country!
Hello,
Looks like I am not the only one to see that Mass Media has serious problems!
==================================
Give Us a Break
http://mnweekly.rian.ru/columnists/20080214/55310093.html
14/02/2008
Russia has long been respected in global affairs, where it has long played an important role in influencing international politics. For many years its opinion was taken seriously, as it was a powerful empire with a wide sphere of influence. Yet the West, it seems, is always ready to chalk it up as a land of insignificant people. And once its power weakened, the reputation of the Russian people seems to have suffered even worse.
I don't want to suggest that Russia is an example of unsurpassed innocence and harmlessness, but it seems that it is too often described from the worst possible angle. Today, Russians are believed to set the standards for inappropriate behavior and bad manners, and the West is always ready to blame Russia, no matter what.
I am worried most about the practice of national stereotyping. The Russian people have never been worse or better than any other people, and, like others, they want to be respected. But the way Russians are represented in the foreign media - at least from what I have seen - leads to a total misunderstanding of the Russian mentality (Note: not by every thinking individual, but by the general public and mass media. And mass opinion seems to play a big part in the shaping of the image of this one particular country). What is Russia today? I mean the people, not the nation state. What do others really think about us? I got my answer over the holidays in Rome. One night there was a feature on television about New Year celebrations around the world. Fantastic fireworks and marvelous decorations were shown in the spotless European countries. And then came the broadcast on Russia: shots of the young, the elderly - all age groups - drinking alcohol and falling over in the snow, totally drunk. Great. What image of Russia would people form from this? For how long will the Russian people be associated with vodka?
A popular joke runs as follows:
"A dog breeder sells a litter of puppies abroad. Which one goes to Russia? The one named Vodka." Yet everywhere I see foreigners drinking alcohol. The Germans, for example, are famous beer lovers and drink it all day at the ski resorts. Why then is it accepted nonchalantly for them? Too many people forget that many Russians have no desire to drink.
Russian females face similar treatment. As one of them, I have the problem of being treated as a "typical Russian girl," which automatically translates into: "you must want a western man." Why would this be more true of Russia than of any other nation?
People are different and every family has its black sheep. There shouldn't be one stereotype to pigeonhole all people. Appreciate a person's values and not their passport. A nation is represented by the different faces of its citizens, and Russia continues to produce an amazing number of outstanding people and innovations.
I must add, however, that I do appreciate the respect some foreigners feel for Russia and its achievements.
By Daria Chernyshova
==================================
I myself have been saying time and time again: Russia gets a Bum Wrap when it comes to the Press. The old saying "The Pot calling The Kettle Black!" is appropriate for the Media! Look at your own back yard first then see if you have a right to point fingers........
Has any one heard of: Skeletons in the closet?
Kyle & Svet
comments always welcome.
Tue, 04 Mar 2008 10:43:00 -0600 - Russia: Womens International Gymnastics!
(all these countries were there)Hello,
This last Saturday, 03-01-2008 my wife and I got to go to a fantastic Artistic Gymnastic Competition! I had a blast & from the look on my wifes face she had wonderful time also!
We set near a group of young ladies about 10 to 12 years old and they never let it be a dull moment. They cheered all contenders from any country! The USA was there as was 29 other countries!
The girls from the USA did not perform as well as I would like to have seen but the Russians gave the USA girls a very warm reception! That was nice.
Here is a video that my wife made of one of the contenders........
It was a wonderful competition & the girls gave their best!
Kyle & Svet
comments always welcome.
Tue, 04 Mar 2008 06:28:00 -0600 - Russia: Is growing Stronger Everyday!
Hello,
I was drinking my morning cup of coffee & reading an article about the Future of Russia! This article is from a man who has dealt with Russia for many years & knows what he is talking about.
=================================================Russia is emerging as a global economic giant
By Liam Halligan
In the run-up to today's Russian vote, the Western press has been full of insinuation, slur and downright disinformation about a nation which has risen from the ashes and is now emerging as a global economic giant.
I lived in Moscow for several years during the mid-90s - the roughest period of Russia's "transition" from state-planning to capitalism. I've paid regular visits ever since. I now work for a company that manages foreign investments in emerging markets - including Russia.
So, feel free to sniff at my motives. But please don't sniff at the facts, which show that Russia, over the last ten years, has achieved possibly the most incredible economic turnaround in human history......
When the Soviet Union imploded in the late 1980s and the planned economy collapsed, Russian growth sunk deep into negative territory. For the next decade, the country lurched from crisis to crisis.
Then, amid signs of recovery in 1998, Russia's fragile post-Communist economy collapsed again - caught in a financial melt-down affecting all emerging markets. Trying to defend its currency, the country defaulted on its sovereign debt.
Since then, Russia has grown at a real terms average of 7 per cent a year. In 2007, growth hit 8.1 per cent - higher than the year before, despite the US-originated sub-prime crisis that has hobbled much of the world.
Russia's reserves have ballooned from practically zero in 1998 to $480bn (£242bn) today - the third largest haul on earth. The country is now almost debt-free - with a budget surplus of 6 per cent of GDP, and a trade surplus almost twice as much again.
Goldman Sachs describes Russia's economic performance as "remarkable". UBS calls it "awesome". Russia, India, China and the other large emerging markets are upending the world economic order. Their resurgence has created hundreds of billions of dollars of wealth and lifted tens of millions from poverty.
Western politicians struggle to adjust to these new realities - particularly when it comes to the old "Cold War" enemy. But Russia is now the world's ninth largest economy - and rising fast. And, in my view, much of the scorn aimed its way is nothing but a small-minded reaction to this rapidly shifting balance of global power.
Three years ago, Russia overtook Saudi Arabia to become the world's largest crude exporter. And the country's post-Soviet recovery was initially built on a 50 per cent rise in annual crude production.
Had that increase not happened (had Russia chosen to join OPEC, for example), oil would now be way above $150 a barrel, rather than close to $100. Imagine how much that would now be hurting oil importers like America and the UK.
But Russia is now far more than "just an oil and gas economy". Retail sales are growing at around 13 per cent a year in real terms - one reason why leading multi-nationals are now piling into Russia. Construction is expanding by 16 per cent a year, and domestic investment by 20 per cent - as Russia rebuilds its shattered post-Soviet infrastructure. Again, this trend is now attracting massive - and welcome - foreign investment.
The big blot on Russia's economic landscape is inflation - almost 12 per cent last year. Like many fast-growing emerging markets, the country suffers from high food prices. But Russian policy-makers are now allowing the ruble to appreciate more quickly - bearing down on expensive food imports. And, while the rest of the world has been cutting interest rates, Russia's Central Bank just raised them - as part of its bid to tackle inflation.
This is a country, of course, with many problems. As in any nascent capitalist society (think England in the 1780s, or America in the 1870s), there is corruption and the legal system is fragile.
But, in recent years, despite factional in-fighting, the direction of economic policy has been clear. Russia now has a 13 per cent basic rate of income tax. Foreign banks can set up at will. Moscow, St. Petersburg and, increasingly, Russia's regions are rippling with stores bearing Western names and products. Despite his "hard-man" image, these developments have all happened since President Putin took office in 1999.
And today's likely winner - Dmitri Medvedev - will encourage further liberalisation. The 42-year-old has made a series of speeches calling for "reduced taxes" and "decentralisation of power". A trained lawyer, Medvedev will put effort into "improving the legal system".
Dismiss this as a wish-list if you like. But, again, the direction of travel is clear. Russia wants to be a fully-developed market economy and part of the global system - but on equal terms.
Will it be pushed around by the West? No. Will it allow the West to pull its historic trick of annexing countries with large natural resources, or treating them as supine? No.
Above all, Russia wants to trade with the West. But the West keeps blocking its membership of the World Trade Organization - despite admitting China.
Since the Soviet Union collapsed, Russia has made huge strides - economically, but also in terms of freedom. Today's election, while imperfect, is a testament to that.
Western businesses are engaging with Russia as quickly as they can, desperate to gain a foothold in what will soon be one of the world's very biggest economies.
Western politicians, meanwhile, cling to their cold war clichés - replacing the "iron curtain" with an "iron curtain of the mind".
• Liam Halligan is Chief Economist at Prosperity Capital Management
================================================
I have been making it clear in this Blog that Russia is not what it seems to the American & Europe Brain Washed Media Biased Individual!
Russia is the next World Power Economy!
Ruble as world currency?
Kyle & Svet
comments always welcome.
Tue, 04 Mar 2008 05:42:00 -0600 - Russia: Elections Are The Most Progressive In Europe!
Hello,Like we reported the Russian elections were given a clean bill of health and even though they may not have been too exciting! They cost much less than the 3/4 of a Billion Dollars that the American elections have spent so far! The people are happy, government is happy & Putin is happy! (Not sure if Medvedev is happy yet)
Russia's presidential elections were held in line with international standards, Bolat Nurgaliyev, Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the leader of its observer mission, told a press conference in Moscow today, adding that the election had been free and fair. Nurgaliyev noted that 19 observers from the mission had monitored the elections from February 21 until March 2. The observers visited 96 polling stations of Moscow and the Moscow region on Sunday. They also visited seven polling stations during the vote counting and did not register any violations.
No observer mission has questioned the results of the Russian presidential vote, Russia's election chief Vladimir Churov told a press conference today. He noted that, "according to the assessment by reputable legal scholars," the Russian election law is one of the most progressive in Europe. Churov said that the Central Election Commission of Russia had received several comments and recommendations from monitors, and added that his agency would pay particular attention to these, but would probably not be able to follow all the recommendations, as some of them related to the organization of debates, and a number of observers had proposed changes to legislation in this aspect.
Paul Marie Couteaux, head of the European Parliament's observer mission in Russia, believes that foreign media sources have a rather biased opinion about presidential election in Russia. He made this statement in Moscow today, adding that most foreign correspondents are trying to promote the idea of mistrust for the election. Couteaux also noted that most foreign media companies in Western Europe are owned by large financial corporations and act in their interests. However, he indicated that the general public understood that Russia and Western European countries were partners and disregarded those statements by media companies trying to compromise Russia.
Lets see anyone in America get 70% of the popular vote....
Kyle & Svet
comments always welcome.
USA Presidential Election cost in 2004!
Election Costs are going skyhigh in 2008!
Tue, 04 Mar 2008 04:38:00 -0600 - Russian News: March 4th, 2008!
RBC, 04.03.2008, Moscow 12:58:39.Gazprom invited independent observers from a specialized company SGS to control natural gas supplies in Ukraine, official spokesman for the Russian energy holding Sergei Kupriyanov told journalists today. However, he pointed out that the country's authorities did not allow the observers to monitor gas supplies at Ukraine's gas metering stations.
RBC, 04.03.2008, Moscow 12:24:12.Russian President Vladimir Putin is to remain the leader of the United Russia party after the new President's inauguration ceremony, State Duma Speaker and United Russia's Chairman Boris Gryzlov told journalists today. He reiterated that Putin had topped United Russia's candidate list during the previous State Duma elections. Gryzlov noted that the party was currently reviewing step-by-step plans to carry out the development strategy until 2020 outlined by Putin.
RBC, 04.03.2008, Moscow 11:19:01.Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov is to head the government council for small business development, Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov said during today's meeting with the country's leading economists. He reiterated that the decision on the creation of the council was made following Friday's meeting with representatives of small and medium size businesses. Efficient working groups for the elimination of barriers for businesses in various economic sectors need to be formed within the council, Zubkov noted. The PM urged Zhukov to begin council meetings within a week and make them monthly.
RBC, 04.03.2008, Moscow 11:15:14.Novorossiysk Commercial Sea Port (NCSP) majority shareholders affiliated with Russian businessman Alexander Ponomarenko are poised to acquire a 50-percent stake in a container terminal that is currently under construction near St. Petersburg, the RBC Daily newspaper reported today. Until now, the project worth EUR 300m fully belonged to one of the world's largest container operators MSC. Meanwhile, the shareholders of Russia's largest commercial sea port operator decided to increase the terminal's projected annual capacity from 2.5m tonnes to 8m tonnes. NCSP's participation in the project is likely to give it a boost, experts say.
RBC, 04.03.2008, Moscow 10:46:11.At today's special dollar trading session for tomorrow deals, the low and the high on deals stood at 24.04 and 24.05 RUB/USD respectively, making the spread on deals just RUB 0.01. The narrow spread does not suggest any speculative play at the session. In addition, trading activity has been fairly low as well possibly due to inconsiderable fluctuations of the euro-to-dollar rate abroad, with the trading volume below USD 100m at the UTS.
RBC, 04.03.2008, Chisinau 09:57:54.Fixed investment in Moldova surged 43.3 percent to $300m in 2007 compared to a year earlier, the National Bureau of Statistics told RBC. Foreign fixed investment accounted for 22.1 percent of the total. Investment growth was largely due to the activities of the non-government sector, which received around 72.7 percent of the total input.
RBC, 04.03.2008, Moscow 09:36:10.Russia's Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov is scheduled to meet today with the nation's top economists to address the role of the scientific community in drafting Russia's development strategy until 2020. Scientists will explain the measures they view as necessary to diversify the economy and foster innovation. The meeting is to be attended by President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Yury Osipov, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Abel Aganbegian, Rector of the New Economic School Sergei Guriyev, Director of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander Dynkin, Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Sergei Naryshkin, Economy Minister Elvira Nabiullina, Education and Science Minister Andrei Fursenko and heads of other ministries, agencies and research organizations.
RBC, 03.03.2008, Moscow 19:55:37.Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a bill approving amendments to the 2008 federal budget and estimates for 2009 and 2010, passed by the State Duma on February 15 and endorsed by the Federation Council on February 20, the leader's press office reported.
RBC, 03.03.2008, Kiev 19:24:40.Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has called on the national government to ensure there is no 'gas war' with Russia. The leader made this statement at a meeting with Supreme Rada Speaker Arseny Yatsenyuk and Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko today, the President's press office reported.
RBC, 03.03.2008, Moscow 18:30:56.Russia's National Welfare Fund amounted to RUB 777.03bn, or USD 32.22bn in dollar terms, including USD 14.31bn, EUR 9.74bn, and GBP 1.62bn as of March 1, the Finance Ministry reported today. Meanwhile, earnings from investing the fund's reserves from January 30 until February 29, 2008 have been estimated at USD 240m.
RBC, 03.03.2008, Kiev 17:45:55.Gazprom has cut its natural gas exports to Ukraine by 35 percent, or 46m cubic meters per day, spokesman for Naftogaz of Ukraine Valentin Zemlyansky told journalists today. He said that the Russian energy holding had sent the republic's state-owned oil and gas company two telegrams announcing a 25-percent and a 10-percent cut, respectively.
RBC, 03.03.2008, Moscow 15:34:25.The Russian stock market is likely to reach a new record low in the next two weeks, experts told RBC TV today. The preliminary results of Russia's presidential elections were expected and already factored into share prices before today, experts say. Meanwhile, poor financial performance of a number of US suppliers caused investor concerns over the possibility of Russian stocks' decline. However, analysts note that, if the US economy stabilizes, the Russian market can look better than foreign trading floors thanks to positive election results and macroeconomic conditions.
Tue, 04 Mar 2008 04:32:00 -0600 - Svet Sunday: March 2nd, 2008 President Election in Russia. (Good bye Mr.Putin)
(Pic 1: getting vote slip, Pic 2: Buffet, Pic 3: Foreign observer! )Hello,
I am just from election. I looked at the voting slip and no Putin anymore there... I don't know yet who will win this elections but I know that it will not be Vladimir Putin. So it's time to say Good bye, Mr. Putin.
I think there were good things and bad things during his Presidential term just like in all of life! And I want to tell you that he is very charismatic person. Yes, Naomi, you are absolutely right when you told that Putin is very photogenic! We will see how photogenic in this very good video: "Good bye, Mr Putin!". I love this video, hope you like it too:
And what to tell you about this Presidential election: I voted in the school what became a place for election for my district. It was a very friendly atmosphere with nice music, a nice woman gave me a slip to vote. I voted and asked could I take some pictures for our blog yes, of course was the answer. I took some. I know that people in Russia often get embarrassed when they notice that someone takes a pictures of them. I really don't like to embarrass people so I made just a few shots to show you a what an election looked like in Russia :).
Best wishes for everybody,
Svet
PS: Yes that is a food buffet at the Election, old Soviet Tradition! Now you know something new about Russia! ;)
comments always welcome.
Sun, 02 Mar 2008 13:54:00 -0600 - Russia: Election Results!
Sun, 02 Mar 2008 08:19:00 -0600 - Russia: Dollar Breaks Psychological Mark; Below 24 RUB/USD!
At the opening of the special dollar trading session for same-day transactions this morning, the very first contract was concluded at 23.90 RUB/USD, RUB 0.22, or almost 1 percent below the official rate set by the Bank of Russia for February 29. Consequently, the dollar dropped well below the psychological level of 24 RUB/USD on MICEX today. An hour and a half into the session, the exchange rate recovered to 24.0 RUB/USD.
Combined with a RUB 0.43 drop over the previous five days, the dollar has lost RUB 0.55, or 2.3 percent against the ruble in six trading sessions. The ruble's continued steep climb against the dollar on the domestic market can be linked to the euro's considerable advance against the US currency on international exchanges. The euro hit a new all-time high of 1.5238 USD/EUR against the dollar today, up from a previous peak of 1.5229 USD/EUR.
The dollar is sliding against other currencies, as well, tumbling to a three-year low of 104.28 JPY/USD against the yen, below the psychological mark of 105 JPY/USD. Meanwhile, most experts note that the US currency is not expected to correct upwards in the meanwhile, amid looming economic recession concerns in the US, suggesting that the Federal Reserve will revise its interest rate further down. “In all the years that I have been dealing with the foreign exchange market, I have never seen so much pessimism about the dollar,” Gartman Letter's Editor-in-Chief Dennis Gartman pointed out, adding that there were clear signs of a “market mania,” in which everyone was currently trying to dispose of dollars.
US Fed chief Ben Bernanke's latest report offered no consolation for the dollar, either, as he warned that the economic situation could actually be more complex than during previous recessions. Analysts say the Federal Reserve chairman's exceeding candor has had an extremely negative impact on the US currency. The probability of a dollar crisis has surged, buoyed also by decisions of foreign central banks to cut back on accumulating dollars and converting their existing dollar reserves into other currencies. Furthermore, another factor that can weigh on the dollar is if Middle-Eastern oil exporters decide to revalue their currencies in relation to the US dollar, prompted by fears of increasing inflation pressures on their economies amid a weak dollar and record-high oil prices, experts say.
http://kylekeeton.com/2008/01/cost-of-believing-in-america.html
http://kylekeeton.com/2008/01/does-world-have-faith-in-america.html
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/12/russia-not-happy-that-dollar-crashing.html
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/11/russia-dollar-is-hurting-overseas.html
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/11/russian-rubles-dollar-is-unstable.html
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/11/russians-do-not-give-us-dollars.html
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/10/russian-ruble-growing-stronger-everyday.html
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/08/rbc-tells-it-like-it-is-dollar-going.html
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/08/russian-ruble.html
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/08/american-dollar.html
Will The Dollar Collapse?
Kyle & Svet
Sat, 01 Mar 2008 02:30:00 -0600 - Russia: Volga Automobile, Part 3 Classic Beauty!
Hello,
This is Part 3 of The Volga Car! Part 1 & Part 2 are about the history and technical side of the Volga. Today we show the Classic Beauty of the Volga Automobile!
http://kylekeeton.com/2008/02/russia-volga-automobile-part-2.html
http://kylekeeton.com/2008/02/russia-volga-automobile-part-1-history.html
http://kylekeeton.com/2008/02/russia-model-24-volga.html
This is a Video from Russia about the different models of Volga and has been given a modern twist...
Kyle
comments always welcome
Fri, 29 Feb 2008 04:52:00 -0600 - Russian News: February 29th, 2008!
RBC, 29.02.2008, Moscow 14:55:12.France's automobile producer Renault and AVTOVAZ are planning to develop a new low-cost car, Sergei Chemezov, Chairman of the Russian car maker's Board of Directors, stated today. AVTOVAZ intends to use Renault's engine and transmission for the car, while producing the rest unaided, Chemezov said. The new car is projected to be a station wagon seven-seater, and it is expected to be rolled out by 2009.
RBC, 29.02.2008, Moscow 14:05:42.The Bank of Russia is not planning to change its annual inflation forecast of 8.5 percent for 2008, radio Echo of Moscow reported today, citing the bank's First Deputy Chairman Alexei Ulyukayev. He pointed out that Russia could meet the target, adding that the figure itself was not as important, as the downward trend. Ulyukayev noted that the government was capable of curbing inflation, despite an inflation rate exceeding 3 percent in the first two months of the year.
RBC, 29.02.2008, Moscow 13:29:28.Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK) has applied once again to the Russian Anti-Monopoly Service for the permission to purchase an iron and steel producer Maxi Group, a source close to the company reported today. Meanwhile, NLMK's press office did not comment on the matter.
RBC, 29.02.2008, Moscow 12:48:53.OGK-6's Board of Directors has approved an issue of 22,468,978 shares as preparation for a merger with OGK-6 Holding, the power generation company stated today.
RBC, 29.02.2008, Moscow 12:39:28.AVTOVAZ and France's car producer Renault have signed an agreement on strategic cooperation. The document was signed by the Russian state technology corporation, Russia's leading automobile producer AVTOVAZ, Troika Dialog investment company, Rosoboronexport, and Renault. Chairman of AVTOVAZ Sergei Chemezov pointed out that the company's restructuring was to be completed in July 2008. Once the process has been completed, Rosobornexport, Troika Dilaog, and Renault will be AVTOVAZ's main shareholders.
RBC, 29.02.2008, Chelyabinsk 12:19:43.TGK-10 has announced today an issue of 633m additional shares with a par value of RUB 1.66 (approx. USD 0.069) each, the regional power generation company reported. The issue is expected to account for 57.73 percent of the company's increased share capital, and the offering price has been set at RUB 111.80 (approx. USD 4.64). TGK-10 has invited investors to place bids for the issue, and Troika Dialog will act as the company's broker. Proceeds from the issue are not projected to exceed RUB 46.6bn (approx. USD 1.932bn).
RBC, 29.02.2008, Moscow 10:48:34.Russia has made a statement at the UN Security Council meeting that the deployment of an EU mission in Kosovo was illegal, Russia's Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin was cited by the Vesti TV channel as saying, following closed consultations at the UN. The mission's deployment is illegal and does not comply with UN resolution 1244, which has been repeatedly declared valid by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Churkin noted.
RBC, 29.02.2008, Moscow 10:40:54.Russia and Hungary signed a cooperation agreement in Moscow on Thursday for building a gas pipeline to transit natural gas across Hungarian territory. The document was endorsed following a meeting between Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany and Russian President Vladimir Putin by Finance Minister Janos Veres of Hungary and Industry and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko of Russia. The accord provides for Hungary's inclusion in the implementation of the South Stream project.
RBC, 29.02.2008, Moscow 09:27:45.Russian President Vladimir Putin has delivered an address to the Russian people ahead of the presidential election, the leader's press office reported. In his speech, the President encouraged Russians to exercise their right of vote on March 2. "Every vote matters, and the opinion of each one of you is important. I ask you come to the election on Sunday and vote for our future, Russia's future," he said.
Fri, 29 Feb 2008 04:40:00 -0600
