Corruption in Russia

In Russia, corruption is considered in much the same way as the climate: something that makes life harder and causes constant grumbling, but is an unchangeable part of the fabric of life.

Revealed: t

“Of course all politicians are corrupt, we’ll never be able to do anything about it,” says Nadezdha, a 47-year-old housewife in the town of Kimry, about 100 miles from Moscow. She had not heard of the allegations in the Panama Papers, which suggested members of Vladimir Putin’s family, and those close to him, had benefited from dubious cash flows. Instead, she insists the Russian president is part of the solution, not the problem.

“Poor Putin is trying to fight these bloodsucking bureaucrats, but he can’t clean up everything on his own.”

Save for limited online discussion among the politically active classes – one video compares the $2bn (£1.4bn) that passed through a company controlled by Putin’s friend, the cellist Sergei Roldugin, to state spending on healthcare, roads and pensions – for the most part the leaks have passed by with little fanfare. The allegations, published in Russia by the small independent paper Novaya Gazeta, were dismissed by Putin, and state TV, as a western plot.

The above is an excerpt from an article discussing corruption in Russian. This woman believes that Putin is not a part of the problem, but instead a way of solving this massive "corruption" present in their nation. 

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/13/vladimi-putin-russia-unmoved-by-offshore-revelations

Here is the full article discussing this, I also wanted to do a blog post on these photos from the 20th century Russia, fully colored now, which are really fascinating and have wonderful captions.

http://imgur.com/a/cxMZT#0

Russian Civilians Fearing ISIS Attacks

Research conducted after the bombings in France and Belgium shows that percentage of people that fear ISIS has increased. Russians believe that they could be attacked in the future; despite the widespread fear, they are confident that their special service does anything possible to protect them. Researchers asked Russians what they see as the primary reasons behind the attacks in Europe. 42 percent considered the faulty migration policies of the EU as the main reason, while 33 percent blamed the never-ending influx of refugees from Africa and the Middle East. Another 32 percent thought that the attacks weren't prevented because the European authorities are too weak, and 30 percent said that they were caused by a worldwide increase in Islamist terrorism. Not surprisingly over 70 percent of Russians support air strikes in Syria and ISIS-territorities in the Middle East. 

украинский борщ

украинский борщ

Borscht is a traditional Eastern European dish with its origin in the slavic culture. The word  борщ derives from the yiddish word באָרשט‎ (borsht). The Ukrainien version is the most common one and if Americans are talking about борщ they usually refer to the Ukrainien one.

Ingredients

• 6 cups chicken stock, beef stock, or vegetable stock for vegetarians
• 3 medium beets, washed well
• 3 large potatoes, peeled and chopped into cubes
• 3 medium carrots, thinly sliced or shredded
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 head red cabbage, cored and shredded
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 2 - 4 tablespoons sugar or to taste
• salt and papper to taste
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
• sour cream for topping (optional)

Instructions

1. Place beets in a large pot and fill with just enough water to cover them. Cover pot and boil until tender, about 45 minutes. Remove beets from pot to a plate or cutting board and set aside to cool.
2. Add broth, carrots,and potatoes to beet water and boil covered for about 15 minutes, then add onions, garlic, cabbage, and diced tomatoes.
3. Peel and slice the cooked beets and add to pot. Cook until the beets lose their color, about 30 minutes. Add tomato sauce, sugar, dill, salt, and pepper then reduce to simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Serve hot topped with sour cream

Catherine the Great

Catherine the Great was the longest ruling female monarch of Russia who ruled until her death at the age of 67. She came to power after a coup d'etat with the death of her husband, Peter III. The Catherinian Era is considered the Golden Age of Russia Empire. Catherine confirmed the Manifesto on Freedom of the Nobility which exempted nobles from being compelled into state service. She was considered an enlightened depot in the age of enlightenment hosting famous thinkers such as Voltaire.

Русский язык, второй год... Сегодня в лингафонном кабинете! Праздники. Unit 10 Week 1 Second Year

Линк на разговор.

Сколько сейчас времени???

The Russian Coat of Arms

The Coat of Arms for the Russian Federation is adapted from the coat of arms that was used during Imperial Russia until 1917. All the Romanov's get killed, there's a big revolution and BAM! The Soviet Union is born. Obviously, this emblem with its notions of imperialism did not reflect the goals of the new communist regime, so it was abolished. the Imperial coat of arms was replaced by the well-known hammer and sickle. It was not until after the fall of the Soviet Union in '93, that the imperial coat of arms was adapted again to suit today's Russian Federation. It is said the the crest has been changed many times since its creation during the reign of Ivan III. The current crest was designed by Yevgeny Ukhnalyov.

The design of the coat of arms features a double-headed, crowned eagle (Russia's national bird called a Tundra Swan). The bird is holding an imperial scepter in one hand and an imperial orb in the other (you know what Elsa was holding when she was coronated? Her hands were shaking cuz she was trying not freeze everything? Yeah, you do. Great.) These guys represent Russia's sovereignty.

The other main feature of the crest is the mounted, sword-wielding soldier fighting off the dragon in the center of the image. He is supposedly meant to represent Saint George. Today nothing is mentioned of the religious nature of this figure to keep in line with Russia's modern secular character.

This figure is a common feature on Russian souvenirs like ushanka hats, jackets, and patches. It is also seen in many prison tattoos. The convicts cover themselves in many symbolic tattoos. When the coat of arms is used it can either mean that they were in the army or that they hold the government responsible for their lack of freedom.

Study Abroad in Poland

Since SPREEs just released their scholarship for Poland this summer I decided to write about my AWESOME trip to Poland. Last year, I received the half tuition scholarship to participate in the Crossroads of Empires study abroad program in Warsaw, Poland. The fact that I met Polish and European Union officials and got to listen to them lecture made the entire trip a priceless experience. I got to travel to a country that had previously been completely off my radar (I didn't even know where it was on a map) and learn about one of my passions, security. This month long trip felt like an entire semester with the number of lectures we attended and trips we took. Every weekend was a new city and a new cultural experience. From studying in the Collegium Civitas in the very center of Warsaw (every girl's dream after learning Russian history) to visiting the Stasi Museum in Berlin, I had experiences that never would have been possible without my scholarship. This opportunity completely changed the trajectory of my summer for the better. That being said, if you're reading the blog APPLY FOR THE SCHOLARSHIP. Even if you don't know if you want to go, APPLY. Even if you don't think you'll get it, APPLY.

https://sway.com/S0vFywHdqUBQ82F5#st_refDomain=www.facebook.com&st_refQuery=/

*end of shameless plug for this program*

Russian Cuisine: Shashlik/Шашлык

Shashlik (Шашлык) is a type of Russian shish kebab popular throughout central and eastern Europe, central and southern Asia, and northern Africa. This weekend, my family decided to prepare this dish. We used lamb, cut into 1.5 inch cubes and marinated it overnight with yellow onions, lemon juice, a little oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. The next evening, we placed them on skewers and grilled them over high heat for 6 minutes before flipping them over and grilling them for another 6 minutes. Then, we took the meat off of the skewer and put them is a heavy ceramic dish with a lid to let them rest for 10 minutes. We served the shashlik with boiled potatoes garnished with flat-leafed parsley and green salad.
The shashlik was rather flavorful and tender, it was definitely a welcome surprise. We will definitely be having this again soon.
                                           

Вы пропустили нооруз? Ммммдааааа.... Вы и вот что пропустили!

Серге́й Васи́льевич Рахма́нинов

Hey everyone! Did you know yesterday (April 1st) was Rachmaninoff's birthday?

Серге́й Васи́льевич Рахма́нинов

(1873-1943)

Russian composer, pianist, and conductor. Considered as one of the finest pianists of all time, and as a composer, one of the last great representatives of Romanticism in Russian classical music.

Early influences of Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, and other Russian composers gave way to a personal style notable for its song-like melodicism, expressiveness, and his use of rich orchestral colors.

Rachmaninoff was born at a family estate of Semyonovo near Veliky Novgorod in north western Russia.

His family was Russian and distant Moldavian descent who was part of the Russian aristocracy, having been in the service of the Russian tsars since the 16th century, and had strong musical and military leanings. 

Rachmaninoff began playing the piano at age four; his mother gave him casual lessons before his paternal grandfather, Arkady Alexandrovich, brought Anna  Ornatskaya, a teacher from Saint Petersburg, to teach him formally in 1882.

Prelude Op. 3 No. 2 in C# minor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOx710drHnw  

This piece is also known as 'The Bells of Moscow'. It is the second of five 'Morceaux de Fantaisie,' or Fantasy Pieces. This work, in terms of gravity of tone, is the most Russian of the five, and Rachmaninoff is at his best when composing heavier music. This is considered to be one of his best works.