Russian Realism

Russian Realism: Expert view: Contrary to popular Washington speculation, the Russian foreign policy elite, including Putin, Medvedev, and Lavrov, have no real attachment to or interest in Donald Trump and likely f…

The Problem we have with Russia. | 10/2016 (Peter Hitchens)

Ya Heart Vladimir: A Visit to the Regions

Ya Heart Vladimir: A Visit to the Regions: (Kennan Institute – wilsoncenter.org/program/kennan-institute – September 22, 2016 – Mary Elizabeth Malinkin) Giant, Cyrillic block letters spelling “Ya Heart Vladimir&#8221…

Will Russia’s Opposition Draw the Right Lessons From Electoral Defeat?

Will Russia’s Opposition Draw the Right Lessons From Electoral Defeat?: (Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Eva Hartog – September 20, 2016) The Russian opposition on Monday awoke to an electoral hangover – in some cases quite literally –…

Putin Successfully Using New Political Technologies to Keep His Antiquated System in Place, Shevtsova Says

Putin Successfully Using New Political Technologies to Keep His Antiquated System in Place, Shevtsova Says: (Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, September 5, 2016) Vladimir Putin is with remarkable success using modern political technologies to keep himself and his increasingly antiqua…

Putin as Complex as he is Predictable

Putin as Complex as he is Predictable: Subject: Putin as Complex as he is Predictable Date: Mon, 5 Sep 2016 From: Dale Herspring falka@ksu.edu Putin as Complex as he is Predictable Dale R. Herspring, a University Distinguished P…

Stories of a Soviet Studier: My Experiences in Russia

Stories of a Soviet Studier: My Experiences in Russia: Subject: Stories of a Soviet Studier: My Experiences in Russia Date: Mon, 29 Aug 2016 From: Stephen D. Shenfield sshenfield@verizon.net [New Book: Stories of a Soviet Studier: My Experience…

Top 10 Healthiest Foods in Russia

https://hague6185.wordpress.com/2016/07/27/top-10-healthiest-foods-of-russia/

Interesting article from the blog: Life In Russia, on the health benefits of various foodstuffs traditionally enjoyed in Russia.

MACRO ADVISOR: August in Russia – what could possibly go wrong? | bne

MACRO ADVISOR: August in Russia – what could possibly go wrong? | bne: MACRO ADVISOR: August in Russia – what could possibly go wrong?

Russia’s Bridge to Crimea Timelapse

Russia’s Bridge to Crimea Timelapse

No, Russia is not preparing for all-out war

No, Russia is not preparing for all-out war: Russia’s snap military mobilisation drills are an internal exercise. But troublesome relations with the west could still have unintended (and unpleasant) consequences.

Boris Johnson 'bags' scene from The Russia House

Boris Johnson announced yesterday at a press conference that he will not run for leadership of the Conservative Party.  The shock announcement was made at St Ermin's hotel in the room which was used for a scene in the film The Russia House.  The room where the press conference was held is a function room which doubled as the interior of the Hotel National in Moscow.

Anyway, I 'bagged' it before he did.

http://blog.therussiahouse.net/2015/10/the-russia-house-another-location.html

Russian Champagne

This is taken from my old web site, written in 2000, which describes EU hypocrisy. One small reason to #voteleave #brexit. 

Russian Champagne 

"A bottle of champagne for every Soviet family" proclaimed a slogan in the sixties when scientists succeeded in rapidly mass-producing a form of sparkling wine allowing its cheap and wide distribution under the brand name Sovietskoye Shampanskoye.

However, production of the wine is now under threat as the French are planning legal action to prevent foreign manufacturers from using the word "Champagne" under a new offensive from the Institut National des Appelations d'Origine - the state-backed body that safeguards the use of regional product's names, 

Russian Shampanskoye was produced in Tsarist times and had been awarded medals in the Universal Exhibition of 1901 and hence, as the Russians argue, has long been accepted internationally.  The French have struggled for over a decade to prevent the Russians using the name. Armen Khomyakov a commercial manager at one of Moscow's leading Shampanskoye factories said, "It would be absurd to stop using the name because we have no other word for the product in Russian.  It's become part of the language."

Personally, I think that Sovietskoye Shampanskoye was a superior wine to the French crap, although the Bulgarian brand Iskra (Spark) has the edge over the other two.

Nowadays, champagne is a generic term and the French will just have to accept this fact, they can't have it both ways - under EU rules a British cheese maker was prevented from making a Greek-style cheese and calling it Feta cheese, however, the only Feta cheese I can buy in my local Sainsbury's is French!

February 2000

Kremlinphobia, russophobia and other states of paranoia

Kremlinphobia, russophobia and other states of paranoia: The Russian government likes to regularly accuse the West of being ‘russophobic.’ They’re right, but not for the reasons they think.

Is Putin incorruptible? U.S. insider's view of the Russian president's character and his country's transformation -- Puppet Masters -- Sott.net

Is Putin incorruptible? U.S. insider's view of the Russian president's character and his country's transformation -- Puppet Masters -- Sott.net: http://www.sott.net/article/278407-Is-Putin-incorruptible-US-insiders-view-of-the-Russian-presidents-character-and-his-countrys-transformation#

Five foolproof ways to identify Russians on holiday abroad

Five foolproof ways to identify Russians on holiday abroad: I will not waste your time describing boring images of Russians squandering money and wearing tawdry outfits on vacations abroad. You have probably already read such tropes a million times. Here I&…

Russia’s Military Budget Ranks Fourth Worldwide – Report – Johnson's Russia List

Russia’s Military Budget Ranks Fourth Worldwide – Report – Johnson's Russia List



USA - $596 Billion

China - $215 Billion

Saudi Arabia -  $87.2 Billion

Russia - $66.4 Billion

UK - $ 55.5 Billion

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures

As the Soviet propaganda booklet from Novosti Presss Agency asks - Whence the threat to Peace? Is it really Russia?  US and NATO military expenditure far outstrips that of Russia, so to claim that the greatest threat to world peace in the world is Russia,  does not seem to stack up.  If you ask me, I would say it is either the reckless meddling of the US in the middle-east and Ukraine, or Saudi Arabia's military activities in Yemen, or both.  But what do I know - I'm just a useful idiot.

Akademgorodok: The last Soviet Utopia, or a new Silicon Valley?

Akademgorodok: The last Soviet Utopia, or a new Silicon Valley?: Why is Russia’s intellectual, spiritual and cultural strength concentrated in Siberia? What is happening today at this world-renowned research center? Why do people here refuse to believe in …

TRANSCRIPT: [Putin at] Meeting on construction of Kerch Strait Bridge and Crimea and Sevastopol’s socioeconomic development

TRANSCRIPT: [Putin at] Meeting on construction of Kerch Strait Bridge and Crimea and Sevastopol’s socioeconomic development: (Kremlin.ru – March 18, 2016) Vladimir Putin held a meeting on construction of the Kerch Strait Bridge and on Crimea and Sevastopol’s socioeconomic development results and their integra…

Best of Moscow Aerial Drone flights/ Полеты над Москвой / Full Wide