23 August, 2011
In Russia, working life ends at 40.
Although people around the world suffer from age discrimination, the problem is especially acute in Russia where corporate culture does not value innovation or experience.
Data from Russian job sites show that most recruiters are specifically looking for people under the age of 40 even for management positions. Recruiters claim that the reasons are in problems of the older generation - their inadequate grasp of modern economics, their weak knowledge of foreign languages, and the fact that it is hard for them to adapt to modern corporate culture and management style. Another viewpoint suggests that the main reason specialists older than 45 have problems finding work is not their shortcomings as professionals, but the fact that young managers are immature in their outlook and wary of employing people older than themselves. They just do not know how to build a relationship with them and thus find it easier to resufe.
It is however different for the foreign companies operating in Russia, that sometimes seek older specialits for certain positions.
HRs admit that after the age of 50, finding work is possible if you have had a successful career, made a name for yourself in a particular market, or when you have substantial professional achievements under your belt and you have occupied top positions in well-known companies. Alternatively, you could be a specialist in a niche area, or perhaps you would have good business connections which the company needs. But your chances of finding work on the open market are otherwise pretty slim.
In general, there are two main paths that lead to financial and career success: the path of the manager and the path of the skilled professional. But in Russia, the career ladder is not well developed in many sectors. For most companies, business is organized in such a way that highly skilled professionals just aren't needed – in the absence of real competition in a corrupt economy, a manager only needs people who are happy to do their allocated jobs and nothing more. As a result, the qualifications ceiling for non-management roles is reached between 30-35. If an employer has not become a manager by 35, then it is unlikely he or she will continue to grow professionally.
Read more on : Russia beyond the headlines
21 August, 2011
MAKS-2011 air show success in Russia.
The tenth International Air Show "MAKS-2011 was held 16-21 August in the Moscow suburb of Zhukovsky.
The show was attended by representatives of over 800 companies from 40 countries worldwide. More than 200 civilian and military aircraft, helicopters and other aircraft were presented in Zhukovsky.
A record number of contracts totaling more than $10 billion were signed at this year’s MAKS, which brought together over 800 aircraft firms from 40 countries.
Russia premiered its T-59 fifth-generation fighter jet.
The Russkiye Vityazi, Strizhi and Sokoly Rossii aerobatics teams performed spectacular fly-pasts
Read more on : The Voice of Russia
19 August, 2011
Soviet coup anniversary quietly marked in Russia.
Russia on Friday quietly marked the 20th anniversary of the start of the attempted coup that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Most national newspapers took little or no notice of the anniversary, reflecting the deep ambivalence of many Russians about the events that plunged them into both anxiety and exhilaration.
The coup attempt was initiated by a coterie of Communist hard-liners who placed Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev under house arrest at his vacation home, fearing that his pending agreement to allow wide sovereignty for Soviet republics would lead to the USSR's disintegration.
But wide public opposition quickly weakened the putsch, notably the thousands who gathered around the Russian government headquarters where Russian President Boris Yeltsin famously defied the coup while standing atop a tank.
The coup collapsed three days later and Gorbachev returned to Moscow, but his power and credibility were fatally dissipated. The republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were allowed to split off from the Soviet Union within weeks, and the entire USSR was signed out of existence in December.
Read more on : Yahoo News
17 August, 2011
Soviet grandmaster 100th anniversary.
Today marks the 100th birth anniversary of Soviet and Russian International Grandmaster and three-time World Chess Champion Mikhail Botvinnik.
Botvinnik became world champion in 1948, 1958, and 1961, and he played a total of 1202 games.
He was one of the pioneers of new trends in chess, made a significant contribution to world chess design and became a great chess teacher.
His students include World Champions Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov. He died in May 1995.
Source: The Voice of Russia
14 August, 2011
Genius Soviet composer anniversary.
August 15 is a birth day of Mikael Tariverdiev, (1931-1996) a prominent Soviet composer of Armenian descent, the author of music scores for 132 films, chamber vocal cycles, four ballets, four operas, a number of pieces for organ and instrumental music.
Mikael Tariverdiev was a recipient of many awards, including the USSR State Prize (1977) and the Prize of the American Music Academy (1975). He was awarded a title People's Artist of Russia in 1986. He won three Nika Awards for Best Composer in the 1990s. The Best Music prize at the largest Russian National Film Festival Kinotaur is named after Tariverdiev.
13 August, 2011
Russia gets first medals at Shenzhen games.
Russia's team has grabbed one silver and two bronzes on the fist day of the World Student Games in China's Shenzhen.
Kirill Abrosimov was second in the men's open water 10k title while bronzes went to judoka Zafar Makhmadov (under 100kg category) and to women's gymnastics team.
Source: The Voice of Russia
11 August, 2011
Ten Things Russian Dolls Tries to Teach Us About Russian Women.
From the time it was announced, Russian Dolls was compared to Jersey Shore. But local-cultural focus is where the similarities end — borscht will never be the new pickles. Instead, this show, which is set in Brighton Beach jam-packed with crazy Russians, is more tempered and a lot less wild.
Like Jersey Shore, though, it does spell out the parameters of this Russian-American cultural intersection explicitly and bombards the audience with factoids about Russian women via the show's cast. Some of them are:
Gossip, gossip." "Drama, drama." "That's how every single Russian girl is." — Eddie Zee and Albert
A good Russian girl "does what her parents want, even if it makes her unhappy." - Anastasia
"Russian women love to flirt, but they never give up the goods ...They just make us wait for no reason, and then sometimes we wait and it's no good!" — Eddie Zee
"Sometimes they just want the free dinner." — Albert
Every Russian woman should know how to make borscht. —Diana's mom (according to Anna)
"The woman have to be all. The woman have to be housekeeper, woman have to be a good wife, woman have to be woman. It's very important." — Anna
Source: omg.yahoo.com
Source: Russian Women Myths and Stereotypes
6 August, 2011
Russian war documentary may run for Oscar.
The chronicle of World War II – referred to in Russia as the Great Patriotic War – is scheduled to compete in the Short Subject Documentary category. The film's nomination was timed to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II.
War: the Color of Time is not a traditional documentary as we know it. It does not feature narration, simply war chronicles and Soviet wartime songs. The idea behind the project was to show war as it was seen 70 years ago, in all its colors, horrors and moments of happiness.
The creators of this war tribute spent over 400 hours watching miles of archive film. Some 60 hours of wartime footage was picked out for further cutting and editing. The selected material was restored in an LA-based lab, and the colors recreate the atmosphere of the early 1940s. Each and every black-and-white shot was colored by hand and eventually made up a movie worthy of international appreciation..
The Russian premiere of the film took place on June 22 this year.
Source: RT.com
5 August, 2011
In Cage With a Lioness.
An animal painter Alexander Pylyschenko who owns a small private zoo in Ukraine set his mind to stay inside the cage with a pregnant lioness Katya for 5 weeks and even help her deliver the cub.
Alexander came to know about the record set by an American zoologist and insists on beating the record. Money he can get will be spent on food for his animals.
The cage has a shower and WC. Alexander is going to sleep on a straw carpet and eat as often as the animals in the cage do. The cage is also equipped with 3 cameras broadcasting the events happening inside to a special site that was created for the project.
His wife is worried for her husband. According to her words, Katya has been with this family for 9 years and loves Alexander a lot. But the thing is that she is s predator and it's not possible to predict her behavior. Alexander has no place to hide and the entire project is based on trust.
During the month that will be spent in the cage Alexander will paint pictures and talk to his friends who promised to come every day.
Source and photos englishrussia.com
4 August, 2011
Russian pianist Petrov dies at 68.
Renowned Russian pianist Nikolai Petrov died in a Moscow hospital on Wednesday after suffering a stroke in May this year He was 68.
Petrov was born in 1943 into a family of musicians. He started touring in the early 1960s and was one of the few Soviet pianists to play abroad during the Cold War. He has performed with the New York Symphony Orchestra, the Washington National Symphony Orchestra and top European orchestras. But Petrov had always regarded the Moscow Conservatory as his main stage.
While Russian classical music was suffering from severe under-investment in the 1990s, Petrov was one of the few musicians to remain based in Russia and help young musicians, mostly paying out of his own pocket.
Petrov kept on touring around the globe until the May stroke, playing 70 to 100 concerts a year.
Russian pianist Denis Matsuev described Petrov as "an outstanding pianist and educator". "He had lots of opportunities to emigrate," Matsuev says. "But his heart was here and it ached for what was happening in the country.
Petrov will be buried in a Moscow cemetery on Friday. Petrov is survived by his wife and daughter.
Source Yahoo News
3 August, 2011
The Day Of Striped Watermelon.
This year the Gorky Park in Moscow was attended by over 5000 representatives of air assault forces who celebrated the Day of Air Landing Troops. 20 tons of water melons were distributed free here. A field kitchen provided the vacationists with tasty food. Below are pictures of the celebration.
See the pictures of the celebration.: englishrussia.com/
2 August, 2011
Why Russians Cry at Work.
According to the Russian Federal State Statistics Service, there are 4.6 million of unemployed in Russia. Not all of them are looking for a formal employment, particularly because being employed does not always feel that great. Every other of those surveyed acknowledged that at some point they broke into tears at work, and women are not the only ones who weep. Most often, the work makes cry ordinary rank and file employees.
According to the survey conducted by the portal Joblist.ru, 33% of professionals such as economists and analysts, cry at work. Business owners shed the least amount of tears - the portal has not identified any of them. According to the study, 55% of Russians cry because things go wrong at work. "One in ten of them (11%) is male," the website says.
Even the defenders of the Fatherland sometimes allow themselves to cry. Sometimes they have to deal with human tragedy in their work. "1% of soldiers admitted to crying at work at times," Joblist.ru reported. The work itself brings tears to only 18% of Russians. Getting fired is not perceived by most as a tragedy, and only 5% of the polled cry under these circumstances.
The main cause of tears is the bosses (55%) and colleagues (21%). External partners (customers and clients) made only 5% of Russians cry. Men tend to react more emotionally to professional insults, while women - to the work environment.
Read more on: Pravda.ru
29 July, 2011
Dmitry Medvedev ends cult of beer in Russia.
President Dmitry Medvedev signed the law which puts beer in the category of spirits and introduces large-scale restrictions on its retail sales, as well as greatly expands the list of places where its consumption is not allowed. This is the result of nearly 20 years of very successful programs to sell and promote beer as the main alcoholic drink in Russia.
Under the new law that enters into force in 2013, the beer is equivalent to alcohol. Its sales will be banned in the stores from 11pm to 8am, and small retail locations (kiosks, tents) will be subject to the ban on selling beer.
The explanatory memorandum to the law states that these measures are introduced" to reduce the abuse of alcoholic beverages and prevent alcoholism among the population of the Russian Federation" as well as "to prevent alcohol abuse among young people.
Read more on: Pravda.ru
26 July, 2011
Russian circus legend to open cat temple in Moscow.
Famous circus artist Yury Kuklachev, the founder of the Moscow Cat Theater plans to open an entertainment center in the Russian capital which he called a "cat temple."
Kuklachev, known for secret methods of training cats, said that the temple, which will be opened in September 2012 at the Cat Theater premises, will combine performances with music and light effects and visits to a special cat garden.
Kuklachev's Cat Theater, founded in 1990, has a company of over 120 cats of 36 breeds, and often makes world tours.
Read more on: Ria.ru
25 July, 2011
31 years since the death of Vladimir Vysotsky.
On Monday 25 Muscovites are commemorating the prominent Soviet poet, actor and singer-songwriter Vladimir Vysotsky.
He died 31 years ago on this day. In the morning, Vysotsky's numerous admirers will lay flowers at his tomb at the Vagankovskoye cemetery in the Russian capital.
An exhibition has been set up for the 40 years since the premiere of the Hamlet stage production by the Taganka theatre, with Vysotsky acting the part of Hamlet. His admirers, friends and his son Nikita will gather in Moscow's Taganka Park to pay tribute to Vladimir Vysotsky's memory. Russian TV channels are also due to show extensive programmes in memory of the actor.
Source: The Voice of Russia
21 July, 2011
Diaghilev ballets' second life.
World ballet star Andris Liepa plans on reviving all the great creations of Sergey Diaghilev's legendary ballet company's repertoire, with the next one to be presented in Paris.
Liepa who, over his spectacular career, has danced in ABT, La Scala, Grand Opera, Rome and Swedish Opera and worked with many prominent choreographers, has already contributed greatly to reviving Diaghilev’s productions, many of which were considered lost forever. Liepa has staged 11 ballets of the repertoire of Ballets Russes within his Les Saisons Russes XXI project.
Today Liepa is planning on bringing back to life "five or six more forgotten masterpieces,". His nearest plans aspire to stage Cleopatra at Champs Elyssee Theatre in Paris. He works with the troupe of the Kremlin ballet, along with invited ballet dancers from the Bolshoi, the Mariinsky and other theaters.
Source: RT.com
18 July, 2011
World Opera Competition opens in Moscow.
Operalia, the world's most celebrated competition of opera singers established by Placido Domingo, has opened in Moscow.
The audience gave the great Spanish maestro a standing ovation. He, on his part, kissed the famous Russian singer Galina Vishnevskaya to whom he dedicated this year's competition.
The competition was started by the Russian soprano Anna Krainikova who made her debut at the Bolshoi Theatre in 2009. Then, the St. Petersburg baritone Alexey Lavrov showed his skill. Russia is represented at the contest by another 7 singers. Their competitors are vocalists from North and South America.
Source: The Voice of Russia
16 July, 2011
International festival of Sand Sculptures held in St. Petersburg.
The annual international festival of Sand Sculptures 2011 under the topic "Masterpieces of World Culture" is being held at a beach near the Peter and Pawel Fortress in St. Petersburg starting on July 14, 2011. More than 30 teams from different countries took part in the annual festival, according to the organizers.
See the photos of the even on: englishrussia.com
15 July, 2011
Russia's Kazan bids for 2015/17 world championships.
Russian city Kazan has made a bid to host the swimming world championships in 2015 or 2017, the country's swimming federation said on Wednesday.
Kazan officials said they had submitted the official bid to FINA, the sport's world governing body, at the SportAccord international convention in London on Tuesday
Kazan, a city near the Volga River, 800 km (500 miles) east of Moscow, is building a 4,500-seat arena for swimming, diving and water polo for the World University Games which it will host in 2013.
The move by Kazan follows a successful bid by Russian resort Sochi to host the 2014 winter Olympics and the country being selected to host the 2018 soccer World Cup.
Source: reuters.com
14 July, 2011
Katyusha multiple launch rocket system is 70 years old.
Developed in the late 1930th and first used by the Red Army on July 14, 1941 near Orsha, the Vitebsk Region in Belarus, the Katyusha multiple launch rocket system is now 70 years old. The Nazi army was demoralized by this rapid and unexpected rocket attack. Over 10,000 Katyusha launchers and more than 12 million missiles were manufactured between July 1941 and December 1944.
The Katyusha, or Little Kate was named after the title of a popular song of the time. Because of the peculiar sound it made on launching, the weapon was named "Stalin's Organ" by Germans troops. Some military scholars credit the Katyusha for the relief of Stalingrad.
The BM-21 Grad (Hail) multiple launch rocket system is the direct descendant of the Katyusha. Today's rocket artillery systems operate on the same principle as their legendary archetype. But their combat potential has expanded appreciably with the advent of new munitions.
Source: Ria Novosti
11 July, 2011
Russia to celebrate anniversary of St. Basil's.
Russia will celebrate the 450th anniversary of St. Basil's Cathedral by opening an exhibition dedicated to the so-called "holy fool" who gave his name to the soaring structure of bright-hued onion domes that is a quintessential image of Russia. The exhibition will display relics and icons of St. Basil and other religious eccentrics, who were known as "holy fools. The exhibition will be part of massive celebrations of St. Basil's anniversary that will also include a service to be held by Russia Orthodox Patriarch Kirill and a late-night church bell concert.
The cathedral, constructed to commemorate Ivan's victory over Mongol rulers, was built on the burial site. The building was severely shelled during the 1917 Bolshevik takeover of the Kremlin and was patched up during the subsequent civil war and famine. Early Communist leaders — who persecuted countless clerics of all faiths and destroyed tens of thousands of religious buildings — wanted St. Basil's dynamited as it blocked the way to military parades, and only the cathedral's conversion into a museum saved it. A century earlier, Napoleon Bonaparte also ordered St. Basil's blown up during his army's hasty retreat from Moscow in 1812, but a heavy rain put down the burning fuses.
The design of its nine onion-shaped, multicolored domes combine the traditions of Russian wooden architecture with Byzantine and Islamic influences into a unique structure.
Source: www.cbsnews.com
10 July, 2011
Russian film takes special award at Karlovy Vary.
A screen version of Viktor Pelevin’s novel "Generation P" directed by Viktor Ginzburg of Russia has won a special prize at 46th the Karlovy Vary international film festival in the Czech Republic..
Source: The Voice of Russia
6 July, 2011
Russian puppeteer-magician Sergei Obraztsov turned 110.
The Puppet Space exhibition has been set up near Moscow's Red Square to mark 110th birth anniversary of the Soviet and Russian puppeteer-magician Sergei Obraztsov.
The exhibition mostly features items on display in the museum of the world-famous Soviet Puppet Theatre that the actor of genius created 80 years ago.
The exhibition depicts the history of puppet shows in Russia and elsewhere in the world, as well as the huge thematic, stylistic and artistic diversity of that art form.
Source: The Voice of Russia
5 July, 2011
The cats which work for the Hermitage Museum.
The largest building of the State Hermitage Museum, which was built to the design of architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli in 1754-1762, was ordered by Empress Elizabeth of Russia as an official imperial residence. But the daughter of Peter the Great left not only a stunningly beautiful palace after herself. The first mention of cats that came to live in the Winter Palace also dates from her rule.
1 July, 2011
Tchaikovsky Competition: the joy of victory.
Twenty-year-old Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov has become the winner of the 24th International Tchaikovsky competition in the piano category. Apart from the coveted gold medal and a $29,000 prize, he has also picked up an Audience Choice Award.
Trifonov has been studying music since he was five years old. His bronze medal and special prize last October at the International Frédéric Chopin Piano Competition brought him invitations to perform in Europe, Asia and America. He also toured extensively around the world performing as soloist with the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra Sinfonica Giuseppe Verdi in Milan and Moscow’s Musica Viva Chamber Orchestra, among others.
The second place award was shared between Russia's Sergey Dogadin and Israel's Itamar Zorman. Winners of the first prize of the vocal category became two South Korean singers, Sun Young Seo and Jong Min Park.
Read more on: Rt.com
28 June, 2011
Italian poetry now in Moscow metro.
A special "poetry" train will be shuttling along the Filyovskaya metro line in Moscow as of Thursday.
Lining the walls of the carriages are posters with lyrics by great Italian poets and their biographies both in Italian and Russian as part of the cross-year of Russia and Italy.
Read more on: The Voice of Russia
23 June, 2011
Film extravaganza sweeps Moscow.
A pot-pourri of different cultures, languages and religions – the Moscow International film festival is on the go from June 23-July 2, with the Russian capital turning into a platform for a host of exciting cinematic experiments.
Heading the jury is Charlie Chaplin's daughter, Geraldine Chaplin. Among the highlights of the competition program is the debut drama of the celebrated playwright, dissident and politician – the first president of the Czech Republic, Václav Havel. Among the most highly-anticipated is a selection of films by one of the key German artists, Werner Herzog, who will present such early masterpieces as Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes and Woyzeck as well as the more recent dramas My Son My Son What Have Ye Done and Cave of Forgotten Dreams Films that had their world premiere earlier this year – will be screened in Moscow, including Lars von Trier's Melancholia, the black-and-white silent masterpiece The Artist as well as Andrey Zvyagintsev’s tour de force Elena.
Read more on: Rt.com
22 June, 2011
Day of Memory and Sorrow in Russia.
Today Russia marks a memorial day – Day of Memory and Sorrow - established by presidential decree in 1996, and marked on the day when the Great Patriotic War broke out.
On the anniversary of the outbreak of the war, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev confers on three Russian cities - Stary Oskol, Kolpino and Anapa - the honorary title of "City of Military Glory."
On this memorial day Moscow is hosting dozens of events. About a thousand young people will gather at the Vorobyovy Hills for the "Candle of Memory" event, where at 4am, along with war veterans, they will light candles and tie bells to trees in commemoration of the fallen.
Read more on: The Voice of Russia
Read about Russian women at WWII
The first days of Great Patriotoc War in Russia - photos
22 June, 2011
Russian word makes its way into French.
Another Russian borrowing has been registered in the recent edition of "Petit Larousse" in France.
The word "malossolny" or "slightly salted" is no longer translated into French and can be seen on restaurant menus and on jars with cucumbers.
According to experts, there are nearly 70 Russian borrowings in the French language, among them "sputnik" and "zakuska".
In their turn, the French share fashion terms and culinary delicacies with Russians and the words "haute couture", "prêt-a-porter", "sommelier" and "chocolatier" require no translation in Russia.
Read more on: The Voice of Russia
10 June, 2011
Kinotavr Grand Prix goes to Indifference.
Russia's "Kinotavr" film festival wound up in the Balck Sea resort city of Sochi on Saturday.
Its Grand Prix went to an Oleg Flyangolts film "Bezrazlichie" (Indifference).
The film tells about social problems of the Moscow youth in the 1960s. It took the director 20 years to finish the film.
Indifference stars Fyodor Bondarchuk and Alexander Bashirov.
Read more on: The Voice of Russia
10 June, 2011
Soviet cartoon studios turn 75.
The Russian Soyuzmultfilm cartoon studio is celebrating its 75th anniversary.
The country's oldest cartoon maker, established on June 10th 1936, Soyuzmultfilm is famed for a set of timeless works adored by generations of children and adults alike.
Among the most popular are "The Humpbacked Horse", "The Scarlet Flower", "The Snow Queen", "Hedgehog in the Fog", "Cheburashka" and "Winnie-the-Pooh".
Read more on: The Voice of Russia
More about Russian animation
5 June, 2011
Russia marks the birthday of its greatest poet.
June 6 will mark 212 years since the birth of Russia's greatest poet Alexander Pushkin. Celebrations are already under way all over Russia.
In the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, actors dressed up as Pushkin will appear in the local subway on the day of the poet's birthday. The subway's stations will be decorated with lines from Pushkin’s works, and announcers will read his poems aloud.
In the local philharmonic hall, a concert will take place, devoted to Pushkin's influence on the modern Russian language.
Read more on: The Voice of Russia
3 June, 2011
Russia's hockey legend turns 81.
Russia's legendary ice-hockey coach Viktor Tikhonov turns 81 on Sunday.
He trained the Soviet team and the CSKA club, bringing the teams to victories in the Olympics and World and European Cups.
Read more on: The Voice of Russia
3 June, 2011
Legislation to limit abortion proposed in Russian parliament.
Conservative parliamentarians, with the backing of Russia's Orthodox Church, are drafting legislation aimed at reducing the more than 1 million abortions performed in Russia each year.
The proposed legislation would ban free abortions at government-run clinics and require a prescription for the "morning-after" pill. The bill would also require a married woman seeking an abortion to have her husband's permission, and teenage girls would need the consent of their parents. In addition, the proposed legislation would require a one-week waiting period to allow a woman to reconsider her decision before having her child killed through abortion. The draft law also suggests that monthly payments to pregnant women should be increased. At present, the figure is 2,000 rubles ($70) a month until birth.
Read more on: http://www.lifesitenews.com
30 May, 2011
Moscow ready to mark Children's Day.
On the 1st of June Moscow will mark International Children's Day with a large-scale festival for children.
Children's delegations from 29 Russian regions and also from Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Finland have been invited, the press-service of the Russian Children's Foundation, the organizer of the festival.
11,000 orphans, disabled children and children of servicemen killed in action will attend performances at Moscow circuses and the best theatres, including the Bolshoi. The little visitors will be able to cruise in boats along the River Moskva and go to the Kremlin and other Moscow museums.
Source: The Voice of Russia
23 May, 2011
Elena admired at Cannes.
A cinematic virtuoso, Russia's Andrey Zvyagintsev, has picked up a Special Jury Prize for his latest drama Elena, which was screened at the world's most prestigious film festival, at Cannes.
The award-winning director of The Return said that he was anxious to shoot the film as soon as he finished reading the script and was sure that Russian audience would respond to teh film as it was about Russians.
Source: RT.com
22 May, 2011
Russian athletes win 3 gold medals at Europe's Race Walking Cup event.
Three Russian athletes have won gold medals at the European Cup Race Walking event in Olhao, Portugal.
Vera Sokolova won the women's 20 km race event after finishing in one hour, 30 minutes and one second. Stanislav Yemelyanov was the best in the men's 20 km race walk, covering the distance in one hour, 23 minutes and 27 seconds. Denis Nizhegorodov won the men's 50 km race walk, finishing in three hours, 45 minutes and 57 seconds.
Source: Ria Novosti
16 May, 2011
Russian baritone and soprano in Queen Elisabeth competition finals.
Russian baritone Konstantin Shushakov and soprano Yelena Galitskaya have advanced to the finals of the Queen Elisabeth Voice Competition in Brussels.
First held in 1937 at the initiative of Queen Elizabeth of Belgium, who was known to be a brilliant violinist, this year the competition is dedicated to singing.
The Queen Elisabeth Music Competition is one of the largest and most prestigious worldwide.
Source: The Voice of Russia
13 May, 2011
Russia becomes a world cinema leader.
Russia is turning into one of the world cinema leaders, a spokesman of the American Walt Disney International film company declared in Cannes.
He said that Russia is now in the focus of the film business due to the unprecedented fast growth of the domestic film market. His evidence was the fact that Moscow, rather than London or Paris, was chosen for showing the European premiere of the film “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”.
Russia has left China behind according to the increase in the number of film audiences. Russian cinemas sell up to $1 billion worth of tickets a year.
Source: The Voice of Russia
10 May, 2011
Eurovision-2011: first step to victory.
The zero hour has come for contest performances by participants in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 which will start in Germany’s Düsseldorf at 23:00 Moscow time.
On May 10th and 12th, the huge stage of the Düsseldorf Arena stadium capable of sitting 35,000 people will host semi-final performances by musicians from 43 countries. At a ceremony to decide the order of singers Russia's Alexei Vorobyov drew number seven. His song 'Get You' was written in tandem with American composer and producer Red One, who wrote major hits for world stars such as Lady Gaga, Christina Aguilera, Shakira and Enrique Iglesias. This cooperation holds out a hope of success, indeed. A month before Eurovision, London's leading betting shop William Hill even considered Vorobyov as the most likely candidate for becoming the contest's runner-up. However, his ranking started getting lower over time, with bookmakers now placing Russia's 23-year-old entrant among the top 10 performers only. Even his compatriots are rather skeptical about the young man's chances to win - only 6 percent of those polled believe in his triumph.
Source: The Voice of Russia
9 May, 2011
Russia celebrates Great Victory.
Russia is marking Victory Day - 66 years since Nazi Germany was defeated in World War II. Events of commemoration and celebration are taking place across the country, including a traditional grand military parade on Red Square.
The Moscow parade comes as largest-scale in Russian modern history, with a march of about 20,000 troops. This year, 106 units of military armory rolled over the main Moscow Square and five helicopters hovered over the spectators. Heavy military vehicles were wearing special tracks not to damage the cobblestones of Red Square. Spectators had a chance to see modern Russian military machines, such as Tiger and BTR-80 armored vehicles, T-90 tanks, self-propelled artillery installations Msta-C, mobile missile launching systems "Topol-M" and many others military units.
Source: Rt.com
Read about USSR losses in WWII.
6 May, 2011
In Russia, 82 per cent of the people believe in God.
Russians are the most pious nation in Europe, most atheists are male, and Orthodox Christians outnumber Muslims overwhelmingly, according to two recent polls.
A record 82 percent of respondents acknowledged that they believe in God, according to a poll conducted by the Public Opinion Foundation and an obscure religious research group called Sreda.
But only 50 percent said they belonged to the Russian Orthodox Church, said the poll, which was released this week by Interfax. The church usually puts the figure around 70 percent.
A further 27 percent called themselves believers not affiliated with any particular religion. This option was particularly popular among young people and residents of the Urals Federal District, while the Northwest Federal District led in the number of "Orthodox believers not affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church." The area is a traditional stronghold of the church's leading rival movement, the Old Believers.
Atheists accounted for another 13 percent of the populace. The highest concentration of nonbelievers was found among workers and the poor who "do not even have money for food," and 68 percent of atheists were men.
A meager 4 percent of Russians called themselves Muslims — fewer than the 5 percent who declined to participate in the poll, the report said. The number of adherents of other faiths fell below the poll's margin of error of 3.6 percentage points.
The survey covered 1,500 respondents in 44 of Russia's 83 regions and was conducted this spring.
More: The Moscow Times
2 May, 2011
Russia's famous actor dies at 73.
Russia's famous theater and movie actor Alexander Lazarev died in Moscow aged 73, the city's Mayakovsky Theater where he worked reports.
The funeral is to be held on May 5th.
Alexander Lazarev was born January 3, 1938 in Leningrad. In 1959 he graduated from the Moscow Art Theatre School and was admitted to the Moscow Academic Theatre. Mayakovsky. In 1961 he debuted in film in the film "Free Wind". Among the most famous works in the movie – "Once again about love", "Road to Calvary", "Stepanchikovo village and its inhabitants."
Married to a famous actress Svetlana Nemolyaeva, which also serves as the Mayakovsky Theater. Son – People's Artist of Russia, actor Lenkom Alexander Lazarev (Jr.). Lazarev – winner of the USSR State Prize – for theatrical work, Knight of the Order of Merit 4-th degree.
Source: EuropaPlus.tv
29 April, 2011
Russian to halt gasoline exports in May.
Russia on Thursday announced it would not export any gasoline next month and direct all sales to the domestic market in a bid to curb a recent shortage.
The move came after two dozen Russian regions this week reported major gasoline shortages, prompting a price rise that saw Prime Minister Vladimir Putin order officials to get to grips with the situation.
Source: Yahoo News
27 April, 2011
70,000 to Learn English for the Olympics.
The government Wednesday hired EF English First to teach the language to an astounding 70,000 people as part of preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Under the contract, the international firm will educate athletes, Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee staff, service providers — including taxi drivers and hotel maids — judges and volunteers. Most of the training will be carried out online..
The Olympics language courses come on the heels of government plans to create a more multilingual federal bureaucracy.
Source: The Moscow Times
25 April, 2011
2011 Figure Skating World Championship kicks off in Moscow.
The 2011 Figure Skating World Championship kicks of on Monday in the capital of Russia.
Moscow was selected to host the championship last month after Tokyo, which was the original host of the event, was forced to pull out due to the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on March 11.
According to the ISU, 196 sportsmen from 44 countries are expected to arrive in Moscow shortly. The championship will draw together nearly all top-ranking figure skaters who performed at the Olympic Games in Vancouver and the worlds in Turin last year.
Source: Pravda.ru
23 April, 2011
Russian Christians celebrate Easter.
Services are held across Russia and elsewhere as Orthodox Christians mark the Easter festival.
For Russian Orthodox Christians, Easter – the major feast of the year – is a long and powerful tradition. This year, April 24 will be the day when the Christian world will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ after his crucifixion.
On Satruday evening, a plane carrying a lamp with a flame of Holy Fire from Jerusalem landed in Moscow’s Vnukovo airport, where believers and Russian Orthodox Church eparchy officials have gathered to see its arrival.
The main Easter service in Russia is being held according to tradition in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, the main country’s cathedral. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, who heads the Russian Orthodox Church holds the Service. Over 5,000 worshippers have gathered in the country's major cathedral this year. The vigil is usually attended by Russia's highest officials, including President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
Easter service in Russia's main cathedral - live broadcast on Rt.com
Source: Rt.com
22 April, 2011
Russian actor, director Mikhail Kozakov dies.
Russian actor and theater director Mikhail Kozakov has died of lung cancer at the age of 76.
Kozakov, who moved to a hospice recently after treatment at a hospital in Israel, was born in Leningrad on October 14, 1934.
Kozakov's career in the film industry started in 1956 and included star roles in several blockbusters. He also worked for several Moscow drama companies and ran a company of his own in the past two decades.
Kozakov has played more than 70 parts in films. His best known movies include "The Amphibian Man," "The Ordinary Story," "The Little Straw Hat," and "Fools Die on Fridays."
He also did parts in the movies "The Nameless Star" and "The Pokrovskiye Gate" but he directed those as well. He was also the director of the film "A Lady's Visit."
In 1991 Kakos moved to Israel. For four years he played in Hebrew at a theater in Tel Aviv. He also put together a Russian theater company, producing four plays for it.
Returning to Russia in 1996, he organized what was called Mikhail Kozakov's Russian Non-Repertory Company.
Kozakov has also brought out compact discs on which he recites works by Russian poets Joseph Brodsky ad Anna Akhmatova.
Source: interfax.com
21 April, 2011
Leave not remove.
Ahead of the 141st anniversary of Vladimir Lenin's birth, the Mausoleum in Red Square is open for visiting again. Meanwhile, arguments about removing Lenin's body from the Mausoleum have been continuing for already 20 years.
Not many people want to see the Mausoleum now, there are no crowds in Red Square. Probably, only on the 22nd of April, Lenin's birth anniversary, and the 21st of January, the day Lenin died, you can witness some commotion near his tomb. Calls for burying Lenin sound ever more persistently in Russian society but Communists dub this a "provocation and politicking" and approach keeping of Lenin’s body in the Mausoleum as a historical traditions and heritage of Russia.
Human rights activists insist on taking Lenin's body out of the tomb and insist that Lenin was one of the founders of a totalitarian state.
The Russian Orthodox Church has an explicit opinion of the situation. According to Christian and human traditions, the body should be buried
Another argument for keeping it is that Lenin's Tomb is a monument to political power but it is also an architectural monument of the 1920s, designed by Alexey Shchusev. Today it is an inalienable part of the Kremlin ensemble, so it should be preserved. This architectural monument was very well built and fitted into the existing architectural ensemble of the whole square. At the same time, one third of Russians believe that the Mausoleum has long since become just a tourist attraction. So there are a lot of suggestions about turning it into a museum. According to public opinion polls, the majority of Russians think that keeping Lenin's body in the tomb in Red Square is unnatural and wrong.
Source: The Voice of Russia
More about Russian history
20 April, 2011
PayPal makes a "strategic" decision to enter Russian online market .
American online bank PayPal has shrugged off fears of corruption and will enter the burgeoning Russian online payments market, according to local reports. The U.S. company is now only waiting for laws on a national payment system to be approved before opening its office in the next year.
Russia has one of the fastest growing Internet markets in the world, and the number of subscribers has been exploding over the last three years. The number of people connected to the Internet is doubling about every 18 months and experts say it will reach about 50 million people by the end of 2011.
However, the growth of online shopping is proceeding much more slowly, as it remains very difficult to pay for goods.
PayPal is confident of the market's potential and is already in talks with local Internet providers and cellular phone companies. Even though it has some catching up to do. As there are Russian companies that organize online payments like Yandex.Dengi and WebMoney that have been operating on the market for some while already.
Source: Russia Beyond the Headlines
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